Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) Grant FY 2026
Grants fund Tribal-only capacity-building projects for energy development on Indian land, including organizational, business, legal, and regulatory infrastructure, with an optional TERA Pathways topic area.
RESTRICTED TO: TRIBAL ENTITIES
⚑ Only Indian Tribes and Tribal Energy Development Organizations are eligible · Projects must occur on Indian land · America250 language appears in the notice but is not described as a TEDC funding purpose and may not be a core scope area · Applicants may elect a TERA Pathways topic area
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 25 weak | prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
| IPPRA | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 15 none | university cannot apply directly (ineligible) |
Description
The Secretary of the Interior ("Secretary"), through the Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD), Office of Trust Services, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), is soliciting grant proposals from Federally recognized Tribal entities for the Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grant. The TEDC grant seeks to build Tribal management, organizational and technical capacity needed to maximize the economic impact of energy resource development on Indian land. Grants may fund development of organizational and business structures for energy development, as well as legal and regulatory infrastructure. Certified Local Governments are encouraged to prioritize projects in support of the celebration of America's 250th birthday (America250). This may include, but is not limited to, preservation 2 planning, interpretation, public engagement, and rehabilitation projects that recognize and honor the nation's founding, history, and cultural heritage.New TERA Pathways Topic Area - As part of this solicitation, applicants may elect to pursue activities aligned with the TERA Pathways Initiative, a strategic capacity building effort focused on supporting Tribal progress toward energy self-determination under the Tribal Energy Resource Agreement (TERA) framework. Applications should specify if they are applying for this topic area.
Eligibility
Only Indian Tribes and Tribal Energy Development Organizations (TEDOs) are eligible to receive TEDC grants for projects on Indian land, as provided under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as amended, and codified under sections 3501-3503 of title 25 of the United States Code (25 U.S.C. §§ 3501-3503). TEDC grants may only fund projects occurring on Indian land as defined in the under 25 U.S.C. § 3501.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Bureau of Indian Affairs <Jo.Metcalfe@bia.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.
Legacy IPPRA LLM assessment (v2.0, for comparison)
0/100 · gpt-5.4-mini · 2026-07-06
This is an energy-development capacity grant for federally recognized Tribes and TEDOs only, not a research program, and public universities are not eligible to receive awards. It focuses on organizational, legal, and regulatory infrastructure for Tribal energy self-determination rather than the social/behavioral or policy research IPPRA conducts.
Legacy scoring history
| 2026-07-06 | 0 | gpt-5.4-mini | This is an energy-development capacity grant for federally recognized Tribes and TEDOs only, not a research program, and public universities are not eligible to receive awards. It focuses on organizational, legal, and regulatory infrastructure for Tribal energy self-determination rather than the social/behavioral or policy research IPPRA conducts. |
| 2026-07-06 | 18 | gpt-5.4-mini | This is an energy-development capacity grant, but it is restricted to federally recognized Tribes and Tribal Energy Development Organizations for projects on Indian land, so a public university like OU/IPPRA could not apply directly or as a named research partner. The topic touches energy governance and self-determination, but it is primarily a tribal capacity-building and legal/regulatory infrastructure program rather than a research opportunity with a social-science or policy study component IPPRA could lead. |