Expert Match Frequently Asked Questions

What is Expert Match?
As a key component of C2C, the Expert Match program allows communities to apply to access short-term technical assistance. This program will match the participating community with a relevant expert who will provide 40–60 hours of expert advice and technical services to communities on clean energy topics such as clean power, mobility, buildings, and the grid.

Who will select the expert(s) matched with each community?
After reviewing a community's application, the C2C Expert Match coordination team will identify a topic area expert at NREL, other national labs (including Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), or partner organizations whose work aligns with the community's request.

What do you mean by “community,” and what groups can represent a community?
The term "community" is broadly applied to include organizations that represent cities, towns, municipalities, or tribes, including Alaska Native Villages, Alaska Native Corporations, and state recognized tribes. It may also apply to organizations that represent a particular group or area within a city, town, municipality, or tribe. Local and tribal governments, community-based organizations, universities, community colleges, and municipal and co-op utilities can represent a community in applying for Expert Match assistance. Representatives who can employ the tools and lessons learned to promote their community's clean energy goals are encouraged to apply.

Who is not eligible to receive technical assistance through Expert Match?
For-profit organizations or consultants are not eligible to receive assistance through this program. Organizations based outside the United States are also ineligible; we encourage international stakeholders to look into opportunities available through the Clean Energy Solutions Center.

What is the application cycle timeline?
Applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please note that this does not mean technical assistance will start immediately upon acceptance to the program. The start date of technical assistance is dependent on expert availability. We will keep you updated about the status of your request via email. Your response to the application question, "How soon do you need the requested assistance in order to inform the plan, policy, or project you are working on?" will help us determine if an expert will be available in the time frame needed for your community.

How many communities will be selected?
The C2C Expert Match team plans to work with up to 200 communities annually. Approximately 15 communities will be supported per month.

How long does Expert Match assistance last?
Expert Match is intended to provide 40–60 hours of technical assistance from an expert in the requested topic area over the course of 3–4 months, starting from the decision date. The length will be determined after an initial conversation between the appropriate technical expert and the participating community representative(s) through an agreed-upon scope of work.

Can my community request support for multiple topics?
Yes! Each community can receive Expert Match support on multiple topics, although total support is capped at 40–60 hours.

What kind of topics can be covered by Expert Match?
Expert Match may cover technical areas such as:

• Clean power, including solar (including agrivoltaics), wind, hydropower, nuclear, and geothermal
• Mobility, including personal mobility, shared mobility, freight, and infrastructure
• Buildings, including grid-interactive buildings, advanced building construction, and connected communities
• Grid, including transmission and distribution infrastructure
• Other topics related to clean energy, including cross-cutting topics such as climate mitigation, financing, resilience, and environmental justice.

What topics or assistance cannot be covered by Expert Match?
A few specific areas are not supported under this program. Specifically, we cannot provide legal advice or specific policy recommendations, and we cannot assist with grant writing. We can, however, conduct analyses that could be used by the applicant to inform decision-making and/or grant proposals.

Why do you ask about “disadvantaged status?”
To help address historical and present practices that result in the marginalization and overburdening of certain communities, the White House’s Justice40 Initiative calls for 40% of benefits of all federal programs to be allocated to disadvantaged communities, also referred to as environmental justice communities. We ask about your community’s disadvantaged status to understand where the benefits of C2C are occurring. The application question is partially open-ended, as we want to give communities the flexibility to define how they see their disadvantaged status, recognizing that many of the burdens that communities face are not captured in any prescribed set of metrics. That said, the question also provides several resources that communities can use to help identify whether and how their community registers as disadvantaged (see below).

What are some examples of “disadvantaged community metrics”?
Some common disadvantaged community metrics include: 

• 30% of the community is classified as low-income
• The community has a historical economic dependence on fossil fuel industrial facilities
• The community has environmental justice considerations (e.g., moderate to high exposure to pollution or toxins)
• The community experiences high levels of energy burden (defined as a median spending of household income on energy needs greater than or equal to 6%).

Some resources communities can leverage to determine and report their disadvantaged status include: 

U.S. Department of Energy's Disadvantaged Communities Reporter Tool

U.S. Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates Tool

U.S. Department of Energy's Low-Income Energy Affordability Data Tool

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's EJScreen Tool

Can communities without any disadvantaged status participate?
Yes! All communities are welcome to apply regardless of their disadvantaged status.

If my organization is selected to receive support, can we apply again in the future?
Yes! You can apply for assistance through Expert Match multiple times. However, if there are more applicants than available support, and other applicants are equally qualified, priority may be given to communities that have not received prior support through the program.

Can my organization participate in C2C Expert Match if we are currently being supported by, or applying to, another U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program?
Yes! Participating in C2C does not limit you from additional DOE funding opportunities. However, if there are more applicants than available support, and other applicants are equally qualified, priority may be given to communities that have not received prior support from DOE.

Is there a requirement that communities make a financial commitment to participate?
No, communities are not required to make a financial commitment. During the length of Expert Match support, the primary commitment of community representatives will be their time, feedback, and expertise. Our primary objective is to ensure that those receiving assistance have authority and/or influence in community processes to implement learnings.

I have a question that is not answered here. Whom can I contact to learn more?
For any inquiries not addressed here, please email C2Cexpertmatch@nrel.gov.