Community First Partnership

Empowering communities through energy efficiency and electrification
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Energy costs can be a significant burden for some Massachusetts families and small businesses, disproportionately affecting residents of Environmental Justice Communities. Energy efficiency solutions can reduce energy use, improve indoor air quality, and create a more comfortable home or business.


The Community First Partnership leverages the local knowledge and trusted relationships of municipalities and community-based organizations to increase participation in Mass Save energy efficiency programs. This initiative drives participation among the priority customer groups of renters, landlords, low- and moderate-income households, customers who speak languages other than English, and small businesses in participating communities.


Watch the recording of the 2025-2027 Mass Save® Community First Partnership Overview Webinar.


You can also sign up for office hours with the Partnership Lead Vendor, All In Energy:

  • Thursday, October 24, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Register
  • Wednesday, October 30, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Register

The Sponsors of Mass Save provide funding, resources, training, and support to participating municipalities and local community-based organizations to increase participation in the Mass Save programs. This includes funding and support to hire a full- or part-time Energy Advocate and implement outreach campaigns in their community.


Selected 2025–2027 applicants may receive:

  • Up to $85,500 per year in funding to support energy efficiency awareness and program participation. Of this, up to $83,000 may be used to pay an Energy Advocate* and up to $2,500 may be used for local outreach efforts
  • Turnkey mailer campaigns (e.g. letters, bill inserts) designed, printed, and mailed by the Sponsors, and select tabling materials (e.g. tabling displays, swag/giveaways) designed and provided by the Sponsors, both at no cost
  • Comprehensive training on available Mass Save energy efficiency and electrification solutions
  • Support from subject matter experts on energy efficiency and electrification
  • A community-focused, multilingual automated phone line and webpage on MassSave.com guiding residents and small businesses to sign up for Mass Save programs
  • Co-branded multilingual marketing materials
  • Monthly progress reports on customer participation
  • Data sharing with Program Sponsors and delivery partners (subject to availability and data sharing agreements) to support outreach and tracking efforts
  • Coaching and best practices to encourage program participation
  • Customer support
  • Local event support
  • The opportunity to share feedback to continually strengthen the Partnership and the Mass Save programs

*Energy Advocate may be full-time or part-time and the award amount will be adjusted accordingly. The 2025 award amount will be prorated based on the hire date of the Energy Advocate.

 

In 2022–2023:

  • 52 Communities have benefited from local, community-led outreach
  • The 26 Community First Partners supporting these 52 communities helped achieve:
      • ○ 72,716 Home Energy Assessments
      ○ 18,112 residential weatherization upgrades
      ○ 20,887 home heating and cooling upgrades
      ○ 2,709 small business energy efficiency upgrades

  • Community First Partners received up to $60,000 in funding annually for up to three years, as well as in-kind marketing and technical support

Current Community First Partners:

The following Community First Partners, comprised of municipalities and community-based organizations, are currently participating in the 2022–2024 Community First Partnership:

  • Arlington
  • Berkshire County Regional Planning Commission (in Adams, Great Barrington, Lanesborough, Lee, North Adams, and Williamstown)
  • Beverly and Salem
  • Boston
  • Cambridge
  • Cape Verdean Association (in Brockton)
  • Chelsea, Winthrop, and Revere
  • Clean Water Fund (in Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, and Westport)
  • Ener-G-Save (in Springfield, Pittsfield, West Springfield)
  • Everett
  • Framingham and Natick
  • Gloucester
  • Groundwork Lawrence (in Andover, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover)
  • Lowell
  • Malden
  • Melrose
  • Norwood, Sharon, and Walpole
  • Quincy Asian Resources Inc (in Quincy and Randolph)
  • Shelburne
  • Swampscott and Lynn
  • Vineyard Power (in Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and West Tisbury)
  • Watertown
  • Westborough
  • Worcester




Municipalities and registered 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) non-profit organizations (or those with a fiscal agent), as well as teams of municipalities and/or registered non-profit organizations, are eligible to apply. Only municipalities whose gas or electric utility is National Grid, Eversource, Liberty, or Berkshire Gas should apply to the Community First Partnership using this application process.

Applicants may apply individually or as a team; no more than three (3) communities may be included in a single application.

 

Additional program requirements for 2025–2027 include:

  • Commitment to a 3-year engagement in the program, executing a continuous campaign to reach priority customer groups in your community resulting in a measurable increase in Mass Save participation
  • Commitment to hiring/employing an Energy Advocate dedicated to this effort part-time or full-time (to be specified in your application).
  • Commitment to focus outreach to at least two of the following priority customer groups: landlords in 1–4 unit buildings (to benefit renters), landlords of 5–20 unit buildings (to benefit renters), low- and/or moderate-income residents*, customers who speak languages other than English, and/or small businesses
  • Participation in bi-weekly meetings
  • Participation in training throughout the year, including a mandatory half-day in-person orientation on Mass Save offerings and best practices in marketing and community outreach
  • Establishing program participation goals in coordination with the applicable Mass Save Sponsors and Partnership Lead Vendor after program acceptance
  • Tracking and reporting progress via monthly, quarterly, and annual reports
  • Openness to building partnerships with local community organizations or municipalities
  • Working with relevant entities within municipal government to obtain use of the city/town seal and coordinate marketing efforts such as sign-off on marketing materials, signatures on co-branded letters to community members, municipal bill inserts, other city/town communication channels
  • Submission of all outreach materials for approval prior to use
  • For Community Partner Teams with multiple partners: Consistent coordination and reliable communication among partners in the team to ensure active engagement by all
  • Execution of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and ability to invoice for services with all required information

*Low-to-moderate income households are those with annual household incomes at or below 80% of the state or area median income (whichever is higher).



To apply for the 2025–2025 Community First Partnership:

  1. Please review the 2025–2027 Community First Partnership Details and Application Information.
  2. There are two options to submit your application:
    1. You may submit your application online here.
    2. You may download the application as a Word document and submit it via email to the Partnership Lead Vendor, All In Energy at [email protected] with “CFP Application Submission” in the subject line.

 

Application Timeline and Deadlines:

  • Proposals due (Renewing communities): Rolling applications through November 1, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
  • Proposals due (New communities): November 1, 2024 at 5 p.m. ET
  • Interview: Applicants should be prepared for a potential interview in November 2024. However, not all applicants may be requested to conduct an interview.
  • All selected communities notified: Early December 2024