Take Charge Program – Coming Soon
The Take Charge Program was approved by the NJEDA Board on October 30, 2025. Additional notice will be made when applications are open. Please reach out to takecharge@njeda.gov with any questions or if you would like to be added to the program mailing list.
The Take Charge program is a $50 million pilot program launched by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to help private fleets cover the cost of installing charging infrastructure in New Jersey. The NJEDA will provide grant awards ranging from $50,000 to $5 million to reimburse applicants for at least 50% of eligible project costs.
This pilot is funded by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) proceeds allocated to NJEDA and will accelerate the adoption of zero-emission transportation solutions in New Jersey.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant
Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- For-profit commercial organizations that are purchasing and installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure in New Jersey.
- Projects can consist of installation of new chargers to a property that already has existing chargers.
- Organizations must have 2 or more existing commercial-use vehicles (including light-duty, medium-duty, heavy-duty, off-road, or maritime vehicles). These vehicles must be registered in New Jersey OR domiciled in New Jersey OR otherwise plan to utilize the proposed charging infrastructure in New Jersey being supported under the Program. These existing vehicles can be electric vehicles or non-electric vehicles that the applicant is planning to transition to electric vehicles with the construction of the charging infrastructure.
- Charging-as-a-service providers, including entities leasing chargers to fleet operators, OR property owners who are installing chargers on behalf of a tenant fleet may also apply provided they (1) install permanent charging infrastructure at a site in NJ and (2) have an agreement, letter of intent, or equivalent documentation indicating an identified commercial fleet operator that would otherwise meet the eligibility requirements of the Program
- Have a valid New Jersey tax clearance at time of application approval.
- Be in good standing with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
- If applicable, applicants must demonstrate that they have reviewed with their electric utility provider the feasibility of charger installation on the selected site prior to submitting their application and are aware of costs that may be involved with providing sufficient electrical capacity to the site based on this review.
Project Costs
Eligible costs include, but are not limited to materials, labor***, and equipment for the following:
- New Level 2 charging stations*
- New Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) charging stations*
- Delivery, activation fees, and warranty costs associated with new charging stations
- Network subscription costs for up to three years*
- “Make-Ready” costs including but not limited to upgrades of the electric power distribution system to the site, or wiring and electric work on the customer side of the electric meter necessary for charger installation
- On-site renewable energy generation and/or battery storage systems to provide and/or store power for chargers
- The amount of funding being allocated to this category cannot exceed more than 50% of the total eligible project cost
- Associated site upgrades necessary for charger installation and operation, including but not limited to signage, protective bollards, and pavement striping
- Payments for the use of temporary mobile chargers and/or mobile battery storage systems**
- Site assessment, engineering, and related design costs for the above items
- A lookback period is included for any completed design related work (not-construction) looking back 12 months prior to application submission but no earlier than the date of Program NJEDA Board approval.
- The amount of funding being allocated to this category cannot exceed more than 15% of the total eligible project cost.
* Applicants must select a Pre-Qualified Network Service Provider from the list of Compliant Network Service Providers housed on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) website.
**Costs incurred for mobile chargers/batteries are eligible on the condition that permanent chargers are installed by the end of the allowable construction period. Additionally, eligible costs incurred beyond permanent charger installation (after project completion) are not eligible.
***All construction work must be conducted by New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) Public Works registered contractors in accordance with NJ prevailing wage and affirmative action requirements.
Ineligible costs include but are not limited to:
- Level 1 charging stations
- Chargers installed on residential properties for personal or non-commercial use
- Electric vehicles
- Permitting fees
- Combustion-based generators or charging systems, including but not limited to combustion-based temporary or mobile chargers
- Taxes
- Charging related operating expenses such as electricity supply charges and maintenance costs
For certain charging projects, applicants may be eligible for incentives directly from their electric utility such as utility-side or customer-side make ready costs. In this case, applicants are still eligible for the Program so long as the total grant amount received from both the NJEDA and the utility does not exceed 90% of the project’s eligible costs. Applicants may not otherwise stack grant funding with any other charging incentive program offered by the State (DEP, BPU, DOT, etc.) or Federal government
Application Process
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications will go through the following review process:
In addition to other items, applicants must submit:
- Fleet information such as model and registration for existing vehicles and plans for future vehicles (if applicable)
- If the applicant is a charging-as-a-service provider or property owner applying on behalf of a tenant fleet, these details along with a signed agreement, letter of intent, or equivalent documentation between both parties will need to be submitted for the partner fleet
- Project description, including proposed quantity and type of chargers, and if applicable, plans for on-site energy generation/storage systems
- Project site address and property information
- Including proof of property ownership or lease agreement for the required duration of construction and program compliance terms (see Eligibility Requirements)
- Estimated project timeline
- Cost estimate budget spreadsheet including a total requested grant amount using NJEDA template, which is supported by:
- Quote(s) from contractor(s) that are registered with NJDOL as a Publics Works Registered Contractor with costs consistent with New Jersey State prevailing wage rates
- Vendor quotes or similar retail price information for any relevant items/equipment to be purchased directly by the applicant
If an applicant is determined to be eligible, the NJEDA will issue an approval letter with a maximum potential grant award amount based on the information submitted by the applicant.
NJEDA grant award amounts will not be adjusted following notice of application approval. The Applicant will be responsible for any additional or unexpected project costs, even if relevant to the eligible project scope.
Grant Award
Award Amount
- Minimum award amount per project: $50,000
- Maximum award amount per EIN: $5 million
- The award amount will be capped at 50% of eligible project costs. The cap on eligible project costs can be increased by an additional 5% each on a per project basis as follows for each of the following factors:
- Projects located in Overburdened Communities (OBCs) or formally designated Adjacent Communities. NJ’s Environmental Justice Law (N.J.S.A 13:1D-157) defines overburdened communities as any census block group, as determined in accordance with the most recent United States Census in which: 1) at least 35 percent of the households qualify as low-income households; 2) at least 40 percent of residents identify as minority or as members of a State recognized tribal community; or 3) at least 40 percent of the households have limited English proficiency.
- Projects installing on-site renewable energy generation and/or energy storage systems to help manage power demand for chargers.
- Projects from small business applicants. For the purpose of the Program, a small business is defined as having 25 or fewer full-time employees in total OR less than $5M in annual gross revenue.
- The award amount will be capped at 50% of eligible project costs. The cap on eligible project costs can be increased by an additional 5% each on a per project basis as follows for each of the following factors:
- An applicant (determined by EIN) may apply for multiple projects across different sites so long as total funding awards do not exceed $5 million in aggregate.
Applicants will have six months from application approval to present the EDA with the following:
1. Confirmation from the utility provider for existing electrical service capacity OR confirmed plans and schedule from the utility provider to provide any additional needed capacity for the proposed charging project OR confirmation that charger power needs will be met with non-utility sources (existing on-site generation, proposed renewable generation, etc.)
2. Proof of funding/project financing plan for total estimated project costs plus an additional 15% of overall project costs as contingency to allow for potential cost overruns that may arise during construction. Proof of funding can include bank account statements, financing agreement, or similar indication of available working capital for the project costs. Additional financing provided by NJEDA may be used to cover project costs not eligible under the Program. Additional financing provided by NJEDA may also be used to cover project costs paid up front by the Applicant prior to submitting for grant reimbursement.
Additional six-month long extensions may be provided subject to the discretion of the Authority.
After these items are provided, a grant agreement will be executed, and funding will be available for disbursement as follows:
1. At the time of grant agreement execution, up to 15% of the approved award amount may be reimbursed for any expenses incurred for site assessment, design, and engineering completed in the 12 months prior to application submission and/or between time of application and grant execution.
2. A maximum of 50% of the total awarded grant, minus any amount disbursed following grant agreement execution, may be reimbursed after at least half of total estimated eligible project costs have been incurred by the Applicant.
3. The remaining amount of the grant award utilized on eligible expenses pursuant to the grant agreement will be disbursed as a reimbursement following project completion and submission of final disbursement documents, including proof of completed charging project and charger connectivity.
Applicants will have 24 months following grant agreement execution to complete the project and submit all documents required for reimbursement, with the possibility of six-month extension(s) of this timeframe at the discretion of the Authority. Reimbursement will be based on submitted proof of actual project expenses (receipts, contractor invoices, etc.), signed progress/completion documents, and project photos. NJEDA reserves the right to conduct site visits during and following completion of construction activities to confirm that work is being completed by New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) Public Works registered contractors in accordance with eligible uses for the Program and all prevailing wage and affirmative action requirements.
Fees
There will be a non-refundable $500 application fee per project submission.
Compliance
Following project completion and final disbursement of funds, awardees must supply charger usage data to the Authority for a period of three continuous years. To simplify sharing of data, applicants must select software that is already pre-qualified and listed as a Compliant Network Service Provider on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection website. Software network providers interested in being listed can consult the link on the sidebar.
QUESTIONS?
If you want to be included in future outreach or have questions about the Take Charge Program, contact NJEDA at takecharge@njeda.gov