In just its first few weeks in power, the Trump administration has wreaked havoc on the climate tech landscape. An executive order aimed at accelerating fossil fuel extraction and slamming the brakes on renewables and the freeze on all federal grants has already had a devastating effect. Even though the freeze was quickly rescinded, climate companies and organizations across the country are struggling to operate amidst the uncertainty of whether the government will rescind its contractual obligations and cut funding. At stake are hundreds of billions of dollars that have been crucial to developing America’s green economy. 

Clearly, a good time to learn more about the importance of grant funding on climate tech, I sat down with Joel Armin–Hoiland, CEO of Climate Finance Solutions. Joel’s company has helped climate businesses identify, apply for, and manage over $1.6 billion in non-dilutive grants. In this conversation, we spoke about how Joel’s background led to a unique understanding of the importance of grants for climate companies, his company’s track record and impact, how the funding landscape is changing, and much more. 

Even with federal funding potentially disappearing, there’s still money on the table from other sources and a ton of complexity to navigate. This episode will be the first in a series with Joel as we try to help you all find your way to this new era. Here we go. 

In today’s episode, we cover:

• [02:58] Introduction to Joel & Climate Finance Solutions
• [06:08] The role & importance of grants in addressing climate change
• [08:22] Navigating the complex grant funding ecosystem
• [13:12] Climate Finance Solutions' services & impact
• [15:14] Examples of successful grant-funded projects
• [17:44] Challenges & strategies for securing grants
• [23:50] Impact of the Trump administration on federal grant funding
• [31:37] Alternative sources of grant funding & future outlook

Resources Mentioned

• Climate Finance Solutions
• Rondo Energy
• USDA Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities
• The Nature Conservancy
• Climate in Europe Innovation Fund
• Horizon Europe
• EU LIFE Programme

Connect with Joel Armin–Hoiland

• On LinkedIn

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• On LinkedIn

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