RPPG provides the latest information on the most popular grant opportunities coming out from the state and federal government.

With the winter months and the holiday season fast approaching, the state and federal governments are in a “giving” mood. There are plenty of significant funding opportunities for local governments on the near horizon, including funding for fire departments, encampment resolution initiatives, the restoration of public spaces, economic/workforce development, and road safety improvements.

RPPG clients receive a monthly Funding Opportunities Catalog that contains a comprehensive breakdown of current and cyclical grant programs across a wide range of topics: infrastructure, housing, transportation, parks and recreation, water quality and conservation, fire response, wildfire mitigation, public safety, energy efficiency, recycling, environmental justice, workforce development, education, and more. In doing so, we aim to keep our clients appraised of the most current and comprehensive information on grants. The following excerpts from the catalog are provided to promote public awareness of these critical funding opportunities.

If you would like to discuss potential funding opportunities further with a professional grant writer, please feel free to reach out to RPPG at (916) 974-9270 or contact the Manager of Grant Writing and Research directly via email at jwhitaker@publicpolicygroup.com.

Encampment Resolution Funding Program (ERF)

The Encampment Resolution Funding (ERF) grants will fund local demonstration projects that provide services to address the immediate crisis of experiencing unsheltered homelessness in encampments, support people living in encampments onto paths to safe and stable housing, and result in sustainable restoration of public spaces to their intended uses. Each application must identify and focus on one encampment site. This grant is not intended to be the sole funding source for a new encampment resolution project. Awarded grant funding should be used to accelerate promising programs and practices that are in development and that enhance partnerships and leverage other resources. Projects must comply with the principles of Housing First approaches.

  • Agency: Homeless Coordinating and Finance Council (HCFC)
  • Eligible Applicants: Local Jurisdictions and Continuums of Care.
  • Funding Amount: $47.5M allocated to program. No minimum or maximum amount per applicant specified.
  • Match Requirement: No specific match requirement, but must leverage other resources.
  • Deadline: 12/31/2021 

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Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG)

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) focuses on enhancing the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards. Agencies can submit applications under three designations: Operations and Safety, Vehicle Acquisition, or Regional Projects. For Operations and Safety applications, agencies may voluntarily designate their proposal as a “Micro Grant” (no more than $50,000). Applicants who submit a Micro Grant under Operations and Safety may still apply for Vehicle Acquisition or Regional Projects.

  • Eligible Applicants: Fire Departments, Nonaffiliated EMS Organizations, and State Fire Training Academies.
  • Funding Amount: Varies based on jurisdiction size.
  • Match Requirement: Jurisdictions of 20,000 residents or fewer, 5% of the grant award. Jurisdictions of 20,001 – 1,000,000 residents, 10% of the grant award. Jurisdictions of more than 1,000,000 residents, 15% of the grant award. Economic hardship waivers are available with FEMA’s approval.
  • Deadline: 12/17/2021

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Clean California Local Grant Program

The Clean California Local Grant Program is a competitive statewide program created to beautify and clean up local streets and roads, tribal lands, parks, pathways, transit centers, and other public spaces. Projects that can be accessed through the multimodal transportation network are encouraged. If the project area encroaches on Caltrans right of way, that is allowed, but the applicant must include the necessary encroachment paperwork upon submittal of the application. Project activities cannot displace people experiencing homelessness. Land acquisition costs cannot be paid for with state funds but can count towards the local match requirement.

  • Eligible Applicants: Local and regional public agencies, transit agencies, and federally recognized tribal governments. Nonprofit organizations may be sub-applicants.
  • Funding Amount: Up to $5,000,000 per grant award.
  • Match Requirement: Up to 50% of the total project cost. Match can be as low as 0% based on disadvantage thresholds (see page 9 of the program guidelines).
  • Deadline: 2/1/2022.

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Tire-Derived Aggregate Grant Program (TDA)

The purpose of this grant is to promote the use of tire-derived aggregate (TDA) to increase recycling of California-generated waste tires. Only California-generated waste tires, processed in California, must be used in the TDA portion of the project. A combined minimum of 500 tons of TDA must be used in the project, except for Low Impact Development projects which must use a minimum of 200 tons of TDA. Project design plans must be at a minimum 50% design at the time of application submission and at 100% design prior to the start of the project.

  • Eligible Applicants: Cities, Counties, Special Districts (including Transportation Districts), Joint Powers Authorities, Public School Districts, Institutions of Higher Education, State Agencies, federally recognized Native American Tribes, For-Profit Business Entities, Non-Profit Organizations.
  • Funding Amount: Up to $350,000 per project ($650,000 total available for this cycle).
  • Deadline: 12/8/2021

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Edible Food Recovery Grant Program (EFR)

The Edible Food Recovery Grant Program (EFR) provides opportunities for the support of new and expanded edible food recovery and food waste prevention projects (food recovered for people or source reduction) in California. Projects must reduce the amount of food being disposed in landfills, thereby helping to achieve the state’s short-lived climate pollutant goals. The program funds two types of projects: Edible Food Recovery Projects and Food Waste Prevention Projects. However, food waste prevention projects are only eligible if the proposed grant project also includes an edible food recovery project.

  • Eligible Applicants: Cities, Counties, Special Districts, Joint Powers Authorities, Public School Districts, Institutions of Higher Education, State Agencies, federally recognized Native American Tribes, For-Profit Business Entities, Non-Profit Organizations, and Solid Waste Facilities.
  • Funding Amount: Up to $250,000 per project, minimum of $150,000.
  • Deadline: 12/16/2021

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Brownfield Cleanup Grants

Brownfield Cleanup Grants provide funding to address hazardous substances and/or petroleum contamination at one or more brownfield sites. If contamination at the site is co-mingled with both hazardous substances and petroleum contamination and the hazardous substances and petroleum-contaminated areas of the site are distinguishable, the application must address both eligibility criteria. If they are not easily distinguishable, the applicant must indicate which contaminant is predominant and respond to the appropriate site eligibility criteria. An applicant must be the sole owner of the site(s) that is/are the subject of its Cleanup Grant application. Activities funded by this program must support the EPA’s FY 2018-2022 Strategic Plan.

  • Eligible Applicants: Units of Local Government; States; Land Clearance Authorities; Redevelopment Agencies; Government entities created by a state legislature; Regional Councils or group of units of local government; federally recognized Native American Tribes; Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations; the Alaska Native Regional Corporation; the Alaska Native Village Corporation; and the Metlakatla Indian Community.
  • Funding Amount: Up to $500,000. Applicants that plan to address only one brownfield site may request a waiver of the $500,000 limit and request up to $650,000.
  • Match Requirement: 20% of the total project cost, unless EPA approves a waiver.
  • Deadline: 12/1/2021

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Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is one of the core federal aid programs for transportation projects. HSIP funds are eligible for work on any public road or publicly owned bicycle or pedestrian pathway trail, or on tribal lands for general use of tribal members, that improves the safety for its users. Projects funded under HSIP must be consistent with California’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). For a project to be eligible for HSIP funding, a specific safety problem must be identified, and the proposed countermeasure(s) must substantially address the condition. All proposed projects must lead to and complete the construction of safety improvements. Applicants must have adopted a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) or equivalent planning document to be eligible for funding.

  • Eligible Applicants: Cities, Counties, and Tribal Governments.
  • Funding Amount: Up to $10,000,000, minimum of $100,000.
  • Match Requirement: 10% of the total project cost.
  • Deadline: 10/1/2022

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Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA)

EDA funds Public Works (PW) projects to meet the construction and/or infrastructure design needs of communities to enable them to become more economically competitive. Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) projects should catalyze public-private partnerships to foster collaboration, attract investment, create jobs, and promote economic resiliency and prosperity. Projects must be related to a current Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) applicable to the applicant’s jurisdiction. All EDA projects should advance bottom-up economic development and prioritize the creation of living wage jobs.

EDA has determined that economic injury from the coronavirus pandemic constitutes a “Special Need,” and eligibility may be established on that basis without reference to the other existing economic distress criteria.

  • Eligible Applicants: States, Counties, Cities, Any Other Political Subdivisions of a State, Districts, Institutions of Higher Education, federally recognized Native American Tribes; Public or Private Nonprofits acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a state. Consortium applications are allowed.
  • Funding Amount: No maximum amount, projects in the $5M-$7M range (total project cost) are preferred.
  • Match Requirement: Depends on local economic indicators.
  • Deadline: Ongoing

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High Road Training Partnership (HRTP)

The High Road Training Partnership (HRTP) initiative will fund demonstration projects designed to promote income mobility and shared prosperity through an innovative and inclusive human capital strategy that prioritizes job quality, supports economic and climate resilience, and links regionally-driven sector work to a statewide skills agenda. Each HRTP must prioritize building climate and economic resilience through training partnerships to facilitate immediate or eventual greenhouse gas emission reductions in the state.

  • Eligible Applicants: Industry-based training providers; Industry-based intermediaries including industry associations; Community-based organizations and non-profit organizations; Public education entities and training providers; Workforce intermediaries; Local workforce development boards; Environmental justice organizations.
  • Funding Amount: There is no maximum requestable amount, but requests at $500,000 or more will be required to provide detailed justification for the request.
  • Match Requirement: There is no match requirement, but CWDB strongly encourages applicants to leverage significant cash or in-kind support for project activities.
  • Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis from January 2022 – June 2024.

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Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF)

The Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) is a new competitive grant program created by AB/SB 162, funded by a one-time American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation. CERF will provide financial support to establish high road transition collaboratives in designing region- and industry-specific economic recovery and transition strategies. Funding will come in the form of either a planning grant or implementation grant. Program guidelines will be developed by an Inter-Agency Leadership Team consisting of senior officials from the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the Office of Planning and Research, and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

More information coming soon!

Jake Whitaker is the Manager of Grant Writing and Research for Renne Public Policy Group. Partnering with dozens of cities, counties, community college districts, school districts, and nonprofits Jake has helped secure millions in state and federal resources. These include awards from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, the Board of State and Community Corrections, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the California Community Foundation.