Information provided by Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP), a member of Uplift Central Coast Coalition alongside REACH and the Economic Development Cooperative, is pleased to announce the upcoming release of a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Catalyst Predevelopment Phase of work. This NOFO will be released in early October. For more information on preliminary criteria and information from the state, please see the Preliminary Catalyst Predevelopment Phase Timeline and Criteria document.
The objective of Catalyst Predevelopment Funding is to support sector specific, exploratory, predevelopment activities that align with regional strategies developed under the California Jobs First initiative. The funding aims to foster economic resilience, environmental sustainability, and equitable growth by investing in projects that:
Advance priorities and promote the strategies identified in Uplift’s Regional Plan Part II. Projects that promote activities aligned with Target Sectors will be prioritized for funding.
Ensure that workers and disinvested communities are the primary beneficiaries.
Leverage federal, state, and private dollars to maximize impact.
Preliminary Budget Information: Uplift will provide a range of grant awards to successful applicants. The exact budget amounts are being finalized and will be detailed in the full NOFO. To help potential applicants plan their applications, we are providing preliminary information on the expected range of grant awards between $25,000 to maximum of $1,000,000.
Organizational Requirements and Timeline: To be considered for receiving an award for the Catalyst Predevelopment Phase, the below requirements must be met:
Applicants can be nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, local governments, community foundations, or labor organizations.
Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent. The Letter of Intent will be due approximately two weeks after the NOFO is released. Uplift will review each Letter of Intent to determine which organizations meet the outlined requirements.
Applicants must submit an application. Based on Uplift’s review of the Letters of Intent, Uplift will invite applicable organizations to submit an application to be considered for funding.
It is highly recommended that applicants attend the Bidders Forum, which will be held in early October. The official date will be released in the NOFO and on Uplift’s website and newsletter.
Read the full Uplift announcement and access relevant documents and resources at the following link: https://upliftcentralcoast.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NOFO-Announcement-1.pdf
About Uplift Central Coast Coalition: A six-county partnership convened by three economic development agencies — the Economic Development Collaborative, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, and REACH — with the shared goal of creating an equitable economic resilience plan through creative and sustainable community-led efforts for residents throughout Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties.
About Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP): Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) is a regional member-supported nonprofit organization consisting of public, private, and civic entities located throughout the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz. Founded in 2015, our mission is to improve the economic health and quality of life in the region.