(Photo: Ryan Harvey & Alfred Twu/Flickr)
Update 4/27 — Two new CERF workshops, one in Spanish and one in Cantonese, have been added by the State. See details below.
The State of California this week released updated Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) Planning Phase draft guidelines for a second round of public input. These most recent guidelines include more information on the program’s design, program requirements, timeline, award and contracting process, as well as reporting and program evaluation.
CERF — a $600 million regional economic fund created by state legislation last year — aims to promote an equitable recovery by supporting new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create high-quality, accessible jobs across the state.
CERF involves a two-phase grant structure. Phase 1, the Planning Phase, will support the development of plans for regional investing opportunities during Phase 2, the Implementation Phase. During the Planning Phase, $5 million in grants will be awarded to support one High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) in CERF’s 13 regions.
Four guideline workshops to gather public comment will be conducted via Zoom later this month and in May and will cover the entire state. These workshops will include guideline updates since the last round of public comment, a chance to offer feedback and the ability to participate in a networking session with other interested and engaged organizations in your region. The workshops will serve as the only way to provide feedback on the guidelines at this point.
Guidelines Workshop Schedule
Northern California Guidelines Workshop
Tuesday, April 26 | 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
CERF Regions: North State and Redwood Coast
Register Here
Inland California Guidelines Workshop
Wednesday, April 27 | 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
CERF Regions: Sacramento, Northern San Joaquin Valley, Central San Joaquin Valley, Kern County, Eastern Sierra
Register Here
Bay Area and Central Coast Guidelines Workshop
Tuesday, May 3 | 10:00a.m.-12:00 p.m.
CERF Regions: Bay Area, Central Coast
Register Here
Southern California Guidelines Workshop
Thursday, May 5 | 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
CERF Regions: LA County, Orange County, Inland Empire, Southern Border
Register Here
Guidelines Workshop in Spanish
Wednesday, May 11 | 3:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Register Here
Guidelines Workshop in Cantonese
Thursday, May 12 | 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Register Here
Additionally, the draft guidelines include an update state timeline for the program. Mark your calendar for important upcoming dates:
- Week of May 23: Release Planning Phase Solicitation for eight weeks
- Week of July 25: Close Planning Phase Solicitation and begin scoring process
