California Air Resources Board

Current Incentive Amounts

The maximum funding amount available for each Planning and Capacity Building (Planning) grant is $500,000. Each applicant is encouraged to request the funding amount – no matter how small – that will efficiently and effectively meet their community’s planning and capacity building needs.

Who is Eligible

Local governments, community-based organizations, or tribal governments can apply as lead applicants. Sub-applicants can include project partners who are subcontracted for specific purposes and/or services. Sub-applicants may include, but are not limited to, organizations that provide community outreach services and technical expertise/assistance. Sub-applicants may be public agencies, private companies, tribal governments, or non-profit organizations.

Each application must include partnerships between a Lead Applicant, Sub-applicants, and Community Partners with different skillsets and expertise and that work together to implement the different project components and represent the Project Community. More than 50 percent of the geographic area of the Project Community must be within low-income or disadvantaged community census tracts as shown in the California Climate Investments Priority Populations 2022 CES 4.0.

How it’s Administered

Planning and Capacity Building is administered and implemented through a partnership between CARB and the Statewide Planning and Capacity Building Project Administrator, Data for Social Good, and their subgrantees. The administrator signs grant agreements with and oversees each of the Planning and Capacity Building community-based project CARB selects through a Request for Application Process.

Where and When it’s Offered

Planning and Capacity Building grants are provided through a competitive solicitation process. The frequency and timing of solicitations for future fiscal year funds is subject to funding availability and the annual Funding Plan process. The most recent Request for Applications for Fiscal Year 2022-23 Planning and Capacity Building, Clean Mobility in Schools, and STEP funds closed on November 4, 2023. A Request for Applications is expected to open for Fiscal Year 2023-24 Planning and Capacity Building in late 2024.

Project Funding or Participation Requirements

Applicants must first apply to the Concept Phase. General eligibility requirements for the Concept Phase include:

• The application must meet the funding and timeline requirements dictated in the Request for Applications.
• Project budget for the planning effort cannot exceed $500,000.
• More than 50% of the Project Community must be in disadvantaged or low-income community census tracts.
• All Applicants must be eligible per the Request for Applications.
• If the Lead Applicant is a local government, one of the Sub-applicants must be a community-based organization. If the Lead Applicant is a community-based organization, one of the Sub-applicants must be a local government or tribal government.

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and score at least a 70% in the Concept Phase to apply to the Full Phase. The Full Phase has more specific eligibility requirements, which can be found in the Request for Applications.

The full phase has more specific eligibility requirements, which can be found in the Request for Applications.