California Air Resources Board

Current Incentive Amounts*

CARB does not set minimum or maximum grant amounts for STEP.

*No new incentives are currently available.

Who is Eligible

Each STEP application must include partnerships between a lead applicant, sub-applicants, and community partners with different skillsets and expertise. The partners should work together to implement the different project components and represent the project community. The partnership structure must include at least one community-based organization and one local or tribal government. Local governments, community-based organizations, or tribal governments can apply as lead applicants. Sub-applicants may be public agencies, private companies, tribal governments, or non-profit organizations who are sub-contracted for specific purposes and/or services, such as clean transportation services, infrastructure equipment and installation, community outreach, and technical assistance. Community partners serve as key stakeholders and representatives of the Project Community and contribute to the development of the proposed projects and continue to participate in decision-making throughout project implementation, while not directly implementing components of the project.

The project community is the geographic area that will be the focus of the project benefits. More than 50% 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

CARB directly administers STEP. This means a CARB liaison works directly with each STEP grantee to implement their project. Grant administration includes activities like providing guidance on program requirements, tracking progress via quarterly status reports and data reporting, and supporting grantees in navigating CARB's disbursement request system.

Where and When it’s Offered

STEP grants are awarded through a competitive solicitation process. The frequency and timing of solicitations for future fiscal year funds is subject to availability of funds appropriated by the Legislature and the annual Funding Plan process. The most recent Request for Applications for Fiscal Year 2022-23 Planning and Capacity Building (Planning), Clean Mobility in Schools (CMIS), and STEP funds closed on November 4, 2023. CARB awarded grants with Fiscal Year 2022-23 and 2023-24 as part of the same Request for Applications.

Project Funding or Participation Requirements

For the FY 2022-23 funding round, CARB structured the application process in two rounds in response to stakeholder input about reducing barriers to access funding. Applicants were first required to apply to a concept phase that did not require time consuming application materials. General eligibility requirements for the concept phase included:

• Meeting the funding and timeline requirements dictated in the Request for Applications.
• More than 50% of the project community  in disadvantaged or low-income community census tracts.
• All applicants eligible per the Request for Applications.
• When the lead applicant was a local government, one of the sub-applicants was a community-based organization. When the lead applicant was a community-based organization, one of the sub-applicants was a local government or tribal government.
• All projects eligible per the Request for Applications.
• Include at least two active transportation, fixed-route transit, or shared mobility projects.

Applicants meeting all eligibility requirements and passing a threshold score in the concept phase were invited to apply to the full phase. The full phase had more specific eligibility requirements, which can be found in the Request for Applications.