California Air Resources Board

Purpose of Community Planning and Capacity Building

Community Planning and Capacity Building (Planning) grants provide up to $500,000 per project to help communities plan for clean, equitable transportation solutions. These grants support early-stage planning, outreach, workforce development, and local readiness – especially for Tribal governments, rural communities, schools, and first-time applicants.

Planning is part of CARB’s suite of Clean Mobility Investments that also includes Clean Mobility Options, Clean Mobility in Schools, and the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project. 

For more background, visit Planning and Capacity Building.

Where We Are in the Process

• The Community Planning and Capacity Building Grants: 2025 Request for Applications (RFA) application window is open as of December 2, 2025. The final RFA documents and materials are available below. 
• Applications are due February 10, 2026
• Two question and answer sessions will be held
• Technical assistance is available by request through January 23, 2026

Key Program Features

• $7.3M available with up to $500,000 per award – no match required
• Grants support planning, outreach, needs assessments, and workforce development, and much more
• Advance Payment available for eligible applicants, including community-based organizations (CBO) and federally-recognized Tribal Governments
• Open to CBOs, Tribal Governments, Local Governments, and Public Schools
• Projects must be community-led and benefit disadvantaged or low-income areas
• Tribal waiver of sovereign immunity is not required
• Project must start by May 4, 2026 and be completed by January 31, 2028

Who Should Apply

• Tribal Governments (federally or non-federally recognized)
• CBOs working with a Local or Tribal Government 
• Public Schools working with a CBO
• Local Governments working in partnership with CBOs or Tribes

Timeline

What’s in the Application

Planning RFA

Required components:

• Appendix A: Application Form
• Appendix A, Attachment I, Letters of Commitment and Support
• Appendix A, Attachment II, Narrative Questions
• Appendix A, Attachment III, Scope and Timeline
• Appendix A, Attachment IV, Budget
• Project Community Map (see Planning RFA for details) 

Supporting Documents:

• Appendix B, Sample Grant Agreement

Applicants are not required to have a fully developed plan for their proposed project — Planning grants support communities at many stages of readiness.

Need Help Applying?

The Planning and Capacity Building Administrator team, led by Data for Social Good, and in partnership with Momentum and the Institute for Sustainable Communities, will provide technical assistance to Applicants. Free technical assistance is available, including:

• Virtual office hours and webinars
• Templates and grant writing tools
• One-on-one support

For priority assistance, complete the Technical Assistance Survey by January 23, 2026.