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To uplift our residents as we uplift our regional economy, growing from within to create transformative opportunities for more than 2 million people across 6 Central Coast counties.
This group encompassing six counties is in a unique position to create a community economic development plan specific to the needs of the region it serves. Uplift Central Coast will work to determine how best to use California Jobs First grants for maximum impact for residents, creating a comprehensive plan for how to allocate resources.
The three primary economic development organizations that compose Uplift – Economic Development Collaborative, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership and REACH – have a history of collaboration on the Central Coast. The three groups initially worked together on grant applications for the federal Build Back Better program, which fell through. Next, they turned their energy to the State of California’s program, known as CERF. As Uplift, the group was awarded the grant with 129 letters of support.
California Jobs First (formerly California’s Community Economic Resilience Fund — CERF for short) — is a new approach to economic development that seeks to center disadvantaged communities as part of California’s transition to a clean energy, carbon-neutral economy, creating good-paying jobs and prosperous communities for all.
In 2023, our six-county region was identified as one of 13 regions eligible for a $5 million planning grant. The grant was intended to create an inclusive economic development process that focused on equity, sustainability, job quality, economic competitiveness, and resilience. The planning phase is coming to an end, and the Implementation Phase will continue during 2025-2026.
Read CA FWD’s Guide to Regional Inclusive Economic Development.
July 25, 2022 | Deadline for Uplift to submit planning grant application
Leading up to the due date, Uplift worked to mobilize a diverse Central Coast ecosystem of stakeholders, developed a vision and goals, and crafted an inclusive outreach and engagement plan and process. On October 20th, 2022, the Uplift Coalition was awarded our regional CERF grant.
2023-24 | Phase 1: Planning
Uplift is now in a 18-24 month planning phase. This involves: building out the Central Coast ecosystem to include additional voices and perspectives; implementing an inclusive outreach and engagement plan; and developing a regional plan with collaborative partnerships. Our regional plan is due to the state in August 2024.
Beyond | Phase 2: Programs & Projects
Uplift was awarded $9 million to implement the Catalyst Predevelopment Phase (formerly referred to as the “Catalyst Program” or “Catalyst Fund”) for project predevelopment activities. These investments are intended to bridge the gap between planning and implementation and enable regions to develop ready-to-go projects that can compete for funding opportunities from federal, state, and private sources. The Catalyst Program would also help the California Jobs First program funding reach communities sooner while providing the flexibility to develop projects that meet regional needs. The goal of funding Catalyst Predevelopment Phase projects, as shared by the state of California, is to invest in industries that will advance priorities identified during the Planning Phase, fund projects that ensure workers and disinvested communities are the primary beneficiaries, and to leverage federal, state, and private dollars. Uplift will open the Request of proposals period in the fall 2024.
Going forward, Uplift will work to advance and implement projects and programs resulting from the inclusive regional planning efforts. The state has set aside $50 million for the 13 regions, though the planning phase is also intended as a catalyst to compete for a range of other federal, philanthropic, and state funding.
The Uplift partnership assembled a collaborative regional coalition that reflects the diversity of the Central Coast to work together to build a more inclusive economy. Our coalition includes:
REACH is serving as the regional convener, facilitating meetings and organizing an inclusive group of stakeholders. EDC is serving as the fiscal agent, responsible for grant management. MBEP is serving as the sub-regional convener for the Northern tri-county region.
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