The purpose of the funding is to support activities that advance projects to become implementation ready. We will not fund projects that are asking for implementation funding. Projects must be physically located in or significantly involve Orange County residents, significantly benefit disinvested communities, and align with industries and/or strategies outlined in Jobs First Regional Plan Part 2. Project will be separated into two categories: Job Creating and Community Enhancement, with more explanation on each category below.

Include an estimate of the contracting period because many people think they get money the day after you announce the award.

All entities are eligible for funding, with the exception of applying as an individual. The individual can be involved in an application, but the applicant must be a legally recognized entity.

This grant funds pre-development activities, or activities that are needed before a project is ready for implementation. These are activities such as feasibility studies, market analysis, environmental assessments, site planning, and capacity building. A more robust explanation and list of eligible activities are available in the NOFO.

Activities that are fully implementation-ready, activity costs that go beyond September 30, 2026, or those expanding fossil fuel production are ineligible.

Applicants will be able to submit proposals as a Job Creating project or Community Enhancement Project.

Job Creating Projects will increase good paying jobs and/or business development and growth in the industries of tourism and outdoor recreation, medtech, high-tech hardware, semiconductors & microelectronics, advanced manufacturing, precision manufacturing, healthcare, childcare, education, and construction.

Community Enhancement Projects needs to address any topic(s) in the Regional Plan Part 2 and/or industries not mentioned in the Job Creating Projects section. Although far from exhaustive, these would be topics such as housing, healthcare access, green technologies, childcare and climate adaptation.

All projects must demonstrate that disinvested communities will benefit. Projects that demonstrate a positive impact on the environment are preferred.

Both project categories have the same criteria.

Project Impact (30 points)

Economic Equity/Equity (30 points)

Work Plan (20 points)

Organizational Qualifications (10 points)

Proposed Budget and Budget Narrative (10 points

Pre-development activities are tasks that need to be done before a project can be implemented and have its intended impact. Therefore, an application will need to communicate what the project is and how it relates to this funding opportunity but also understand which pre-development activities will be needed to advance the project and how much they are estimated to cost.

A complete application will have:

A Job Creating Project Application or Community Enhancement Project Application
Budget Narrative
Budget Template

Matching funds are not required but are strongly encouraged, especially for Last Mile projects, to demonstrate long-term sustainability

Between the release of the NOFO and the application deadline of April 14th, the following support is provided to you:

Mentors are available to provide up to five hours of guidance on proposal preparation. These mentors will not do the grant writing for you or advise on project design but support the development of a well written and compelling application. Email [email protected] to request mentorship.

A webinar that provides background on the Regional Investment Initiative to better understand what proceeded the release of this NOFO

One webinar will be held for applicants interested in the Job Creating Project category and one webinar will be held for applicants interested in the Community Enhancement project category. The webinars will provide an overview of the application process, address common questions, and help applicants determine whether their project aligns with funding priorities. Attendance is optional for these webinars, but highly recommended for those seeking clarification on eligibility and requirements.

Email questions to [email protected] with the subject line “NOFO Questions.”
Responses will be posted weekly on the CJF website.