Deadline: 31-Mar-22
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is seeking applications for the Business & Workforce Development Grants Program to support healthy resilient forests and the people and ecosystems that depend on them.
CAL FIRE Wood Products supports the creation of a robust and diversified wood products industry to facilitate the economic and sustainable management of California’s forests. Grant projects shall reduce GHG emissions, strengthen the economy, and improve public health. Grants will create financial incentives for industries to invest in clean technologies, develop innovative ways to process wood products, and support the growth of a strong forest sector workforce.
Focus Areas
- Facilities development, including solid wood and biomass processing and manufacturing, and tree nurseries
- Bioenergy, including forest bio-material power generation and biofuels for domestic use and export
- Forest-related workforce development at all levels including in-woods, transportation and manufacturing
- Research and development that is ancillary to forest-related business and workforce development.
Funding Information
- Up to $24 million will be awarded to Wood Products projects that fit the eligibility criteria and score competitively against the selection criteria. Additional funding up to $4 million is available from the Wildfire Resilience Program for tree nursery operations.
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Business Development
- Minimum: $10,000
- Maximum: $500,000
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Workforce Development
- Minimum: $10,000
- Maximum: $500,000
Eligible Activities
Two project types are eligible for grant funding: business development and workforce development. Research and development proposals for both business and workforce development will also be considered. Projects may include planning, organizational and business capacity-building, and workforce and infrastructure development as components of proposed projects.
Eligibility Criteria
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Business Development
- Business development proposals submitted by an organization whose operations have the potential to support forest restoration and/or wood products infrastructure in California will be considered.
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Eligible business development project applicants include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Academic institutions
- Local agencies, including counties, cities, and special districts
- State agencies
- Federal agencies
- Native American tribes
- Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations
- Private entities including businesses, foundations or others
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Workforce Development
- Applicants seeking to increase California’s workforce capacity in the fields of logging, fuels treatment, forest sector transportation, forest sector manufacturing, or other forest sector support services are eligible to apply for workforce development funding.
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Eligible workforce development project applicants include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Academic institutions
- Local agencies, including counties, cities, and special districts
- State agencies
- Federal agencies
- Native American tribes
- Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations
- Private entities including businesses, foundations or others
For more information, visit California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
For more information, visit https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/resource-management/climate-change-and-energy/wood-products-and-bioenergy-program/