Deadline: 13-Sep-21
California Resilience Challenge (CRC) is pleased to invite eligible local California public entities (including California Native American Tribes), non-governmental organizations, and community based organizations to respond to this Request for Proposals (RFP) for grants in support of climate resilience planning projects, with a preference for projects that will lead to implementation of resiliency infrastructure.
Funding Information
- It is CRC’s expectation that individual grants will be awarded for between $100,000 and $200,000, but CRC reserves the right to make smaller or larger grants, and the right to award less than the maximum amount of its Grant Fund.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects will consist of planning projects that are targeted at improving local or regional resilience to one or more of the following four climate challenges (listed in no particular order), and water and air quality impacts of the foregoing:
- Drought
- Flooding, including from sea level rise
- Extreme heat and increasing frequency of hot days
- Wildfire
Eligible Activities and Expenses
- Activities eligible for funding are those related to climate resilience planning.
- The focus of CRC is on use of its grants to leverage planning efforts across the state.
Project Timeline
- Selected proposals will be for specific planning projects that will commence on or before July 31, 2022 and are to be completed by July 31, 2024.
Eligibility
- Eligible applicants consist of the following:
- California-based non-government organizations (NGOs) that have as a principal mission, serving or advocating for under-resourced communities. Such NGOs may include communitybased organizations, and may be supported by fiscal sponsors. Such NGOs need not be 501(c)(3) organizations, but must be legal entities authorized and empowered to enter into contracts and hold funds. NGOs are encouraged to partner with a local California public entity.
- Local California public entities applying for projects targeted at benefitting under-resourced communities in their constituencies must partner with community-based organizations. Such public entities may include:
- California incorporated cities, whether or not charter cities
- California counties
- Local agencies and districts at the county level
- Joint Powers Authorities
- Special Districts such as, but not limited to, Geologic Hazard and Abatement Districts, Community Facilities Districts, Utility Districts and others
- California Native American Tribes
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations
- Councils of Governments State-level and regional public entities, including the State of California and its departments, commissions and agencies, and interstate compact entities are not eligible for this program focused on local efforts.
Evaluation Criteria
- Project Evaluation Criteria
- Competitive grants will address as many of the following criteria as possible, although it is understood that it is unlikely that a project would be able to address all:
- Community Support
- Does the project have strong community support from elected officials, neighbourhood associations, business and civil leadership organizations, environmental advocacy and environmental justice groups, etc.
- Benefit Under-resourced Communities
- Will the project directly and meaningfully benefit disadvantaged, low income or other disproportionally climate-vulnerable communities, involve or build on community priorities based on a substantial public engagement process involving members of these communities, and will it help build or support climate leadership and sustainability efforts in those communities
- Impact & Sustainability
- Will the project help protect critical infrastructure
- Can the project be scaled to provide increased resilience in the future
- Can the project be replicated in other geographies
- Does the project avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or integrate elements that will help reduce emissions or sequester carbon
- Does the project use the best available science and locally specific data and/or tribal ecological knowledge
- Will the project meaningfully lead to implementation actions and the operationalization of climate resilience considerations in decision-making, risk, and finance in operations
- Collaboration
- Is the resilience planning effort integrated with or can fast track project implementation/ delivery
- Can the project leverage other sources of private, local, state or federal funding
- Does the project involve collaboration with neighboring jurisdictions
- Does the project involve collaboration with the private sector
- Co-Benefits
- Does the project provide resilience against multiple climate stressors (e.g., drought, heat, flood, and wildfire)
- Does the project achieve multiple benefits across sectors (e.g., public health and safety is enhanced while also improving environmental conditions)
- CRC encourages those public entities that have not yet progressed resilience planning in their jurisdiction to apply, as well as those who are further ahead. Projects that reach both vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and meet multiple criteria will be evaluated favorably.
- Competitive grants will address as many of the following criteria as possible, although it is understood that it is unlikely that a project would be able to address all:
For more information, visit https://resilientcal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/FINAL_CRC2021_RFP.pdf