Uplift Central Coast To Develop Inclusive Coalition For State Economic Resilience Grant Opportunity
Waves crash onto the sandy coast. Image credit: Alix Greenman
(Marina, CA) - The six-county Uplift Central Coast Coalition — led by REACH, the Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) and Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) — is excited to announce its continued partnership to develop an application and secure our region’s share of California’s new $600 million Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF).
The purpose of CERF is to support new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians.
The CERF strategy is based on triple bottom line principles and values — economy, equity and environment — and calls for input from and ultimate benefit to disadvantaged, disproportionately impacted and under-represented communities.
Moving forward, our broadened Uplift Central Coast initiative will identify, prioritize and invest in a wide range of workforce and economic development projects, while contributing to a comprehensive approach to regional economic resilience. Our efforts and partnerships will continue to cover the six-county region: Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. Grants of up to $5 million per region will be awarded this fall to support inclusive engagement and planning efforts to inform regional investment opportunities.
"The CERF initiative is a unique opportunity to strengthen the economies of not just the Monterey Bay but of the entire six-county Central Coast region, creating a broadly based infrastructure of jobs, workforce development, research, and investment," said Monterey Bay Economic Partnership President and CEO Tahra Goraya. "This truly collaborative approach between government, education, industry, and community partners across the Central Coast will result in innovation and diverse opportunities that will benefit our regions and our residents in all of our communities.”
If you would like to stay engaged, track progress, or participate with this coalition, join us!
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