Applications are now open for grants of up to $1 million that aim to benefit workers and grow the economy.

A coalition of economic development agencies along the Central Coast released a report Oct. 1 outlining the opportunities—and challenges—in growing the local economy. Now, the Uplift Central Coast Coalition has opened grant applications to help realize those opportunities.

Uplift consists of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, REACH and the Economic Development Collaborative, covering Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Its Regional Plan Part II, which was submitted to economic development and other departments within the State of California, is a result of research that began in May 2023, including input from more than 4,140 residents, according to Uplift.

It outlines the challenges in the region, namely that more than “1 million residents, or 45 percent, [are] struggling to make ends meet, meaning their incomes do not cover basic costs of living,” the report stated.

About 25 percent of the region’s jobs qualify as “quality,” while 15 percent of jobs are determined as “promising,” the report stated. A “quality job” is defined as “one that pays a living wage that allows families to live and save, offers employer-sponsored health insurance and provides worker stability.” “Promising jobs,” meanwhile, are ones that lead to a quality job within a decade.

To tackle these issues, the report outlines ways to boost quality jobs, such as in areas it refers to as “precision manufacturing” and “advanced business services.” These jobs include positions within industries such as aerospace, agricultural technology, computing and more, which the report describes as assets that can be built on.

These strategies include expanding training opportunities to allow lower-paid workers to move up in their careers, offering employer-sponsored housing and expanding the child care workforce, among the many other ways the report highlights.

To help move these strategies along, grant applications are now open.

The grants fall into three categories: Concept (up to $50,000), Accelerator (up to $250,000) and Launchpad (up to $1 million). The funding aims to support activities that advance the strategies outlined in the Regional Plan Part II.

The grant opportunities are part of California Jobs First, a state program which distributed $182 million earlier this year across 13 “Jobs First Collaboratives” throughout the state. Uplift was awarded $9 million to spread among the six counties it represents.

To be considered for a grant, entities—which can be nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, local governments, community foundations or labor organizations—must first submit a Letter of Intent by 5pm Friday, Oct. 18. Only organizations with projects that are closely aligned with Uplift’s priorities will be invited to submit a full application. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend a virtual forum from 11am-12:30pm on Friday, Oct. 11. Registration is now open.

Tahra Goraya, president and CEO of Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, says the economic development agencies came together to form Uplift and advocate for the region’s needs.

“There’s this misconception outside of our region that we live in abundance,” she says. “We may not have the population size of the Bay Area or Los Angeles, but we do have a lot of assets and our population also has needs.”

Goraya adds the year-and-a-half process to gather input for the report brought together a diverse array of people. Uplift held more than 95 listening sessions in partnership with local organizations, 13 industry roundtable events, 72 interviews and multiple public community update meetings across the region. In all, more than 4,140 community members were involved, according to the report. 

“You need diverse cross-sector engagement to truly move the needle,” Goraya says. “That’s the secret sauce.”

For information on Uplift and the grants, visit mbep.biz/uplift-central-coast.