View more information on how to nominate yourself or someone else here.
Overview of the CERF
The CERF, sourced from the State General Fund, will distribute $600 million across to 13 regions across California. The program will:
Support the development of inclusive regional planning processes in order to produce regional strategies for economic development efforts that prioritize the creation of accessible, high-quality jobs in sustainable industries.
Invest in projects proposed by regional planning tables that align with regional strategies and meet criteria for equity, job quality, and sustainability, among others.
Align and leverage state investments (e.g., High Road Training Partnerships, community capacity building programs), federal investments (e.g., Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), and philanthropic and private-sector investments in regions to maximize economic development efforts.
The Capial region includes the following eight counties: Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. Valley Vision is the Regional Convenor & Fiscal Agent for the Capital Region, meaning we are responsible for ensuring our region meets the goals and values outlined above. This includes the formation of our region’s governance structure and identifying other partners to help lead our region’s efforts.
In order to reach its goals, CERF will be executed through multiple funding streams (or phases). Click the accordions below to learn more about each of the funding streams purposes and objectives.
Planning Phase - $5M per region
The Planning Phase will invest Invest $5 million into each of the 13 regions to (i) establish regional inclusive economic planning entities, (ii) lead research and development activities to inform economic
development strategy and (iii) define the Regional Economic Plans.
Our Capital Region kicked off our Planning Phase in March of 2023 and is expected to conclude in March of 2024. This effort is being led by our Collaborative, a diverse group of participants who directly affect or are affected by economic development processes. You can see our governance structure and values below.
Visit our "Ongoing Work" section to learn more about how our region is making progress towards the creation of our region's strategy and identification of projects to support for implementation or fund through the Catalyst Program. Interested in getting involved? Keep scrolling to our "Join the Collaborative!" section.
Implementation Phase - $268M statewide
The Implementation Phase will invest total of $268 million into ready-to-launch projects that align with Regional Economic Development Strategy plans. As part of the Planning Phase, each region will identify 3-5 projects to support for implementation funding. These projects will then compete at the State level.
Our Capital Region will be identifying these projects through recommendations made by our Subregional Committees and final decisions and approval made by our Leadership Council. You can learn more about our Subregional Committees and Leadership Council by going to the "Ongoing Work" section.
Catalyst Program - $14M per region
The Catalyst Fund will invest up to $14 million into each of the 13 regions to (i) strengthen sustainability of
regional inclusive economic planning entities and (ii) build a pipeline of viable projects that align with CERF objectives. It is meant to bridge the gap between planning and implementation phases by having funding reach communities sooner and invest into more projects developed by and for disinvested communities.
As part of the Catalyst Fund, $9 million will be allocatted to projects for pre-development activities such as:
Feasibility studies; market analysis; environmental assessments, surveys, and remediation; site acquisition; site and development plans; project designs; permitting; establishing a regional tax increment financing district; drafting and negotiating Community Benefits and Community Workforce Agreements; financial planning (e.g., preliminary budget and construction financing).
Basic environmental infrastructure pre-development, construction, and development of long-term operations and maintenance plans for infrastructure such as: clean water supply systems; wastewater systems; waste disposal systems; pollution control services.
Support costs for building and sustaining the capacity of project leads and partners, such as: investments in partner and local staff development; funding new and/or critical positions; acquiring or utilizing tools and resources to increase partner capacity for project planning and implementation; organizational capacity activities such as access to financial services or legal review; developing new pilot or demonstration projects and programs; participation and/or partnership with existing workforce programs; providing or securing technical assistance for partners.
You can learn more about this program by viewing the Catalyst Fund Final Framework. If you would like to propose a project for Catalyst Funding, we encourage you to participate in our Subregional Committees. More information about these Committees is available in the "Ongoing Work" section.
The $14 million is available to each of the regions through a closed solicitation process open only to the fiscal agents. Valley Vision is in the process of preparing an application on our region's behalf in order to secure the $14 million for our Capital Region. We will seek input on the application through the Subregional Committees and Leadership Council.
Progress and Ongoing Work
Ongoing Work
Leadership Council Nominations
We are happy to announce that the Leadership Council Nomination Form is now open!
The Leadership Council will play a vital role in advancing Capital Region decision-making during the CERF Planning Phase. The Council will achieve this by: (1) hearing recommendations, (2) applying the CERF core values of inclusivity and equity, and (3) advising on regional strategic planning.
Filling the seats on the Leadership Council is key to our region's success. Please help us by sharing this opportunity with anyone you think may be a good candidate or know someone else who could be. We encourage people from disinvested communities or have lived experience to apply.
Subregional Committees will launch in October. Committee Members will help create our region's strategy by participating in multiple feedback processes including: (1) recommending projects for prioritization, (2) proposing strategies for uplifting disinvested communities identified through community engagement, and (3) informing our region's research and data analyses.
Please complete the Subregional Committee Sign-Up formif you are interested in being a committee member. By signing up, you help us ensure you receive the correct meeting information. As part of the form, there is also an opportunity to submit a request for participant compensation in accordance with our recently released Capacity Assistance Funding Eligibility and Procedures.
Collaborative Gatherings
The Summer of Collective Learning series was held from June to August to give us time to learn and plan together around the CERF program. Each monthly meeting featured a collective learning session on topics related to the CERF program’s values and goals, as well as time dedicated to advancing our region’s efforts.If you missed the meetings we invite you to explore the meeting materials here.
Our August 24th Collaborative meeting marked the end of our Summer of Collective Learning series and a transition to quarterly gatherings of the Collaborative. We welcome you to attend our annual event the Livability Summit that is centered around having real connections, honest conversations, and data-driven solutions that drive long-term, community-inspired solutions. This year’s theme is centered around inclusive economic development and prosperity for all. With that in mind, we are providing 2 free tickets (per organization) to all CERF Collaborative members. Discount codes have been sent to Collaborative members. If you are a Collaborative member and need the code, please reach out to cerf@valleyvison.org
Outreach and Engagement
Continuing to grow the Collaborative through listening and learning sessions, 1:1 meetings and presentations to stakeholder groups.
Working alongside our Lead Communications Partner to develop a brand, website, and communications strategy for our efforts.
Research
Working with Lead Research Partner, Cities GPS to conduct economic, environmental, and public health analyses for the regional summary
Conducting a stakeholder mapping & SWOT analysis for the regional summary. Please take the survey here
Providing Feedback to State Agencies
Submitting public comment and other feedback on CERF timelines, deliverables, and guidelines
Staying engaged with the Employment Development Department (EDD) and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) around our region’s needs.
Join the Collaborative!
Collaborative Overview
To foster an inclusive and equitable process, each region is tasked with building a High Road Transition Collaborative (“Collaborative”). These Collaboratives will help inform the Planning Phase and should be made up of diverse stakeholders across industries, geographies, and other demographics.
By joining the Sacramento Region Collaborative, you will contribute to our region’s economic plan, whether that be by attending meetings, completing surveys, or meeting with us 1:1. This is our least time-consuming level of commitment and is flexible to you or your organization’s capacity. You will also receive Collaborative-specific communications.
Those who join the Collaborative also have the opportunity to join Subregional or Ad-Hoc Committees. They will also be eligible for nomination and selection to the Leadership Council. The Leadership Council and Committees have an increased level of involvement that participants may be compensated for through our Capacity Assistance Funding Eligibility and Procedures.
How to Join the Collaborative
To join the Collaborative, we ask that you review our Governance Structure, which outlines our proposed values and governance structure. Please keep in mind that this is subject to change as we continue to build and receive input from Collaborative members.
After reviewing, please complete the Partner Support Agreement by filling out the template. The information you’ll need to provide is:
Contact Person + Contact Information,
A very brief description of you or your organization’s role in the community or region, and
A very brief description of what you or your organization can contribute to the CERF planning phase.
Letterhead/Logo (Optional)
To submit your completed Partner Support Agreement or If you have any questions about CERF, the Collective Partnership Agreement, or the Partner Support Agreement, please email us at cerf@valleyvision.org
