Kern Coalition - CERF

Join the Kern Coalition in developing an equitable economic future for our region! We are working together to bring good, quality jobs to Kern County through California’s CERF Program (Community Economic Resilience Fund).

How CERF is Evolving

The Kern Coalition is dedicated to making sure the effort to bring good jobs to Kern County involves all kinds of people, from every region of our county. We are committed to a fair process where we engage deeply with the community to refine our proposals and bring job development funds to our region.

*Information may change as the CERF infrastructure continues to evolve.

Catalyst Program Launched

A request for proposal called CERF Catalyst funding will be coming in September. This funding is designed to bridge the gap between creating plans and getting projects funded. Up to $14 million is potentially available to each CERF region. The Kern Coalition is collecting proposals for our region's application for Catalyst funds.

Submit a proposal for Kern County's Catalyst Program application:

Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF)- Catalyst Predevelopment Phase Proposal Submission Form

Submitting a proposal does not guarantee funding. Submissions will be kept confidential.

What is the Catalyst Program 2.0?

Visit the hub for more information:

• Catalyst Program Page - main hub for information about the Catalyst Program.

Documents

This original document was released on July 17, 2023.

• Catalyst Program Framework - summary, rationale and components of the program.

Timeline

• Sept 1, 2023 - Applications open
• November 2023 - Application period closes
• December 2023 - Applications are scored, contracting process begins
• Contracting period takes six months
• May 1, 2024 - Catalyst Program funds are released

About the Kern Coalition

The Kern Coalition was formed with a vision to bring good, quality jobs to Kern County, particularly to the areas that need it the most.

In 2021, the State of California announced the CERF (Community Economic Resiliency Fund) Program. This program will distribute $600 million across the state, to go toward economic recovery and growth. The funds are being distributed by a competitive grant process, which means each region has to put together a plan and then apply for funding from the state.

Here in Kern County, our goal is to create a grant proposal for funding that includes everyone’s voice. Our mission is to have people of all ages, backgrounds, job types and opinions come together and imagine a better future for our community.

Read more about the background, goals and timeline of the Kern Coalition: About the Kern Coalition

Get Involved

Individuals

Anyone of any age with any background is welcome to join the Kern Coalition. Getting involved means signing up for our newsletter, connecting on social media, and joining our regular subregional collaborative meetings to share your insights about what our county needs for a bright economic future.

These meetings will take place over the next year and a half as the Kern Coalition works with the community to assemble a proposal to submit to the State of California, with the goal of bringing good, quality jobs to Kern County, particularly in areas that need it most.

To make it easy for everyone to attend, the county has been split into five subregions - North, South, Central, East and West. See the “Find Your Subregion” section below to locate your subregion and join the next meeting in your area.

Organizations

The Kern Coalition welcomes local organizations to join us in our mission to bring good jobs to our community. Our current list of partners can be found on the About Us page.

These partners submitted Collective Partnership Agreement Letters (CPALs) when the Kern Coalition applied for grant funds in order to jumpstart the planning process.

If you would like to submit a letter or have questions about how to get involved with the Kern Coalition, email KernCERF@kccd.edu.

You can find a copy of the template letter on the Resources page.

Find Your Subregion

Which of the five subregions do you live and work in?

Find your subregion below:

Upcoming Meetings

Google Calendar with updated meeting times and locations:
Subregional Collaborative Meeting Calendar

Connect on Social Media

Kern Coalition Facebook

Kern Coalition Twitter

Kern Coalition Instagram

Kern Coalition Linkedin