Funding Opportunities

Throughout its existence, the success of Union Pacific's business has been inextricably linked to the economic and community wellbeing of cities and towns across the nation. We take pride in the role we have played in helping communities thrive and believe the impact we can have on local communities is greatest when it is authentic to our history and reflective of the diverse company we are today. As such, we have carefully aligned our Local Grants cause areas to our company's unique heritage, strengths, and assets. Specifically, we prioritize funding for direct services and efforts that build the capacity of organizations focused on the following causes within our local operating communities. Within each focus area, we aim to support programs and organizations working to advance the diversity, equity and inclusion of underrepresented populations within the local context and issue areas addressed. Find more information about our commitment to DEI in our FAQs.

This is a competitive grant solicitation. The CEC announces the availability of up to $4,070,070 to provide grants to local governments.

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC) is seeking project proposals that:

(1) Address one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions and;

(2) Address natural resource protection issues that are important for California forestlands.

The critical monitoring questions are organized under 12 Research Themes. Four prioritized critical questions were determined by vote amongst the current EMC members at the beginning of each calendar year:

Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in...

Question 1h: managing WLPZs to reduce or minimize potential fire behavior and rate of spread? Question 6c: managing fuel loads, vegetation patterns and fuel breaks for fire hazard reduction? Question 6d: managing forest structure and stocking standards to promote wildfire resilience? Question 12a: improving overall forest wildfire resilience and the ability of forests to respond to climate change (e.g., in response to drought or bark beetle; reducing plant water stress) and variability, and extreme weather events (evaluate ecosystem functional response to fuel reduction and forest health treatments)?

I. FUNDING AVAILABILITY. Funding available for newly proposed projects is anticipated as follows: $973,392 over three FYs beginning in 2024/25, comprising: $173,232 in FY 2024/25; $375,160 in FY 2025/26; and $425,000 in FY 2025/26.

II. AWARD LIMITATIONS. Applicants requesting more than the stated annual amount available for funding will not be considered. In the case that EMC funding for the full three years is awarded to one new project, project solicitation may not occur in the subsequent two FYs. While the EMC may choose to fund projects that span multiple FYs up to the annual funding cap, the EMC generally prefers to fund multiple research projects annually. Proposers should keep this in mind when developing their project and annual budget requests. Longer-term projects (greater than three years) may re-apply for funding for additional years through the competitive grants process advertised in the EMC’s Request for Proposals. Annual allocations are dependent upon demonstrated progress towards project completion pursuant to the project schedule and workplan.

a. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. Eligible projects will test one or more specific FPRs or other rule or regulation under the Board’s jurisdiction and which addresses one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions. Proposed projects must clearly apply to management activities on private timberlands in California. Projects on public land may be eligible for EMC funding provided they clearly apply to the activities and systems that also exist on non-federal timberland.

b. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. Eligible applicants are local, state, and federal agencies including federal land management agencies; institutions of higher education; special purpose districts (e.g., public utilities districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports); Native American tribes; private landowners; for-profit entities; and non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations.

The purpose of this solicitation is to develop and demonstrate the impact of a DC-powered HVAC heat pump in a self-contained module that includes solar PV and energy storage, also known as a DC HVAC nanogrid module, in residential and commercial settings.

The purpose of this solicitation is to fund applied research to increase California’s hydropower generation through precipitation enhancement (cloud seeding). Research funded by this solicitation will foster cost-effective, robust approaches to manage anticipated needs for zero-carbon, fast-ramping resources in the context of a rapidly evolving energy system and climate change.

The program's goals are to accelerate the adoption of advanced energy efficiency, decarbonization, renewable energy technologies, and to support the electrical grid reliability. (Pub. Resources Code, §§ 25663 – 25663.6) The technologies to be funded by this Grant Funding Opportunity (GFO) will help reduce energy costs, maintain product quantity and quality, and reduce GHG emissions associated with food production.

This program is open to all California food processors and related support facilities. All projects funded under FPIP must be located in California. Projects must also support electrical grid reliability, reduce GHG emissions, and further the purposes of AB 32 (Nunez, Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Chapter 488, 2006) and SB 32 (Pavley, California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, Chapter 249, 2016).

Extreme heat will impact every community in California and is a public health, climate resilience, and social equity problem. Climate change is causing more frequent and severe consecutive, unusually hot days and nights – known as extreme heat events. The effects of extreme heat vary widely across regions, communities, and even adjacent neighborhoods. Some areas accustomed to hot temperatures are experiencing very hot conditions while other areas that have been historically cool are experiencing warmer temperatures.

The Clean Energy Access Grant Account will award grants to CBOs & Tribal organizations to help facilitate access to & the adoption of clean energy programs in their respective communities. The CEA Grant Account will provide funding to develop equity initiatives & clean energy access opportunities that complement other CPUC programs.

The Clean Energy Access (CEA) Grant Account will award grants to CBOs and Tribal organizations to help facilitate access to and the adoption of clean energy programs in their respective communities. Specifically, the CEA Grant Account will provide funding to develop equity initiatives and clean energy access opportunities that complement other CPUC programs, including:

• Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP)

• Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP)

• Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating (TECH) Initiative

At the community level, the grant program is designed to bridge gaps and connect people to clean energy access programs. Eligible activities may include:

• Community engagement

• Marketing, outreach and enrollment support

• Resource mapping and needs development

• Project design and development

• Capacity building and workforce development training

• Coordination with Existing Program Administrators

• Application and Implementation Technical Assistance

For example, funding from the CEA Grant Account could be used to:

• Conduct community outreach to gather necessary information for a microgrid project through the MIP.

• Conduct community outreach on the availability of SGIP and TECH to increase enrollment in underutilized communities.

• Improve awareness of training and workforce development opportunities for the TECH Initiative and provide financial or ancillary support to access these opportunities.

• Develop pathways to use TECH to achieve building decarbonization in disadvantaged communities.

• Hire technical assistance to support procuring a developer for a clean energy project through MIP or SGIP.

This grant will not pay for infrastructure buildout, such as hardware or equipment, but rather help facilitate the planning of projects as well as outreach to increase participation by underrepresented communities. CEA Grant Account eligible projects must be in an area served by a CPUC-regulated investor-owned utility for MIP supporting projects but may be statewide for the SGIP and TECH supporting projects.

It is important to note that grants from this account do not cover infrastructure build-outs, such as hardware or equipment.

To be eligible for these grants, proposed activities must be associated with the following CPUC programs: Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP), Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), and Technology and Equipment for Clean Heating (TECH) Program.

The CEA Grant Account and a maximum award amount of $500,000 per application

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is pleased to announce funding opportunities under the 2024 Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) Proposal Solicitation Notice (Solicitation) for projects that lead to process-based restoration, enhancement, or protection of anadromous salmonid habitat.

Proposal applications will be accepted for the types of projects listed below, subject to the funding program criteria. Priority 1 Projects are those that restore, enhance, or protect salmonid habitat in anadromous watersheds through implementation or design projects that lead to implementation. Approximately 65% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 1 Projects. Priority 2 projects are those that support implementation projects through watershed-scale planning and effectiveness monitoring. Funding support is based on availability. Priority 3 Projects are those that support implementation projects through planning, outreach, and/or education. Approximately 10% of the PCSRF grant award will fund Priority 3 Projects. Proposals for FRGP programmatic permit required effectiveness monitoring are ineligible.

The purpose of the grant is to issue up to $73,333,000 to support start-up costs for recycling programs, which shall be limited to recycling centers, mobile recycling, reverse vending machines, or bag drop programs. These funds are also available to existing recycling centers for the purpose of establishing mobile recycling to expand outreach.