Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students Grant Program

CA Department of Education · State of California

At a glance

Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students Grant Program is a closed California state grant opportunity from CA Department of Education (State of California). The application deadline was February 12, 2026. Total estimated funding is $2M. Applicant types listed as eligible include public agency. It is listed on the California Grants Portal. Cost sharing is not required.

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Feb 11, 2026Posted
Feb 12, 2026Application deadline

Opened: Feb 11, 2026
Close date: Feb 12, 2026
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: $2,000,000
Expected awards: Not specified
Matching funds: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant

Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)

Type: Grant
Funding source: State — State General Fund
Matching funds: Not Required
Funding method: Advances & Reimbursement(s)
Estimated number of awards: Between 5 and 7
Estimated award amounts: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Award period: 7/1/2026-6/30/2030
Expected award announcement: On or after 3/2/2026
Letter of intent: Not required
Geography: The CDE will ultimately select the grantees in a manner that ensures statewide coverage, including considering diversity across rural and urban settings. The CDE may reject any application that does not meet technical standards, lacks responsiveness, or is otherwise deemed ineligible.
How to submit: Online: https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r28/gems26rfa.asp

Who can apply

Applicant categories as listed on the California Grants Portal. GrantsJunction maps them to detailed applicant types for search and matching.

Public Agency

Additional information on eligibility (from the listing)

To be eligible for selection, county offices of education must commit to assigning a dedicated, .7 FTE staff member with subject matter expertise to the GEMS role for the duration of the grant.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Purpose and description as published on the California Grants Portal.

Purpose

The purpose of this program is to strengthen California’s Statewide System of Support by ensuring that local educational agencies (LEAs) receive coordinated technical assistance, resources, and professional development to improve English language development (ELD) instruction and outcomes for English Learner and long-term English learner (LTEL) students, as specified in California Education Code (EC) Section 52073.4.

Description

The 2025–26 Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve Education Omnibus Trailer Bill, Assembly Bill 121 (Chapter 52, Statutes of 2025) Section 50 provides $2 million annually, beginning in the 2026–27 fiscal year, to support between five and seven competitive regional English learner (EL) lead agencies. Selected county offices of education (COEs) will be recognized in California’s Statewide System of Support under the title of Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students (GEMS). The GEMS will perform the following duties: -Build the capacity of COEs to provide technical assistance to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective EL instructional programs;-Coordinate and calibrate within and across the System of Support to tailor assistance and support to LEAs;-Provide support around high-quality ELD instruction statewide;-Identify and disseminate information about existing regional resources, professional development, and efforts that support effective English language acquisition programs;-Support the meaningful integration of the California English Learner Roadmap Policy (EL Roadmap) within the Statewide System of Support;-Develop new resources and capacity-building activities for LEAs to improve outcomes for EL students, including LTEL students;-Participate in the Statewide Literacy Network; and-Fulfill other responsibilities as specified by the California Department of Education (CDE). Under this program, selected COEs will receive a minimum of $250,000 to strengthen capacity within their designated regions. Additional funds may be available depending on the needs of the region and the size of the program. To learn more about the Request for Application (RFA), including the timeline and application workshop webinar, please refer to the CDE GEMS RFA web page.

Program page on the agency site ↗

Program contact (as published)

Language Policy and Leadership Office
gems@cde.ca.gov
1-916-319-0845

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students Grant Program”?

The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Public Agency. It adds: “To be eligible for selection, county offices of education must commit to assigning a dedicated, .7 FTE staff member with subject matter expertise to the GEMS role for the duration of the grant.” Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.

How much funding is available through “Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students Grant Program”?

Per the notice, total estimated program funding is $2,000,000.

How do I apply for “Geo-Regional Experts for Multilingual Students Grant Program”?

Applications go directly to CA Department of Education, not through GrantsJunction. Submission: online at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r28/gems26rfa.asp. Read the program guidelines on the agency's site first; state programs set their own forms and registration requirements.

Other open California state opportunities, matched on agency, categories and wording.

OpenState of California