California Permitting Academy

Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development · State of California

At a glance

California Permitting Academy is a closed California state grant opportunity from the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (State of California). The application deadline was March 6, 2026. Individual awards are listed as $5M, with about 1 award expected and $5M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include nonprofit. 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

Mar 2, 2026Posted
Mar 6, 2026Application deadline

Opened: Mar 2, 2026
Close date: Mar 6, 2026
Award floor: $5,000,000
Award ceiling: $5,000,000
Est. total funding: $5,000,000
Expected awards: 1
Matching funds: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant

Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)

Type: Grant
Funding source: State
Matching funds: Not Required
Funding method: Reimbursement(s) — Payments will be reimbursement-based upon proof of completion of mutually agreed deliverables. Payments may be withheld if the reports are deemed incomplete or inadequate. Invoices shall be submitted 30 days after the quarterly period.
Estimated number of awards: Exactly 1
Award period: 4/1/26 - 4/30/28
Expected award announcement: 3/16/26
Letter of intent: Required
Geography: Must be located with primary operations in the State of California.
How to submit: By email: Regionalinvestment@gobiz.ca.gov
Latest change note: Clarification on who is eligible to apply. Changed to active with application deadline

Who can apply

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

Nonprofit

Additional information on eligibility (from the listing)

Must be a nonprofit organization (501c(3), c(4), and c(6)), or other community-based organizations. Must be located with primary operations in the State of California. Must have an active status with the California Secretary of State. Must not be presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in public procurement or contracting by any government department or agency.

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 “California Permitting Academy” will provide technical assistance to local governments, helping them streamline their permitting processes. This RFP is open to qualified organizations with demonstrated experience in government process improvement, technical assistance, and training delivery to serve as the host administrator of the proposed California Permitting Academy and provide support to local governments statewide.

Description

The Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s primary technical assistance provider to businesses and developers in navigating California’s state and local permitting regimes. As part of this work, GO-Biz assists businesses in accessing information and resources related to permitting and regulatory compliance, provides mediation and third-party neutral facilitation to resolve conflicts between applicants and permitting and regulatory entities, and works with federal, state, regional, and local permitting and regulatory entities to exchange best practices and implement improvements to modernize permitting processes. Over the past seven years, various units within GO-Biz have developed technical expertise and educational materials intended to help local governments with process improvements and streamlining efforts, specifically in support of zero-emission vehicles charging infrastructure and clean energy projects. The California Permitting Academy is intended to be structured as one-week intensive, in-person, training courses for representatives from up to five local governments per academy session. This RFP is open to qualified organizations with demonstrated experience in government process improvement, technical assistance, and training delivery to serve as the host administrator of the proposed California Permitting Academy and provide support to local governments statewide.

Program page on the agency site ↗

Program contact (as published)

Mariana Guevara
mariana.guevara@gobiz.ca.gov
1-916-397-8085

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “California Permitting Academy”?

The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Nonprofit. It adds: “Must be a nonprofit organization (501c(3), c(4), and c(6)), or other community-based organizations. Must be located with primary operations in the State of California. Must have an active status with the California Secretary of State. Must not be presently debarred, suspended, pr…” Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.

How much funding is available through “California Permitting Academy”?

Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $5m, total estimated program funding is $5,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 1 awards.

How do I apply for “California Permitting Academy”?

Applications go directly to Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, not through GrantsJunction. Submission: by email to Regionalinvestment@gobiz.ca.gov. 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