This FAQ will be updated during the application period (at least through September 20, 2024) to ensure that clarifications are made available to applicants in a timely manner. Programmatic questions/answers will be posted every Tuesday and Thursday by COB and Compliance questions/answers will be posted every Tuesday by COB. Email all questions to [email protected].
Programmatic Questions:
Q: Are Lead Applicants able to submit more than one project for catalyst consideration?
A: There is no limit to the number of projects that Lead Applicants can submit for Catalyst consideration.
Q: Are community partners permitted to join multiple proposals?
A: Community partners are permitted to join multiple proposals.
Q: Who are we getting committed partners letters from?
A: As is stated in the application instructions, “committed partners” are organizations that have a role in the project but are not responsible for managing the project’s finances or reporting.
Q: If we don’t have all of our committed partners signed on, do we need to provide a committed partner letter?
A: Provide whatever committed partner letters you are able to provide.
Q: If there is more than one Lead Applicant, do both need to have attended a Sub-Regional Table or Monthly Stakeholder Meeting?
A: Yes, all Lead Applicants must have attended at least one Sub-Regional Table meeting or one monthly Stakeholder Meeting between June 2023 and August 2024.
Q: Is the word limit a hard stop? What if I go over? Will going over the limit negatively impact my score?
A: The application stipulates word limits for each of the questions, beyond that we’re unable to advise.
Q: In the narrative template, “Summary of Initiative” has a limit of 250 words, and includes 5 sub-questions. Is the limit 250 words for the entire question, or 250 words for each of the 5 sub-questions?
A: The word limit is for the entire question.
Q: In the Work Plan Template, it says “at least 2-4” objectives – is 4 the maximum number of objectives?
A: There is no maximum number of objectives that can be listed.
Q: Where can I access the Budget Template?
A: You can access the Budget Template for the Catalyst application here. All other Catalyst application materials can be found here.
Q: I don’t understand the question, “How does it avoid reducing wages in the targeted sector?” Would you be able to offer an explanation for this?
A: Projects should align with the Collaborative’s goals of increased job quality, job growth, and inclusion of excluded workers as outlined in the Application Instructions.
Q: As a small non-profit organization, we will include support from contractors in our application. How do we reflect this information?
A: There are opportunities to note partnerships and what contractors will do in the written portion of the application as well as budget lines for sub-contracting work.
Q: Can committed partners be subcontractors of the grant?
A: Yes, committed partners can be subcontractors of the grant.
Q: Can someone hire a subcontractor outside of the area that is being served?
A: There is no requirement for where subcontractors are based.
Q: Is there a certain number of organizations that will be funded?
A: No, there is only a maximum total amount of funding to be granted for these projects – $9 million.
Q: The scoring matrix and application does not mention anything about the team or organization’s descriptions. Should we include team biographies, for example, and where should we add that?
A: The questions and sections on the application are the required information. Beyond that it is up to applicants to include additional information.
Q: The applications will be scored on the project and not the organization applying?
A: Applications will be scored based on the criteria presented in the ‘Application Review Process’ section of the Application Instructions document.
Q: Will the August 28th Stakeholder Meeting and August 29th Bidder’s Conference be recorded, including Q&A?
A: Please see the August 28th Stakeholder Meeting recording here and the August 29th Bidder’s Conference recording here. Questions and answers from these meetings have been added to this FAQ.
Q: Is there still time to attend an upcoming stakeholder meeting to meet the requirement for applying for the Catalyst program?
A: Lead Applicant(s) must have attended at least one Sub-Regional Table meeting or one monthly Stakeholder Meeting between June 2023 and August 2024. We do encourage you to stay involved in the Collaborative, however, as we plan on supporting the region with identifying additional funding opportunities moving forward.
Q: What is Catalyst funding intended for?
A: Catalyst funds are designed to serve as a bridge between project planning and implementation, funding organizations to move projects through the development process (conduct feasibility assessments or research, consult with stakeholders, scope site locations, etc.). They are also intended to strengthen the Collaborative’s sustainability and continued regional economic planning by building a pipeline of projects that will be ready for ongoing, more traditional funding once they reach a “ready-to-go” state.
Q: What is the difference between Catalyst and Implementation funding?
A: Implementation funding is meant for “ready to go”, fully formed projects. Catalyst funding is for “exploratory” or “last mile” projects (e.g. pilot projects/programs, feasibility studies, environmental assessments, pre-development construction, technical assistance, etc.). In addition, the Bay Area Jobs First Steering Committee is running the Catalyst procurement process, while the State of California is running the Implementation procurement.
Q: Can you share more about the Implementation phase timeline?
A: The State of California will release the Implementation SFP in September 2024.
Q: Can I apply for both Catalyst funding and Implementation funding for the same project?
A: The State does not preclude organizations who submit project proposals for Catalyst from applying for Implementation funding; however, these funds were not designed to feed into each other.
Q: When does the Catalyst funding end?
A: All funds must be spent by September 30, 2026.
Q: Is there a budget breakdown for each of the project’s readiness stages?
A: Funding through Catalyst is available for “exploratory” or “last mile” projects only and there is no minimum or maximum amount per readiness stage. The only caps are a maximum $1 million for single-county projects and $1.5 million for multi-county projects. Please see the project readiness document from the State of California for more information on readiness stages.
Q: What happens after the Catalyst funds are spent down September 30, 2026?
A: The Collaborative will be working to develop ideas for additional funding streams that can support the Catalyst projects moving forward. This will include federal government, other State of California funding, and philanthropic funding.
Q: Can local government agencies or departments apply for Catalyst funding?
A: Catalyst funding does not preclude any entity from applying.
Q: Is Catalyst funding only open to non-profits, or also for-profits?
A: Catalyst funding does not preclude any entity from applying.
Q: Is there a way for smaller nonprofits that represent key stakeholders (diverse geography, excluded workers) to partner with larger organizations?
A: Absolutely! Please reach out to your region’s Sub-Regional Table to connect with other aligned organizations.
Q: How do we want proposals with two Lead Applicant organizations to answer application questions if they have separate demographics because the organizations are from different counties?
A: In the case of two or more Lead Applicants, please select all the organizational demographic information that applies to each of the Lead Applicants. They do not have to be separated.
Q: Are you accepting letters of support attached to the application?
A: Question 2 in the Application on Multi-stakeholder Collaboration asks for Letters of Commitment that outline roles and responsibilities for all committed partners. A template for applicants is provided.
Q: Do I need to provide a letter of commitment if I’m not receiving any budget under the award?
A: Yes, because we are interested in seeing commitments by partners and understanding what your role will be in the project.
Q: The total distribution across the whole Bay Area, nine counties, is $9 million?
A: Yes, all 13 CA Jobs First regions applied for Catalyst funding and received $9 million per region for pre-development activities.
Q: Is there a list/map of the eligible counties?
A: The lead applicant organizations must operate in and apply for projects that will take place in at least one of the Bay Area Region’s nine counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.
Q: Is there a suggested budget range for a project that is last mile vs. a project that is exploratory?
A: There is no suggested range. The only guidance is that single-county projects should be no more than $1 million and multi-county projects should be no more than $1.5 million.
Q: Is there a minimum grant size or target grant size?
A: No, there is not a minimum or target grant size.
Q: Will selected projects be funded in full, or is there possibility of partial funding?
A: The Scoring Group will determine this at the time of compiling the portfolio of projects.
Q: How will multi-region projects be reviewed?
A: They will have the same review process as all projects.
Q: Will the Collaborative be able to offer projects they select less than their requested amounts in order to award MORE projects, rather than selecting a few projects for larger grant amounts?
A: This will be up to the Scoring Group whose goal will be to gather a strong portfolio of projects. Please see the review process in the application instructions for details on how applications will be reviewed and scored.
Q: When should I set my project start date?
A: At this time, the anticipated start date for projects is January 1, 2025.
Q: What detail of personnel is required for an application? Do all of our positions have to be staffed already, or can they be staffed after the grant?
A: Please provide staff title, salary, fringe, FTE %, and costs. Staff can be hired after the grant, but positions should be allocated for in the budget at the time of application submission.
Q: What does ‘high road’ job mean?
A: According to the State of California, “high road” means “a set of economic and workforce development strategies to achieve economic growth, economic equity, shared prosperity and a clean environment. The strategies include, but are not limited to, interventions that: (1) Improve job quality and job access, including for women and people from underserved and underrepresented populations. (2) Meet the skill and profitability needs of employers. (3) Meet the economic, social, and environmental needs of the community”.
Q: If we are partnering with another applicant on a project, do we list them as second lead applicants in the application and submit one combined budget or should we submit one budget per lead applicant?
A: Yes, please list them as the second lead applicant in the application. The budget template has two tabs so you can share the budget request for both lead applicants.
Q: What happens with the current pre-development projects we have been working with the subregional tables over the last 12 months?
A: Now is the time to submit your work!
Q: Can a list of projects that are applying be shared?
A: No, we do not have a list of projects because this is a competitive process.
Q: I believe that I’ve attended a meeting within the prescribed timeframe, but I can’t be certain. Can you help me ascertain if I’m qualified based on the attendance requirement?
A: Please refer to the Bay Area Jobs First list of stakeholder meetings and subregional table leads with listed contact information for each subregional table that may be able to support.
Q: Will there be an extension to the application deadline?
A: At this time there will not be an extension to the application deadline.
Q: Can I have edit access to the application Google Doc, or make formatting changes to my copy of the application?
The Google doc is view-only for all applicants. Please make a copy of the application, which you can edit as you see fit. We have heard that some formatting changes after making a copy, and it is fine to re-do or adjust formatting as needed in your own copy, as long as you clearly answer/address all questions.
Q: If we would like to get feedback on a proposal concept from All Home, who should we contact?
A: All Home is the Regional Convenor for the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative and is not able to review proposals.
Q: Why are most of the line items in the Budget Template grayed out? (Office Supplies, Project/Program Supplies, Stipends/Honoraria, Marketing Costs, Event Costs, etc.). Does that mean that Catalyst budgets are not allowed to include any of those items?
A: The graying out was only stylistic to clarify between types of categories. We have changed the coloring to reduce confusion.
Q: Are there specific program outcomes required for this project, like a number of housing units?
A: What is required is reflected in the application.
Compliance Questions:
Q: Since we are fiscally sponsored, we do not have an EIN. As the Lead Applicant, should we use our fiscal sponsor’s EIN for “Applicant organization’s Employer Identification Number”?
A: Yes.
Q: We are transitioning from our California LLC to another entity with the goal of registering the DE Corp in CA in the near future. Can we apply as the DE Corp, to keep things clean for us? Or do we have to apply as the California LLC?
A: Please describe your current legal business status in your application.
Q: In the indirect costs line of the budget, it says “max 15% if GF.” What is GF? Also, can you provide more guidance about indirect costs in general? What if an organization’s true indirect costs exceed 15%? And do Partner/Consultant/Contractors count as direct costs in the budget?
A: Please disregard the GF. Indirect costs are items in the agency’s organization-wide budget that are shared and unable to be directly allocated, e.g. general overhead. Agencies with a current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement must present it during budget negotiations in order to negotiate a higher rate (above 15%). The indirect cost rate is only applicable to direct costs. Indirect can be applied to consultants/contractors who are supporting the general agency (e.g. IT).
Q: What does it mean that subcontractors will need to be pre-approved for the contract by SF OEWD?
A: SF OEWD will review subcontractors to ensure they are in compliance with State requirements. Subcontractors are required to meet State compliance requirements (i.e., OAG, SOS) before engaging in contracting and receiving funds.
Q: We are putting out a competitive bid for a contractor – what if we do not have one in place in time for submitting the budget? How should we describe this in the relevant budget line?
A: Identify the contractor costs in the appropriate line item. If the contract or grant for the lead applicant has been signed in advance of the contractor being named, then an amendment to the contract or grant will be made to incorporate the new sub-contractor or sub-grantee. Sub-contractors and sub-grantees must meet State compliance requirements before receiving funds.
Q: Because there is a specific percentage of our salary detailed, what is the back up required? Is it staff hours charged or a flat percentage?
A: Back-up documentation depends on line item and budget structure. For salary and fringe back up, SF OEWD needs payroll documentation. Fiscal agent fee is for organizations that have hired an outside organization to manage specific activities, e.g. finance, human resources, etc.
Q: What are the budget backup requirements from SF OEWD?
A: Back-up documentation requirements are dependent on line item. Any back up requirements will be discussed with SF OEWD during contract negotiations.
Q: If there is more than one Lead Applicant, do both need to become San Francisco City Suppliers?
A: The entities which intend to be directly funded by AF OEWD will need to become San Francisco City Suppliers.
Q: What happens to unspent funds? Will there be extension opportunities, or returned to lead agency for redistribution?
A: Unspent funds at the end of the grant period (9/30/2026) will be forfeited to California Employment Development Department.
Q: Was attending the Bidder’s Conference mandatory?
A: No, it was not mandatory to attend the Bidder’s Conference. If you were not able to attend and are interested in watching the recording, please see here.
Q: If awarded funding, what obligations should awardee organizations expect to fulfill from SF OEWD, fiscal lead of the Bay Area Jobs First Collaborative (i.e. monthly reports)?
A: The deliverables are project-based and will be developed in negotiation with SF OEWD at the time of contracting.
Q: Will the Catalyst Fund accept a proposal that will include budgetary line items to form an organization as a stand-alone 501c(3)?
A: Please see Appendix A on page 11 of the Catalyst Program Application Instructions for Allowable Costs information. Disallowable costs include:
- Lobbying or advocacy work, such as direct lobbying for the passage of specific bills or local propositions.
- Expenses not related to the Catalyst Program efforts.
- Commission fees.
- Ongoing operational costs beyond the grant term.
- Using funds for mitigation activities that are already mandated by local or state governing bodies or agencies.
- Expenses for publicity not directly related to project efforts.
- Bonus payments of any kind.
- The purchase of alcohol.
- Payments on existing debt or debt servicing fees.
- Damage judgments arising from the acquisition, construction, or equipping of a facility, whether determined by judicial process, arbitration, negotiation, or otherwise.
- Services, materials, or equipment obtained under any other state program.
- Stewardship of legal defense funds.
Q: How and when will Catalyst funds be distributed to organizations awarded funding?
A: Funding will be disbursed on a reimbursement basis. The contract term can start as early as January 1, 2025.
Q: Is the lead applicant responsible for holding all the funds, and distributing them when needed to their partner organizations?
A: The lead applicant prime should not be distributing funds, they should be reimbursing any sub-contractors for services completed. Subcontractors will need to be pre-approved for the contract by SF OEWD.
Q: Will applicants have to bid on this contract with an RFP?
A: Interested applicants should be bidding through this public contract. For any subcontractors to the grant, it will be discussed in the contracting process with SF OEWD.
Q: For applicants who have an existing contract with SF OEWD, will the awarded Catalyst funding and contract affect their previous or existing contracts?
A: This is a project-specific question and needs to be discussed with SF OEWD during grant negotiation.
Q: How quickly will funds be made available once a Catalyst project is funded?
A: Projects will receive funding on a reimbursement basis. The fiscal team will aim for reimbursement within 30 days of invoicing. More will be discussed with SF OEWD during grant negotiation.
Q: Once grants are awarded, will invoicing be based on deliverables, or based on time and materials (cost reimbursement)?
A: All projects are on a reimbursement basis. Whether it is cost or materials, it is reimbursement billing. Fiscal will work with projects to figure out the best process for invoicing and billing.
Q: How often will grant reporting be required (monthly, quarterly, some other period)?
A: Grant reporting will be discussed during the contract negotiation.
Q: For the Lead Applicant, are there any additional State or City audit requirements that might be triggered by a grant of this size?
A: Please see the list below:
- OMB A-133 audit is required if agency expended more than the threshold amount of $750,000 or more in federal funds) during the fiscal year that corresponds to your most recent audit.
- Standard CPA audit, accompanied by a letter stating OMB A-133 Audit is not required when the agency expends less than the threshold amount in federal funds during the fiscal year that corresponds to your most recent audit. The Standard CPA audit is required for agencies with a total budget over $500,000 in year audited.
- CPA Financial Review, accompanied by a letter stating OMB A-133 Audit is not required because the agency expended less than the threshold amount in federal funds during the fiscal year that corresponds to your most recent audit. CPA Financial Review is allowed in place of standard audit for agencies with a total budget between $250,000 and $500,000 in year audited.
- Letter stating no audit performed and that Agency Global Budget is less than $250,000 for year that would have been audited.
Q: How do the compliance requirements compare to federal compliance?
A: Grant compliance requirements are in line with state and federal compliance.
Q: Does every applicant need to be a San Francisco “City Supplier?” and what is involved in that designation for NON-San Francisco based organizations
A: Any funded entity will need to become a San Francisco City supplier in order to accept funds. This applies to all Bay Area region jurisdictions, not just San Francisco. Subcontractors/subgrantees do not need to be City suppliers.
Q: Do all participating organizations (not just the Lead Applicant(s)) need to meet all qualifications to be a contractor with the City?
A: Supplier registration is required for the Lead Applicant only. Subgrantees must be compliant with Secretary of State and Office of Attorney General requirements.
Q: Where can we find the contracting requirements specified by the Secretary of State and Office of Attorney General?
A: You can find information about this on page 5 of the Catalyst Program Application Instructions.
Q: If we are a fiscally sponsored organization, and our Fiscal Sponsor is a San Francisco City Supplier, do we need to be registered as a supplier as well?
A: Only the Lead Applicant needs to be a San Francisco City Supplier.
Q: If my organization is fiscally sponsored, would our fiscal sponsor’s insurance coverage count towards the insurance requirements of the SF OEWD grant agreement?
A: This is not required to apply. The Lead Applicant, which can be a fiscal sponsor, may need to submit insurance for compliance with San Francisco supplier requirements.
Q: If my organization is fiscally sponsored, do we need to include any kind of documentation of our fiscal sponsorship agreement?
A: This information is not required to apply.
Q: If a funded entity needs to become a San Francisco City Supplier to accept funds, does that mean they need to serve San Francisco clients or hire from the San Francisco area?
A: No, entities can operate/serve clients anywhere in the Bay Area Region’s nine counties.
Q: The SF city supplier information says we need to have San Francisco residents on the board for a nonprofit, is that the case for non-San Francisco organizations?
A: No, if your nonprofit is not based in San Francisco, you do not need to have San Francisco residents on the board.
Q: Is the City Supplier designation a registration formality that must happen BEFORE or as a PART of either Catalyst or Implementation grant applications?
A: Entities do not need to become a San Francisco City supplier to be eligible for and apply for Catalyst funds, and supplier status will not affect scoring. Entities will need to become San Francisco City suppliers to accept funds. The Implementation program is procured by the State, and the San Francisco supplier status is not related to that funding stream.
Q: Why is there one line item for Indirect Cost Rate, and a separate line for Fiscal Agent Fee? Is the expectation that project will charge up to 15% for Indirect Costs and up to 10% for Fiscal Agent? Or if we are supposed to choose one or the other, can you please explain the distinction?
A: Indirect Costs are administrative costs related to the general operations of the organization or project, while Fiscal Agent Fees are payments made to an external party for handling specific types of tasks. Please charge to the line items as they relate to your project and organization.
Q: Which of the compliance requisitions (slides 18-35) of the Bidder’s Conference slide deck need to be done before submitting the application vs. after being awarded?
A: All of these items can be completed after award notice, but entities need to complete compliance to receive funds. We encourage interested parties to start the supplier process early in the event there are compliance issues.
Q: How is the State defining a “workforce development” project for Catalyst?
A: In the context of the CA Jobs First Catalyst Grant, workforce participants, according to EDD, typically refer to individuals who are engaged in workforce development activities such as traditional classroom training, on-the-job training, work experience, supportive services, stipends, and/or incentives. These participants are often categorized based on criteria such as:
- Unemployed or underemployed individuals who are actively seeking employment.
- Disadvantaged populations, such as those facing barriers to employment (e.g., veterans, individuals with disabilities, low-income individuals, and justice-involved individuals).
- Incumbent workers who are seeking to improve their skills or move into higher-paying roles through retraining or upskilling programs.
- Youth participants who may be out of school and need guidance for entering the workforce.
- Participants from specific industries or sectors targeted by the grant, such as manufacturing, healthcare, or technology, based on the goals of the CA Jobs First initiative.
Q: What triggers the need to use CalJOBS?
A: CalJOBS reporting applies to programs providing services such as Basic Career Services, Individualized Career Services, Training Services, Supportive Services, Follow-Up Services, and Youth Career Services. You can refer to WSD19-06 for more information for how these services are defined.
Some specific examples of activities that would trigger CalJOBS reporting include training, apprenticeships, and internships, incentives and/or stipends. CalJOBS may also be triggered if participants would receive any types of licenses, certificates, credentials, degrees, or diplomas as a result of a project’s services. EDD is happy to discuss any particular projects and determine if a project will be required to use CalJOBS.
You can refer to the CalJOBS Activity Dictionary and the CalJOBS Activity Codes Detailed Listing for specific activities that are required to be reported. These activity codes linked above are some of the performance reporting information that would need to be inputted for projects’ participants.
Q: Do any specific workforce development activities automatically require CalJOBS?
A: Providing stipends and/or incentive payments requires the use of CalJOBS per WSD23-08.
Q: How are workforce participants defined?
A: Participants are defined as a reportable individual who has received services other than self-service activities and has satisfied all applicable programmatic requirements to receive program services. Furthermore, a reportable individual is someone who demonstrates an intent to use program services and meets one or more of the following criteria:
- Provides identifying information.
- Accesses the self-service system only.
- Only received information-only services or activities
The CA Jobs First Catalyst Grant aims to support the employment needs of these groups by providing training, job placement assistance, and other resources to help improve their employability and economic opportunities. A participant under this program is defined as an individual enrolled in a program that provides resources to help improve their participation in the workforce. This would include someone enrolled in trainings, apprenticeships/pre-apprenticeships, receiving supportive services, and/or stipends or incentive payments. Additionally, individuals receiving any of these services under the Catalyst grant are required to meet California Eligibility requirements (WSD23-07).
Q: The Allowable Costs appendix states that a cost must “Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in the award.” Where can we find a list of those limitations and exclusions? It also states that a cost must “Be consistent with policies and procedures that apply uniformly to allowable use of general funds” Where can we find those policies and procedures?
A: This language is passed through from the State solicitation and contract requirements. We have reached out to the State for guidance on State general fund policies and procedures. In the meantime, disallowable costs from the State guidance include the following:
- Lobbying or advocacy work, such as direct lobbying for the passage of specific bills or local propositions.
- Expenses not related to the Catalyst Program efforts.
- Commission fees.
- Ongoing operational costs beyond the grant term.
- Using funds for mitigation activities that are already mandated by local or state governing bodies or agencies.
- Expenses for publicity not directly related to project efforts.
- Bonus payments of any kind.
- The purchase of alcohol.
- Payments on existing debt or debt servicing fees.
- Damage judgments arising from the acquisition, construction, or equipping of a facility, whether determined by judicial process, arbitration, negotiation, or otherwise.
- Services, materials, or equipment obtained under any other state program.
- Stewardship of legal defense funds.
