Strategic Growth Council Factory Built Housing Pilot Program Round 3 Catalyst Grant

The Factory-Built Housing (FBH) Regional Pilot Program – Round 3 Catalyst Grant is administered by the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), a state agency committed to promoting equity, sustainability, and resilience through community-centered investments. The Catalyst Grant is one of two funding tracks under the FBH Regional Pilot Program, developed to help advance factory-built housing as a tool for affordable, climate-smart housing production across California. This grant is supported by the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program and funded through California Climate Investments. The FBH Catalyst Grant provides up to $500,000 to eligible applicants for short-term, strategic investments designed to overcome barriers and activate regional momentum in the factory-built housing space. While Planning Grants in the same program target long-term, multi-jurisdictional efforts, Catalyst Grants are intended to support targeted interventions such as convenings, feasibility studies, pilot planning, and capacity building efforts. Catalyst proposals must address defined project areas within California and respond to known challenges related to zoning, permitting, financing, policy, workforce development, or other barriers to the deployment of factory-built housing. Activities must be regional or multi-regional in scope and not limited to a single project site or development. Eligible applicants include a broad array of California-based entities: local governments, tribal entities, nonprofits and community-based organizations, community development financial institutions, private for-profit firms (excluding publicly traded companies), institutions of higher education, public authorities, special districts, and public corporations. While Catalyst applicants are not required to have formalized partnerships at the time of application, successful proposals should demonstrate knowledge of and readiness to engage relevant stakeholders. Awarded grantees must establish formal working partnerships by the midpoint of the grant term. Applicants must submit their Catalyst applications through the Submittable platform no later than 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Required components include a completed Submittable application form, a Project Workplan and Budget Workbook, a Project Area map created with the California Climate Investments Priority Populations Mapping Tool, and relevant financial documentation. A complete cost justification narrative is also required. Proposals will be evaluated on alignment with program goals, regional relevance, clarity of vision, feasibility, co-benefits, benefit to Priority Populations, and the applicant’s organizational capacity. Applications will be scored according to criteria outlined in Section 5.1 of the program guidelines. While Catalyst applicants may not be required to have existing partners, they must describe how they will engage and solidify stakeholder collaborations over time. Technical assistance is available to applicants by request prior to April 17, 2026. The Strategic Growth Council also offers weekly office hours for Q&A support through the application period. Notifications of award are anticipated by mid-2026 following interagency review and Council adoption. Projects will operate over an 18-month period from the execution of the grant agreement. Catalyst Grant funds are provided on a reimbursement basis, and prevailing wage requirements apply to all funded activities.

Clearly demonstrate regional relevance, strategic use of funds, and ability to engage key stakeholders; avoid single-site focus or ineligible activities.