ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: October 22, 2025 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Miscellaneous TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jennifer M. Byers, Economic and Community Development Director DATE: October 7, 2025
SUBJECT: Appropriate $10,000 from the Accelerate California program to the Economic and Community Development Operating Budget
from the Accelerate Central Valley subaward granted to the city.
RECOMMENDATION:
Appropriate the grant subaward to the Economic and Community Development Department.
BACKGROUND: The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CaIOSBA) launched the Accelerate California Inclusive Innovation Hubs (iHub2) program to accelerate technology and science - based firms in key industry areas with a strong outreach focus on diverse founders, including women and people of color, and underserved geographies and regions. The Economic and Community Development Department joined with a consortium of education and business assistance organizations throughout the Central Valley to compete for a designation. The Accelerate Central Valley consortium was awarded an iHub2 designation and the California State University, Fresno Foundation, is the lead entity.
The city received a subaward of $10,000 to advance the training and establishment of entrepreneurs to develop and maintain Microgrids within the region. In partnership with Arizona State University Laboratory for Energy and Power Solutions, Kern Community College District and the Center for Strategic Policy Innovation, a training course was held this summer designed to help jumpstart the buildout of an energy resiliency and clean energy small business ecosystem in and around the Bakersfield area. The course, entitled Clean Energy Microgrids: A Local Business Model for the Future, was offered to local business entrepreneurs and community organizations. The grant awarded to the city supported this training and will continue supporting the participants as they implement their programs and microgrid activities.
The training advances the City Council goal of "Economic Opportunity for All" as it provides for the creation and support of new entrepreneurs within underserved areas of the city. Likewise, it supports the City's Economic Development Strategic Plan goals of positioning Bakersfield as a destination for innovation, provides a more inclusive economy and leverages City investments through partnerships and external funding.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of this program is fully funded by the grant award to the city, thus the City General Fund will not be impacted or be used to support this activity.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Economic Opportunity for All
ATTACHMENT:
Agreement No. ED25-015