ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
MEETING DATE: April 22, 2026 AGENDA CATEGORY: Consent - Agreements TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Jennifer M. Byers, Economic and Community Development Director DATE: April 22, 2026
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding Between Project Development Solutions for KernGRIT
1. Approve Memorandum of Understanding between Project Development Solutions and the City of Bakersfield for $245,000 in California Jobs First Catalyst Funding for the KernGRIT Initiative;
2. Appropriate $245,000 California Jobs First Catalyst Funding to the General Fund Economic and Community Development Department Operating Budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the Memorandum of Understanding and authorize the appropriation
BACKGROUND:
On March 7, 2025, the Kern Coalition, led by the Kern Community College District (KCCD), released a request for proposal to solicit eligible projects for funding under the California Jobs First (CJF) Catalyst Fund Program. A total of $9 million was made available for projects at varying stages of development that advance economic and workforce outcomes.
The City of Bakersfield participated as a sub-partner in an application led by Project Development Solutions (PDS), alongside eight regional organizations, to the California Jobs First Catalyst Fund. The application aimed to advance clean energy innovation in the region, support the growth of companies in target industries, and enhance regional competitiveness for business relocation, expansion, and large- scale site selection. This application was submitted as the Kern Growth, Resilience, Innovation, and Technology (KernGRIT) initiative.
In Fall 2025, it was announced that the KernGRIT initiative was awarded funding under the California Jobs First Catalyst Fund Program by the Kern Coalition. The KernGRIT initiative will advance economic growth in Kern County by strengthening the region’s land assets, manufacturing readiness, and workforce pipelines to support the clean economy sector. As a participating partner, the City of Bakersfield will support technical analysis and planning efforts that align with the City’s economic development, land use, and workforce goals.
Under the proposed MOU, the City of Bakersfield will partner with PDS to deliver two technical studies:
a Land Asset and Manufacturing Strategy and a Workforce Development Strategy. The Land Asset and Manufacturing Strategy will evaluate the City’s industrial and employment land inventory and identify opportunities to improve site readiness and alignment with targeted clean economy and manufacturing sectors. The Workforce Development Strategy will assess workforce needs within Kern County, with a focus on Southeast Bakersfield, and provide recommendations to strengthen workforce pathways aligned with emerging and growing industries.
The MOU defines the scope of work, roles and responsibilities, and coordination framework between the City and PDS for implementation of these technical studies under the Kern GRIT grant. Approval of the MOU will authorize the City to formally participate in the grant project and support delivery of the associated technical work.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The action to approve the appropriation and the MOU will set aside General Funds as initial cash flow to help the project move forward. The entire $245,000 will be reimbursed by the State as this project is fully funded by the State Grant Catalyst program. Therefore, because this is fully funded by state grant funds, there is no long term impact to the General Fund.
COUNCIL GOAL:
Economic Opportunity for All
ATTACHMENTS:
MOU Agreement