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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Acceptance of Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary BioPharma 3 Grant funds of $850,000 and award of contracts to Biocom California Institute for $200,000, and Los Angeles Community College District on behalf of Los Angeles Mission College for $123,200
Motion:
1. Accepting the Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary BioPharma 3 Grant funds in the amount of $850,000 from the State of California, Employment Development Department; and authorizing the City Manager, or a designee, to enter into and execute all agreements, amendments, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and implement the funding, subject to the approval by the City Attorney.
2. Authorizing the City Manager, or a designee, to enter into and execute a Contract with Biocom California Institute in an amount not to exceed $200,000 from the Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary BioPharma 3 grant for the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, subject to the approval by the City Attorney.
3. Authorizing the City Manager, or a designee, to enter into and execute a Contract with Los Angeles Community College District on behalf of Los Angeles Mission College in an amount not to exceed $123,200 from the Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary BioPharma 3 grant for the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, subject to the approval by the City Attorney.
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Consent Calendar
Approved for July 29, 2025 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Verdugo Workforce Development Board (VWDB) has a long-standing history of designing and implementing innovative services that create the workforce that employers need in the Verdugo Workforce Development Area, which consists of the Cities of Glendale, Burbank and La Cañada Flintridge. Since 2016, the VWDB has been working with BioScience business partners, community colleges and the Verdugo Jobs Center 4g2
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(VJC) to create the Biocom Institute Technician Certification (BioTC) and develop a pool of qualified job candidates for the industry employers to interview and hire.
In February 2025, the VWDB was awarded $850,000 of Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary Grant Funds for BioPharma 3 (AA BioPharma 3) project. This is the third grant awarded for the VWDB’s BioTC initiative. The BioTC initiative offers digital credentials to students who complete approved community college BioScience programs at no cost; this credential increases the likelihood for employment in the Life Sciences industry. To fulfill the grant outcomes, and as included in the grant application, the VWDB is requesting approval to enter into contracts with Biocom California Institute in an amount not to exceed $200,000 for business engagement services and for technical assistance services to community colleges working to launch Biotechnology programs, and with Los Angeles Mission College in an amount not to exceed $123,200 to administer certification exams and generate the BioTC digital certification badges. Both of these vendors were included in the grant application due to their expertise in the Life Science industry. The total amount of these two contracts of $323,200 will be covered by the grant award. Without approval of these contracts the VWDB will not be able to meet the requirements of the AA BioPharma 3 grant.
RECOMMENDATION
That City Council:
(1) Accept the Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary BioPharma 3 Grant funds in the amount of $850,000 from the State of California, Employment Development Department; and authorize the City Manager, or a designee, to enter into and execute all agreements, amendments, certifications, and documents necessary to accept and implement the funding, subject to the approval by the City Attorney;
(2) Authorize the City Manager, or a designee, to enter into and execute a Contract with Biocom California Institute in an amount not to exceed $200,000 from the Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary BioPharma 3 grant for the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, subject to the approval by the City Attorney; and
(3) Authorize the City Manager, or a designee, to enter into and execute a Contract with Los Angeles Community College District on behalf of Los Angeles Mission College in an amount not to exceed $123,200 from the Additional Assistance 25% Governor’s Discretionary BioPharma 3 grant for the period of July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, subject to the approval by the City Attorney.
ANALYSIS
The Verdugo Consortium is a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) comprised of the Cities of Glendale, Burbank, and La Cañada Flintridge. The Verdugo Workforce Development Board (VWDB) is the planning and policy body for the Consortium. Its purpose is to provide employment and training programs within the three cities and to allocate and 4g3
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award Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds toward its goals. Through the JPA, the City of Glendale (City) has responsibility for the administration of all Consortium activities, including the execution of contracts with vendors to deliver workforce services.
In 2021 the VWDB was awarded WIOA Governor’s Discretionary 25% Additional Assistance (AA) Grant in the amount of $650,000, initiating the BioPharma 1 grant which included contracts with Los Angeles Community College District on behalf of Los Angeles Mission College (LAMC) and Biocom California Institute (Biocom). These organizations were also included in the grant applications for the BioPharma 2 grant which was $650,000, and now the BioPharma 3 grant.
The AA BioPharma 3 grant, in an amount of $850,000, is a non-traditional infrastructure grant, offering digital credentials to students who complete approved community college BioScience programs at no cost. Students who receive a 70% score or higher earn a BioTechnology Technician Credential (BioTC). The grant also allows for business engagement services, as well as technical assistance to community colleges to develop these programs. The AA BioPharma 3 grant is an 18-month grant with a start date of January 1, 2025 and end date of June 30, 2026. It is common for grants to be awarded after the start date of the grant based on grantor’s approval procedures. Although the grant period begins on January 1, 2025 , the contracts are scheduled to begin on July 1, 2025, and will conclude on June 30, 2026.
Under the AA BioPharma 3 grant, LAMC will continue to serve as the as the “hub” for administering the assessment to students from community colleges and generating the digital credential to eligible students, as they have held in prior grants.
LAMC will review and modify the assessment instrument based on input from business, students and instructors from other colleges. Under the AA BioPharma 3 grant, they will administer a minimum of 12 exams. Per the grant budget, the LAMC Contract will be in an amount not to exceed $123,200.
The AA BioPharma 3 grant also allows for increased business engagement from BioScience businesses. Biocom, as the Life Science industry association, represents hundreds of businesses in this industry which allows for employer connection to hire credentialed students. Under this grant, Biocom will also assist in providing technical assistance to colleges developing a biotechnology program, including aligning their curricula to the assessment competencies and assessing students’ readiness for the exam. They will coordinate and host business forums, adding to the successful business engagement forums held in prior years. Technical assistance guides and exam preparation workshops will also be added to their scope of work to further prepare students for the BioTC. The Biocom Institute contract will be in an amount not to exceed $200,000.
LAMC and Biocom have existing contracts that overlap multiple program years. A summary of the vendors’ current contracts is provided below which includes the proposed allocations for the AA BioPharma 3 grant:
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Contract Name Allocation Funding
Source Funding End Date
Los Angeles Mission College
Early Childhood Education Training $ 35,000 WIOA Adult June 30, 2026 Proposed Allocation $ 123,200 AA Bio 3 June 30, 2026 Total Allocation $ 158,200
Biocom
RERP Stipends $ 186,579** RERP-Regional
Grant October 31, 2025
Fellowship $ 40,000** WIOA Rapid
Response October 31, 2025
Broad Business & College
Engagement $ 285,000* Broad
Foundation January 31, 2027
Proposed Allocation $ 200,000 AA Bio 3 June 30, 2026 Total Allocation $ 711,579
* Multi-year grant with limits on amount available each year. ** Grant and contract ends in three months, however, performance and expenditures have been met.
Overall, the VWDB will continue to coordinate the project with all partners specified in the grant, ensuring that all deliverables are accomplished in accordance with grant requirements. The vendors, LAMC and Biocom, are partners included in the AA BioPharma 3 grant application to provide services. Upon completion, this grant will allow the VWDB to assess an estimated 120 students and maintain a 90% pass rate and 85% entered employment rate in the Life Science industry.
The remainder of the grants funds of $526,800 will be used to cover expenses related to individualized job match for community college students who complete a bioscience program, the development of an expansion plan which will allow additional community colleges to participate in the BioTC, and development of collateral materials for outreach to businesses and students. The grant will also cover staff costs for project and administrative coordination of the BioTC initiative as well as travel costs to conferences, outreach events, and symposium events, including Life Science and Community College conferences where staff can promote the BioTC initiative.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
The VWDB is responsible for accepting awarded grants and providing initial approval to enter into contracts, prior to submission to City Council for approval. As such, this item was discussed at the public workforce board meeting held on February 12, 2025, at the Verdugo Jobs Center, where stakeholders were given the opportunity participate and 4g5
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comment on this item. At this meeting, the Board approved the acceptance of the grant award as well as the contracts needed to perform the grant requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. No new appropriation is being requested at this time. The $850,000 funding for the AA BioPharma 3 grant, which includes the $323,200 funding for the contracts with Los Angeles Community College District on behalf of Los Angeles Mission College and Biocom California Institute, was already appropriated during the FY 25-26 budget process.
Existing Appropriation
Amount Account String Funding Source
$323,200 GL: 43110-2060-CSP-0020-P0000
PL: CSP01345AG
Workforce Fund
$526,800 GL: 43110-2060-CSP-0020-P0000
PL: CSP01345AG
Workforce Fund
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5), as it constitutes an organizational or administrative activity of government that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment; thus, it is not subject to CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(3).
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1: The City Council may decline to adopt the motions as recommended herein.
This would result in the inability to comply with grant requirements.
Alternative 2: The City Council may consider any other alternative not proposed by staff.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Onnig Bulanikian, Director of Community Services & Parks Prepared by:
Judith Velasco, Workforce Development Administrator
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Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
Exhibit 1: Minutes of the meeting of the Verdugo Workforce Development Board, February 12, 2025.