SAFETY EQUIPMENT REIMBURSEMENT GRANT PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS & APPLICATION

ELIGIBLE ENTITIES
  1. Eligible applicants are Owners of vessels that the State of California, Department of Fish & Wildlife has issued a valid California Commercial Fishing Boat Registration; who's Owner or Operator holds a current California Commercial Fishing License; and is used for Commercial Fishing Activities. Such use shall be evidenced by proof that the vessel has Commercial Fish Landings worth at least five thousand dollars ($5,000) in 2024 and/or 2025. Gross earnings of fish sales shall be evidenced by State Landing Receipts.
  2. In addition, the home port of the qualifying vessel must be Morro Bay, California or Port San Luis, California.
REIMBURSEMENT GRANT POLICIES
  1. The qualifying expenditures to be reimbursed shall be made in calendar year 2025 (between January 1 and December 31, 2025), except applicants may carry forward into 2025 any remaining expense from the purchase of a New Life Raft that was not reimbursed in a prior year of this program, up to an annual limit of $2,000.
  2. The final deadline for submission of grant requests to the Committee Office is January 15, 2026.
  3. As a condition of receiving a Safety Equipment Reimbursement Grant the vessel Owner agrees to allow inspection of the purchased Approved Reimbursable Safety Equipment.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
  1. All Safety Equipment Reimbursement Grant applications will be screened for relevance, accuracy, completeness and compliance with eligibility requirements and grant policies.
  2. A Safety Equipment Reimbursement Grant Sub-Committee will meet to review and approve or deny applications.
  3. If the grant funds for this project are exhausted before all valid applications are paid, those applicants that still have valid approved applications, but have not been reimbursed, will be reimbursed in 2026 with funds from the Commercial Fishing Industry Improvement Fund.
HOW TO APPLY
To apply for a Safety Equipment Reimbursement Grant, complete the attached form and submit the completed form with all of the required documentation to this webpage prior to the final submission date. Include all of the following documentation:
  1. Photocopy or upload of vessels current 2025 California Commercial Fishing Boat Registration
  2. Photocopy or upload of vessel Owner or Operators current 2025 California Commercial Fishing License
  3. Photocopy(s) or upload of $5,000 of State Landing Receipts for 2024 and/or 2025
  4. Photocopy/original or upload of paid in full receipt(s) for Approved Safety Equipment. The receipt must be legible [preferably machine typed], must verify that the purchase price for approved items is paid in full, and, must verify that the eligible applicant has received the approved items.
APPLICATION ASSISTANCE
For more information or questions about this RFP, please contact:
Christopher Kubiak, CCJCFLC Liaison Officer
By Phone; (805) 771 - 9637 * By Mobile Phone; (805) 441 - 4838
By Email; [email protected]
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Use the following method to submit a Safety Equipment Reimbursement Grant Application
VIA THIS WEBSITE:                                          
Complete and submit the online
application and;
Upload the required documents.                                                                            

IMPORTANT DATES

The Final Deadline for submission of 2025 Safety Equipment Reimbursement Grant Applications is Thursday, January 16, 2026.