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The Commission for Behavioral Health (CBH) has announced the official release of the Innovation Partnership Fund (IPF) Request for Application (RFA), marking the first round of a significant multi-year investment. This initiative, established through the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA), aims to award up to $20 million in grants this year to drive bold, equity-centered innovations within California’s public behavioral health system.
This groundbreaking fund is designed to invest in solutions that will fundamentally improve how mental health and substance use disorder services are delivered, experienced, and sustained across the state, with a strong focus on supporting county behavioral health departments.
This first round of IPF offers two distinct grant categories, each with specific eligibility requirements:
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Category 1 – Small Grants (Less than $500,000): A minimum of 8 grants will be awarded, with a total of $4 million available. These grants are exclusively open to community-based organizations, non-profit entities, and/or tribal organizations.
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Category 2 – Large Grants ($500,000 to $5,000,000): A minimum of 3 grants will be awarded, with a total of $16 million available. These grants are open to all organization and entity types including public, private, and non-profit entities.
These contracts will last approximately 30 months starting no sooner than July 1, 2026. Applicants may apply for one or both grant categories but must submit a separate application for each project.
All interested organizations are encouraged to attend the virtual Bidders Conference on Friday, March 27, 2026 at 3:00 pm, to learn more about the RFA and ask clarifying questions.
For more information and application requirements, please visit the CBH website.
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