CLOSED to new applications: Los Angeles County HRTP Cycle 3 Safe Clean Water Program stormwater and water infrastructure workforce deadline passed Friday, October 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and administrator Dalberg are inviting High Road Training Partnerships (HRTPs) to apply for a separate Cycle 3 competitive workforce-development grant supporting public water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure operations and maintenance (O&M) jobs under the Safe, Clean Water Program (SCWP). This applicant-facing financial assistance is not a procurement contract.
Funding available
The SCWP O&M track has a $680,000 funding pool for up to one initial grant. The RFA says more grants could become available if additional funds are secured, but no additional awards are confirmed. Individual award terms are established through contracting, and no separate guaranteed applicant maximum is published. The larger HRTP Cycle 3 grant fund exceeds $7.7 million across six distinct tracks; that aggregate is not the applicant award. The reviewed RFA does not state a mandatory cash matching percentage.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants must assemble a qualifying HRTP with five core roles: lead applicant and fiscal agent, sector intermediary, employer, labor or worker representative, and training provider. The lead applicant may be a nonprofit or a qualifying for-profit workforce-development provider; government agencies cannot lead. The intermediary, employer and labor or worker representative must be separate legal organizations. All core partners must satisfy Los Angeles County location and good-standing requirements (including the documented route for opening a local site by grant execution). Signed memoranda of understanding or letters of commitment for all five partners are required. Each partnership may submit only one Cycle 3 application to one track.
Required SCWP objectives and placements
Training must prepare workers for unsubsidized high-road jobs in the operations and maintenance of green stormwater infrastructure, water and wastewater infrastructure in Los Angeles County. Illustrative occupations include maintenance workers and technicians, stormwater treatment operators, heavy equipment operators, electromechanics, and wastewater treatment operators. Proposals must support selected occupations with current labor-market evidence, employer demand, a pathway to a living wage, and specific links to SCWP investments.
At least 25% of placements must be in public or private jobs directly performing O&M work on SCWP projects, while at least 50% of placements must be jobs that demonstrably support new or ongoing SCWP projects. Preference is given to green stormwater infrastructure jobs, stronger placement shares, public-agency or SCWP-contractor partnerships, and experienced water infrastructure training providers. A public water agency can be an employer partner, but a government agency cannot serve as the lead fiscal agent.
Implementation, payment, and restrictions
Program design begins January 2027; training must start by May 1, 2027 and conclude by December 31, 2027, with placement tracking and reports through March 31, 2028. Applicants need a training curriculum, employer hiring commitments, staffing and case management plan, supportive services, budget, measurable outcomes and logic model. Funds may cover RFA-approved grant activities; expenditures must be documented and allocable. Awards operate on monthly reimbursement, generally 30 to 45 days after verified invoices. Indirect costs are normally capped at 10% without a negotiated federal rate; up to 10% of payments depend on successful placement outcomes.
Application documents and submission
Email a completed application PDF, signed partner MoUs/LoCs as PDFs, itemized budget spreadsheet (Excel), and logic model PDF to HRTP@dalberg.com before October 30, 2026 at noon Pacific. Use the email subject required by the RFA, and list the lead applicant and attachments in the body. Submissions must meet all Section 5 minimum and SCWP-specific requirements; late or incomplete submissions will not be reviewed.
Official verification sources: LA County DEO Cycle 3 application and templates, controlling 45-page RFA, and October 23, 2026 FAQ Round 2. Verified October 24, 2026; check subsequent official amendments before applying.