On Monday, the Brentwood Land Use and Development Committee made a series of funding recommendations for its Economic Development Grant Program.
According to the city, this year eighteen (18) applications were received, totaling approximately $377,000 in grant requests. The City has approximately $180,000 available to fund competitive grants. Last year, City Council awarded a total of $139,500 in competitive grants. The applications were due April 28, 2025.
Ricardo Noguera, Economic Development Manager, shared of the 18 applicants, 8 are from new applicants, 4 from cultural, 4 from arts, 4 from businesses & economic development, 4 from education, 2 from recreation. 12 non-profits, 6 for profits that submitted applications.
The funding comes from the Business Tax Certificate ordinance which established an “Economic Development Grant Program” by setting aside annually 20% of all revenue generated through the program. The recommendations below will go before the Brentwood City Council for final decision at a future date.
Full Funding:
- La Gran Fiesta ($10k): set for Sept. 6, celebrates Hispanic heritage month and is hosted by Brentwood Chamber of Commerce.
- Chinese Lunar New Year ($1,200): 1 celebration of Lunar New Year.
- Delta Quilters Guild ($4k): features over 125 handmade quilts and fiber arts. Event is Aug 9 and Aug 11, 2025.
- Dia de los Muertos ($18k): celebrate the Latinx culture & specifically the celebration of a beloved Mexican holiday,
- Oktoberfest ($44k): Hosted by the Brentwood Downtown Coalition, celebrates Oktoberfest
- Brentwood Business EXPO & Job Fair ($14k): brings together businesses and entrepreneurs to network. 5th Annual Expo is set for May 5, 2026.
Partial Funding
- Banner Up ($5k): This project turns Downtown Brentwood into a living gallery that tells a story of community, creativity, and growth. The public is invited to participate, at no cost, by painting one of forty banners that will be installed on utility poles in Downtown Brentwood throughout the summer
- Brentwood on Ice ($25k): downtown ice rink during Christmas holiday.
- Brentwood Turkey Trot ($10k): A 5k race on Thanksgiving Day at Streets of Brentwood
- Community Impact Through Inclusive Events ($4k) hosted by Chill Tea, seeks inclusive community building through a series of events such as car shows, pop up events, fundraisers and more.
- Exceptional Day ($2,500): A 1 day celebration at City Park for people to come together.
- Festival 4.0 ($8k): biennial play festival for actors and directors hosted by Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble.
- Novacon ($3k): on Aug 2 at City Park, will celebrate art of fandom, anime, cosplay and self-expression and pop culture fashion.
- Annual Father’s Day Tournament & Tournament ($6k): beginning in 2026, a fathers day tournament and festival. Utilizing basketball courts, grass fields and parking lot.
No Funding
- Bow Bow Fest: To train at least 60 people in Brentwood Community Kitchen, share the benefits of healthy fresh food and treats for dogs for their long and healthy life
- Brentwood Job Security: a job training program
- Dream Team After School: after school program
- Merchandise Tailored: promoting Brentwood through everything “local” with locally made merchandise and farm products.
Here is a rundown of the direction provided by the Land Use Committee on recommended funding:
| FUNDING APPROVED FY 24/25 | FUNDING REQUESTED FY 25/26 | LUD RECOMMENDATIONS | |
| 1.La Gran Fiesta (Cultural) | $6,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| 2.Banner Up (Arts) | $5,000 | $13,000 | $5,000 |
| 3.Bow Bow Fest (Econ Dev) | N/A | $24,814 | $0 |
| 4.Brentwood On Ice (Recreation) | $22,500 | $44,000 | $25,000 |
| 5.Brentwood Security Job Placement Program (Econ Dev) | N/A | $21,900 | $0 |
| 6.Brentwood Turkey Trot (Educational) | $11,000 | $33,000 | $10,000 |
| 7.Chinese Lunar New Year (Cultural) | $1,000 | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| 8.Community Impact Through Inclusive Events (Educational) | N/A | $8,000 | $4,000 |
| 9.Delta Quilters Guild (Arts) | $3,800 | $3,800 | $3,800 |
| 10.Dia de los Muertos (Cultural) | $18,000 | $18,000 | $18,000 |
| 11.Dream Team After School Program (Educational) | N/A | $97,000 | $0 |
| 12.Exceptional Day (Educational) | N/A | $5,000 | $2,500 |
| 13.Festival 4.0 (Arts) | N/A | $16,000 | $8,000 |
| 14.Novacon (Arts) | N/A | $5,000 | $3,000 |
| 15.Oktoberfest (Cultural) | $44,000 | $44,000 | $44,000 |
| 16.Merchandise Tailored (Econ Dev) | N/A | $5,000 | $0 |
| 17.Brentwood Business EXPO & Job Fair (Econ Dev) | $14,000 | $14,000 | $14,000 |
| 18.Annual Father’s Day Tournament & Festival (Rec) | N/A | $25,000 | $6,000 |
| TOTAL | $139,500* | $383,714 | 154500 |
City Documents
- Staff Report – click here
- Grant Applications – click here
Previous
- June 20, 2024 – Brentwood on Ice Grant Funding Divides City Council
- June 1, 2023 – Brentwood Approves $177k in Economic Development Grants
