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Home - Clean Mobility Options

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Category
Nonprofit
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clean mobility options
clean mobility projects
community transportation needs assessments
vouchers
under-resourced communities
zero-emission transportation
mobility obstacles
funding
technical support
bikesharing
ride-on-demand services
community-driven solutions
innovative transit
ride-on-demand services
traditional fixed route transit services
bikesharing
scooter-sharing
carpooling
vanpooling
electric vehicle carsharing
eligible applicants
eligible communities
disadvantaged community
low-income community
tribal land
tribal property
California Climate Investments Priority Populations
voucher awardees
equitable mobility access
Eligibility
Disadvantaged Community, AB 1550-designated low-income community, California Native American Tribal Government
Auto Summary
Clean Mobility Options is a statewide public program in California that supports under-resourced communities by providing vouchers for community needs assessments and clean, shared, zero-emission transportation projects. The program offers funding and technical support for clean mobility projects and community transportation needs assessments. It awards up to $1.5 million vouchers for mobility projects and up to $100,000 vouchers for needs assessments. Eligible applicants include government entities, nonprofit organizations, and California Native American Tribal Governments. The program focuses on eligible communities that are disadvantaged, low-income, or within tribal land or property. The program has awarded millions of dollars to launch clean mobility projects and perform needs assessments.
Value
The maximum grant, incentive, rebate, etc. listed is $1.5 million.
Espanol
Inicio - Opciones de Movilidad Sostenible
URL
https://cleanmobilityoptions.org/
⚠️ Funding-cycle gated (as of 2026-05-17). The Needs Assessment Voucher track is fully subscribed and not accepting applications. The Mobility Project Voucher track opens in announced rounds — CMO posts each window at least 3 months in advance on cleanmobilityoptions.org/application. The current rules are set by the Implementation Manual effective 2025-02-10. Source: CARB CMO program page.

Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Voucher Pilot Program

Who this is for: California nonprofits, tribal governments, and government entities (cities, school districts, transit agencies) that want to launch zero-emission shared-mobility services — bikeshare, EV carshare, on-demand shuttles, vanpools — in disadvantaged or low-income communities.
Who this is NOT for: Individuals, for-profit operators applying alone, or projects outside AB 1550 / SB 535 priority-population areas.
Run by CALSTART under contract with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), funded through California Climate Investments (cap-and-trade proceeds).

What you can get

  • Mobility Project Voucher — up to $1.5 million to plan, launch, and operate a zero-emission shared-mobility service for ~3 years. Total pot: $33M, with set-asides of $3M (tribal), $7.5M (prior needs-assessment awardees), and $10M (current project awardees).
  • Needs Assessment Voucher — up to $100,000 to study a community's transportation gaps and design a project. Total pot: $1M, with $200K set aside for tribal applicants. Currently fully subscribed — no new applications.
Vouchers are non-competitive within a round: if your application is complete and eligible, you get funded until the pot is empty.

What counts as a "clean mobility project"

  • Electric vehicle carsharing
  • Bikesharing and scooter-sharing (e-bikes count)
  • On-demand shuttles / micro-transit (Uber/Lyft-style but community-operated)
  • Zero-emission vanpools and carpools
  • Zero-emission fixed-route services (e.g., school or shuttle buses)
Diesel, gas, or hybrid vehicles are not eligible.

Eligibility checklist

Lead applicant must be one of:
  • Government entity (city, county, school district, transit agency, JPA)
  • 501(c)-qualifying nonprofit also recognized under California state law
  • Federally or non-federally recognized California Native American Tribal Government
Project must serve a community that is at least one of:
  • A CalEnviroScreen-designated Disadvantaged Community (SB 535)
  • An AB 1550-designated low-income community
  • Federal or non-federal tribal land/property inside one of the above
Check a specific address on the Priority Populations 4.0 map.

What to actually do

  1. Confirm location eligibility on the Priority Populations map before doing any other work.
  1. Read the Implementation Manual (Feb 10, 2025 version) — this is the binding ruleset, not the marketing pages.
  1. Subscribe to the CMO newsletter so you hear about the next Mobility Project Voucher round at least 3 months out. The application window is the gating constraint, not your readiness.
  1. Skip the Needs Assessment track for now — it's closed. If you need community-engagement funding, look at successor or sister CARB programs.
  1. Get partners lined up before the next round opens: a mobility operator, a community-based organization, and (for projects on tribal land) a tribal council resolution.
  1. For application help: CMO Help page — they run office hours and technical assistance for under-resourced applicants.

What to skip

  • The marketing imagery and "click here" CTAs on the CMO homepage don't lead to an open application — the application portal is gated by round.
  • Don't build a project plan around the Needs Assessment voucher until CMO publicly reopens it.
  • Don't assume the $1.5M cap applies to your project — most awards are smaller; budget realistically against the implementation manual's eligible-cost categories.

Awardees

CMO has funded dozens of projects statewide. Browse past awards at cleanmobilityoptions.org/awardees — useful as templates for what kinds of projects clear the bar.

Source

  • Implementation Manual effective 2025-02-10, current as of audit date 2026-05-17.