The state of California awarded a $9.5 million grant to a group of regional organizations aiming to help the Central Coast become a leader in the space industry. The group plans to use the grant for Space Vandenberg, a program that will fund innovation, education, and infrastructure to improve economic growth.
One of the key players in securing the grant was the Regional Economic Action Coalition (REACH). The organization is focused on improving economic opportunities for people in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
To build up the space economy on the Central Coast, REACH is working with colleges, cities, the two counties, Vandenberg Space Force Base, and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development. Together, they plan to coordinate three main programs under Space Vandenberg.
“I think it really puts the Central Coast in a position to be a leader in this global industry and to really turn the global space economy into something that can benefit the people who live and work here, the kids who grow up here,” Sally Buffalo Taylor, REACH’s senior communications director, told the Sun.
To expand aerospace education, Allan Hancock College will offer credential programs, and the Santa Barbara County Education Office will provide more STEM lessons for younger students. The grant will also fund start-up mentorship programs at Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara.
The last piece is to plan infrastructure upgrades at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Buffalo Taylor said, that are set to be funded by the federal government in efforts to increase launch capacity.
She said REACH estimates that these programs can help bring hundreds of newly skilled workers and thousands of high-paying jobs to the Central Coast.
“It definitely felt like a big win that we’ve been working toward and planning for and envisioning,” Buffalo Taylor said of the grant.
The $9.5 million comes from the state’s California Jobs First initiative, which recently distributed $80 million to 11 projects. The projects will support more than 23,000 jobs, according to the state.
It’s a two-year grant period for REACH, but Buffalo Taylor hopes the programs will last years into the future for the Central Coast.
“Space isn’t something far away,” Buffalo Taylor said. “It’s something that people here are powering on a day-to-day basis and that’s something our kids can make a career out of.”
This article appears in Sep 18 – Sep 25, 2025.