Quick look: OCDE will open the second round of its Innovation Funding Initiative on Oct. 7, offering eligible Orange County school districts serving grades TK-12 up to $525,000 for three-year projects designed to address unmet needs and improve student outcomes.
The Orange County Department of Education is getting ready to open a second round of funding for school districts with promising ideas aimed at strengthening learning, engagement and student success.
Beginning Oct. 7, eligible Orange County school districts serving grades TK-12 will be able to apply for the next cohort of OCDE’s Innovation Funding Initiative, which provides up to $525,000 per project over three years.
The initiative was created as part of County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean’s 5-3-1 Strategic Plan to help districts develop, test and expand innovative approaches that address unmet educational needs and have the potential to be sustained, scaled or adapted elsewhere.
Supporting innovation is one of the plan’s five key initiatives, reflecting OCDE’s commitment to new strategies — or novel applications of existing ones — that can improve efficiency or student outcomes.
“This initiative is really about creating space for good ideas to grow,” Bean said. “Our districts know their students and communities best, and they are constantly finding new ways to meet changing needs. We want to help them take promising ideas further, learn from the results and share what works.”
Building on the first cohort
At its core, the Innovation Funding Initiative is designed to help districts turn promising ideas into practical solutions for students. Beyond financial support, participating districts receive coaching, technical assistance and research and evaluation support to strengthen implementation, measure impact and learn what works.
OCDE will also examine whether successful approaches can be sustained, scaled or replicated in other settings.
Six districts were selected in the first round and announced as awardees in March. Winning applications came from the Orange and Saddleback Valley unified school districts, the Fountain Valley and Fullerton school districts, and the Anaheim Union and Huntington Beach union high school districts.
Their projects span a wide range of needs and approaches, including collaborative math learning labs, student-built tiny homes for families experiencing homelessness, expanded International Baccalaureate and career pathways, new models for teacher development and strategies to strengthen student engagement and school climate.
Interest in the inaugural round was strong, officials said, with OCDE receiving 29 applications representing 22 Orange County school districts.
Who can apply for funding
For round two, OCDE will select six more Orange County school districts serving students in grades TK-12. Eligible districts may submit up to two applications.
Districts that received funding as part of the first cohort are not eligible to apply this time around. Charter schools, districts outside Orange County, private schools, colleges and universities, nonprofit or community-based organizations and non-educational agencies are also not eligible for this round.
Application materials will be released on Oct. 7. An optional intent-to-apply form is due Oct. 30, followed by a Dec. 4 application deadline. Award recipients are expected to be announced in early February 2027, with funded projects running from July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2030.
Districts considering an application are encouraged to sign up for Innovation Funding updates and visit ocde.us/InnovationFunding for application materials, eligibility details and additional information.
Along with funding, selected districts will take part in an Innovation Learning Community and annual Innovation Summit, giving educators opportunities to share lessons, promising practices and early findings with colleagues across Orange County.
Check back here on the OCDE Newsroom for additional updates ahead of the Oct. 7 launch.
Innovation Funding Initiative timeline
- Applications released: Oct. 7, 2026
- Optional intent to apply: Oct. 30, 2026
- Applications due: Dec. 4, 2026
- Awards announced: Early February 2027