Community groups seeking sponsorships from the Port of Long Beach will now be able to submit requests during two application periods each year, port officials announced Wednesday.

The decision was approved during a meeting with the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday.

Officials voted to update the Harbor Department’s sponsorship policy in order to bring greater transparency and accessibility to the program, a press release stated.

Previously, the department was accepting applications on a rolling basis, POLB spokesman Michael Gold said.

“As we inform and educate the community about the Port, the City’s greatest economic engine, we have a responsibility to do that in a way that is transparent and consistent,” said Harbor Commission President Lori Ann Guzmán. “This is an opportunity to better partner with many great organizations in Long Beach that serve communities surrounding the Port.”

When providing funds to local groups for community functions and events, the Harbor Department also helps inform residents about the POLB, the release stated.

With the new policy, the department will also be able to put greater focus on funding the groups that make Long Beach a better place to live and work, the release went on to say.

The first call for applications will be September 1 through October 2, 2015. The next call will be in March 2016.

The new sponsorship schedule will allow potential recipients a clear process to follow and help in their planning, as well as help port officials evaluate where its funding will have the most impact, according to the release.

For more information on the Port’s sponsorship program click here.

Above, left photo courtesy of Port of Long Beach. 

This story was updated on Wednesday, August 26, at 12:05PM with a statement from POLB spokesman Michael Gold.