Overview
This page outlines the deadlines and deliverables for the FY2026-27 budget process.
Please note that if you have questions about the budget process, contact your Divisional Finance Leader or the Financial Planning & Analysis team at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu.
Complete Form A by Tuesday, March 24
Form A is only required for divisions with ladder-rank faculty. An email with the template and instructions was uploaded to your division folder on Tuesday, February 10. The purpose of Form A is to document the resource side (71xxx transfer) of the anticipated net change in permanently budgeted state-funded (19900) faculty for a division’s FY2025-26 Forecast and FY2026-27 Operating Budget.
Submission instructions
Upload your completed Form A in your Divisional Folders by Tuesday, March 24. Once you have uploaded your division’s completed Form A, please email the Financial Planning and Analysis team at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu to let them know you completed it.
Organizational Strategy and Strategic Priorities template due Friday, May 22
For the budget meetings, in addition to understanding the financial performance of your division, we will use this time to discuss your organizational strategy and key strategic priorities. To that end, we will ask you to complete the Organizational Strategy & Strategic Priorities template. In it, you are asked to describe your overall strategy, the key priorities you will pursue over the next one to three years, as well as your financial plan to achieve them. This template should also be used to describe any major financial challenges you face as a division.
Submission instructions
Complete the Strategic Priorities template by Friday, May 22, add it to the FY2026-27 Budget Narrative Templates subfolder within your Divisional Folder, and email the Financial Planning & Analysis team at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu to indicate it is complete.
Download the Organizational Strategy & Strategic Priorities template.
FY2026-27 Strategic Hiring Plan for Staff Positions by Friday, May 22
As mentioned in the budget call letter, compensation continues to grow at levels that are unsustainable in the long-term. Therefore, as part of the budget process, we are asking divisions to provide additional information on their planned staff hiring for next year (not including academic appointments). In the Strategic Hiring Plan for Staff Positions, you are asked to describe your planned “to be hired” positions for next year at an aggregate level, including how they support your strategic priorities and the sources of funding you will use to pay for them.
Submission instructions
Complete the Strategic Hiring Plan for Staff Positions Template by Friday, May 22, add it to the FY2026-27 Budget Narrative Templates subfolder within your Divisional Folder, and email the Financial Planning & Analysis team at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu to indicate it is complete.
Download the FY2026-27 Strategic Hiring Plan for Staff Positions Template.
FY2026-27 Request for Central Resources template due Friday, May 22
A $5M Critical Priorities Fund has been established to make resource allocations during the budget process. This template should be used to make requests from this funding pool. Due to the amount of the fund, only the most compelling needs will be considered.
Submission instructions
Complete the Central Resources Request template by Friday, May 22, and upload it to the FY2026-27 Budget Narrative Templates subfolder within your Divisional Folder, and email the Financial Planning & Analysis team at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu to indicate it is complete.
FY2026-27 Expense Growth Cap Exception Form & Compensation Cap Action Plan due Friday, May 22
If a division exceeds its assigned EGM growth target in its Cal Planning submission, it must complete and submit an Expense Growth Cap Exception Form. Exceptions will only be considered for the following reasons: (1) undue hardship or critical need; (2) increases in a specific revenue source that fund additional expenses without creating a deficit; or (3) spending supported by faculty gift funds.
Additionally, any division projecting compensation growth above 4% must complete a Compensation Cap Action Plan outlining potential steps to meet the 4% limit. Divisions should not implement any of these actions until after leadership review and discussion.
We have updated the EGM Exception Request Form (now called Expense Growth Cap Exception Form & Compensation Cap Action Plan) to reflect this change. The form now also includes a section for you to identify potential actions you would need to take in order to remain within the 4% compensation cap.
Submission instructions
Complete the exception request form by Friday, May 22, and upload it to the FY2026-27 Budget Narrative Templates subfolder within your Divisional Folder, and email the Financial Planning & Analysis team at dfl_concierge@berkeley.edu to indicate it is complete.
Download the Expense Growth Cap Exception Form & Compensation Cap Action Plan Form.
Budgets and budget template due in CalPlan by Friday, May 22
The completed FY26 Forecast and the FY2027-2029 multi-year budget template are due in CalPlan on Friday, May 22. This is a high-level summary of the division’s budget plan. It includes actual results for FY2023-24 and FY2024-25 and projections from FY2025-26 through FY2027-29.
Organized as an SRECNA (Statement of Revenue, Expenses, and Changes in Net Assets), this template will serve as the primary means by which the overall financial performance of your division will be examined in relation to your strategies to fund critical priorities and manage other impacts to your budget.
The CalPlanning planning tools (CalPlan, HCP, and multi-year budget template) will close after the deadline so that the Financial Planning & Analysis team can review the budget submissions. The CalPlanning reporting tools (CalRptg, HCPRptg, Smart View) will remain available, with the FY2025-26 Forecast and FY2026-27 Operating Budget Planner Submission available for reporting.
Reserves template due in CalPlan by Friday, May 22
Complete the "Use of Reserves" template. Itemize your planned use of reserves for FY2026-27, FY2027-28, and FY2028-29. The Use of Reserves Template should be used to share what capital projects (non-centrally funded) and other strategic purposes you plan on using reserves for. This template is part of the multi-year budget template in CalPlan and should be submitted in CalPlan.