Welcome to the Friday Update from the Federal Funding Hub!
This message shares news and resources so that our region can make the most of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and other federal funding.
Would your city want to participate in a IIJA Grant Application Bootcamp? Details below.
News from MSP Cities and Counties
Anoka County: Anoka County has gone for bids for construction of a new emergency communications center and radio shop building in Andover. The county is planning to use $20 million from its allocation of American Rescue Plan Act dollars to pay for the project, plus money from the county’s asset preservation fund and/or bonding.
Hennepin County: Hennepin County is expected to take a big step Tuesday in helping Minneapolis commercial corridors damaged by the riots following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd. The County Board will vote to use $10 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to make investments in 18 redevelopment projects, business accelerators and nonprofits.
Minnesota News
DEED: The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced funding for five businesses through the Minnesota Job Creation Fund and The Minnesota Investment Fund. These projects are expected to leverage more than $30 million and create 321 jobs over the next three years.
National News
ARPA Funds: State and local governments are planning to devote nearly $600 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to workforce initiatives, in addition to other federal grants.
Jail Diversion: Counties use ARPA funds for jail diversion efforts such as deploying CIT-trained officers, enhancing access to behavioral health programs and offering post-arrest or post-conviction programming to improve outcomes
Community Safety: The American Rescue Plan has helped state and local governments invest in community safety. With the support of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, state governments are expanding their public safety strategies to invest in proven crime reduction strategies that go beyond traditional law enforcement efforts to support communities at risk of violence.
Inflation Reduction Act: Coverage by…
IIJA News
Electric and Hydrogen Buses:
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration announced $1.66 billion in grants to transit agencies, territories, and states across the country to invest in 150 bus fleets and facilities. Funded by the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more than 1,100 of those vehicles will use zero-emissions technology, which reduces air pollution and helps meet the President's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
The number of electric buses and other zero-emission vehicles used by transit agencies will nearly double, the Biden administration said, as the Federal Transit Administration announced Tuesday that 150 agencies will get federal grants to help them move away from fossil fuels. The $1.6 billion in grants unveiled Tuesday were authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Broadband: The IIJA will provide $2 billion for rural broadband programs. This program will fund the deployment of high-speed internet in areas where households have, historically, had lower access to broadband compared with households in more urban areas.
Passenger Rail: The Transportation Department also says it plans to open the grant-making process this fall for $7.2 billion in passenger rail funding available under the infrastructure law. Eleven intercity passenger rail projects in eight states will share in roughly $233 million in grants that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded on Thursday—and a bigger round of funding is on the way.
Upcoming Webinars
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT): Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP) – Capital Construction Grant webinar. The webinar is on Monday, August 22nd at 1:00 pm. Register here.
Navigate Federal Funding Opportunities for Your Infrastructure Projects: Free webinar hosted by Government Technology and Cartegraph. Industry experts will provide actionable advice to help you make the most of the IIJA, including how to secure competitive funds for infrastructure projects. Webinar is Tuesday, August 23rd at 1 PM. Register here.
Taking Advantage of Federal Funds: Local Energy Efficiency Policies and Programs to Consider: This hour-long webinar on September 20th at 1 pm, organized jointly by the Sustainable States Network (SSN) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) will showcase leading energy efficiency programs from across the country that communities can learn from and replicate as they prepare to leverage new federal funding opportunities. Register here.
ACEEE’s Self-Scoring Tool: Results from the Community Energy Challenge: This ACEEE/SSN webinar on September 29th at 12 pm will show communities how to use ACEEE’s latest self-scoring tool to measure their community's energy efficiency and clean energy progress, and highlight results from the most recent cohort of SSN’s Community Energy Challenge. Register here.
Resources
IIJA Bootcamp: The Local Infrastructure Hub recently opened registration for small and mid-sized U.S. cities to participate in a new technical assistance program to help them access federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Learn more about these boot camps and register here.
The White House: The White House created a guide for different funding opportunities that you can apply for broken down by category.
NLC: Read a Local Leader’s Guide to Talking About the American Rescue Plan Act.
IIJA Guide: Read the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Guide to view detailed information about individual programs funded by the IIJA–both new and previously existing–is included within.
Upcoming Funding Deadlines
Clean School Bus Program due August 19th
Safe Streets for All Program due September 15 by 4:00 PM CT
Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program due September 30th by 10:59 p.m. CT
All Stations Accessibility Program due September 30th
Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program due by 4:00 PM CT on October 4th, 2022
Reconnecting Communities due 10:59 PM CT on Thursday, October 13th
Have a great weekend, all! Allison