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.
News – MSP Cities
Brooklyn Park: The City has released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for business finance professionals to provide consulting services to organizations that will be funded under the city’s ARPA and Brooklyn Park Economic Development Authority Community Partnership Program (CPP). Due: March 7, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.
Eden Prairie: The city is using its ARPA money for revenue loss.
Edina:
The city has scheduled three meetings in April to gather input and ideas from the community on how to use the second half of the city's ARPA dollars. Please RSVP here for the following sessions:
Tuesday, April 26th - Noon (virtual)
Wednesday, April 27th - 4:30 p.m. (In person at Hughes Pavilion, Centennial Lakes)
Thursday, April 28th – 7 p.m. (virtual)
The city gave the 50th & France Business & Professional Association $100,000 in ARPA funding.
News – MSP Counties
Hennepin County:
A virtual info session to discuss Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and ARPA funded work is on Thursday, March 10th at 9 a.m.
Connecting Hennepin uses ARPA funds to address three critical areas of the digital divide: (1) devices, (2) connectivity and internet access, and (3) supports, like digital literacy education.
Scott County: Work on the American Rescue Program Act (ARPA) projects continues. (See page 2, under “Spring Brings new opportunities, projects”)
News - Minnesota
Governor's Council on Economic Expansion: The Council met on February 28th to understand other approaches and frameworks for 10-year economic planning in Minnesota. The next meeting will be March 14th.
News – National
The White House: The administration wants to steer more federal funding money to areas most in need and has released a draft of places that should get more help.
Broadband: President Biden's transformative push to expand internet service by treating broadband more like a public utility is on a collision course with laws in 17 states, including Minnesota.
Department of Commerce: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded nearly $54 millon in grants for 13 high-impact projects for research, development, and testbeds for pandemic response. The funding, which was provided by ARPA, will support projects at eight manufacturing innovation institutes in the Manufacturing USA® network including BioMADE in St. Paul.
Equity: Takoma Park, Maryland created a spending plan for ARPA to ensure the equitable distribution of ARPA funds.
Upcoming Webinars
The White House Webinars: A series of webinars over the coming weeks will help local leaders and others get familiar with funding opportunities in the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure law.
Safety: Tuesday, March 8th at 3 p.m. - Register Here
Clean Energy and Power: Thursday, March 10th at 3 p.m. - Register Here
Water: Tuesday, March 15th at 3 p.m. - Register Here
Resilience: Thursday, March 17th at 3 p.m. - Register Here
Environmental Remediation: Tuesday, March 22nd at 3 p.m. - Register Here
Broadband: Thursday, March 24th at 3 p.m. - Register Here
Resources
Compliance: On February 28, 2022, Treasury released updated Compliance and Reporting Guidance for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Final Rule Video: The League of Minnesota Cities shares American Rescue Plan Act Final Rule Highlights.
Case Studies: A new e-book, Charting An Equitable Future collects actionable tools, case studies, and reports from the 28 cities that took part in What Works Cities’ City Budgeting for Equity & Recovery program.
Big List: ICMA has curated a list of resources to help local governments understand and make use of American Rescue Plan support.
Cohort Opportunity: A free 6-week cohort will provide an understanding of what constitutes a livable community for people of all ages, highlight specific factors of livability and their positive impact on economic development and growth, and provide an overview of the federal funding opportunities available through ARPA.
Recordings from Past Webinars
Livable Communities: ELGL’s Unpacking Federal Funding Opportunities to Create More Livable Communities.
Behavioral Health: NACO’s Investing ARPA Funds in Behavioral Health Crisis Response.
EDA News
Apply ASAP: While the deadline for the Economic Adjustment Assistance and Indigenous Communities is March 31, 2022, EDA strongly recommends applicants to submit proposals as soon as possible.
Please reach out with questions and ideas about federal funding in our region. Also let me know if you have any news or resources you’d like us to share.
Allison