New Year’s Resolution: Find Funding

Looking to kickstart some of those lingering projects on your to-do list?  Many funding programs are currently accepting applications at both the federal and state levels for a wide variety of project types.   

Shared Streets and Spaces
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has opened the fourth round of grants for the Shared Streets and Spaces Program which provides funding to municipalities and public transit authorities to quickly implement improvements to public spaces in support of public health, safe mobility, and strengthened commerce. While multiple project types are eligible for funding, this round will place a particular emphasis on funding for the management of vehicular speeds through design interventions.

Water Infrastructure
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced water infrastructure funding available to states, tribes, and territories in 2022 through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The funding, provided through the EPA’s State Revolving Fund programs, will create jobs while upgrading aging water infrastructure and addressing key challenges including lead in drinking water and PFAS contamination.

Transportation
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has allocated billions toward highways, bridges, and public transit improvements. The new PROTECT Program would allocate $1.4 billion in competitive grants (in addition to formula funding) to eligible entities to increase the resilience of our nation’s transportation system and protect against natural disasters and other extreme weather events.

In Rhode Island, the Municipal Road and Bridge Revolving Fund is a financing program that provides long-term financing to municipalities for transportation infrastructure projects such as capital improvements to roads and bridges and associated infrastructure such as sidewalks.  

Culverts
The Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, is accepting proposals from Massachusetts municipalities that are interested in replacing undersized, perched, and/or degraded culverts located in areas of high ecological value. Individual awards have ranged from $25,000 to $400,000, depending on project phases and work proposed. Awards over $200,000 are anticipated for construction projects only. Only projects that intend to meet the goals of the Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards will be considered for funding.

Resilience
The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is requesting grant proposals from municipal governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in partnership with municipalities, and councils of governments (COGs) for initiatives that advance the implementation of stormwater authorities and development of a resilience “project pipeline.”

Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness
The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant program provides support for Massachusetts municipalities to identify climate hazards, assess vulnerabilities, and develop action plans to improve resilience to climate change. Communities that complete the MVP Planning Grant process become designated as an MVP Community and are eligible for MVP Action Grant funding to implement the priority actions identified through the planning process.

Trails
In Massachusetts, MassTrails provides grants to support recreational trail and shared use pathway projects. Grant amounts are dependent on the project and its needs, but typically range from $5,000 for “local” projects and up to $300,000 for projects demonstrating critical network connections of regional significance. Eligible grant activities include project development, design, engineering, permitting, construction, and maintenance of recreational trails, shared use pathways, and the amenities that support trails.

Bridges
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently launched the historic Bridge Replacement, Rehabilitation, Preservation, Protection, and Construction Program. The program, to be administered by the Federal Highway Administration, represents the single largest dedicated bridge investment since the construction of the interstate highway system – provides $26.5 billion to states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico over five years and $825 million for Tribal transportation facilities. The goal is to modernize bridges to withstand the effects of climate change and to make them safer for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Click here to see the Bridge Formula Program funding to states for Fiscal Year 2022 in addition to the program guidance.

Additionally, Massachusetts is relaunching the Municipal Small Bridge Program and accepting applications starting on February 1, 2022. The program assists cities and towns with the replacement or preservation of bridges with spans between 10′ and 20′, which are not eligible for federal aid.

Hazard Mitigation Planning
FEMA offers several funding options for eligible mitigation measures but are not intended to fund repair, replacement, or deferred maintenance activities.

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) is a non-disaster program which is available every year. One element of the BRIC program includes mitigation planning activities. These activities should result in a FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan or contribute new information to an existing hazard mitigation plan.

The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program is a competitive grant program that provides funding to states, local communities, federally recognized tribes, and territories that can be used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

Unlike FMA or BRIC, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) is the only post-disaster mitigation program. Following a disaster declaration, states are allotted a percentage of total disaster costs to invest in mitigation projects to reduce risks. This program encourages communities to rebuild in a way that reduces or mitigates future disaster losses.

Have a project in mind? Let us know, and we can determine if there is a funding opportunity available to support and launch your initiative. For more information, contact Christine King at CKing@BETA-Inc.com.