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Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey will oversee a new Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership for Municipalities and Tribes to assist with efforts to apply for and win federal funding.
At a Statewide Municipal Partnerships Conference in Worcester on Oct. 10, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announced that the administration is launching a Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership for Municipalities and Tribes to assist with efforts to apply for and win federal funding.
The partnership will convene monthly and is open to elected leaders and staff from all 357 cities, towns and federally recognized Native American tribes in Massachusetts. The partnership will provide targeted updates on relevant federal funding opportunities and resources for technical assistance and state matching funds.
The administration has also launched a Federal Funds Information for Local Governments portal, which includes a listing of upcoming municipal-eligible grants and will include recordings of the monthly meetings.
In a statement, Gov. Maura Healey said the partnership reflects the administration’s commitment “to aggressively compete for federal dollars to support crucial projects that support economic development in Massachusetts communities.” She said the new partnership will help cities, towns and tribes “identify opportunities that they may be eligible for and provide them with the support they need to win.”
As a former mayor, Driscoll said she knows “how hard it can be to navigate the process for available funds.” The partnership will open lines of communication between the state, federal offices and municipalities.
“We want to make it easy for everyone to get the information they need and access the resources available to them so they can bring home federal dollars to their communities,” Driscoll said.
The partnership will be overseen by the Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey, who is charged with implementing an interagency strategy to maximize the federal dollars coming to Massachusetts.
“Enabling local governments to secure federal funding for their communities is a critical part of our strategy to compete for every federal dollar available to Massachusetts,” Palfrey said, noting the “historic investments” made available in the past two years for infrastructure, climate resiliency, workforce development, and more.
The MMA and the state’s regional planning agencies will be part of the new partnership’s effort to ensure that municipalities and tribes know about recently announced grant programs and are connected with the many resources that the RPAs, the MMA and state agencies have to support their federal funding applications.
“We look forward to working with the administration and this new partnership to help our member communities effectively access the once-in-a-generation federal funding available for infrastructure, climate resilience and other timely needs,” said MMA Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine. “Technical assistance would be particularly beneficial to many municipalities that have limited staff and lack experience with the complicated federal process.”
Driscoll will kick off the first monthly partnership meeting on Oct. 25, to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. According to the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office, municipal and tribal leaders will be able to explore federal funding opportunities, foster collaboration with state agencies, gauge barriers to applying for federal funds, and chart a path forward to enhance funding resources and support.
The office encourages municipal officials to share the invitation with colleagues, fellow leaders, and partners. Advanced registration is required.
Online registration is available for the Oct. 25 meeting as well as meetings on Nov. 28, Dec. 19, and Jan. 23, 2024.
• Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership for Local Governments flyer/QR code (50K PDF)