Federal funding opportunities available

The state Office of Federal Funds and Infrastructure is highlighting the following competitive federal funding opportunities open to municipalities, with applications due in November, December and January:

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program provides funds to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield sites through assessment grants. (Applications due Nov. 14.)

• The Inflation Reduction Act’s Community Change Grants Program benefits disadvantaged communities through collaborative projects between government entities and community-based organizations that will reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. (Applications due Nov. 21.)

• Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funds a range of projects that enable improvements to and transformation of recycling and materials management infrastructure. (Applications due Dec. 20.)

• The Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach grant program funds projects that aim to decrease food waste from households; expand markets for and sales of compost; or inform the public about new or existing residential food waste composting programs. (Applications due Dec. 20.)

• The EPA is soliciting applications for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Grant Program projects in disadvantaged communities that strive to either reduce child exposure to lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities or reduce lead exposure in a drinking water system through full lead service line replacements and treatment improvements. (Applications due Dec. 30.)

• The 2024 Clean School Bus program offers rebates to replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. (Applications due Jan. 9.)

In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation has released two new Notices of Funding Opportunities:

• Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation supports projects that improve the resilience of transportation infrastructure to withstand natural disasters and the impacts of climate change, such as flooding, sea level rise, and extreme weather. Improvements could include upgrading infrastructure, new construction, and using innovative technologies. Eligible projects must align with state and local climate adaptation plans and show a significant reduction in disaster-related disruptions. (Applications due Feb. 24.)

• The Regional Infrastructure Accelerator program is intended to establish regional infrastructure accelerators to assist entities in increasing their capacity to deliver Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act-eligible projects through innovative financing strategies. Eligible projects include preliminary engineering and design work; studies and analysis; assessment of opportunities for private financing, project bundling and/or phasing; and enhancement of rural project sponsors’ capacity to use the TIFIA credit program. (Applications due Jan. 9.)

Resources for municipalities
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office offer support to municipalities in pursuit of federal grants. At MassDOT, municipal officials are encouraged to contact Derek Krevat, manager of municipal grants engagement, at Derek.Krevat@state.ma.us.

The Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office posts grant announcements, leads a monthly Massachusetts Federal Funds Partnership virtual meeting, and is available for direct support at FedFundsInfra@mass.gov.

A federal funding law signed by Gov. Maura Healey in September leverages $25o million in interest generated annually by the state’s stabilization fund to capitalize a Commonwealth Federal Matching and Debt Reduction Fund. The law also authorizes up to $50 million to support municipal and regional project matching requirements in federal grant applications, and includes $12 million for technical assistance to help municipalities with grant tracking, grant writing and implementation.

The Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office has announced a statewide tour to meet with municipal officials to introduce the office and hear about the support municipalities need to pursue federal funding.

The tour will begin in Pittsfield on Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. at the Berkshire Innovation Center. Attendees will include Director of Rural Affairs Anne Gobi, Undersecretary of Environmental Justice and Equity María Belén Power, Deputy Climate Chief Jonathan Schrag, and representatives from MassDOT. Click here to register.