Local Infrastructure Hub Launches New Bootcamp Trainings To Help Municipalities Access Federal Infrastructure Funding

The pro-bono bootcamps are available for localities with 150,000 residents or
less to apply

The new series focuses on transportation, roadways, electric vehicle infrastructure, climate resilience, and clean water improvements

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (January 8, 2023) – The Local Infrastructure Hub and the National League of Cities today announced registration is open for a new series of bootcamps to help local leaders develop grant applications for federal funding opportunities through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act that are grounded in data, feature detailed project plans, and include relevant policy objectives. The pro-bono bootcamps delivered by technical experts have already supported nearly 700 municipalities across the U.S. and are available for municipalities with 150,000 residents or less to apply. This next series will focus on six grant opportunities that address vital transportation, roadways, electric vehicle infrastructure, climate resilience, and clean water improvements.  

“We are starting to see the hard work of small and mid-sized cities, towns, and villages pay off,” said Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities (NLC). “Several of these city leaders who leveraged the Local Infrastructure Hub’s bootcamps have secured the federal funding they set out to unlock.”

“The Local Infrastructure Hub was established to ensure that every municipality could effectively compete for their fair share of federal infrastructure funds, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to better their communities,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The great news is that the program is working: already, small towns accessing this pro-bono technical assistance are winning millions of dollars to fund safer streets and putting forward competitive applications to address pressing needs in transportation, EV charging stations, climate, flood mitigation, rails, broadband, and more—positioning themselves and their residents for the jobs and opportunity of tomorrow.”

Beginning February 5, 2024, the following bootcamps will educate participants on:

• Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant Program: PROTECT provides grant funding for cities to advance climate resilience projects for surface transportation systems, highways, public transportation, ports, and intercity passenger rail. Funding will also minimize damage and disruptions to the transportation system, enhance public safety, and promote climate and racial equity by addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities that are particularly impacted by hazards.  
• Climate Pollution Reduction Program: Implementation Grants (CPRG): CPRG awards funding to cities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions contributing to climate change. Phase 1-awarded states and eligible metro areas will design Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) that incorporate GHG emissions measures in six key sectors—electricity generation, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture/natural and working lands, and waste management. Cities are eligible to apply for funding to implement projects included in each PCAP in Phase 2.
• Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A): SS4A grants provide funding to prevent roadway fatalities, serious injuries, and address the disproportionate distribution of roadway safety measures in rural and marginalized communities. SS4A includes two grant types: Planning and Demonstration Grants and Implementation Grants. Each applicant selected for funding must demonstrate efforts to consider the climate change and environmental justice impacts of their project.
• support the development of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging or alternative fueling infrastructure, assistance for operating costs, and the implementation of traffic control devices. CFI projects must address environmental justice.
• Clean Energy Tax Credits (Inflation Reduction Act – Elective Pay): The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes a provision that provides non-taxable entities investing in clean energy with a direct payment option instead of tax credits. Local leaders can utilize direct pay as an option for developing clean energy project. Projects may include clean energy generation, battery storage, community solar projects, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and/or purchasing clean vehicles for fleets.
• Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF): The CWSRF program offers low-interest loans to support water quality infrastructure projects. There are 11 categories of eligible projects, including the construction, repair, and replacement of publicly owned treatment works that enhance energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling, and stormwater management. Forty-nine percent of general supplemental funding must go towards disadvantaged communities to address affordability challenges.

To learn more about the offerings of each course, please visit localinfrastructure.org. To register, municipal officials can submit an interest form online here starting today through February 2. Space is limited in the program, and preference will be given to early enrollees.

About the Local Infrastructure Hub:

This technical assistance for small and mid-sized towns and cities announced today is part of the Local Infrastructure Hub initiative. Led and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Ballmer Group, Emerson Collective, Ford Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation, the first-of-its-kind Local Infrastructure Hub is a national program to ensure that all cities and towns can access federal infrastructure funding to drive local recovery, improve communities, and deliver results for residents.

The Local Infrastructure Hub is delivered in collaboration with the National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Results for America, and Delivery Associates. The National League of Cities will offer technical assistance to help small towns and mid-sized cities develop strong applications that are grounded in data, feature detailed project plans, and include relevant policy objectives. The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Results for America are leading webinars to help cities identify the grant opportunities that align with community needs, get guidance about application criteria and timeframes, and learn about infrastructure innovations and emerging best practices.

U.S. cities and towns of all sizes can access the Local Infrastructure Hub here.