Given the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which was signed into law in November 2021, and the over $1 trillion investment to be made across all segments of the U.S. infrastructure, it is critical that everyone interested in capturing those funds — states, U.S. territories, counties and municipalities, and commercial entities — immediately engage in pre-planning to best set themselves up for success. Understanding the various sections of the Act and completing a critical analysis of the opportunities that are available are essential first steps in the process.
In recent weeks, agencies have begun releasing information related to the IIJA, including Notice of Funding Opportunity announcements (NOFOs or NOFAs depending on the agency). More will be forthcoming in the coming months, but there is no doubt that race to cash in on this once in a lifetime opportunity have begun. The team at R36 Solutions has dissected the IIJA, we understand where the opportunities lie and are prepared to assist our clients in developing projects that will best position them to bring home these federal funds.
Aligning Your Project with the IIJA
The IIJA is a complex piece of legislation. It targets diverse segments of the U.S. population, state and local governments, Native American tribes, and regulated as well as unregulated businesses entities. This complexity requires those seeking funding to align their project goals and objectives to those stipulated in the IIJA and those of the Agencies in charge of managing the programs. The types of programs to be funded by the IIJA range from clean energy, electric vehicle charging, grid modernization, wildfire resilience, broadband, upgraded transportation infrastructure and more. If you are in the infrastructure game, there is probably something for you in this legislation.
The R36 Solutions’ unique mapping methodology breaks down the IIJA and allows our team to use the tool to analyze our client’s potential project and help to shape and scope it so that it aligns with the goals and objectives of the Act. This critical first step will get you started on a path to applying for a federal grant.
The R36 Solutions’ unique mapping methodology breaks down the IIJA and allows our team to use the tool to analyze our client’s potential project and help to shape and scope it so that it aligns with the goals and objectives of the Act.
The pool of potential applicants for this funding is vast. It is likely that you have a project or strategy that aligns with the programs and projects outlined in the Act. R36 Solutions’ deep familiarity with the legislation can help you match your plans and strategies to the most favorable IIJA funding opportunities. Even if it is not immediately obvious, an assessment by our team will likely reveal new possibilities and lines of business. For this reason, it is important to stay open minded to all potential projects.
As agencies release their NOFO’s beginning in mid-May 2022, there will be additional details and requirements that fine tune the goals outlined for the various IIJA programs. So, while these new requirements will provide additional clarity, the focus of the programs and the direction provided by Congress is sufficient to assess your project and determine if fits within the construct of the legislation.
How R36 Solutions Can Help
R36 Solutions recognized the value in building a team that is knowledgeable across many disciplines, to ensure that our clients seeking IIJA funding are positioned for the greatest potential for success.
R36 Solutions has assembled an experienced group of industry, government and technology veterans experienced in federal grantmaking and program implementation to assist and provide support for our clients as they seek Federal funding. We understand how critical this first step in the journey is to our clients. Therefore, we stand ready to provide the end-to-end expertise needed to support our client’s successful development, delivery, and management of its IIJA proposals.
Teaming with our clients, we ensure all submission package requirements are complete and compliant, provide end-to-end award proposal management, and make certain that the project budget is mapped and correlated to the client’s goals and objectives. Our unique approach of combing our IIJA mapping methodology with a holistic proposal development process enables our client to get “ahead of the curve.” However, the clock is ticking and the time to get started is NOW.
Get Started Early
Prior to the NOFO release by the various agencies, potential applicants should begin to craft and assemble elements of their IIJA submission packages. During this phase, our clients can count on R36 Solutions to provide assistance and support in pulling together core information and content, as well as drafting initial project content, based on the IIJA legislation. This draft content will ultimately become the foundation for any final proposal submitted once the NOFO is released by the agency. Leveraging this foundational content can pave the way for an expedited process a final application package that is ready for submission.
Among R36 Solutions principals, are former senior officials from the Department of Energy, Department of Commerce’s NTIA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the California Public Utilities Commission. In addition, the R36 team has a deep bench of experts in federal grant package submission, including technical writers, compliance experts and technical researchers in the infrastructure areas (e.g., telecommunications, spectrum, broadband, energy, grid modernization, climate change, transportation, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles). R36 Solutions brings its decades of experience to bear, leveraging our knowledge of previous federal grant programs including the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the SmartGrid Program.
Our best advice to our clients seeking IIJA funding is the following:
- Start Now! Define Your Project
- Align Your Goals with the Goals of the IIJA
- Identify IIJA Programs You Want to Pursue
- Begin to Develop Core Proposal Content
This is how we advise our clients to be in the best position to vie for a federal grant and be ahead of the curve.
