Welcome to the Federal Resources Collaboration Lab
June 3, 2022
The Ohio Mayors Alliance has created this page as part of its new initiative, the Federal Resources Collaboration Lab, which will help leverage state and federal resources for Ohio’s cities. This initiative also includes the formation of a working group of mayors to collaborate on how to best utilize state and federal funds and a customized grants navigator for OMA member-cities.
The Collaboration Lab has convened a group of mayors and city administration officials to meet regularly and share their ideas and plans for federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds and competitive grants, and other state and federal grant programs. This group will work together to share knowledge and resources to identify economies of scale in maximizing their ARPA and IIJA dollars.
OMA mayors will also be able to use a customized Grants Navigator to get help identifying projects and plans that may qualify for the influx of federal and state grants arising out of the federal government’s historic investments in COVID-19 recovery, local governments, and public infrastructure. This work will be focused on ensuring that Ohio’s cities don’t miss out on crucial infrastructure funds as new grant programs roll out.
Ohio Mayors Alliance cities have received half of the over $1.5 billion in ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds they have been allocated by the 2021 law, and will receive the second half this summer. OMA highlighted how cities have allocated funds in the January 2022 report, “How the American Rescue Plan is Supporting Economic Recovery in Ohio Cities.”
The federal government has already begun posting funding opportunities for both new and expanded grants over multiple federal agencies as part of the IIJA–the bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress late last year–and will continue to distribute funds to both state and local governments over the next several years. It is crucial that Ohio cities start planning now to ensure that they are well positioned to compete for and win federal grants.
OMA will be periodically posting new and updated information about how OMA cities are spending ARPA and other federal funds on this page.