February 8, 2024 Five Steps to Tap IIJA Infrastructure Grant Funding

Securing IIJA funding is slower and more complicated than originally thought but you can still access funds with the proper strategic plan.

by Brooke Opel, Grant Manager, and Miranda Wojciechowski, Grant Writer, Development and Community Advisory & Tribal Services at Baker Tilly

The historic $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) supports myriad funding opportunities for public and private sector organizations – everything from improving highways, bridges and transit systems, to building broadband networks, cleaning up drinking water, updating energy grids, implementing carbon capture technologies, and more.

However, two years into this five-year (2022–2026) legislative program, securing IIJA funding has proven to be slower and more complicated than originally thought.

Federal agencies responsible for overseeing these complex, multiyear grant and loan programs have taken longer than expected to open application rounds and distribute funds. Some IIJA funding must pass through states with state-led grant programs, making it difficult to track and slower to distribute. Finally, some agencies have split or combined sections of IIJA funding in ways that weren’t originally anticipated.  

Five Steps to Unlock IIJA

While new funding announcements have varied widely from projected timelines, application timelines remain tight. Federal agencies still typically provide only 30 to 90 days between the notice of opportunities and submission deadlines.

Therefore, large-scale organizational planning is key for municipalities, tribes, and organizations seeking to leverage transformative infrastructure funding. The first 24 months of the IIJA have provided some insights into best practices for mobilizing your team, using your resources strategically and developing competitive proposals on short notice. Here are five tips to help you unlock IIJA funding.

1. Adopt an adaptable funding strategy

With many IIJA programs announced for the first time, it’s important to conduct research, develop a plan and match potential opportunities with priority projects. This enables you to evaluate your capacity for grant pursuit and better strategize how to allocate attention and resources to programs that best fit your needs. Monitoring broader program office updates for opportunities you are pursuing will help you make informed decisions about submission priorities. Be open to adapting your strategy in an ever-shifting landscape. 

2. Build a strong team

Federal grant proposals involve multiple moving parts, from technical volumes and budget justifications to workforce development plans and community partnerships. In general, the strongest applications are written collaboratively using the full range of staff expertise.

Grant professionals should coordinate with project leadership, subject matter experts, financial managers and HR representatives to gather information and insight into reasonable timelines, budgets and internal policies for implementing the proposed work. It is also helpful to consider internal capacity early on to evaluate whether you’d like to seek additional partnerships and/or consultant support.

3. Consider the full grant lifecycle.

During proposal development, the initial focus understandably falls on securing the funds. However, it is equally essential during the application process to set up your organization for post-award success. The grant proposal and its many components — such as the work plan, objectives, evaluation metrics and budget — will serve as the blueprint for measuring post-award progress and setting important perimeters for project completion.

Intentional project design can increase the strength of your proposal – aligning with key evaluation criteria such as demonstrated organizational capacity, likelihood of work plan completion and strongly justified budget estimates. It also can lay a strong foundation for successful project implementation, reporting and compliance in the post-award period.

4. Address priorities through holistic project design.

Grant programs are mission-driven, with clear goals, priority populations or geographies, and desired outcomes. Successful project design marries your needs with the program’s goals. Even the most technical of narratives should get creative with their storytelling and translate specific project outputs into short- and long-term impacts that speak to the program’s mission. Considering specific IIJA priorities – like serving disadvantaged communities through Justice40, buying domestically, creating more jobs and building climate resilience – will also strengthen your project’s alignment with competitive selection criteria.

Think carefully as well about what makes your proposed project innovative, whether you’re using new technologies or creating a new model for solving a problem that others in your region can replicate and use for broader deployment and impact.

5. If at first, you don’t succeed…

Remember, these grant and loan programs will continue for at least two more years of IIJA funding, and some will continue beyond this timeframe through other funding sources. If your initial grant application is not awarded, its preparation is not wasted effort and can help make your next proposal even stronger.

Most federal agencies will provide evaluation feedback upon request, and you can use this input to develop a strategy to improve areas of weakness. Revising and resubmitting an application means less additional effort upfront and a higher chance of ultimate success.

Brooke Opel is a manager with Baker Tilly’s development & community advisory and tribal services practices. She provides grant funding advising, pursuit, and compliance support for a variety of public sector clients, including Tribes, Tribal organizations, municipalities, local-governments, utilities, energy coops, and joint action agencies.

Miranda Wojciechowski is a senior consultant with Baker Tilly’s development & community advisory and tribal services practices. She specializes in federal grant tracking, advising, pursuit, management, and compliance support for public sector clients.

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