The Nebraska Department of Transportation recently activated an online “Infrastructure Hub” to help state and local public agencies win federal discretionary grants for their transportation projects.
[Above photo by Nebraska DOT]
In a recent LinkedIn post, Nebraska DOT Director Vicki Kramer said that this hub represents the state’s “first-ever intergovernmental entity” and aligns with the vision of Governor Jim Pillen (R) of increasing Nebraska’s competitiveness for federal funding by providing more resources to state and local partners so they can confidently navigate the challenges of the federal grant application and administration processes.
“[The hub’s] activation supports a ‘One Nebraska’ approach to enabling the state to develop infrastructure projects of regional significance,” Kramer noted. “Technical assistance will be available from development and grant application through project delivery, ensuring once funding is awarded projects are ready to swiftly move forward.”
The agency noted that other key components of the new hub include a “Grant Pairing Portal” to match projects with suitable grants and a “Project Development Support” team, staffed by two full-time members, who provide personalized assistance and feedback on draft proposals. The program also facilitates partnerships and networking opportunities, offers technical support through on-call consultants to enhance proposals, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of grant-funded projects to ensure compliance and success.
“By centralizing resources, promoting transparency, and fostering collaboration, the Hub will play a pivotal role in accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure projects and driving sustainable economic growth and prosperity across Nebraska communities,” Kramer said.
Other state departments of transportation are involved in similar endeavors. For example, in March, West Virginia made “significant upgrades” made to its own infrastructure hub website; an online tool established by the state to connect local communities with federal funding opportunities, just like in Nebraska.
The West Virginia Infrastructure Hub is specifically designed to help distribute funds made available by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA statewide.
And one of the recent upgrades to that website is an “Investment Dashboard” that allows users to explore infrastructure projects across the state in detail. This interactive feature also allows users to view funded projects through an interactive map and explore them by category as well as help local communities gain insights into successful projects so they can tailor their own federal grant applications more effectively.
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