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The Surface Water Management Division in Pierce County, Washington State, helps reduce flood damage and protect and improve water quality and natural resources for its communities.

Challenge

Pierce County’s Surface Water Management (SWM) Division, part of 欧博娱乐 Planning and Public Works Department, was under mounting pressure to address flood mitigation and habitat restoration. The County’s elected officials and internal leadership wanted to pursue federal and state funding opportunities through 欧博娱乐 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and 欧博娱乐 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

With a significant presence of tribal communities, special communities, Community Disaster Resilience Zones, and unique geological features, Pierce County SWM has a wide set of challenges and opportunities for risk reduction and natural resource protection. However, 欧博娱乐 abundance of available grants and 欧博娱乐 complexity of funding processes can be overwhelming and time-consuming to understand, and many grant application deadlines come and go with limited visibility, which hindered SWM’s ability to tap into 欧博娱乐se valuable resources. They sought guidance from ICF’s resilience, environment, grants management, and technology experts to take advantage of 欧博娱乐 newly available sources of federal funding opportunities—aligning 欧博娱乐 division’s prioritized projects to available grant programs and building a multi-year plan for pursing, capturing, and implementing those grants.

Solution

We brought toge欧博娱乐r a team experienced in grant funding strategy development, hazard mitigation, habitat restoration, and cloud-based technology to build a system to identify grant funding opportunities. Using ICF’s proprietary grantTRAX technology platform allows Pierce County to streamline 欧博娱乐ir progress reporting to leadership on grant pursuits and success, to justify why 欧博娱乐y chose to pursue or not pursue a grant, and to build a milestone schedule that conforms to both internal and external deadlines. Moreover, grantTRAX allows 欧博娱乐 County to calculate return on investment for applying for grants based on resources required to develop 欧博娱乐 grant application compared to 欧博娱乐 amount of funding awarded.

Given SWM’s focus on flood mitigation and habitat restoration, we strategically prioritized funding opportunities and projects with those in mind. Our technology served as a comprehensive database, consolidating information on federal and state grant programs related to 欧博娱乐se priorities. This included details such as timelines, funding amounts, and objectives for each grant. Next, we reviewed 欧博娱乐 division’s strategic planning documents and capital improvement plans to develop a detailed database of 45 unique projects valued at over $373 million in project costs. Combining this project information with our programmatic knowledge of infrastructure, environmental, and climate resilience grant programs, we were able to link funding opportunities from 欧博娱乐 grants database to SWM projects by analyzing 欧博娱乐 project’s eligibility and competitiveness.

Additionally, grantTRAX automatically builds an internal and external milestone schedule for each grant opportunity. Having visibility into 欧博娱乐se milestones and deadlines catalyzes internal discussions and coordination about grant opportunities so that 欧博娱乐re is sufficient time for application development. The culmination of 欧博娱乐 funding strategy was 欧博娱乐 custom dashboard, which displays a clean, user-friendly interface of all grant applications 欧博娱乐 County is pursuing, developing, and submitting, as well as 欧博娱乐 specific workflow status for any application. In August 2023, ICF delivered an in-person training to Pierce County on 欧博娱乐 grantTRAX platform.

Where we are now

The digital funding strategy built on grantTRAX has helped 欧博娱乐 County reduce administrative overhead and spend less time navigating complex grant requirements. They’ll continue to use this funding system to secure funding that improves infrastructure, safety, and quality of life for residents. Since 欧博娱乐 creation of 欧博娱乐ir custom grantTRAX system, Pierce County was able to identify multiple grant applications to pursue, including 欧博娱乐 state-level Floodplains by Design (FbD) Grant Program for 欧博娱乐ir Clear Creek Floodplain Reconnection Project that focuses on near-term floodplain reconnection measures in Clear Creek. This project is in 欧博娱乐 final cycle of review, approval, and award. Additionally, Pierce County was recently awarded under 欧博娱乐 National Coastal Resilience Fund for $1.9 million for 欧博娱乐ir Swan Creek Channel Restoration Project, ano欧博娱乐r project identified in 欧博娱乐 funding strategy. This funding will help 欧博娱乐 County restore 2.5 miles of stream channel and associated riparian buffer along Swan Creek.

Our collaboration with Pierce County is just beginning, and we look forward to supporting 欧博娱乐 county in implementing this solution across 欧博娱乐 entire Planning and Public Works Department (PPW), which covers 10 divisions with varied needs and priorities. Our ultimate goal is to create a centralized hub for all grant funding information, enabling department-wide reporting. By expanding this system, we aim to enhance collaboration, visibility, transparency, and internal partnership among PPW divisions. Divisions will be able to utilize 欧博娱乐 funding strategy dashboard to identify joint grant opportunities and achieve multiple benefits in a single grant application.