Congratulations on your award! All of the hard work that went into the application phase has paid off, and you are ready to get started on your project. But before you pick up the metaphorical shovel, there are several steps you will need to take in order to finalize your grant agreement and receive your funds.
Below are eight strategies that you can use to streamline your grant agreement process:
1. Prepare in advance for documents you know you will need
Many federal grants require the same or similar documentation, so there are some items you can begin to prepare as soon as you learn about your award. For example, any grant that is subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review will require NEPA documentation as part of the grant agreement. Because many aspects of grant agreements are the same across programs, some cities have found it helpful to hire an experienced consultant to help them navigate the process.
The DOT Project Readiness Checklist (PDF version) has more detail on how to prepare for many of these requirements and documentation requests. Another great resource is the U.S. DOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence, which has resources to support community engagement, environmental reviews, and compliance with equity and civil rights laws. The delivery center also has many resources that will be helpful in the implementation and evaluation phases of your project life cycle.
2. Start the project planning process and be ready to provide a detailed budget
Cities will most likely be asked to provide additional budget details in advance of their grant agreement. While the exact forms vary by grant and grant size, most budget details templates will ask for costs in various categories (travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, etc.), including those related to personnel (salaries and fringe benefits). You can review budget templates that are publicly available for Safe Streets for All (SS4A) and Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) to get a sense of the kinds of information usually required.
Beginning the planning process, especially decisions about who will be working on the grant project, directly after the award announcement will help your team to be ready to complete these documents. For grants that have a non-federal match requirement, you will be asked to confirm the source of the matching funds as part of your agreement.
3. Get pre-approval from city council and other key decision makers, if possible
If there are items related to the grant agreement requirements described in number 1 and 2 above that require city council approval, getting that ahead of time can reduce the time your city needs to sign the grant agreement once it is finalized by the granting agency.
4. Build flexibility into the process
There is no getting around that some grant agreements, especially those for new programs, will take a while to finalize. For this reason, it can be helpful to plan ahead for the possibility of project schedule and cost adjustments (i.e., if the cost of a good or service has changed between the application submission and grant agreement) and be prepared to make these adjustments if necessary.
5. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the granting agency early and often
Being proactive by reaching out to the funding agency as soon as possible after you learn about your award will avoid delays in initiating the grant agreement process. This will also make it possible for you to request all of the paperwork that you need to fill out prior to completing the grant agreement. If the granting agency is one that has state or regional offices, for example the Environmental Protection Agency or Department of Transportation, you can also reach out to your contacts there, as the regional offices can provide an additional level of support for your grant award process.
6. Take full advantage of any touchpoint you have with the granting agency
When you need to reach out to the granting agency to answer a question or clarify something, don’t be afraid to ask all of your questions at once. This can condense the timeline for getting all of your questions answered and getting ready to submit all of your documentation.
When you do submit documentation, best practice is to complete and submit all documentation together. It is important to follow the granting agency’s instructions carefully. Submitting documentation as a full package and as soon as possible–ideally within 2 weeks–is one of the aspects of the grant agreement timeline that cities have the most control over and can go a long way towards speeding up the process.
7. Share helpful information with other winning cities
If possible, it can be helpful to reach out to your colleagues in other winning cities when awards are announced. This will allow winners to share information about timelines, questions that the granting agency answered, etc. which can save time for both award winners and granting agencies.
8. As a last resort, ask your congressional delegation for assistance
Sometimes, even when cities employ all of the above strategies, they are still stuck waiting for a grant agreement to be finalized. Many agencies are struggling with capacity given the large increase in funds they are responsible for due to the investments made in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Reaching out to your congressional delegation to make an inquiry on your behalf can be a helpful way to communicate urgency to the granting agency.