Solicitation of Applications – Securing Federal Funding Initiative (SFFI)

Through proviso funding, the Washington State Department of Commerce has been tasked with creating a grant program which would assist the community with capturing more opportunities to receive federal funding.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has been provided $2,000,000 for this fiscal year (ending June 30, 2024) for:

“activities related to securing federal funding from programs created by or funded through federal legislation including, but not limited to, the inflation reduction act, P.L. 117-169; the chips and science act, P.L. 117-167; and the infrastructure investment and jobs act, P.L. 117-58. Funding provided under this subsection may be used to support regional and locally led initiatives seeking federal funding, to provide technical support for application development and grant writing, to conduct economic analysis of various sectors, and other activities the department deems necessary for the state and partners with the state to compete for federal funds.”

This solicitation of applications will be a comprehensive and collaborative effort to identify organizations around the state that are best equipped to go after federal funding. Commerce seeks to partner with these organizations with the funding from this initiative, to provide extra support and assistance in forming strong and competitive applications for federal funding.

Contract award amounts: Maximum of $500,000 per contract. The number of awards depends on the number and quality of applications received. At least 4 contracts will be awarded. Organizations may submit for less than $500,000.

**Commerce has the discretion to negotiate dollar amounts of approved awards.
***Commerce reserves the right to not allocate all funding.

Eligible Applicants: Economic Development Councils, Associate Development Organizations, Non-profit organizations, local municipalities, businesses, and other organizations seeking federal funding through federal legislation including, but not limited to, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Chips and Science Act, and the Infrastructure and Jobs Act. The Applicant must be licensed to perform work in Washington State. Applicants must have an active UBI, or must attest they will receive one within 30 days of award.

Securing Federal Funding Initiative contracts are used to:

  • Provide technical support for application and grant writing
  • Conduct economic analysis of various sectors
  • Match funding for federal awards – won’t be expensed from Commerce until Federal Grant is awarded
  • Other activities Commerce deems necessary for the state and partners with the state to compete for federal funds

Applicants must also be the prime applicants on federal funding opportunities. Applicants must have a demonstrated desire to apply for federal funding opportunities within the contract period, ending June 30, 2024.

First award notifications tentatively scheduled for January 2, 2024. Awards will be announced on a rolling basis, and applications will close once all funding has been awarded.

Pre-proposal Webinar

The pre-proposal webinar was held on December 13, 2023 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. PT. The webinar was not mandatory, but we encourage all potential applicants to watch the recording to learn more about this solicitation for applications

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