With so much buzz about the pending infrastructure bill, it would be easy to assume that most upcoming opportunities for government contracting will be centered on roads, bridges, water, and power. Or, with the potential passage of the Jobs Act, one could predict that most future contracting opportunities would focus on asset recycling, sustainability, renewable energy, and electric charging stations.

To be clear, there will be thousands of new opportunities for government contracting in all those areas throughout the close of 2021 and in 2022 … but technology firms, especially those focused on software, also will benefit from thousands of new opportunities. In fact, software upgrades and expansions are now some of the most active areas for government contracting opportunities.

The city of Phoenix plans to spend $2 million to upgrade its system software for bus route scheduling and dispatching. Public transit also will receive $50,000 to replace its software and hardware located within RAPID bus sign structures. Over the next five years, the city plans to spend another $6.15 million to install and configure software products for management reporting and integration between various water systems.

Oklahoma – Councilmembers in Oklahoma City recently approved an implementation plan for 16 projects focused on meeting neighborhood and social service needs under the MAPS 4 initiative.

The debt-free public improvement program, which voters approved in 2019 by a temporary penny sales tax, will raise a projected $978 million over eight years.

Priority projects include $140 million in park construction and improvements, construction of four youth centers for $110 million total, $105 million for improvements to the Downtown Arena, and $10 million to upgrade a practice facility on North Oklahoma Avenue.

Design of the $63 million Fairgrounds Coliseum is underway to replace the aging Norick Arena. A $25 million advance from MAPS 4 sales tax collections will allow the project to move into construction upon completion of the design phase during the first half of 2022.

The city plans to move quickly on the $2 million restoration of the Oklahoma City Freedom Center, followed by the $21 million construction of a new accompanying civil rights interpretive museum and community gathering space.

Another project that will begin early in the MAPS 4 program is a $17 million Diversion Hub to house a multi-agency network helping people to receive coordinated, life-stabilizing services as they navigate the criminal justice system.

The Oklahoma City Police Department’s family justice center known as Palomar will receive $38 million for construction of a new permanent home for the agency.

Affordable housing efforts will get $50 million to fund the city’s recovery-oriented approach to ending homelessness. The homelessness project may include both renovation and new construction with a budget divided into five grant allocations.

Projects aimed at improving connectivity will begin soon with $55 million earmarked for sidewalks and related amenities, $20 million for new bike lanes, and $8 million for trail upgrades. Another $60 million will go to advanced transit, $12 million to enhance bus service, $10 million for bus stop improvements, and $5 million to fund transit projects focused on planned growth.

Other early projects include $15 million for the Henrietta B. Foster Center, $12.5 million for neighborhood connectivity, and $12.5 million to improve mobility by improving Interstate 235 bridges.

Nevada – The Office of Grant Procurement, Coordination, and Management of Nevada issued a request for information (RFI) to identify cloud-based software or software as a service (SaaS) products capable of providing grant management solutions.

As part of the Department of Administration, the Nevada Grant Office serves as a centralized resource for all state departments and agencies and provides resources, technical guidance, and coordination to reduce identified grant barriers that prevent state agencies and grant professionals throughout Nevada from securing more federal grant funding.

Nevada does not have a centralized grant management system. Individual agencies use a variety of systems and tools for grant management and tracking.

The ultimate goals of this RFI are to identify available grant management systems and their capacity to help the state:

The deadline for RFI submissions is 5 p.m. PST December 1.

Idaho – The Boise City Council recently called a $570 million bond election to fund projects included in the city’s Water Renewal Utility Plan.

City officials say major investment is needed in the system to repair and replace aging pipes and facilities, construct new facilities to prepare for population growth, and enhance and protect the Boise River.

If approved, the revenue bonds would finance a portion of the $904 million in projects included in the first 10 years of the Utility Plan.

Several upgrades are proposed for the West Boise and Lander Street Water Renewal Facilities to construct improved and additional phosphorus removal and enhanced treatment infrastructure to meet regulatory requirements, increase capacity, and make related wastewater system improvements.

In addition, the city is proposing development and implementation of a recycled water program including a planned third water renewal facility for industrial reuse and aquifer recharge.

Bond financing would be used to invest in Boise River enhancements, or any other comparable alternative construction, renovation, and improvements to the system.

Washington, D.C. – Forty-four infrastructure projects around the country are getting another chance for Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

INFRA Extra projects made it to the final round for funding under the 2021 INFRA competitive grant program but were not awarded due to a combination of overwhelming demand for INFRA grants and limited funds. Projects receiving the inaugural INFRA Extra designation will help rebuild America’s infrastructure and create jobs.

Some of the projects set to receive INFRA Extra funding are the:

This year, USDOT received a total of 157 eligible INFRA applications from 42 states collectively requesting approximately $6.8 billion in grant funds — nearly seven times more than the $1 billion available for the program.

Gary Halbert is a former California city official with over four decades of experience in local government. As a member of the Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) team, Gary draws on his versatility in planning, engineering, and leadership to develop strong client relationships.

Before joining SPI, Gary served for six years as a city manager. During that time, he oversaw significant improvements to public safety services, addressed critical infrastructure needs, and secured property rights for construction of a university sized for 20,000 enrollees. His local initiatives to promote innovation and social equity earned various forms of national recognition.

In addition to his work as a city official, Gary is a former director of the San Diego Section of the American Planning Association. He also previously served as a member of the Urban Land Institute’s University Development and Innovation Council.

Gary earned a bachelor’s degree in systems science from the University of California at San Diego and a Master of Public Administration from San Diego State University. The team welcomes the expertise and experience he brings to the team.

Prior to joining the Strategic Partnerships Team, Duane Arbogast served as a respected leader in the field of education.

Duane pioneered educational coursework when he served Prince George’s County Public Schools as chief academic officer and later as acting deputy superintendent for academics. Prior to that, he served for 32 years in the Anne Arundel County Public School System. Over three decades, Duane enjoyed a sequence of promotions that ultimately propelled him from the role of teacher to that of senior manager for academic accountability.

In a related educational field, Duane served as chief of strategy and innovation for a child-serving nonprofit organization. In that role, he was directly responsible for the creation and widescale roll-out of new educational programming.

Throughout the years, Duane’s instructional leadership resulted in proven academic growth in the communities where he served. His work in reforming and modernizing traditional methods of teacher evaluation, compensation, central office organization, and equitable student funding gained him the reputation of an innovator of instructional models. He was honored by being named as a Washington Post Distinguished Leader for his work as an elementary school principal.

Duane earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and Doctor of Education in education policy from the University of Maryland College Park.

The SPI Team welcomes Duane and looks forward to working with him.

Delaware – Boosted by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, Delaware is aiming to become the first state to reach every home and business with high-speed, wired broadband service.

Gov. John Carney announced on September 16 that the state would invest $110 million to cover every “last mile” of Delaware with high-speed, wireline broadband internet service.

About 11,600 Delaware homes and businesses lack access to high-speed, wireline broadband service. The broadband infrastructure project will target investments to areas unserved or underserved, lacking a wireline connection, and will prioritize projects that achieve “last mile” connections to households and businesses.

Despite the Delaware Broadband Initiative helping the state achieve national recognition for the fastest broadband speed in the U.S., significant broadband deserts exist in Kent and Sussex counties.

The state anticipates opening grants to vendors in October.

Ohio – The University of Cincinnati is entering the design phase on a $95 million renovation of its Old Chemistry Building and $60.5 million upgrade to Siddall Hall.

Called the “New Old Chem” project, the renovation to the campus’ original and historic 1917 portion of the Old Chemistry building will demolish the building’s 1930s-era addition and construct a new lab wing in its place which will connect to the 1917 building.

When complete, the fully renovated 1917 building plus the new connected wing is intended to support between 140,000 to 160,000 square feet of future-forward academic and research space.

The design-build project will provide new state-of-the-art open-bay chemistry research labs, basic science biology and chemistry teaching labs, general-purpose classrooms, and supporting shared and core research service facilities. In addition, it will house faculty and departmental offices, standardized offices and open/flexible research labs, faculty collaboration spaces, new student study and collaboration spaces, and new chemical storage, materiel support, and facility service spaces for the functions occupying the facility.

Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2023 with completion in September 2025.

Siddall Hall, a 12-story concrete-framed high-rise residence hall built in 1964 on the Uptown West Campus, will undergo a two-year, fully vacated, comprehensive renovation. All mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) infrastructure and interior architecture and finishes will be replaced. Additionally, the original brick and curtainwall exterior envelope will be redesigned and replaced. Floor plan changes will focus on improving public/shared core spaces and amenities. The extension of the floor plates to the east and west is envisioned to maintain student room size standards while accommodating the enlarged core. Exterior public courtyards will be upgraded.

An enclosed bridge between Calhoun Hall, Siddall Hall, and the adjacent Market Pointe Dining Hall has been designed and will be constructed as part of the ongoing Calhoun Hall renovation project. The arrival point of the bridge into Siddall Hall will be incorporated into the design of the renovated Siddall Hall lobby spaces as part of this project.

The university anticipates beginning construction in March 2023 with completion in October 2024 with a construction manager at risk delivery method.

Illinois – Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act on September 15 that charts a path for Illinois toward 100 percent clean energy.

After more than a year of energy working group meetings, SB 2408 brings together the ideas from a diverse range of stakeholders to combat climate change by establishing a policy to move toward 100 percent clean energy by 2050.

The law also charges the Illinois Power Agency with doubling the state’s investment in renewable energy and puts the state on a path to 40 percent renewable energy by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

To aid in the energy transformation, Illinois will create a coal to solar program to support the transition of coal plants to renewable energy facilities and it will establish the Energy Transition Assistance Fund to allocate funding from ratepayers to support $180 million in state clean energy programs.

Illinois will nurture clean energy business development by creating a contractor incubator program to provide access to low-cost capital and financial support for small clean energy businesses and contractors.

As it strives to become a clean transportation leader, the state will establish a goal of adopting 1 million electric vehicles by 2030 and award rebates to help fund up to 80 percent of the cost of the installation of charging stations.

New Hampshire – State transportation officials in New Hampshire are seeking financial assistance from Congress for a $52.1 million project to reconstruct the No. 1 red-listed bridge in the state.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is requesting a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to fund $20 million to reconstruct the bascule bridge to a fixed structure and build other supporting infrastructure.

The new structure would be 1,300 feet long and 53 feet wide with a proposed 150-foot wide navigation channel.

Built in 1949, the Neil R. Underwood Bridge carries up to 18,000 vehicles per day. The structure which spans the Hampton River at the inlet to Hampton Harbor has been rehabilitated multiple times, including emergency repairs in 2018.

This project is expected to receive federal environmental approval prior to the anticipated construction start date of January 2024. Design and property acquisitions will be finalized prior to the start of construction, which is targeted for completion by June 2027.

Massachusetts – A vendor conference is set for 3 p.m. EDT September 30 as part of Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS) efforts to gain a better understanding of the marketplace for case management software.

MPS will discuss its plans to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for a new probation case management system to serve as a core business application and implementation services to deploy a statewide solution that integrates with existing systems.

The state implemented its current system 15 years ago, but it is now unable to meet its core mission due to limitations that include:

As such, MPS seeks a new, flexible solution that can meet today’s criminal justice needs and tomorrow’s technology innovations.

New Mexico – Bernalillo County issued a request for information (RFI) on broadband infrastructure system design and construction as it seeks to expand services to the East Mountains area and west of Albuquerque.

Internet service is lacking or non-existent in the East Mountains south and north of Interstate 40, and economic development opportunities are emerging on the far west side of Albuquerque.

The county is initiating the RFI process as a means of discovery and information gathering from prospective telecommunications contractors and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with the goal of collecting information about building a core infrastructure to be used for a broadband system that resolves deficiencies and service gaps, can expand for future growth, and maintain a budget-conscious deployment model.

County officials are interested in the viability of a middlemile infrastructure hub and a commitment from interested service providers to use the hub to ensure last-mile connections via fiber, wireless, or satellite technologies.

Projects must be completed by December 31, 2026, and should address unserved or underserved households or businesses, or one or more households or businesses that are not currently served by a wireline connection that reliably delivers at least 25 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 3 Mbps upload speeds.

Assuming this RFI generates interest and capacity, Bernalillo County is leaning toward a design-build procurement and will issue a request for proposals based on the responses received to this RFI.

The design-build team would include Bernalillo County Public Works/Technical Services Department, the county’s technical adviser, the selected offeror, and possibly a representative from the village of Tijeras.

RFI submissions are due by 4 p.m. MDT October 15.

Florida – Local leaders signed declarations of support on September 17 for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) Clearwater Multimodal Transit Center.

PSTA is planning the $34 million terminal to connect riders to downtown Clearwater, beaches, and the Tampa Bay area. It would replace the existing 40-year-old station on Park Street that has been functionally obsolete and in need of repairs for more than a decade.

The transit authority requested a $25 million grant from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program to fund the construction of the 75,000-square-foot center.

Plans for the new center call for solar panels and charging stations to accommodate the authority’s expanding electric bus fleet. The new station may link with future light rail if that service comes to the area.

PSTA’s goal is to begin construction in spring 2023 and complete the facility by fall 2024.

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Transportation named Cordell Schachter as its chief information officer (CIO). He replaces Jack Albright who had been serving as acting CIO since Ryan Cote accepted a position with the Biden Administration. Schachter most recently served as chief technology officer for the New York City Department of Transportation.

California – The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on September 20 appointed Samantha Galltin as managing director of the Commercial Operations Bureau at the Port of Long Beach. She will succeed Kenneth Duncan who left the port earlier in 2021. Galltin joined the port as assistant director of business development. Before that, she was director of port business development for a railroad company.

New York – Syracuse University selected John Liu as vice president for international strategy, effective June 1, 2022, and subject to approval by the university’s board of trustees. Liu previously served as the university’s interim vice chancellor and provost as well as vice president for research.

Maryland – The city of College Park appointed Kenneth “Kenny” Young as its new city manager, effective September 27. Young most recently served as county administrator for Goochland County, Virginia. Prior to that, he was the assistant county administrator for Loudoun County, Virginia.

Florida – The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority named Alex Heiter as director of research and air service development. Most recently, Heiter served as managing director of marketing for Europe for a commercial division that sells jet airliners and business jets.

Colorado – The Lake County Board of County Commissioners named Timothy Bergman as the new county manager on September 20. Bergman most recently served as executive program manager and interim senior legislative analyst for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. Before that, he was the department’s executive assistant to the chief financial officer.

Mary Scott Nabers, Publisher

Devin Monk, Editor

Government Contracting Pipeline, a publication of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., is a free, weekly newsletter detailing important happenings nationwide and the premier source for federal, state, and local government news and contracting opportunities.