Expert Insights
Expert Insights
As President and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., Mary Scott Nabers has decades of experience working in the public-private sector. A well-recognized expert in the P3 and government contracting fields, she is often asked to share her industry insights with top publications and through professional speaking engagements. Get an exclusive look at upcoming trends and insider tips from Mary herself on the SPI blog.
Billions in electric vehicle infrastructure funding will be released within weeks
A deadline is looming for an important announcement by the federal government. On September 30, state leaders throughout the country will learn whether or not their electric vehicle infrastructure plans were approved. If the news is good, funding will be immediately...
New funding for safe streets is available now and allocations will continue for the next several years
The federal government recently made large amounts of funding available for street projects that are designed to make roadways safer. The funding is available now for public entities throughout the country. The Complete Streets Program is a federal initiative that was...
Billions in funding for bus rapid transit systems is spurring large transportation initiatives nationwide
Hundreds of millions in federal funding flowed to bus rapid transit (BRT) systems last month…and there is more to come. Expanding and improving rapid transit systems in America is a high priority for members of Congress and also local government officials. The goal is...
Check out spending plans for the launching of $125B in connectivity projects throughout the country
‘Bridging the Digital Divide’ initiatives are being launched throughout the country and as projects are completed, America will be forever changed. The connectivity efforts will result in thousands of new opportunities, more efficient government, better education,...
New funding is now being allocated to Regional Infrastructure Accelerators throughout the U.S.
Public officials about to launch large infrastructure projects need to know as much as possible about Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIAs). Private sector companies interested in participating in infrastructure projects should also understand this relatively...
Billions in funding now available for resilience projects
Here’s something worthy of note. The federal government has awarded over one billion dollars to a nationwide slate of resilience projects since the start of August this year. FEMA’s recent grants—totaling $1.2 billion—are available for communities ready to launch...
Government contracting is making significant moves to include intelligent technology in upcoming projects
Just months ago, the U.S. Senate authorized the largest five-year research and development budget in U.S. history. The $250 billion investment marks a monumental increase in federal support for projects that deploy smart city technology. To no surprise, state and...
Some may be surprised by these multi-million dollar initiatives occurring in every state
Bike trails and greenway projects no longer represent inconsequential amounts of funding. In fact, these types of projects now represent a spending impact that exceeds $10.6 billion annually. Data indicates trail development projects that encourage hiking, biking, and...
Private sector firms may qualify for attractive tax incentives with certain types of redevelopment projects
As construction, engineering, and development firms consider the impact of inflation and the increasing cost of capital, some are beginning to embrace projects designed to provide tax incentives. These types of projects fall into the category of ‘adaptive reuse’ and a...
New funding is flowing to local governments for upgrading public safety infrastructure
We are living in historic times, and we are fortunate to be able to participate in the rebuilding of America’s infrastructure. The funding that has been made available and the projects that are being launched will be written about and studied for decades to come. All...
Demand is high and funding is available for library construction projects throughout the U.S.
Libraries are critical public assets for communities and a recent study confirmed that most are funded locally. Currently there are hundreds of modernization, expansion, and technology upgrade projects occurring in libraries throughout the country. This is a very...
Historic funding amounts now available to modernize and upgrade American ports
American ports are currently receiving massive amounts of funding from the federal government for much-needed and long-overdue upgrades. The country’s port infrastructure is a critical component of America’s global competitiveness, and the funding will target critical...
Eleven U.S. cities are aggressively launching large projects in preparation for the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games
The two largest international sporting events, The World Cup and Olympic Games, will be hosted in a few U.S. cities in 2026 and 2028. Both events require massive work by host cities, and new development projects will be large and expensive. This effort is already...
Funding is available, in abundance, for electric vehicles and EV charging infrastructure
Electric vehicles (EV) should never again be considered ‘futuristic.’ They are the ‘here and now’ and investment funding for electric vehicles is now flowing abundantly from both public and private sector coffers. Billions of dollars are available for electrification...
Changes to citizen services create challenges and new opportunities
Changes are occurring rapidly at the local levels of government and the changes will likely be noticed first by citizens and businesses because of fee increases. Citizen services are critical components of local government and while public officials work diligently to...
A new area of rapid growth with numerous opportunities for collaborative initiatives
As America fights to preserve its economic leadership globally, universities are critical partners. A skilled and trained workforce is the required component of economic stability and because of that prosperity cannot be preserved without a strong education...
Innovative projects that generate revenue for cities and counties are in high demand
In spite of all the new federal funding and dozens of new grant programs, city and county officials are still scrambling to launch projects designed to generate revenue. There are many reasons for this. The primary reason is that the new federal funding has a short...
Large, construction-related stadium projects will launch very soon because of MLB mandate
Hundreds of cities with minor league baseball teams already have launched stadium construction projects or have plans to launch them soon. This phenomenon is not happening because a hundred cities decided all at once to upgrade stadiums where minor league baseball...
Water concerns are triggering new projects of every type
There are multiple topics of high concern for Americans today but one that is receiving less media attention is related to the country’s water resources. Regions of high growth are vying for the same diminishing water supplies, and, at the same time, the country’s...
Microgrids are being launched rapidly throughout the country
Microgrids are designed to harness renewable energy and make it available for all kinds of reasons. Often microgrids are used when disasters cause larger utility grids to falter or shut down completely. They also are used as backup power for hospital systems, school...
Another large trend delivers contracting opportunities galore – the upgrading of America’s health-care infrastructure
Throughout the country, health-care facilities are receiving an abundance of attention, and large construction, renovation, and expansion projects are being announced weekly. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is partnering with The University of Texas...
Mobility hub projects are abundant; each requires diverse types of contracting partners
Public officials in Austin hope that the ongoing multi-billion-dollar transit authority project there will reduce automobile traffic by 50 percent when completed. Whether that goal is reachable or not is undetermined, but the project is indicative of a shift in public...
Surveillance systems in high demand as public safety concerns grow
Cameras, video monitoring systems, and interoperability platforms are receiving more attention than ever because of public safety concerns. The immediate scramble to install more cameras and enhance video surveillance systems has never been greater. Billions will be...
Available funding for airport modernization projects exceeds $1T
America’s airports are some of the country’s most powerful economic engines. They contribute more than $14 trillion in economic activity annually and support approximately 11.5 million jobs. Congress, after years of underfunding airport infrastructure projects,...
As America invests in its infrastructure, sustainability is the goal
Sustainability has become an extremely hot topic because of the billions of dollars in federal funding available for projects that will protect and extend America’s infrastructure. Congress and government leaders at every jurisdictional level of government realize...
Influx of federal funds spurring rail improvements nationwide
Rail projects are being launched in states throughout the country. Much of the funding requires a focus on projects that improve safety while also enhancing and/or upgrading rail infrastructure so the projects reflect that mandate. The much-needed rail project funding...
Funding flowing to local governments for affordable housing construction
Billions of dollars in public funding and tax enrichments are currently available to support the construction of affordable housing throughout the U.S. The impetus behind these incentives is the country’s affordable housing shortage which has reached near-crisis...
Large development projects around U.S. waterways – a growing trend fueled by new funding
Thousands of communities throughout the country owe their origins to a nearby waterway. The value of regional water resources has never been in dispute, and the coveted assets have never been underestimated. Now, there is a noticeable growing trend for community...
Work to upgrade America’s bridges will result in thousands of bid opportunities
Millions of motorists cross bridges daily, and every driver assumes that these bridges are safe. That safety, however, comes at an extremely high price – high enough to have prohibited hundreds of bridge maintenance projects over the past decade. With new funding,...
Courthouse upgrades are evolving as high-priority targets for infrastructure funding
New federal infrastructure funding is beginning to reach local officials, and while the revenue will be spent in many ways, some commonalities are obvious. Many public officials will allocate the funding to refurbish roads or upgrade water systems. Others will use it...
Big changes lie ahead … best to watch them carefully
America’s shifting social, political, economic, and environmental conditions have created rapid change. Leaders in industry and government are scrambling to respond. Their immediate focus appears to be on worker shortages, increasing costs, supply chain disruptions,...
Funding for broadband expansion now available throughout the country
For entirely too many years, millions of U.S. citizens have struggled with little, if any, access to broadband. However, plans are evolving quickly now to resolve that problem. Congress has approved dozens of funding programs that allocate billions for broadband....
Federal Authorities now launching programs to promote Public Private Partnerships
Someone asked me recently if public-private partnerships (P3s) are just a fad or a delivery method that will ultimately be the country’s future. There’s no doubt about the answer. Public-private partnerships are here to stay. The federal government, realizing that...
New government budgets feature significant increases in tech allocations
Technology has altered the way individuals participate in work, travel, entertainment, and health care. It also has changed the way government provides services. Technology purchases of upgrades and enhancements are required, and that will not change. The value of the...
New funding options spurring economic development initiatives
In past years, economic development initiatives often required funding that governmental entities were not able to provide. Now, however, many projects to stimulate the economy are delivered through public-private partnerships (P3s) taking advantage of funding and tax...
Massive federal funds accelerating improvements to U.S. interstates
For generations of Americans, the interstate system has been an icon representing infrastructural achievement. However, over the decades, the network of roadways has faced continuous use and declining upkeep and maintenance. After decades, the skeletal fiber of...
This trend will significantly impact public and private-sector leaders
Public officials in government are asking difficult questions about how to deliver critical infrastructure projects. Their concern is real, and their questions are valid because the trend of delivering large projects through public-private partnerships (P3s) is...
Weather-related disasters creating need for public, private-sector services
Climate change has been the cause of immeasurable damage over the last few decades, and there is no end in sight. In addition to the tragic loss of lives, natural disasters have impacted at least some part of the infrastructure in every region of the country. To halt...
Historic amounts of funding flowing to K-12 school campuses
As students file out of classrooms for summer break, school campuses will become the epicenter for an abundance of seasonal construction projects. This summer the projects are likely to be large. School officials were recently notified that the federal government has...
A nationwide focus on enhancing public safety provides collaborative opportunities of all types
Public safety is an extremely high priority for government officials, and a renewed focus on improving it has resulted in large funding allocations. Public safety assets throughout the country are outdated and long overdue for modernization. With funding now...