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Securing infrastructure grants for municipalities

The Monroe highway
Infrastructure grants are aimed at improving water, wastewater and transportation across communities.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) offers a historic investment to help local and state governments improve transportation and other infrastructure. With this massive influx of funding — $1.2 trillion — we can improve infrastructure for public transit, drinking water and wastewater for years.

After we review grants specific to Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, we'll explain why you should partner with an expert from Fehr Graham to secure funding for your community.

Key infrastructure grants for municipalities in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin 

The following table summarizes key infrastructure grants for municipalities, highlighting state-specific grants in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Key infrastructure grants for municipalities in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin

Infrastructure Grants

Description

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)  

  • A federally funded program to support community development in low-income populations. 

  • Participation requirements and eligible activities vary across states. The community development projects under the program include:

i. Infrastructure.

ii. Public facilities installation.

iii. Economic development projects.

iv. Community centers.

v. Public services. 

vi. Housing rehabilitation.

vii. Homeowner assistance.

viii. Microenterprise assistance, and others. 

  • Eligible applicants are communities where at least 51% of the low-and-moderate-income population benefit from CDBG-funded development activities.  

Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF)

  • The federal-state partnership program provides low-cost financing to communities for various water quality infrastructure projects. 

  • Eligible projects covered under the fund include:

i. Municipal wastewater facilities.

ii. Nonpoint source pollution control.

iii. Decentralized wastewater treatment. 

iv. Stormwater runoff mitigation. 

v. Green infrastructure. 

vi. Estuary protection. 

vii. Water reuse. 

  • Notably, the funds for replacing lead service lines in communities are routed through the state revolving fund (SRF) programs. 

i. Illinois has a dedicated state grant program — the Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) grant program to help communities replace lead service lines in public water supplies. 

ii. The Iowa SRF has recently introduced lead service line replacement (LSLR) funding, which is a part of the SRF program but has a separate pool of funding.   

iii. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Safe Drinking Water Loan Program funds municipalities for LSLR of publicly owned infrastructure.  

Traffic Safety Grants

  • Traffic safety grants aim to fund a wide range of activities, including:

i. Drivers and vulnerable road users. 

ii. At railway crossings. 

iii. Replacement and repair of obsolete natural gas pipelines. 

  • Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) is a key traffic safety grant program that aims for zero roadway deaths. Eligible projects under the grant include:

i. Planning.

ii. Construction.

iii. Equipment and materials. 

iv. Operations and maintenance. 

v. Technology demonstrations and deployment. 

vi. Technical assistance, workforce development and training/ education. 

vii. Accessibility. 

  • Cities, towns, counties, transit agencies, special districts and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) are eligible applicants.  

  • The Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP) is a federally funded, competitive grant program that promotes alternate modes of transportation, such as streetscapes and bike trails.   

Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO)

  • The GIGO program aims to develop the best management practices of green infrastructure to limit stormwater runoff into Illinois rivers, streams and lakes. 

  • Eligible projects under GIGO include: 

i. Rainwater harvesting.

ii. Watershedwide projects.

iii. Wetland creation.

iv. Floodplain reconnection.

v. Bioinfiltration.

vi. Detention pond creation and others. 

  • Eligible applicants include county, municipality, township or state, local watershed groups, universities, colleges and park districts. 

Instead of working alone, partner with Fehr Graham. Our team will guide you through each step of the grant application process to help secure the funding you need.  

Fehr Graham helps Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin municipalities secure infrastructure grants

Our team of experts helps communities across Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin secure grants to upgrade their water, wastewater and transportation infrastructure. Some of our successful grant applications include:

  • Securing ITEP grants for three clients. Fehr Graham helped Decatur Park District, Oregon Park District and the City of Dixon get funding through the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP).

From creating custom and competitive grant applications to developing project plans and overseeing construction, we are committed to securing the maximum funding dollars possible for our clients.


To learn about how Fehr Graham can help secure infrastructure grants for municipalities, contact us or give us a call at 815.235.7643.
Portrait of Bridgette Stocks Fehr Graham Senior Community Development Specialist Bridgette Stocks serves as the principal contact for all funding-related programs, navigating complicated rules and regulations to secure maximum dollars. She is a vital partner when it comes to strengthening communities to provide resilient and critical infrastructure. Her success speaks for itself – she has secured more than $200 million for Fehr Graham clients. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..