SPI Insights

Federal research and development are critical to global competitiveness, so Congress is committed to supporting and encouraging both. Federal programs prioritize funding for almost every type of research. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) allocated a little more than $20 billion through 61 research programs. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) dedicated another $2.5 billion […]

Some people know about Public Facility Corporations (PFCs), but only a few, it seems. Public officials, however, are very familiar with PFCs because affordable housing and essential housing facilities are at the top of their priority list. PFCs are commonly involved in delivering housing options throughout the country. A PFC is a non-profit organization that […]

There is no argument – everyone agrees technology is changing our world! Technological evolution and innovation trends are rampant. Changes are happening so fast that it’s simply not possible to keep up with everything. However, because taxpayer dollars fund much of what is happening in the government marketplace, the innovation is interesting to note. The […]

Every $1 spent on flood mitigation before disaster strikes yields $6 to $7 in saved recovery costs, according to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA. Meanwhile, the number of properties in the U.S. that suffer from repeated flood damage is rising at a staggering rate, the Natural Resources Defense Council says. That’s surprising because abundant […]

Aging tunnels in America, coupled with the country’s continued growth, have created an extremely high demand for attention. The imminent repair and replacement will result in significant growth in the tunnel construction market in North America over the next several years. Thousands of tunnels are in dire need of attention because every state has hundreds, […]

There is a sector of a federally funded program that I fear is not getting enough attention. This program supports many of the local projects I know public officials want to launch. The Facilities Grant Program, administered through the Treasury Department, is awarding grant funding to support the expansion of broadband accessibility in public centers. […]

After working for the past 25-plus years to help companies be successful in selling to government, I get questions daily about what it takes to be successful in the public sector marketplace. This column’s objective is to provide some “Best Practices for Success” because I firmly believe it is in the best interest of all […]

Large funding grants for surface transportation projects are available from the federal government’s Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program. This program, actively overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is especially focused on funding projects that hold regional or national significance. Applications that were approved in 2023 will provide between $5.45 billion and $5.58 billion for […]

It is shocking to realize that more than 42% of America’s 617,000 bridges are more than half a century old, and one-third of them are in dire need of repair or replacement. Even more sobering is the fact that 46,000 U.S. bridges are considered structurally deficient or in poor condition, given that 178 million trips […]