9.19.23 – The Construction Broadsheet
Kansas officials on Tuesday announced that the state has started the Build Kansas Fund, which will put $200 million toward matching funds for statewide, federally funded infrastructure projects.
Many infrastructure projects using federal funds require that state and/or local entities contribute some portion of the total costs. The amount varies depending on the program, but each Notice of Funding Opportunity issued by the federal government will inform applicants how much it will be.
Deviations from the standard cost-share requirements are sometimes available for work in tribal, rural or disadvantaged communities, as well as for safety-related and other types of projects.
The Build Kansas Fund will provide financial assistance for state projects that must provide a federal match and that are funded through the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
Like other U.S. states and territories, Kansas is eligible for project funding in the areas of energy, transportation, water, broadband and more. The Kansas Infrastructure Hub (KIH) maintains an up-to-date list of BIL funding opportunities here.
The KIH, which is made up of various state agencies such as the state’s Department of Transportation (DOT), will decide on which projects the fund will support.
The KIH will take applications – available to Kansas state agencies, counties, municipalities, special districts, community organizations, nonprofits and federally recognized tribes – through the state’s Fiscal Year 2027.
“The Kansas Infrastructure Hub has been working diligently to unite cross-sector stakeholders around Kansas’ infrastructure priorities,” said Kansas DOT Secretary Calvin Reed.
“We look forward to supporting Build Kansas Fund applicants as they strive to optimize their BIL projects’ potential,” Reed said.
Including the $311 billion of infrastructure funding the IIJA contains from reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, the bill has almost $400 million set aside for roads and bridges, according to a 2021 analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America analysis.
Kansas, according to a July 2022 White House report, is in line for formula federal road and bridge funds in the amount of $2.8 billion.
Formula funds are made available according to a formula set by Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Other funding includes discretionary grants awarded on a competitive basis.