In light of federal legislation like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as growing funding programs at the state and local level, the United States is currently experiencing a watershed moment as it pertains grant opportunities for infrastructure programs. To that end, STV has developed a new digital tool to aid in grant research and analysis that allows our infrastructure economics team to more effectively and strategically identify funding opportunities for our clients.
G.R.A.N.T.S. – which stands for Grant Research and Analysis Navigation Tool System – leverages advanced and targeted analytics to pull federal, state, regional and local grant information from several trusted websites, thereby bringing awareness to our team about upcoming grant opportunities which can then be shared with clients.
STV’s infrastructure economics team, which offers grant advisory services to clients, developed this tool in collaboration with our digital advisory team. In practice, G.R.A.N.T.S. will allow employees to seamlessly align grant opportunities with their funding needs, effectively matching the right resources with any initiative. Additionally, it simplifies the search process so employees can maximize funding opportunities.
G.R.A.N.T.S. uses a discovery dashboard of grant opportunities which can then be filtered to align with projects. An advanced search function lets our team look for capabilities based on specific criteria. Once opportunities have been identified, a report can be generated that presents a consolidated view of grant metrics, allowing an employee to make an informed decision swiftly.
We envision a world where any process is simplified, precise and efficient and this tool embodies this vision, serving as a comprehensive solution for our teams to manage the complexities of grant discovery and application. Its creation also demonstrates how we like to focus on developing tools that simplify workflows and enhance data-driven decisions.
Searching for grants can be an overwhelming process for clients, and yet it is something that every client, at every agency, in every state needs to be aware of. We believe we’ve produced a tool that is easy to understand and gives the client what they need.
Patricia Macchi is STV’s national infrastructure economics practice leader. She has more than 20 years of experience providing benefit-cost analysis, return on investment, economic impact assessments, financial modeling for infrastructure projects. Patricia has supported 15 successful grant applications in the last four years and managed several grant types. She is an avid member of WTS International, Women of EV and STV DEIB Council.
Thomas Redstone, AICP is an economist on STV’s national infrastructure economics practice. He has more than 8 years of experience leveraging economic and planning principals to maximize the performance and resilience of infrastructure investments.
Kristen Van Gilst, PMP, CCM, LEED Green Associate is a digital advisory lead within STV’s advisory services team where she leverages AEC industry data to develop digital tools and solutions. She is an active member of WTS International, the CMAA Technology Committee and the ACE Mentor Program.
