Federal Funding

TFG devises and implements innovative strategies for appropriations and authorizations and builds on our successes from year to year. Over the course of our history representing local communities in Washington D.C., we have secured tens of billions of dollars in direct appropriations and project authorizations for our clients. Our work on federal funding issues encompasses supporting funding requests for federal programs and projects that benefit our clients as well as pursuing authorizations for specific client projects. We foster our clients' projects through every step of the process, from project conception to construction. Today, we rank as one of the top federal funding and competitive grants lobbying firms in Washington D.C. representing public agencies.

Case Studies

Project Authorizations

TFG has worked on every Water Resources Development Act and highway transportation authorization bill advocating for specific client project authorizations as well as supporting overall funding levels for key federal programs of importance to local communities. In addition, we have successfully worked with our clients to pass standalone legislation to create federal authority for their specific projects or to revise current federal authorizations. These project authorizations have led to partnerships with our clients and federal agencies such as the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Energy.

Transportation Infrastructure Financing

After securing $265 million for several lines of credit that enabled one of our clients to build two phases of a toll road, TFG led a lobbying effort that established a new, innovative financing provision for the client. The provision enabled the agency to build a third phase of the toll road and became the basis for the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) chapter in TEA–21. TIFIA is still used today by local transportation agencies and extends special financing benefits to communities nationwide.

Title XVI WaterSmart Funding

TFG has helped several public agencies secure tens of millions of dollars in funding through the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART grant program and Title XVI, Water Reclamation and Reuse Program. TFG also worked to secure a change in administration policy to double the maximum size of Title XVI construction grants from $2 million to $4 million and raise the ceiling on Title XVI study grants from $150,000 to $450,000. This change increased the overall amount of funding local communities can receive under the Title XVI program.

Services & Issue Areas of Expertise

Transportation

Broadband & Telecommunications

Economic & Community Development/Housing

Environment & Sustainability

Health Care & Social Services

Public Safety

Disaster Preparedness & Recovery

Flood Issues

Water Resources

US Congressional Calendar

Alex Yiannoutsos / Wednesday, September 29, 2021

/ Categories: News, Water and Natural Resources, Transportation, Telecommunications and Broadband

As Congressional Deadlines Loom, TFG Experts Hold Federal Grants and Earmark Workshops

The Ferguson Group will hold presentations to share best practices for securing federal grant and earmark funding at the ICMA 2021 Conference in Portland, Oregon this weekend.

PORTLAND, OR. — As Congress stares down several key federal funding deadlines and looming debates on infrastructure, The Ferguson Group (TFG) will hold two highly interactive workshops on federal grants and earmarks at the 2021 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. Participants will learn the strategies TFG experts have perfected to secure over $890 million in federal grant funding for clients since 2015.

“Over the past year, local governments have had the opportunity to boost investments in priority projects with federal emergency resources targeting COVID-19 pandemic relief and recovery, but it’s only temporary,” said TFG CEO, Roger Gwinn. “Although critical, this money is limited in scope and will soon run out. Communities need sustainable funding sources for major long-term projects. That’s where we come in.”

TFG, a leading lobbying and consulting firm, has specialized in securing federal funding for government, public agency, private industry, and special district interests in Washington, DC since 1982. Importantly, TFG staff have deep legislative and regulatory expertise in several Administration and congressional priorities such as infrastructure, disaster recovery, and broadband. For example, the firm was a key architect of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) of 2014, a federal credit program administered by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a wide range of water and wastewater infrastructure projects.

The firm’s success on behalf of its clients is in part due to the staff’s wealth of experience with individuals joining the firm from the US Senate and House of Representatives, the Department of Interior, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Transportation, and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), among others.

Join the Conversation

What: Winning Federal Grants: Steps to Success

Who: Jennifer Imo, Managing Partner of Client Services

Heidi Schott, Director of Grant Services

Where: ICMA 2021 Annual Conference, Portland, OR. (in-person and online)

When: Saturday, October 2, 2021; 8:00AM PST

Register: ICMA 2021 Annual Conference

What: Demystifying Earmarks: Secure Federal Grant Funding for Your Community

Who: Roger Gwinn, CEO

Jennifer Imo, Managing Partner of Client Services

Where: ICMA 2021 Annual Conference, Portland, OR. (in-person and online)

When: Sunday, October 3, 2021; 8:00AM PST

Register: ICMA 2021 Annual Conference

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Tags: The Ferguson Group Telecommunications Jennifer Imo Transportation Water roger gwinn Heidi Schott Grants

Documents to download

Press Release - ICMA Conference - 9.28.21(.pdf, 234.51 KB) - 909 download(s)

Latest TFG News

27 March 2026

SS4A Program Now Open!

HOT GRANT ALERT

The U.S. Department of Transportation has opened the FY 2026 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Program, with approximately $993.5 million available. Applications are due May 26, 2026. We wanted to make sure you had the details in case this aligns with work your organization is currently planning or pursuing.

A summary of the program is below, along with a link to our full TFG Profile Summary for additional detail.

Meet a Team Member

Kristi More

Managing Partner of Grants

Latest Coronavirus Updates