Central Florida Regional Planning Counci

Central Florida Regional Planning Council, a U.S. local government entity and council of governments headquartered in Bartow, Florida, receives federal grants as a prime recipient to support regional transportation safety, economic development planning, disaster recovery coordination, and environmental conservation initiatives. The entity does not hold federal contracts and does not operate as a prime contractor; all federal engagement flows through grant awards from civilian agencies and one Department of Defense grant program, with limited sub-grant work passed through state agencies.

Central Florida Regional Planning Council's customer base clusters tightly around two federal sources that account for 79% of recent awards. The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration anchors the portfolio with 16 awards spanning comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) implementation, multi-jurisdictional transportation corridor studies, and disaster recovery capacity building. The Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration holds five awards, including a $192,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Action Planning Grant awarded May 31, 2023 (completed May 30, 2025) to develop roadway safety countermeasures across the central Florida region, and an April 20, 2026 SS4A Project Grant to address intersection safety in the Heartland. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Defense Washington Headquarters Service Office of Economic Adjustment each contribute four awards; notably, the DoD OEA funded an Avon Park Air Force Range Military Installation Resilience Review (awarded August 1, 2023, completion August 31, 2025) and now anchors an ongoing disaster recovery capacity investment awarded January 1, 2025 with completion scheduled for December 31, 2029.

Activity volume shows marked growth in 2024 (nine awards) following a sparse 2022–2023 period (one and three awards respectively), then tapered to three awards in 2025 and one in 2026. Three awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months, representing modest recompete exposure. In its sub-grant capacity, the Council received funding passed through the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management (two HMEP grant awards in January 2023 and December 2025), the State of Florida Department of Transportation (three transportation planning sub-grants under the Highlands/Heartland Regional TPO Unified Planning Work Program), the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc. (a DoD-funded forestry conservation award modified August 3, 2021), and unnamed state entities funding mobility management and transit operating assistance. Combined dollars obligated across all prime and sub-grant awards total $12.9 million. The portfolio reflects the Council's statutory role as a regional planning and coordination entity serving five counties (DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, and Polk) rather than a service delivery contractor.