Centralina Council Of Governments

Centralina Council of Governments, a U.S. local government council-of-governments entity based in Charlotte, North Carolina, operates as a prime recipient of federal grants for regional economic development, workforce training, transportation infrastructure, environmental remediation, and clean energy coordination across its nine-county service area in the greater Charlotte metropolitan region. The organization does not hold federal contracts or IDVs; it participates exclusively in grant programs as a prime recipient (41% of recent awards) and as a sub-recipient of pass-through grants from state and federal grantees (59% of recent awards).

The organization's grant portfolio centers on four primary capability areas. The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration funds Centralina as a sub-recipient under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs, channeled through the North Carolina Department of Commerce, supporting adult employment services, dislocated worker retraining, and youth workforce development across its service area. The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration funds regional infrastructure planning and financing strategy development, including a $524,000 Cooperative Agreement (award date April 11, 2024, completion March 2027) for regional infrastructure accelerator work on the LYNX Silver Line transit design, mobility hubs pilot projects, intercity commuter rail expansion, and county paratransit scheduling systems across rural communities. The Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 awarded Centralina a $1.5 million Cooperative Agreement (October 1, 2024, completion September 30, 2028) under the Brownfields Multipurpose Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup program (CFDA 66.818) to conduct 30 Phase I and 16 Phase II environmental site assessments, site-specific sampling plans, reuse studies, and area-wide plans across nine North Carolina counties. The Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy funds Centralina as a Clean Cities and Communities Coalition coordinator; the most recent award is a $130,000 Cooperative Agreement (April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027) supporting stakeholder engagement, technical assistance, and outreach for transportation energy innovation across the Charlotte region. EPA Region 4 also awarded a $1 million Cooperative Agreement (July 1, 2023, completion June 30, 2027) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) for development of a Priority Climate Action Plan and Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for the Charlotte metropolitan area, with deliverables due in March 2024 and Summer 2025. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living funds Centralina as a sub-recipient for senior transportation services coordination and supportive services under Title III of the Older Americans Act.

Centralina's customer concentration is heavily weighted toward Department of Labor (17 awards, approximately 37% of the award count in the top-five set) and Department of Commerce (9 awards, approximately 20%), which together account for 76% of recent awards across the top five funding agencies. Activity has grown from two awards in 2022 to ten in 2024; only two awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating limited near-term recompete exposure. The organization's sub-recipient footprint is dominated by pass-through grants from the North Carolina Department of Commerce (WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs awarded October 2021 through October 2025) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (senior services under the Older Americans Act). Centralina also acts as a sub-recipient under the USAging organization on caregiver navigation and vaccination access initiatives.