Centralina Council Of Governments

Centralina Council of Governments, a U.S. local government council-of-governments entity based in Charlotte, North Carolina, receives federal grant funding as a recipient and sub-recipient to deliver regional infrastructure finance, workforce development, environmental remediation, climate action planning, and transportation innovation services across a ten-county North Carolina service area. The organization does not hold federal contracts and operates exclusively through cooperative agreements and project grants with no set-aside designation; 63% of its recent federal awards are as a sub-recipient flowing through state and non-profit prime grantees, primarily the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

Centralina's customer concentration centers on labor-workforce and regional development funding. The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration anchors 17 awards (30% of the portfolio by count), driven by Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) sub-awards passing through North Carolina state agencies for adult career services, dislocated worker reemployment, and youth employment programs across the region. The Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration accounts for 9 awards, the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living carries 7 awards including Older Americans Act Title III supportive services and congregate meal delivery, and the Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 and Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy each fund focused regional initiatives. These five agencies account for 72% of recent awards.

As a prime recipient, Centralina holds four substantial cooperative agreements. The Department of Transportation Immediate Office of the Secretary awarded $650,000 on July 27, 2026 (with completion July 26, 2029) for infrastructure finance innovation, project pipeline development, and regional coordination under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Program (CFDA 20.223) for Priority Connect Beyond projects benefiting the Charlotte region's commuter corridor. The EPA Region 4 awarded $1.5 million (cooperative agreement running through September 30, 2028) for Brownfields assessment and cleanup planning across nine North Carolina counties, including Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, site-specific sampling plans, and reuse studies under CFDA 66.818. The EPA also awarded $1 million (running through June 30, 2027) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046) for developing a Priority Climate Action Plan (due March 2024) and Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (due Summer 2025) with focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities in the Charlotte metropolitan area. The Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy provided $130,000 (April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027) under the Conservation Research and Development program (CFDA 81.086) to support stakeholder engagement, technical assistance, and outreach for transportation energy innovation through the Clean Cities and Communities Coalition coordinator role.

In its sub-recipient role, Centralina receives pass-through funding from state workforce agencies for WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs delivering career services and job placement to low-income and dislocated workers; from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for Title III supportive services and congregate meal delivery to older Americans; and from the Administration on Community Living sub-grantees for senior transportation coordination, dementia training for transit operators, and caregiver navigation pilot activities. Activity has accelerated from two awards in 2022 to twelve in 2024, with recent annual totals stabilizing around seven awards per year in 2025 and 2026. Combined dollars obligated across all 54 awards total $41.3 million, with only two awards facing ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, indicating minimal recompete pressure in the near term.