City Of Charleston

The City of Charleston, a U.S. local government entity located in Charleston, South Carolina, serves as both a prime recipient and administrator of federal contract and grant awards. Registered in SAM.gov since May 17, 2005, the City of Charleston leverages federal funding to support a diverse range of community development, public safety, infrastructure, and social service initiatives that enhance the quality of life for residents and strengthen regional economic development. As a municipality with substantial federal contracting and grant management capabilities, the City of Charleston has established itself as a key partner in implementing federal programs at the local level.

The City of Charleston's federal contract work has been primarily concentrated through its subsidiary entity, JR Transportation H E Pena (a Hispanic American-owned small business operated by Hernan Pena), which has served as the prime contractor on five definitive contracts awarded by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) between 2021 and 2024, totaling approximately $1.5 million. These contracts have focused on conducting regional transportation sector opportunity studies and development management services across multiple geographic regions. Specific contract awards include a $416,375 firm fixed-price contract for a regional desk study series on Sub-Saharan Africa transportation sector opportunities (completion date September 19, 2026), a $175,211 contract for Asia-Indo Pacific aviation development management services (completion date February 6, 2026), a $498,990 contract supporting regional Latin America and Caribbean transportation sector opportunities and definitional missions (completion date March 10, 2026), a $229,500 contract for regional Africa transportation sector opportunities assessments (completed June 23, 2024), and a $179,047 total small business set-aside contract for Latin America and Caribbean region transportation sector desk studies involving inherently governmental functions (completed May 14, 2024). The work performed under these contracts has included project assessments, development of technical reports, identification of climate-smart transportation solutions, terms of reference development, and project budget formulation, with all work performed in Charleston, South Carolina and subcontracted services limited to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents not exceeding 50 percent of total proposed costs.

The City of Charleston has received substantial federal grant funding through multiple prime grant awards totaling millions of dollars across diverse program areas. Housing and community development grants represent a significant portion of the City's grant portfolio, including recurring formula grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development such as the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (multiple awards including $528,030.42 in FY2025), Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for entitlement communities, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) formula grants ($1,212,240 awarded for FY2025-2028). Public safety and justice grants have also been substantial, including an $800,000 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant for community problem-oriented policing strategy implementation (October 2023 through September 2026), a $500,000 Office on Violence Against Women grant for trauma-informed law enforcement training (October 2024 through September 2027), and a $153,704 Community Oriented Policing Services grant supporting the Charleston Police Department Community Policing Leadership Institute (October 2024 through September 2026). The City has additionally received grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for port security enhancements ($832,600 awarded September 2025 and $163,339 awarded September 2024) and fire prevention and safety initiatives. Infrastructure and transportation grants include a BUILD grant for the Ashley River pedestrian bridge project (September 2022 through June 2028), a Safe Streets and Roads for All comprehensive safety action plan grant from the Federal Highway Administration (June 2024), and a SMART grants program award for advanced smart city technologies (July 2024). Cultural and historic preservation grants have been awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts for performing arts projects related to America's 250th anniversary (January 2025) and historic preservation initiatives, with the National Park Service funding a survey of African American settlement communities in Charleston County (April 2023). The City has also received workforce development and economic adjustment grants, including a $125,000 Economic Adjustment Assistance grant from the Economic Development Administration for a Business Development Lab (April 2021). In addition to prime grant awards, the City of Charleston has received numerous federal grant sub-awards administered through the South Carolina Adjutant General, State Law Enforcement Division, and South Carolina Department of Transportation for disaster response and recovery efforts, emergency protective measures, debris removal, property elevation, park improvements, and pedestrian connectivity projects.