City Of Grand Forks

City Of Grand Forks, a municipal government entity based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, operates as a federal grant recipient and prime contractor, deriving most of its federal funding from direct grants to support local public services rather than competitive contracting. The city holds no SBA designations and competes full-and-open across all federal funding streams.

The city's federal footprint centers on three capability areas: public transit operations and capital improvements, municipal emergency services and public safety, and municipal real estate and facility management. On the transit side, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has awarded the city multiple formula grants since 2021 totaling approximately $10.5 million combined potential value to fund fixed-route operating assistance, preventive maintenance for vehicles and facilities, and security expenditures. Representative grants include a $3.61 million FTA formula grant awarded July 14, 2025, for operating assistance and security camera installation (completion June 30, 2026); a $3.52 million FTA formula grant awarded March 30, 2026, for fixed-route operating assistance and vehicle/facility preventive maintenance (completion March 31, 2027); and a $704 thousand FTA formula grant awarded July 16, 2022, utilizing American Rescue Plan funding for bus fare collection servers, operating assistance, and security camera installation. Transit-related sub-awards from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services and state transportation authorities carry mobility management and vehicle replacement activities totaling approximately $400 thousand across recent awards.

Public safety and emergency response funding flows through the Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program, and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The city received a $375 thousand COPS Hiring Program grant (CFDA 16.068) awarded October 1, 2025, to hire additional law enforcement officers and implement community policing strategies (completion September 30, 2030). A prior $750 thousand COPS Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing grant (CFDA 16.710) was awarded October 1, 2022 (completion September 30, 2027). The city received a $499 thousand AFG program grant from FEMA on September 30, 2025, to enhance firefighter safety and fire department operations (completion September 29, 2027). Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) block grants have funded ballistic protective equipment, communications gear, and law enforcement tools for the Grand Forks Police Department and Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office. The city also receives sub-awards from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services supporting public health emergency preparedness, HIV care coordination, cancer prevention, and immunization activities.

Community development funding flows from the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program under entitlement formulas. The city holds multiple CDBG formula grant awards, most recently a $1 million entitlement grant awarded October 1, 2024 (completion September 1, 2033), and prior awards dating to 2021. Sub-awards from the State of North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality support lead service line replacement. Economic development grants include a project grant from the Economic Development Administration awarded December 30, 2024, to fund road improvements accommodating agricultural processing facility expansion (completion March 30, 2029), enabling an expected 15 job creation and $45.5 million in private investment in soybean processing.

On the contract side, the city holds a single firm fixed-price intergovernmental support agreement valued at $2.25 million with the Air Combat Command for refuse and recycling collection services at Grand Forks Air Force Base, awarded September 1, 2021 (completion August 31, 2026). This full-and-open award was delivered without set-aside designation.

Customer concentration sits heavily with federal grant programs rather than competitive contracts. The Department of the Air Force accounts for 72 awards (driven by the refuse/recycling contract and associated facility leasing), the Federal Transit Administration 36 awards, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development 19 awards, covering 57% of total award count. However, the vast majority of dollar value (combined obligated amount of $133.8 million across 261 awards) reflects formula grant disbursements and reimbursements for direct city operations rather than discrete procurement orders. The combined potential value of $2.5 million across all awards is substantially understated relative to obligated dollars, indicating ongoing formula grant drawdowns rather than new awards.

The city places the majority of work on two General Services Administration vehicle platforms: GSA Basic Ordering Agreement GS08B14269 carries 32 task orders ($76 thousand combined potential value) and supports facility management; GSA Indefinite Delivery Contract GS08P98VJM0033 carries one task order ($7 thousand potential value). An Air Force Indefinite Delivery Contract F3260580D7055 anchors 60 task orders, predominantly related to the Grand Forks Air Force Base refuse and recycling services and facility leasing. The city's NAICS coding reflects its operational footprint: "Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses)" accounts for 33 awards, and "Water Supply and Irrigation Systems" for 5 awards, reflecting property management and municipal utility operations. Top PSC coding shows "Utilities—Water" (83 awards) dominating the service profile.

Subcontract activity centers on pass-through grants from state agencies. North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services is the primary pass-through entity across 25+ sub-awards supporting public health emergency preparedness (CFDA 93.069), HIV care coordination (CFDA 93.917), cancer prevention (CFDA 93.898), and immunization programs (CFDA 93.268). State of North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality sub-awards fund lead service line replacement. State Historical Society of North Dakota sub-awards support historic preservation administration and planning. North Dakota Department of Transportation sub-awards fund traffic safety overtime enforcement.

Activity has grown modestly year over year—10 awards in 2022 to 21 in 2024, with a recent slowdown to 6 awards through June 2026—reflecting the periodic nature of federal grant solicitations and formula reapportionment cycles. Six awards (combined potential value $2.3 million) face completion within the next twenty-four months, primarily formula grant cycles renewing automatically. The city operates as a direct beneficiary of federal infrastructure and public-safety funding streams rather than a federal contractor pursuing opportunities through market competition; its role is that of a municipal service provider accessing entitlement and formula grant programs for which it qualifies by governance structure and population characteristics.