County Of Big Horn

County Of Big Horn, a Montana county government based in Hardin, operates as a federal grant recipient (65% of awards as prime recipient) and sub-recipient, delivering local infrastructure, public health, emergency management, and airport operations support to federal agencies. As a U.S. local government entity without contracting authority, the county receives direct federal grants from transportation and health agencies and flows through sub-grants from the State of Montana for public health and social services programs.

The county's grant portfolio spans seventeen distinct federal agencies, with concentration among transportation and public health funders. The Federal Aviation Administration and its Northwest Mountain Region office dominate by award count (nine awards each to the same set of airport improvement programs), while the Department of Health and Human Services Indian Health Service carries the largest potential-value footprint at four awards worth $765 thousand combined. The Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs Rocky Mountain Region round out the active customer set. The gap between combined potential value ($879 thousand) and combined dollars obligated ($15.3 million) reflects the county's role as a sub-recipient flowing funds from state agencies; the obligated dollars track actual cash drawn down against sub-awards, many of which recur annually.

Recent prime grant work includes a $587,200 Project Grant from the Federal Highway Administration under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program (CFDA 20.939) awarded January 16, 2026, to develop a comprehensive transportation action plan addressing roadway safety in Big Horn County through January 2030. The county also received a $278,387 Formula Grant from the FAA under the Airport Improvement Program (CFDA 20.106) on August 24, 2023, to acquire snow removal equipment for Hardin airport, running through August 2027. As a sub-recipient, the county receives recurring annual allocations from the State of Montana Department of Health and Human Services for public health emergency preparedness (PHEP), public health surveillance and informatics (PHSI), immunizations, and women-infant-children nutrition programs (WIC), with most sub-awards flowing through since 2021 and continuing through 2025. The county also administered a victim-witness assistance program under a sub-grant from the Montana Board of Crime Control (awarded June 8, 2023) focused on crisis intervention and support services.

Activity shows one to four awards per year across 2022–2025, with most volume concentrated in the county's core mission areas of airport operations, public health infrastructure, and emergency services support rather than procurement-driven contracting.