County Of Merced

County Of Merced is a U.S. local government entity headquartered in Merced, California, that receives federal grants as a prime recipient across homelessness, airport infrastructure, emergency management, and social services programs, while also serving as a sub-recipient for state-administered federal programs in aging services, workforce development, and child welfare. The county does not hold federal contracts; all of its federal footprint is grant-funded, split almost evenly between prime grants (46% of recent awards) and sub-grants passed through state agencies (54%).

The county's grant portfolio spans thirty distinct federal agencies, with concentration in three primary customer streams. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living leads by award count with 64 primary grants and 16 sub-grants, anchored in senior nutrition, supportive services, and caregiver support programs flowing through the California Department of Aging. The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development is the second-largest grantor by volume, with 45 awards predominantly under the Continuum of Care (CoC) program (CFDA 14.267), which funds permanent housing, rapid rehousing, transitional housing, and supportive services for persons experiencing homelessness in Merced County. Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters has issued 21 awards, including the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program (CFDA 97.044) and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program (CFDA 97.083), which fund equipment procurement and emergency response personnel for the county's fire services and sheriff's rapid DNA forensics system.

Recent prime-grant activity demonstrates the county's infrastructure and community-development pipeline. A $370,253 CoC program award (effective January 2026 through December 2026) supports housing and supportive service projects; an $200,000 Airport Improvement Program grant (awarded August 2025, completion August 2029) under the FAA Western Pacific Region funds repair and modernization of a sponsor-owned FAA contract tower serving Atwater; and a $450,000 Cooperative Agreement (CFDA 20.945) from the Department of Transportation's Immediate Office of the Secretary funds facilitation and evaluation of public-private partnerships for an inland port project in Merced County, running through February 2028. The county also holds FEMA grants totaling $1,570,906.84 for firefighting equipment and training and $378,200 for emergency response staffing.

Sub-grant flow is dominated by California state intermediaries. The California Department of Aging passes through federal Older Americans Act funding for nutrition services (NSIP), supportive services, disease prevention, long-term care ombudsman, and family caregiver support programs; the state Department of Social Services administers federal TANF, SNAP, foster care, adoption assistance, and family preservation funding; the California Department of Public Health distributes maternal and child health and immunization program funds; and the California Employment Development Department channels federal workforce development and disaster-relief funding. The county also receives sub-awards from the State of California Office of Emergency Services for hazard mitigation planning, emergency management, victim services, and disaster debris removal.

Activity has grown materially over the past five years — from 22 awards in 2022 to a peak of 55 in 2024, settling at 47 in 2025 and 13 in the first half of 2026. Three awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months and represent recompete exposure. The county's grant portfolio is characterized by recurring, formula-based allocations in aging, child welfare, and social services flowing through state pass-through mechanisms, supplemented by project-specific awards for emergency response, airport modernization, and homelessness prevention.