Saint Johns County

Saint Johns County, a U.S. local government entity headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida, receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient across emergency management, transportation, housing, workforce development, and infrastructure programs, with no federal contracting footprint. The county acts as a direct grant recipient (34% of recent awards) and as a sub-recipient flowing federal funds from state intermediaries (66% of awards), primarily the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Saint Johns County's customer concentration is heavily weighted toward social services and emergency response. The top five funding agencies account for 79% of recent awards, led by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (88 awards across prime and sub work), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (56 awards), the Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (37 awards), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (14 awards). The HHS concentration reflects the county's role as a sub-recipient for community-based child welfare services passed through the Florida Department of Children and Families, with recurring July 1 sub-awards supporting lead agency functions across multiple fiscal years.

Recent prime grant work exemplifies the county's capability profile. A $400,000 Cooperative Agreement from the EPA Region 4 under the Congressionally Mandated Projects program (CFDA 66.202), awarded May 1, 2026 with completion April 30, 2027, funds stormwater infrastructure improvements in the North Rodriguez neighborhood—construction of approximately 200 linear feet of new drainage pipe, clearing and grubbing of two existing stormwater ponds, and replacement of a deteriorated outfall structure. A $7.06 million Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant from FEMA (CFDA 97.083), awarded March 2, 2025 with a three-year performance period through March 1, 2028, supports hiring and retention of firefighters. A $4.88 million Federal Transit Formula Grant (CFDA 20.507) from the Federal Transit Administration, awarded June 28, 2023, covers one year of operating costs, preventive maintenance, and bus replacement for the St. Johns County Sunshine Bus Company's deviated fixed-route and demand-response public transportation services. Additional prime recipients include a $320,000 Safe Streets and Roads for All planning and demonstration grant (CFDA 20.939) from the Federal Highway Administration awarded September 18, 2025, a $358,409 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (CFDA 97.044) from FEMA awarded September 30, 2025, and a $155,952 Buses and Bus Facilities Formula Grant (CFDA 20.526) from the Federal Transit Administration awarded July 16, 2025.

Activity has accelerated markedly—five awards in 2022 to a peak of 74 in 2024, declining to 17 in 2025 and 7 in 2026 year-to-date. This pattern reflects the concentration of emergency-response sub-awards routed through the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management following hurricanes and other disaster events; many of these sub-awards carry brief award windows and high turnover. The combined dollars obligated across all 248 awards (prime and sub) totals $201.3 million. The recompete cliff shows five awards with ultimate completion dates in the next twenty-four months, representing limited near-term exposure relative to the overall portfolio.

Saint Johns County operates a single named IDV, the Indefinite Delivery Contract V573R32, with three task orders to date. The county's sub-award footprint is predominantly pass-through; dozens of sub-awards from the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management document debris removal, emergency protective measures, beach replenishment, stormwater infrastructure repair, and pump station equipment repairs following hurricane and coastal-flood events. Federal grant work spans workforce development (a $7.84 million Economic Development Administration grant to design and construct a 20,000-square-foot workforce training center in Hastings, awarded September 9, 2024), public health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration rural EMS training grant awarded September 30, 2024), and housing counseling (HUD Comprehensive Housing Counseling grants and Community Development Block Grants across multiple fiscal years). The county receives formula-basis allocations from HUD for community development block grants and from the Federal Transit Administration for public transit operations, underscoring its role as an entitlement-grant recipient for ongoing local infrastructure and service delivery.