City Of ELY

City Of Ely, a municipal government in Ely, Minnesota, operates as a federal grant recipient and occasional service provider to federal agencies, with the vast majority of its federal activity routed through grant awards rather than competitive contracting. The city's role is overwhelmingly that of project recipient (94% of awards) rather than subcontractor, and it does not hold seats on government-wide contract vehicles.

City Of Ely's federal footprint is dominated by infrastructure and community development grants. The Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accounts for the largest share of awards (20 awards across the Great Lakes Region and agency-level designations), funding airport capital improvements and planning work including a $294,800 Project Grant (CFDA 20.106, Airport Improvement Program) awarded July 27, 2023, for airport master plan and layout plan updates (completion July 26, 2027), and a $166,360 Project Grant (same CFDA) for reconstruction of 235 feet of taxilane pavement (completion July 26, 2027). The Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service awarded a $1.3 million Project Grant (CFDA 10.766, Community Facilities Loans and Grants) on September 23, 2025, for essential community facility development (completion September 23, 2027). The city also received $2.687 million under the Economic Adjustment Assistance program (Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration) on July 12, 2022, to construct the Ely Regional Trailhead Facility, a tourism infrastructure project designed to support economic recovery in a tourism-dependent region that experienced pandemic-driven payroll declines of up to 18 percent. Additionally, the FAA awarded $225,500 under the American Rescue Plan Act (January 28, 2022) for airport operations and pandemic response costs.

Recent contract activity consists of four small firm fixed-price purchase orders issued by the General Services Administration Region 9 and Department of the Interior Region 9 in July and August 2026 for land rental services (combined value $71,644.45) with completion by early September 2026. No awards carry small business set-asides, and no contract vehicles or IDIQs are held. The city also acts as a sub-recipient on two infrastructure grants involving water system rehabilitation and sanitary/storm sewer replacement (awards dated December 8, 2025, and October 15, 2024, respectively), receiving sub-grant allocations from a parent federal award. Activity has been sparse and episodic — two awards in 2022, two in 2023, one in 2024, two in 2025, and four in 2026 — with only one award completing within the next twenty-four months (the land rental purchase orders), indicating minimal recompete exposure.