Mid America Regional Council

Mid America Regional Council (MARC) is a U.S. government entity and council of governments serving the Kansas City metropolitan region, registered in SAM.gov since October 2003 with a current registration expiration date of September 16, 2026. As a regional planning and administrative organization, MARC functions as a metropolitan planning organization that coordinates across multiple jurisdictions in Kansas and Missouri to advance regional development initiatives. Through its federal grant awards, MARC provides comprehensive planning, program administration, and public outreach services focused on transportation, environmental sustainability, public safety, social services, and community development across the Greater Kansas City region.

MARC's federal grant portfolio demonstrates substantial breadth across multiple agencies and program areas. In transportation, MARC has received numerous awards from the Federal Transit Administration under the Federal Transit Formula Grants program (CFDA 20.507) supporting the "Way to Go" regional rideshare program, active transportation initiatives promoting walking and bicycling, and regional air quality public education campaigns—with prime awards ranging from $541,860 to $1,158,500 for planning and program administration activities. The organization has also received Federal Highway Administration funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program ($400,000) to develop comprehensive safety action plans and improve traffic signal infrastructure through the SMART Grants Program ($734,653). In public safety and justice, MARC has administered Bureau of Justice Assistance grants for an automated license plate reader expansion program ($644,000+) and co-responder programs addressing mental health crises in law enforcement encounters. MARC has further received Department of Transportation and state department funding for Operation Greenlight traffic management systems and planning sustainable places initiatives. Beyond transportation, MARC's awards span environmental work through EPA Region 7 funding for regional climate mitigation planning ($amount unspecified under Inflation Reduction Act), wetlands conservation finance tools ($240,000), and stormwater infrastructure standards; social services including Head Start and Early Head Start programs through the Office of Head Start, refugee microenterprise development through the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Continuum of Care homeless services through HUD, and community-based services for seniors through the Administration on Aging and Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services; and behavioral health through SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services ($amount varies) for mobile crisis response coordination. MARC functions extensively as a pass-through entity, distributing sub-awards to state transportation departments (Kansas and Missouri), local cities and authorities (Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, City of Independence), community health organizations, and nonprofit partners, while also maintaining numerous direct sub-award relationships with organizations like Saint Louis University, Burrell Behavioral Health, and Rediscover for program implementation across the region.