Saint Louis County Administration Building

Saint Louis County Administration Building, a U.S. local government entity headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, operates adult detention center services and delivers community development and public safety grant-funded programs as a prime recipient and sub-recipient across federal grant portfolios. The entity competes in full-and-open contracting with no set-aside designations and holds a single-award Blanket Purchase Agreement with the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs Mid-West Region for detention services.

Saint Louis County's primary federal footprint divides into two distinct capability streams: detention and incarceration services under a $250,000 BPA awarded February 2, 2023, running through February 1, 2028, and a broad portfolio of HUD community development and public safety grant work. On the detention side, the county serves as the single awardee on the BPA with the Bureau of Indian Affairs Mid-West Region, issuing 22 recurring monthly or periodic call orders since inception, typically ranging from $320 to $4,000 per order, with performance at the Saint Louis County Adult Detention Center supporting the Bureau's law enforcement and criminal justice programs across Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Recent BPA calls include $1,360 (June 19, 2026), $1,840 (February 13, 2026), and $1,360 (September 23, 2025), all firm fixed price with no set-aside applied.

The grant portfolio reflects heavy concentration in HUD formula and project grants for affordable housing, homelessness services, and community development. The Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development dominates by award count (67 awards) across the Home Investment Partnerships Program (CFDA 14.239), Emergency Solutions Grant Program (CFDA 14.231), Community Development Block Grants (CFDA 14.227), and Continuum of Care Program (CFDA 14.267). Recent HUD grants include $488,460.43 (HOME, September 16, 2025), $170,291 (ESG, September 16, 2025), and $175,743 (CoC Program, September 1, 2025). Beyond HUD, Saint Louis County received $2.328 million from the Federal Railroad Administration for railroad crossing elimination planning (CFDA 20.327, awarded November 1, 2025), $1.849 million from NOAA's Office for Coastal Management for Lake Superior climate resilience planning (CFDA 11.473, awarded October 1, 2024), $449,900 from FEMA for port security grant initiatives (CFDA 97.056, awarded September 1, 2025), and $298,625 from the USDA Forest Service for hazardous fuel reduction (CFDA 10.697, awarded September 19, 2023). Justice-sector grants include $375,000 from the Office for Victims of Crime for elder abuse multidisciplinary team support (CFDA 16.582, awarded October 1, 2023) and two project grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance for jail reentry behavioral health coordination and substance use disorder treatment ($2023 award) and cross-agency behavioral health jail teams ($2022 award).

Federal grant sub-award activity reflects pass-through distribution to state transportation and public safety agencies. The Minnesota Department of Transportation appears across 18 sub-awards for road and bridge improvements, culvert replacement, pavement rehabilitation, striping, and safety surface treatments on county and city roads throughout Saint Louis County. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety receives sub-awards for crime victim services, DWI/traffic safety officer support, disaster relief coordination (DR-4659, DR-4722, DR-4797), and emergency management performance grants. The Minnesota Department of Human Services receives sub-awards for Medicaid administration and training (MA Admin & Training). The City of Duluth received a sub-award (March 13, 2025) for full-time social worker services.

Activity shows volatility across the five-year window (13 awards in 2022, 35 in 2023, 29 in 2024, 31 in 2025, 6 year-to-date in 2026), with 12 awards reaching ultimate completion in the next twenty-four months (combined potential value $5 thousand). The combined potential value of $287 thousand across 205 total awards reflects the low-dollar, recurring nature of detention center service calls (most under $4,000 each) combined with the inflated obligated-to-potential ratio; obligated dollars ($88.5 million) far exceed potential value because grant awards fully fund multi-year service obligations that the contract data structures as low ceiling values. The source identifies a subsidiary, ST Louis County Of Inc, but no independent operational or capability distinction from the parent entity.