Angela Styles Talks Federal Grants Under New U.S. Infrastructure Bill on The Daily Scoop

Akin Gump government contracts partner Angela Styles was interviewed on The Daily Scoop podcast regarding the United States’ new infrastructure bill that will provide $550 billion in federal spending, mostly through grants, for new investments in areas such as transportation, energy and broadband.

Styles notes that most companies are familiar with the government contract process, but, generally, have less understanding of grant regulations and rules. Further, Styles notes that there will be differences in these infrastructure grants, saying that there are several new areas of infrastructure to address. She added, “Some [grants] will be pushed down through the states through formulas or through grants that the states themselves will be competing for […] but there’s often federal grant requirements that come along with those for private companies and nonprofits. But a lot of them are competitive grants that are going to be coming directly from the Department of Energy or directly from the Department of Transportation.”

Styles also provided insight into common mistakes companies make during the federal grant process, saying, “There’s a fairly rigorous budget process, where they have to keep track of their costs; it’s a lot like cost accounting. […] There are very unique intellectual property provisions for the Department of Energy. I also find that a lot of companies don’t understand this idea of profit when it comes to grants.”

To listen to the full episode, with Styles’ segment beginning at the 1:40 mark, here.