Third Time's the Charm
Metro Strategies Group was retained by Lake County Division of Transportation (LCDOT) to prepare and submit a USDOT RAISE federal grant application for a regionally significant project, the Cedar Lake Road Realignment Project. Our team was brought in to prepare a new submittal after the first application originally submitted in 2022 was not selected for award. We worked with County staff and our technical partner, Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd to prepare a brand-new submittal in 2023 with a compelling narrative that clearly described the project scope, schedule, risks and benefits backed up by letters of support, solid data points, images and graphics to justify the projectβs importance.
Based on USDOT feedback, the project was rated as highly recommended across all selection criteria but still not selected. In 2024, we prepared an updated submittal which included fully revised and personalized stakeholder letters of support. We also worked with County staff and project partners to demonstrate the full support of state and federal representatives for the application. This time, we were successful, and LCDOT was selected for a federal grant award of $18.8 million for the Cedar Lake Realignment Project!
Remember, there will never be enough funding available to support all competitive projects and grant applications. Make sure to go back to funders and really listen to their feedback if an application is denied. Reach out again to stakeholders for updated letters of support and always provide a customized sample letter for each one. And always engage your state and federal representatives for federal grant applications to ensure they understand the projectβs importance and benefits for the communities they serve. For federal grants especially, third time's usally the charm.
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