ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A free online technical assistance program is available to help communities access grant funds by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the Michigan Municipal League.

The MI Funding Hub will serve all municipalities in the state, including villages, townships, cities and counties.

“The Michigan Association of Counties sees the value of this work,” said Derek Melot, director of communications and marketing of the Michigan Association of Counties. “County governments need help like this to sort through the many grant opportunities coming from federal and state sources.”

The MI Funding Hub includes a online library of available grants and funding opportunities that will help municipalities gain knowledge about funds available to them.

The league will also provide technical assistance, including training, outreach and an online help desk. These resources can help communities identify grants that best suit their needs.

“The new MI Funding Hub will help municipalities of all sizes and in all corners of the entire state more easily find opportunities to help fund local projects and initiatives. Searching for state and federal grants can be a complex maze of information and requirements.

“This important program will benefit every township, city, village and county, improving grant-seeking strategies and helping local leaders to better their communities,” said Judy Allen, government relations director of the Michigan Townships Association.

The hub will connect communities with funds from multiple sources. There are many new state and federal funds available, particularly from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

The league will also maintain a partial list of private resources, such as philanthropic foundations, that have funds directed towards municipal projects.

Municipal projects the hub will support include a variety of public projects, such as longstanding and future infrastructure needs, economic development, housing, water, transportation and workforce development.

“We are very proud to offer this program to Michigan’s communities,” said Dan Gilmartin, CEO and executive director of the league. “These resources are critical in helping our municipalities access the funding they need for growth, infrastructure and other projects to help them thrive.”

Many communities, especially those that are small and medium-sized, need help to navigate through their options to decide what best fits their community’s needs. The program primarily caters to smaller communities with limited capacity and disadvantaged ones that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.

“Rural communities are faced with both complex challenges and exciting opportunities — but, in order to build solutions or capitalize on new opportunities, they must navigate a complicated landscape of funding sources and agencies in order to find grants or technical,” said Sarah Lucas, director of the Office of Rural Prosperity at LEO. “Often, they’re unable to connect to the right resources because of time, budget and staff constraints. The MI Funding Hub’s centralized, searchable database of current and upcoming state and federal funding opportunities, coupled with opportunities for technical assistance, simplifies processes and improves access to important resources for the communities that need them most.”

To learn more about this program or get technical assistance in navigating funding opportunities, go to MIFundingHub.org or contact the league team at helpdesk@mifundinghub.org.