BALTIMORE — Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Monday laid out how the city plans to spend $641 million of federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Beginning October 1, nonprofit organizations will be able to seek funding here.
Although awards wont be announced until a later date this month or next, funding is expected to go toward continued COVID-19 recovery, community violence reduction initiatives, economic recovery, workforce development, and broadband availability.
Scott says funding will be focused towards black, brown, and women-owned businesses, as well as artists and creators.
A virtual informational session will be held September 28 for nonprofits to provide details on eligible uses of funds and the application process.
Once a proposal is received, it is reviewed by a seven-member team. The Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs and advisors assist the applicants with the development of a budget and program design. City agencies and non-profit organizations must provide supplemental documentation to complete an application. Then, proposals are scored by a review team, which makes funding recommendations to the Mayor. Proposals where equity and partnership are central tenets of the project will be scored the highest.
City Council President Nick Mosby said he plans to introduce legislation that would require quarterly oversight hearings, publicly reported data analysis and ongoing equity assessments to monitor the city’s disbursement of federal funds.
