Nebraska Infrastructure Hub Celebrates One Year of Empowering Communities

In recent years, many state and local agencies struggled to navigate the complex world of federal grants, especially those tied to transportation projects. Now, millions of dollars in available federal discretionary funds are within reach thanks to the Nebraska Infrastructure Hub (IHub).

As Nebraska’s first intergovernmental resource focused solely on helping state and local public agencies compete for federal discretionary grants, IHub resulted in hundreds of hours of assistance, thousands of miles traveled, and hundreds of thousands of dollars secured in grant funding in just its first year.

But more than that, IHub brought hope to state and local public agencies that their critical projects can become reality.

IHub, launched in August 2024, was created in response to the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021. The IIJA introduced unprecedented federal discretionary funding opportunities, but local agencies often found that applying for grants can be complicated. 

“Local agencies were not ready to go after the billions of dollars that were out there through discretionary grants,” said Jodi Gibson, NDOT’s local assistance division manager. “One of the biggest hurdles that we heard from our local public agencies was their lack of discretionary grant knowledge. Whether that was applying for them, managing the projects, it was a huge need for Nebraska.”

Now IHub is offering that much-needed support. From application assistance to grant management, this online tool serves as a one-stop shop for local agencies, ensuring they can compete for federal discretionary grants with confidence.

“We vet their project to see if it's a project that is worth going after a discretionary grant, and that it meets the merit criteria,” Gibson said. “We have two full-time consultants that we have hired to help write the discretionary grant application. Through that process we also vet it for what would be the best grant for them to apply for.”

From the IHub website, local agencies can conduct a number of activities, including:

• Access a grant pairing portal and information;
• Receive a breakdown of federal discretionary grants; and
• Request a letter of support for projects and more.

Mike Helgerson, executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Agency, which serves the Greater Omaha-Council Bluffs area, said tools like the grant pairing portal are a game changer for the communities they work with.

“I applaud NDOT's thoughtful approach and helping communities navigate the federal grant process,” Helgerson said.

One of the funding opportunities available is through bridge bundling. Bridge bundling through NDOT’s IHub allows local agencies that need bridges replaced to consolidate their grant application. If funding is awarded, it is split between the respective counties for their projects.

Saline County is one of those local agencies. Bruce Filipi, the county’s highway superintendent, said they are looking to replace a bridge east of Swanton. IHub is assisting Saline County along with 10 other counties applying for Bridge Investment Program (BIP) funding.

“The Infrastructure Hub is making funding available so we can replace bridges faster than waiting three to five years down the road,” Filipi said.

While Saline County is in the early stages of the process, the IHub has already yielded success, especially when it comes to outreach.

So far, IHUB has engaged with representatives from all 93 Nebraska counties, while NDOT staff have traveled nearly 5,700 miles to meet with 286 stakeholders in 15 counties and provided more than 160 hours of direct assistance. Beyond that, they’ve managed 18 awarded projects totaling more than $177 million in grants and grants approved by congress, supported 60 local agencies from 50 counties, reviewed 86 projects for funding opportunities, and are currently assisting locals in securing funding for 45 of those projects.
 
In 2024, IHub announced 37 awards across 18 counties totaling more than $56 million in discretionary transportation grants, and $98 million in grants approved by congress. So far in 2025, six awards have been announced across four counties totaling nearly $74 million in discretionary transportation grants.

This crucial work is getting noticed. In July, NDOT brought home two regional awards from the 2025 America's Transportation Awards competition announced by the Western Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. IHub won the award for "Quality of Life and Community Development."

“I'm very excited that we now have a year underneath our belt of the Infrastructure Hub. We've learned a lot, and we now know how to better help our local agencies. I'm excited for what the future holds,” Gibson said. 

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