Washington cities are set to receive over $1 billion in federal funds; however, the Treasury Department says cities need to take a few important steps now to be ready to receive funds in the coming weeks.

Is my city classified as an entitlement city or a non-entitlement city?

Entitlement cities under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act are defined as cities with a population of more than 50,000 and who receive direct federal funding through Community Development Block Grants (CDBG).

Non-entitlement cities under the ARP Act are defined as cities with a population less than 50,000. This definition also includes cities that have a population of over 50,000 but do not receive direct CDBG funding.

Entitlement cities

According to the Treasury, cities classified as “metropolitan cities” must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) database at SAM.gov in order to receive payment. The DUNS and SAM registration process may take several business days to complete, so it is recommended that cities begin the registration processes now if you have not already completed them.

The Treasury recommends that entitlement cities take the following steps as soon as possible:

1. Ensure your city has a valid DUNS number
   A DUNS number is a unique nine-character number used to identify an organization and is issued by Dun & Bradstreet. The federal government uses the DUNS number to track how federal money is allocated. A DUNS number is required prior to registering with the SAM database, the process for which is outlined below. Registering for a DUNS number is free of charge.
   
   If your city does not have a valid DUNS number, visit https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ or call 1-866-705-5711 to begin the registration process.

2. Ensure your city has an active SAM registration
   SAM is the official government-wide database used for doing business with the U.S. government. All federal financial assistance recipients must register on SAM.gov and renew their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status and to be eligible to receive federal financial assistance. There is no charge to register or maintain your entity SAM registration. If an entity does not have an active SAM registration, visit SAM.gov to begin the entity registration or renewal process.
   
   Please note that SAM registration can take up to three weeks; a delay in registering with SAM could impact the timely payment of funds.
   
   Click here for a quick overview of SAM registration.

3. Gather the entity’s payment information, including:
   • Entity Identification Number (EIN), name, and contact information;
   • Name and title of an authorized representative of the entity; and
   • Financial institution information (e.g., routing and account number, financial institution name and contact information).

Non-entitlement cities

Non-entitlement cities will receive funding through the state. AWC has learned that the state will distribute federal ARP Act funds through the Office of Financial Management (OFM). We will work with OFM to determine the process for distributing funds to non-entitlement cities.

The Treasury recommends that non-entitlement cities obtain a DUNS number as soon as possible. A DUNS number is a unique nine-character number used to identify an organization and is issued by Dun & Bradstreet. The federal government uses the DUNS number to track how federal money is allocated. A DUNS number is required prior to registering with the SAM database, the process for which is outlined below. Registering for a DUNS number is free of charge.

If your city does not have a valid DUNS number, visit https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ or call 1-866-705-5711 to begin the registration process.

AWC received clarification that non-entitlement cities are not required to register with the SAM database.

AWC also recommends that non-entitlement cities have the following information ready in order to receive funds from the state:

• Entity Identification Number (EIN), name, and contact information;
• Name and title of an authorized representative of the entity; and
• Financial institution information (e.g., routing and account number, financial institution name and contact information).

ARP resources

As more ARP resources become available, AWC will update our ARP webpage. The page includes links to helpful resources, an FAQ section, and a searchable database of project ARP allocations.

AWC encourages cities to begin planning now how you will use ARP funds in the coming years. For some helpful tips, check out this video about five things to remember as your plan how to spend your ARP allocation.

If you have questions regarding the ARP Act, please contact AWC.