What’s in the $2T infrastructure plan for small business federal vendors

      President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion American Jobs Act infrastructure plan is an ambitious blueprint for federal investment not only in traditional public construction projects--including highways, bridges, transit systems and waterways--but also in schools, housing, electric grids, drinking water, broadband and more.

      Much of it is likely to be managed by states and localities, including $115 billion for roads and bridges and $105 billion for mass transit repairs.

      The portion that appears most accessible to small business federal contractors would include $300 billion in manufacturing and $180 billion in research and development, much of which will be managed at the federal level.

      Other programs likely to be accessible to federal contractors include plans for rebuilding federal offices and facilities, waterways and Amtrak as well as for development and implementation of “clean” technologies to combat climate change and reduce environmental damage. For example, there is funding to update the federal fleet with electric vehicles.

      Biden’s team says the eight-year spending plan would be paid for within 15 years by restoring a portion of the taxes on corporations that were cut in the 2017 tax law, along with measures to reduce offshoring of corporate profits and other tax changes.

      Here are more details on what the American Jobs Act contains that would be likely to benefit small businesses and federal vendors:

Manufacturing

      The $300 billion to be invested to revitalize manufacturing under the plan would include:

• $100 billion for strengthening supply chains, including $50 billion for a new office at the Commerce Dept. to monitor domestic capacity for producing critical goods; and another $50 billion for semiconductor manufacturing and research;
• $46 billion in federal procurement of “clean energy” goods and services;
• $34 billion for innovation hubs, including $20 billion in regional innovation hubs and a Community Revitalization Fund, and $14 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Biden also wants to quadruple funding for the Manufacturing Extensions Partnership to increase minority and rural community participation;
• $31 billion in programs that give small businesses access to credit, venture capital and research funds; and
• $30 billion for improved pandemic preparedness with manufacturing and research to support a stockpile of critical products such as masks, tests and vaccines; and
• $5 billion for a new Rural Partnership Program, to help rural communities and tribes access federal programs.

Research & development

      The $180 billion allocated for research and development would include:

• $50 billion for the National Science Foundation;
• $40 billion for upgrading research laboratories, including $20 billion for Historically Black Colleges & Universities and other institutions serving minorities; and
• $35 billion for climate change research.

Other programs

• $400 billion to expand home care for the aged and for people with disabilities;
• $174 billion for electric federal vehicles, including for the Post Office;
• $111 billion for replacing lead pipes and improving drinking water;
• $100 billion for workforce training;
• $100 billion for broadband;
• $100 billion for the electric grid;
• $80 billion to modernize Amtrak;
• $50 billion for “infrastructure resilience” through FEMA, HUD and the Dept. of Transportation;
• $18 billion for Veterans Affairs buildings;
• $17 billion for waterways and coastal ports; and
• $10 billion for federal buildings.

More information:
White House Fact Sheet: Fact Sheet on American Jobs Plan

What’s in the $2T infrastructure plan for small business federal vendors

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