The State Budget Department told the Joint Appropriations Committee it has stood up a Wyoming Grants Management Office and a public Grants Connect hub to help local governments identify and compete for federal and state grant opportunities.

"We have an ROI, 18 to 1," Director Kevin Hibbert and staff said while describing initial results from a $500,000 appropriation used to seed the office. Officials later clarified that on post‑award management metrics they track a larger return (presented as a formulaic metric tied to the initial appropriation and follow‑on funds).

The office described a three‑phase approach: publish a Wyoming‑specific grants database (the Grants Connect hub), provide application and competitiveness help, and supply post‑award management support to reduce compliance risk for smaller jurisdictions. Staff said the hub surfaces hundreds of federal and state programs tailored to Wyoming and that their team helps develop eligible, competitive applications and advise on OMB/2 CFR 200 compliance.

To scale the effort, the department requested two permanent positions and $3.7 million in contract services that officials described as a "force multiplier" to deliver technical assistance statewide. "We have a track record for post award grants management services of a 200 to 1 return on investment," they said, explaining how their metrics account for the relative budget impact on the recipient and program type.

Why this matters: Local governments and small agencies often decline federal opportunities because of perceived compliance burdens; the grants office aims to increase successful applications and reduce audit/repayment risks by centralizing expertise and providing direct technical support.

Next steps: Committee members praised the approach and asked for continued transparency of outcomes; the department said dashboards and Power BI reports tied to ARPA and other program metrics will be available on the State Budget Department website.