Stormwater Community-Based Public-Private Partnership Program

What are Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships?

Community-Based Public-Private Partnerships (CBP3) are partnerships between a local government and a private entity to collaboratively plan, deliver, or maintain public stormwater projects. These partnerships are intended to achieve community benefits beyond stormwater improvements and permit compliance through performance-based contracts and alternative procurement.  

Stormwater CBP3 projects can vary greatly, ranging from a municipality installing green infrastructure on private land, to contracting to design/build a project on public land, to a single contract to deliver and maintain a multi-year program that achieves Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit requirements. 

Most communities do not have the in-house expertise or resources needed to initiate the development of a Stormwater CBP3. Our goal is to make Stormwater CBP3 and performance-based contracts more accessible to all communities, including smaller and underserved communities.

How will we encourage the development of Stormwater CBP3?

We are developing a Learning Network that will bring together stormwater program managers from around the state to learn, connect with their peers, and provide input to build our funding program. Our goal is to form a network of local government stormwater program managers and stakeholders interested in CBP3 and performance-based contracts to accelerate stormwater project delivery and develop a targeted funding program. 

CBP3 Learning Network Objectives:

• Explore public-private contracting models, funding, and finance for local government.
• Identify projects that are ready to apply for funding in 2024, 2025, and soon after.
• Increase knowledge about CBP3 and performance contracts for stormwater program managers.
• Identify common stormwater infrastructure goals and barriers faced by local governments.

The Learning Network represents part of a broader technical assistance project to support local governments in developing and delivering stormwater projects of this kind. 

Solicitation, identification and ranking of project applications are expected to happen between August to December 2024 as part of the Water Quality Combined Funding Program. Up to $3 million will be available for CBP3 Project grants to cities and counties. 

How will we develop this Program?

With the assistance of our contractor Environmental Incentives and consulting partners, we will:

• Develop outreach materials
• Identify interested local governments and evaluate their readiness for stormwater CBP3 and Performance-Based Contracting
• Assist pilot project planning
• Work with local governments to select partnership and contract structures
• Provide grant application assistance