Somerville, Massachusetts:
ARPA Grant Program Administration
The city of Somerville partnered with iParametrics to lead two key COVID-19 recovery efforts: one to maximize federal reimbursements for public costs, and another to support small businesses and nonprofits through targeted relief programs. Both engagements aimed to strengthen financial resilience and community recovery.
Situation
The City faced dual challenges: recovering public costs through FEMA and CARES funding, and revitalizing its small business sector impacted by the pandemic. Disadvantaged and hard-hit business owners needed equitable access to financial support, while the City needed expert guidance to manage federal funding with compliance and transparency.
Task
iParametrics was engaged to lead FEMA, CARES, and ARPA program management including application development, documentation, and compliance tracking. Simultaneously, the team supported a $4M small business loan program, helping to reach businesses that hadn’t benefited from prior funding rounds.
Action
Our team developed bilingual outreach, an online application portal in five languages, and a full grant tracking system. For FEMA/CARES cost recovery, we collaborated with City staff to optimize submissions and implemented best-practice compliance strategies for public reimbursements.
Result
Somerville secured the second-highest FEMA PA award among Massachusetts cities and fully deployed $4M in small business grants. The City achieved best-in-class compliance while increasing funding access for underrepresented business owners and earned recognition for financial stewardship and community impact.