Ten pilot communities each to be presented with millions of dollars of grant solutions they qualify for instead of needing to manually search complex grant systems
MARQUETTE, Mich., Feb. 27, 2025 – Syncurrent, a Marquette-based technological startup, today announced the selection of ten pilot communities part of a grant cohort through funds allocated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development.
These pilot communities will have access to Syncurrent’s platform, which - after the communities merely input the name of their governmental unit - will deliver a tailored list of relevant federal and state and funding opportunities for which they are eligible.
There is no limit to how many individual subscriptions each pilot community can utilize, allowing each department to take advantage of the service, which costs $49 per month per department. Through the platform, each community will be presented with millions of dollars of grants they qualify for.
“These pilot communities often lack the necessary resources, including dedicated staff to pursue meaningful grant opportunities,” said Dhruv C. Patel, co-founder and CEO of Syncurrent. “We are excited to partner with these ten pilot communities to help them pursue the grants they qualify for, so they can focus on what matters most - supporting and providing critical services to the residents they serve.”
While more than one trillion grant-based dollars are made available to small governments annually, many local governments and Tribal Nations lack the staff, resources and ability to navigate the overwhelming complexities of grant funding. Syncurrent’s platform indexes grant platforms like grants.gov on a daily basis, presenting pilot communities with up-to-date solutions regardless of any potential shifts to grant availability.
Syncurrent’s platform utilizes artificial intelligence to comb through each pilot’s publicly available data that comprises critical elements of the grant search process, which will save each community hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in yearly labor costs.
Initially offering a six-community pilot, Syncurrent expanded the number of communities to ten based on an overwhelming response to the application. Pilot communities will receive immediate access to Syncurrent’s platform and implementation team, as well as support from the USDA Rural Development team.
Pilot communities include:
- City of Marquette
- Lac Vieux Desert Tribe
- Village of Cassopolis
- Chippewa County
- Village of Brooklyn
- City of Charlevoix
- City of Escanaba
- Township of Fife Lake
- City of Alpena
- Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
“Local governments, especially small rural municipalities, are struggling from a lack of money and staff capacity,” said Marquette Deputy City Manager Sean Hobbins. “Syncurrent offers a solution to both of these by eliminating the tedious portion of grant procurement in order to allow staff to concentrate their time on actually seeking funding.”
According to the Peter G Peterson Foundation, federal grants typically represent 17 percent of a municipality’s overall budget alone. And while the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided a crucial funding mechanism for local governments to weather the pandemic, ARPA regulations require local governments to return grant funding that remains unobligated beyond the December 2024 end-of-year deadline to the U.S. Department of Treasury. As a result, communities will need to more earnestly pursue additional funding sources to continue supporting their residents.
Through this pilot, Syncurrent is working toward becoming a long-term, sustainable partner to underserved communities. Announcements about future opportunities will come at a later date.
About Syncurrent
Founded in 2022, Syncurrent is a Marquette-based AI technology startup bridging the funding access gap for tribal nations and rural communities. Through its innovative platform, Syncurrent matches these communities with customized federal and state funding opportunities, empowering communities to pursue financial investments with greater ease. Syncurrent’s location in Marquette, a rural community neighboring five tribal nations, is an ideal setting for a startup aimed at closing the gap between access and funding. For more information, visit www.syncurrent.com.
