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Matt is a public affairs and grant consultant with a proven track record of securing over $1.4 billion in funding for projects across the United States, totaling more than $2 billion in value. His expertise spans federal, state, and private grant programs, with successful awards from agencies including the EDA, Department of Energy, USDA, DOT, DOJ, NSF, FEMA, and NTIA.
Matt has worked with a wide array of clients, including state and local governments, tribal nations, utilities, broadband providers, community colleges, universities, economic development organizations, and cleantech startups. His projects have delivered transformative outcomes in areas such as infrastructure, transportation, broadband expansion, clean energy, workforce development, education, and environmental justice.
Under his leadership, WPA has become a trusted partner for clients nationwide, offering services in grant writing, program design, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and project management.

Matt Watkins, CEO and Principal Consultant

Watkins Public Affairs

As the Principal at WPA, I am deeply committed to advancing economic mobility and enhancing the quality of life in communities nationwide. At WPA, our primary focus is on helping clients win and manage federal grants, state grants, and earmarks, excelling in securing funds for economic development, critical infrastructure, transportation, broadband and digital equity, clean energy projects, workforce development, education, and environmental justice initiatives. We serve a diverse clientele, including private, nonprofit, and public sectors, such as universities, local and state governments, ISPs, utilities, electric cooperatives, tribal governments, cleantech start-ups, incubators, economic development corporations, workforce boards, and community colleges.

Throughout my career, I have helped clients secure over $1.5 million in funding for projects totaling over $2.5 billion. At WPA, our comprehensive services include federal grant writing for agencies such as the EDA, Department of Energy, DOL, DOT, USDA, NSF, DoD, NTIA, ITA, FEMA, DOJ, DOI, and more. We also offer program design, program evaluation, stakeholder engagement, project management, organizational development, strategic planning, foundation grant writing, congressionally directed spending application support, and state grant writing.

We specialize in working with regional coalitions to pursue funding for cross-sector initiatives. Our expertise includes the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and CHIPS and Science Act. We support clients by assessing needs, developing strategies, identifying funding opportunities, tailoring programs and plans to fit funding requirements, and compiling competitive proposals. 

We support clients through every step of the process:
Assessing Needs: Understanding the specific requirements and goals.

Developing Strategies: Crafting tailored approaches to secure funding.
Identifying Funding Opportunities: Finding the right grants and funding sources.
Designing Programs: Aligning programs and plans to fit funding requirements.
Writing Competitive Proposals: Creating compelling and competitive applications

WPA is committed to supporting initiatives that promote economic opportunity and improved quality of life in communities across the country. We do this by providing comprehensive federal grant, state grant, program design, and program evaluation services. Our team of Grant Advisors and subject matter experts have helped clients win over $1.5 billion in federal funding over the course of their careers from over a dozen state and federal agencies.

note - talk about state grants, federal grants, and founadtion grants

we help prepare you - design programs, strategic planning, needs assesment, grant research, grant writing, and post award compliance

we work with organizations nationwide and are basedi n chicago

have worked with clients in 39 states and puerto rico
use chicago based images and government images in dc





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