Developing a Successful Congressional Funding Initiative
By Glen Mandigo and Damian Kunko from SMI, Inc

Each year Congress and the President work out a federal budget for the upcoming government fiscal year that starts on 1 October. To participate in the development of a given fiscal year budget, companies and organizations need to communicate their interests and priorities to their elected Senators and Representatives (a.k.a. Lobby).

Whether a company chooses to approach its congressional delegation on a specific item of parochial interest or on a macro issue in which the company has only a small interest, there are eight criteria to consider in developing a successful congressional request. The more criteria that can be satisfied, the more likely the congressional request will be granted, and more importantly, that the request will be considered successful from the point of view of the requesting company, the federal agency customer, and the congressional sponsor. These criteria can be very useful in determining whether your project/technology is ready or appropriate to present to Congress for consideration. The eight criteria for a successful congressional initiative are as follows:

1) Clear link into company/organization business plan and/or research program strategy -- Congressional initiatives are not trial balloons. Government funding is long-term funding with lots of commitments required. The company needs to look out five years and develop an initiative that fits that five-year vision and helps the company achieve those long term goals.

2) Compelling case for economic development or community benefit -- In the context of the federal budget process, Members of Congress are investment bankers. They need to make the most of the available resources. The more jobs in the targeted region that will result from the federal investment, the better. In many cases downstream sustainable job growth is more important than immediate jobs or economic activity paid for through the federal investment.

3) Support from other organizations and/or businesses in the state or region (broad constituent interest) -- Members of Congress seek to satisfy the needs of as many people as possible, so the more support locally for the project, the better.

4) Aggressive federal customer or champion -- Some government agency must actually want what you are trying to develop or put in place. Federal agencies are often asked to comment on the merit and viability of projects proposed to Congress, and a negative response can cause significant problems for a project request. Agency customer support is also essential for the long-term success of the project and the transition of the technology or program into a sustainable application.

5) Achievable budget with clear objectives for the congressionally funded portion of the plan – Most congressional funding requests are multi year projects. In general, congressional offices will support only three to four years of funding and then they will expect the project to transition or end. The amount requested has to be consistent with the level of funding associated with the federal agency sponsor. Defense spending accounts for half of the discretionary federal budget, so higher funding levels are possible through the defense arena than in other federal agencies.

6) Politically responsive and/or attractive – Prospects for securing the active interests of a Senator or Representative in the project can be enhanced if the project lines up with individual interests or politically popular issues (e.g., armor for force protection).

7) Alignment with delegation strengths (e.g., committee assignments, leadership positions) – In general, the more powerful your congressional sponsor(s), the more likely the project will be included in an appropriations bill. A congressional strategy should be developed to determine which members of the congressional delegation associated with the project should take the lead based on their seniority and committee assignments.

8) Political support from additional states (when practical and desirable) – Additional team members can bring political horse power to a project request. However, bringing in too many team members can dilute the impact of a request to the point where it won’t rank as a high priority in any congressional office. Multi-state initiatives need to be carefully structured and managed in order to be successful.

The process of pulling together a congressional initiative that satisfies the above criteria, and then preparing and presenting the initiative to Congress can take several weeks to months. January to mid March is the typical window for approaching Congress to request support for a congressional initiative. After March the window closes by 95% as Senators and Representatives set their regional priorities and present them to the congressional committees that write the budget bills (see timeline in Figure 1).

Figure 1: Timeline for a Typical Congressional Request

The services of a government affairs firm can make the process to develop a compelling and well structured congressional request easier and in many cases more effective and efficient. Some highly populated states may receive over 1,000 project requests during that short January to March window, and a government affairs firm can also help make sure that your project sticks out among the numerous competing project ideas.

Key capabilities to look for in a government affairs firm to support your congressional initiative should follow the eight criteria that define a successful project request. The firm should be able to understand your business, your market, and your government customers well enough to help pull together your project and shore up weak points. The firm should have a solid reputation and a track record of success in Washington. The firm should have the ability to help you build the relationships with your congressional delegation and key decision makers in Congress such that your project will be visible among the thousands of projects that get presented each year as part of the federal budget process.

Peter Drucker has said that "Few relationships are as critical to the business enterprise itself as the relationship to government." The federal government can be your partner in developing your technology or in growing your business. To learn more about ways in which to attract federal funding for your project, please contact Glen or Damian at 202-467-5459.