With billions in funding on the line, Illinois looks for coordinated pitches from universities, politicians and business groups – Crain’s*

Making a coordinated pitch is crucial to winning a bonanza of federal dollars that are about to be unleashed by recent legislation, such as the CHIPS & Science Act, the federal infrastructure bill and the climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act. The Brookings Institution estimates that at least $80 billion is up for grabs in competitive grant programs awarded to towns, cities, states and regions.