America 275 · The National Agenda
How projects enter the portfolio.
Nomination is not selection. Projects are reviewed against clear criteria — public value, deliverability, and fit — before they are considered for development within America 275.
What selection means
What a selected project is.
What a project earns by clearing the bar.
- 01
Tested against clear criteria
It has met a defined public-purpose and deliverability bar.
- 02
Merits development
It is worth the work of carrying it forward.
- 03
Categorized and tracked
Sorted by sector, region, stage, and platform.
- 04
Given a path forward
It enters development with a route toward a structured, deliverable plan.
The process
From nomination to consideration.
Nomination
An opportunity is submitted with its need, sponsor, location, and intended outcomes.
Screening
The project is screened for public purpose, deliverability, and fit with national priorities.
Categorization
Screened projects are categorized by sector, region, stage, and platform.
Consideration
Projects that clear screening are considered for development within the portfolio.
Common questions
About selection.
No. Inclusion means a project merits development. Whether it advances depends on feasibility, partnership, and financing — assessed through the development model.
Strong public purpose, clear deliverability, a credible sponsor, and fit with national and regional priorities.
Nomination is putting an opportunity forward; selection is what follows once it clears screening for public value, deliverability, and fit. Every nomination is reviewed, but only those that meet the bar are selected for development.
Three things: a genuine public purpose, credible deliverability, and fit with national and regional priorities. A project needs all three to move from nomination toward consideration.
It does not advance into development, but the review is explained rather than silent, and a project can be strengthened and resubmitted. Some are recorded and revisited as priorities or circumstances change.
It varies with a project’s scale and how complete the nomination is. A clear submission with a defined need, sponsor, place, and outcomes can be screened faster than one that first requires clarification.
Screening is carried out through Applied America’s review process against the published criteria, drawing on CEFA’s research where a project’s sector or region calls for it. The aim is a consistent bar rather than a case-by-case judgment.
No. Selection means a project merits development; it does not commit capital. Whether it advances further depends on feasibility, partnership, and financing, assessed through the development model.
Fit is how well a project serves a national or regional priority and how readily it can be coordinated with the rest of the portfolio. A strong standalone idea with weak fit is a weaker candidate than one that reinforces a priority.
Yes. Screening is a point-in-time assessment; a sponsor can address the gaps identified and submit again. Selection is meant to be earned, not decided once and closed.
Think your project fits?
Submit it for preliminary review against the America 275 criteria.