Infrastructure funding programs - state revolving funds, USDA Rural Development, and others - typically ask for similar categories of information: a description of the system, documented condition and needs, project justification, and cost estimates.
Utilities that struggle with applications are often missing organization, not information. The facts usually exist somewhere; assembling them under deadline pressure is what makes an application difficult. Keeping an asset inventory, inspection history, and project justification organized year-round makes it much faster to respond when a funding window opens.
This kind of preparation improves the quality and completeness of an application. It does not determine eligibility or guarantee that funding will be awarded - those decisions rest with the funding agency.