Anne Arundel County, Maryland, launched a first-of-its-kind contract system for implementing stormwater projects in order to comply with federal permits. The County’s $3.8 million “full delivery of water quality improvements” contract was competed via a bidding process, and payment to the winning firm will be made upon successful project completion. This system enables the County to maintain oversight while catalyzing markets to do what they do best, including finding innovation and cost efficiencies. Erik Michelsen, Administrator of the County’s Watershed Protection and Restoration Program, describes how this system benefits both the government and the private contractor, the learning curve for public procurement and regulatory departments, and the potential for stormwater to mimic the mitigation banking model in which restoration practices are put into place before impact occurs.