Federal Transportation Grant Opportunities
With the passage of the latest transportation bill, many new grant opportunities exist not only for states but also for local entities. NDOT created this resource page to assist local entities as they pursue their own federal grant opportunities. Make sure to subscribe below to stay up to date!
Background:
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), was signed into law on November 15, 2021 and represents the largest infrastructure investment in our nation’s history. The BIL will rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in racial equity and underserved communities.
As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress set aside approximately $88B for discretionary grant programs. Discretionary grants are funds not assigned to any state or local government. Instead, these are funds managed by the USDOT Secretary’s Office who ultimately decides how to distribute these funds. The process they employ to award these funds is competitive, meaning the merits of projects are compared and evaluated against one another. In the end, the Secretary’s office decides which projects to award funding to. Approximately $63B of the $88B is for transportation related projects.
The USDOT publishes grant opportunities in rounds, typically 1-2 times per year depending on the program. The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is the official notice that funding for a grant program is available. The NOFO includes a description of the projects and the entities that are eligible to apply. Eligible entities have anywhere from 1-3 months to develop a grant application and submit to the Grants.gov website.
If you are interested in applying, you must first review the eligibility criteria located within the NOFO to determine if you or your project can meet the minimum program requirements. Unfortunately, publication dates for NOFOs are not known ahead of time. As a result, you must monitor this website or other Federal websites for NOFO publication information. Fortunately, NDOT offers updates at the bottom of the page. All you need to do is add your email and hit the subscribe button. It is important to note that applicants must obtain an account and be credentialed before submitting their application to grants.gov. This process can be time consuming (up to 4 weeks or more) and should be done well in advance of the application deadline by registering here.
Below is a list of known transportation grant programs the NDOT is aware of and are actively monitoring. Several of these grant programs have already had NOFOs published. For these, NDOT has developed fact sheets that help summarize NOFO details such as program funding, eligibility requirements and timing requirements. Click on the hyperlink below to get basic information on each grant program. Within each hyperlink should be another hyperlink that takes you directly to the USDOTs NOFO webpage.
Grant Programs
Safe Streets and Roads for All
Applications Due: 9/15/22
Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grants
Additional information coming soon!
Clean School Bus Program
Additional information coming soon!
Rebuilding American Infrastructure Sustainably and Equitably (RAISE) Grants
Applications Due: 2/28/23
Port Infrastructure Development Program Grants
Applications Due: 5/23/22
Bus & Bus Facilities Competitive Grants
Applications Due: 5/31/22
National Infrastructure Project Assistance (also known as “Megaprojects” or MEGA)
Applications Due: 5/23/22
Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grants
Applications Due: 5/23/22
Rural Surface Transportation Grant
Applications Due: 5/23/22
Reconnecting Communities Program
Applications Due: 10/13/22
Bridge Investment Program (BIP)
Applications Due: 7/25/22
Railroad Crossing Elimination Program (RCE)
Applications Due: 10/4/22
Strengthening Mobility & Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART)
Applications Due: 11/18/22
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