The USDOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard provides communities with an overview of discretionary grant opportunities that can help meet their transportation infrastructure needs. The list below spotlights a few of the currently open funding opportunities – visit the Grants Dashboard to find more or check out the calendar of open and upcoming grant opportunities!
New and Notable!
On December 19, USDOT’s Build America Bureau (Bureau) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The NOFO offers $27 million in technical assistance grants to rural and Tribal communities for the planning and design phase development of transportation projects. There is no local funding match required to participate in this program. The Bureau designated up to $10 million for Tribal applicants. The Bureau will accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis beginning March 4, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. ET. The Bureau posted a copy of the application on the website for interested entities to review and draft responses in advance. The application portal will close on April 3, 2025, at 4:59 p.m. ET. The Bureau will host a free webinar on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. ET. about the application process and what activities can be funded through the program. Register for the webinar here. Participation in the webinar is not mandatory to receive funding. The Bureau will post a recording of the webinar and a copy of the presentation at Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program | Build America (transportation.gov). To provide an inclusive experience, the Bureau will arrange accommodations for requests received at RuralandtribalTA@dot.gov up to five business days prior to the webinar.
More Grant Opportunities
- The Build America Bureau issued a NOFO for up to $10 million in no-match grants for the Regional Infrastructure Accelerators Program (RIA). The program funds technical resources, planning, and project development to expedite regional transportation infrastructure through innovative financing and delivery methods, including public-private partnerships. The deadline for applications is January 9, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Do you have a project or program that can put Road to Zero’s pillars into practice, advance the Safe System Approach, and help reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries? The application for the Road to Zero Community Traffic Safety Grants, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is now open. These 12-month grants fund organizations in the U.S. that are working on innovative and promising approaches for implementing evidence-based strategies. Applications are due by 11:55 p.m. ET on January 17, 2025, and awards will be announced in March 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the Community Traffic Safety Grants website, where you can also view the work of current and past grantees. If you have questions that are not answered there, contact RoadToZero@nsc.org.
- USDOT’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program provides grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs. The FY2025 RAISE NOFO is now open. Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on January 30, 2025. Visit the RAISE webinar series page to join an upcoming webinar or find recordings and materials from past webinars.
- FHWA has posted the Fiscal Years (FY) 2024-2026 NOFO for the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Discretionary Grant Program, a competitive grant program created by BIL to help make surface transportation more resilient to natural hazards, including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters. This NOFO offers a total of up to $876 million in funding through two application periods, including up to $576 million for FYs 2024 and 2025, and up to $300 million for FY 2026. The FY 2024-2025 application period opened on October 25, 2024, and will remain open for applications through February 24, 2025. Visit the PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program Website to find recordings and slides from webinars FHWA hosted in November on the PROTECT grant opportunity.