FUNDING
OPPORTUNITIES
FTA Announces Availability of Nearly $9.2 Million to Support Tribal Transit Projects Nationwide​
​
FTA announced the availability of nearly $9.2 million in Fiscal Year 2024 competitive grant funding to support transit services for American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages in rural areas.
​
FTA’s Tribal Transit Program supports public transportation provided by tribes to help people access jobs, schools, healthcare and other vital services, including meeting the needs of elders, people with disabilities and youth in rural areas where some rely completely on transit for their travel needs.
In 2023 and 2024, FTA engaged in a consultation process with tribal governments to improve the Tribal Transit competitive program and technical assistance efforts. As a result of the feedback received from American Indian Tribes and Alaskan Native communities, FTA is making several changes to ensure everyone – even those running some of the nation’s smallest transit systems – can compete for federal support for these critical transportation systems.
FTA streamlined the application process for the program -- reducing the word count by 45% -- and made changes such as:
​
-
Raising the cap on planning projects from $25,000 to $50,000; 
-
No longer limiting which tribal governments can apply for operating assistance; and
-
Not requiring a local match for any project funded through the Tribal Transit competitive program.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed into law by President Biden in November 2021, increased competitive funding for the Tribal Transit Program by nearly 83% per year through 2026. This is third consecutive year of increased funding for the program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Instructions for applying can be found on and in GRANTS.GOV (FTA-2024-012-TPM-TRTR). Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the GRANTS.GOV “APPLY” function by November 13, 2024.
​
Upcoming USDOT Funding Resources and Opportunities
Deadline Extended!
-
FHWA extended the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) application deadline for the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP). Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. For more information regarding the NOFO, please visit the ATIIP website or reach out to atiip@dot.gov.
New and Notable
​
-
On June 25, FHWA announced the availability of at least $196 million for FY2023 Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) grants as part of the FY23-26 Culvert AOP NOFO. The National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program (Culvert AOP Program) is a competitive grant program that awards grants to eligible entities for projects for the replacement, removal, and repair of culverts or weirs that meaningfully improve or restore fish passage for anadromous fish. Anadromous is the term that describes fish born in freshwater who spend most of their lives in saltwater and migrate back to freshwater to spawn. The deadline to apply for FY23 funding via grants.gov is September 23, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Learn more about the Culvert AOP Grants.
-
FHWA is now accepting applications for its Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP), a competitive grant program with the goal of reducing Wildlife Vehicle Collisions (WVCs), while improving habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species. The WCPP provides funding for construction and non-construction projects. Construction projects include engineering, design, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, and other activities related to the construction of infrastructure improvements, such as the building of a wildlife crossing overpass or underpass. Non-construction projects include planning, research, and educational activities that are not directly related to construction of infrastructure improvements, such as a hot spot analysis of WVCs. Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on September 4, 2024. Find more information in the NOFO.
​
-
DOT is accepting applications for the third year of its  Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The program will fund up to $500 million in grants over five years to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems that improve transportation safety and efficiency. Through this SMART NOFO, DOT will accept applications for Stage 1 Planning and Prototyping grants. During Stage 1, the SMART program will fund technology demonstrations and prototypes that solve real-world transportation problems and build data and technology capacity for State, local, and Tribal governments. Later this year, recipients of Stage 1 grants will be eligible to expand their projects through the first of several Stage 2 grant opportunities. Applications are due July 12, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. ET. For more information on applying, see the resources under How to Apply. A webinar on How to Apply for the FY 2024 Stage 1 SMART Grant NOFO was held on May 28 – view the webinar recording here.
-
FTA has made available nearly $10.5 million in competitive grant funds for agencies to plan transit-adjacent development. FTA's Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning supports local planning and investment near transit hubs to promote sustainable, livable, and equitable communities, with a focus on projects that plan for affordable housing. Applications for areas with a lower population density or lower average income compared to surrounding areas will receive a higher federal funding share; applications with a substantial focus on affordable housing may receive up to 100% federal support. To apply for funding, an applicant must be an existing FTA grant recipient – either a project sponsor of an eligible transit project or an entity with land use planning authority in the project corridor. Learn more at FTA's TOD webpage. The application period will close on July 22, 2024.
Grants Closing in July
Deadline Extended!
​
-
The application period for the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program has been extended by two weeks. Applications must be submitted in Grants.gov by September 11th.
-
​
-
FHWA is accepting applications for its Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) discretionary grant program. The CFI Round 2 NOFO offers up to $1.3 billion in funding for new applications and for previously submitted applications. The CFI Program is a competitive grant program created by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in the places people live and work – urban and rural areas alike – in addition to designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (AFCs). CFI Program investments will make modern and sustainable infrastructure accessible to all drivers of electric, hydrogen, propane, and natural gas vehicles. This program provides two categories of grants: (1) Community Charging and Alternative Fueling Grants (Community Program); and (2) Charging and Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program). FHWA hosted a grant overview webinar on June 6 and a webinar on reconsideration of Round 1 applications on June 11 – view the webinar presentations and recordings. Applications are due by August 28, 2024.
-
The final deadline for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Planning and Demonstration Grant applications is August 29, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Late applications will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted through Valid Eval. For more information, please visit the How to Apply page of the SS4A website. Applicants are encouraged to review the NOFO amendment, published on April 16, 2024, for the latest updates on the SS4A FY24 funding opportunity.  A final round of questions and answers is available on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page of the SS4A website. New FAQs as of April 1, 2024, can be found by searching for *NEW* in the title.
Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program
Description:
The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. Funds for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 SS4A grant program are to be awarded on a competitive basis to support planning, infrastructural, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians; bicyclists; public transportation, personal conveyance, and micro- mobility users; motorists; and commercial vehicle operators.
​
The SS4A programs provides funding for two types of grants: Planning and Demonstration Grants and Implementation Grants.
​
Planning and Demonstration Grants
There are three deadlines for applicants for Planning and Demonstration Grants, April 4, 2024 by 5 pm ET, May 16, 2024, by 5 pm ET, and August 29, 2024, by 5 PM ET.
​
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program
Description: The purpose of this NOFO is to provide grants on a competitive basis for projects that seek to achieve a reduction in the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions; and improve habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species.
The application period is now open for up to $145 million in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 funding, under the Fiscal Year 2024- 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. The program helps carry out projects by certain Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments, including municipalities, counties, and others to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species.
The funding may be used for construction and non-construction projects and the maximum share of project costs that may be funded with grant funds will typically be 80 percent of project costs, as is standard for Federal-aid projects.
The NOFO is available on grants.gov at https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/354738. The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM EST on September 4, 2024. Grant applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.
​
TRIBAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM SAFETY FUND(TTPSF)
Description: Transportation fatalities and injuries severely impact the quality of life in Indian country. Each year under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), as enacted by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), 4% of the available TTP funds are set aside to address transportation safety issues identified by federally recognized Indian tribes through a competitive, discretionary program. Projects are chosen whose outcomes will reduce fatal and serious injuries in transportation related incidents, such as motor vehicle crashes.
​
FHWA advocates the development of strategic transportation safety plans as a means for tribes to determine how transportation safety needs will be addressed in and around tribal communities. See additional information on developing safety plans.
​
Applications for the 2025 TTP Safety Fund will be accepted October 1, 2024 through January 15, 2025.
​
TRIBAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM BRIDGE FUNDING
Description: The TTP Bridge Program is focused on improving the number of TTP bridges in poor condition. Federally recognized Indian Tribes may submit an application at any time for eligible TTP bridges for planning, design, engineering, preconstruction, construction, and inspection of new or replacement bridges.