US Department of Transportation issues Notice of Funding Opportunity

April 14, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Transportation has published the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant Program (former BUILD).  Details are provided below.

The application deadline is July 12.

• $1B available nationwide
• Eligible agencies: State, Local, Territorial, Tribal DOTs, Port Authorities, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Transit Agencies.
• Eligible projects: Capital projects including but not limited to:
  • road or bridge projects eligible under U.S. Code (USC), Title 23
  • public transportation projects eligible under Chapter 53 of Title 49, USC
  • passenger and freight rail transportation projects
  • port infrastructure investments, including inland port infrastructure and lands ports of entry
  • intermodal projects
  • projects investing surface transportation facilities
• Max. Award: $25M
• Max. Award per State: $100M
• Awarded funding must be obligated by 30 Sept. 2024.
• Up to $30M to be awarded to planning grants including at least $10M to areas of persistent poverty.
• Definition for Areas of Persistent Poverty: https://www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants/raise-areas-persistent-poverty
• 50% of the grants to be awarded to urban areas and 50% of grants to be awarded to rural areas.
• NOFO: https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/202104/FY%202021%20RAISE%20grants%20NOFO%20%28Final%29.pdf
• How to Apply Information: https://www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants/apply
• FAQ: https://www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants/2021-raise-application-faqs
• Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance: https://www.transportation.gov/office-policy/transportation-policy/benefit-cost-analysis-guidance-discretionary-grant-programs-0
• DOT will schedule 4 webinars (dates TBD) to discuss How to Compete for RAISE Grants and Prepare Cost Benefit Analyses. Webinar Registration: https://www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants/outreach
• Application deadline: July 12, 2021 at 5pm, EST

Additional information is available at: https://www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants.