Let ARC help you find the funding opportunities most relevant to the Atlanta region.
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Announcements
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This newsletter’s objective is to inform stakeholders around the Atlanta region of discretionary competitive funding opportunities, with an emphasis on IIJA transportation programs. But as other funding availability announcements of general interest are made, we’ll share those also.
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Need a Letter of Support for Your Project?
ARC has a portal to standardize and streamline the process for requesting letters of support for your funding applications. The form, also accessible through our main IIJA webpage, asks you to answer a few questions about the project. This will help us customize the letter to be as targeted as possible. The
earlier the request is made, the better, but please plan to upload the required information no later than two weeks before the submittal deadline.
If possible, we would also like to conduct a site visit or meet with you via Teams/Zoom early in the application development cycle to learn more about the project’s need, purpose and scope. And we’re always available as a resource if you need data or want to discuss potential partnership opportunities for any other discretionary programs.
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Funding Opportunities
Key Regional Programs |
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Low Carbon Transportation Materials Program
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Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Application Due Date: November 25, 2024
Purpose: The Inflation Reduction Act provides funding for the use of construction materials that have substantially lower levels of GHG emissions. The purpose of the LCTM Program is to reimburse the incrementally higher costs of using or provide an incentive amount to eligible recipients for the use, in projects, of construction materials and products that have substantially lower levels of embodied GHG emissions, as described by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), associated with all relevant stages of production, use, and disposal as compared to estimated industry averages of similar materials or products, hereafter referred to as low carbon transportation materials.
Details: Applications for $800 million of funding are due November 25, 2024. Funds can cover 100% of the incremental cost of using eligible construction materials. Eligible entities under this NOFO include units of local government; political subdivisions of a State; territories; Indian tribes; MPOs; special purpose districts; and public authorities with a transportation function.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Program General Information
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Clean School Bus Program |
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Application Due Date: January 9, 2025
Purpose: CSB rebates provide funding to eligible recipients so that they may replace existing school buses with clean and zero-emission models. Eligible activities include the replacement of existing internal-combustion engine (ICE) school buses with electric, propane, or compressed natural gas (CNG) school buses, as well as the purchase of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) infrastructure and EVSE installations or battery electric storage systems (BESS). Workforce training, infrastructure labor costs, consulting, delivery and warranty costs are all eligible expenses.
Details: Applications for $965 million of FY 2024 funds for clean school bus rebates are due January 9, 2025. Applicants may request funding for anywhere from 1 to 50 replacement buses.
Program Overview and Application Form
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NEW OPPORTUNITY! |
Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Application Due Date: February 24, 2025
Purpose: PROTECT Grants will support planning, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure.
Details: Applications for up to $576 million of FY 2024-2025 funding are due February 24, 2025. The application window for FY 2026 will open October 27, 2025 and close February 24, 2026. Of the funds available in the current application cycle, up to $56 million will be used for Planning Grants, up to $408 million for Resilience Improvement Grants, up to $56 million for Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants, and up to $56 million for At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants. The minimum award size for Planning Grants is expected to be $100,000, while the minimum for all other grant types will be $500,000. There is no maximum award limit defined in the NOFO. No match is required for a planning grant, while
other grants will generally require a 20% match, except under certain circumstances where the federal participation rate may be higher.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Program General Information
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Bridge Investment Program (Large Bridge)
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Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Application Due Date: August 1, 2025
Purpose: The Bridge Investment Program will support projects to improve bridge and culvert condition, safety, efficiency, and reliability.
Details: Funds under the Bridge Investment Program are being awarded via two "rolling" NOFOs which will remain open continuously. Approximately $2.4 billion is available each year for both large bridge projects (under this NOFO) and planning and regular bridge projects (separate NOFO). The application window for FY 2025 funding has closed, but applications for FY 2026 funding are currently being accepted and are due August 1, 2025. The project must have total eligible costs greater than $100 million to qualify for the program. The project must have total eligible costs greater than $100 million to qualify for the program. Award amounts will be a minimum of $50 million, but no more than 50% of the eligible costs.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Program General Information
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Bridge Investment Program (Planning and Small Bridge)
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Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Application Due Date: October 1, 2025 (Planning) / November 1, 2025 (Bridge)
Purpose: The Bridge Investment Program will support projects to improve bridge and culvert condition, safety, efficiency, and reliability.
Details: Funds under the Bridge Investment Program are being awarded via two "rolling" NOFOs which will remain open continuously. Approximately $2.4 billion is available each year for both planning and small bridge projects (under this NOFO) and large bridge projects (separate NOFO). Up to $20 million is available each year for planning grants, with no minimum or maximum grant award size. The application window for FY 2025 funding is now closed. Applications for FY 2026 funding for planning projects are due October 1, 2025, while the deadline for small bridge projects (less than $100 million total cost) is November 1, 2025. The minimum award amount is $2.5 million and the maximum is $80 million.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Program General Information
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No key programs had NOFOs which closed in October.
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Advanced Transportation Technologies and Innovation Mobility Deployment Program (ATTIMD) / Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation Program (ATTAIN) |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Purpose: The program provides competitive grants to deploy, install, and operate advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency, system performance, intermodal connectivity, and infrastructure return on investment.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in November 2023.
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Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity / Local and Regional Project Assistance Grants (RAISE) |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Office of the Secretary
Purpose: The RAISE Discretionary Grant program provides an opportunity for the DOT to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives. The program has previously been known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grants programs.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in November 2023.
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Congestion Relief Program |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Purpose: Advance innovative, integrated, and multimodal solutions to reduce congestion and the related economic and environmental costs in the most congested metropolitan areas with an urbanized area population of 1 million+.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in February 2024.
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Bus and Bus Facilities / Low or No Emission Bus Grants |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Transit Administration
Purpose: The purpose of the Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program is to assist in the financing of buses and bus facilities capital projects, including replacing, rehabilitating, purchasing or leasing buses or related equipment, and rehabilitating, purchasing, constructing or leasing bus-related facilities. The purpose of the Low-No Program is to support the transition of the nation’s transit fleet to the lowest polluting and most energy efficient transit vehicles. The Low-No Program provides funding to state and local governmental authorities for the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in February 2024.
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Safe Streets and Roads for All |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Purpose: The Office of the Secretary's Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant program provides supplemental funding to support local initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets, commonly referred to as ‘‘Vision Zero’’ or ‘‘Toward Zero Deaths’’ initiatives.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in February 2024.
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Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Purpose: Planning and construction of sidewalks, bikeways, and pedestrian and bicycle trails, that connect between destinations within or between communities, metropolitan regions and/or states.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in March 2024.
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Funding Opportunities
Other Programs Relevant to the Atlanta Region |
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NEW OPPORTUNITY! |
Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grants |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Railroad Administration
Application Due Date: December 16, 2024
Purpose: To fund capital projects that reduce the state of good repair backlog, improve performance, or expand or establish new intercity passenger rail service, including privately operated intercity passenger rail service if an eligible applicant is involved.
Details: Applications for $1.06 billion of FY 2024 funding for projects not located along the Northeast Corridor are due December 16, 2024.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Program General Information
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Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Application Due Date: August 1, 2025
Purpose: The Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects program provides funding for the construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of nationally-significant Federal lands transportation projects and Tribal transportation projects.
Details: This is a rolling NOFO and the application window will remain open continuously. Applications for $55 million of FY 2025 funding are due August 1, 2025. Refer to the NOFO for future submittal deadlines. Funds will be equally divided between FMLA lands and tribal lands. There are no minimum or maximum funding amounts, but the overall project construction cost must be at least $12.5 million. The federal participation rate can be up to 90% for projects on or providing access to federal lands, or up to 100% on tribal lands. A State, county, or local government may only apply if sponsored by an eligible Federal land management agency or Indian tribe.
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
Program General Information
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No programs had NOFOs which closed in October. |
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Highway Use Tax Evasion Enforcement Grants Program |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Purpose: The Highway Use Tax Evasion Enforcement Grants program provides funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the States to carry out intergovernmental enforcement efforts, along with training and research, to reduce evasion of payment of motor fuel and other highway use taxes, which are the principal sources for Federal and State highway funding.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in September 2023.
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Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities |
Agency: Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency
Purpose: The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program makes federal funds available to states, U.S territories, federally recognized Tribal governments, and local communities for hazard mitigation activities.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in October 2023.
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Pilot Program for Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Transit Administration
Purpose: Access and Mobility Partnership Grants seek to improve access to public transportation by building partnerships among health, transportation and other service providers. This program provides competitive funding to support innovative projects for the transportation disadvantaged that will improve the coordination of transportation services and non-emergency medical transportation services.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in November 2023.
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Rail Vehicle Replacement Grants |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Transit Administration
Purpose: Capital projects for the replacement of rail rolling stock. Not more than three new competitive awards to eligible projects may be announced each fiscal year. FTA may select projects for multi-year awards.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in October 2023.
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Flood Mitigation Assistance Grants |
Agency: Department of Homeland Security / Federal Emergency Management Agency
Purpose: The Flood Mitigation Assistance program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized Tribal governments, and local communities to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in October 2023.
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Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Highway Administration
Purpose: Test the feasibility of a road usage fee and other user-based alternative revenue mechanisms to help maintain the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, through pilot projects at the State, local, and regional level.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in March 2024.
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Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grant Program |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Purpose: The Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant program awards grants to a variety of educational institutions that provide commercial truck and bus driving training, including accredited public or private colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, post-secondary educational institutions, truck driver training schools, associations, and state and local governments, including federally recognized Native American Tribal governments.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in March 2024.
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Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement Grants |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Railroad Administration
Purpose: The purpose of the CRISI Program is to invest in a wide range of projects within the United States to improve railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability; mitigate congestion at both intercity passenger rail and freight rail chokepoints to support more efficient travel and goods movement; enhance multi-modal connections; and lead to new or substantially improved Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation corridors.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in March 2024.
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High Priority Activities Program |
Agency: Department of Transportation / Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Purpose: The High Priority Activities grant program is a discretionary (competitive) grant program designed to provide Federal financial assistance to enhance states’ commercial vehicle safety plan activities, including commercial vehicle inspections, traffic enforcement, and outreach while supporting innovative technology development and/or new project(s) not included in the commercial vehicle safety plan that will have a positive impact on commercial vehicle safety. Other applicants, such as academia and safety associations are also eligible for these grants that improve safety. Overall this grant supports safety programs and innovative technology deployment with a goal of increasing efficiency improvements in exchanging
commercial vehicle safety data.
Details: The previous NOFO was released in March 2024.
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Noteworthy Press Releases, Guidance and Other News
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WEBINARS AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES |
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FUNDING AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS |
On October 17, FHWA announced seven projects which will share $132.9 million of funding from the Congestion Relief Program. The purpose of the program is to reduce highway congestion and the economic and environmental costs associated with congestion, including pollution from transportation emissions. The program also optimizes existing highway capacity and transit systems, improves coordination with transit, and encourages other modes of travel. There were no awards in the Atlanta region or elsewhere in the State of Georgia.
On October 21, USDOT announced more than $4.2 billion in funding through two major discretionary grant programs, the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) grant program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program. A total of 44 projects were selected in this round of funding, including projects that improve safety, mobility, and economic competitiveness, constructing major bridges, expanding port capacity, redesigning interchanges, and more. There were no awards in the Atlanta region or elsewhere in the State of Georgia.
On October 24, FHWA announced more than $96.5 million in grants to 20 projects under the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) program. The grants will fund technology-based and multimodal solutions that improve the travel experience for millions of Americans who use our highway and transit systems, including in disadvantaged communities that have lacked investment and resources. There were no awards in the Atlanta region or elsewhere in the State of Georgia.
On October 31, FTA announced approximately $10.5 million in grants for 11 communities from the Pilot Program for Transit Oriented Development. These grants will support local strategies to increase transit access and encourage ridership through mixed-use and mixed-income development near public transportation projects. There were no awards in the Atlanta region or elsewhere in the State of Georgia.
On October 31, FHWA announced nearly $635 million for 22 small and medium-sized bridge projects in both rural and urban areas. Awards will tackle a backlog of bridge projects, which will improve safety and support economic competitiveness and America’s supply chains, restoring connections that are vital to commuters, emergency responders, truck drivers, and public transit riders. There were no awards in the Atlanta region. GDOT and SCDOT received $1.68 million to conduct a Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) study for approximately 2.5 miles on I-85 near the state line to evaluate how best to replace or rehabilitate a bundle of six rural bridges that are in poor or fair condition.
For a comprehensive list of regional awards from major IIJA transportation discretionary programs over the past three years, visit ARC's IIJA Regional Funding Awards webpage.
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