Application Notes:

Applications must be submitted during the following submission windows:

• FY 2024 and FY 2025: June 6, 2024, to 11:59 p.m. ET on September 4, 2024
• FY 2026: May 1, 2025, to 11:59 p.m. ET on August 1, 2025

Applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov.

Applications must include:

• SF 424
• Grants.gov lobbying form
• SF LLL
• SF 424A (if applicable)
• SF 424C (if applicable)
• Key contacts form (optional)
• Project abstract (1 page max)
• Project narrative (25 pages max)
• Supporting documentation, including letters of support or endorsement (if applicable)

The project abstract and project narrative are recommended to be formatted on standard-sized and single-spaced pages with one-inch margins using a standard 12-point font, such as Times New Roman. Texts in tables and captions may be smaller than 12-point font but must be legible. If possible, website links to supporting documentation should be provided rather than copies of supporting documentation.

The following are required in order to submit an application:

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number
• SAM (System for Award Management) registration

Applicants may obtain a UEI number and verify or renew SAM registration status at www.ecivis.com/sam.

Optional webinars for this program are scheduled as follows:

Public Webinar:
June 18, 2024
Noon - 1:30 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

Tribal Webinar:
June 25, 2024
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

Applicants are encouraged to submit questions to be addressed at the webinars via email to the address provided in the Contact section.

Applications will first be evaluated according to the following primary merit criteria:

• Reduction of wildlife vehicle collisions (WVCs)
• Improvement of terrestrial and aquatic habitat connectivity

Applications rated strongly recommended or recommended in the primary merit criteria will then be evaluated according to the following secondary merit criteria:

• Leveraging investments
• Economic development and visitation opportunities
• Innovation
• Education and outreach
• Monitoring and research
• Survival of species

Following that, the remaining applications rated strongly recommended or recommended will undergo a project readiness review.

Refer to the NOFA, AppChecklist, and Q&A files for additional application information.

Match Notes:

In general, applicants must provide at least 20 percent of the total project costs via cash or in-kind contributions.

There are some flexibilities that may allow the federal share to increase to more than 80 percent of the total project costs, which would mean that the applicant may be permitted to provide a smaller matching share. For example, pursuant to Title 23, Section 120(c)(1) of the U.S. Code (U.S.C.), the federal share for certain safety projects may be 100 percent of the cost of such construction projects. In addition, Title 23, Sections 120(a) and (b) of the U.S.C. authorize an upward agreement, also known as a sliding scale, to the federal share for projects in states containing federal and non-taxable Indian lands. The amount of the upward adjustment is based on the percentage of federal non-taxable Indian lands in the state. Guidance regarding the specific share allowable in each state based on the sliding scale can be found online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs.

Unless specifically authorized by Congress, all matching funds must come from nonfederal sources. Examples of programs where federal funds can be used for the matching share include the Tribal Transportation Program and the Federal Lands Transportation Program. Beyond federal funds that are specifically authorized to be used as matching funds, the matching share may come from private, local, tribal, and state funds.

Previously incurred costs or previously expended or encumbered funds may not be used as a match.

Funding Notes:

Up to $227,269,418 is available to support awards through this program. The total funding available through this program will be allocated as follows:

• FY 2024 and FY 2025: up to $145 million is available to support approximately 15 to 50 awards through this program
• FY 2026: up to $80 million is available to support approximately 5 to 25 awards through this program

In addition, a total of $2,269,418 in unawarded FY 2023 funds is expected to be available through this program. To determine whether a selected project will receive FY 2023, FY 2024, or FY 2025 funds, the funding agency will consider the estimated project start date provided in the application.

There is no minimum or maximum award amount; however, applicants are encouraged to submit applications for large-scale projects with total project costs of $200,000 or greater. Awards are anticipated to range from $200,000 to $20 million; however, awards outside of this range may be issued.

Applicants are encouraged to identify scaled funding options in case insufficient funding is available to fund an application at the full requested amount. If the applicant advises that a project is scalable, the applicant must provide an appropriate minimum funding amount that will fund the proposed project that achieves the objectives of the program and meets all relevant program requirements.

At least 60 percent of the total funding available through this program will be allocated to rural areas, which for the purposes of this program are defined as all areas of a state that are not Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) adjusted urban areas. A map of such urban areas can be found online at hepgis-usdot.hub.arcgis.com. The funding agency will consider projects in both urban and rural areas as rural.

If the award recipient is a federal land management agency (FLMA) or Indian tribe, funds will be administered with advanced payment upon the execution of an award agreement with the funding agency or through existing agreements. If the award recipient is not an FLMA or Indian tribe, funds will be administered on a reimbursement basis. At the funding agency's sole discretion, alternative funding arrangement may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If the award recipient is a state department of transportation (DOT) or if a state DOT will serve as a pass-through entity to the eligible entity or an eligible partner of the eligible entity, funds will be awarded upon the execution of a project agreement, which is a type of award agreement for administration of funds to a state DOT in the funding agency's Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS).

Funds must be obligated by one of the following dates:

• FY 2023: by September 30, 2026
• FY 2024: by September 30, 2027
• FY 2025: no earlier than October 1, 2024, and by September 30, 2028
• FY 2026: no earlier than October 1, 2025, and by September 30, 2029

Once obligated, funds will generally be available until expended.

If the award recipient is a state DOT or if a state DOT is serving as a pass-through entity to a non-state DOT award recipient, the project period will begin on the date that program funds are authorized in the funding agency's FMIS and end on the project end date in FMIS. If the award recipient is a FLMA or Indian tribe, the project period will begin on the effective date of the award agreement as executed by the funding agency and the award recipient, and will end on the project end date of the project period listed in the award agreement.

Funds may not be used for:

• Projects that address livestock, domesticated animals, and/or animals with domesticated ancestors
• Pre-award costs
• Supporting or opposing union organizing, whether directly or as an offset for other funds
• Maintenance activities

For FY 2024 and FY 2025, a total of $125 million was distributed via 16 awards ranging from $323,850 to $33,182,188 through this program. For FY 2023, a total of $109,580,582 was distributed via 19 awards ranging from $216,250 to $24,358,000. Refer to the Award file for details.

April 14, 2025
Information regarding awards through this program has been released and appended to the Award file. A sample of award recipients has been added to the Eligibility section, and a brief summary of the awards has been added to the Financial section.