Application Notes:

For FY 2025, the funding agency intends to hold two rounds of selections. For the first round of selection, eligible applicants that have a designated FY 2024 Project of Merit must contact the funding agency via email at the address provided in the Contact section by 11:59 p.m. on December 2, 2024, to be reconsidered for funding for FY 2025. The funding agency will carryover FY 2024 Project of Merit applications. First round applicants may not modify, amend, or supplement carried over applications.

For the second round of selection, applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on January 30, 2025.

Second round applications must be submitted online at www.ecivis.com/grants.gov. If not submitted with the application, letters of support must be emailed or mailed to the appropriate address provided in the Contact section. Applications, except for letters of support, submitted via mail, fax, email, or other means will not be accepted.

Applications must include:

• SF 424
• Project information form
• Project description (5 pages max)
• Project location file
• Project budget (5 pages max)
• Funding commitment documentation
• Merit criteria narrative (15 pages max)
• Project readiness (5 pages max)
• Benefit/cost analysis (BCA) narrative (if applicable)
• BCA calculations (if applicable)
• Letters of support (optional)
• Additional supporting documentation (if applicable)

Second round applications must be formatted on single-spaced pages with one-inch margins using a 12-point standard font, such as Times New Roman. The file name for each application document must be formatted according to the instructions detailed on page 17 of the NOFA file. In general, application documents must be submitted in .pdf format. The project information form must be submitted as an Excel file. The BCA calculations must be submitted as an unlocked Excel file. The project location file must be submitted in Shapefile or KML/KMZ format, as detailed on page 18 of the NOFA file.

The following are required in order to submit a second round 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 will be held for this program as follows:

Round 1: FY 2024 Projects of Merit Webinar:
November 7, 2024
2:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

Round 2: How to Compete:
December 2, 2024
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

Round 2: Location Designations:
December 12, 2024
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

How to Prepare a Benefit/Cost Analysis:
December 17, 2024
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

Benefit/Cost Analysis Spreadsheet Template and Office Hours:
December 19, 2024
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com

Recordings of the webinars will be made available online at www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants/outreach.

First round applications will be evaluated according to the same criteria detailed in the FY 2024 solicitation for this program.

Second round applications will be evaluated according to the following merit criteria:

• Safety
• Environmental sustainability
• Quality of life
• Mobility and community connectivity
• Economic competitiveness and opportunity
• State of good repair
• Partnership and collaboration
• Innovation

Second round applications rated as "highly recommended" through the above merit criteria will automatically advance to the second-tier analysis state of the application evaluation process. The funding agency's senior review team (SRT) may also advance applications rated as "recommended" to the second-tier analysis stage. 

Second round applicants proposing an identical project scope to applications that were submitted and evaluated under the FY 2024 Reconnecting Communities Program (RCP) program and received the designation of “reconnecting extra" may automatically advance to second-tier analysis stage of the application evaluation process, as detailed on page 5 of the NOFA file.

Capital project applications will be evaluated according to the following second-tier analysis criteria:

• Environmental risk assessment
• Financial completeness assessment
• Technical capacity assessment

Planning project applications will be evaluated according to the following second-tier analysis criteria:

• Financial completeness assessment
• Technical capacity assessment

Refer to pages 48-49 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding the application evaluation process.

Refer to the NOFA file, as well as the Guide and Application folders, for additional application information.

Match Notes:

Applicants for projects located in urban areas, as defined on pages 9-10 of the NOFA file, must provide at least 20 percent of the total project cost via nonfederal matching contributions.

This program may cover up to 100 percent of total project costs for projects located in rural areas, areas of persistent poverty, or historically disadvantaged communities, as defined on pages 9-10 of the NOFA file.

Eligible sources of matching contributions include:

• State funds originating from programs funded by state revenue
• Local funds originating from state or local revenue-funded programs
• Private funds
• Tribal transportation program funds under title 23, section 202 of the USC
• Federal lands transportation program funds under title 23, section 203 of the USC
• Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program funds under title 23, section 601(a) of the USC
• Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program funds under chapter 224 of the USC
• Federal credit assistance repaid from nonfederal sources

The following may not be used as a match:

• Toll credits under title 23, section 120(i) of the USC
• Nonfederal funds used as a match for another federal grant program, unless otherwise authorized by statute
• Costs incurred prior to the announcement of project selections or the funding agency's obligation of funds, as detailed on page 9 of the NOFA file, unless authorized by the funding agency in writing

Funding Notes:

A total of $1.5 billion is available to support awards through this program.

For capital awards, the minimum award amount is $5 million for projects located in urban areas and $1 million for projects located in rural areas. There is no minimum award amount for planning awards. The maximum award amount for both capital and planning awards is $25 million.

A portion of the total funding available through this program will be reserved to support first round applications. In addition, the total funding available will be allocated as follows:

• Up to 15 percent of total funding, or $225 million, will be allocated per state
• Up to 50 percent of total funding, or $750 million, will be allocated to rural projects
• Up to 50 percent of total funding, or $750 million, will be allocated to urban projects
• At least 5 percent of total funding, or $75 million, will be allocated to planning projects
• At least 1 percent of total funding, or $15 million, will be allocated to projects located in areas of persistent poverty and/or historically disadvantaged communities

Refer to pages 9-10 for definitions of urban areas, rural areas, areas of persistent poverty, and historically disadvantaged communities for the purposes of this program.

The funding agency may also retain up to $30 million of total funding for oversight and administration of awards. The funding agency may also allocate up  to 20 percent of total funding, or $300 million, to pay the subsidy and administrative costs of projects receiving credit assistance under the TIFIA or Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) programs.

In general, the funding agency may, depending on the pool of qualified applications, seek to fund at least one project per state or territory.

In general, funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis. If an award recipient cannot complete a project on a reimbursement basis, the funding agency will consider requests for alternate payment methods, as described under title 2, section  200.305(b) of the CFR, including advance payments, on a case-by-case basis.

Award announcements are expected to be made by one of the following dates:

• First round: January 13, 2025
• Second round: June 28, 2025

Funds must be obligated by September 30, 2029. Funds must be expended by September 30, 2034.

For capital projects, applicants must indicate a specific contingency amount in the budget to demonstrate that there is sufficient funding to cover unanticipated cost increases as well as detail a plan to address potential cost overruns. Applicants for planning projects are not required to include a contingency amount but must detail a plan to address potential cost overruns.

For capital projects, funds may not be used for:

• School bus electrification and broadband deployment as a standalone project
• Improvements to federally owned facilities, unless the project is investing in surface transportation facilities that are located on tribal land and for which title or maintenance responsibility is vested in the federal government
• Research, demonstration, or pilot projects, unless the project leads to long-term and permanent surface transportation infrastructure with independent utility

For planning projects, funds may not be used for projects that include right-of-way acquisition.

Funds may not be used for:

• Costs incurred prior to the announcement of project selections or the funding agency's obligation of funds, as detailed on page 9 of the NOFA file, unless authorized by the funding agency in writing
• Supporting or opposing union organizing, whether directly or as an offset for other funds

For FY 2024, a total of $1.8 billion was distributed via 148 awards through this program. For FY 2023, more than $2.2 billion was distributed via 162 awards. For FY 2022, more than $2.2 billion was awarded. Refer to the Award file for details.

November 19, 2024
Updated information regarding the optional webinars scheduled for this program has been released and attached as the Webinar file. The Application section has been updated accordingly. In addition, the presentation slides from a webinar held for this program have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation file. A recording of the webinar has also been released, and a link to the presentation is available in the Application section.