Rural and Tribal Assistance (RTA) Pilot Program (Part A): Single Project Grants - FY 2024
| Agency: | U.S. Department of Transportation |
|---|---|
| CFDA: | 20.943 |
| Federal FON: | DOT-OST-2024-103 |
| Office: | Office of the Secretary of Transportation Build America Bureau |
| Multipart Grant: | Yes |
| Next Due: | Rolling |
|---|---|
| Solicitation Date: | Unknown |
| Match Required: | No |
| Actual Funds: | $27,000,000 (Confirmed) |
| Range: | $10,000,000 (Max) |
| Award Range: | $200,000 (Min) / $750,000 (Max) |
Summary:
The purpose of this program is to build organizational capacity in communities that may not have the resources available to evaluate and develop transportation infrastructure projects. This program aims to help applicants advance projects that will qualify for federal funding and financing programs for additional development activities or construction, in alignment with the funding agency's priorities of safety, equity, climate and sustainability, workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation.
Projects that receive an award under this program must be reasonably expected to be eligible for any one or more of the funding agency's following lending or grant programs:
- Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) Credit Program, known in eCivis Grants Network as US1116
- Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) Credit Program, known as US12985
- Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects Program (INFRA) Grant Program, known as US16842
- National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program (Mega) Grant Program, known as US16990
- Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, known as US9244
- National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program, known as US17763
This requirement is used to define the eligible project types and does not commit the applicant to apply to any of these programs. Additional information regarding these programs can be found on pages 25-27 of the NOFA file.
Each awarded project will be expected to achieve the following performance goals, and applicants must identify in the application a minimum of two metrics for each goal:
- Goal 1: provide benefits to the community through transportation projects
- Goal 2: increase the capacity, knowledge, and skills of award recipients to execute transportation projects
- Goal 3: engage, education, and listen to the community throughout the project planning process
- Goal 4: advance the transformational projects closer to delivery
Eligible activities may include:
- Financial services:
- Revenue forecasting
- Economic assessments and cost/benefit analyses
- Value for money analyses and procurement options
- Evaluating opportunities for private financing and project bundling
- Financial feasibility analysis and funding and financing optional analysis
- Evaluation of costs to sustain the project, such as operations and maintenance costs
- Technical services:
- Project planning
- Feasibility studies
- Environmental review and permitting
- Preliminary engineering and design
- Funding application assistance
- Public engagement
- Property development and land use feasibility analysis
- Public benefit studies
- Cost estimation
- Legal services:
- Statutory and regulatory framework analyses
- Drafting and negotiation of concession agreements
- Drafting and negotiation of interagency agreements
- Procurement support
Funding will be provided for the following program components:
- (Part A): Single Project Grants
- (Part B): Multi-Community Grants
The purpose of the Single Project Grants component is to support the planning and design phase activities of a single project.
An optional webinar is scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.
Last Updated: February 27, 2025
Eligibility Notes:
Eligible applicants are:
- Units of local government or political subdivisions that are located outside of an urbanized area that has a population of more than 150,000 residents as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau; examples of local governments and political subdivisions include:
- Counties
- Boroughs
- Municipalities
- Cities
- Towns
- Townships
- Parishes
- Local public authorities, including any public housing agencies under the United States Housing Act of 1937
- Special districts
- School districts
- Councils of governments, whether or not incorporated as a nonprofit corporation under state law
- Any other agencies or instrumentalities of a multi-, regional, or intra-state or local government
- States, territories, or possessions of the United States seeking to advance a project in a location outside of an urbanized area that has a population of more than 150,000 residents as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau
- Federally recognized Indian tribes
- The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
For local governments, political subdivisions, or states seeking to apply to this program with a project in a rural area, a project is determined to be rural if it is located outside of an urbanized area that has a population of more than 150,000 residents as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The location of the project itself determines an applicant's eligibility for this program when applying as a rural applicant. Applicants may use one of the mapping tools listed on page 10 of the NOFA file to verify that a project's location is in a rural area.
A separate application is required for each project submitted for this component and for each bundle of projects submitted under this program's Multi-Community Grants component, known in eCivis Grants Network as US16912B. The maximum number of applications that may be submitted for either component is two, and the maximum number of awards that an applicant may receive through this program overall is two.
Applicants that were awarded funding from this program's FY 2023 solicitation may not apply for funding for the same project.
Eligible Applicants:
Local GovernmentNative American Tribe
Schools/School Districts
State Government
Application Notes:
Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served rolling basis, beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on March 18, 2025, and until 4:59 p.m. ET on April 17, 2025, or until all available funding is expended, whichever comes first.
Applications must be submitted via the online application form that will be accessible online at transportation.gov/buildamerica once the application portal opens. Emailed, mailed, or faxed applications will not be accepted.
Applications must include:
- Grant type
- Name and contact information
- Organization name, address, and website
- Employer/taxpayer identification number (EIN/TIN)
- Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
- Organization congressional district and project congressional district
- Federal debt delinquency
- Eligible entity
- Qualifying funding or financing program
- Project title
- Project location
- Overall project description and total project cost
- Project advancement
- Demonstrated experience and confidence in estimated costs
- Policy alignment
- Performance goals and metrics
- Application certification
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.
An optional webinar will be held for the program as follows:
January 14, 2025
3:00 p.m. ET
Registration: usdot.zoomgov.com/webinar/register
The recording of the webinar can be access online at usdot.zoomgov.com using the passcode S6CyH1q%.
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Project advancement
- Demonstrated experience and confidence in estimated costs
- Policy alignment
Refer to the NOFA and AppTemplate files for additional application information.
| Match Required: | No |
|---|---|
| Actual Funds: | $27,000,000 (Confirmed) |
| Range: | $10,000,000 (Max) |
| Award Range: | $200,000 (Min) / $750,000 (Max) |
|---|
Match Notes:
Matching funds are not required for this program.
Funding Notes:
A total of $27 million is available for this program overall, with approximately $10 million available to support approximately 13 to 50 awards ranging from $200,000 to $750,000 through this component.
Of the total funding available for this program overall, $10 million is set aside for eligible tribal applicants for either component of this program.
Of the total funding available for this program overall, no more than 20 percent, of $5.4 million, may be awarded for projects in a single state.
Funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis.
Award notifications are expected to be made on May 22, 2025.
The project period may last up to 36 months.
For FY 2023, a total of $3.4 million was distributed via 13 awards ranging from $40,000 to $320,000 through this program overall. Refer to the Award file for details.
Contacts:
Program Staff
RuralandTribalTA@dot.gov
Susan Wilson
(202) 366-0765
Agency Address
Build America Bureau
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
W84-322
Washington, D.C. 20590
Contact Notes:
Questions should be directed to the program contacts provided.
Applications must be submitted via the online application form that will be accessible online at transportation.gov/buildamerica once the application portal opens.
The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.
Files:
NOFA File: US16912A_NOFA_FY2024.pdf (465.6 Kb)Other Pre-Award File: US16912A_AppTemplate_FY2024.pdf (162.9 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US16912A_Overview_FY2024.pdf (144.7 Kb)
Award File: US16912A_Award_FY2024.pdf (192.5 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US16912A_WebinarPresentation_FY2024.pdf (4.3 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US16912A_DueDateExt_FY2024.pdf (110.4 Kb)
File Notes:
The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The AppTemplate file contains a sample of the online application and should be used for reference purposes only. The Overview file contains general program information, including information regarding an optional webinar scheduled for this program. The WebinarPresentation file contains the presentation slides of a pre-application webinar held for this program. The DueDateExt file contains information on the extension of the cut-off date for receipt of applications. The Award file contains information on previous award recipients.
February 27, 2025
Information regarding the extension of the cut-off date for receipt of applications has been released and attached as the DueDateExt file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.
January 23, 2025
A recording of the webinar for this program has been released, and a link to the presentation is available in the Application section. Additionally, the presentation slides of the webinar have been released and attached as the WebinarPresentation file.
Grant Keywords
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Community DevelopmentRural Issues
Transportation