Federal RAISE Grants Available
As a component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, grants are available through the U.S. Department of Transportation for investments in surface transportation that will have significant local and regional impact.
This federal grant program known as RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) allows funding for eligible applicants for multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects. The deadline for final submission is February 28, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Local governments are among the entities encouraged to apply.
For more information and assistance, DOT has held several informative webinars, a recording of these webinars may be found here:
Important Dates and Information FROM Department of Transportation ON "RAISE" Grants
Eligible applicants include:
- local government (towns, cities, counties),
- public agencies,
- special purpose districts or public authorities with a transportation function, as well as
- port authorities,
- transit agencies,
- federally recognized Indian tribes or a consortium of such Indian tribes for a multi-state or multi-jurisdictional group of entities that are separately eligible.
Collaboration is welcomed and considered a plus.
What kinds of priorities should your project advance?
Successful projects will address DOT priorities of safety, equity, climate and sustainability, workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation. Projects that address racial equity and support underserved populations are encouraged, as well as those that address environmental justice issues for communities that have experienced decades of under-investment and are impacted by climate change, pollution, and environmental hazards.
Total DOT funding for RAISE is $1.5B. It should be noted that the majority of requests in the 2022 funding cycle came from local government.
Minimum awards are listed as follows:
- Capital grants - $1M for rural areas and $5M for urban areas
- Planning grants have no minimum award size, but maximum of $25M
RAISE grants can be grants can be used for Planning Projects such as:
- developing master plans,
- comprehensive plans,
- zero-emissions plan for a transit fleet,
- risk assessments and planning to identify and address systems ability to withstand emergencies or major disaster.
RAISE grants can also be used for Capital Construction Projects such as:
- highway projects,
- bridge or road projects,
- public transportation,
- passenger or freight or port projects,
- airports,
- intermodal projects.
Note
Matching Requirements are expected to be 20% of the total project cost unless the project is located in a rural area, a historically disadvantaged community, or an area of persistent poverty (see below for link to Notice of Funding Opportunity – NOFO – for more information).
Additional Resources
