Department of Transportation’s Rural and Tribal Infrastructure Capacity Grant

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, also referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or BIL) is a generational investment in the nation’s transportation system. Section 21205 of Division B of the BIL (Rural and Tribal Infrastructure Advancement) creates a pilot program to provide grants to fund financial, technical, and legal assistance to states and rural and tribal communities. The grants are intended to increase organizational capacity in communities that may not have resources available to evaluate and develop projects that qualify for federal funding and financing programs. Grants reimburse expenses incurred to hire third-party advisory firms to assist with project development.

A total of $3.4 million is made available under this Notice, comprised of $1.6 million from Fiscal Year 2022 and $1.8 million from Fiscal Year 2023. Awards are available up to the statutory limit of $360,000. Actual amounts awarded will be based on the needs of each grantee. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received, beginning at 2pm Eastern on August 14, 2023 (60 days after the Federal Register notice was published). Applications are only accepted through a web-based form; a link is provided in this notice. Application reviews will conclude once the full $3.4 million has been awarded, or on September 28, 2023 (45 days after the application period opens). $1.6 million in program funds are reserved for tribal governments that apply in the first month of the program. There is no local match required to participate in this program.