BIL/IIJA FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Overview

The historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) allocated $1.2 trillion appropriated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve infrastructure, generate good-paying jobs, confront the climate crisis, grow the economy equitably, and create a transportation system that works for every American. Connecticut’s share is estimated to be $6.04 billion delivered in Fiscal Years 2022-2026, through a mix of funding. 

CRCOG is tracking funding opportunities relevant to our members. Information about federal programs is included on this webpage and in our Funding Opportunities for Municipalities newsletters.

CRCOG will assist member towns with planning and implementing infrastructure and other eligible projects that will optimize this historic funding opportunity. Notices of Funding (NOFOs), Requests for Applications (RFAs), and Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are periodically released by the various Federal agencies and contain important information about grant application requirements and submission deadlines. Depending on the funding program, many NOFOs/RFAs/FOAs are accessible on Grants.gov. However, some funding announcements are available on the sponsoring agency’s website. The General Information section below contains important information about applying for Federal grants, including a list of websites to learn more about grant programs, for your reference.

Point of contact for BIL-related projects: Elizabeth Sanderson.

If your Town or Agency is seeking BIL funding for a project, and/or are interested in applying/partnering with CRCOG on any number of available or prospective funding opportunities, please complete the BIL General Interest Form , or e-mail Elizabeth Sanderson, BIL Coordinator and Principal Program Manager, providing the following key information about your project:

  • Name of Municipality
  • Point of Contact/Contact Information
  • Project Description, Location, Roadway Ownership (does the project involve State Right-of-Way), Goals/Purpose of Project, Anticipated Total Cost, Amount of Funding Needed, Type and Source of Local Match, Description of Preliminary Work Completed.

View CRCOG's Project Screening Memo for additional information.

While CRCOG will update information about open funding opportunities periodically, please note that not all NOFOs/RFAs/FOAs or U.S. Government agencies may be referenced on this webpage. Please feel free to contact Elizabeth Sanderson with questions, comments, or if you do not see information about a U.S. department, agency, organization, or BIL grant program that you are interested in applying for.

Let’s get to work bringing impactful, equitable, and sustainable changes to the Capitol Region!

Explore transportation-related federal funding opportunities using the University of Maryland Build America Center's BIL Launchpad: https://billaunchpad.com/nofo 

U.S. DOT Key Notices of Funding Opportunity Schedule: CRCOG has prepared a Memorandum that highlights key transportation funding opportunities of interest to the region. The memo Summaries of the discretionary grant programs that may be most applicable to CRCOG and Member Municipalities, based on a review of available information provided by U.S. DOT as of January 2023. The list is not an inclusive or exhaustive list and does not currently include programs for which Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) have already been issued (e.g., Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, RAISE). Please visit U.S. DOT’s website for a complete list of programs and funding opportunities.

 

Registration link for the February 8 virtual webinar: https://usdot.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_RIEqzND6Rn-khxCI7Y1QiQ.

Resources:

Below is a list of links to U.S. Government departments, agencies, and other resources related to Federal funding opportunities, including Grants.gov, which is the online portal many agencies use to publish funding opportunities:
   
Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov
System for Award Management (SAM) https://www.sam.gov/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) https://www.usda.gov/reconnect/forms-and-resources
U.S. DOT Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/metro_planning.cfm
The White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/18/white-house-releases-technical-assistance-guide-to-help-communities-unlock-resources-from-bipartisan-infrastructure-law/
U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) Grants https://www.transportation.gov/grants
US DOT Grant Toolkit Applicant Toolkit for Competitive Funding Programs at USDOT | US Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Department of Commerce
National Telecommunications and Information Administration Grants Overview | BroadbandUSA (doc.gov)
U.S. Department of Energy Funding Opportunities https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/
Joint Office of Energy and Transportation https://driveelectric.gov/funding-opportunities
Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5
FedConnect.net Grants Portal https://www.fedconnect.net/
ValidEval Grants Portal  https://valideval.com/
FEMA Grants Portal (go.fema)  https://go.fema.gov/login?redirect=%2F

SAM Registration:

To apply for Federal grants, all applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM. More information about registering with SAM is available here and here. It may take several weeks to register with SAM and obtain a UEI, so if your municipality or organization does not already have this, it is recommended that you start this process as soon as possible.

Applicants may also be required to register with Grants.gov and/or the Federal department/agency grant application portal (like ValidEval, go.FEMA, FedConnect.net, or other). More information about registering with Grants.gov and SAM.gov is available here.

Grant Writing Webinar:

On September 28, 2023 the Connecticut Transportation Institute Training & Technical Assistance Center (T2) at the University of Connecticut and the New England Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) hosted a Grant Writing Webinar.

Presenter, Victoria Beale, JD, offered valuable information on how to prepare successful grant applications.

The recording of the webinar is available on T2’s YouTube channel and can be viewed here

Additional information from the webinar is provided below:

On September 20, 2003, the U.S. Department of Treasury published the Interim Final Rule of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF, a.k.a. ARPA Funds). This 2023 Interim Final Rule expands eligible uses of SLFRF to include:

  1. Emergency relief from natural disasters;
  2. Projects eligible under certain Surface Transportation Projects; and
  3. Projects eligible under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974.

Restrictions and timelines apply. A summary of the 2023 Interim Final Rule is available here.

A webinar conducted by Department of Treasury is available on YouTube here.

CRCOG has prepared an interactive map showing discretionary grants awarded in our region: Interactive Map of Recently Awarded Federal Grants