Category Archives: Transportation

Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program

The Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program supports projects to implement, improve, or develop a Pollinator-Friendly Practice Plan. The goal of the program is to turn the 3.9 million miles of roadside across the U.S. into pollinator habitat.

Applications for up to $150,000 are due by June 18, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. The Federal Highway Administration is required to fund all satisfactory applications, which must conform to the Application Template.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • State Departments of Transportation
  • Federal Land Management Agencies
  • Native American Tribes

Eligible Pollinator-Friendly Practices

Applicants may request funding for one or more of the following:

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  • Pollinator-friendly mowing strategies
  • Planting or seeding
  • Removing nonnative grasses from planting and seeding mixes
  • Protecting existing habitat
  • Updating, improving, or further developing the Pollinator-Friendly Practices Plan
  • Implementing a Pollinator-Friendly Practices Plan or an integrated vegetation management plan
  • Obtaining expert training or assistance on pollinator-friendly practices
  • Design, construction, or maintenance to ensure habitat does not negatively impact road safety
  • Outreach to increase public support and/or coordinate with adjacent landowners

Applications Requirements

State Departments of Transportation and Federal Land Management Agencies must provide documentation of:

  • Coordination with applicable State agencies in the development of their Plan
  • Consultation with affected or interested Indigenous tribes in the development of their Plan

Review Criteria

All applications will be reviewed based on:

Merit Criteria

  • Overall Benefits to Pollinator Species and Habitats
  • Context and Connectivity  
  • Roadside Pollinator Project Design and Methods
  • Maintenance and Management  

Project Readiness Criteria

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  • Environmental Review and Permitting Risk
  • Project Risks and Mitigation Strategies
  • Technical Assessment
  • Financial Completeness Assessment

AARP Community Challenge Grant

The AARP Community Challenge Grant funds small projects to make communities more livable. Awards are made in three categories – Flagship Grants, Capacity-Building Microgrants, and Demonstration Grants.

Available funding varies by grant type, but applications for all categories are due by March 6, 2024 at 5 PM ET.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • Nonprofits with a 501(c)3, 501(c)4, or 501(c)6 status
  • Government entities

Organizations that do not fall into either of the above categories may be able to apply, but that will be determined on a case by case basis. For-profit businesses and individuals are not eligible.

Grant Types

Flagship Grants

Flagship Grants focus on improving life for community residents, especially those who are 50 years of age or older. In the past, awards have ranged from $500 to $50,000 and the average award is $11,900. But don’t be afraid to dream big! There is no cap and extraordinary projects may receive larger amounts.

Project Categories

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  • Public Places – Improvement of parks, open spaces, and equitable access to public amenities
  • Transportation and Mobility Options – Road improvements, wayfinding, improved connectivity and walk/bikeability, and increased access to transportation
  • Housing – Increasing availability of affordable and accessible housing
  • Digital Connections – Expanding access to high speed internet and digital literacy
  • Community Resilience – Disaster preparedness and mitigation
  • Community Health and Economic Empowerment – Increasing physical and financial health

Capacity-Building Microgrants

Capacity-Building Microgrants provide $2,500 as well as non-financial assistance like one-on-one coaching and webinars.

Project Categories

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Demonstration Grants

Demonstration grants are intended to be used for pilot projects that can be replicated by other communities. Awards may be up to $50,000.

Project Categories

  • Enhancing digital connectivity to prepare and respond to disasters
  • Facilitating equitable engagement to reconnect communities divided by infrastructure
  • Implementing housing choice design competitions 

Selection Criteria

  • Impact (45 points) – Does the project address a need to become more livable for residents, particularly those age 50 or older?
  • Execution (30 points) – Has the applicant demonstrated an ability to complete the project on time and on budget, engage residents, and enlist volunteers, especially those age 50 or older?
  • Addressing Disparities (15 points) – Does the project address disparities faced by historically marginalized groups?
  • Innovation (10 points) – Is the project unique?

DOT Planning and Bridge Project Grants

Planning and Bridge Project Grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation fund projects to replace or repair bridges on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI).

Grants are awarded in two categories: Bridge Project and Planning. Applications for Bridge Project grants are due by March 19, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET; applications for Planning grants are due by February 19, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. Award amounts vary by category, but all grantees must provide a 20% non-federal match. Applications should be submitted through Grants.gov.

Eligibility

This grant is open to:

  • A state or group of states
  • A unit of local government or group of local governments 
  • A political subdivision of a state or local government
  • A Tribal government or consortium of Tribal governments
  • A metropolitan planning organization that serves an urbanized area with a population over 200,000
  • A special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function 
  • A Federal Land Management Agency (FLMA)
  • A multi-state or multi-jurisdictional group of entities as described above

Program Goals

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The goals of the Bridge Investment Program are to:

  • Improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges
  • Improve the condition of bridges in the United States
  • Provide financial assistance that leverages and encourages non-Federal contributions from sponsors and stakeholders involved in the planning, design, and construction of eligible projects

Grant Categories

Bridge Projects

Bridge Projects should replace, rehabilitate, preserve, or protect one or more bridges on the NBI. They may also include bridge bundling and culverts.

Funding

Awards may not be less than $2.5 million or more than 80% of the total project cost. Total eligible costs may not exceed $100 million.

Allowable Expenses

Grant funds may be spent on:

  • Development activities such as feasibility analyses, environmental reviews, and revenue forecasting
  • Construction, including environmental mitigation, equipment acquisition, and operational improvements
  • Protection, such as seismic or scour protection

Requirements

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All Bridge Projects must:

  • Demonstrate a reasonable expectation of beginning construction within 18 months of the award
  • Have preliminary engineering work completed
  • Address how the bridge will be maintained
  • Provide accomodations for pedestrians and cyclists

Planning

Planning grants are intended for preliminary work, such as feasibility analyses and revenue forecasting, to develop projects that would be eligible to apply for a Bridge Project grant.

There is no minimum or maximum award for Planning grants. However, the cost of the final bridge project must be at least $3.125 million.