$1,465,000 awarded to fort belknap indian community for rural and tribal assistance pilot program to support legal, technical, and financial advisors to help advance infrastructure projects

The Department of Transportation Immediate Office of the Secretary awarded a $1,465,000 cooperative agreement to Fort Belknap Indian Community on October 5, 2026, under the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program (CFDA 20.943) to support legal, technical, and financial advisors advancing infrastructure projects.

Fort Belknap will deliver a work plan, quarterly reports, project deliverables, and 2 CFR 200 compliance documentation related to Fort Belknap Route 11. The program funds development-phase assistance intended to advance transportation infrastructure projects in rural and tribal communities by supporting hired staff or expert firms providing financial, technical, and legal advisory services. Ultimate completion is October 4, 2029. Performance occurs in Montana.

Fort Belknap Indian Community, a federally recognized tribal government headquartered in Harlem, Montana and serving approximately 7,000 enrolled members of the Aaniiih (Gros Ventre) and Nakoda (Assiniboine) tribes on the Fort Belknap Reservation, operates as Fort Belknap Industries and holds SBA certifications as an 8(a) Business Development Program participant and HUBZone firm. The beneficiaries are users of Fort Belknap Route 11.

Activities to be performed: fort belknap route 11. Deliverables/expected outcomes: work plan, quarterly reports, project deliverables and 2 CFR 200 compliance. Beneficiaries: users of fort belknap route 11