BUILD 2025 Amended NOFO - Redline.pdf

FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and EquityBetter Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program

Amendment No. 1

Office of the Secretary

US Department of Transportation (DOT)

Table of Contents

A. Basic Information

1. Round 1

2. Round 2

3. Changes from the FY 2024 NOFO

B. Eligibility

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Minimum Funding Request For Capital Projects

3. Application Limit

4. Cost Sharing

5. Pre-Award Authority

6. Location Designations

7. Eligible Projects

8. Project Components

9. Reduced Awards

10. Previous RAISE/BUILD/TIGER Recipients

C. Program Description

1. Program History and Authorization

2. Program Goals and Objectives

3. Restrictions on Funding

4. Availability of Funds

5. Performance Goals

6. Previous Awards

D. Application Content and Format

1. Standard Form 424

2. FY 2025 RAISE Project Information Form

3. Project Description File

4. Project Location File

5. Project Budget Files

6. Merit Criteria File

7. Project Readiness File

8. Benefit-Cost Analysis

E. Submission Requirements and Deadline

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

3. Submission Deadline

4. Intergovernmental Review

5. Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

F. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

G. Award Notices

1. How Project Selections Are Announced

2. Announcement Dates

3. Pre-Award Costs

4. Reimbursable Program

H. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

2. Reporting

I. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

J. Other Information

1. Protection of Confidential Business Information

2. Publication and Sharing of Application Information

A. BASIC INFORMATION

The Office of the Secretary (OST) announces the intention to hold two rounds of selections under the FY 2025 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISEBetter Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Round 1 – The Department is reserving a portion of the $1.5 billion in FY 2025 RAISE funds, provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or BIL), for Highly Rated applications that were not selected under the FY 2024 RAISE NOFO and designated FY 2024 Projects of Merit.

Round 2 – The Department will make another round of selections using a portion of the $1.5 billion in FY 2025 RAISE BILinfrastructure law funds and/or additional funding that may become available for the program under the FY 2025 Appropriations Act.

Please note, all FY 2025 annual appropriations amounts are subject to availability of funding. DOT cannot guarantee that Congress will appropriate additional funding to RAISEBUILD via a future FY 2025 appropriation.

The FY 2024 RAISE NOFO stated:

Projects for which an FY 2024 RAISE application is advanced by the Senior Review Team to the Highly Rated List, but that are not awarded, are automatically designated as “Projects of Merit.” Projects with this designation will be carried over into FY 2025 RAISE and considered by the SRT for advancement to the Highly Rated List, along with other FY 2025 applications eligible for advancement to the Highly Rated List.

The Department is reducing the burden on all previous applicants, who would otherwise have to revise and resubmit applications, by evaluating and selecting applications for funding using the same criteria as the FY 2024 RAISE NOFO originally published on November 30, 2023.

Additionally, this process expedites selections making a portion of the funds available to project sponsors earlier.

Topic Description Announcement Type This is the initial announcementamendment number 1 for the FY

2025 round of this programNOFO Funding Opportunity Title

FY 2025 National Infrastructure Investments

Funding Opportunity Number

DTOS59-25-RA-RAISE

Assistance Listing Number

20.933 National Infrastructure Investments

Prior Awards In FY 2024, theThe Department received 1048 eligible applicationsconsidered 195 FY 2024 Projects of Merit requesting nearly $132.4 billion under Round 1.

148109 projects were awarded a total of $1.832 billion Awards were made to projects in all 5037 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands

Awards ranged from $328160,000 to $25 million

Maximum Award Size

RAISE grant awards are capped at $25 million

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Round 1: FY 2024 Projects of Merit - Closed FY 2024 Projects of Merit mustwere required to email

RAISEgrants@dot.gov by 11:59 pm December 2, 2024 if they want their FY 2024 application considered for award under the reserved funding

No amendments are beingwere made to either the selection criteria or process. No application modifications will bewere needed or accepted

Round 1 selections are expected to bewere announced byon January 10, 2025

Round 2: All Applicants All interested applicants must submit applications in

Grants.gov no later than 11:59 pm eastern on January 30, 2025.

Complete instructions on how to register and apply can be found at Grants.gov. If applicants experience difficulties at any point during registration or application process, please use the help available on Grants.gov such as the Customer Support Hotline at 1-800-518-4726 or email support@grants.gov

Round 2 selections are expected to be announced no later than June 28, 2025.

Eligible Activities Planning and/or constructing surface transportation infrastructure

Eligible Applicants States and the District of Columbia Any territory or possession of the United States A unit of local government A public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States A special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function, including a port authority A Federally recognized Indian Tribe or a consortium of such

Indian Tribes A transit agency A multi-State or multijurisdictional group of entities that are separately eligible

Reconnecting Extra Designation

Applications submitted for consideration under Round 2 of the FY 2025 RAISEBUILD competition, that have an identical project scope to applications that were submitted and evaluated under the FY 2024 Reconnecting Communities Program (RCP) competition and received the designation of “Reconnecting Extra,” will automatically advance for second-tier analysis if they receive an overall merit rating of “Recommended” and have at least one “High” rating in a priority criterion.

The Department expects projects that rated well under the FY 2024 RCP Program criteria will do well under the FY 2025 RAISEBUILD program criteria.

Applicants should note in the “FY 2025 RAISEBUILD Project Information Form” file whether their FY 2025 RAISEBUILD application was also submitted under the FY 2024 RCP competition and received the “Reconnecting Extra” designation

Amendment No. 1 Purpose of the amendment is to:

Change the program name from RAISE to BUILD Remove references to rescinded Executive Orders Align the NOFO with new Executive Orders Specify the amount available for award

Questions Email RAISEgrants@dot.gov

Due to the competitive nature of the program, during the application submittal phase, the Department is unable to accommodate individual meeting requests to discuss the opportunity or specific project ideas, and unable to provide individualized guidance or render opinions about the merit of a specific project.

ROUND 1

i. Reservation of Funds for FY 2024 RAISE Projects of Merit

Under this NOFO, the Department is making a portion of the $1.5 billion in FY 2025 RAISE BIL funding available to Highly Rated applications that were submitted but not selected under the FY 2024 RAISE NOFO. The Department will follow the criteria and process set forth in the FY 2024 RAISE NOFO for making selections to receive the reserved funding.

The Department will carryover all applications that advanced to the Highly Rated List, but were not selected for funding. These projects were designated as FY 2024 Projects of Merit. For purposes of this reservation of funds, the Department incorporates the FY 2024 RAISE NOFO by reference and will follow that NOFO criteria for all Round 1 selections.

Using the discretionary authority provided in statute, the Secretary will select projects from the FY 2024 Projects of Merit List for award, consistent with the selection criteria and statutory requirements for geographic and modal diversity. The Secretary may, depending on the pool of qualified applications, seek to award at least one project per state or territory.

If an applicant submitted an application for funding under the FY 2024 RAISE NOFO, advanced to the Highly Rated List, but was not selected and thus designated a Project of Merit, such applicant must notify the Department by emailing RAISEgrants@dot.gov by December 2, 2024, if the applicant wishes for that application to be reconsidered for award using this reservation of funding.

FY 2024 RAISE Projects of Merit seeking reconsideration of their unawarded application will not be permitted to modify, amend, or supplement applications. To maximize chances of obtaining an award, FY 2024 RAISE Project of Merit applications may request consideration under the reserved funds, and they may also submit applications for Round 2 of this NOFO. The FY 2024 Project of Merit application(s) will count against an entity’s three-application limit.

ROUND 2

i. Funding for FY 2025 RAISEBUILD Applications

Under this NOFO, in addition to Round 1, the Department intends to make another round of selections using a portion of the $1.5 billion in BIL$150 million of infrastructure law funds and/or additional funding that may become available for the program under the FY 2025 Appropriations Act. Please note, all FY 2025 annual appropriations amounts are subject to availability of funding. DOT cannot guarantee that Congress will appropriate additional funding to RAISEBUILD via a future FY 2025 appropriation.

All interested applicants must submit applications in Grants.gov no later than 11:59 pm eastern on January 30, 2025. Round 2 selections are expected to be announced no later than June 28, 2025.

CHANGES FROMTO THE FY 20242025 NOFO

This amendment to the FY 2025 RAISE NOFO makes changesoriginally published on November 1, 2024:

Changes the program name from the FY 2024 RAISE NOFO to: BUILD Outline the process to carry forward FY 2024 RAISE Projects of Merit applications for consideration under Round 1 of the FY 2025 RAISE NOFO;

Reserve a portion ofRemoves references to rescinded Executive Orders Clarifies all grant agreements or contracts must include terms that are in compliance with

Section 3(C)(iv) of EO Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity

Aligns the NOFO with new Executive Orders with updates to the merit criteria rating rubric

Defines Historically Disadvantaged Communities using the $1.5 billion FY 2025 BIL funding for FY 2024 RAISE Projects of Merit applications;

Update same statutory definition for Areas of Persistent Poverty to account for the most recent annual Small Area Income Poverty Estimates as estimated by the Bureau of the census;

Update references to comply with updated 2 CFR Part 200 Appendix I; and Improve organization and clarity of the information the Department uses to assess project readiness.

Specifies $150 million is available for award

B. ELIGIBILITY

1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants for RAISEBUILD grants are:

States and the District of Columbia Any territory or possession of the United States A unit of local government A public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States A special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function, including a port authority A Federally recognized Indian Tribe or a consortium of such Indian Tribes A transit agency A multi-State or multijurisdictional group of entities that are separately eligible

Ineligible applicants for RAISEBUILD grants are:

Federal agencies Non-profits Private entities Individuals

Multiple states or jurisdictions may submit a joint application, designating a lead applicant as the primary contact and award recipient. The application should outline each applicant's roles and responsibilities.

DOT expects the applicant to manage and deliver the project. If the applicant plans to transfer the award to another agency, this must be stated in the application, along with a supporting letter from the designated entity.

MINIMUM FUNDING REQUEST FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS

Capital Grants Minimum Request Rural Areas $1 million Urban Areas $5 million

Applicants submitting capital grant applications for projects located in rural areas must request at least $1 million in RAISEBUILD funding. Applicants submitting capital grant applications for projects located in urban areas must request at least $5 million in RAISEBUILD funding. Failure to request the minimum funding amount for a capital grant application will result in the application being ineligible.

There is no minimum funding request requirement for planning grant applications.

APPLICATION LIMIT

Each applicant can submit up to three applications. Unrelated project components should not be combined in one application to meet this limit. If an applicant submits more than three applications, only the first three will be considered.

COST SHARING

Cost sharing means the portion of the project’s cost that is not paid by Federal funds. Cost share funds are typically stated as a percentage of the total project cost. The Department only considers an application’s Federal share to confirm eligibility.

Project Location Cost Share Requirement Urban Up to 80% Federal Funding Rural

Up to 100% Federal Funding Area of Persistent Poverty Historically Disadvantaged Community

The Federal share for RAISEBUILD grant projects shall not exceed 80 percent unless the project receives one of the following location designations (see Location Designations for definitions):

Rural Area of Persistent Poverty (APP) Historically Disadvantaged Community (HDC)

Applicants with projects located in one of the designated areas above are eligible to fund the project up to 100 percent with Federal funding. Projects located in an urban area, that are not designated APP and/or/ HDC, that have more than 80 percent federal funding will be ineligible.

Applicants should use the following equation when determining the cost share for their project:

ሺ𝑹𝑨𝑰𝑺𝑬 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑹𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑭𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔ሻ

𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒔𝒕

ൌ 𝑭𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆

Total Project Cost means the sum of future eligible Federal and non-Federal costs yet to be incurred.

Eligible sources of non-Federal funds include:

State funds originating from programs funded by State revenue Local funds originating from State or local revenue-funded programs Private funds Tribal transportation program funds under section 202 of title 23 Federal lands transportation program funds under section 203 of title 23 TIFIA program funds (as defined in section 601(a) of title 23)

Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing Program under chapter 224 Federal credit assistance (if repaid from non-Federal sources)

Toll credits under 23 U.S.C. 120(i) are considered a Federal source under the RAISEBUILD program.

Unless otherwise authorized by statute, funds used to satisfy the cost-share requirements of a different Federal program may not be counted as the cost-share for both the RAISEBUILD grant and another Federal grant program.

Non-Federal funds are subject to the same Federal requirements as RAISEBUILD grant funds.

For each project that receives a RAISEBUILD grant award, the terms of the award will require the recipient to complete the project using at least the level of non-Federal funding that was specified in the application. If the actual costs of the project are greater than the costs estimated in the application, the recipient will be responsible for addressing the funding shortfall and maintaining the level of non-Federal funding stated in the application. If the actual costs of the project are less than the costs estimated in the application, the Department will generally reduce the Federal contribution to ensure federal cost share requirements are met.

PRE-AWARD AUTHORITY

Unless authorized by the Department in writing after announcement of FY 2025 RAISEBUILD awards, any costs incurred prior to the Department’s obligation of funds for a project (“pre-award costs”) are ineligible for reimbursement and are ineligible cost share requirements.1 In general, RAISEBUILD Program funds are administered on a reimbursement basis. Grant recipients will generally be required to pay project costs upfront using their own funds, and then request reimbursement for those costs. If a recipient cannot complete a project on reimbursement basis, DOT will—on a case-by-case basis—consider recipient requests to use alternate payment methods as described in 2 CFR 200.305(b), including advance payments.

LOCATION DESIGNATIONS

i. Urban or Rural

Urban and rural definitions differ across DOT programs. For the RAISEBUILD program:

Urban: A project is designated as urban if it is located within (or on the boundary of) a Census-designated urban area that had a population greater than 200,000 in the 2020 Census.2

1 Pre-award costs are costs incurred after award announcement, but directly pursuant to the negotiation of a grant agreement where such costs are necessary for efficient and timely performance of the scope of work, as determined by DOT. Costs incurred under an advance construction (23 U.S.C. 115) authorization before the DOT announces that a project is selected for a FY 2025 RAISEBUILD award cannot be charged to FY 2025 RAISEBUILD funds.

Likewise, costs incurred under an FTA Letter of No Prejudice under Chapter 53 of title 49 U.S.C. before the DOT announces that a project is selected for a FY 2025 RAISEBUILD award, cannot be charged to FY 2025 RAISEBUILD funds.

2 For the purpose of this NOFO, the definition of urban and rural is based on the 2020 Census-designated urbanized areas. The Department is required by the BIL to use the most recent decennial census information.

Rural: A project is designated as rural if it is located outside a Census-designated urban area that had a population greater than 200,000 in the 2020 Census.

The Department provides an interactive map to show Census-designated urban areas with populations greater than 200,000 in the 2020 Census.

A project located in both an urban and a rural area will be designated as urban if the majority of the project’s costs will be spent in urban areas. Conversely, a project located in both an urban area and a rural area will be designated as rural if the majority of the project’s costs will be spent in rural areas. For RAISEBUILD planning grants, the location of the project being planned, prepared, or designed will be used for the urban or rural designation.

Urban and rural designations impact the following aspects of the RAISEBUILD program:

Minimum RAISEBUILD funding requirements Fundings restrictions Cost share

ii. Areas of Persistent Poverty and Historically Disadvantaged Communities

The Department provides an interactive map to show Areas of Persistent Poverty and Historically Disadvantaged Communities.

Areas of Persistent Poverty (APP) are defined by RAISEBUILD statute:

Any county that has consistently had greater than or equal to 20 percent of the population living in poverty during the 30-year period preceding November 15, 2021, as measured by the 1990 and 2000 decennial census and the most recent annual Small Area Income Poverty Estimates as estimated by the Bureau of the census o The FY 2025 RAISEBUILD NOFO updated county APP designations to utilize the most recent annual Small Area Income Poverty Estimates as estimated by the Bureau of the census.

Any census tract with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent as measured by the 2014-2018 5-year data series available from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census

Any territory or possession of the United States

Historically Disadvantaged Communities (HDC) are defined bywill use the Justice40 Interim Guidance Addendum issued by the White House Officesame definition as APP for purposes of Management and Budget (OMB), White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and Climate Policy Office (CPO):this NOFO.

Any census tract or tracts identified as disadvantaged in the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST), created by CEQ, which identifies such communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution

Any Federally Recognized Tribe or Tribal entity, whether or not they have land

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

i. Capital Projects

Eligible capital projects activities include:

Highway or bridge projects eligible under title 23, United States Code Public transportation projects eligible under chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code Passenger and freight rail transportation projects Port infrastructure investments (including inland port infrastructure and land ports of entry) The surface transportation components of an airport project eligible for assistance under part B of subtitle VII of title 49, United States Code3 Intermodal projects whose component parts are otherwise an eligible project type Projects to replace or rehabilitate a culvert or prevent stormwater runoff for the purpose of improving habitat for aquatic species while advancing the goals of the RAISEBUILD program

Projects investing in surface transportation facilities that are located on Tribal land and for which title or maintenance responsibility is vested in the Federal Government

Any other surface transportation infrastructure project that the Secretary considers to be necessary to advance the goals of the program4 o Public road and non-motorized projects that are not otherwise eligible under title 23, United States Code o Surface transportation components of transit-oriented development projects o Surface transportation components of mobility on-demand projects that expand access and reduce transportation cost burden

Ineligible capital projects are:

School bus electrification and broadband deployment as a standalone project Improvements to Federally owned facilities o Unless the project is investing in surface transportation facilities that are located on Tribal land and for which title or maintenance responsibility is vested in the Federal Government

If a project type isn'tis not explicitly listed as eligible or ineligible, applicants should explain its necessity for advancing the RAISEBUILD program goals in their application. The Department will then determine eligibility individually.

3 Eligible surface transportation components of eligible airport projects are those projects listed in “Appendix P:

Road and Surface Transportation Projects” of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) handbook. For more details on airport project eligibility, please see the Frequently Asked Questions on the RAISEprogram website.

4 DOT may award a RAISEBUILD grant to pay for the surface transportation components of a broader project that has non-surface transportation components, and applicants are encouraged to apply for RAISEBUILD grants to pay for the surface transportation components of these projects. However, costs for non-surface transportation components are not eligible to count as matching funds for the RAISEBUILD grant.

Research, demonstration, or pilot projects are only eligible if they lead to long-term, permanent surface transportation infrastructure with independent utility as defined in the Project Components section.

ii. Planning Projects

Eligible planning projects activities include:

Planning, preparation, or design of eligible surface transportation capital projects described in the Capital Projects section that will not result in construction with FY 2024 RAISE2025 BUILD funding.

o For example: environmental analysis, equity analysis, community engagement, feasibility studies, benefit-cost analysis, and other pre-construction activities Development of master plans, comprehensive plans, transportation corridor plans, and integrated economic development, land use, housing, and transportation plans Zero emissions plan for transit fleet Planning activities related to the development of a multimodal freight corridor, including those that seek to reduce conflicts with residential areas and with passenger and non-motorized traffic

Planning activities related to zero emission goods movement Development of port and regional port planning, including State-wide or multi-port planning within a single jurisdiction or region Risk assessments and planning to identify vulnerabilities and address the transportation system’s ability to withstand probable occurrence or recurrence of an emergency or major disaster

If an application includes right-of-way acquisition, the project will be considered a capital project.

PROJECT COMPONENTS

An application for a RAISEBUILD grant can include multiple components, which may be executed by different parties. The Department requires all components, whether or not they receive Federal funding, to be delivered as part of the RAISEBUILD project.

Components may be funded individually if they meet the following criteria:

Independently satisfy minimum award amounts and eligibility requirements.

Independently align with selection criteria Meets National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements for independent utility – meaning the component must be a usable improvement on its own and ready for use upon completion.

Components in a single application must be related. Each component's status should be clearly outlined, for example, in the project schedule. Applicants should also detail independent components and their costs separately, showing how each one meets selection criteria and benefits on its own, in addition to how the full proposal does. Federal funding for some components might subject others to additional Federal requirements.

REDUCED AWARDS

If selected for award, the Department may decrease the RAISEBUILD funding amount from the applicant’s request if some elements of the project are ineligible or to comply with statutory set asides such as awarding funding evenly between projects located in rural and urban areas.

PREVIOUS RAISE/BUILD/TIGER RECIPIENTS

Previous recipients of a RAISEBUILD grant may apply for funding to support additional phases of their project.5 The application should demonstrate the extent to which the previously funded project has met estimated project schedules and budget, as well as the ability to realize the benefits expected for the project. A previous RAISE/BUILD/TIGER award, or application, does not affect competitiveness under the FY 2025 RAISEBUILD competition.

5 Includes recipients of grants under former names of the program (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD)Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)).

C. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. PROGRAM HISTORY AND AUTHORIZATION

The RAISEBUILD program, previously known as the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILDRebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grants, was established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to create jobs and spur economic recovery through transportation infrastructure investments. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58, November 15, 2021, authorized and appropriated $1.5 billion annually to be awarded by the Department of Transportation (“DOT”) 2022 – FY 2026 for Local and Regional Project Assistance Program Grants under National Infrastructure Investments to fund eligible surface transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. As of June 2024, the program has awarded more than $15 billion over sixteen rounds to local governments, Tribes, transit and port authorities, states, and other entities. The program is codified at 49 U.S.C. 6702.

PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of the RAISEBUILD program is to fund eligible surface transportation projects that will have a significant local or regional impact that advance the Departmental priorities of safety, equity, climate and sustainability, and workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation, consistent with law, and as described in the Department’s Strategic Plan6 and in executive ordersand improve transportation infrastructure.

The Department seeks to fund projects under the RAISE program that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector; incorporate evidence-based climate resilience measures and features; avoid adverse environmental impacts to air or water quality, wetlands, and endangered species; and address the disproportionate negative environmental impacts of transportation on disadvantaged communities, consistent with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.

In addition, the Department seeks to award projects under the RAISE program that proactively evaluate whether a project will create proportional impacts to all populations in a project area and increase equitable access to project benefits, consistent with Executive Order 14091, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

The Department also seeks to award projects that address environmental justice, particularly for communities that have experienced decades of underinvestment and are most impacted by climate change, pollution, and environmental hazards, consistent with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.

The RAISE program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other covered Federal

6 See U.S. Department of Transportation Strategic Plan FY 2022–2026 at https://www.transportation.gov/dot-strategic-plan.

investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

In addition, the Department intends to use the RAISE program to support the creation of good-paying jobs with the free and fair choice to join a union and the incorporation of strong labor standards and training and placement programs, especially registered apprenticeships, in project planning stages, consistent with Executive Order 14025, Worker Organizing and Empowerment, and Executive Order 14052, Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Department also intends to use the RAISE program to support wealth creation, consistent with the Department's Equity Action Plan, through the inclusion of local inclusive economic development and entrepreneurship such as the utilization of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises or 8(a) firms.

The BIL included provisions for Metropolitan Planning Organizations to consider integrating transportation planning, housing, employment opportunities, and economic development strategies.7 The Department strongly encourages applicants to utilize these new planning coordination opportunities in their proposed projects and describe them in their applications.

Note, the RAISEBUILD program can only fund the surface transportation infrastructure elements of a project that may also include housing, employment opportunities, and economic development strategies.

RESTRICTIONS ON FUNDING

The Department must comply with the following funding restrictions:

Funding Restriction Amount Per State No more than 15% which is $225 million Rural Projects No more than 50% which is $750 million Urban Projects No more than 50% which is $750 million Planning Projects At least 5% which is $75 million Projects Located in Areas of Persistent Poverty and/or /History Disadvantaged Communities

At least 1% which is $15 million

The Department may retain up to $30 million for oversight and administration of grants.

Additionally, the Department may use up to 20 percent of available funds (or $300 million) to pay the subsidy and administrative costs of a project receiving credit assistance under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 1998 (TIFIA) or Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) programs. Note, applicants must apply to both the RAISEBUILD program and TIFIA or RRIF loan program to be eligible for the Department to pay for subsidy and administrative costs associated with credit assistance.

Federal funds awarded under this program may not be used to support or oppose union organizing, whether directly or as an offset for other funds.

7See BIL div. A § 11201., Transportation Planning, which amends 23 U.S.C. 134.

AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS

The table below outlines the obligation and expenditure deadlines for FY 2025 BIL funding.

Fiscal Year BIL Funding Obligation Deadline

BIL Funding Expenditure Deadline

FY 2025 September 30, 2029 September 30, 2034

FY 2025 RAISEBUILD grant funds must be obligated by September 30, 2029.

Obligation occurs when a selected applicant and the Department enter into a written grant agreement after the applicant has satisfied applicable local and Federal requirements.

FY 2025 RAISEBUILD funds must be expended by September 30, 2034.

Expenditure occurs when a recipient seeks reimbursement for eligible project costs.

After this date, unexpended funds are no longer available to the project.

PERFORMANCE GOALS

RAISEBUILD program performance measures can be found on the RAISEprogram website.

PREVIOUS AWARDS

Previous program awards can be seen in Fact Sheets on the RAISEBUILD website.

D. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

The Department requires the application to include the following files, in this order and with these specific names:

Information File Name NOFO Section Page Limit

SF-424 SF-424 D.1 N/A

Project Information Form (Excel file)

FY 2025 RAISEBUILD

Project Information Form

D.2 N/A

Project Description Project Description D.3 5 pages Project Location File Project Location File D.4 N/A Project Budget Project Budget D.5 5 pages Funding Commitment Documentation

Funding Commitments D.5 N/A

Merit Criteria Merit Criteria Narrative D.6 15 pages Project Readiness Project Readiness D.7 5 pages Benefit-Cost Analysis Narrative (capital projects only)

BCA Narrative D.8 N/A

Benefit-Cost Analysis Calculations (capital projects only, unlocked Excel file)

BCA Calculations D.8 N/A

Letters of Support (Optional) Letters Of Support D.7 N/A

The Department requires application files to be formatted as follows: single-spaced, 12-point standard font (e.g., Times New Roman), with 1-inch margins. Files should be in PDF unless otherwise specified (e.g., project information form in Excel; location files as Shapefile or KML/KMZ; and BCA calculations in Excel).

Applications should include all necessary information to demonstrate compliance with the Eligibility section and to meet selection criteria in the Criteria section. Applications must be complete at submission; the Department may request additional data, but applicants are not obligated to provide it.

Supporting documents may be included but are not required to be reviewed by evaluators.

Different evaluation teams review the merit criteria, the benefit-cost analysis, budget, and project readiness files.

The Department expects application files to include the following detailed information:

1. STANDARD FORM 424

The SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance must be completed. Applicants may leave the following fields on the form blank: 3, 4, 5a, 5b, 6, 7, 11, 13, and 14. Separate files must be attached in Item 15 to provide required project information that is not included in the body of the

SF-424.

FY 2025 RAISEBUILD PROJECT INFORMATION FORM

The FY 2025 Project Information Form can be downloaded from Grants.gov or from the RAISEprogram website. This from is used to determine applicant and project eligibility.

Information such as applicant name, RAISEBUILD amount requested, other Federal funding, non-Federal funding, etc. may be requested in varying degrees of detail on both the SF-424 and the FY 2025 RAISEBUILD Project Information Form. Applicants must fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the forms.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION FILE

This file should describe the project to be planned or constructed, including a detailed statement of work covering technical and engineering aspects, current design status, and transportation challenges and solutions. It may also include the project’s history and how it fits within the applicant's broader transportation infrastructure investments.

This file should include a narrative description of the project location, detailing the geographic area and providing maps to complement the project location file. It should narratively identify if the project is located in an Area of Persistent Poverty, a /Historically Disadvantaged Community, and if the project is Urban or Rural (see Location Designations section for definitions).

PROJECT LOCATION FILE

Applicants should submit one of the following file types that detail the projectsproject location so the Department can verify location designations: Shapefile (.zip with .shp, .shx, .dbf, and .prj) or KML/KMZ. Google Earth can be used to create KML/KMZ files. The files should only include the project's direct physical location, not a broad service area or area of impact.

Accurate location data is crucial as it affects eligibility for the FY 2025 RAISEBUILD grants program.

PROJECT BUDGET FILES

This file should describe the budget for the RAISEBUILD project using the below table and also include a narrative section. The budget table should show only future eligible project costs and should not include previously incurred expenses.

The budget table must show the total project cost by project component and the following funding sources:

RAISEBUILD funding request Other Federal funds Non-Federal Funds

The budget table and narrative must identify the amount, type (e.g., grant, loan, bond, etc.), and source of all other Federal funds and non-Federal funds included in the budget. The budget table should demonstrate compliance with the statutory cost share or non-Federal funds matching requirements.

Applicants must also include the three tables listed below in their project budget file. The Department will use these tables to determine where the majority of project costs occur for the purposes of making APP, /HDC, and Urban designations. The total project cost listed in each table should match the total project cost listed in the budget table above, in the SF-424 and in the FY 2025 RAISEBUILD Project Information Form. Applicants should reference the Grant Project Location Verification mapping tool when filling out the below tables.

2020 Census Tract(s) Project Costs per Census Tract

[XX.XX] $

[XX.XX] $

[XX.XX] $

[XX.XX] $

Total Project Cost: $ Note: Please reference the Census Tracts (2020 Census) layer in the Grant Project Location mapping tool. Additional rows may be added if necessary.

Funding Source [Component 1] [Component 2] Total Funding RAISEBUILD Funds: [$XXX] [$XXX] [$XXX] Other Federal Funds: [$XXX] [$XXX] [$XXX] Non-Federal Funds: [$XXX] [$XXX] [$XXX] Total Project Cost: [$XXX] [$XXX] [$XXX] Note: If there is only a single component, remove “Component 2” column. If there are more than 2 components, add columns.

2010 Census Tract(s) Project Costs per Census Tract

[XX.XX] $

[XX.XX] $

[XX.XX] $

[XX.XX] $

Total Project Cost: $ Note: Please reference the Census Tracts (2010 Census) layer in the Grant Project Location mapping tool. Additional rows may be added if necessary.

Urban and Rural Project Costs Urban (2020 Census-designated urban area with a population greater than 200,000)

Rural (Located outside of a 2020 Census-designated urban area with a population greater than 200,000)

Total Project Cost: $ Note: Please reference the Census Designated Urban Areas with Population Greater Than 200,000 (2020 Census) layer in the Grant Project Location mapping tool.

The budget narrative should include:

Sources, Uses, and Availability: Provide complete information on how all capital or planning project funds may be used, their availability, and documented funding commitments. For example, if a source of funds is available only after a condition is satisfied, the application should identify that condition and describe the applicant’s control over whether it is satisfied. Similarly, if a source of funds is available for expenditure only during a fixed period, the application should describe that restriction.

Examples of documentation include, but are not limited to, a letter signed by a governing official or chief financial officer confirming the amount and source of funding, a page or pages from the Statewide Improvement Program (STIP) or Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) (please do not include a link to the entire STIP/TIP), a signed city ordinance, or a county administrator committing previously approved general obligation bonds.

Contingency Amount and Plan: Indicate the specific contingency amount included in the budget to demonstrate there is sufficient funding to cover unanticipated cost increases and describe a plan to address potential cost overruns. Planning projects are not required to include a contingency amount but must describe a plan to address potential cost overruns.

Level of Design: Indicate the degree of design completion (e.g., no design, 30, 60, 90 percent design) for which the cost was estimated in the case of a capital project;

Cost Estimates: Indicate how, when, and by whom project costs were estimated. Cost estimates should be no older than a year from the application deadline. If older, please apply an inflation factor.

Cost Share or Matching Funds: Explain how the project budget satisfies the statutory cost share or non-federal funds matching requirements shown in the project budget table, if applicable.

MERIT CRITERIA FILE

This file should demonstrate how the project aligns with each of the 8 statutory merit criteria described in the Merit Criteria section by:

Organizing the narrative in the order the merit criteria are described in the Merit Criteria section

Addressing each merit criteria separately by:

o Identifying the bullet(s) from the rubric the project addresses o Identifying the element(s) of the project that address the bullet(s) from the rubric o Providing supporting justification using data. Unsupported claims may harm the application's competitiveness.

Applicants are encouraged to use the Department’s Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer as a resource to describe how their project area is experiencing transportation related disadvantage as it relates to safety, affordable transportation options, pollution, access to good-paying jobs, climate change, and/or improving quality of life.

Insufficient information to assess any criterion will negatively impact the project rating.

Merit reviewers will focus on this file and will not be required to reference links or the other files in the application package.

PROJECT READINESS FILE

Project readiness describes an applicant’s preparedness to move a proposed project forward once it receives a RAISE grant. The Project Readiness file should include information that, when considered with the project budget information, is sufficient for the Department to evaluate whether the project is reasonably expected to begin the capital or planning project in a timely manner and meet both the obligation and expenditure deadlines. To assist the Department’s environmental risk review, the applicant should provide the information requested on project schedule, required approvals and permits, NEPA class of action and status, public involvement, right-of-way acquisition plans, risk assessment, and risk mitigation strategies. Applicants can see a general Project Readiness checklist on the DOT Navigator. The Project Readiness file should include the sections outlined below. Supporting material that exceeds page limits may be provided as hyperlinks, attachments, or appendices.

i. Planning and Constructability

Applicants should demonstrate that a project that is required to be included in the relevant State, metropolitan, and local planning documents has been or will be included in such documents.

STIP / TIP / TTIP / TAM Plan: Is the project already listed in the STIP, TIP, Tribal Transportation Improvement Program (TTIP), and/or Transit Asset Management (TAM) Plan, if applicable? If so, provide links or attachments that show the project listing in the applicable plans/programs. If the project is not yet listed, describe any coordination that has/will occur to facilitate listing in the applicable plans/programs and the anticipated date when listing will occur.

Consistency with Other Plans: Is your proposal listed in and/or consistent with any other plans (e.g., the Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan and/or Metropolitan Long- Range Plan)? If so, please summarize and provide a link to appropriate project listing.

Freight Plans: To the extent possible, freight projects should be included in a State Freight Plan and supported by a State Freight Advisory Committee (49 U.S.C. 70201, 70202), if these exist. Applicants should provide links or other documentation supporting this consideration such as letters of support from the State DOT if the project is intended to be included in the State Freight Plan, or results from application of the FHWA Freight Mobility Trends Tool.

Property Acquisition / Right-of-Way (ROW): Who is the owner of the existing facility?

Will any new ROW acquisition be required, and if so, from whom? If acquisition will be required, describe the status and anticipated schedule for the acquisition. Will any special ROW permits or approvals be needed? If so, please describe.

Construction Techniques and Phasing: Will the proposed improvements require unique construction techniques, non-standard project delivery methods (e.g., approaches other than design-bid-build), and/or phasing? If so, please describe.

ii. Proposed Schedule

List the completed and/or anticipated dates (calendar month and year, not fiscal year or quarter) for the following key milestones. Dates provided should reflect a realistic amount of time to complete each milestone. Ensure that dates provided here are consistent with dates provided elsewhere in the application.

o Start and end of preliminary design o Start and end of the NEPA process o Start and end of obtaining permits/approvals (if required) o Project listed in STIP, TIP, TTIP, and/or TAM Plan (as applicable) o Start and end of final design o Start and end of ROW acquisition (if required) o Anticipated finalization of RAISEBUILD grant agreement (if awarded) o Anticipated obligation of grant funds (if awarded) o Start and end of construction

Project Development Phases to be Funded with RAISEBUILD: Describe the project development phase(s) proposed to be funded with RAISEBUILD funds (if awarded), and whether RAISEBUILD funds are proposed to be used for phases other than ROW acquisition and construction (e.g., for design, NEPA, etc.). Note: typically, milestones for establishing the grant agreement and obligation of funds should be scheduled before any activities/phases that will use RAISEBUILD funds.

iii. NEPA and Permitting

NEPA Class of Action: List the class of action/type of document that has already been or will be prepared to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (e.g., a categorical exclusion, an environmental assessment, an environmental impact statement, or class of action not yet determined). If multiple NEPA documents are being prepared for this proposal, briefly explain why, and complete the prompts below for each document.

NEPA Status and Milestones: Briefly describe the status of NEPA compliance (e.g., not started, underway, or complete), the anticipated project impacts, and proposed mitigation measures. If the NEPA process has been completed, provide the final approval date for the NEPA document. If the NEPA process has not yet been completed, list the key remaining milestones for the NEPA process, their status, and their anticipated completion dates. Identify any anticipated challenges to timely completing the NEPA process.

Link to NEPA Documentation: If draft or final NEPA documentation is available, provide a hyperlink, attach it, or append it.

Reevaluation and Post-Approval Changes: Describe any planned and/or completed efforts to reevaluate the NEPA documentation between the final NEPA approval and beginning of construction. Reevaluation may be warranted based on the passage of time and/or changes in the project scope, setting, impacts, or applicable requirements since the final NEPA approval.

Permits and Approvals: List any federal, state, or local permits and approvals anticipated to be needed for the project (e.g., Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation, etc.). Provide the status of each permit or approval and the date that the permit or approval was obtained or is anticipated to be obtained.

Summarize and attach relevant correspondence or documentation of consultation with permitting agencies.

Coordination with DOT: Identify the federal lead agency for the NEPA process and any joint-lead agencies. Describe any coordination that has occurred with an agency or operating administration of USDOT regarding the project proposal and/or NEPA analysis. Describe any coordination with state, county, or local transportation agencies regarding preliminary design and the NEPA process.

iv. Project Support

Public and Agency Involvement Process: Summarize the key events and techniques used to engage the public and other stakeholders during the NEPA process. Highlight efforts to engage disadvantaged communities and communities likely to be affected by the project, including details on compliance with environmental justice requirements and access for persons with disabilities and limited English proficiency.