RAISE 2022 NOFO SIGNED 1.14.22.pdf

G4910-9X

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary of Transportation

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Department of Transportation’s National

Infrastructure Investments (i.e., the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with

Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program) under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (“Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”)

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Transportation, DOT

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for Rebuilding American

Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants. Funds for the FY 2022 RAISE grant program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for surface transportation infrastructure projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. This program is referred to as the

Local and Regional Project Assistance Program in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs

Act(“Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”). The Department intends to update this Notice of Funding

Opportunity on or before January 30, 2022 with complete program requirements and application information.

DATES: Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern on April 14, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning this notice, please contact the RAISE grant program staff via e-mail at RAISEgrants@dot.gov, or call

Howard Hill at 202-366-0301. A TDD is available for individuals who are deaf or hard of mailto:BUILDgrants@dot.gov hearing at 202-366-3993. Until the final NOFO is published on or before January 30, 2022, the

Department may provide limited responses to applicant inquiries.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

A. Program Description

B. Federal Award Information

C. Eligibility Information

D. Application and Submission Information

E. Application Review Information

F. Federal Award Administration Information

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

H. Other Information

A. Program Description

1. Overview

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Pub. L. 117-58, November 15, 2021, “Bipartisan

Infrastructure Law,” or “BIL”) authorized and appropriated $1.5 billion to be awarded by the

Department of Transportation (“DOT”) for FY 2022 for Local and Regional Project Assistance

Program Grants under National Infrastructure Investments. The program is codified at 49 U.S.C.

6702. The BIL requires the DOT to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) no later than 60 days after enactment, which is January 14, 2022. In order to comply with this requirement, this (NOFO) solicits applications for projects to be funded under the Local and

Regional Project Assistance Program, known as the RAISE Grants program, and may include any additional funding appropriated for the RAISE Grants program under the FY 2022

Appropriations Act. If the FY 2022 Appropriations Act significantly alters requirements for the

RAISE Grant program, the Department will amend this Notice with guidance on additional requirements.

2. Additional Information

The RAISE grant program is described in the Federal Assistance Listings under the assistance listing program title “National Infrastructure Investments” and assistance listing number 20.933.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Amount Available

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 (“BIL”) authorized and appropriated $1.5 billion to be awarded by DOT for RAISE grants under the Local and Regional Project Assistance

Program. The Department intends to amend this Notice to provide more details on or before

January 30, 2022.

2. Award Size

BIL specifies that the minimum RAISE grant award is $5 million, except that for projects located in rural areas, the minimum award size is $1 million. Grants may not be greater than $25 million.

3. Restrictions on Funding

The BIL also directs that not more than 50 percent of the funds provided for RAISE grants

(or $750 million) shall be awarded to rural projects and directs that not more than 50 percent of the funds provided for RAISE grants (or $750 million) shall be awarded to urban projects.

Further, DOT must consider geographical and modal diversity. The Department intends to amend this Notice to provide more details on or before January 30, 2022.

4. Availability of Funds

The Department intends to amend this Notice to provide more details on or before

January 30, 2022.

C. Eligibility Information

To be selected for a RAISE grant, an applicant must be an Eligible Applicant and the project must be an Eligible Project.

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible Applicants for RAISE 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 1 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; and a multi-State or multijurisdictional group of entities.

Multiple States or jurisdictions may submit a joint application and should identify a lead applicant as the primary point of contact and also identify the primary recipient of the award.

Joint applications should include a description of the roles and responsibilities of each applicant.

DOT expects that the eligible applicant that submits the application will administer and deliver the project. If the applicant seeks a transfer of the award to another agency, a letter of support from the designated entity must be included in the application.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Per BIL, the Federal share of project costs for which an expenditure is made under the

RAISE grant program may not exceed 80 percent unless the project is located in a rural area, a historically disadvantaged community, or an area of persistent poverty.4

Non-Federal sources include State funds originating from programs funded by State revenue, local funds originating from State or local revenue-funded programs, or private funds. BIL also allows for the following Federal funds to be considered “non-Federal” for the purpose of the

RAISE program: (A) tribal transportation program funds under section 202 of title 23; (B)

Federal lands transportation program funds under section 203 of title 23; (C) TIFIA program funds (as defined in section 601(a) of title 23); and (D) Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement

Financing Program under chapter 224. Toll credits under 23 U.S.C. 120(i) are considered a

Federal source under the RAISE program and, therefore, cannot be used to satisfy the statutory cost sharing requirement of a RAISE award. Unless otherwise authorized by statute, non-Federal cost-share may not be counted as the non-Federal share for both the RAISE grant and another

Federal grant program. DOT will not consider previously incurred costs or previously expended or encumbered funds towards the matching requirement for any project. Matching funds are subject to the same Federal requirements as awarded funds. If repaid from non-Federal sources, Federal credit assistance is considered non-Federal share.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

Instructions for submitting applications will be found at www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants along with specific instructions for the forms and attachments required for submission, on or before January 30, 2022.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

The Department intends to amend this Notice to provide more details on or before January 30, 2022.

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

Each applicant must: 1) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; 2) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and 3) continue to maintain an active

SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal http://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. DOT may not make a RAISE grant to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DOT is ready to make a RAISE grant, DOT may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a RAISE grant and use that determination as a basis for making a RAISE grant to another applicant.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern on April 14, 2022. To submit an application through Grants.gov, applicants must:

(1) Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier1 (UEI) number;

(2) Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.SAM.gov;

(3) Create a Grants.gov username and password; and

(4) The E-Business Point of Contact (POC) at the applicant’s organization must respond to the registration email from Grants.gov and login at

Grants.gov to authorize the applicant as the Authorized Organization

Representative (AOR). Please note that there can be more than one AOR for an organization.

Please note that the Grants.gov registration process usually takes 2-4 weeks to complete and that DOT will not consider late applications that are the result of failure to register or comply with Grants.gov applicant requirements in a timely manner. For information and instruction on

1 On April 4, 2022 the Federal government will stop using the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the Federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) created in SAM.gov. If your entity is currently registered in SAM.gov, your UEI has already been assigned and is viewable in SAM.gov. This includes inactive registrations.

http://www.sam.gov/ each of these processes, please see instructions at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html. If applicants experience difficulties at any point during the registration or application process, please call the Grants.gov

Customer Service Support Hotline at 1(800) 518-4726, Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST.

5. Other Submission Requirements

The Department intends to amend this Notice to provide more details on or before

January 30, 2022.

E. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

The BIL requires the Department to evaluate projects based on safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity to include tourism opportunity, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation. Additional considerations include demonstrated project readiness and cost effectiveness.

2. Review and Selection Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notice http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

January 30, 2022.

3. Reporting

The Department intends to amend this Notice to provide more details on or before January 30, 2022.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

For further information concerning this notice please contact the RAISE grant program staff via e-mail at RAISEgrants@dot.gov, or call Howard Hill at 202-366-0301. A TDD is available for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at 202-366-3993. In addition, DOT will post answers to questions and requests for clarifications on DOT’s website at www.transportation.gov/RAISEgrants. Until the final NOFO is published on or before January

30, 2022, the Department may provide limited responses to applicant inquiries.

H. Other information

Issued in Washington D.C. on January 14, 2022:

Carlos Monje Under Secretary for Transportation Policy mailto:BUILDgrants@dot.gov http://www.transportation.gov/BUILDgrants