Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.941
- Agency
-
Immediate Office of the Secretary of Transportation
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- 129 $268,957,602 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- SMART
- Assistance type
-
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 69-1734-0-1-407
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Transportation is awarding Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants (CFDA 20.941) to public sector agencies conducting demonstration projects using advanced smart city technologies to improve transportation efficiency and safety, with the most recent award issued September 1, 2025.
Program activity remains robust. The Department has disbursed 129 Project Grants totaling $269 million in federal obligations since April 2023. Award volume has stabilized at approximately 35–58 grants annually over the past three years, with 36 awards in 2025. Grant agreements are finalized within twelve months of announcement. The program draws from $100 million in annual appropriations across fiscal years 2022–2026, established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
SMART funds demonstration and implementation of projects deploying sensor networks, AI-driven video analytics, intelligent transportation systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, unmanned aerial systems, and related technologies to solve real-world transportation challenges. Recent awards illustrate the scope: LA Metro deployed QR code digital ticketing for the 2028 Olympics ($12.12 million); Port Authority of New York and New Jersey implemented C-V2X technology at the George Washington Bridge to address queuing and collision safety ($2 million); City of Boston developed computer vision systems to digitize curb regulations in real time ($1.98 million); and the Cascade Gateway border region deployed hybrid border wait-time systems across four land ports-of-entry ($6.6 million). Projects span smart traffic signals, adaptive ramp metering, pedestrian-bicycle safety detection, curb management, emergency evacuation optimization, and transit data standardization.
The portfolio comprises 100 percent Project Grants, all funded by the Department of Transportation's Office of the Secretary.
Eligible applicants include states, political subdivisions, tribal governments, public transit agencies and authorities, public toll authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, and multi-entity consortia with a single lead applicant.
The program operates a two-stage funding model. Stage One (Planning and Prototyping) awards support project planning and prototyping. Stage Two (Implementation) restricts eligibility to prior Stage One recipients advancing their developed plans. Most recent opportunities have closed: FY24 Stage 1 applications were due July 12, 2024, and FY24 Stage 2 applications due August 14, 2024. The source indicates additional Stage Two NOFOs will be released in 2025 and 2026 for eligible Stage One recipients. No currently open opportunities are listed in the source.
Objective and description
- Objective
Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) funds for fiscal years (FY) 2022-2026 are to be awarded on a competitive basis to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart city or community technologies and systems to
- Description
As authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, 117th Congress, Nov 15, 2021), the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) was established as a discretionary grant program with $100 million appropriated annually for fiscal years (FY) 2022-2026 to provide grants to eligible public sector agencies to conduct demonstration and implementation of projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
a State; a political subdivision of a State; a Tribal government; a public transit agency or authority; a public toll authority; a metropolitan planning organization; and a group of 2 or more eligible entities detailed above, applying through a single lead applicant.
- Beneficiary eligibility
(who benefits)
- Uses of assistance
Projects funded by the SMART Grants Program use advanced data, technology, and applications to provide significant benefits to a local area, a State, a region, or the United States. The SMART Grants Program defines these benefits to include the following areas identified in BIL. Safety, reliability, and resiliency: Improve the safety of systems for pedestrians, bicyclists, and the broader traveling public. Increase the reliability and resiliency of the transportation system. Improve emergency response. Equity and access: Connect or expand access for underserved or disadvantaged populations. Improve access to jobs, education, and essential services. Climate: Reduce congestion and/or pollution. Improve energy efficiency. Partnerships: Contribute to economic competitiveness and incentivize private sector investments or partnerships, including technical and financial commitments on the proposed solution. Demonstrate committed leadership and capacity from the applicant, partners, and community. Integration: Improve integration of systems and promote connectivity of infrastructure, connected vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and the broader traveling public.
- Use restrictions
The following are examples of ineligible costs for SMART Grants Program funding: • reimbursement of any application preparation costs of the SMART grant application; • Costs incurred prior to award announcement; • traffic or parking enforcement activity; or • purchase or lease of a license plate reader. If a component of the project is explicitly intended to support current or future traffic or enforcement activities, it is not an eligible cost for the SMART Grants Program and cannot be included in an eligible proposal.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The BIL established the SMART Grants Program with $500,000,000 in advanced appropriations. DOT anticipates announcing the $500,000,000 in increments of $100,000,000 for each of the eligible fiscal years (FY 2022- FY 2026).
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The selection criteria are published in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.
- Award procedure
SMART projects are to be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that meet statutory requirements. All projects funded are anticipated to have a grant agreement finalized within twelve months after awards have been announced.
- Renewals
Extension may be requested within 90 days from Performance Period end date
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY24 SMART Grants Stage 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity | Closed | ||
| FY24 Stage 1 SMART Grants Notice of Funding Opportunity | Closed | ||
| SMART Grants Notice of Funding | Closed | ||
| Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program | Closed |
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 129 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City Of Minneapolis | $16,824,730 | 6% |
| 2 | New York State Thruway Authority | $16,367,885 | 6% |
| 3 | LOS Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority | $16,120,000 | 6% |
| 4 | Alaska Department Of Transportation & Public Facilities | $15,508,663 | 6% |
| 5 | Nashville & Davidson County, Metropolitan Government Of | $12,000,000 | 4% |
| 6 | Washington ST Department Of Transportation | $6,599,400 | 2% |
| 7 | Utah Department Of Transportation | $4,735,000 | 2% |
| 8 | Metropolitan Transportation Authority | $4,000,000 | 1% |
| 9 | Indiana Department Of Transportation | $3,980,988 | 1% |
| 10 | Massachusetts Department Of Transportation | $3,929,615 | 1% |
10 of 112 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $3,640,484 |
| FY2025 | $116,032,399 |
| FY2024 | $56,500,938 |
| FY2023 | $92,783,781 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.941?
Assistance Listing 20.941 is Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program, a federal grant program run by Immediate Office of the Secretary of Transportation (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program?
Its CFDA number is 20.941: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 20.941 awarded?
129 grant awards under 20.941 have obligated $268,957,602 in federal funds to 112 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 20.941?
The recipients obligated the most under Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program are City Of Minneapolis ($16,824,730), New York State Thruway Authority ($16,367,885) and LOS Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($16,120,000).
How much did 20.941 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 20.941 obligated $116,032,399 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 20.941?
No opportunity listed under 20.941 is open now. The latest, FY24 SMART Grants Stage 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity, was posted on July 15, 2024.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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