Federal Discretionary Grant opportunities

WisDOT offers these key items to consider when applying for a Federal Discretionary Grant.

Start early. Review and use USDOT’s FY2023 Discretionary Grant Preparation Checklist for Prospective Applicants. Use this to determine when to apply and for resources to prepare a successful application.

• If you are applying for an Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) discretionary grant that is not through USDOT, review all requirements for that agency’s unique grant process. This will ensure that your specific project can meet all requirements and be able to use the federal grant funding (if awarded and made available).

Plan ahead. A good rule of thumb is to apply for a grant when a project is 1-2 years prior to project construction. If you are planning to apply for a grant to be used on a transportation infrastructure project, coordinate with a WisDOT region representative.

Use WisDOT’s At-A-Glance calendar (below) to see the discretionary grant schedule, including last year’s and current releases, as a planning resource for when to apply.

Anticipate. Grant agreement can take 6-12 months to be executed after grant award announcements have been made.

• Grant award funds aren’t available to spend until the grant agreement has been executed.
• Grant funding can’t be used to cover costs prior to the date of agreement execution.
• Federal funds have additional rules and requirements (watch for specifics on reporting, tracking and monitoring financial systems and grant activities) that differ from local and state requirements. See Federal 2 CFR 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements that govern all USDOT awards.

Be prepared for additional requirements. USDOT grants are generally made on a reimbursement basis. Typically, the grantee incurs the costs and seeks reimbursement from USDOT.

• USDOT funds in general can’t be used as the non-Federal match for other programs.
• Ensure your project is included in the STIP/TIP.

Discretionary Grant At-A-Glance Calendar

(view document)

Federal resources:

• USDOT Navigator is a vital tool to help communities understand ways to apply, plan and deliver projects.
• USDOT Competitive Grants Dashboard has an overview of competitive grant opportunities and a dashboard that identifies grant programs (within and beyond DOT) with rural and Tribal set-asides or match waivers available.
• USDOT Project Delivery Center of Excellence offers tools and resources to help communities accelerate the completion of local transportation infrastructure investments, and complete them on time, on task and on budget.
• USDOT’s Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation Economic Success (ROUTES) Toolkit provides resources for applying for a discretionary grant.
• Build America Center IIJA Launchpad tool provides customized funding information, plan ahead calendar, match your project to successful awards.

FHWA resources:

• FHWA Competitive Grant Fact Sheets
• FHWA Competitive Grant Funding Matrix which shows eligible applicants for each FHWA grant
• FHWA Transportation Funding opportunities for Tribal Nations

FRA resources:

• Improving Rail in Rural Communities was developed to help rural applicants
• Maps and tools (Geographic Information Systems and open data)

Wisconsin resources:

• Wisconsin Local Technical Assistance Program (Transportation Information Center) is available to help with data questions, grant review, and other technical questions (Email: tic@interpro.wisc.edu).
• Eastern Tribal Technical Assistance Program (ETTAP) is available to help Tribal communities with the tools, training and resources they need to improve transportation safety and quality (Email: easternttap@topslab.wisc.edu).