Opportunity Information: Apply for DTOS59 20 RA BUILD
The FY 2020 National Infrastructure Investments opportunity, administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants program (formerly TIGER), made about $1 billion available under the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020. The program is structured as a competitive, discretionary grant competition intended to fund transportation projects that deliver clear local or regional benefits, rather than formula-driven allocations. DOT also signaled that if the initial solicitation did not result in all funds being awarded and obligated, it could issue additional solicitations to place the remaining funds.
A key feature of this round is that Congress set aside a minimum of $15 million specifically for planning, preparation, or design work for otherwise eligible projects. That means applicants could compete not only for construction or capital delivery, but also for earlier-stage activities that move strong projects toward readiness, such as environmental work, preliminary engineering, or final design, so long as the underlying project is eligible for BUILD funding.
Award sizes were bounded by statutory limits. For most projects, BUILD awards could not be less than $5 million and could not exceed $25 million (the stated award ceiling). Rural projects were given additional flexibility, with a reduced minimum award size of $1 million for projects located in rural areas. Congress also required DOT to balance funding between rural and urban areas: no more than 50 percent of total funds could go to projects in rural areas (defined here as population 200,000 or less), and no more than 50 percent could go to projects in urbanized areas with populations over 200,000. On top of that rural-urban split, there was a state concentration cap: no more than 10 percent of total available funds (up to $100 million) could be awarded to projects in any single state. DOT was explicitly directed to pursue equitable geographic distribution, maintain an appropriate balance between urban and rural needs, and invest across a variety of transportation modes, reinforcing that selection would consider national balance as well as project-level merit.
The solicitation also allowed DOT to supplement FY 2020 funds with unobligated dollars from prior rounds, including TIGER FY 2017 and FY 2018 and/or FY 2019 BUILD funds, but only for projects that could meet the obligation deadlines tied to those prior-year appropriations. Timing and readiness mattered because the statute imposed hard deadlines with no waiver authority. FY 2020 BUILD funds were only available for obligation through September 30, 2022, and FY 2019 BUILD funds could not be expended after September 30, 2027. Consistent with those constraints, DOT indicated that, during evaluation, it would consider whether projects were ready to proceed quickly enough to obligate funds within the allowable statutory window.
The law also created a financing-related option: up to 20 percent of available funds (up to $200 million) could be used by DOT to cover subsidy and administrative costs for projects receiving credit assistance under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), as long as doing so advanced BUILD program purposes. This effectively allowed some BUILD funding to be paired with, or used to enable, large-scale financing packages supported by TIFIA credit assistance.
Applicants that had received earlier TIGER awards were not excluded; in fact, prior recipients were allowed to apply for additional phases of previously funded projects. However, DOT emphasized competitiveness factors for such follow-on requests, including evidence that earlier phases stayed on schedule and within budget and that the project is on track to deliver the benefits originally promised. This signals that performance history and demonstrated delivery capacity could influence how DOT viewed applications tied to prior awards.
From an administrative standpoint, DOT expected awards to be managed on a reimbursable basis through one of DOTs modal administrations, with the recipient operating under a grant agreement that governs payment, reporting, and compliance. In other words, recipients typically incur eligible costs and then request reimbursement, rather than receiving large up-front payments.
Eligibility was broad across public-sector transportation actors. Eligible applicants included states; local governments; tribal governments; U.S. territories; transit agencies; port authorities; metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs); and other political subdivisions of state or local governments. The program allowed joint applications from multiple states or jurisdictions, but required applicants to name a lead applicant to serve as the main point of contact. Every participating entity in a joint application needed to be independently eligible, and the application needed to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each project partner.
In the source posting details, the opportunity was listed as a discretionary grant in the transportation category (CFDA 20.933), with an award ceiling of $25 million per award, and an original application closing date of May 18, 2020.Apply for DTOS59 20 RA BUILD
- The Department of Transportation in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2020 National Infrastructure Investments" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.933.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2020-02-18.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-05-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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| Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grants Apply for 693JJ320NF00005 Funding Number: 693JJ320NF00005 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $50,000,000 |
| Highway Construction Workforce Partnership Grant Apply for HIN HCWP 2020 Funding Number: HIN HCWP 2020 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| FY 2021 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Small Shipyard Grants Apply for DTMASSG21 Funding Number: DTMASSG21 Agency: Maritime Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| INFRA Grants Apply for NSFHP 21 INFRA21 Funding Number: NSFHP 21 INFRA21 Agency: 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $800,100,000 |
| Indian Highway Safety Occupant Protection Grant Apply for BIA IHSP 2021 0002 Funding Number: BIA IHSP 2021 0002 Agency: Bureau of Indian Affairs Category: Transportation Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY 2021 National Infrastructure Investments Apply for DTOS59 21 RA RAISE Funding Number: DTOS59 21 RA RAISE Agency: DOT OSDBU Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $25,000,000 |
| Advanced Transportation and Congestion Management Technologies Deployment Initiative Apply for 693JJ321NF00005 Funding Number: 693JJ321NF00005 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $12,000,000 |
| Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement (CARSI) Grants Round 2 Apply for 693JJ322NF00002 Funding Number: 693JJ322NF00002 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Regional Infrastructure Accelerator Program Notice of Funding Opportunity Apply for DOTBAB01062022 Funding Number: DOTBAB01062022 Agency: 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| FY 2022 National Infrastructure Investments Apply for DTOS59 22 RA RAISE Funding Number: DTOS59 22 RA RAISE Agency: 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $45,000,000 |
| Indian Highway Safety Occupant Protection Grant Apply for BIA IHSP 2022 0002 Funding Number: BIA IHSP 2022 0002 Agency: Bureau of Indian Affairs Category: Transportation Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Small Shipyard Grants Apply for DTMASSG22 Funding Number: DTMASSG22 Agency: Maritime Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| FY 2022 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Airport Improvement Program Discretionary Grants Apply for FAA ARP AIP G 22 001 Funding Number: FAA ARP AIP G 22 001 Agency: DOT Federal Aviation Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $50,000,000 |
| Mega Grants Apply for NIPA 22 MEGA 22 Funding Number: NIPA 22 MEGA 22 Agency: 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $500,000,000 |
| INFRA Grants Apply for NSMFHP 22 INFRA 22 Funding Number: NSMFHP 22 INFRA 22 Agency: 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $1,320,050,000 |
| Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program Apply for RSTGP 22 RURAL 22 Funding Number: RSTGP 22 RURAL 22 Agency: 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $300,000,000 |
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