A practical guide to Department of Transportation grants for transit, safety, infrastructure, and community transportation, who is eligible, key programs, and how to apply.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is the federal government’s largest transportation funder, supporting transit, highways, airports, ports, rail, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, transportation safety, and an expanding portfolio of community-focused transportation programs.

DOT grants are substantial and increasingly accessible to a broader range of applicants, including nonprofits, tribes, and small communities. With recent infrastructure investment, the agency has launched and expanded multiple programs focused on equity, safety, and resilience. For any organization whose work touches mobility, infrastructure, or community access, DOT is essential to understand.

This guide covers how DOT grants work, the major programs, and how to win them.

TL;DR: Quick Answers

What does DOT fund? Transportation infrastructure, transit, safety, planning, and increasingly community-focused mobility programs.
Who can apply? State DOTs, MPOs, transit agencies, local and tribal governments, ports, airports, universities, and nonprofits depending on the program.
What are the major programs? RAISE/BUILD, Reconnecting Communities, Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A), Bus and Bus Facilities, Section 5310/5311, INFRA, Mega, and many discipline-specific programs.
What’s the timeline? Federal pacing; major discretionary programs have annual cycles, and award timelines can be lengthy.

How DOT Funding Works

Like other federal grants, DOT funding is structured, competitive, and compliance-heavy. DOT is organized into operating administrations, each with its own portfolio:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Highways, roads, bridges, and many cross-cutting safety and planning programs.
Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Public transit programs.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Airports.
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Rail.
Maritime Administration (MARAD). Ports and maritime.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Vehicle and roadway safety.

The Office of the Secretary (OST) runs major cross-modal discretionary programs (RAISE, Mega, Reconnecting Communities). Most DOT money is formula-allocated to state DOTs and transit agencies; the discretionary programs are where many nonprofits and smaller jurisdictions can win directly.

Major DOT Programs

A non-exhaustive list of significant programs:

RAISE (formerly TIGER/BUILD). Cross-modal discretionary infrastructure grants for surface transportation.
Reconnecting Communities. Funds repair of infrastructure that divided communities (often supporting equity-focused projects).
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A). Funds local/tribal Vision Zero planning and projects.
INFRA and Mega grants. Large-scale freight and infrastructure projects.
FTA Bus and Bus Facilities and Low/No Emission Vehicle programs.
FTA Section 5310 (Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and People with Disabilities).
FTA Section 5311 (Rural Areas Formula).
FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and BIL airport competitions.
FHWA Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).
NHTSA highway safety grants to state highway safety offices.
Tribal Transportation Program and Tribal-specific competitions.
Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (when funded).

The portfolio expanded significantly with recent infrastructure legislation; check the DOT and grants.gov for current opportunities.

Who Is Eligible

Eligibility varies; common applicants include:

State and territorial DOTs
MPOs and regional planning organizations
Local and tribal governments
Transit agencies and public authorities
Airports and port authorities
Nonprofits (eligible for some FTA, Reconnecting Communities, and safety programs, often as partners)
Universities for research programs

Read each NOFO closely, see how to read a grant RFP. Many DOT programs are restricted to governmental entities.

How to Apply

Identify the right program and administration. DOT’s mode-specific structure is the maze; match precisely.
Register on SAM.gov and Grants.gov early.
Coordinate with your state DOT/MPO. State and regional partners are essential for most projects.
Document local need with transportation data. Crash data, transit ridership, equity indices, infrastructure-condition data, and travel-time data ground your statement of need.
Build a clear project plan, schedule, and budget. DOT awards expect rigorous project management; see grant proposal budgets.
Address benefit-cost analysis (BCA). Major DOT competitions require BCAs; learn the methodology.
Plan for environmental review (NEPA) and other federal requirements.
Plan for reporting. DOT compliance is heavy.

Tips for a Competitive DOT Application

Address Justice40 and equity explicitly for programs that prioritize disadvantaged communities.
Show local commitment. Match dollars, partner letters, and adopted plans signal credibility.
Connect to broader plans. STIPs, TIPs, long-range plans, and safety action plans matter.
Quantify safety, accessibility, climate, and economic benefits wherever possible.
Demonstrate readiness. Shovel-ready projects with completed design and environmental clearance score better in many competitions.
Document community engagement authentically, not as boilerplate.

How Grantboost Helps With DOT Applications

DOT applications combine technical engineering, federal compliance, and increasingly community-benefit storytelling. Grantboost helps you draft proposals that already reflect your organization’s voice and past wins (see training AI on your past proposals), structured around each DOT NOFO’s specific requirements.

Continuous discovery surfaces DOT opportunities alongside related EPA, HUD, state DOT, and foundation transportation funding, so DOT grants sit inside a balanced transportation and infrastructure strategy.

Try Grantboost free and build stronger DOT proposals.

DOT Grants: A Guide to Department of Transportation Funding