Grants
Upcoming Grant Opportunities
Watch for announcements in the Fall for the following Discretionary Grants Program NOFO's. Get a head start in researching these upcoming opportunities now!
Current Grant Opportunities
OTO Grant Opportunities
None open at this time.
Non-Government Opportunities
T-Mobile Hometown Grant Opportunity
Applications Due: Monday, June 17
Grants Size: up to $50,000
Small towns and rural communities are eligible. Apply for funding to support a community project of your choice, like revitalizing or repurposing a historic structure, creating a downtown asset or destination, or improving a space where friends and neighbors gather. Projects that add to a sense of place or could lead to further investment are of particular interest (past awards have been for hiking trails, upgrading tech, and revitalizing historical buildings). More information can be found here: Main Street America Submission Manager - T-Mobile Hometown Grant Application Q2 2024 (April 1 - June 30, 2024) (submittable.com)
State Grant Opportunities
Missouri Railroad Safety Crossing plan
Governor Parson signed House Bill 4 providing MoDOT with additional funding to improve safety at Highway/Railroad crossings. The State of Missouri also completed a State Action Plan for Highway/Railroad Crossings that can be found here: Missouri Railroad Safety Crossing Plan | Missouri Department of Transportation (modot.org)
To request project funding for improved railroad crossing signals please fill out the Project Application and Data Form found here: Railroad Advance Warning Signs - Request for Funding | Missouri Department of Transportation (modot.org)
If your jurisdiction has multiple crossings, then an application is needed for each one. For more information you can contact MoRail@modot.mo.gov.
There was not application deadline listed.
Southwest Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety Grant
Applications Due: Thursday, May 23, 2024, and emailed to SWMOCoalition@modot.mo.gov
Grant Size: approximately $5,000 is the average award.
Eligible Projects: projects or equipment that will help reduce the fatal or serious injury crashes that occur on Missouri’s roadways. The projects must be tied to a Strategy or Action outlined in the Show-Me Zero Plan.
Examples are implementing education programs for pedestrian safety or purchasing radar equipment to help with speed enforcement on roadways.
MoDOT Transportation Cost-Share Program
The program provides financial assistance to public and private applicants for state highway and bridge projects satisfying a transportation need. MoDOT matches partners investments up to fifty percent (50%) of the project cost. Set-aside funds for economic development may fund up to one-hundred percent (100%) of the total project cost. MoDOT works in cooperation with the Department of Economic Development and project sponsors to determine when targeted investments can be made to create jobs and may provide up the on-hundred percent (100%) of the cost. Retail development projects do not qualify as economic development projects that create jobs.
Information on the Cost Share Program and Applications can be found here:
Cost Participation and Cost Share | Missouri Department of Transportation (modot.org)
Application Deadlines (Multiple Times Per Year) -
- Southwest District Coordination Date - 2/12/2024, Application Deadline - 4/12/2024
Federal Grant Opportunities
Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program
The US DOT announced the NOFO for CRISI. This program is aimed at enhancing railroad safety, efficiency, and reliability across the US. Special consideration is given to projects that demonstrate innovation, support economic vitality, and enhance environmental sustainability.
More information can be found here: CRISI Program
Minimum Project Size - non minimum or maximum, but projects over $1 million are encouraged.
Webinar Opportunity -
- April 9, 2024, at 1:00 p.m.- Register Here!
Application Deadline -
- Tuesday, May 28, 2024, 11:59 p.m.
Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program
National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) - Large complex projects that are difficult to fund by any other means and are likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits.
Eligible projects include highway, bridge, freight, port, passenger rail, and public transportation projects of national or regional significance.
Project Size: $100 million to $500 million +
Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA ) program - competitive grants to multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas.
Eligible projects will improve safety, generate economic benefits, reduce congestion, enhance resiliency, and hold the greatest promise to eliminate supply chain bottlenecks and improve critical freight movements.
Project size - Large INFRA - $100 Million +
Small INFRA - under $100 Million
Application Deadline for MEGA, INFRA, and Rural:
- May 6, 2024 @ 11:59 p.m.
Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) - program dedicated specifically to smaller communities.
Eligible projects include highway, bridge, and tunnel projects that help improve freight, safety, and provide or increase access to agricultural, commercial, energy, or transportation facilities that support the economy of a rural area.
Project Size - No requirement
Grant information can be found here: MPDG Program
Bridge Investment Program, Planning and Bridge Project Grant
The purpose of this notice is to solicit applications for two funding categories: (1) Planning and (2) Bridge Project grants (a project with total eligible costs not greater than $100 million) for awards under the Bridge Investment Program (BIP). This notice establishes a “rolling application” process for Planning and Bridge Project applications by providing the schedule, requirements, and selection process for such projects for the remaining available amounts of the BIP funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or BIL) for FY 2023 through FY 2026, which total up to $9.7 billion (see section B.1 for details for funds available for each fiscal year). FHWA is soliciting applications for the other BIP project category in a separate NOFO available on for Large Bridge Project (a project with total eligible costs greater than $100 million).
More information can be found here: BIP Info
FY 2024 Applications are closed. FY 2025 is due October 1, 2024, for planning grants and November 1, 2024, for construction grants.
Large Bridge Project Grant
Available for bridges with eligible project costs over $100 million, with minimum grant awards of $50 million and maximum grant awards of 50 percent of eligible project costs.
Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)
A revised NOFO has been released!
SS4A funds help communities in the development of road safety action plans and improve unsafe roadway corridors by implementing effective interventions. Additionally, these funds can be utilized to test out safety features such as separated bicycle lanes or curb extensions at intersections.
Applications for Implementation Grants Due: Thursday, May 16 at 5:00 p.m.
Information and NOFO can be found here: SS4A Information
SS4A webinars on March 7, 8, and 13: Webinar Registration
Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP)
ATIIP projects will help improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of active transportation networks and communities; improve connectivity between active transportation modes and public transportation; enhance the resiliency of on- and off-road active transportation infrastructure; help protect the environment; and improve quality of life in disadvantaged communities through the delivery of connected active transportation networks and expanded mobility opportunities.
Applications for ATIIP Due: June 17, 2024
Eligible Applicants: State Governments, Local Governments, Planning and Project Organizations
Award Size: $100,000 to $15,000,000
Information and NOFO can be found here: ATIIP Information
USDOT Transportation Data and Equity Hub
There is a new Transportation Data and Equity Hub at the USDOT to assist with grant applications and project planning. This hub provides tools, metrics and date to
analyze communities access to the transportation they need, and the challenges they face. Here you can leverage USDOT data to understand causes, effects, and impacts. The hub can be found here: https://equitydata.dot.gov/
Awarded Grants:
Safe Streets and Roads For All
The US Department of Economic Development has awarded the Ozarks Transportation Organization a planning grant in the amount of $228,800.
This grant will provide support for the development of a comprehensive Safety Action Plan. With this plan in place, OTO member jurisdictions will be able to apply for implementation grant funding in future years.
A complete description of the SS4A grant and Action Plan can be found here: SS4A | OTO (ozarkstransportation.org)
Chadwick Flyer Trail Overpass (MO DED - ARPA Funding)
The City of Ozark, Missouri has been selected to receive $1.179 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for local tourism projects from the Missouri Department of Economic Development as part of Missouri's Local Tourism Asset Development program.
Ozark will use the awarded funds for the expansion of the Chadwick Flyer Trail to include a pedestrian overpass across Highway 65, allowing bicyclists and walkers to safely travel the eventual 12-mile trail between Ozark and neighboring Springfield. As of now, there is no safe route over Highway 65, leaving the trail segmented. The finished trail and overpass will connect Ozark’s Finley Farms and Downtown Square to Springfield’s own downtown district.
The $1.179 million will go toward the $3.75 million project total. City, county, and regional collaboration made the award possible.
