Amended Notice of Funding Opportunity Now Available

$20 Million Available  – Application Period Closes June 16, 2025 

The Bureau issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for up to $20 million in no-match grants for the Regional Infrastructure Accelerators Program (RIA). The program funds technical resources, planning, and project development to expedite regional transportation infrastructure through innovative financing and delivery methods, including public-private partnerships. Complete applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by June 16, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. For any questions, please contact RIA@dot.gov.

Page Contents

Program Overview

Current Notice of Funding Opportunity

Resources and Additional Information

Program Overview

Authorized in the 2015 Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST), the Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIA) Program assists entities in developing improved infrastructure priorities and financing strategies for the accelerated development of a project that is likely eligible for U.S. Department of Transportation credit assistance.

Accelerators serve defined geographic areas and act as resources to:

• Evaluate and promote innovative financing methods for local projects.
• Build the capacity of state, local, and tribal governments to evaluate and structure projects involving private investment.
• Provide technical assistance and information on best practices for infrastructure financing.
• Increase transparency in infrastructure project analysis and innovative financing for public infrastructure projects.
• Facilitate creation of pipelines of investment-ready infrastructure projects.
• Bundle smaller-scale and rural projects into more attractive, larger investment opportunities.

Through the RIA Program, the Build America Bureau has funded 24 Accelerators, creating a network of resources to advance transportation infrastructure projects. These accelerators are:

• Developing funding and financing strategies to identify and leverage feasible funding mechanisms, such as grants, loans, public-private partnerships (P3s), and state and local contributions.
• Designing or enhancing effective governance frameworks to manage project delivery effectively. Laying the technical groundwork for specific infrastructure projects through feasibility studies, conceptual designs, and cost estimation.
• Functioning as a convener to facilitate interaction among stakeholders, such as government entities, private investors, community groups, and technical experts. Serving as an educator and technical resource by providing training, best practices, and technical assistance.
• Conducting statutory and regulatory compliance analyses to evaluate project requirements related to federal, state, and local laws, including environmental, labor, procurement, and other matters. 
• Completing specialized analyses, such as traffic and revenue modeling, economic impact assessments, and risk evaluations to inform decision-making.

Current Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Bureau has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) making up to $20 million available in no-match grants for qualified applicants. These funds will support technical resources, planning, and project development to expedite regional transportation infrastructure through innovative financing and delivery methods.

• Application Deadline: June 16, 2025, 11:59 p.m. ET
• Eligible Projects: Transportation infrastructure projects eligible for TIFIA and/or RRIF Program financing
• Application Portal: Grants.gov

 
Notice of Funding Opportunity Application Process

Step 1: Determine Eligibility

Proposed regional infrastructure accelerators must:

• Serve a defined geographic area
• Act as a resource to qualified entities in their region
• Demonstrate ability to promote investment in covered infrastructure projects
• Have plans to evaluate and promote innovative financing methods

Step 2: Prepare Required Documentation

Your application should include:

• Detailed plan for evaluating and promoting innovative financing methods
• Strategy to build capacity of government entities to structure public-private partnerships
• Approach for providing technical assistance on infrastructure financing
• Methods to increase transparency in infrastructure project analysis
• Plans for pre-development capital deployment
• Strategy for bundling smaller-scale and rural projects

Step 3: Submit Application

Complete applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by June 16, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
 

Resources and Additional Information

• Learn more about the 24 funded Regional Infrastructure Accelerators
• Watch a video about the 2023 Regional Infrastructure Accelerators Summit
• Read the FAST Act authorization
• Learn about TIFIA and RRIF Program eligibility requirements
• Contact the RIA Program Office