INFRA - How to Apply
Application Forms and Instructions
Applicants should thoroughly review the FY26 INFRA NOFO which outlines the required and recommended documents to submit under the FY26 competition. Application forms and attachments must be submitted through Grants.gov (see below).
Applicants should submit the INFRA Project Information Form with their application in Excel format without renaming the file.
Outcome Criteria
The Department encourages applicants to address each criterion as it applies to the funding programs to which they are applying or else to expressly state that the project does not address the criterion. Insufficient information to assess any criterion will negatively impact the project rating.
- Criterion #1: Safety
This section of the application should describe how the project will improve
safety (described in Section F.2 of the NOFO). - Criterion #2: Economic Competitiveness and Opportunity
This section of the application should describe how the project will contribute to
economic competitiveness and opportunity (described in Section F.2 of the NOFO). - Criterion #3: State of Good Repair
This section of the application should describe how the project will contribute to
State of Good Repair (described in Section F.2 of the NOFO). Criterion #4: Innovation
This section of the application should describe how the project will contribute to innovation (described in Section F.2 of the NOFO).Applicants are encouraged to learn more about Outcome Criteria in Section D.6 of the FY26 NOFO.
Final Application Instructions
Final Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. The Grants.gov “Apply” function is now open. Please be aware that you must complete the Grants.gov registration process before submitting the Final Application, and that this process usually takes multiple weeks to complete. Applicants are encouraged to start the Grants.gov registration process now.
Final Applications for Track 1 must be submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern on July 1, 2026. Applications for Track 2 must be submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern on July 15, 2026. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit in advance of the deadline.
To register on Grants.gov, applicants must:
- Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;
- Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.SAM.gov;
- Create a Grants.gov username and password; and
- The E-Business Point of Contact (POC) at your organization must respond to the registration email from Grants.gov and login at Grants.gov to authorize you as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Please note that there can be more than one AOR for an organization.
If applicants experience difficulties at any point during the registration or application process, please call the Grants.gov Customer Service Support Hotline at 1(800) 518-4726 or email support@grants.gov.
For information and instructions on each of these processes, please see instructions at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs
Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur and it can take up to several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. It is highly recommended that applicants start the registration process as early as possible to prevent delays that may preclude submitting an application by the deadlines specified. Applications will not be accepted after the respective Track 1 and Track 2 due dates of Jul 1 and July 15, 2026; delayed registration is not an acceptable reason for late submission. In order to apply for INFRA funding under this announcement, all applicants are expected to be registered as an organization with Grants.gov. To learn more about registering as an organization with Grants.gov, please see the “Organization Registration Checklist” provided by Grants.gov at the following location: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration
A complete list of Grants.gov applicant resources can be found here: https://www.grants.gov/applicants
Note: When uploading attachments at Grants.gov please use generally accepted formats such as .pdf, .doc, and .xls. While you may imbed picture files such as .jpg, .gif, .bmp, in your files, please do not save and submit the attachment in these formats. Additionally, the following formats will not be accepted: .com, .bat, .exe, .vbs, .cfg, .dat, .db, .dbf, .dll, .ini, .log, .ora, .sys, and .zip.
Late Application Policy
Applications that Grants.gov time stamps after 5:00:00 PM Eastern on July 1, 2026 for Track 1 and July 15, 2026 for Track 2 will not be accepted. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make submissions days, if not weeks, in advance of the deadline, and applicants facing technical issues are advised to contact the Grants.gov helpdesk well in advance of the deadline.