FY 2026 BUILD Frequently Asked Questions

What is the BUILD Grant Program?

BUILD is a competitive grant program for investments in surface transportation infrastructure that will have a significant local or regional impact. 

For examples of projects previously awarded under the program, please visit https://www.transportation.gov/policy-initiatives/build/awards-2009-2025.

Who can receive BUILD Grants?

Eligible Applicants for BUILD grants are:

• States and the District of Columbia;
• any territory or possession of the United States;
• a unit of local government;
• a public agency or publicly chartered authority established by 1 or more States;
• a special purpose district or public authority with a transportation function, including a port authority;
• a Federally recognized Indian Tribe or a consortium of such Indian Tribes;
• a transit agency; and
• a multi-State or multijurisdictional group of entities that are separately eligible.
• Multiple States or jurisdictions may submit a joint application and must identify a lead applicant as the primary point of contact and identify the primary recipient of the award. Joint applications must include a description of the roles and responsibilities of each applicant.

Are Tribes eligible to apply?

Yes, Tribal Governments are eligible applicants. 

What types of projects are eligible for BUILD Grants?

Eligible projects for BUILD grants are:

Capital projects including but not limited to:

• highway, bridge, or other road projects eligible under title 23, United States Code;
• public transportation projects eligible under chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code;
• passenger and freight rail transportation projects;
• port infrastructure investments (including inland port infrastructure and land ports of entry);
• the surface transportation components of an airport project eligible for assistance under part B of subtitle VII
• intermodal projects;
• projects to replace or rehabilitate a culvert or prevent stormwater runoff for the purpose of improving habitat for aquatic species while advancing the goals of the BUILD program;
• projects investing in surface transportation facilities that are located on Tribal land and for which title or maintenance responsibility is vested in the Federal Government; and
• any other surface transportation infrastructure project that the Secretary considers to be necessary to advance the goals of the program.

Planning projects which include planning, preparation, or design (for example - environmental analysis, feasibility studies, benefit cost analysis (BCA), and other pre-construction activities) of eligible surface transportation capital projects that will not result in construction with funds awarded during the FY 2026 BUILD round. 

What are eligible airport projects under BUILD?

• Eligible surface transportation components of airport projects are listed in “Appendix P: Road and Surface Transportation Projects” of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) handbook, available at https://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/aip_handbook/appendix#PP00.
• These generally include transit connections to airports and publicly accessible roads into, out of, and through airport properties. Intermodal projects at airports are also eligible.
• Ineligible projects are other aviation infrastructure such as runways, taxiways, towers, terminals, aprons, gates. Surface transportation projects that are specifically listed in “Appendix C: Prohibited Projects and Unallowable Costs” at https://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/aip_handbook/appendix#PC00 are also ineligible.

Are projects improving Federally owned facilities eligible?

No, BUILD grants cannot be used for surface transportation infrastructure improvements to Federally owned facilities. Examples of Federally owned facilities include land, infrastructure, etc. owned by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, General Services Administration, or other Federal agencies. However, projects on facilities that are owned by an eligible applicant but located on Federally owned land for which the title or maintenance responsibility is vested in the Federal Government, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs-owned roads, are eligible.

What are the minimum and maximum grant award sizes?

For capital projects located in urban areas, the minimum award is $5 million. Please note that the minimum total project cost for a project located in an urban area (and is not APP/HDC) must be $6.25 million to meet match requirements. 

For capital projects located in rural areas, the minimum award is $1 million.

Planning projects do NOT have a minimum award size.

The maximum grant award is $25 million. 

How do I calculate the Federal cost share requirements for my project?

Applicants should use the following equation when determining the cost share for their project:

(BUILD Grant Request + Other Federal Funds)/Total Project Cost = Federal Cost Share

For the BUILD Program, Total Project Cost means the sum of future eligible Federal and Non-Federal costs that have not yet been incurred. This cannot include any previously incurred costs.

The Federal cost share may not exceed 80% for urban projects that are NOT either located in an Area of Persistent Poverty (APP)/Historically Disadvantaged Community (HDC).

However, Federal cost share may exceed 80% for projects that are rural, or located in an Area of Persistent Poverty (APP)/Historically Disadvantaged Community (HDC).

Are planning grants available for FY 2026 BUILD?

Yes. The Department will award at least five percent of available funds ($75 million of the $1.5 billion) for the planning, preparation or design of eligible projects.

What are the definitions for urban and rural under BUILD?

A project is designated as “urban” if it is located in a 2020 Census-designated Urban Area (UA) and that UA had a population greater than 200,000.

A project will be designated as "rural" if it is located:

• In an UA that had a population less than 200,000 in the 2020 Census, or
• Outside an UA.

For example, a project located in an UA with a population of 150,000 will be designated as rural under the FY 2026 BUILD program. In contrast, a project located in an UA with a population of 250,000 will be designated as urban, even if the city or town in which the project is located has a population of 100,000.

For projects that include expenditures in both urban and rural areas, the Department will designate the project as urban or rural based on where the majority of project funds will be spent.

How do applicants determine if the project is urban or rural?

To determine if a location is in a Census-designated Urban Area (UA) with a population greater than 200,000 in the 2020 Census, please see the:

• BUILD Grant Project Location Verification mapping tool.

How much will the Department award to rural and urban projects?

Not more than 50 percent of the $1.5 billion ($750 million) will be spent on projects located in urban and rural areas, respectively.

How do applicants determine if the project is located in an Area of Persistent Poverty/Historically Disadvantaged Community?

A project is located in an Areas of Persistent Poverty and a Historically Disadvantaged Community if:

• the county (or equivalent jurisdiction) in which the project is located consistently had greater than or equal to 20 percent of the population living in poverty during the 30-year period preceding November 15, 2021, as measured by the 1990 and 2000 decennial census and the most recent annual Small Area Income Poverty Estimates as estimated by the Bureau of the Census
• the census tract in which the project is located has a poverty rate of at least 20 percent as measured by the 2014-2018 5-year data series available from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census; or
• the project is located in any territory or possession of the United States.

The BUILD Grant Project Location Verification mapping tool should be used to determine if your project is located in an Area of Persistent Poverty/Historically Disadvantaged Community.

If a project is in multiple counties or census tracts, but not all counties or census tracts are designated as an Area of Persistent Poverty and a Historically Disadvantaged Community, does it qualify as a project in those areas?

A project located in multiple counties or census tracts will be designated as an Area of Persistent Poverty/Historically Disadvantaged Community if the majority of the project’s costs will be spent in county(ies) or census tract(s) that meet the definition of Areas of Persistent Poverty and Historically Disadvantaged Community.

Are Planning Grant applications required to submit a Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA)?

No. Planning applications do not need to submit a BCA.

Is there a template for submitting a BCA?

The Department publishes BCA guidance as well as the Benefit-Cost Analysis Spreadsheet Template for Competitive Grant Programs.

If an application includes multiple project components with independent utility, is a BCA needed for each component or only for the entire project?

While DOT allows for packages of projects to be included in a single grant application, each component of such package with independent utility should be evaluated separately, with its own BCA. The costs and benefits of each individual component may also be aggregated to provide a summary estimate of net benefits for the entire package. Where projects within a package may be expected to also have collective benefits that are larger than the sum of the benefits of the individual project components, applicants should clearly explain why this would be the case and provide any supporting analyses to that effect. DOT recognizes the technical challenges in preparing a BCA and encourages applicants to do their best in demonstrating the anticipated benefits and estimated costs of the entire project as well as appropriate components.