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Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT)

General Grant Program Information

The ALERT grant promotes hazmat response training for volunteer or remote emergency responders. Response activities include the transportation of crude oil, ethanol, and other flammable liquids by rail consistent with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The ALERT grant is competitively awarded to non-profit organizations capable of delivering an established curriculum to emergency responders.

Opportunity Status:
Closed
Posted Date:
05/18/2026
Close Date:
06/22/2026
Eligible Applicants:
Academic and Research Institutions; Job Training Applicants; Non-profit
Eligible Activities:
Technical Assistance, Workforce Development, and Training/Education
Transportation Type:
Railway
Estimated Total Program Funding:
$1,000,000
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:
No
Match Waiver:
Yes
Grant Opportunity ID:
693JK326NF0010
Grant Opportunity Link:
Grants.gov Opportunity: FY 2026 Assistance for Local Emergency Response Training (ALERT) Grant
Links to Additional Information:
Agency:
USDOT / Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)

Eligibility Information

The following entities are eligible applicants for projects permitted under this notice: 

Education

  • Private institutions of higher education
  • Public and state institutions of higher education

Nonprofit

  • Nonprofits non-higher education without 501(c)(3)
  • Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)

The FY 2026 ALERT grant is open to nonprofit organizations representing regional public-private partnerships. The nonprofit organizations must be able to provide direct or web-based training on HAZMAT to individuals with statutory responsibility to respond to accidents and incidents involving HAZMAT. The training will focus on response activities related to the transportation of crude oil, ethanol, and other flammable liquids. 

For the purposes of the ALERT Grant Program, an IRS nonprofit is an organization that is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as being tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) or other sections of the Internal Revenue Code. These organizations are typically organized for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes and do not distribute profits to owners or shareholders. They can receive tax-deductible donations, which is a significant benefit of their nonprofit status.

Funding Information

This NOFO is subject to the availability of funds. To carry out this grant program, the Administrator may use any amounts recovered during the fiscal year from grants awarded under 49 U.S.C. § 5116 during a prior fiscal year. PHMSA anticipates $1,000,000 will be made available to support the FY 2026 ALERT Grant Program. The expected amounts of individual Federal awards for organizations range from $100,000 to $500,000.  

There are no requirements for cost-sharing or matching.

Contact Information

Tremayne Terry
tremayne.terry@dot.gov 

Disclaimer:
The Dashboard provides users with a high-level overview of relevant Federal discretionary grant programs. The information in the Dashboard is maintained as a secondary resource and may not be updated with the most recent changes to each program's primary guidance materials. Accordingly, please refer to the Federal grant-making agency for the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on a grant opportunity in the Dashboard.