Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grants
General Grant Program Information
The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program provides funding for capital investments in surface transportation that will have a significant local or regional impact. The eligibility requirements of BUILD allow project sponsors to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs.
The BUILD program, previously known as the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grants, was established under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and operated under annual appropriations acts until authorized in November 2021.
A benefit-cost analysis (BCA) is required for this grant program. For more information about BCAs, see What Is a BCA? and the USDOT's Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance for Discretionary Grants.
Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants for BUILD Transportation Discretionary 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.
In addition to projects located in the United States, eligible projects for BUILD grants include projects that are necessary for reconstruction of the Alaska Highway from the Alaskan border at Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory, to Haines Junction in Canada and the Haines Cutoff Highway from Haines Junction in Canada to Haines, Alaska, as provided in 23 U.S.C. 218.
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.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects for BUILD grants are:
- 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.
Funding Information
Merit Criteria
The Department will review the statutorily required Merit Criteria for all applications and will then review Project Readiness and Economic Analysis only for a subset of projects determined by the Merit Criteria ratings. Project Readiness consists of a Technical Capacity, Environmental Risk Assessment, and Financial Completeness Assessment.
The statutorily required Merit Criteria are safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity, state of good repair, innovation, and partnership and collaboration. For each merit criterion, the Department will consider whether the benefits are clear, direct, and data driven, which will result in a rating of “high, “medium,” “low,” or “non-responsive.” Specific considerations for each merit criterion are described in the rating rubric in the NOFO.
Award Amounts
For capital projects located in urban areas, the minimum award is $5 million.
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.
Federal Cost Share
The Federal cost share may not exceed 80% for urban projects that are NOT located in an Area of Persistent Poverty (APP) or a Historically Disadvantaged Community (HDC).
However, Federal cost share may exceed 80% for projects that are rural, or located in an Area of Persistent Poverty, or located in a Historically Disadvantaged Community. Historically Disadvantaged Communities (HDC) will use the same definition as APP for the purpose of the FY 2025 BUILD NOFO.
Please see the FY 2025 BUILD Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
Contact Information
Andrea Jacobson
BUILD Program Manager
BUILDgrants@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.
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