The Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program supports projects that improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life.
Rural Surface Transportation grant program funding will be made available under the MPDG combined Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): MPDG 2025-2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity_0.pdf
Eligible Projects:
- A highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under National Highway Performance Program
- A highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under Surface Transportation Block Grant
- A highway, bridge, or tunnel project eligible under Tribal Transportation Program
- A highway freight project eligible under National Highway Freight Program
- A highway safety improvement project, including a project to improve a high risk rural road as defined by the Highway Safety Improvement Program
- A project on a publicly-owned highway or bridge that provides or increases access to an agricultural, commercial, energy, or intermodal facility that supports the economy of a rural area
- A project to develop, establish, or maintain an integrated mobility management system, a transportation demand management system, or on-demand mobility services
Match
Rural grants may be used for up to 80 percent of future eligible project costs, except eligible projects that further the completion of a designated segment of the Appalachian Development Highway System under 40 U.S.C. § 14501, or address a surface transportation infrastructure need identified for the Denali access system program under section 309 of the Denali Commission Act of 1998 may apply for up to 100 percent of the project costs. Other Federal assistance may satisfy the non-Rural share requirement for a Rural grant up to 100 percent of project costs.
How to Apply
Applicants that wish to submit the same application to be considered for more than one grant program under the MPDG combined NOFO only need to submit their application through one Grants.gov opportunity number and that application will be considered for all programs for which it is not opted-out or ineligible. It is not necessary to submit multiple of the same application under the other MPDG Grants.gov opportunities.
Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/353146
Contact
For further information concerning this notice, please contact the Office of the Secretary via email at MPDGrants@dot.gov. In addition, up to the application deadline, the Department will post answers to common questions and requests for clarifications on the Department’s website at https://www.transportation.gov/grants/mpdg-frequently-asked-questions.