The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2021 RAISE (formerly known as BUILD) discretionary grant program was released earlier this month.
Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM Eastern on July 12, 2021.
To help applicants navigate the application process, the U.S. DOT is offering a series of topic-specific webinars that delve into various aspects of the RAISE application process. These webinars are expected to quickly reach capacity but they will be recorded.
The full list of webinars, along with other resources for applicants including webinar recordings, can be found here.
How to Compete for RAISE Grants – Tribal and Rural Applicants
May 4, 2021 – 1:00-2:30pm EDT
One webinar will be designed explicitly for rural and tribal applicants. A project is designated as rural if it is not located within or on the boundary of an Urbanized Area, as designated by the U.S. Census Bureau, that has a population greater than 200,000 in the 2010 Census. For projects that include expenditures in both urban areas 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 to Compete for RAISE Grants – Planning Grant Applicants
May 20, 2021 – 3:00-4:30pm EDT
Another webinar will review requirements for RAISE planning grant applications. Activities eligible for funding under RAISE planning grants are related to the planning, preparation, or design— for example environmental analysis, feasibility studies, and other preconstruction activities—of eligible surface transportation capital projects. Planning grant applications do not require a Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) and there is no minimum project size. Up to $30,000,000 is available for planning grants.