FY 2025 National Infrastructure Investments | DTOS59 25 RA RAISE

Opportunity Information: Apply for DTOS59 25 RA RAISE

The FY 2025 National Infrastructure Investments opportunity is the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funding round for the Local and Regional Project Assistance Program, better known as the RAISE Grants program (formerly associated with the TIGER and BUILD discretionary grant programs). This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) draws its funding authority from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which authorized and appropriated $1.5 billion for competitive transportation projects that deliver significant local or regional impact. DOT notes that if the FY 2025 Appropriations Act adds money or changes requirements for these funds, the NOFO may be amended to reflect those updates.

Funding is awarded competitively, and DOT is required by the BIL to reserve at least 5 percent of the total available amount (at least $75 million out of $1.5 billion) specifically for planning, preparation, or design activities tied to eligible projects. This is important for applicants that are not yet ready for full construction but can credibly advance a project through early phases that position it for later delivery. The NOFO also highlights that DOT expects each selected RAISE grant to be administered through a relevant DOT modal administration under a grant agreement, meaning the post-award oversight and grant management will flow through the DOT operating administration most closely aligned with the project type.

Several statutory funding distribution rules shape how awards will be made. The BIL sets a firm balance requirement between rural and urban awards: no more than 50 percent of the funding may go to projects in rural areas (defined here as population 200,000 or less), and no more than 50 percent may go to projects in urbanized areas (population more than 200,000). In addition, no single state may receive more than 15 percent of the total RAISE discretionary funding available (stated as $225 million of the $1.5 billion). Beyond these caps, DOT must also take steps to promote equitable geographic distribution, maintain an appropriate urban-rural balance, and invest across a variety of transportation modes, reinforcing that this is intended to be a nationwide, multimodal program rather than one concentrated in a few locations or a single type of infrastructure.

The NOFO places strong emphasis on project readiness because the BIL imposes non-negotiable deadlines on the federal funds. FY 2025 RAISE funds must be obligated by September 30, 2029, and all funds must be fully expended by September 30, 2034. DOT explicitly states that no waiver is possible for these statutory deadlines, and it will consider whether a project is ready to move forward in time to obligate funds within the allowed window. Practically, that means applicants should be prepared to show realistic schedules, the status of environmental review and permitting, procurement readiness, and credible plans to deliver within the required timeframe.

The statute also allows DOT to use up to 20 percent of the available funds (up to $300 million) to cover subsidy and administrative costs for projects receiving credit assistance under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), when doing so advances the purposes of the RAISE program. This creates an option for certain large or complex projects to pair grant support with federal credit assistance structures, potentially improving financing feasibility where appropriate.

Award sizes are bounded by set minimums and maximums for most capital-type RAISE awards. Generally, RAISE Transportation Discretionary Grants may not be less than $5 million and may not exceed $25 million, with a key exception that rural projects may request as little as $1 million. Planning projects are treated differently: there is no minimum award size for planning, which aligns with the 5 percent planning set-aside and makes smaller, early-stage efforts more feasible to pursue. The NOFO lists an award ceiling of $25,000,000 and anticipates about 150 awards, reflecting an intent to fund a broad set of projects rather than a small number of very large grants.

Eligibility is broad and includes most public-sector transportation actors. Eligible applicants include states (and the District of Columbia), U.S. territories or possessions, units of local government, public agencies or publicly chartered authorities established by one or more states, and special purpose districts or public authorities with transportation functions (including port authorities). Federally recognized Indian Tribes (or consortia of Tribes) are eligible, as are transit agencies and multi-state or multi-jurisdictional groups of entities. Joint applications are explicitly allowed, but they must name a lead applicant as the primary point of contact, every participating party must independently qualify as an eligible applicant, and the application must clearly describe each party’s roles and responsibilities and be signed by each project party. The NOFO also states that prior recipients of RAISE, BUILD, or TIGER grants may apply again to fund additional phases of previously awarded projects, but to be competitive they should show that the earlier phase stayed on schedule and on budget and that the project is producing (or remains positioned to produce) the benefits originally promised.

Key administrative details in the posting include the opportunity number DTOS59 25 RA RAISE, CFDA 20.933, and the issuing agency as DOT’s Office of the Under Secretary for Policy (agency code 69A345). The application deadline listed is January 30, 2025. Overall, the program is designed for high-impact, locally or regionally significant transportation investments, with clear statutory guardrails on geographic distribution, award sizing, and hard delivery timelines that make readiness and credible execution planning central to a strong application.

• The 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2025 National Infrastructure Investments" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.933.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-11-01.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 150 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for DTOS59 25 RA RAISE

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