FY 2018 National Infrastructure Investments

Description

The FY 2018 Appropriations Act appropriated $1.5 billion for National Infrastructure Investments previously known as TIGER grants, and now renamed BUILD Transportation grants. As with previous rounds of TIGER, funds for the FY 2018 BUILD Transportation program are to be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a significant local or regional impact. The Act also allows DOT to use a small portion of the $1.5 billion for oversight and administration of grants. If this solicitation does not result in the award and obligation of all available funds, DOT may publish additional solicitations. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 specifies that BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants may not be less than $5 million and not greater than $25 million, except that for projects located in rural areas the minimum BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant size is $1 million. There is no statutory minimum grant size, regardless of location, for BUILD Transportation Planning grants. Pursuant to the FY Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, no more than 10 percent of the funds made available for BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grants (or $150 million) may be awarded to projects in a single State. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 directs that not less than 30 percent of the funds provided for TIGER Discretionary Grants (or $450 million) shall be used for projects located in rural areas. Further, pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2087, DOT must take measures to ensure an equitable geographic distribution of grant funds, an appropriate balance in addressing the needs of urban and rural areas, and investment in a variety of transportation modes. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 requires that FY 2018 BUILD funds are only available for obligation through September 30, 2020. No FY 2018 BUILD funds may be expended after September 30, 2025. As part of the review and selection process described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, DOT will consider whether a project is ready to proceed with an obligation of grant funds from DOT within the statutory time provided. Under the FY 2018 Appropriations Act, no waiver is possible for these deadlines. The FY 2018 Appropriations Act allows for up to 20 percent of available funds (or $300 million) to be used by the Department to pay the subsidy and administrative costs for a project receiving credit assistance under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 1998 (“TIFIA”) program, if it would further the purposes of the BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant program. Recipients of prior TIGER Discretionary Grants may apply for funding to support additional phases of a project awarded funds in earlier rounds of this program. However, to be competitive, the applicant should demonstrate the extent to which the previously funded project phase has been able to meet estimated project schedules and budget, as well as the ability to realize the benefits expected for the project. DOT expects that each BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant will be administered by one of the relevant modal administrations, pursuant to a grant agreement between the BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant recipient and the relevant modal administration.

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