Rankings · Award Ceiling

Opportunities with the Highest Award Ceilings

Individual grant opportunities ranked by maximum award amount, the single largest funding notices posted.

$14.0B
#1 · National Clean In…
50
entries ranked

The verdict

National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) leads with $14.0B, ahead of Bridge Investment Program - Planning, Bridge Projects, and Large Bridge Projects ($10.0B); DRAFT APS for International Emergency Food Assistance at $1.0B is #50, the current cutoff to make this list.

$14.0B
#1 · National Clean Investment F…
50
entries ranked by award ceiling
$1.0B
#50 cutoff to make this list
1.4×
the #1 vs #2 gap

What this ranking tells you

These are the individual funding opportunities (not programs) with the highest possible award amounts. Unlike program-level ceilings, these represent specific notices with deadlines, eligibility requirements, and application instructions. The largest opportunities are typically infrastructure projects, state-formula grants, and major research initiatives. Many require matching funds or cost-sharing, and competition is intense. For most applicants, opportunities in the $100K–$10M range offer better odds of success.

Top 10 by award ceiling

The shape of the ranking at a glance.

National Clean Invest…$14.0BBridge Investment Pro…$10.0BCommercial Technologi…$10.0BFY22-23 Federal-State…$9.0BClean Communities Inv…$6.0BFY24-25 Federal-State…$5.1BFY22 Federal-State Pa…$4.6BAdvanced Reactor Demo…$4.0BFY23 National Network…$3.1BFY26-National Network…$3.1B
Top 10 ranked by award ceiling - Grants.gov

The bar to make this list

This published top 50 has a current cutoff of $1.0B: 48 entries sit above it and DRAFT APS for International Emergency Food Assistance holds the final included place. These bands describe this ranking only, not every federal grant.

Award Ceiling distribution within this published ranking

Each band is measured against the #50 cutoff of $1.0B

Entries grouped by multiples of the #50 award ceiling cutoff

Each bar is a labelled band; taller bars hold more ranked entries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source Grants.gov · 2026-08-10

#NameAward Ceiling
1National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF)Environmental Protection Agency$14.0B
2Bridge Investment Program - Planning, Bridge Projects, and Large Bridge ProjectsDOT Federal Highway Administration$10.0B
3Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities VWashington Headquarters Services$10.0B
4FY22-23 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program for projects located on the Northeast CorridorDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$9.0B
5Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA)Environmental Protection Agency$6.0B
6FY24-25 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program - NationalDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$5.1B
7FY22 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program for projects not located on the Northeast CorridorDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$4.6B
8Advanced Reactor DemonstrationIdaho Field Office$4.0B
9FY23 National Network IIJA Supplemental Cooperative AgreementDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$3.1B
10FY26-National Network IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$3.1B
11FY24 National Network IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$3.1B
12FY25 National Network IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$3.1B
13National Network IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$3.1B
14Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 – 2026 Bridge Investment Program, Large Bridge Project GrantsDOT Federal Highway Administration$3.0B
15Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Program69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy$3.0B
16FY23-24 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant ProgramDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$2.4B
17INFRA Grants69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy$2.3B
18FY 2010 High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program - Service Development ProgramsDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$2.1B
19FY24 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program for projects located on the Northeast CorridorDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$2.0B
20International Emergency Food AssistanceAgency for International Development$2.0B
21International Emergency Food AssistanceAgency for International Development$2.0B
22State Opioid Response GrantsSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis$1.5B
23State Opioid Response GrantsSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis$1.4B
24FY22 Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant ProgramDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.4B
25State Opioid Response GrantsSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Adminis$1.4B
26INFRA GrantsDepartment of Transportation$1.4B
27Notice of Intent to Issue Notice of Funding Opportunity No. DE-FOA-0003442: Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs – Recurring ProgramHeadquarters$1.4B
28FY21 Supplemental for the National Network Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.4B
29INFRA Grants69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy$1.3B
30Capital Grants to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.3B
31FY20 National Network Grant to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.3B
32INFRA Grants69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy$1.3B
33Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Additional Clean Hydrogen Programs (Section 40314): Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)Golden Field Office$1.3B
34FY21 Supplemental for the Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.2B
35Northeast Corridor IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.2B
36FY23 Northeast Corridor IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.2B
37FY24 Northeast Corridor IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.2B
38FY25 Northeast Corridor IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.2B
39FY26-Northeast Corridor IIJA Supplemental Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.2B
40FY23-24 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant ProgramDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.1B
41Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)Department of Homeland Security - FEMA$1.1B
42Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)Department of Homeland Security - FEMA$1.1B
43Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)Department of Homeland Security - FEMA$1.1B
44Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)Department of Homeland Security - FEMA$1.1B
45FY23 Supplemental for the Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger CorporationDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.1B
46FY24 Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant ProgramDOT - Federal Railroad Administration$1.1B
47Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)Department of Homeland Security - FEMA$1.0B
48Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP)Department of Homeland Security - FEMA$1.0B
49U.S. Agency for International Development/Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance/Office of Food for Peace Annual Program Statement for Multi-Year International Emergency Food AssistanceAgency for International Development$1.0B
50DRAFT APS for International Emergency Food AssistanceAgency for International Development$1.0B

Source: Grants.gov. See our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an award ceiling on an opportunity?

The award ceiling is the maximum amount the agency expects to award to a single successful applicant under this specific funding notice. It differs from the estimated total funding (which covers all awards under the notice) and the award floor (minimum possible award).

Are these opportunities still open?

This ranking includes both open and closed opportunities to show the full scope of federal funding. Check the close date and status on each opportunity's detail page to see if it is still accepting applications.

How competitive are the largest opportunities?

Very competitive. Opportunities with award ceilings above $10M typically attract applications from large universities, state governments, and major nonprofits with dedicated grant-writing teams. Success rates for the largest opportunities are often below 10%.

What to do next

National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) leads this award ceiling ranking at $14.0B (1.4× #2).

  • Open the #1 entry to see eligibility, deadlines, and source links before you compare the rest of the table. View #1
  • #2 is Bridge Investment Program - Planning, Bridge Projects, and Large Bridge Projects at $10.0B - compare both before you anchor on a single winner. View #2
  • 504 Assistance Listings and 82,290 Grants.gov rows sit in this extract, filter before you apply. National snapshot

Rankings use Grants.gov as of August 2026; verify live deadlines on Grants.gov before applying.

Explore More Rankings

Largest by Funding Most Grants by Agency Most by Category Most Active Programs
All Programs
Browse federal grant programs
Agencies
Browse by federal agency
Opportunities
Open funding notices

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Related

Browse all → | Rankings →
Data sourced from the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGrants

According to the U.S. General Services Administration, the SAM.gov Assistance Listings catalog tracked 82,290 federal grant opportunities across 504 assistance programs and 24 federal agencies as of August 2026. See our methodology for how this data is sourced and verified.

Every figure on PlainGrants is rendered directly from SAM.gov Assistance Listings data, no number is typed in by an editor. This ranking draws directly on SAM.gov Assistance Listings data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data issue on this page.