Hickenlooper Announces Upcoming Grant Opportunities from Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

Local communities are eligible for funding to improve transportation, transition to clean energy, expand broadband & more

Denver, Colorado – U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper today released details on competitive grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Colorado is set to receive billions from the legislation, which Hickenlooper helped write and shepherd into law.

“Colorado cities, towns, and municipalities are eligible for billions to repair our roads and bridges, clean up our water, fight climate change, and more,” said Hickenlooper. “Mayors know their communities best, and we want their help getting this money to where it’s needed most.”

A list of competitive grant opportunities and application timelines is available below or HERE. A detailed guide is available HERE.

Funding amounts include programs’ contract authority, advanced appropriations and mandatory appropriations. Additional funding subject to further appropriations not included.

Grant opportunities are available in the following categories:

Transportation

• Rebuilding American Infrastructure Sustainably and Equitably (RAISE) Grants – This existing competitive grant program at the Department of Transportation provides $7.5 billion with an additional $7.5 billion subject to Congressional approval in funding for road, rail, transit, and other surface transportation of local and/or regional significance. Selection criteria: safety, sustainability, equity, economic competitiveness, mobility, and community connectivity. Applications will open in the first quarter of 2022. 

• Port Infrastructure Development Program Grants – This existing $2 billion Department of Transportation program funds investment in the modernization and expansion of U.S. ports to remove supply chain bottlenecks, ensure long-term competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability while reducing impacts to the environment and neighboring communities. The infrastructure law expanded the program’s eligibility to include projects that improve goods movement, as well as port electrification projects, idling reduction solutions, equipment charging infrastructure and related worker training initiatives. The Department of Transportation expects to open applications in February 2022.

• Bus & Bus Facilities Competitive Grants – This existing $2 billion program at the Department of Transportation provides capital funding to replace, rehabilitate, purchase, or lease buses and bus related equipment and to rehabilitate, purchase, construct, or lease bus-related facilities – as well as capital funding for low or no emissions bus projects. Fiscal Year 2021 grant selections will be announced soon. Applications are expected to open for the Fiscal Year 2022 grant program in the first quarter of 2022.

• National Infrastructure Project Assistance (also known as “Megaprojects” or MEGA)– This $5 billion competitive grant program supports multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects of regional or national significance. Communities are eligible to apply for funding to complete critical large projects that would otherwise be unachievable without assistance. Selection criteria for the program will be posted on the Department of Transportation website in February 2022.
• Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grants – This Department of Transportation program supports highway and rail projects of regional and economic significance. Applications will open in the first quarter of 2022. Learn more about how to apply here.

• Safe Streets and Roads for All – This new $5 billion competitive grant program at the Department of Transportation will provide funding directly to and exclusively for local governments to support their efforts to advance “vision zero” plans and other complete street improvements to reduce crashes and fatalities, especially for cyclists and pedestrians. Applications are expected to open in May 2022.

• Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grants – In addition to the $5 billion formula program distributed to states, this $2.5 billion discretionary grant program at the Department of Transportation will fund the strategic deployment of publicly accessible electric vehicle charging infrastructure, as well as hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure, along designated alternative fuel corridors and in communities.  The Department is seeking comments on program design by January 28^th here, and after January 28^th here.

• Clean School Bus Program – This new $5 billion competitive grant program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will provide funding to replace existing school buses with low- or zero-emission school buses. Applications for funding will be made available here later this spring.

• Reconnecting Communities – The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law creates a first-ever $1 billion program at the Department of Transportation to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure – particularly historically disadvantaged communities too often nearly destroyed or cut in half by a highway. This new competitive program will provide dedicated funding to state, local, metropolitan planning organizations, and tribal governments for planning, design, demolition, and reconstruction of street grids, parks, or other infrastructure to address these legacy impacts. Applications will open in the second quarter of 2022.

• Rural Surface Transportation Grant – This new $2 billion competitive grant program at the Department of Transportation will improve and expand surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas, increasing connectivity, improving safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth. This amount includes specific set asides for small projects ($200 million), rural roadway lane departure improvements ($300 million), and the Appalachian Development Highway System ($500 million). Applications will open in the first quarter of 2022.

Climate, Energy & Environment

• Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program – This existing Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program will distribute $1 billion to support communities undertaking hazard mitigation projects to reduce the risks they face from disasters and other natural hazards. FY21 applications are open until January 28^th, 2022 and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding remains available. Communities will apply as sub-applicants under their states. Applications for FY22 are expected to open no later than September 30^th, 2022.

• Flood Mitigation Assistance – $3.5 billion from this existing FEMA program can be used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program. FY21 applications are open until January 28^th, 2022. Communities will apply as sub-applicants under their states. Applications for FY22 are expected to open no later than September 30^th, 2022.

• Brownfields Remediation Program – This existing EPA program will provide $1.2 billion in grants and technical assistance to communities to assess and safely clean-up contaminated properties and offer job training programs. Communities are currently able to request funding for Targeted Brownfields Assessments through their regional EPA office. Additional competitive funding opportunities will be announced this spring.  

• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants – This Department of Energy block grant program will provide $550 million to states, local governments, and tribes for projects that reduce energy use, increase energy efficiency, and cut pollution. The first funding opportunity is expected for release in the Fall of 2022. 

• Grants for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Improvements in Schools – This new Department of Energy Program will provide $500 million for local government education agencies and nonprofit partners to make energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean vehicle upgrades and improvements at public schools. The opportunity to apply for funding is expected to be open in the Fall of 2022.

• Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas – This new Department of Energy program will provide $1 billion to entities in rural or remote areas (defined as cities, towns, or unincorporated areas with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants) to increase environmental protection from the impacts of energy use and improve resilience, reliability, safety, and availability of energy. Applications for funding are expected to be open in the Fall of 2022.  

• Grants for Energy Efficiency and Resilience Code Adoption – This Department of Energy program will provide $225 million to state energy agencies, in partnership with local building code agencies, codes and standards developers, utilities, and other entities, to enable sustained, cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes to save customers money on their energy bills. Applications for funding are expected to be open by the end of 2022.

• Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs – This new Department of Energy program will provide $8 billion to support the development of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs to improve clean hydrogen production, processing, delivery, storage, and end use. Applications for funding will open in the Summer of 2022.

• Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program – This new $1 billion program at the Department of Agriculture will provide grants to communities at risk from wildfire to develop or revise their community wildfire protection plans and carry out projects described within those plans. It will include a mix of formula and competitive funds.Applications are expected to open early in 2023.

Broadband, Cyber, and Other Programs

• ReConnect Program – This existing Department of Agriculture program will provide almost $2 billion in loans and grants for projects that provide broadband in rural areas.  Applications will likely open in the 3^rd quarter of 2022 (and towns in rural areas can apply to the current $1.15B in loans and grant funding, application deadline: February 22, 2022).

• Middle Mile Grants Program – This new $1 billion program at the Department of Commerce provides grants for the construction, improvement or acquisition of middle mile broadband infrastructure. Applications will likely open during the second quarter of 2022.

• State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program – This new $1 billion program at the Department of Homeland Security makes available federal funds to state, local, and tribal governments to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to information systems that they own or operate. Applications will likely open during the third quarter of 2022.

• Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and Energy Sector Operational Support For Cyber Resilience Program – These two Department of Energy programs will provide $3 billion and $50 million, respectively, for electric utilities, including municipal and co-operative utilities, to modernize the electricity grid and increase resilience to cybersecurity threats. Applications for the Smart Grid program are expected to be open by the end of 2022, and applications for the Cyber Resilience program are expected to be open in the Summer of 2022.

• Water & Groundwater Storage and Conveyance – This existing $1 billion program at the Department of Interior provides funding for water storage projects with capacity between 2,000 and 30,000 acre-feet – as well as projects convey water to or from surface water or groundwater storage. The Department will hold its final stakeholder sessions this month and open applications later this spring.

• Emergency Watershed Protection Program – This existing Department of Agriculture program will provide $300 million in technical and financial assistance to project sponsors for the design and construction of measures to help repair damages from a recent disaster. Applications open in February.