Federal grant programs / Department of Transportation

Asset Concessions and Innovative Finance Assistance (20.945)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$48.5 million
• Grant awards44
• Typical award$1.0 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$48.5 million
• Size rank1051 of 1824
• Type of assistanceCooperative agreement

Key findings

• It is the 1051st largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 58% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 25 states and territories.

What the program funds

The objective of this program is to facilitate access to expert services for, and to provide grants to, eligible applicants to facilitate and evaluate public-private partnerships, including asset concessions, and to explore opportunities for innovative financing and delivery for eligible transportation projects.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Eligible applicants for this Program are states, Tribal governments or units of local government, an agency or instrumentality of a state, or a special purpose district or public authority. In addition, to be eligible an applicant must own, control, or maintain at least one transportation facility described in 23 U.S.C. § 601(a). Further, the recipient must be authorized to enter into a contract that transfers ownership, revenues, maintenance, or other benefits associated with eligible transportation assets.

What the money can and cannot pay for

i. Identifying appropriate assets or projects for asset concessions; ii. Evaluating and publicly presenting the risks and benefits of all contract provisions for the purpose of transparency and accountability; iii. Identifying best practices to protect the public interest and priorities; iv. Identifying best practices for managing transportation demand and mobility along a corridor, including through provisions of the asset concession, to facilitate transportation demand management strategies; v. Soliciting and negotiating asset concessions, including hiring staff in public agencies; vi. Conducting value-for-money analysis or comparable analysis; vii. Evaluating options for the structure and use of asset concession payments; viii. Integrating and coordinating pricing, data, and fare collection with other regional operators that exist or may be developed. ix. Project planning and design; x. Feasibility studies; xi. Revenue forecasting, xii. Economic assessments, cost-benefit analyses, value-for-money analyses; xiii. Public benefit studies; xiv. Business case development; xv. Risk assessments; xvi. Lifecycle cost analyses, financing and funding options analyses, procurement alternatives analyses; xvii. Statutory and regulatory framework analyses; xviii. Pre-procurement and pre-construction activities; xix. Financial and legal planning (including the identification of statutory authorization, funding, and financing options); xx.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

Statutory Formula: Title 23, Part e, Subpart 2,Public Law 117-58.The maximum value of cooperative agreements is $2 million. Cooperative agreements of up to $1 million are offered at 100 percent federal share (no required non-federal match). Amounts over $1 million are offered at a 50 percent federal share (50 percent required non-federal match). For example, a cooperative agreement of $2 million in federal aid would be matched by $1 million of non-federal funds, supporting a $3 million effort. No more than $4 million can be awarded to grantees in a single state over a three-fiscal-year period, and only one agreement can be awarded per recipient.Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

The maximum award amount is $2 million. Grants up to $1 million are offered at 100% federal share (no non-federal match required), with an additional $1 million available at 50% federal share. Each grant is anticipated to be $1 million to $2 million. Approximately 30 grants will be awarded.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2024: Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission: Terminal Redevelopment Plan (Ph. 2): Arrivals Hall and Terminal Commons - Planning and Design Merced County: Merced County Inland Port Enhancement Contra Costa Transportation Authority: Countywide Mobility Hub NetworkFiscal Year2025: https://www.transportation.gov/buildamerica/sites/buildamerica.dot.gov/files/2024-09/IFACGP_Award_Project_List.pdf

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

State and local governments received 97% of the money, nonprofits 2.0% and colleges and universities 1.3%.

By state

20 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.