Upcoming Non-USDOT Federal Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities

DOT is part of the interagency Thriving Communities Network, a partnership between Federal agencies intended to align and coordinate our technical assistance resources to help communities thrive. The following grant opportunities and technical assistance resources may be of interest to USDOT stakeholders:

• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) opened the portal for local governments to request technical assistance for its Thriving Communities technical assistance (TCTA) program. This funding will help local governments who have received federal transportation funding ensure housing needs are considered as part of their larger infrastructure investment plans, with a focus on disadvantaged communities. Units of Local Government can request technical assistance using this form. If you applied to USDOT’s Thriving Communities program and have a strong interest in addressing housing issues in your community, you are encouraged to also apply to HUD’s Thriving Communities program.  Those who applied (including those selected) for RCP, RAISE or other DOT grants are also encouraged to apply.  Requests will be reviewed as they are received on a rolling basis, with review beginning on March 15, 2023.

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is offering $100 million in environmental justice funding through two new grant programs. 

• $70 million is available through the Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) Program, which provides funding to support government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. Eligible entities include partnerships between a state, Tribe, or local government and a community-based nonprofit organization; and U.S. Territories, Freely Associated States, and tribal governments in remote areas. View past webinar recordings and materials here. Applications are due by April 14, 2023.

• $30 million is available through the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement (EJCPS) Program, which provides financial assistance to eligible organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. The program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders to develop solutions to environmental or public health issue(s) at the community level. Eligible entities include community-based nonprofit organizations and partnerships of community-based nonprofit organizations. View past webinar recordings and materials here. Applications are due by April 14, 2023.

• EPA made available up to approximately $550 million for its Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking (EJ TCGM) Program. Through this program, EPA will fund up to 11 Grantmakers from around the nation to reduce barriers to the Federal grants application process and increase the efficiency of the awards process for environmental justice grants. Grantmakers will design competitive application and submission processes, award environmental justice subgrants, implement a tracking and reporting system, and provide resources and support to communities. Eligible applicants are community-based nonprofit organizations, partnerships between community-based nonprofit organizations, partnerships between federally recognized Tribal governments and community-based nonprofit organizations, and partnerships between institutions of higher education and community-based nonprofit organizations. EPA is hosting an informational webinar on March 16 at 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET. Register here. Applications are due by May 31, 2023.