Regional Infrastructure Accelerators | DOTBAB202012

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOTBAB202012

The Regional Infrastructure Accelerators (RIA) opportunity is a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) demonstration program created under Section 1441 of the FAST Act. Its core purpose is to help public-sector and related eligible entities strengthen how they choose, plan, and finance major transportation infrastructure projects, with a specific focus on speeding up delivery of projects that can qualify for USDOT credit and other innovative financing tools. Congress provided $5 million for this effort through the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, and USDOT issued this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to select and fund a small number of RIAs to show, in practice, whether this kind of regional support function can measurably accelerate project advancement.

Funding is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should expect substantial federal involvement during the period of performance (for example, coordination, reporting, and collaboration with USDOT staff as the accelerator is set up and begins operating). The program is administered by the Department of Transportation, Office of the Under Secretary for Policy (agency code 69A345). The NOFO was created on December 31, 2020, with an original application closing date of March 31, 2021.

An RIA is envisioned as a regional resource that serves a clearly defined geographic area and provides hands-on assistance to "qualified entities" in that region. In practical terms, the accelerator is meant to help sponsors develop stronger infrastructure priority lists and more workable financing strategies, particularly for projects that could use the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) credit program authorized under Chapter 6 of Title 23, U.S. Code. The NOFO also highlights that the accelerator should help project sponsors consider other USDOT innovative financing options where relevant, including the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) credit program, Private Activity Bonds (PABs), and other financing methods. The broader intent is to reduce the gap between an idea for a major project and a project that is truly finance-ready, creditworthy, and positioned to reach procurement and construction faster.

The NOFO lays out three central expectations for any applicant seeking designation and funding as an RIA. First, the accelerator must serve a defined geographic area rather than operating as a general-purpose national technical assistance provider. Second, it must function as a resource to qualified regional entities consistent with the FAST Act authority, meaning it should be capable of providing informed, practical support to public sponsors and partners that are developing eligible projects. Third, it must demonstrate effectiveness by showing that the accelerator model can actually speed up advancement and delivery of eligible projects by helping sponsors navigate and use USDOT innovative financing programs like TIFIA, and where applicable RRIF and PABs.

In terms of scale, the opportunity anticipates making up to five awards, with an award ceiling of $2,000,000 per recipient. Eligible applicants include a broad range of public and quasi-public entities that commonly lead infrastructure development: state governments; counties; cities, townships, and other local governments; special district governments; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The NOFO also notes an "Others" eligibility category, with additional clarification expected in the full eligibility text, which typically means some additional public-purpose entities or partnerships may be permitted depending on how USDOT defines qualified entities for this demonstration.

Overall, this grant is less about funding construction directly and more about funding the regional capacity and expertise needed to get complex, high-impact transportation projects prepared for financing and delivery. The demonstration angle is important: USDOT is not only supporting accelerators to help regions, but also gathering evidence on whether having a dedicated regional accelerator improves project readiness, strengthens financing plans, and increases effective use of tools like TIFIA (and when relevant RRIF and PABs), resulting in faster project timelines and better outcomes for infrastructure sponsors.

• The Department of Transportation, 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Regional Infrastructure Accelerators" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.223.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 31, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 31, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOTBAB202012

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