--- title: CGE Brief | September 2026 description: CGE Newsletter for the month of September image: https://government.wittobriens.com/hubfs/iStock-1073001434-1.jpg --- [![Witt O'Briens](https://government.wittobriens.com/hubfs/Group%206.png)](https://www.wittobriens.com/) 24/7 EMERGENCY [+1 985 781 0804](tel:+1%20985%20781%200804) - ABOUT - [About Us](https://www.wittobriens.com/about-us) - [Our Team](https://wittobriens.com/about-us/meet-the-team) - [Careers](https://wittobriens.com/careers) - [Contract Vehicles](https://wittobriens.com/contract-vehicles) - GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS - [GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS](https://www.wittobriens.com/solutions/corporate-solutions) - [Emergency Preparedness](https://wittobriens.com/solutions/emergency-preparedness) - [Operations Planning](https://wittobriens.com/solutions/operational-planning) - [Training Design & Delivery](https://wittobriens.com/solutions/training-design-delivery) - [Exercise Design & Delivery](https://www.wittobriens.com/solutions/exercise-design-delivery) - 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Organizations with pending or active IIJA- or IRA-funded awards should maintain regular contact with their federal program officers, document all communications and project impacts, and be prepared to respond quickly to requests for revised scopes, budgets, certifications, or other award information. For significant unresolved delays or projects facing imminent deadlines, recipients may also consider engaging their congressional delegation. Federal Budget Outlook:  Congress has approved a short-term continuing resolution that would avert an October 1 government shutdown and maintain current federal funding through December 11, 2026. The measure provides near-term stability for federal agencies and grant recipients but postpones decisions on full-year FY 2027 appropriations until after the midterm elections. Organizations receiving federal funding should continue monitoring agency communications and prepare for renewed budget uncertainty as the December deadline approaches.  --- **Grant Opportunity Spotlight** **Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Competitive Grant Program**   Program Overview:  The PROTECT Competitive Grant Program provides funding to help communities plan for and strengthen surface transportation infrastructure against current and future weather events, natural disasters, and changing conditions, including flooding, severe storms, drought, wildfire, extreme temperatures, landslides, and earthquakes. Funding is available through four grant categories: Planning Grants, Resilience Improvement Grants, Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants, and At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants. Eligible activities range from vulnerability assessments and resilience planning to construction projects that strengthen transportation infrastructure, protect evacuation routes, and reduce long-term risks to vulnerable assets.  Funding Agency:  U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) – Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)  Funding Available:  Up to $787 million is available across Fiscal Years 2024 through 2026 and is distributed among four grant categories: up to $79 million for Planning Grants, $551 million for Resilience Improvement Grants, and $79 million each for Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants and At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants. There is no minimum or maximum award; however, based on the previous funding round, anticipated awards range from $100,000 to $10 million for Planning Grants and $500,000 to $60 million for Resilience Grants. Planning Grants do not require a non-Federal cost share, while Resilience Grants generally require a 20% match that may be reduced to as little as 10% for qualifying projects covered by a Resilience Improvement Plan (RIP). At least 25% of funding is reserved for rural projects and at least 2% for federally recognized Indian Tribes.  Eligible Applicants:  States, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), units of local government, special purpose districts or public authorities with a transportation function, federally recognized Indian Tribes, Federal Land Management Agencies applying jointly with a State or group of States, and eligible multistate or multijurisdictional groups. Eligibility for At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants is limited to eligible entities located within qualifying coastal States and territories.   Application Deadline:  October 9, 2026  **What’s New This Application Round:** FHWA has consolidated Fiscal Years 2024, 2025, and 2026 funding into a single application period, updated the program’s evaluation criteria, and introduced required application templates. Applicants who previously applied under the FY24–26 PROTECT NOFO published in October 2024 must reapply under the new NOFO using the applicable application template to be considered for funding.   Competitive Considerations:  Successful applications should clearly demonstrate how the proposed project addresses documented transportation vulnerabilities and aligns with the objectives and requirements of the selected PROTECT grant category. For Resilience Grants, FHWA evaluates vulnerability and risk, criticality to the community, design elements, and innovation, with highly responsive applications supported by qualitative and quantitative data or analysis. Applications that advance through the merit review are also evaluated for project readiness, including technical feasibility, financial completeness, and permitting risk. FHWA may further prioritize projects that demonstrate a high level of readiness and can meet applicable funding obligation deadlines.  Common Applicant Mistakes:  Applicants can weaken otherwise competitive proposals by describing a transportation vulnerability without providing sufficient data or analysis to demonstrate the severity of the risk or how the proposed project addresses it. Applications may also fall short by failing to demonstrate why the affected transportation infrastructure is critical to the community or by providing insufficient information to demonstrate project design and implementation readiness. Applicants should also carefully review requirements specific to their selected grant category, as Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) requirements and funding limitations vary by grant type. Resilience Grant applicants should be especially mindful of restrictions on funding for new capacity and development-phase activities.  Witt O'Brien's Perspective:  PROTECT applications should tell a clear resilience story: what threatens the transportation system or infrastructure, why it is critical to the community, how the proposed project addresses the identified vulnerability, and whether the project is ready to move forward. Applicants that support this story with strong data, a well-developed project approach, and clear evidence of technical, financial, and permitting readiness will be better positioned to advance through FHWA's multi-stage evaluation process.  --- ## From the Field **Client Success Story |Where Technical Assistance Meets Transformative Impact: Expanding Lifesaving Care Across Kansas** How can state and local leaders use innovation to help rural communities overcome resource and capacity barriers? Through the Kansas Infrastructure Hub, Witt O’Brien’s helped the Mid-America Regional Council pair federal transportation funding with state matching support and expand a regional whole-blood initiative into a model that can benefit communities across Kansas. This client success story demonstrates how trusted technical assistance, creative partnerships, and adaptive leadership can turn a local solution into a broader strategy for saving lives and strengthening rural services.  [**Read the full case study →**](https://government.wittobriens.com/client-success-story-where-technical-assistance-meets-transformative-impact-expanding-lifesaving-care-across-kansas?hs_preview=oemsXepJ-220980442793&hsLang=en) --- ## Federal Funding Watch As Treasury increases its oversight of State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and Capital Projects Fund awards, more recipients may receive Information Document Requests seeking clarification or supporting documentation. An IDR does not necessarily indicate noncompliance, but it requires a timely, complete, and carefully reviewed response through Treasury’s reporting portal. Learn what to expect, how to respond, and what your organization can do now to prepare and protect its funding.  [Read the full article→](https://government.wittobriens.com/federal-funding-watch-arpa-information-document-requests-what-grantees-need-to-know?hs_preview=KTmCVKwN-220987293526&hsLang=en) --- ## CGE Updates Earn CPE credits while learning from subject matter experts and strengthening your organization’s financial readiness. ### **Turning Policy into Practice: Creating a Grants Management Manual that Delivers** When:  September 23, 2026, at 2:00 pm ET Where: Virtual Webinar Learning Objectives: - You will learn the basics of an effective and comprehensive grants management manual that covers the full grants lifecycle for both grantors and grantees. - You will know how to create a grants management manual, evaluate where your organization is today, and map where it needs to go. - You will understand how change management applies to implementing the grant management manual, including how to communicate with staff and stakeholders, and the most common implementation mistakes. [Register Now](https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MntISkuDS9GaetCKkwNF-g) --- ## Explore the Center for Grant Excellence Looking for more industry news, analysis, and grant resources? Visit the [**Center for Grants Excellence,**](https://government.wittobriens.com/cge?hsLang=en) your hub for federal grants best practices, real-time compliance updates, and expert-led training. --- ## Want More? 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