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Bridge Investment Program (BIP) (Part A): Planning Grants

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Grant Insights

The purpose of the Bridge Investment Program (BIP) (Part A): Planning Grants are to 1) improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of people and freight over bridges; 2) improve the condition of bridges in the United States; and 3) provide financial assistance that leverages and encourages non-Federal contributions from sponsors and stakeholders involved in the planning, design, and construction of eligible projects. Program funds are authorized through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Highway Infrastructure Program (HIP), and Highway Trust Fund (HTF). 
The Department of Transportation (DOT) seeks to award projects aligned with BIP goals; additional considerations, based on geographic diversity among grant recipients and the necessity for balance between the needs of rural and urban communities, will be included in the evaluation process.  

Key Updates U.S. Department of Transportation –  Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 
Funding Opportunity Bridge Investment Program (BIP) – Part A: Planning Grants 
NOFO Release Date 12/20/2023
Application Due Date Multiple: 02/19/2024 (FY23-FY24); 10/01/2024 (FY25); and 10/01/2025 (FY26) by 11:59 p.m. EST via www.Grants.gov 
# of Programs

1. Planning Grants
Total Funding Available  $20,000,000 for each Fiscal Year through FY26
Award Minimum No minimum/maximum award, however the cost of the ultimate construction project (the project that will apply for a Bridge Project grant or Large Bridge Project grant) must be no less than $3.125M. 
Award Maximum No minimum/maximum award, however the cost of the ultimate construction project (the project that will apply for a Bridge Project grant or Large Bridge Project grant) must be no less than $3.125M. 
Recipient Cost-Share/Match Requirements:

Applicants must provide 0-20% of the total project costs via non-Federal matching contributions. The total Federal contributions for the project cannot exceed the Federal share payable amounts in 23 U.S.C. 120. 

*Required cost-share amounts are variable and based on project type and location. 
Summary

Eligible Project Types:
Projects for planning, feasibility analyses, and revenue forecasting associated with the development of a project that would subsequently be eligible to apply for assistance under BIP (Parts B and C).
 
Ineligible Project Types:
Under the BIP Planning Grants, environmental review, preliminary engineering, design work, and other preconstruction activities apart from Planning and Environmental Linkage (PEL) activities are ineligible project activities.
Eligible Applicants
  • A State or a group of States
  • Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) with a population over 200,000
  • Unit of Local Government or a group of Local Governments
  • Political Subdivision of a State or Local Government
  • Special Purpose District or a Public Authority with a transportation function
  • Federal Land Management Agency (FLMA)
  • Tribal Government or Consortium of Tribal Governments
  • Multi-State or Multijurisdictional Group of Entities described above
*Multiple States or a multijurisdictional group that  submit a joint application should identify a lead applicant as the primary  point of contact (POC). The lead applicant must be an eligible applicant.  Joint applications should include a description of the roles and  responsibilities of each applicant and should be signed or include a letter  of support from each applicant. If selected, the lead applicant will be the  recipient of the grant funds and will be responsible for financial  administration of the project.
Special Consideration

Administration Priorities and Departmental Strategic Plan Goals:

1. Safety: Applicants must address how their project provides substantial safety benefits.

2. Climate Change and Sustainability: Applicants must address how the project will consider climate change and environmental justice in the  planning stage and in project delivery.

3. Equity: Applicants must address how their project will include an equity assessment which evaluates whether a project will create proportional impacts  and remove transportation-related disparities to all populations in a project  area.

4. Workforce Development, Job Quality, and Wealth Creation: Applicants must address how their project will create good-paying jobs with free and  fair choice to join a union.

*Bridges included in a Planning Grant application, including each of the bridges in a bundle of projects, are required to be on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) since these projects should subsequently be eligible to apply for assistance under BIP (Parts B and C)
Notes To the extent practicable, applicants should provide supporting data and documentation in a form that is directly verifiable by the DOT. The DOT also encourages applicants, to the extent practicable, to provide data in a form that is publicly available or verifiable.
 
The applicant should include a section to highlight any DOT priority considerations the project will address. Detailed information demonstrating how the project supports the priority consideration(s) and references to earlier sections of the narrative along with supporting documentation should be included in the application.
Contact Information

Name: Angela Jones – FHWA Agreement Specialist 
Email/Phone: BridgeImprovementProgram@dot.gov (preferred); (202) 366-4255 
Name: Hector Santamaria – FHWA Agreement Officer / Team Leader 
Email/Phone: BridgeImprovementProgram@dot.gov (preferred); (202) 493-2402 

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