On August 15, 2024 the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced $9.17M in competitive grants for FY24 through the Tribal Transit Competitive Program. For context, the Tribal Transit Program is part of how the FTA’s Formula Grants for Rural Areas (or “5311”) program distributes its set-aside for tribal areas, with the other element of tribal funding taking the form of formula grants.
Federally recognized Indian tribes or Alaskan Native organizations may apply with projects designed to serve rural areas with a population of 50K or less (projects which serve portions of urban areas are eligible, provided that they also serve rural areas). In 2023, the FTA received a total of 41 applications requesting a total of $20M, of which 22 projects were selected and awarded a total of $9.9M, with individual awards ranging from $25,000 to $1.4M.
These grants can be used for any public transit project and may be used for capital, operating, and planning costs. A tribe could use the funding to conduct a transit planning study, for example, or provide on-demand service for non-emergency medical transit, or even launch a rural microtransit project. There is no local match required; successful applicants may receive 100% of the funding necessary for their transit projects, though there is a cap of $50,000 for planning projects (up from $25,000 in prior years).
The FTA will prioritize projects which increase transit efficiency or ridership, maintain or improve access to important destinations and services, and address gaps in transit service. Applicants should demonstrate that they have the ability to implement and sustainably fund their proposed project. If you’re interested in applying to launch a TransitTech-enabled service like the ones mentioned above, please reach out to our team at partnerships@ridewithvia.com. We would love to support your efforts.
More detailed information about the grant, including selection criteria and eligible projects, can be found in the Notice of Funding Opportunity here.
Applications are due on November 13, 2024.
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Rachel DiSalvo is a Grants and Funding Principal at Via, specializing in helping Via's public sector partners identify and apply for transit funding opportunities.
