Extra A Resource for Transportation Professionals
Winning transportation project funding through federal grants Five best practices for securing funding for transportation Funding available to get projects delivered With traditional federal infrastructure formula program allocations in increasingly short supply, transportation project owners must look everywhere they can for other sources of funding. Federal discretionary program grants are an important tool that can help get projects delivered. A pending federal reauthorization bill, new potential stimulus funding and renewed calls for infrastructure improvements may increase grant opportunities, such as those displayed below.
Many of these grant programs offer project sponsors the benefit of a common application approach that began with the TIGER program in 2009. While the year-to-year continuity allows for the reuse of application materials, it also means submittals get more sophisticated every year
as agencies learn how to position their projects to be successful in increasingly competitive funding programs.
Five best practices for winning federal grant funding Having supported clients throughout the country in securing capital investments for bridges, airports, highway, transit and other transportation projects, HNTB has demonstrated expertise in navigating the federal discretionary grant application process to a successful conclusion. We have identified five best practices, which have proven to position project owners to obtain funding: 1. Get a head start. Most federal grant programs
accept applications once each year. Notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs) generally are
John Barton, PE Professional Services Chair HNTB Corporation
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barton develops and directs strategies to enhance HNTB’s service to state departments of transportation across the country. Barton has extensive experience in the transportation industry and knowledge of industry issues and trends. He speaks about a variety of transportation topics, including U.S. infrastructure investment, diverse funding sources, and sophisticated engineering approaches and solutions. Contact him at (972) 628-3029; jbarton@hntb.com; LinkedIn
extended about 90 days before applications are due – not enough time to assemble a competitive submission unless anticipatory work already has taken place. Grant criteria usually remain similar from year to year, so project owners can be aware of which agency administers each program, maintain a pipeline of projects moving through feasibility and environmental processes and identify which program might offer the best chance of funding for each project. Targeting specific grant opportunities in advance allows project owners to begin pulling together the components of their applications well before the NOFO is announced. 2. Align projects with grant programs.
Owners who tailor project needs to the most critical program criteria have a greater chance of success. For example, a previous effort by the City of Olathe, Kansas, to secure federal grant funding for reconstruction of an important interchange only became successful in 2018 after honing in on the safety and economic growth focus that had grown sharper in recent BUILD grant funding rounds. As a result, the city was able to fill a $10 million funding gap and proceed to construction with the project, rejuvenating an important municipal and regional growth area that had been threatened by heavy congestion.
3. Understand the benefit-cost analysis in advance. The objective of a benefit-cost
analysis is to demonstrate that a project’s benefit to society is greater than the cost to build it – a critical issue when federal decision makers grade grant applications. Knowing what grants are on the horizon and what projects to position for them allows time to complete important pre-work, like rigorous studies that show travel time savings, safety improvements, greenhouse gas emission reductions and other sources of quantified benefits.
This key data increases the defensibility of the benefit-cost analysis and significantly boosts funding chances. One example is the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development’s (DOTD) State Highway 1 Improvement Project. DOTD’s benefit-cost analysis demonstrated robust travel time savings and safety and industry benefits to clearly indicate that the project’s benefits to society exceed its costs. The project won a $135 million INFRA grant, by far the largest award in the 2020 INFRA round. 4. Pre-assemble a broad coalition of supportive stakeholders. Letters of support that communicate
benefits to stakeholders help make the business case for the project. Since the number and diversity of stakeholders represented matter, applicants want to engage the broadest base possible. Bringing stakeholders to the table who are prepared to invest in the project are particularly valuable influencers.
coal miners in Wyoming and other groups that move commodities through Chicago’s terminal wrote letters of support, helping the project win a $132 million INFRA grant in 2018, among the largest of that year. Also, leveraging government relations tools is important. Marshalling lobbying efforts that make agency leaders and elected officials aware of the project and its impact can help boost chances of grant funding. 5. Share a compelling narrative. An application
that tells a persuasive, unique and memorable story assures federal decision makers of broad stakeholder support and low risk. Narratives should: • Be organized around the selection criteria
• Tell a story that is easy for reviewers to understand the project, why it matters and why it should be selected (remember, reviewers are evaluating dozens of proposals) • Illustrate upfront who benefits from the project and how they will benefit • Maintain a consistent theme with key messages repeated throughout • Support assertions with evidence • Use airtight numbers in the benefit-cost analysis • Convince federal decision makers that there’s a plan to manage cost risks • Present appealing visuals and use high production values One example of this approach is the successful 2020 BUILD grant application for the Michigan Statewide Central Signal Control System Expansion. The application extensively used quantitatively driven graphics to highlight matches between the project and grant criteria. Call-outs highlighted the numeric backing for claims and statements made throughout. And the cover and internal navigation graphics capitalized on signal shapes and colors to drive home the message that the project was about the safety and economic importance of modernizing and centralizing the state’s traffic signal operations. As a result, the expansion was awarded $8.3 million in unexpended grant funds from a previous BUILD round. HNTB has honed these best practices through work on behalf of clients nationwide. While federal dollars are harder to come by than they once were, project owners that plan ahead, think strategically and follow these processes still can compete effectively for invaluable project funding. n Explore our other publications at www.hntb.com.
The CREATE 75th Street Corridor Improvement rail project in Chicago achieved this when owners defined the project as a national program. Representatives for corn growers in Kansas,
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