FMCSA accepting grant applications soon

Commercial trucks and motorcoaches move people and goods safely and efficiently across the country. This industry is essential to our nation’s economy and way of life. If your organization, school or local government agency is part of this field, you could be eligible for federal grant funding. Early in 2024, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will accept grant applications to improve commercial motor vehicle safety. Now’s the time to prepare for one of these federal grants. Once a grant is announced, typically there’s about a two-month window to complete the application. Last year, FMCSA awarded anywhere from $21,660 to $7.3 million for each of the four grant types, for a total of more than $125 million in awards.

Which grants will be available for 2024? Soon FMCSA will announce or issue “Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs)” for the following four grants, and they will be posted on www.grants.gov.

Each grant has its own purpose and eligibility criteria. Organizations should check the list above to see if there’s a suitable grant opportunity for them.

What type of projects get FMCSA funding? FMCSA provides funding for projects that:

Promote commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety,
Innovate CMV technology,
Increase the number of commercial driver license holders (CDLs),
Train current CDL holders,
Prevent human trafficking
and more.

For example, an accredited school sought funds to recruit and enroll 15 veterans and/or their family members in their commercial driver’s license training program and received a FMCSA grant for $71,803.

Who is eligible for a DOT FMCSA grant? Organizations such as nonprofits, colleges, universities, trucking schools, law enforcement agencies, transportation departments, local courts, state transportation departments, departments of motor vehicles and other local government agencies are eligible. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Once the NOFO is announced, you can check the eligibility of each grant to see which grant applies to your organization.

FMCSA offers training and free webinars for grant writers. Potential applicants can visit the online Grants Resource Center and gain training, guidance and tools for a grant application and grant management assistance. To learn the finer points of writing an FMCSA grant application, view previously recorded webinars from Fall 2023. These webinars provide helpful information to successfully apply. Applicants are strongly encouraged to watch the Title VI Compliance Plan webinar to learn about an important first step.

When should you begin the grant writing process? Start right away to research, identify and prepare for a future grant application prior to FMCSA announcing a NOFO. If you decide to apply for a grant, one of the first steps to take is registering your organization at www.sam.gov or the System for Award Management. This process can take up to 15 business days. The second step is to register on the grants.gov website. This can take two to four weeks.

FMCSA’s grant program is an excellent way for our federal government to support local transportation leaders and industry experts as they continue to influence highway safety. FMCSA encourages interested parties to explore our federal grants any time year-round to ready themselves for the next grant funding opportunity.

To learn more about grants, visit https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/grants.