This page provides updates and resources related to the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) — also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — signed into law on November 15, 2021. The law expires on September 30, 2026.
The NJTPA has a central role in ensuring that North Jersey can take full advantage of IIJA funding and programs. In particular, IIJA provides much needed funding to repair and improve road, rail and bridge infrastructure in the region. To be eligible for this funding, all projects will have to be approved by the NJTPA Board for inclusion in the region’s Transportation Improvement Program or TIP.
The Act also offers funding opportunities for local governments to improve mobility for residents which can bolster local economies and quality of life. As the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, the NJTPA can assist in coordinating and helping with grant applications and submissions, including:
- Providing letters of support indicating that proposed activities are consistent with the region’s Long Range Transportation Plan.
- Providing data on regional travel or directing applicants to appropriate data sources
- Providing information on related or complementary activities in the region
- Providing assistance on strategies to address planning issues, conduct outreach and assess equity and environmental impacts
The NJTPA urges local governments or other organizations to contact us about proposed applications for IIJA funding. This will ensure all concerned parties throughout the region can support and coordinate activities and realize the greatest benefits for the region’s residents.
Register to apply for Federal grants — A SAM registration is required for any entity to bid on and get paid for federal contracts or to receive federal funds. These include for-profit businesses, nonprofits, government contractors, government subcontractors, state governments, and local municipalities. Guidance and information on grants is at Grants.gov.
Current Grant Opportunities
- Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program — USDOT issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for FY 2026 BUILD Grants on November 26. Applications are due February 24, 2026. BUILD allows project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs.
Grant Programs
The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant Program program can be used to invest in road, rail, transit and port projects with significant local or regional impact The BUILD program has previously been called the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) and Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) programs. The eligibility requirements of BUILD allow project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs.
The Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) Program groups together three grants: the Mega Program (National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program), Rural Surface Transportation Grant Program (Rural), and INFRA Grant Program (the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects Program).
Mega: Supports large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits.
Rural: Supports projects that improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life.
INFRA: Awards competitive grants for multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas.
The Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Grant program provides funding to ensure surface transportation resilience to natural hazards including climate change, sea level rise, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters through support of planning activities, resilience improvements, community resilience and evacuation routes, and at-risk coastal infrastructure.
There are four types of PROTECT grants:
- Planning
- Resilience Improvement
- Community Resilience and Evacuation Route
- At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure
The Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program (RCP) aims to advance and support reconnection of communities divided by transportation infrastructure—with a priority on helping disadvantaged communities improve access to daily needs (jobs, schools, healthcare, grocery stores, and recreation). RCP offers two tracks of grants: planning and construction.
The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program provides financial support for planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users and operators, personal conveyance, micromobility users, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators.
The SS4A program supports the development of comprehensive safety action plans that identify the most significant roadway safety concerns in a community and the implementation of projects and strategies to address roadway safety issues. The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants: Planning and Demonstration Grants and Implementation Grants.