Funding Opportunity:
SMART Grants
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) appropriated $100 million annually through FY 2026 for a new grant program, Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART). The SMART program was established to provide grants to eligible public sector agencies to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety.
The objective of the demonstration projects is to utilize “purpose-driven innovation to build data and technology capacity and expertise for State, local, and Tribal governments.” Applicant projects should propose the use of new technologies and approaches to solve community challenges.
Demonstration projects include any of the following:
Coordinated automation
Connected vehicles
Sensors
Systems Integration
Delivery/Logistics
Innovative aviation
Smart grid
Traffic signals
Eligibility:
States
A Political subdivision of a State
A Tribal government,
A Public transit agency or authority,
A Public toll authority
A Metropolitan planning organization,
A group of 2 or more eligible entities, applying through a single lead applicant.
In this first year, only Stage 1 Planning and Prototyping Grants will be considered. Stage 1 recipients should build internal buy-in and partnerships with stakeholders to refine and prototype their concepts, and report on results. Stakeholders can include public, private, academic, and nonprofit organizations; organized labor and workforce organizations; and community organizations and networks.
At the conclusion of Stage 1, recipients should have the information to either create a fully realized implementation plan with robust performance metrics; or to make an informed decision not to proceed with the concept. Next year, Phase 2 Implementation grants of up to $15,000,000 will be available for Stage 1 recipients from the first round.
Thirty to fifty Stage One grants of $2,000,000 maximum are expected in this round of funding. The deadline for applications is November 18, 2022, with awards announcements anticipated in early 2023.
