Opportunity Information: Apply for DTOS59 19 RA BUILD
The FY 2019 National Infrastructure Investments opportunity, issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) under the BUILD (formerly TIGER) Transportation Discretionary Grants program, made $900 million available through the FY 2019 appropriations process to support transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. Awards were to be made on a competitive basis, and DOT noted that a small portion of the total could be reserved for federal oversight and grant administration. DOT also left open the possibility of publishing additional solicitations if the initial round did not result in all available funds being awarded and obligated.
The funding came with clear award-size parameters set by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019. Individual BUILD grants generally had to fall between $5 million and $25 million, establishing both a minimum and an award ceiling. An important exception applied to rural projects: the minimum grant size for projects in rural areas was reduced to $1 million, reflecting the smaller scale and budgets that are common in less populated communities. The official award ceiling listed for the opportunity was $25,000,000.
Congress also imposed balancing requirements to ensure the program did not concentrate money in only one type of place. No more than 50 percent of the funds could be spent on projects located in rural areas (defined here as areas with a population of 200,000 or less), and no more than 50 percent could be spent on projects located in urbanized areas (defined as populations greater than 200,000). DOT indicated it revised how it defined rural versus urban compared with prior TIGER/BUILD rounds, using two categories aligned with these statutory caps. In addition, geographic distribution limits applied at the state level: no more than 10 percent of the total program funds (up to $90 million) could go to projects in a single state. Beyond those hard limits, DOT was directed to take steps to maintain an equitable geographic distribution overall, strike an appropriate balance between rural and urban needs, and fund a variety of transportation modes rather than concentrating awards in one sector.
The program also included strict timing constraints for how long the FY 2019 dollars could remain available. Funds could only be obligated (legally committed through a grant agreement) through September 30, 2021, and no FY 2019 BUILD funds could be expended after September 30, 2026. DOT emphasized that project readiness mattered because it would consider whether a proposed project could move forward quickly enough to meet the statutory obligation deadline. The notice also made clear that these deadlines could not be waived under the FY 2019 Appropriations Act, so applicants needed realistic schedules and a credible plan to get to obligation in time.
A notable feature of this round was the flexibility to use a portion of the BUILD appropriation to support credit assistance. Up to 20 percent of the available funds (as much as $180 million) could be used by DOT to pay subsidy and administrative costs for projects receiving TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) credit assistance, as long as doing so would further the purposes of the BUILD program. This effectively allowed some projects to pair discretionary grant support with federal credit tools, potentially increasing total project financing capacity.
The opportunity allowed returning applicants as well. Recipients of prior TIGER Discretionary Grants were permitted to apply for additional funding to support later phases of previously funded projects. However, DOT signaled that competitiveness would depend on evidence that earlier phases stayed on schedule and on budget, and that the project was on track to deliver the benefits that were originally promised. In other words, a track record of execution and benefit realization was expected to strengthen follow-on phase requests.
Administration of awards was expected to run through the relevant DOT modal administration (for example, the agency within DOT most closely aligned with the project type), using a grant agreement between the recipient and that modal administration. This matters for applicants because compliance, reporting, and project management requirements typically follow the practices of the administering modal office.
Eligible applicants were broad and included states; local governments; tribal governments; U.S. territories; transit agencies; port authorities; metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs); and other political subdivisions of state or local governments. The program also supported multi-jurisdictional proposals: multiple states or jurisdictions could submit a joint application as long as every participating party was an eligible applicant, a lead applicant was designated as the primary point of contact, and the application clearly described each party’s roles and responsibilities. Joint applications also needed signatures from each participating project party, reinforcing shared commitment and accountability.
From the published opportunity record, key administrative details include: Opportunity Number DTOS59-19-RA-BUILD, CFDA 20.933, agency DOT, discretionary grant instrument, activity category Transportation, and an original application closing date of July 15, 2019. The overall intent was to fund impactful transportation infrastructure investments while enforcing statutory caps on award size, rural/urban distribution, and per-state concentration, and while requiring applicants to demonstrate they could meet firm obligation and expenditure deadlines.Apply for DTOS59 19 RA BUILD
- The Department of Transportation in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2019 National Infrastructure Investments" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.933.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2019-04-16.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-07-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $25,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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FY 2019 BUILD (formerly TIGER) National Infrastructure Investments - FAQs
What is this grant opportunity?
This is the FY 2019 National Infrastructure Investments opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) under the BUILD (formerly TIGER) Transportation Discretionary Grants program. It supported transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact and made awards on a competitive basis.
How much funding was available under the FY 2019 round?
DOT made $900 million available through the FY 2019 appropriations process. DOT also noted that a small portion of the total could be reserved for federal oversight and grant administration.
What is the official award ceiling for a single grant?
The official maximum (award ceiling) for an individual BUILD grant in this opportunity was $25,000,000.
What were the minimum and maximum grant sizes?
Generally, individual BUILD grants were required to be between $5 million and $25 million. The maximum in all cases was $25 million, per the opportunity’s stated ceiling.
Was there a different minimum grant amount for rural projects?
Yes. For projects in rural areas, the minimum grant size was reduced to $1 million, reflecting the smaller scale and budgets common in less populated communities.
How does this opportunity define rural versus urbanized areas?
For purposes of the statutory funding caps described in the notice, rural areas were defined as areas with a population of 200,000 or less, and urbanized areas were defined as areas with populations greater than 200,000. DOT also indicated it revised how it defined rural versus urban compared with prior TIGER/BUILD rounds, using two categories aligned with these statutory caps.
Were there limits on how much of the funding could go to rural projects?
Yes. No more than 50 percent of total program funds could be spent on projects located in rural areas (as defined in this opportunity).
Were there limits on how much of the funding could go to urbanized projects?
Yes. No more than 50 percent of total program funds could be spent on projects located in urbanized areas (as defined in this opportunity).
Was there a limit on how much funding could go to any one state?
Yes. No more than 10 percent of the total program funds could be awarded to projects in a single state. Based on the $900 million total, that cap was up to $90 million per state.
Did DOT consider geographic distribution beyond the state cap?
Yes. Beyond the hard 10 percent per-state limit, DOT was directed to take steps to maintain an equitable geographic distribution overall and to strike an appropriate balance between rural and urban needs.
Did DOT aim to fund a variety of transportation modes?
Yes. DOT was directed to fund a variety of transportation modes rather than concentrating awards in one sector.
Were awards guaranteed, or was this a competitive program?
Awards were to be made on a competitive basis, meaning projects competed against each other for funding.
Could DOT publish additional solicitations for this funding?
Yes. DOT left open the possibility of publishing additional solicitations if the initial round did not result in all available funds being awarded and obligated.
What does it mean that DOT could reserve a small portion of funds for oversight and administration?
DOT stated that a small portion of the total funding could be reserved for federal oversight and grant administration, which could reduce the amount ultimately available for direct project awards.
What were the key timing constraints for FY 2019 BUILD funds?
The notice included two firm deadlines: (1) funds could only be obligated through September 30, 2021, and (2) no FY 2019 BUILD funds could be expended after September 30, 2026.
What does “obligated” mean in this context?
In this opportunity, “obligated” refers to the legal commitment of funds through a grant agreement by the deadline (September 30, 2021).
Why did DOT emphasize project readiness?
DOT emphasized readiness because it would consider whether a proposed project could move forward quickly enough to meet the statutory obligation deadline. Applicants needed realistic schedules and a credible plan to reach obligation in time.
Could the obligation and expenditure deadlines be waived?
No. DOT stated that these deadlines could not be waived under the FY 2019 Appropriations Act.
Could FY 2019 BUILD funds be used to support TIFIA credit assistance?
Yes. Up to 20 percent of the available funds (as much as $180 million) could be used by DOT to pay subsidy and administrative costs for projects receiving TIFIA (Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) credit assistance, as long as doing so would further the purposes of the BUILD program.
How much of the $900 million could be used for TIFIA-related subsidy and administrative costs?
Up to 20 percent of the available funds could be used for that purpose, which the notice described as as much as $180 million.
Could prior TIGER/BUILD recipients apply again in FY 2019?
Yes. Recipients of prior TIGER Discretionary Grants were permitted to apply for additional funding to support later phases of previously funded projects.
What did DOT expect from applicants seeking funding for later phases of previously funded projects?
DOT indicated competitiveness would depend on evidence that earlier phases stayed on schedule and on budget, and that the project was on track to deliver the benefits originally promised. A strong execution track record was expected to strengthen follow-on phase requests.
Who were eligible applicants under this opportunity?
Eligible applicants included states; local governments; tribal governments; U.S. territories; transit agencies; port authorities; metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs); and other political subdivisions of state or local governments.
Were multi-jurisdictional or joint applications allowed?
Yes. Multiple states or jurisdictions could submit a joint application as long as each participating party was an eligible applicant.
What was required for a joint application?
Joint applications needed to (1) designate a lead applicant as the primary point of contact, (2) clearly describe each party’s roles and responsibilities, and (3) include signatures from each participating project party.
How were awards expected to be administered within DOT?
Awards were expected to be administered through the relevant DOT modal administration (the DOT agency most closely aligned with the project type), using a grant agreement between the recipient and that modal administration.
Why does the administering DOT modal office matter to award recipients?
The opportunity noted that compliance, reporting, and project management requirements typically follow the practices of the administering modal office, so the specific modal administration can affect how the grant is managed.
What is the Opportunity Number for this FY 2019 BUILD notice?
The Opportunity Number listed in the published opportunity record is DTOS59-19-RA-BUILD.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program in the opportunity record?
The opportunity record lists CFDA 20.933.
What agency issued this opportunity and what type of funding instrument was used?
The issuing agency was the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the instrument was a discretionary grant.
What activity category was associated with this opportunity?
The activity category listed for the opportunity record is Transportation.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date listed for this opportunity was July 15, 2019.
What was the overall intent of the FY 2019 BUILD opportunity based on the notice summary?
The overall intent was to fund impactful transportation infrastructure investments while enforcing statutory caps on award size, balancing rural and urban distribution, limiting per-state concentration, supporting a mix of transportation modes, and requiring applicants to demonstrate they could meet firm obligation and expenditure deadlines.
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