Prior Awards

Low-No Program

• In FY 2024, the program received applications for 214 eligible projects requesting a total of $4.7 billion.
• 62 projects were funded to 61 recipients totaling $1.1 billion.
• Award sizes ranged from $1,215,776 to $99,499,531.

• In FY 2024, the program received applications for 263 eligible projects requesting a total of $4.4 billion.
• 55 projects were funded to 47 recipients totaling $390 million.
• Award sizes ranged from $131,168 to $26,880,000.

• Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov Bus and Low-No pages “APPLY” function by 11:59 pm Eastern time July 14, 2025. 

• Eligible activities include capital projects to purchase or lease zero-emission or low-emission transit buses; and acquire, construct, rehabilitate, and lease required supporting facilities such as recharging, refueling, and maintenance facilities.

• Eligible activities include capital projects to purchase, lease, or rehabilitate buses and related equipment; and acquire, construct, lease, or rehabilitate bus-related facilities.

• Instructions for applying can be found on FTA’s website and in the “FIND” module of Grants.gov.
• The Low-No Program funding opportunity ID is FTA-2025-008-TPM-LWNO.
• The Bus Program funding opportunity ID is FTA-2025-007-TPM-BUS.
• Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted.

• Email Kirsten Wiard-Bauer, Office of Program Management, at FTALowNoBusNOFO@dot.gov.

• Eligible recipients and subrecipients are designated recipients, states (including territories and Washington, D.C.), local government entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes.

• Eligible recipients are designated recipients, states (including territories and Washington, D.C.), local government entities, and federally recognized Indian tribes. Except for Indian tribes, eligible recipients must allocate funds to or operate fixed-route bus service.
• Eligible subrecipients are all otherwise eligible recipients and private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation. Eligible subrecipients are not required to allocate funds to or operate fixed route bus service.

• Applicants must have sufficient legal, financial, and technical capabilities to receive and administer Federal funds under this program.
• Except for projects proposed by Indian tribes, all projects in rural areas (see 49 U.S.C. 5302(17)) must be submitted by a State either individually or as part of a consolidated State application.
• States and other eligible applicants may also submit consolidated applications for projects in urbanized areas.  The same project may not be submitted in multiple applications.

• Purchasing or leasing low-emission buses (See 49 U.S.C. 5339(c)(1)(E)), which include, but are not limited to:
  • Propane buses
  • CNG buses
  • Hybrid-electric buses
• Purchasing or leasing zero-emission buses, which include, but are not limited to:
  • Hydrogen fuel-cell buses
  • Battery-electric buses
  • Rubber tire trolley buses powered by overhead catenaries
• Acquiring low- or zero-emission buses with a leased power source.
• Leasing, constructing, or rehabilitating public transportation facilities and related equipment to accommodate low- or zero-emission buses.

• Purchasing, leasing, or rehabilitating buses regardless of propulsion type or emissions.
• Purchasing, leasing, rehabilitating, or constructing bus-related facilities and equipment, regardless of propulsion type or emissions.

• For low- and standard-emission projects, 0.5% of the Federal request may optionally be used for workforce development training (See 49 U.S.C. 5314(b)) and an additional 0.5% may optionally be used for training at the National Transit Institute (NTI) (See 49 U.S.C. 5314(c)).
• 5% of the Federal request for zero-emission projects, or 5% of just the Federal request associated with the part of a project that is zero emission (zero-emission components) when the project contains both zero-emission and low- or standard propulsion types, must be used for workforce development.
  • This is mandatory unless you certify in your application that less funding is needed to carry out your Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Plan. You must include an explanation of why less or no such funds are needed.
  • These amounts should be budgeted in addition to, not as a take-down from, other eligible project expenses.
    • For example, if you include a Federal request of $3,000,000 for zero-emission vehicles and associated equipment, you should include an additional Federal request of $157,895 in the budget for workforce development expenses for a total Federal request of $3,157,895. (To calculate = $3,000,000/0.95)
    • Local match must be adjusted accordingly, so that the Federal amount does not exceed the maximum Federal share (see below).
  • You must identify the proposed use of funds for these activities in the project proposal and identify them separately in the project budget.
  • Eligible workforce development activities include but are not limited to: retraining the existing workforce, registered apprenticeships, and other joint labor-management training programs. Activities should be outlined in your Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Plan.
• Projects may include incidental costs, such as administration expenses, if the project includes and results in an eligible capital asset being leased, purchased, or built.

• The development or deployment of prototype vehicles is not eligible.
• All new transit bus models must successfully complete FTA bus testing in accordance with FTA’s Bus Testing regulation (See 49 CFR part 665).
• All buses must be procured from certified transit vehicle manufacturers in accordance with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) regulations (See 49 CFR part 26).
• Proposals may contain projects to be implemented by the recipient or its subrecipients.
• If a single project proposal involves multiple public transportation providers, such as when an agency acquires vehicles that will be operated by another agency, the proposal must include a statement detailing the role of each agency.

• In general, the maximum Federal share is 80%. There are two exceptions (See 49 U.S.C. 5323(i)):
  • The Federal share is 85% for transit buses that are compliant with the Clean Air Act or are accessible to people with disabilities.
  • The Federal share is 90% for equipment and components of facilities related to low- or zero-emission buses or are to make the facility accessible to people with disabilities. Applicants must itemize the cost of specific, discrete, equipment or facility components that perform these functions to be eligible for this higher Federal share.
• More information about eligible sources of local match can be found in FTA Circular 9050.1A (urban applicants) and FTA Circular 9040.1H (rural applicants).

• A minimum of 25% of awarded funds will go to low-emission projects that are not zero emission (see 49 U.S.C. 5339(c)(5)).

Bus Program

• A minimum of 15% of awarded funds will go to projects located in rural areas (see 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(5)).
• No single grant recipient will be awarded more than 10% of the amount made available (see 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(8)).

• You may submit a project to both programs or to just one program.  You are encouraged to submit projects under both programs when practicable. A project submitted to both programs must be eligible in its entirety under both programs, which means:
  • All buses must be low- or zero-emission and all facilities and equipment must directly support low- or zero-emission buses.
  • The full request or scalable amount must be no more than 10% of the funding available under the Bus Program.
• If a project submitted under both programs is selected for funding, FTA will decide under which program the project is awarded.
• If there are not enough eligible requests for either program’s statutory set-aside and there are eligible applications submitted only to the other program, FTA may request additional information and consider the application under the other program.
• FTA may cap the amount a single recipient or State may receive as part of the selection process for either program.

• Available at the Grants.gov Bus and Low-No pages.
• You must complete all sections of the SF-424 unless the form states a section is optional.

• Available at the Grants.gov Bus and Low-No pages or the FTA website.
• You must attach the Supplemental Form and any supporting documents to the “Attachments” section of the SF-424.
  • If you are applying for a zero-emission project, you must attach the Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Plan.
  • You must describe and reference supporting documentation by file name in the Supplemental Form, or FTA may not review it.
• FTA will use the information entered into the Supplemental Form to evaluate the project and determine whether or not the proposal will be funded according to the selection criteria described in Section 6 (Application Review Information) below.
• You must complete all sections of the Supplemental Form unless the form states a section is optional.
• You will use the same Supplemental Form to apply to either program or both programs.
• If you are applying to both programs, you must submit the materials twice, once through each of the GRANTS.GOV opportunity IDs listed for the programs.
• Failure to submit the information as requested can delay review or disqualify the application.

• Register on the Grants.gov website well before the application deadline. Grants.gov registration is a multi-step process that may take several weeks to complete.
• If you have already registered in Grants.gov, you may still need to update your registration before you can apply.
• FTA strongly recommends you submit your proposal at least 72 hours before the due date. This allows time to correct any submission problems.
• Our system cannot accept Supplemental Forms that are: 1) scanned, a “print” to PDF, or a converted version using another text editor, etc.; or 2) from prior years. Use this year’s form and fill it out on your computer.
• You can find more information on how to navigate Grants.gov on DOT Navigator.

• SAM registration usually takes about 3-5 business days.
• However, FTA recommends allowing several weeks for the registration process because there could be unexpected delays (such as needing to get an Employer Identification Number).
• For additional information on obtaining a unique entity identifier, please visit SAM.gov.

• For replacement requests:  Describe the age, condition, and performance of the vehicles the project would replace. Replaced vehicles must have met their minimum useful life at the time of project completion.
• For fleet expansion requests:  Describe the service expansion and how it benefits transit riders and the community.
• Address how the project conforms to FTA’s spare ratio guidelines. If you are adding zero-emission vehicles to your fleet, you may move vehicles that have met their minimum useful life to your contingency fleet. Contingency fleets are not included in the spare ratio calculation.
• If you need to exceed the spare ratio for a temporary period, work with your FTA Regional Office to determine what flexibilities may be available to you. Include reference to any Regional Office guidance in your application.

• For replacement or rehabilitation requests:  Describe the age and condition of the existing asset relative to its minimum useful life.
• For expansion requests:  Describe the new or expanded facility or equipment and how it benefits transit riders and the community.

• Describe how the project will support the program’s statutory objectives to:
  • Reduce energy consumption,
  • Reduce harmful emissions, and 
  • Reduce direct carbon emissions.
• Describe reductions compared to standard buses and facilities or other low or no emission buses and facilities (see 49 U.S.C. 5339(c)(5)(A)).

• Describe how the project will support the program’s goals to:
  • Improve or modernize system condition.  Describe benefits such as: 
    • Reduced breakdowns and service interruptions,
    • Increased service performance; or
    • Reduced maintenance costs.
  • Improve safety.  Describe benefits such as:
    • Reduced frequency of safety events; or
    • Improved outcomes of safety events.
  • Enhance access and mobility.  Describe benefits such as:
    • Improved headways and reliability;
    • Creation of new transportation choices; or
    • Elimination of gaps in the current route network.
• For each benefit your project would provide, include relevant documentation such as vehicle or facility age and condition, safety event outcomes, or route planning proposals showing ridership demand or indicators like area population density, and existing and planned affordable housing in the corridor.

• If you apply to both programs, you must address the requirements of both programs as described above.

• Describe how the project is consistent with local and regional long-range planning documents and local government priorities. You may support your application by:
  • Submitting copies of relevant planning document pages;
  • Submitting letters of support for the project from local government officials, public agencies, or non-profit or private sector supporters; or
  • Demonstrating how the proposed project will address local and regional planning priorities by improving overall system performance, asset management performance, or other specific performance measures that you track and monitor.
• If you request zero-emission vehicles, or facilities and equipment that directly support zero-emission vehicles, you are required by law to submit a Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Plan (See 49 U.S.C. 5339(c)(3)(D)).  This includes tribes that are requesting less than $1 million.
  • The plan must be a separate document from other local or regional planning documents and must include all six plan components defined in statute.
  • FTA has developed resources for applicants regarding the development of this plan.  Plans do not need to be complex and should be tailored as needed.
  • State departments of transportation may provide a plan that covers multiple subrecipients, attach individual plans developed by each subrecipient, or a combination of both.

• Identify the amount and source of the local cost share. Describe if local funds are currently available for the project or will need to be secured after the project is selected for funding.
• Submit evidence of local funds commitment and when the funds will be available.  For example, include a board resolution, letter of financial support from the State, or a budget document highlighting the line item or section committing funds to the proposed project.
• Identify other Federal funds you are applying for or have been awarded, if any, that you intend to use for the project.
• FTA will favorably view projects that use grant funds only for the incremental cost of new technologies over the cost of replacing vehicles with standard propulsion technologies.
• If the project is scalable, include the minimum funding amount required for a viable project and explain how a reduced award would affect the project.

• Include a detailed and reasonable implementation schedule that includes:
  • Grant obligation.  FTA will rate projects higher if the grant can be obligated within 12 months of the project selection announcement.
  • Design. Note any already completed design work that will allow for quicker implementation.
  • Procurement and construction phases.
  • Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) amendments to include the proposed project.
  • Environmental review.  Note if the project qualifies for a Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• If the project requires formal coordination, approvals, or permits, you must demonstrate coordination and support with other agencies and project partners, such as through letters of support.
• If a low- or zero-emission project is submitted under both programs or just the Low-No Program, you may include named partnerships with other entities.  If naming a project partner, describe the experience, capacity, and qualifications of the named partner to successfully implement the project.
  • These entities may include, but are not limited to, specific vehicle manufacturers, equipment vendors, owners or operators of related facilities, and project consultants.
  • If selected for funding, projects with named partnerships will satisfy the requirement for a competitive procurement under 49 U.S.C. 5325(a) for the named entities.
  • Any partnership changes will require FTA written approval, must be consistent with the scope of the project, and may necessitate a competitive procurement (see 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(10), (c)(8)).
  • Entities not named in the application must be selected through standard competitive procurement processes.

• Describe your technical, legal, and financial capacity to undertake the project.
• Explain your ability to carry out the proposed project successfully (for example, adequate staffing levels or similar projects that have been carried out successfully).
• Explain if you have any outstanding legal, technical, or financial compliance issues from an FTA compliance review or FTA grant-related Single Audit finding. As relevant, explain how corrective actions will mitigate negative impacts on the proposed project.

• Identify whether the project is located in or supports public transportation service in one or more qualified opportunity zones designated pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 1400Z-1; 
• Identify the Census Tract Numbers of the opportunity zones at the time of designation (Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 2018-48). The 2020 Census did not impact the boundaries of opportunity zones.  More information and a link to a map of Opportunity Zones can be found on the IRS Opportunity Zone website; and
• Describe how the proposed project will impact the opportunity zones.

• Commit to procuring vehicles from a state schedule without selecting customization options; or
• Commit to participating in a joint procurement with at least three total transit agencies using a common specification; or
• For low- or zero-emission projects that identify a partnership with a vehicle manufacturer, commit to buying a standard vehicle model without customizations. Include a letter from the manufacturer that confirms this.

• Commit to using advance payments or progress payments; and
• Describe how contracting terms will expedite payments to vehicle original equipment manufacturers.

• Describe how the project will improve the accessibility of transportation to families with young children, to include improved access to jobs, healthcare facilities, recreational activities, and commercial activity.  Describe how the project will improve the quality of life, raise the standard of living, or enable fuller participation in the economy by families.

• Assure that your project will not request a waiver of any domestic preference requirement. FTA’s Buy America (49 U.S.C. 5323(j)) and the Build America, Buy America Act (Pub. L. 117-58, §§ 70901 – 70927) require all steel, iron, manufactured products, and construction materials used in a project to be produced in the United States, unless a waiver applies.
• If your project will require a waiver under 49 U.S.C. 5323(j)(2)(A)-(B), or (D) (other than waivers the U.S. Department of Transportation or FTA already have provided), identify in your application the items that will need a waiver. You should not anticipate waivers will be granted. Applications for projects that require waivers will receive lower priority than applications that do not require waivers.