RAISE Discretionary Grant

USDOT’s flagship program for multimodal, equitable infrastructure investments

The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant program is one of the most competitive transportation funding opportunities in the United States. Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, RAISE supports planning and capital projects that deliver tangible improvements in safety, economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability, quality of life, state of good repair, partnership, and innovation. Funding is distributed nationwide, with at least half reserved for rural communities and significant resources directed to areas of persistent poverty. Eligible projects span complete streets, freight corridors, rail modernization, port upgrades, public transit expansion, and active transportation networks. Winning applications communicate a cohesive vision that integrates engineering excellence, climate resilience, workforce development, and measurable community outcomes.

RAISE grants are transformative. Past winners include the Atlanta BeltLine’s trail expansion, the Port of Seattle’s electrification infrastructure, and the reconstruction of tribal roads linking remote communities to essential services. Because awards can reach $25 million, the program attracts thousands of applicants. Success requires early coalition building, robust technical analyses, and a compelling narrative that aligns local priorities with national policy goals such as decarbonization, supply chain resilience, and equitable access.

Key program facts

Timeline planning roadmap

A successful RAISE application demands nine to twelve months of preparation:

1. Twelve months before NOFO – Identify priority corridors or projects aligned with local strategic plans (transportation master plan, climate action plan, economic development strategy). Conduct a readiness assessment evaluating design status, environmental reviews, and stakeholder support. Assign a project manager and establish a core team from engineering, planning, finance, and communications.
2. Ten months out – Launch stakeholder engagement with community organizations, business leaders, transit agencies, and environmental justice advocates. Host workshops to refine project scope and gather qualitative data. Begin data collection on current conditions: crash rates, travel times, freight volumes, emissions, and socioeconomic indicators.
3. Eight months out – Commission or update feasibility studies, environmental assessments, and cost estimates. Engage consulting engineers or economists if internal capacity is limited. For planning grants, outline deliverables such as corridor studies, design guidelines, or environmental justice assessments.
4. Six months out – Develop a robust benefit-cost analysis (BCA) using USDOT guidance. Quantify safety benefits (fatalities avoided), travel time savings, vehicle operating cost reductions, emissions reductions, and job creation. Begin drafting the project narrative with clear headings for each merit criterion.
5. Four months out – Finalize match funding commitments. Secure resolutions from city councils, state DOTs, or tribal councils authorizing the application and committing cost share. Prepare letters of support from elected officials, federal delegation members, labor unions, businesses, and community leaders.
6. Three months out – Refine engineering concepts and produce high-quality visuals (renderings, cross-sections, before-and-after graphics). Develop a detailed project schedule, risk register, and management plan. For rural applicants, emphasize how the project addresses unique challenges such as long-distance travel to healthcare or supply chain vulnerabilities.
7. Two months out – Complete the narrative, BCA technical memo, appendices, and budget tables. Crosswalk the project to national priorities, including Justice40, EV infrastructure, or supply chain resilience. Conduct internal reviews with legal, procurement, and environmental teams to ensure compliance.
8. One month out – Upload documents to Grants.gov, ensuring all forms (SF-424 series, lobbying disclosures) are complete. Submit at least 48 hours before the deadline and verify receipt.

Eligibility nuances and competitive profile

RAISE accepts a broad range of applicants, but the lead entity must be a public agency. Private companies or nonprofits can participate as partners or subrecipients but cannot serve as the primary applicant. Key considerations:

• Project Readiness – Capital projects must demonstrate the ability to obligate funds by statutory deadlines. Provide NEPA status, design milestones, and procurement plans. Planning projects should outline specific deliverables and timelines (usually 1–3 years).
• Cost Share – While not mandatory, applicants offering 20–40% match (especially in cash) often score higher on readiness and commitment. Rural and persistent poverty communities can leverage in-kind contributions or seek state matches.
• Scalability – USDOT favors projects that can be replicated nationally. Highlight how your project can serve as a model for similar communities.
• Equity – Address displacement risks, describe anti-displacement strategies, and quantify benefits for disadvantaged census tracts. Provide engagement histories and commitments to co-creation.

Competitive applicants articulate how their project will:

• Reduce fatalities and serious injuries through design, speed management, and multimodal options.
• Lower emissions via mode shift, electrification, or freight efficiency.
• Improve access to jobs, education, healthcare, and healthy food for underserved residents.
• Support regional economic growth by strengthening supply chains or tourism.
• Maintain or improve state of good repair, especially for aging bridges or transit assets.
• Foster innovation, such as smart sensors, digital twin modeling, or resilient materials.

Application components and storytelling strategy

• Project Narrative (no more than 30 pages) – Structure the narrative with sections corresponding to the merit criteria and statutory requirements. Use infographics, tables, and maps to illustrate baseline conditions and projected benefits. Tell a cohesive story from problem statement to solution.
• BCA Technical Memo – Provide detailed calculations, assumptions, and data sources. Include sensitivity analyses and monetized benefits aligned with USDOT’s recommended values.
• Budget Tables – Present federal and non-federal shares by project component and fiscal year. Include contingency and escalation factors.
• Project Schedule – Use Gantt charts to depict design, environmental, right-of-way, procurement, and construction phases. Identify critical path activities and risk mitigations.
• Letters of Support – Collect personalized letters that describe specific benefits (e.g., “This trail connection will reduce school travel times by 20 minutes for 3,000 students”). Prioritize letters from federal delegation members, governors, tribal leaders, and labor unions.
• Supplemental Materials – Upload planning documents, engineering drawings, environmental reports, and community engagement summaries. Provide a map overlaying the project with disadvantaged communities and key destinations.

Tips and tricks for a winning RAISE application

• Anchor to national priorities – Explicitly reference USDOT’s strategic plan, Justice40, the National Roadway Safety Strategy, and climate goals. Align your project outcomes with these frameworks.
• Quantify everything – Provide baseline metrics and projected improvements. Use scenario modeling to show long-term benefits over 20–30 years.
• Highlight project management capacity – Showcase previous federal grants you have managed, internal controls, and staff qualifications. Provide an organizational chart for project delivery.
• Tell community stories – Feature quotes from residents, tribal elders, or business owners who will benefit. Integrate case studies from engagement events.
• Leverage visuals – Include renderings, photo simulations, and infographics. Visuals help reviewers grasp scale and impact quickly.
• Plan for resilience – Address climate adaptation (floodproofing, heat mitigation), redundancy, and emergency response improvements.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Incomplete BCAs – Missing data or unsupported assumptions can sink an otherwise strong proposal. Engage an economist early.
• Weak match documentation – Letters without explicit dollar amounts or approvals may be discounted. Provide binding resolutions.
• Generic narratives – Tailor each section to your project. Avoid copying text from past applications without updates.
• Insufficient engagement evidence – Document specific meetings, participant counts, languages, and feedback integration.
• Ignoring rural/urban nuances – Rural projects must emphasize how they overcome sparse populations and long distances. Urban projects should address congestion, transit integration, and housing affordability.

Implementation best practices

If awarded, prepare to deliver quickly:

• Kickoff with USDOT – Attend the mandatory post-award meeting, clarify reporting expectations, and establish communication cadences.
• Strengthen project controls – Implement financial tracking systems, change management protocols, and risk registers to satisfy federal oversight.
• Coordinate permitting – Engage environmental, historical preservation, and utility stakeholders early to avoid delays.
• Maintain public engagement – Keep communities informed through dashboards, town halls, and construction liaisons. Offer mitigation for construction impacts (detours, business support grants).
• Track metrics – Collect before-and-after data on safety, travel times, emissions, and economic indicators. Share results with USDOT and stakeholders.

Alternative funding options if not selected

• INFRA Grants – Focus on freight, highway, and bridge projects with national significance.
• Mega Projects (National Infrastructure Project Assistance) – Support large projects with total costs above $500 million.
• State infrastructure banks – Offer low-interest loans that can pair with future RAISE submissions.
• Private activity bonds and TIFIA loans – Provide financing for eligible transportation projects.
• Philanthropic partnerships – Organizations like the Kresge Foundation and Knight Foundation fund planning and community engagement for equitable infrastructure.

Additional resources

• RAISE NOFO webinars – USDOT hosts recorded briefings that outline changes from prior years and answer applicant questions.
• Benefit-Cost Analysis resources – Use the USDOT BCA Guidance and the BCA Resource Hub for templates and sample calculations.
• Build America Bureau – Offers technical assistance, especially for projects exploring TIFIA loans or PABs.
• National Association of Counties (NACo) and National League of Cities (NLC) – Provide peer learning cohorts and application bootcamps.

A compelling RAISE application blends rigorous analysis with a community-driven vision for transformative infrastructure. By aligning local priorities with federal policy goals, demonstrating readiness, and quantifying long-term benefits, applicants can secure the funding necessary to build safer, more equitable, and more sustainable transportation systems.