Website: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=338032
Funding: Total: $450,000,000. Maximum awards: $1M-$112.5M, depending on project.
Dates: Application Submission Deadline: May 16, 2022
Summary:
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act authorized and appropriated $450 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to establish a port and intermodal improvement program to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal connections to coastal seaports, inland river ports, and Great Lakes ports.
Project Topic Areas:
Eligible projects for FY 2022 PIDP grants shall be located either within the boundary of a port, or outside the boundary of a port and directly related to port operations or to an intermodal connection to a port. Grants may be made for capital projects that will be used to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of:
- the loading and unloading of goods at the port, such as for marine terminal equipment;
- the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port, such as for highway or rail
- infrastructure, intermodal facilities, freight intelligent transportation systems, and digital
- infrastructure systems;
- operational improvements, including projects to improve port resilience; or
- environmental and emissions mitigation measures; including projects for—
- port electrification or electrification master planning;
- harbor craft or equipment replacements or retrofits;
- development of port or terminal microgrids;
- provision of idling reduction infrastructure;
- purchase of cargo handling equipment and related infrastructure;
- worker training to support electrification technology;
- installation of port bunkering facilities from ocean-going vessels for fuels;
- electric vehicle charging or hydrogen refueling infrastructure for drayage and medium or heavy duty trucks and locomotives that service the port and related grid upgrades; or
- other related port activities, including charging infrastructure, electric rubber-tired gantry cranes, and anti-idling technologies.
Funding:
The BIL authorized and appropriated $450 million to be awarded by DOT for PIDP grants. The minimum PIDP award size is $1 million. Except as limited by the amount of available funding and the statutory restrictions on funding, there is no maximum award size. Pursuant to BIL, not more than 25 percent of the available funds ($112.5 million) can be used to make grants for projects in any one State and 25 percent of the available funds ($112.5 million) is reserved for small projects at small ports. The Federal share of the costs for which an expenditure is made under a PIDP grant may not exceed 80 percent; however, the Secretary may increase the Federal share of costs above 80 percent for: (1) a grant for a project that is located in a rural area; or (2) a grant awarded to a small project at a small port.
Non-Federal sources include State funds originating from programs funded by State revenue, local funds originating from State or local revenue-funded programs, or private funds. The application must demonstrate, such as through a commitment letter or other documentation, the sources of the non-Federal funds. Unless otherwise authorized by statute, State or local cost share may not be counted as the non-Federal share for both the FY 2022 PIDP grant award and another Federal grant program. Matching funds are subject to the same Federal requirements as awarded funds.
Project Requirements:
The purpose of the PIDP is to improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal connections to ports. The Department will evaluate projects that meet the purpose of the PIDP based on their alignment with the following merit criteria: achieving safety, efficiency, or reliability improvements; supporting economic vitality at the regional or national level; addressing climate change and environmental justice; advancing racial equity and reducing barriers to opportunity; and leveraging Federal funding. Projects will also be evaluated for project readiness, domestic preference compliance, and impact on port resilience.
Eligible Applicants:
To be selected for a FY 2022 PIDP discretionary grant, an applicant must be an eligible applicant and the project must be an eligible project. An eligible applicant for a FY 2022 PIDP discretionary grant is a port authority, a commission or its subdivision or agent under existing authority, a State or political subdivision of a State or local government, an Indian Tribe, a public agency or publicly chartered authority established by one or more States, a special purpose district with a transportation function, a multistate or multijurisdictional group of entities, or a lead entity described above jointly with a private entity or group of private entities (including the owners or operators of a facility, or collection of facilities, at a port). Federal agencies are not eligible applicants for the FY 2022 PIDP.
If submitting a joint application, applicants must identify in the application a lead applicant as the primary point of contact and identify the primary recipient of the award. The applicant that will be responsible for financial administration of the project must be an eligible lead entity described above (i.e., not a private entity). Joint applications must include, as an attachment, a memorandum of understanding signed by all the entities that includes a description of the roles and responsibilities of each entity. Applicants must demonstrate that they have the authority to carry out the project and must submit information related to an assertion with citation of authority with their application. In the case of joint applications, at least one of the eligible applicants must demonstrate this authority.