FY2025 Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Program (CMVOST)

The Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program is administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation. This program aims to support the training of individuals in the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), thereby helping to reduce accidents and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The 2025 funding cycle prioritizes applications that serve current or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families, facilitating their path toward obtaining Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). The grant provides approximately $3.4 million in funding authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58. Applicants must be educational institutions or training providers that are either accredited by a Department of Education-recognized agency or approved by the Department of Labor (DOL) and listed on FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. Institutions must also comply with Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city governments, independent school districts, higher education institutions, tribal governments, certain nonprofits, small businesses, and designated minority-serving institutions. Funding is awarded competitively and is intended solely for tuition and eligible indirect costs as published in an institution's tuition rate. The maximum individual award is $200,000, and about 25 grants are expected to be distributed. Matching funds are not required. Applications must include a comprehensive project plan, budget narrative, and supporting forms and certifications. Key components include recruitment strategies for qualified students, detailed curriculum plans, job placement assistance, and a monitoring and evaluation framework to track outcomes such as CDL acquisition and job placement rates. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by June 20, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET. Supporting documents must be in text-searchable formats like Word or PDF and comply with specified formatting rules. Required elements include SF-424 forms, budget and assurance forms, lobbying disclosures, accreditation proofs, and an indirect cost rate agreement if claiming such costs. A web-based information session will be held, and updates will be posted on Grants.gov. Applications that do not meet completeness or eligibility criteria will not proceed to the merit review stage. Evaluation of proposals includes technical merit, cost-effectiveness, alignment with program goals, and past performance if applicable. Selected recipients will be notified via GrantSolutions and must accept their awards before the end of FY 2025. Post-award requirements include adherence to federal cost principles and submission of quarterly financial and performance reports. FMCSA may also evaluate projects for effectiveness and require data collection to support national program assessments. Primary contacts for financial and programmatic inquiries are James Ross (james.ross@dot.gov, 202-960-5176) and Christopher Cambridge (CDLgrants@dot.gov, 202-366-6511). Additional guidance and required documents are provided within the NOFO and available through the Grants.gov application portal.