Rural and Tribal Assistance (RTA) Pilot Program

The Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program is administered by the Build America Bureau within the U.S. Department of Transportation. It was created under Public Law 117-58 to assist rural and tribal communities in advancing transportation infrastructure projects. The program specifically provides funding for planning and design phase activities of transportation initiatives that may later be eligible for U.S. Department of Transportation grants and credit programs. Although recipients are not required to pursue additional DOT funding in the future, the program is designed to help them position projects for broader investment opportunities. The program intends to strengthen rural and tribal communities by supporting early-stage project development. Eligible projects are limited to planning and design activities, including hiring staff or contracting expert firms to assist with technical development. The funding cannot be used for construction or unrelated expenses. Instead, it is meant to prepare projects for future phases by ensuring they meet eligibility and readiness standards outlined by the Department of Transportation. The application review process is outlined in Section VI of the opportunity notice, while submission requirements and timelines are described in Section V. Eligibility is restricted to several categories of applicants. Local governments and political subdivisions located outside urbanized areas with populations over 150,000 are eligible, as defined by the Bureau of the Census. These include counties, boroughs, municipalities, townships, parishes, special districts, public housing agencies, school districts, and councils of governments. States, territories, and possessions may also apply if they are advancing projects outside of urbanized areas with more than 150,000 residents. Additionally, federally recognized Indian Tribes and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands are explicitly eligible. The program has a forecasted application opening date of September 8, 2025, at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. Applications will be accepted through October 8, 2025. Awards are expected to be announced on November 28, 2025, with project start dates set for December 29, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, making timely submission critical. There is no pre-application requirement such as a Letter of Intent, and the program does not require matching funds. The opportunity is forecasted for fiscal year 2025. A total of $54,200,000 is expected to be available under this program. Awards will range from a minimum of $250,000 to a maximum of $2,500,000, with approximately 100 grants anticipated. The program does not impose a cost-sharing requirement, allowing eligible entities to access federal resources without providing a local funding match. This makes the opportunity particularly valuable for smaller jurisdictions and Tribal governments with limited financial capacity. The Department of Transportation has designated the 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy as the managing office. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the detailed eligibility and program requirements prior to preparing an application. For further information, inquiries may be directed to the Rural and Tribal USDOT office by phone at 202-366-2300 or by email at the address provided for Rural and Tribal TA. The official posting is available through Grants.gov under opportunity number DOT-OST-2025-103.