2025 Port Infrastructure Development Program

The Fiscal Year 2025 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) discretionary grant opportunity, administered by the Maritime Administration (MARAD) under the U.S. Department of Transportation, is offering an estimated $500 million in funding. The program is designed to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of goods movement through ports and intermodal connections. It was originally authorized under 46 U.S.C. 54301 and funded via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the FY 2025 Appropriations Act. This opportunity reflects Amendment No. 1 of the FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), which updates cybersecurity requirements, rating rubrics, and includes an additional $50 million appropriation. The PIDP supports a wide range of capital and planning projects located within or directly connected to ports, including those related to infrastructure, equipment, environmental mitigation, and seafood-related business operations. Eligible capital projects must improve cargo movement, port operations, or environmental resilience. Planning grants may support activities such as feasibility studies, environmental review, and master planning. The minimum award size is $1 million, except for projects funded solely through IIJA dollars, for which there is no minimum. A portion of funds is set aside for specific priorities: at least $125 million for small projects at small ports and $42 million for coastal or Great Lakes ports. Eligibility is broad but excludes individuals and federal agencies. Eligible applicants include states, political subdivisions, local governments, public agencies or authorities, transportation-focused special purpose districts, Indian Tribes, and joint applicants with private entities. Joint applications must identify an eligible lead applicant. Each eligible applicant may submit only one application. The federal cost share must not exceed 80 percent, except for small or rural projects where this limit may be exceeded. Matching funds must be non-federal unless permitted by statute and clearly documented in the application. Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59:59 p.m. EDT on September 10, 2025. The submission must include Standard Form 424 and a comprehensive project narrative not exceeding 30 pages. The narrative must address project description, location, funding sources and uses, merit criteria, additional considerations (like workforce development and project readiness), and statutory determinations. Applications must also complete a PIDP-specific cover page detailing project characteristics, funding amounts, past federal assistance, and geographic data. All applicants must be registered in SAM.gov and provide a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Projects will be evaluated based on six merit criteria: safety, efficiency, reliability, economic vitality, leveraging federal funding, and port resilience. Additional considerations include workforce development and project readiness. MARAD may seek clarification from applicants but will not accept late applications. Selected projects will be announced by December 31, 2025. Awards are reimbursable and subject to strict federal compliance, including domestic content and cybersecurity requirements, NEPA environmental review, civil rights obligations, and performance reporting. Post-award, grantees must participate in quarterly reporting, evaluations, and possibly audits. Applicants can contact MARAD at PIDPgrants@dot.gov or reach Aubrey Parsons at 202-366-8047 for further assistance. Additional information and clarifications will be available on the PIDP grants website. MARAD encourages applicants to review program documentation carefully and to reach out directly with questions to ensure compliance and eligibility.