What is the PIDP Grant Program?

The Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) is a discretionary grant program administered by the Maritime Administration. Funds for the PIDP are awarded on a competitive basis to projects that improve the safety, efficiency, or reliability of the movement of goods into, out of, around, or within a port.

What is the status of the FY25 PIDP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)?

The current FY25 PIDP NOFO was posted to Grants.gov on December 23, 2024. If the NOFO is amended, we will post notice of that on this webpage.

Is the deadline for applications in the NOFO changing?

If the NOFO is amended, the application deadline will be extended. Check Grants.gov or the PIDP website for updates (as they become available).

If the NOFO is changed, would referencing elements in the original NOFO that have been changed or removed in an amended version effect my application’s eligibility or competitiveness?

No. An amended version of the NOFO would not change eligibility requirements or application competitiveness under the PIDP statutorily required merit criteria.

How much funding is available this year?

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided $2.25 billion for the PIDP program over five years (2022-2026), $450,000,000 of which is available in fiscal year 2025. If funds become available under a future FY25 Appropriations Act this FAQ will be updated to reflect any additional amount available to FY25 PIDP.

Where can I submit the application?

Final applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.

What if I am having technical issues with grants.gov?

Please refer to the following links for technical issues with grants.gov:

Grants.gov Applicant Training

Grants.gov Online User Guide

You can also contact Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1-800-518-4726

Who can receive PIDP Grants?

–      A State or political subdivision of a State or local government;

–      an Indian Tribe or consortium of Indian Tribes.

–      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 2025 PIDP.

How can I tell if I am a rural applicant?

A project is designated as urban if it is located within or exactly on the boundary of a 2020 Census-designated Urban Area (UA) and that UA had a population greater than 50,000.

A project will be designated as rural if it is located:

• In an UA that had a population less than 50,000 in the 2020 Census, or 
• Outside of any UA

For projects that include expenditures in both urban and rural areas, the Department will designate the project as urban or rural based on where the majority of project funds will be spent.

PIDP FY25 applicants can utilize the searchable PIDP-specific map located on the DOT’s Rural Eligibility map webpage (Rural Eligibility | US Department of Transportation) to determine whether they are an urban or rural applicant.

 Are projects improving Federally owned facilities eligible?

No, improvements to Federally owned facilities are not eligible for PIDP grant funds. Examples of Federally owned facilities include infrastructure owned by the National Park Service or General Services Administration.  However, projects on facilities that are owned by an eligible applicant but located on Federally owned land for which the title or maintenance responsibility is vested in the Federal Government, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs-owned roads, are eligible.

 What types of projects are eligible for PIDP Grants?

Eligible projects for FY 2025 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:

(I) the loading and unloading of goods at the port, such as for marine terminal equipment;

(II) 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;

(III) operational improvements, including projects to improve port resilience; or

(IV) environmental and emissions mitigation measures; including projects for—

(a) port electrification or electrification master planning;

(b) harbor craft or equipment replacements or retrofits;

(c) development of port or terminal microgrids;

(d) provision of idling reduction infrastructure;

(e) purchase of cargo handling equipment and related infrastructure;

(f) worker training to support electrification technology;

(g) installation of port bunkering facilities from ocean-going vessels for fuels;

(h) 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

(i) other related port activities, including charging infrastructure, electric rubber-tired gantry cranes, and anti-idling technologies.

(V) port and port-related infrastructure that supports seafood and seafood-related businesses, including the loading and unloading of commercially harvested fish and fish products, seafood processing, cold storage, and other related infrastructure.

 

Eligible projects also include projects to provide shore power at a port that services:

–  Passenger vessels described in section 3507(k) of title 46, United States Code; and

–  Vessels that move goods or freight.

 What does the Department mean by the term “leverage”?

The term leverage, as used in the PIDP NOFO, refers to the degree to which a project uses non-federal sources of funding to pay for grant project costs. This can include State, local and private sector funding.

 Where can I find information on how to develop my application’s benefit-cost analysis?

All applicants should carefully review the DOT’s Benefit-Cost Analysis Guidance, which provides general information and guidance on conducting a benefit-cost analysis for grant applications.

That guidance is available here: https://www.transportation.gov/mission/office-secretary/office-policy/transportation-policy/benefit-cost-analysis-guidance

 Where can I learn more about the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its relationship to PIDP awards?

For more information about MARAD’s NEPA process, please see MAO 600.1, which details the procedures MARAD uses for NEPA compliance.

 What can an applicant do to be ready to submit an application for the FY25 PIDP funding opportunity?

An applicant should pay particular attention to its Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM) status.

An applicant must: (1) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (2) provide a valid UEI in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

MARAD may not make a FY 2025 PIDP grant award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable UEI and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time MARAD is ready to make a PIDP grant award, MARAD may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a PIDP grant award and use that determination as a basis for making a PIDP grant award to another applicant.

What are some common application mistakes to avoid?

A few helpful hints:

·       Proof-read your application before it is submitted. Double check your work in Grants.Gov. Ensure that you include all the files you need to submit, especially any files or attachments referenced in your application narrative, with your final application.

·       Pay close attention to the content and format of your BCA. Among other things, ensure the BCA is clear and reproducible and free of technical errors or miscalculations. Remember to include any spreadsheet files (in their original format, such as Excel) and provide any technical memos describing the analysis (including, as appropriate, the source of values used that are different from the values suggested in the USDOT BCA guidance document.

·       Ensure that you properly document how the parties to a project have the authority to carry out the project and that each party is clearly aware of their respective roles.