FYs 2024 through 2026 - Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Competitive Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity
DOT Federal Highway Administration · Department of Transportation
At a glance
FYs 2024 through 2026 - Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Competitive Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity is an open federal grant opportunity from DOT Federal Highway Administration (Department of Transportation). Applications are due October 9, 2026. Individual awards are listed as $1 – $60M, with about 80 awards expected and $787M in total estimated funding. Applicant types listed as eligible include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments and federally recognized tribal governments. Cost sharing or matching is required. It is funded under Assistance Listing 20.284 (Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT)).
Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.
Key facts
- Posted
- Aug 27, 2026
- Close date
- Oct 9, 2026
- Archive date
- Nov 8, 2026
- Award floor
- $1
- Award ceiling
- $60,000,000
- Est. total funding
- $787,000,000
- Expected awards
- 80
- Cost sharing
- Required
- Funding instrument
- Grant
- Opportunity category
- Discretionary
Who can apply
- State governments
- County governments
- City or township governments
- Special district governments
- Federally recognized tribal governments
Additional information on eligibility (from the notice)
Eligible applicants for the PROTECT Competitive Grant Program funding are States, metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribes, public transportation agencies, port authorities, and Federal Land Managing Agencies (FLMA) when applying jointly with a State or group of States. Specific to At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants, eligibility also includes U.S. territories, plus the same entities eligible for the broader program, but limited to coastal States and other specified entities within such States (see 23 U.S.C. § 176(d)(4)(C)(i)). Please refer to Section B.1 of the NOFO for more details. Eligibility varies by project type between "Planning, Resilience Improvement, and Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants" and "At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants." NOTE: The information under “Award” on this page requires the specification of a minimum and a maximum dollar value for anticipated awards due to Grants.gov system requirements. However, as stated in Section C.4 of the NOFO: "There is no minimum or maximum award amount for PROTECT Competitive Grant awards. While the Department reserves the right to make smaller or larger awards, based on the FY22-23 NOFO, the anticipated award range for Resilience Improvement, Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants, and At-Risk Costal Infrastructure Grants, the anticipated award range is $500,000 to $60,000,000. For Planning Grants, the anticipated award range is $100,000 to $10,000,000."
Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.
What it funds
Official synopsis as published by the agency, formatted for readability.
The intent of the PROTECT Competitive Grant Program is to fund projects to improve the resilience of the surface transportation system, including highways, public transportation, ports, and intercity passenger rail. Program goals include protecting: surface transportation assets by making them more resilient; communities through resilience improvements and strategies that allow for the continued operation or rapid recovery of surface transportation systems; coastal infrastructure; and natural infrastructure that protects and enhances surface transportation assets.
This NOFO provides PROTECT Competitive Grant Program funding of up to $787 million from FYs 2024 through 2026, plus any remaining PROTECT Competitive Grant Program funding from prior years. Please refer to Grants.gov for the full NOFO.
Assistance Listing
What is an ALN?Reported obligations under ALN 20.284
Historical data · not a predictionAgency contact (as published)
DOT Federal Highway Administration
support@grants.gov
202-366-4004
Quick answers
When is the deadline for this opportunity?
According to the official notice, applications are due October 9, 2026. The notice adds: “FYs 2024 through 2026 PROTECT Competitive Grant Program applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST on October 09, 2026. Grants.gov attaches a time stamp to each application at the time submission is complete.” Confirm the deadline and submission time on Grants.gov before applying.
Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments and Federally recognized tribal governments. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full notice.
How much funding is available through this opportunity?
Per the notice, individual awards are listed as $1 – $60m, total estimated program funding is $787,000,000 and the agency expects to make about 80 awards.
How do I apply for this opportunity?
Applications are submitted through the official source, not through GrantsJunction. Open the official notice on Grants.gov (opportunity FHWA-PROT-26-001), and review the full announcement and application package. Organizations applying through Grants.gov generally need an active SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account, which can take several weeks to set up.
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