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.

Is there a projection for when the full FY26 PIDP NOFO will be available? Will this affect the application due date?

MARAD expects to publish the full NOFO for the FY26 round of PIDP grants on Grants.gov in late February or early March.  The application deadline will be extended by the number of days between the original NOFO posting (Dec. 23) and the date the full, amended FY26 NOFO is posted (TBD).  In the meantime, potential FY26 PIDP applicants can begin to draft their applications based on the FY25 NOFO that is still available on Grants.gov.   Most statutory and eligibility criteria remain largely the same as FY 2025, although changes have been based on the recently enacted FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, in addition to changes made to rating rubrics and additional considerations based on Administration priorities.

If it appears that the revised NOFO will not be published before the original February 28, 2026, deadline, MARAD will administratively extend the original deadline in Grants.gov before the original deadline expires.

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. Applicants should carefully review the revised NOFO, however, to ensure their applications contain all updated and necessary information. 

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 2026. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, appropriated an additional $38,628,000 in funding.

Regarding cost sharing for small projects at small ports or projects in rural areas, the NOFO mentions that the Secretary may increase the Federal share of cost above 80%, what does this process look like and what would the cost share be for projects fallings into these categories? 

Small projects and or projects in rural areas may request zero local funding (100% Federal funding). The SF-424 application form would show zero non-federal dollars, as would the project budget. The budget section of the narrative should also clearly indicate that the applicant is requesting a waiver to the 20% non-Federal cost share. Applicants should also mention the waiver request on their Project Information Form that is typically included in the application narrative. 

Is there an opportunity for advancement of funds? Does this need to be discussed in the application, will it have any impact on the scoring of the application? Or would this be part of future post-award paperwork completion? 

Generally, the PIDP is structured as a reimbursable grant program. Recipients pay the bills and then invoice MARAD for eligible expenses as cited in the signed grant award. Under special circumstances, MARAD may consider advancing funds to applicants if all requirements in 2 CFR 200.305 are met. That approval will be on a case-by-case basis and would occur after an applicant is selected for award. Applicants should, therefore, assume their grant will be administered on a reimbursement basis when submitting their applications.  

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

MARAD: Reimbursement Requests for Allowable Costs 

MARAD: Requirements for Real Property and Equipment Purchased with Federal Funds

Grants.gov Online User Guide

MARAD: Reporting Requirements for Competitive Grant Programs

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 FY26 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 2026 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; or

             (j) 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.

 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?

The applicant should review the Department of Transportation’s Order 5610.1D, Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts, to include Subpart C which contains additional procedures for MARAD, prior to submission.

What can an applicant do to be ready to submit an application for the FY26 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 2026 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.