General Questions about USMHP Funding  

When is the application deadline? 

The application deadline for FY 2025 USMHP funding is July 15, 2025 at 11:59:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

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 the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1-800-518-4726. 

How much funding is available in FY 2025? 

Up to $14,042,621 is available in funding for the FY 2025 USMHP.   

Who can receive USMHP grants? 

• A State, political subdivision of a State or a local government 

• A United States metropolitan planning organization 

• A United States port authority 

• Tribal governments  

• A United States private sector operator of Marine Highway projects or private sector owners of facilities, including an Alaska Native Corporation 

• Private applicants require an endorsement letter from the current Marine Highway Route Sponsor. 

What types of projects are eligible for USMHP grants? 

Through the development and promotion of Marine Highway transportation, the program aims to relieve landside congestion and generate other public benefits by increasing the efficiency of the surface transportation system.  

This includes projects for: 

• Port and terminal infrastructure 

• Cargo and/or vessel handling equipment 

• Vessel construction, new or used vessel purchase, lease, or modification; or 

• Developmental phase or Marine Highway Transportation Planning Activities, as defined in the FY 2025 USMHP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).  Projects for development phase or Marine Highway Transportation Planning Activities that do not include any construction activities will be less competitive than those Projects that will result in construction. 

Does the project need to be on a designated U.S. Marine Highway Route to qualify for USMHP?  

Only projects that serve U.S. Marine Highway Routes designated by the Secretary of Transportation are eligible to apply for USMHP grant funds.    

What are some common application mistakes? 

A few helpful hints: 

• Proofread 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. 

• Submit your application before the July 15, 2025, 11:59:59 pm Eastern Daylight Time application deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered, unless an applicant is able to provide verification that a technological issue error prevented their application from being correctly submitted. 

• Please submit one application in Grants.gov. If multiple applications are submitted, MARAD will accept the last application received. 

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

Questions about the FY 2025 USMHP Funding Opportunity 

Would a rail crossing improvement be eligible under the USMHP? What about rigging materials?

It depends! These are not prohibited Project activities, but you would need to demonstrate in your application how the Project satisfies the eligibility criteria set forth on pp. 8-9 of the FY 2025 NOFO. Eligible Project activities include Projects or components of Projects that 1) provide a coordinated and capable alternative to landside transportation; mitigate or relieve landside congestion; promote Marine Highway Transportation; or use vessels documented under 46 U.S.C. chapter 121; and 2) develop, expand, or promote Marine Highway Transportation or shipper use of Marine Highway Transportation. Please refer to the FY 2025 NOFO for additional details.

What should be included in the quantitative analysis of financial viability?
 
The information provided as the quantitative analysis of financial viability under USMHP criterion 4, “Leveraging Federal Funding and Financial Viability,” is unique to the specifics of each Project. The NOFO specifies that the analysis should quantify the benefits of the Project in terms of meaningful metrics, such as vehicle miles saved, dollars saved, percentages, or other metrics provided by the applicant as part of the Expanding Benefits of Marine Highway Transportation merit criteria. The methodology of the analysis should be explained with assumptions used, identified, and justified. MARAD has a statutory obligation to ensure that all grant funds will be spent efficiently and effectively, and quantifying the Project benefits will assist MARAD in making this determination.

Under Criterion 4, “Leveraging Federal Funding,” is it true that the higher the applicant’s match, the higher the rating? What if the applicant is a Tribal Government or if the Project is located in a rural area and qualifies for a Federal share above 80%? 

Applicants will receive a rating for this criterion that corresponds to the amount of their non-Federal match. The higher the non-Federal match, the higher the rating under this criterion. Tribal governments or Projects in rural areas that request a Federal share above 80% will not be penalized for doing so. As outlined on p. 27 of the FY 2025 NOFO, they will be placed in the same rating category as applicants that provide the statutory minimum non-Federal match amount. In other words, if an applicant matches the statutory 20 percent in non-Federal funding or if the applicant matches less than 20% but qualifies for and requests a Federal share above 80%, a Low rating would be applied.  

Is an Alaska Native Corporation a Tribal Government?
 
A Tribal government is a recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, component band, or component reservation, individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published most recently, as of the date of enactment of the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, pursuant to Section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131). See: Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs A Notice by the Indian Affairs Bureau on 01/08/2024

What if my project has different components or phases? Should I submit more than one USMHP application this year? 

Each eligible applicant may submit no more than one application and that application must describe only one Project. However, the Project may contain more than one component and may describe components that may be carried out by parties other than the applicant. All Project components that are presented together in a single application must demonstrate a relationship among them related to the overall benefits and objectives of the Project and the components should be noted in your application as to their order of priority. If an applicant submits multiple applications, only the last application received by MARAD will be considered.

In the case of a statewide port authority or department that controls multiple ports within a state, could the same applicant submit more than one application for different projects at the ports they control? 

No, but if the individual ports within that state’s jurisdiction would independently qualify as an eligible applicant (e.g., are considered a local government, political subdivision, its own port authority, etc.) and would be applying in their own name, multiple ports under the state’s jurisdiction could apply. In other words, if each individual port is considered a legally distinct entity and they are applying in their own name and otherwise qualify as an eligible applicant, the one application per applicant limit would apply to each such individual entity.

Is one vendor estimate or quote sufficient? 

The narrative to support the Technical Capacity selection consideration should include information about how and when cost data in the budget was compiled, including information on how it was sourced (such as a cost database, market survey, or fixed-price bid). The FY 2025 NOFO does not require a specific type or number of sources to support the cost data. It’s up to the applicant to provide enough information for MARAD to evaluate risk as set forth in pp. 27-29 of the FY 2025 NOFO. 

What if I need additional funding after I receive my Project award? What if my Project costs less than the information provided in the application? 

If your application results in an award, the cost information that you provided will be the basis for the award. If the actual costs of the Project are greater than the cost estimate in the application, the recipient is responsible for addressing the funding shortfall by providing additional funds. If the actual costs of the Project are less than the estimate, MARAD will generally reduce the Federal contribution to ensure the recipient maintains the level of non-Federal funding stated in the application.  

Can  I submit the same project under the USMHP and another MARAD program, like the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP)?

Yes, the same project may be submitted. Please be sure to note this in each application. 

General Questions about U.S. Marine Highways 

What are U.S. Marine Highways? 

U.S. Marine Highways are navigable waterways that have been designated by the Secretary of Transportation and have demonstrated the ability to provide additional capacity to relieve congested landside routes serving freight and passenger movement. Each U.S. Marine Highway has a corridor designation that reflects the congested landside route it parallels. For example, M-95 stretches from Maine to Florida and is the designation for the shipping lane along the Atlantic Coast paralleling interstate highway I-95. 

What is the difference between U.S. Marine Highways and short-sea shipping? 

Short-sea shipping commonly refers to coast-wise waterborne transportation of freight and/or passengers by navigable waterways without crossing an ocean. U.S. Marine Highways are short-sea routes and inland water routes within the U.S. that have been designated by the Secretary of Transportation. The USMHP, administered by the Maritime Administration, was formed to help develop new and expand existing U.S.-flag services that transport passengers and/or containerized or trailerized freight along U.S. Marine Highways. 

What’s the difference between a corridor, connector, and crossing? 

The U.S. Marine Highway Program Final Rule changed the name of corridors, connectors, and crossings to U.S. Marine Highway Routes. Routes can be designated where water transportation presents an opportunity to offer relief to landside corridors that suffer from traffic congestion, excessive air emissions or other environmental concerns and other challenges.  

How do I apply for designation as a U.S. Marine Highway Route? 

Public entities are eligible to apply for the designation of navigable waters. Contents of the application include a narrative portion that should not exceed 20 pages in length. Applications may be submitted electronically via mh@dot.gov. Instructions regarding applications are included in the Final Rule for America’s Marine Highway program published Dec 1, 2017.  Please contact a MARAD Gateway Office in your region to learn more.  

Questions about USMHP Route Sponsors 

A United States private sector operator of a U.S. Marine Highway project, or a private sector owner of a facilities, including an Alaska Native Corporation, is interested in applying for a grant and that service runs across multiple U.S. Marine Highway Routes. Would the applicant have to get an endorsement from each of the Route Sponsors or would it be just one endorsement from the location of the project? 

Only one endorsement letter is required for the private sector entity applying for a grant if the service runs across multiple Marine Highway Routes or if the U.S. Marine Highway Route has multiple co-Sponsors. The applicant can choose an applicable Route and a Route Co-Sponsor in their discretion following operational framework of the project and considering location of the project origin / destination port(s).  

What should be included in a Route Sponsor endorsement letter? 

MARAD has an example Route Sponsor endorsement letter available here.

Are Route Sponsors / Co-Sponsors allowed to provide letter of support for more than one project per funding round? 

There is no limitation regarding number of projects serving the same U.S. Marine Highway Route, which can be endorsed by the same Route Sponsor / Co-Sponsor.