Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program (CFI Program) Funding Summary for Local Governments
NOTE: This information is provided for ease of access only. Please check with the granting authority before proceeding with any application, as guidance and specific requirements may change.
Overview
The United States Department of Transportation has posted a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for its CFI program. The program’s goal is to strategically employ publicly accessible electric vehicle (EV) charging and alternative fueling infrastructure, focusing on urban and rural areas in designated Alternative Fueling Corridors (AFCs) throughout the country. This program provides two funding categories of grants:
- Community Charging and Fueling Grants (Community Program); and
- Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (Corridor Program)
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $2.5 billion over five years for this program. This NOFO offers up to $700 million from Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 to strategically deploy electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and other alternative fueling infrastructure projects in urban and rural communities in publicly accessible locations, including downtown areas and local neighborhoods, particularly in underserved and disadvantaged communities.
SPC especially encourages eligible entities within the SPC region to submit applications to the Community Charging and Fueling Grants program. We urge you to contact SPC prior to beginning work on an application.
Municipalities, counties, and publicly-owned transit operators are among a large list of eligible applicants.
Applications are due by 11:59PM Eastern Time on August 28, 2024.
Interested applicants are urged to contact Dj Ryan, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Policy, at djryan@spcregion.org for further information and potential application support.
FAQs
Who are eligible applicants?
Eligible Applicants are:
- State or political subdivisions of a State
- metropolitan planning organizations
- units of local government
- special purpose districts or public authorities with transportation functions, including port authorities;
- Indian tribes
- territories of the United States;
- authorities, agencies, or instrumentalities of, or entities owned by 1 or more entities described above; or a group of entities described above.
For the Community Program only, a State or local authority with ownership of publicly accessible transportation facilities is also eligible.
What are the minimum awards?
The Community Program has a minimum award of $500,000 and a maximum award of $15,000,000. In total, $350,000,000 is available for each of the two programs for FY24 and FY25.
Can I apply for the community and corridor grants at the same time?
Yes. This is optional for the community program. Contracts in cooperation with private entities are required to include a condition that the private entity shall be responsible for the share of the project cost carried out with CFI program funds that is not paid for by the federal government.
When do applications open?
Applications are open now.
When are applications due?
Applications are due on Grants.gov by 11:59pm Eastern Time on August 28, 2024.
What kind of projects are eligible?
Projects that meet any of the conditions below have been deemed as eligible. This list is not necessarily exhaustive.
- Any project expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to expand or fill gaps in access to infrastructure. (Infrastructure must be publicly accessible charging and fueling infrastructure).
- Projects located on any public road or in other publicly accessible locations, such as parking facilities at public buildings, public schools, and public parks, or in publicly accessible parking facilities owned or managed by a private entity.
- Projects for acquisition and installation of infrastructure.
- Any related construction or reconstruction and the acquisition of real property directly related to the project.
- Development phase activities, including planning, feasibility analysis, revenue forecasting, environmental review, preliminary engineering and design work, and other preconstruction activities.
- Educational and community engagement activities to develop and implement education programs through partnerships with schools, community organizations, and vehicle dealerships to support the use of zero-emission vehicles and associated infrastructure (may not exceed more than 5 percent of the grant amount awarded).
Are there minimum standards required for these projects?
Yes. Recipients of an award under this program related to EV infrastructure are required to comply with applicable sections of the EV Charging Minimum Standards. These standards specify technical aspects of chargers including connector types, power levels, minimum number of charging ports per station, minimum uptime (reliability standards), payment methods, and more; data submittal requirements; workforce requirements for installation, operation, or maintenance by qualified technicians; interoperability of EV charging infrastructure; traffic control devices and signage; network connectivity; and publicly available information. Learn more at federalregister.gov!
Where can I get further information?
Potential applicants are urged to visit the FHWA’s CFI site and the NOFO on grants.gov for full and up to date information. Potential applicants are also encouraged to contact Dj Ryan, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Policy at djryan@spcregion.org before beginning an application.