This article is the second in our Introduction to Grants series.
Obtaining and managing a federal transportation infrastructure grant award is a yearslong process that requires adequate preparation and expertise—as well as significant patience.
In the previous article from our Introduction to Grants series, we covered the basics of Federal Discretionary Grants, including key terms and how to determine if your organization is ready to pursue funding.
Our team of grants experts continues the series by breaking down the typical Federal Grant Lifecycle Stages for transportation infrastructure projects into two phases: Pre-Award and Post-Award. Readying your organization with the appropriate Pre-Award support is what better positions your funding pursuit to reach the Post-Award phase. Here, we outline the Pre-Award phase and cover:
- Stages and typical time frames of the Pre-Award phase
- Required tools and resources for a grant pursuit
- How early to bring in a grant support team
What is the Grant Lifecycle?
At Bluejay, we view the lifecycle for Federal grant pursuits as the activities that span from early project planning through grant closeout. The stages follow a typical procession, but the timeline varies depending on the Federal agency offering the grant, funding program, project type and complexity, applicant experience, and more. The lifecycle includes project planning and kickoff, application package preparation, funding request submission and evaluation, and award announcements. Successful funding pursuits are followed by grant agreement negotiations, start of spending, activity and funding reporting, and closeout.
As discussed here, the Pre-Award phase includes all activities through application submission. The Post-Award phase is discussed in Part 2.
Why is understanding the Grant Lifecycle important?
Regardless of funding agency, the grant lifecycle for a transportation infrastructure project follows a general trajectory since all Federally funded projects must adhere to the same Federal procurement laws and regulations and are administered through the same platform.
Understanding the full lifecycle of a Federal transportation infrastructure grant is critical for an applicant’s long-term planning, resourcing, and success. Before pursuing Federal grant funding, an applicant should determine if the typical grant timeline aligns with their organization’s goals and commitments.
It is important to recognize that a Federal grant pursuit will move at the funding agency’s pace—not the applicant’s. Projects on a critical timeline are often not the best candidates for Federal discretionary grant funding for this reason.
Our Grants team outlines each stage of the Pre-Award phase of a typical Federal Grant Lifecycle, including time frames based on previous experience.
Pre-Award Phase
During the Pre-Award phase, applicants prepare their funding request application in accordance with published guidance. Although a funding agency officially outlines a grant program’s specific criteria only when a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is released, applicants can get a head start on gathering documentation, registering on the proper platforms, and preparing the team who will contribute most to the application. Our team identifies four main stages of the Pre-Award Phase:
- Project Planning and System Registration
- Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Posted
- Application Window
- Application Submission and Evaluation
Stage 1: Project Planning and System Registration
Typical Time Frame: 1–6 months
Once your organization has determined that an infrastructure project is ready for a Federal Discretionary Grant pursuit, it is time to direct focus on preparing for the grant application. Preparation includes gathering the appropriate team of employees and partners who can contribute to project plan development.
From the applicant organization, your team should identify an internal point-of-contact who can answer most questions about the project. Your organization will also need to include an individual who can provide budget information and funding assurances as well as someone who can fill out complex Federal forms that often require tax and legal information. Depending on the size of your organization, these roles may be filled by one person or multiple. Key to success is identifying the needs and roles early to ensure information is not missed during the rush of the application window.
During this stage, your team should also invite engineering and/or design firms that produced design drawing and estimates, environmental teams who can provide the necessary paperwork and cost assumptions for expected environmental review work, and any parties involved in scoping studies or who can speak to the larger impacts of the project.
If your organization is partnering with another entity that will be serving as the applicant or a partner—such a city, local agency, or other group—now is the time to identify a point of contact, foster those relationships, and understand their capacities and limitations.
Additionally, if your organization typically works with a specific lobbyist or firm for political support, this is the time to communicate with them about your plans. If you do not have political support, the team at Bluejay can provide these services.
Another key contact is any external party who will be providing non-Federal funding for the cost share. This contact should be included in the early planning discussions so they understand the requirements and what will be expected of them throughout the grant lifecycle.
When the team is assembled and roles are identified, it is time for the applicant organization to register on the appropriate platforms. For Federal grants, this requires registration on sam.gov to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Most applications are submitted via grants.gov which also requires registration.
UEI registration can take several days up to many weeks to complete the required forms and receive the stamp of approval. This UEI is required for full registration on grants.gov, so starting this process early—or verifying with the applicant organization that it is complete—is critical.
Because the most recent NOFO that details the application expectations is not yet available at this stage, it is best to engage a grant team, like Bluejay Advisors, at this time. The Bluejay team draws on their decade of grant management experience to ready your organization for the short application window and optimize your chances for success. We can help you identify the necessary parties and roles, provide lists of required documents, walk you through registration and enrollment, and manage regular pre-NOFO team meetings.
Summary of Tasks in this Stage
- Develop Project Plans
- Obtain design drawings, estimates
- Register organization on sam.gov and grants.gov
Stage 2: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Posted
Typical Time Frame: 1 week
The shortest stage of the Pre-Award process is when the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)—also known as a Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) or Notice of Funding Availability (NOFAs)—is posted.
While some agencies indicate a NOFO release is coming, the exact date is not known until immediately before or on the day of the release itself. When a NOFO is posted, the application window opens and a flurry of events take place. At Bluejay, we see this stage as a one-week process where we hold the official kickoff meeting during which we communicate any changes to the NOFO, confirm timelines, and re-establish goals.
At this time, it is also advised that the applicant organization begin completing the Standard Forms required for submission. For grants that will be submitted via grants.gov, this will be done in a Workspace on the platform that a member of the applicant organization will make.
Summary of Tasks in this Stage
- Kickoff Meeting
- Review NOFO for requirements
- Create Workspace on grants.gov
- Access and begin completing Standard Forms (in Workspace)
Stage 3: Application Window
Typical Time Frame: 30–90 days
The official application window is the time between the NOFO release and the deadline for submissions. For Federal transportation grant programs, this window is typically 30, 45, 60, or 90 calendar days in length.
Now that the official grant application guidance is available, the bulk of the work truly begins. This is when the Bluejay team can align the 20– 30 page grant narrative with the criteria outlined in the NOFO. This process includes weekly meetings with all necessary parties where the Bluejay team communicates current application status and outlines remaining documentation needs.
The Bluejay team will also prepare Letters of Support and a project information sheet for your organization to disseminate to local supporters and stakeholders for signatures.
Near the end of the application window, Bluejay will share draft versions of the narrative to the necessary parties for review. Depending on the application window length, this review process can have several iterations of back and forth, but it is crucial that all parties that will need eyes on the final package are brought into the process early so last minute changes are limited. As a reminder, because Federal grants use taxpayer funding, the application package is subject to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Information can be labeled as confidential, but the bulk of the application needs to be cleared by internal parties—including legal and marketing teams—if applicable.
Summary of Tasks in this Stage
- Attend weekly meetings
- Provide requested documentation and information for application
- Facilitate relationships with additional parties (engineers, environmental, local)
- Disseminate Letter of Support and project information sheet to local supporters/ stakeholders
Stage 4: Application Submission and Evaluation
Typical Time Frame: 6–9 months
The final stage of the Pre-Award phase is pressing “Submit” and waiting to hear about awards.
For new grant applicants, the submission process can be daunting, but with the team at Bluejay, you will receive clear instructions and live guidance, as needed, on where to upload each document in the required portals.
Once your application is submitted, you can track the status through the evaluation process. It is also during this time that lobbyists or political support teams get to work on your behalf. This includes contacting Congressional representatives, meeting on Capitol Hill, and advocating for your project.
Some programs have statutory deadlines for announcing award recipients, but many programs are less guided. During this time, the funding agency who released the NOFO will review all applications. Often times, this involves several rounds of review until the final awardees are selected.
The members of Congress who represent the district where a winning project is based is usually the first to know about awards, but sometimes, the final press release for selections is how applicants learn about an award.
We detail the Post-Award phase of the grant lifecycle in Part 2.
Summary of Tasks in this Stage
- Upload completed package to grants.gov
- Complete required Standard Forms
- Track application status through evaluation process
Get started with Bluejay Advisors today
Pursuing a Federal grant takes a collaborative team that understands the time constraints and deliverables. Our team of experts at Bluejay Advisors can guide you through the planning and application process, and it is never too early to get a grant team involved in the conversation.
We are ready to learn about your project and answer questions about funding opportunities that may be appropriate for your organization. Our initial discussions do not require a contract, any form of payment, or a long-term commitment. Contact us today to unlock funding for transportation and infrastructure projects.
