Grant Summary: FHWA PROTECT Competitive Grant Program

U.S. Department of Transportation Discretionary Grant Opportunity

Application Deadline: October 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET

Program Overview

The Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Competitive Grant Program provides funding to improve the resilience of surface transportation systems against current and future weather events, natural disasters, and changing environmental conditions. Eligible hazards include severe storms, flooding, drought, levee and dam failures, wildfires, landslides, sea level rise, extreme temperatures, and earthquakes. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This article summarizes the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published on Grants.gov on August 27, 2026.

The program supports planning activities and capital improvement projects that strengthen the long-term reliability of highways, transit systems, ports and passenger rail infrastructure.

Funding Categories

Key Changes for FY 2024 - 2026

The FY24 – FY26 NOFO released August 27, 2026, includes several significant changes:

• One consolidated application period for FY2024, FY2025 and FY2026 funding
• New required FHWA Application Template
• Updated evaluation criteria
• Simplified review process
• Removed references to rescinded Executive Orders
• Aligned with current federal policy directives

Applicants who submitted under the October 2024 PROTECT NOFO must submit a completely new application under this new NOFO to be considered.

Eligible Applicants

• States
• Political subdivisions of states
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)
• Cities and counties
• Public authorities and special-purpose districts    
• Port authorities
• Federally recognized Tribes    
• Federal land management agencies
• Multi-jurisdictional partnerships

Eligible Facilities

Project must support one or more of the following:

• Highways and bridges
• Public transportation facilities
• Intercity passenger rail facilities
• Port facilities and connected infrastructure

Planning Grants receive 100% federal funding and require no local match.

Eligible Resilience Improvement Projects

• Bridge replacements/rehabilitation
• Roadway reconstruction/realignment
• Flood mitigation improvements
• Stormwater control systems
• Elevation of vulnerable transportation assets
• Slope stabilization
• Riprap installation
• Culvert replacement/upsizing
• Scour countermeasures
• Seismic retrofits
• Nature-based infrastructure solutions
• Transportation assets identified in an approved RIP

Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Projects

• Improvements to designated evacuation routes
• Construction of redundant evacuation routes
• Emergency access improvements
• Shoulder widening
• Counterflow infrastructure
• ITS and communications systems
• Traffic incident management equipment
• Access improvements to hospitals, ports, utilities and critical facilities

At-Risk Coastal Infrastructure Grants

• Bridge hardening
• Road hardening
• Elevation
• Relocation
• Culverts
• Tide gates
• Flood protection
• Erosion control
• Storm surge protection
• Coastal resilience
• Asset protection
• Climate adaptation
• Safety improvements
• Cost avoidance

Cost Share Requirements

Match Reduction Opportunity

Projects included in an approved Resilience Improvement Plan (RIP) may reduce local match requirements:

• 7% reduction when project is included in a compliant RIP.
• Additional 3% reduction when the RIP is incorporated.

Projects meeting both criteria could therefore receive up to a 90% federal share.

Merit Criteria

Planning Grants

FHWA evaluates applications based on:

1. Program Alignment: Demonstrates how the planning effort identifies transportation vulnerabilities and develops resilience strategies.
2. Planning Activity Approach: Quality of methodology, data, and planning process.
3. Innovation: Use of innovation planning tools, technologies, or nature-based approaches.

Resilience Grants

FHWA evaluates applications based on:

1. Vulnerability and Risk: Current and future hazards, exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity and risk of asset failure.
2. Critically to American Families and Communities: Access to hospitals, schools, businesses, freight corridors and emergency operations.
3. Design Elements and Addressing Core Infrastructure: Service life considerations, risk reduction design features, infrastructure condition improvements, long-term maintenance strategy and accessibility considerations.
4. Innovation: Nature-based solutions, emerging technologies and innovative project delivery.

New Project Readiness Evaluation

Applications receiving a Medium or higher Merit Rating will undergo a Project Readiness Assessment consisting of:

• Technical Assessment: Applicant capacity, technical feasibility, compliance with federal requirements, and schedule realism.
• Financial Completeness Assessment: Cost estimates, funding commitments, cost overrun strategy, and long-term maintenance funding.
• Permitting Risk Assessment: NEPA status, permit status, public engagement, and litigation and controversy risks.

Economic Analysis Requirements

FHWA will prioritize projects demonstrating benefits exceeding costs and strong resilience outcomes. Projects included in the qualifying Resilience Improvement Plan receive significant competitive advantages.

Statutory Funding Priorities

• Rural Set-Aside: At least 25% of annual funding will support rural projects located outside urbanized areas greater than 200,000 population.
• Tribal Set-Aside: At least 2% of annual funding will be awarded to federally recognized Tribes.

USDOT Priority Considerations

• Improve critical transportation infrastructure
• Support industries of national importance
• Improve bridge/corridor reliability
• Address assets with high failure consequences
• Demonstrate strong economic benefits
• Reduce congestion
• Support military/national security access
• Exhibit strong project readiness
• Ability to obligate funds quickly

Key Applicant Takeaways

The 2026 PROTECT NOFO places substantially greater emphasis on:

• Infrastructure criticality
• Project readiness
• Benefit-cost demonstration
• Bridge/freight corridor reliability
• Projects included in RIPs
• Construction-ready projects with low permitting risk

Our funding, economics and resiliency professionals stand by ready to support and advise project sponsors applying for funding from the PROTECT Competitive Grant Program.