Funder: DOT/Federal Transit Administration
Due Dates: July 14, 2025 (11:59 PM ET, electronic submission via Grants.gov)
Funding Amounts: Approx. $1.1 billion total; prior awards ranged from ~$1.2M to ~$99.5M; no minimum, no set maximum per project (but no single recipient may receive more than 10% of available funds)
Summary: Supports the purchase or lease of zero- and low-emission transit buses and related facilities for public transit agencies and eligible authorities.
Key Information: 5% of federal funds for zero-emission projects must be used for workforce development unless certified otherwise; strong cost-sharing and Buy America requirements apply.
Description
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is offering approximately $1.1 billion in competitive grants under the Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program) for Fiscal Year 2025. This program funds the purchase or lease of zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, as well as the acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities (such as charging, fueling, and maintenance infrastructure). The program aims to modernize transit fleets, reduce emissions, and improve public transportation access and reliability.
Due Dates
- Application Deadline: July 14, 2025, 11:59 PM Eastern Time
- Submission: Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov
- No mail or fax submissions accepted
- FTA recommends submitting at least 72 hours before the deadline to address any technical issues.
Funding Amount
- Total Available: Approximately $1.1 billion for the Low-No Program in FY25
- Award Size: No minimum or maximum per project; in FY24, awards ranged from ~$1.2 million to ~$99.5 million
- Recipient Cap: No single recipient may receive more than 10% of available funds
- Cost Sharing:
- Standard maximum federal share is 80%
- Up to 85% for Clean Air Act-compliant or ADA-accessible buses
- Up to 90% for equipment/facility components related to low- or zero-emission buses or ADA accessibility
- Workforce Development: 5% of federal funds for zero-emission projects must be used for workforce development (unless certified otherwise)
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include:
- Designated recipients of FTA grants
- States (including territories and Washington, D.C.)
- Local governmental authorities
- Federally recognized Indian tribes
Additional notes:
- For rural (non-urbanized) area projects (except those proposed by Indian tribes), applications must be submitted by a State, either individually or as part of a consolidated application.
- Applicants must have sufficient legal, financial, and technical capacity to administer federal funds.
- Subrecipients may include private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation.
Application Process
- Register on SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
- Prepare and submit the following via Grants.gov:
- SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance
- FY25 Low-No and Bus Programs Supplemental Form (download here)
- Attach supporting documents (e.g., Zero-Emission Fleet Transition Plan if applying for zero-emission projects)
- Address all evaluation criteria in the supplemental form, including:
- Demonstration of need
- Project benefits
- Planning and prioritization
- Local financial commitment
- Implementation strategy
- Technical, legal, and financial capacity
- Submit by the deadline. Late applications are only considered under extraordinary circumstances.
Tips:
- Register and prepare early; Grants.gov registration can take several weeks.
- Use the current year’s supplemental form; prior-year forms or scanned/converted versions are not accepted.
- If applying to both the Low-No and Bus Facilities programs, submit materials separately to each opportunity ID.
Additional Information
- Eligible Activities:
- Purchase or lease of zero- or low-emission buses (including battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, CNG, propane, hybrid-electric, etc.)
- Acquisition, construction, or leasing of supporting facilities (charging, fueling, maintenance)
- Related workforce development and training (required for zero-emission projects)
- Ineligible Activities:
- Prototype vehicle development or deployment
- Projects not resulting in an eligible capital asset
- Buy America: All steel, iron, manufactured products, and construction materials must be produced in the U.S. Waivers are discouraged and will lower application priority.
- Workforce Development: For zero-emission projects, 5% of the federal request must be budgeted for workforce development unless a certification and justification for less is provided.
- Rural/Urban Set-Asides: At least 25% of Low-No funds must go to low-emission (not zero-emission) projects; at least 15% of Bus Facilities funds must go to rural projects.
External Links
Contact Information