Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
• Reduce congestion and delays for commerce and the traveling public;
• Improve the safety and integration of transportation facilities and systems for pedestrians, bicyclists, and the broader traveling public;
• Improve access to jobs, education, and essential services, including health care;
• Connect or expand access for underserved communities and reduce transportation costs;
• Contribute to medium- and long-term economic competitiveness;
• Improve the reliability of existing transportation facilities and systems;
• Promote connectivity between and among connected vehicles, roadway infrastructure, pedestrians, bicyclists, the public, and transportation systems;
• Incentivize private sector investments or partnerships, including by working with mobile and fixed telecommunication service providers, to the extent practicable;
• Improve energy efficiency or reduce pollution;
• Increase the resiliency of the transportation system; and
• Improve emergency response.
Program Objective
Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) funds for fiscal years (FY) 2022-2026 are to be awarded on a competitive basis to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart city or community technologies and systems to improve transportation efficiency and safety.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- U.S. State Government
- Department/Agency of U.S. State
- Federally Recognized Tribal Government
- Municipality/Township Government
- U.S. Territory Government
- Department/Agency of U.S. Territorial Gov
- County Government
- Transit Authority
a State;
a political subdivision of a State;
a Tribal government;
a public transit agency or authority;
a public toll authority;
a metropolitan planning organization; and
a group of 2 or more eligible entities detailed above, applying through a single lead applicant.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
SMART projects are to be awarded on a competitive basis to projects that meet statutory requirements. All projects funded are anticipated to have a grant agreement finalized within twelve months after awards have been announced.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 120 to 180 days
Program details & compliance
Description
As authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, 117th Congress, Nov 15, 2021), the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) was established as a discretionary grant program with $100 million appropriated annually for fiscal years (FY) 2022-2026 to provide grants to eligible public sector agencies to conduct demonstration and implementation of projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems in order to improve transportation efficiency and safety.
Mission Categories
Primary: Urban Mass Transit
Other categories:
Highways, Public Roads, and BridgesAir Transportation
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
Projects funded by the SMART Grants Program use advanced data, technology, and applications to provide significant benefits to a local area, a State, a region, or the United States. The SMART Grants Program defines these benefits to include the following areas identified in BIL.
Safety, reliability, and resiliency: Improve the safety of systems for pedestrians, bicyclists, and the broader traveling public. Increase the reliability and resiliency of the transportation system. Improve emergency response.
Equity and access: Connect or expand access for underserved or disadvantaged populations. Improve access to jobs, education, and essential services.
Climate: Reduce congestion and/or pollution. Improve energy efficiency.
Partnerships: Contribute to economic competitiveness and incentivize private sector investments or partnerships, including technical and financial commitments on the proposed solution. Demonstrate committed leadership and capacity from the applicant, partners, and community.
Integration: Improve integration of systems and promote connectivity of infrastructure, connected vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and the broader traveling public.
Restrictions
The following are examples of ineligible costs for SMART Grants Program funding:
• reimbursement of any application preparation costs of the SMART grant application;
• Costs incurred prior to award announcement;
• traffic or parking enforcement activity; or
• purchase or lease of a license plate reader.
If a component of the project is explicitly intended to support current or future traffic or enforcement activities, it is not an eligible cost for the SMART Grants Program and cannot be included in an eligible proposal.
Required Documentation
Required documents are specified in the NOFO
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements