Funding Opportunities

Good workforce development programs require resources and investment. Funding is available through a variety of programs to help subsidize the workforce development efforts of transit agencies and their partners. The TWC Resource Center now includes listings of funding opportunities that public transportation agencies and their partners may be eligible to apply for. With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the federal government committed to providing funding, through a variety of new and existing competitive grant programs, that can be used for workforce development and training activities. These programs, as well as others, are featured on our website. Please click here to view these opportunities.

The majority of these grants are provided through our federal partners and can be used, within the specifications of the funding agency, to fund selected workforce development activities in public transportation. Some grants may require partnership with local government, community-based organizations, or higher-education institutes.

Although this list is not comprehensive, our goal is to ensure that public transportation agencies and related stakeholders are aware of a range of grants available for workforce development. If you are aware of a funding opportunity that would be appropriate to include, please email us at twc@transportcenter.org with relevant details.

The dates and other details of these opportunities can be changed by the issuing organization. Please refer to the program or grant webpage for the most current information.

View Relevant Funding Opportunities

DOT and DOL Funding Opportunities

Current grant funding opportunities from the US DOL Employment and Training Administration, some of which can be used to fund workforce development activities in public transportation, can be found here:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities

Open Notices of Funding Availability/Opportunity from the Federal Transit Administration, some of which can be used to fund workforce development activities, can be found here: 
https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/notices

A list of anticipated dates for upcoming DOT Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFOs) for key programs related to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, some of which can be used to fund workforce development activities in public transportation, can be found here: 
https://www.transportation.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/key-notices-funding-opportunity

The DOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard provides an overview of discretionary grant opportunities to meet transportation needs. The Dashboard also includes Federal grant programs outside of DOT that may be of particular interest to rural communities. The dashboard allows the user to filter opportunities by eligible activities, transportation type, etc., making it easy to identify opportunities for a specific need. The Dashboard is updated weekly. Access the Dashboard here.

Additional Resources for Grant Proposals

When designing grant proposals and carrying out grant activities related to workforce development, agencies and their partners can refer to the Grant Application Checklist for a Strong Transportation Workforce and Labor Plan from the U.S. Department of Transportation:

“Most U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) discretionary grants include selection criteria associated with creating good jobs and expanding workforce opportunities. Although the criteria may differ among grants, a strong job quality and workforce plan consists generally of three core components, listed below: (emphasis added)

  1. Creating good-paying jobs with free and fair choice to join a union.
  2. Expanding high-quality training and education programs to help train and place people in good-paying jobs, with a focus on women, people of color, and other populations facing systemic barriers to employment such as people with disabilities and people with convictions.
  3. Implementing policies both during procurement and during project implementation that will promote the hiring and retention of underrepresented workers.”

For this summary and more details from USDOT, go to: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/dot-navigator/grant-application-checklist-for-strong-workforce-and-labor-plan

Please refer to each program or grant webpage for individual grant criteria.

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