MEGA / National Infrastructure Project Assistance

Overview

Large complex projects >$100M total cost; ~$1.7B available FY2025-2026; no statutory expenditure deadline. Shares a combined NOFO with INFRA and Rural Surface Transportation Grant. No per-award minimum/maximum stated in source beyond the >$100M total-project-cost threshold.

Uses

• Transload Intermodal
• Grade Separation
• Bridge
• Track Rehabilitation
• Yard Improvement
• Signal Ptc

Funding

Match Rules

What can count toward the non-federal share, by source. Full matrix across every program →

• RRIF loanConfirmed (statute)

  Repaid with local funds or revenues.

  49 USC 6701(i)(2)(C) →
• TIFIA loanConfirmed (statute)
  Source →
• Other federal grant funds (general)Confirmed (statute)

  Up to 80% total federal.

  Source →
• CDBGConfirmed (statute)

  Counts as other federal within the 80% cap.

  Source →
• Title 23 formula fundsConfirmed (statute)

  Counts as other federal within the 80% cap.

  Source →
• Regional commission fundsSource-side authority

  Whichever regional commission covers the project area (Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority, or Northern Border Regional Commission) may have its own statutory authority to pay part of the non-federal share on another federal grant program — see notes for the specific citation per commission.

  Researched and verified directly (2026-09-21). Three separate regional-commission statutes each grant source-side authority, none naming any rail/port program specifically: ARC — 40 USC 14321(a)(4), "Notwithstanding any law limiting the federal share in any other federal or federal grant program, amounts appropriated to carry out this section may be used to increase that federal share, as the Commission decides is appropriate." DRA — 7 USC 2009aa-3, may raise a project's federal share up to 90% using DRA funds, conditioned on the administering federal agency certifying the project meets that program's own requirements. NBRC (and Subtitle V regional commissions generally) — 40 USC 15507 ("available for the payment of the non-Federal share for any project carried out under another Federal grant program") plus 40 USC 15506(b). Same caveat as the CDBG rows: this is generic source-side authority — none of these three statutes confirms this program's own NOFO or statute actually accepts it.

  40 USC 15507 →
• In-kind contributionsUnconfirmed

  No program-specific NOFO/statute language found (checked 2026-09-21; transportation.gov/highways.dot.gov blocked automated fetches on several attempts). Falls back to the general federal default: 2 CFR 200.306(b) allows in-kind (third-party) contributions toward cost sharing when verifiable, not used for another federal award, and necessary/reasonable/allowable — the same regulation CRISI's and RCE's own NOFOs cite by name for their confirmed in-kind rows, but there is no confirmation this program's own NOFO does the same.

Eligibility

• Port Authority
• Mpo Rpo
• Tribal Government
• State Agency
• Municipality

Terms

• Mechanism: Competitive Grant
• Authorized under 49 U.S.C. §6701
• SAM.gov registration: required

Track Record

Funded, on record

9 awards

Total awarded, on record

$1,618,103,982

Win rate

Not available — our records only cover who won, not who applied.

• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority$472,300,616 · FY2026
• City of Long Beach$283,375,812 · FY2024
• Philadelphia Regional Port Authority$217,200,000 · FY2026
• Illinois Department of Transportation$209,877,984 · FY2026
• New York City Department of Small Business Services$163,800,000 · FY2026

See every confirmed award, with sources →

Recipients

• Municipal · 3
• Public Authority · 2
• Port · 2
• State Dot · 2

• Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority$472,300,616 · 1 award
• City of Long Beach$283,375,812 · 1 award
• Philadelphia Regional Port Authority$217,200,000 · 1 award
• Illinois Department of Transportation$209,877,984 · 1 award
• New York City Department of Small Business Services$163,800,000 · 1 award
• City of Stuart$130,500,000 · 1 award
• Port of New Orleans$73,779,805 · 1 award
• California Department of Transportation$54,530,000 · 1 award
• Maricopa Association of Governments$12,739,765 · 1 award

How to Apply