Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Accepting Grant Applications Soon

3 min readFeb 7, 2024

File folders in a drawer with tabs labeled GRANTS, FUNDING and PROJECTS.

Roadway safety is at the core of FMCSA’s mission. Our job is to focus on ways to reduce crashes and fatalities involving large trucks and buses on our nation’s roadways. That’s a big job — one we know we can’t do alone. That’s why we partner with state organizations, local jurisdictions, academic institutions, and other training programs and entities to promote commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety-related activities.

Soon, FMCSA will announce a Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO, highlighting our FY2024 grant opportunities. Now’s the time to gain information on eligibility requirements and the application process. Once a grant is announced, typically there’s about a two-month window to complete the application. Last year, FMCSA awarded more than $125M in awards.

Which grants will be available for 2024?

Each grant has its own purpose and eligibility criteria. Organizations should check the list above to see if there’s a suitable grant opportunity for them.

What type of projects get FMCSA funding?

FMCSA provides funding for projects that:

Promote commercial motor vehicle (CMV) safety
Innovate CMV technology
Increase the number of commercial driver license holders (CDLs)
Train current CDL holders
Prevent human trafficking

For example, an accredited school sought funds to recruit and enroll 15 veterans and/or their family members in their commercial driver’s license training program and received a FMCSA grant for $71,803.

Who is eligible for a DOT FMCSA grant?

Organizations such as nonprofits, colleges, universities, trucking schools, law enforcement agencies, transportation departments, local courts, state transportation departments, departments of motor vehicles and other local government agencies. Individuals are not eligible to apply. Once the NOFO is announced, you can check the eligibility of each grant to see which grant might apply to your organization.

FMCSA offers training and free webinars for grant writers

Potential applicants can visit the online Grants Resource Center and gain training, guidance, and tools for a grant application and grant management assistance. To learn the finer points of writing an FMCSA grant application, view previously recorded webinars from Fall 2023. These webinars provide helpful information to successfully apply. Applicants are strongly encouraged to watch the Title VI Compliance Plan webinar to learn about an important first step.

When should you begin the grant writing process?

Start right away to research, identify, and prepare for a future grant application prior to FMCSA’s NOFO announcement. If you decide to apply for a grant, one of the first steps to take is registering your organization at www.sam.gov or the System for Award Management. This process can take up to 15 business days. The second step is to register on the grants.gov website. This can take two to four weeks.

To learn more about FMCSA grant programs, visit https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/grants.