The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Railroad Safety State Participation Grant Program for FY2025–FY2027. This program, funded through the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2022 and 2023, supports state-based railroad safety initiatives, focusing on training, travel, and laptop purchases for certified inspectors to ensure the effective enforcement of federal railroad safety standards. States can apply for funding to cover eligible training and travel costs for program participants, including state program coordinators and inspectors, and for purchasing laptops required for inspectors to compile and submit inspection reports. The total funding available under this NOFO is $1,250,000, to be allocated across a three-year performance period.

Eligible applicants include state agencies with an existing Federal Railroad Safety Program State Participation Agreement. These state agencies work alongside the FRA to enforce federal safety standards for railroad operations, equipment, and infrastructure within their jurisdictions. Each state’s funding allocation is determined based on the number of active inspectors and program coordinators as of August 13, 2024, with each inspector assigned a value of 1 and coordinators assigned a value of 0.5. The calculated allocation per inspector is set at $6,024 over the three-year period, with individual state awards determined by the number of eligible personnel. The NOFO outlines specific grant allocations for each eligible state, with additional contingency funding available for states that increase their inspector numbers or new states joining the program within the performance period.

Program funds may be used exclusively for training, travel, and laptop purchases related to certified inspector activities. Approved uses include FRA-sanctioned or provided training, travel to eligible training sessions and FRA-approved conferences, and one laptop per inspector for necessary data collection and reporting. Each applicant must submit a detailed project narrative, budget information, assurances, and certifications via GrantSolutions, the designated platform for federal grant applications. Applicants must also maintain current registrations in both the System for Award Management (SAM) and GrantSolutions.

The application process involves several requirements, including a completed project narrative describing the purpose and scope of the grant request, budget justifications, and certifications of compliance with federal procurement and integrity standards. States must ensure compliance with reporting requirements, including regular progress and performance reporting, and meet the FRA’s 30/50 standard, which mandates a minimum number of days for fieldwork conducted by both inspectors and program coordinators.

Applications are due by December 9, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Eligible states may apply for amounts lower than the listed allocations but may not exceed them. States failing to apply in the initial round may forfeit eligibility for contingency funds. The FRA will review applications based on eligibility, completeness, and adherence to program requirements. Grant awards are contingent upon available funding, with awards managed as standard grant agreements, not cooperative agreements.