The Ohio Traffic Safety Office (OTSO) administers the FFY 2026 Traffic Safety Grant Program, a competitive, federally funded initiative aimed at reducing traffic-related fatalities across Ohio. The program supports a variety of initiatives, including enforcement, education, and public awareness projects that directly contribute to traffic safety and align with the national Toward Zero Deaths strategy.

Proposals must demonstrate a clear, data-driven need and outline how the proposed project will reduce traffic fatalities. Each application is evaluated for completeness, relevance to identified high-risk areas, and adherence to guidelines. Projects that fail to meet the established standards or lack measurable impact are likely to be declined. The most competitive proposals focus on alcohol/drug-impaired driving, occupant protection, and speed management, and provide clear evaluation metrics.

The program operates under strict reimbursement-only rules. Grantees must first incur costs, which must be pre-approved using a Request to Purchase (RTP) form, and then request reimbursement with full documentation. Food, alcohol, lobbying, and fuel expenses are ineligible. Out-of-state travel is capped at $2,000 per OTSO-approved event, and all costs must be necessary, reasonable, and directly related to the grant’s purpose.

Eligible applicants include:

Local units of government (e.g., cities, townships, school boards)

Councils of government

State agencies

Nonprofit organizations, churches, hospitals, colleges, and educational service centers

Each proposal must designate three key personnel: an Authorizing Official (agency head), a Project Director (grant lead), and a Fiscal Officer (financial manager). These roles must be registered in the GRANTS Plus system, where the entire grant application must be submitted and managed.

The grant period runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026. No expenses will be reimbursed for activities before the Authorized to Proceed Date or after the grant period ends. Final reports and reimbursement requests are due by November 1, 2026, with strict penalties for late submissions.

Each General Grant proposal must answer key evaluation questions:

Who is being served?

What is the project’s purpose and intended outcome?

Where and when will the project occur?

Why is it needed?

How does it align with high-risk areas and measurable goals?

Proposals must be submitted online through the GRANTS Plus system by 11:59 p.m. on May 15, 2025. (Note: One slide mistakenly stated May 25, but all other sources confirm May 15 as the deadline.)

Agencies submitting multiple projects must submit a separate application for each. General project types include but are not limited to impaired driving enforcement, seatbelt education, and youth outreach. Full proposal guidelines, cost details, and training materials are available at https://otso.ohio.gov.