FYs 2024 through 2026 - Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Competitive Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

What the official notice requires

Pulled from the official notice FY24-FY26_PROTECT_NOFO-FHWA-PROT-26-001.pdf (43 pages) so you can see the requirements at a glance. Each item shows the notice's own words. Open the page to read it in context.

Registrations you need first (3)

• Grants.gov · p. 16

  “APPLICATION FORMAT All applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.” Open page 16

• SAM.gov · p. 21

  “Be registered in System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov before submitting its application;” Open page 21

• Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 21

  “Provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier in its application; and” Open page 21

Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist

What to submit

• Form SF-424 · p. 17

  “APPLICATION CONTENT Standard Forms All mandatory SF of the 424 family are available for download at https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-mandatory-family.” Open page 17

Length limits

• Page limit (see quote): 25 pages max · p. 16

  “The project narrative should not exceed 25 pages in length.” Open page 16

Formatting rules

• 12-point font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced · p. 16

  “Application files should be single-spaced, 12-point standard font (e.g., Times New Roman), with 1-inch margins.” Open page 16

Cost share or match

• Cost share / match · p. 4

  “The PROTECT Competitive Grant Program requires a minimum non-Federal cost-share of 20 percent except for: federally recognized Indian Tribes who may request zero cost- share;” Open page 4

• Cost share / match · p. 4

  “Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which do not require a cost-share (23 U.S.C. § 120(g)); and projects covered by an applicable Resilience Improvement Plan (RIP), which could reduce the required…” Open page 4

• Cost share / match · p. 11

  “COST SHARING Cost Share Grant Type Federal Share Planning grants 23 U.S.C. § 176(d)(5)(E)(i) The Federal share of an eligible planning activity shall be 100 percent.” Open page 11

• Cost share / match · p. 12

  “The non-Federal share has a maximum reduction of 10 percent under 23 U.S.C. § 176(e)(1)(B)(iii)(I).6 Non-Federal share Reduced if Qualifiers Reduced by 7 percent if:” Open page 12

Dates in the notice

• 08/27/2026 · p. 1

  “Fiscal Years 2024 through 2026 Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Competitive Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity Application Opening Date: 08/27/2026 Application Closing Date: 10/09/2026” Open page 1

• 10/09/2026 · p. 3

  “Key Dates Application Due Date: 10/09/2026 at 11:59:59 PM ET.” Open page 3

• September 30, 2027 · p. 15

  “Fiscal Year Funding Funding Obligation Deadline 2024 September 30, 2027 2025 September 30, 2028 2026 September 30, 2029 The total period of performance for the PROTECT Competitive Grant Program awards are anticipated to be between 1 and 4 years.” Open page 15

• October 09, 2026 · p. 21

  “SUBMISSION DEADLINES FYs 2024 through 2026 PROTECT Competitive Grant Program applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST on October 09, 2026.” Open page 21

Mistakes that get applications rejected (1)

• Missing a required part: OTHER Applications determined to be late, duplicates of applications submitted for the same round of... · p. 13

  “OTHER Applications determined to be late, duplicates of applications submitted for the same round of applications, or incomplete will be disqualified.” Open page 13