National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · Department of Transportation
Innovative Traffic Safety Enforcement (ITSE) Grant Program
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Sep 1, 2027 · 329 days left
- Award size
- $300K – $20M
- Total available
- $20M · about 10 awards
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Special district (utility, fire, etc.), State government, Public college or university, City or town government, County government, Nonprofit without 501(c)(3), Tribal government, Tribal organization, Nonprofit with 501(c)(3), Private college or university, and others named in the official notice
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 7
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/5269870b-a071-47ba-a076-d3fbc1955077 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/ca7c8977-20d3-4e8f-8b65-97bd9f7fa9e9
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
More from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- State Electronic Crash Data Collection · The funder's estimated date (Mar 20, 2024) has passed. Check the official notice Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
About this grant
While the agency will consider innovative enhancements to existing countermeasures, the goal is to develop evidence-based projects that are scalable and transferable for use by State and local law enforcement agencies.
The primary intent of this of the ITSE Grant Program is to 1) develop innovative traffic safety enforcement programs that demonstrate effectiveness by reducing the number of motor vehicle crashes due to one or more of the subject risky driving behaviors; and 2) ensure the traffic safety enforcement programs are repeatable and scalable for use by law enforcement throughout the United States. In addition to those goals, the Department seeks to fund projects that advance the priorities of this Administration as described in DOT’s mission statement and across executive orders.
Who can apply, from the official notice
Applicants eligible for an award include a State or local agency, authority, association, educational institution, or nonprofit organization that demonstrates that it has organizational capacity and experience to carry out the responsibilities of administering, coordinating, and implementing the activities of this NOFO, as explained in Section III ‘Program Description’, and based upon the documentation submitted by the applicant as required in Section IV ‘Application Contents and Format’. Only organizations capable of fulfilling the criteria listed within this NOFO will be considered for an award.
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct7
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Aug11
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Aug25
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Aug30
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Sep1
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
What the official notice requires
Pulled from the official notice NHTSA_ITSE_NOFO_8.3.2026.pdf (32 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. 2
“NHTSA will post a notice on Grants.gov if funds are no longer available for obligation.” Open page 2
Unique Entity ID (UEI) · p. 16
“UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER (UEI) AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM) Each Applicant must:” Open page 16
SAM.gov · p. 18
“NHTSA will review the provided information to ensure that the applicant meets the eligibility requirements as set forth in Section II ‘Eligibility’, adheres to the registration requirements of Section V.B ‘Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award…” Open page 18
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. 12
“Application for Federal Assistance SF424 IV.” Open page 12
Resumes or bios of key staff · p. 13
“Accordingly, NHTSA recommends that each applicant provide comprehensive documentation and support for their application, ensuring no additional information is required by NHTSA. b) Narrative Content Requirements The application shall not exceed 20 pages (not…” Open page 13
Indirect cost rate agreement · p. 15
“Finally, the Applicant should include copies of any supporting documentation it may have (i.e. indirect cost rate agreements, etc.) as part of the budget package.” Open page 15
Form SF-LLL · p. 16
“Department of Transportation New Restrictions on Lobbying, and a SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, if a disclosure is required by Part 20.” Open page 16
Length limits
Narrative Content Requirements: 20 pages max · p. 13
“Accordingly, NHTSA recommends that each applicant provide comprehensive documentation and support for their application, ensuring no additional information is required by NHTSA. b) Narrative Content Requirements The application shall not exceed 20 pages (not…” Open page 13
Formatting rules
12-point font, 1-inch margins, single-spaced · p. 13
“Times New Roman 12-point font, single spaced, one-inch margins).” Open page 13
Cost share or match
Cost share / match · p. 6
“COST SHARING C ost-sharing or matching requirements are not required under this NOFO.” Open page 6
Dates in the notice
9/3/2026 · p. 1
“NHTSA will evaluate applications submitted no later than 9/3/2026.” Open page 1
3/1/2027 · p. 1
“NHTSA will evaluate applications submitted no later than 3/1/2027.” Open page 1
9/1/2027 · p. 1
“NHTSA will evaluate applications submitted no later than 9/1/2027. **Note:” Open page 1
8/3/2026 · p. 2
“KEY DATES NOFO Posted Date: 8/3/2026 NOFO Questions Due Date for Phase One (1): 8/18/2026 at 5pm EST.” Open page 2
8/18/2026 · p. 17
“To allow sufficient time for responses, all questions for Phase 1 must be received no later than 5:00pm Eastern Time on 8/18/2026.” Open page 17
Mistakes that get applications rejected (4)
Sent the wrong way or format: Applications sent to individual staff email addresses will not be accepted. · p. 17
“Applications sent to individual staff email addresses will not be accepted.” Open page 17
Sent the wrong way or format: Applications submitted by email or other means will not be considered. · p. 17
“Applications submitted by email or other means will not be considered.” Open page 17
Could get your application rejected: If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the NHTSA contracting officer may (1) disqualify the... · p. 31
“If any such conflict of interest is found to exist, the NHTSA contracting officer may (1) disqualify the applicant, or (2) determine that it is otherwise in the best interest of the agency to contract with the applicant and include appropriate provisions to…” Open page 31
Could get your application rejected: The refusal to provide the disclosure or representation, or any additional information required, may... · p. 31
“The refusal to provide the disclosure or representation, or any additional information required, may result in disqualification of the applicant for award.” Open page 31
Who in Tennessee has won this program
4 awards to Tennessee groups in 1 county since 2022. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety & Homeland Security | Nashville, Davidson County | $4.3M | 2025 |
| Safety & Homeland Security | Nashville, Davidson County | $1.1M | 2022 |
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | $235K spent that year | 2025 |
| Shelby County, TN | Memphis | $37K spent that year | 2023 |
Source: USAspending.gov, Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through a state agency or another organization
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Tennessee Department of Transportation pass it on: watch those agencies for applications, not the federal agency. 3 pass-through grants on file. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Tennessee | Nashville | National Safety Council | $98K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Cleveland | Cleveland, Bradley County | Tennessee Department of Transportation | $62K spent that year | 2025 |
| City of Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security | $9,979 spent that year | 2023 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Discretionary Safety Grants and Cooperative Agreements, also called “NHTSA Section 403 Discretionary Grants and Cooperative Agreements”
Program number 20.614 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
How applications are judged
Grantee criteria for selecting proposals will be developed on an on individual grant or cooperative agreement basis by the NHTSA Program and Acquisition Team.
Match
None required (federal program listing).