The Clock and the Cuts
September 14, 2026 update: the BRIC, Small Storage, Digital Equity, broadband application guidance and state examples below have been revised. The remaining IIJA background is retained from the July 15 guide; it is not a fresh verification of every program. Start with the dated application choices below, then confirm the controlling notice. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, authorized major formula, discretionary, loan, and state-administered infrastructure funding. The surface-transportation authorization reaches September 30, 2026, but that date does not make every program open until September or cause every awarded dollar to disappear on October 1. Each program has its own obligation, award, and performance rules. FY2026 legislation also rescinded selected IIJA funds. Transportation for America's enacted-bill analysis identified more than $2.3 billion in rescissions, including approximately $879 million associated with National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure formula, competitive, and joint-office funding. That was a targeted change, not a repeal of every highway, bridge, transit, broadband, or water program. The practical response is program-level verification. Check whether the current notice is open, whether funds flow through a state, whether the opportunity is a grant or loan, and whether the project can meet readiness and obligation requirements. The FY2026 BUILD round, for example, closed February 24 and is not a current application route. FEMA advertised a $1 billion FY2024-25 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) round after the earlier termination announcement. Its July 21, 2026 bulletin gave a federal deadline of July 23, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET, with separate subapplicant deadlines set by states, Tribal Nations or territories. That deadline has passed. Check the current FEMA notice and your state or tribal mitigation office for any later round; this guide does not establish that a new BRIC application window is open. Search infrastructure funding opportunities
DOT Discretionary Grants: Separate Closed Rounds From Current Notices
The FY2026 BUILD round, previously known as RAISE, closed February 24, 2026. Its $1.5 billion round is useful for understanding project types and readiness, but it is not an opportunity a new applicant can enter now. The prior Multimodal Project Discretionary Grants cycle for MEGA, INFRA, and Rural awards also closed before this July update. Do not treat an award announcement or an old program page as a new notice of funding opportunity. Watch the official DOT Navigator and Grants.gov for a successor competition. Use the closed rounds to prepare durable material: environmental review, preliminary engineering, site control, local match, benefit-cost evidence, community engagement, and a realistic obligation schedule. Then verify the next notice's eligible applicants, match, merit criteria, and deadline before adapting the application. Search current DOT grant opportunities and confirm each result at the official source.
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Water Infrastructure: $23.4 Billion Through State Programs
Water infrastructure received one of the largest IIJA investments and continues distributing through state agencies. These programs were not affected by the FY2026 rescissions. Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Application cycles set by state environmental agencies Total IIJA allocation: $11.7 billion Scope: Wastewater treatment, stormwater management, nonpoint source pollution Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Application cycles set by state environmental agencies Total IIJA allocation: $11.7 billion Scope: Drinking water system improvements, lead service line replacement These funds flow through state agencies, not direct federal applications. Each state runs its own SRF program with its own deadlines, priority lists, and application processes. Contact your state environmental agency or drinking water program for specific requirements. Many states have not fully distributed their IIJA SRF allocations and are actively seeking projects. Lead Service Line Replacement IIJA earmarked $15 billion specifically for identifying and replacing lead pipes. The EPA requires all water systems to inventory their service lines. States are distributing this funding through their DWSRF programs, often with additional subsidization (grants or principal forgiveness) rather than standard loan terms. Small Surface Water and Groundwater Storage Projects Deadline: April 17, 2026 Agency: Bureau of Reclamation Award ceiling: $30 million per project Scope: Water storage projects in western states Historical round, not open for applications: the Bureau of Reclamation confirms the FY2026 opportunity closed April 17, 2026. It also says it is no longer accepting feasibility studies and lists November 15, 2026 as the termination of statutory authority. Do not use the old notice as a current application route. Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Rolling applications Scope: Large water projects ($20 million minimum for larger utilities, $5 million for smaller) Structure: Federal loans at favorable terms, not grants. WIFIA can finance up to 49% of eligible project costs. For the full picture on environmental funding including brownfields and Superfund, see our EPA grants guide. Search water infrastructure opportunities
Broadband: BEAD Subgrants Are Opening Nationwide
IIJA allocated $42.45 billion for broadband through the BEAD program (Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment), the largest broadband investment in U.S. history. That allocation is intact and was not affected by FY2026 rescissions. Check the official NTIA BEAD progress dashboard and your state broadband office for current status. Approval of a state plan does not mean a subgrant application window is open to a new applicant. How BEAD works: States received allocations based on the number of unserved and underserved locations identified through the FCC broadband maps. Each state developed a plan for how to distribute funds, ran a public challenge process to verify location data, and administers its own selection and award process. BEAD does not accept direct federal applications. To access BEAD funding: 1. Identify your state's designated broadband office (listed at broadbandusa.ntia.gov) 2. Check whether your state's subgrant window is open or has a timeline posted 3. Review your state's subgrant requirements, which vary by state 4. ISPs and project sponsors apply through their state's program States are at different stages. Some have begun awarding subgrants. Others are still completing challenge processes. The deployment timeline extends beyond the September 2026 IIJA authorization because BEAD funds were designed with longer obligation windows than most other IIJA programs. Digital Equity Programs: the historical $2.75 billion authorization is not evidence of an open application. GAO reports that, according to NTIA officials, the Secretary of Commerce terminated Digital Equity Act grant programs on May 9, 2025. This is distinct from BEAD. Verify any later funding notice directly with NTIA rather than relying on the earlier description of programs beginning to open. For state-specific broadband timelines, check your state's broadband office directly. Some states, like Ohio ($793 million BEAD allocation, first $227 million awarded to 22 sub-awardees), are well into deployment. Search broadband funding opportunities
Energy Infrastructure: What Survived the NEVI Rescission
IIJA included energy infrastructure formula funding, competitive programs, and state or local allocations. FY2026 legislation rescinded selected NEVI funding, so a historical authorization amount does not establish what remains available to a particular state or applicant. Other energy lanes include state energy offices, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant recipients, grid programs, and national-laboratory partnership opportunities. Their status differs: some are awarded portfolios, some flow through public entities, and some use current competitive notices. Verify the administering entity and application stage before calling one open. Tax credits, rebates, loans, grants, and contracts are separate instruments with different applicants and obligations. For DOE-specific funding and research programs, see our energy grants guide. Search current energy infrastructure opportunities
State and Local Opportunities
Much IIJA funding flows to states, which distribute it through their own programs. State-level infrastructure opportunities often face less competition than federal discretionary programs because they are not as widely publicized. Formula Programs: Highway, bridge, and transit formula funds flow automatically to state DOTs. These are the backbone of IIJA and continue at authorized levels through September 2026. State DOTs then contract out design, engineering, and construction work. State Infrastructure Programs we track include active opportunities across Pennsylvania DOT (bridge, highway, and transit projects), California (water systems, transit, broadband), Massachusetts (transit, water infrastructure), Illinois EPA (water quality, solid waste), Ohio (bridge inspection and evaluation), Utah (sewer infrastructure), and Texas DOT (highway maintenance and construction). Subcontracting on Large Projects: Many large infrastructure contracts require prime contractors to use small or disadvantaged business subcontractors. State DOTs have DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) programs with participation goals, typically 10-15% of contract value. If you are not ready to lead a federal grant application, subcontracting on funded projects builds experience and relationships. For more on set-aside programs, see our set-asides guide. State Procurement Systems: Each state runs its own procurement portal. Major ones include Pennsylvania's eMarketplace, California's Cal eProcure, New York's NYS Contract System, and Texas's Electronic State Business Daily. For a broader view of state contracting, see our state contracts guide. A practical advantage of state-level infrastructure work: a $500,000 state bridge contract might draw 5 bidders while a $50 million federal grant draws 500 applications. The math on competition often favors state opportunities for businesses building their track record. Search state infrastructure opportunities
How Infrastructure Grants and Contracts Differ
Infrastructure funding comes as both grants and contracts. Understanding the distinction helps you target the right opportunities. Grants fund projects you lead. You apply with your project concept. If awarded, you receive funding to design, build, or improve infrastructure under your direction. Grant recipients are typically local governments, transit authorities, utilities, tribes, and nonprofits. Key success factors: project readiness (environmental clearances, designs, permits), local match secured, community support documented, clear outcomes and metrics, alignment with program priorities. Contracts fund work on government projects. The government defines the scope. You bid to perform that work. If selected, you execute the government's project under their specifications and oversight. Contract recipients are typically construction firms, engineering companies, environmental remediation firms, and service providers. Key success factors: relevant past performance, appropriate bonding capacity, competitive pricing, technical capability, required certifications (small business, DBE, HUBZone, etc.). Many infrastructure projects combine both. A local government wins a BUILD grant, then contracts out the engineering design and construction work. This means a single BUILD award can generate multiple contracting opportunities downstream. For grant applications, project readiness remains the single most important differentiator. Agencies administering the final year of IIJA-authorized supplemental funding are prioritizing projects that can satisfy program requirements and obligate funds on schedule. Having NEPA clearances complete, engineering at 30% design or further, permits in progress, and local match committed puts you ahead of applicants still at the concept stage. Verify the controlling notice and agency schedule before relying on any deadline. For contract opportunities, SAM.gov registration and relevant certifications matter. Small business set-asides under SBA programs apply to many infrastructure contracts. DBE certification through your state DOT opens subcontracting opportunities on federally-funded projects. SAM.gov registration is required for all federal contracting.
The September 2026 Expiration and What Comes Next
September 30, 2026 is the current surface-transportation authorization date, not a universal application deadline. Formula programs, discretionary awards, BEAD, state revolving funds, and loan programs can have different obligation and performance periods. Do not rush an ineligible application because the authorization date is near. First confirm that a current notice accepts applications. The BUILD deadline cited in the earlier version of this guide passed on February 24. Use the remaining time to improve readiness: environmental review, preliminary engineering, site control, match commitments, benefit-cost evidence, and public engagement. Follow official federal and state program pages for successor rounds or implementing guidance. Diversify the pipeline with state and local sources that operate on their own cycles. See the Ohio guide, Texas guide, and the live infrastructure search, but verify every program at its source. Search all current infrastructure opportunities
Application Choices Checked September 14, 2026
Choose the route that fits your role. A municipality or utility seeking funding for its own project needs an eligible grant or financing program. A construction or engineering business usually needs a procurement opportunity from an awarding agency or a funded project. Winning a government grant and bidding on its resulting contract are different steps. A current state application example, with eligibility limits: Kansas' Regional Water Implementation program lists applications from March 2 through October 16, 2026, with awards up to $2 million. It supports regional water-system projects through Kansas CDBG; this is an additional infrastructure route, not IIJA funding. Only eligible non-entitlement Kansas cities and counties can apply directly. The program requires an approved pre-application, at least 50% matching funds and at least 51% low- and moderate-income beneficiaries. Check the listed entitlement exclusions, project requirements, public-hearing timetable and environmental process before starting. Individuals and contractors are not direct applicants. Earlier examples whose windows have passed: - Pennsylvania's DCED Multimodal Transportation Fund lists its annual March 1 to July 31 window and awards up to $3 million. The July 2026 window has elapsed. This is distinct from PennDOT's similarly named program; check the relevant official notice for a later cycle. - New York's Water Quality Improvement Project program says Round 22 is closed. It expects awards in December 2026 and Round 23 applications in spring 2027. Those are expectations, not an open application window or a promised future deadline. - The earlier July guide listed federal bridge, port-emissions, transit, culvert and WaterSMART examples. Treat those dated examples as preparation references, not proof that applications are still accepted. Actions that should not wait: - Check whether your state's BEAD subgrant window is open and use the official state broadband office as the source of truth. - Contact your state clean-water and drinking-water revolving-fund programs to confirm their current application timeline and priority list. These are financing programs, not automatically grants. - Review your SAM.gov registration. It must be active for federal awards and contracting. See the SAM.gov guide. - Move environmental review, preliminary engineering, site control, match commitments, and public engagement now. Those readiness steps often determine whether a project can use the next competition. Ongoing: - Sign up for SAM.gov notifications in relevant NAICS and PSC codes. Our NAICS/PSC guide covers how to identify the right codes for infrastructure work. - Follow DOT Navigator for discretionary program announcements. - Contact your state DOT for DBE certification if you are a small or disadvantaged business pursuing infrastructure subcontracting. - For state-level opportunities that operate independently of the federal authorization cycle, see our state contracts guide. Search all open infrastructure opportunities