Fiscal Year 2026 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Low or No Emission Program
DOT - Federal Transit Administration
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- Posted
- Jul 27, 2026
- Closes
- Sep 21, 2026 (in 10 days)
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Classification and identifiers
- Solicitation number
- FTA-2026-011-TPM-LWNO
- Assistance listing (CFDA)
- 20.526
FundingLandscape analysis
FY 2026 Low or No Emission Grant Program
Applications are due September 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Confirm the live notice before submitting.
Primary sources verified 2026-07-31.
Why it matters
FTA is making approximately $589 million available for the FY 2026 Low or No Emission Program. The program supports capital projects to buy or lease low- or zero-emission transit buses and the equipment and facilities those vehicles require.
This is one half of a joint notice. The separate Buses and Bus Facilities Program has approximately $21 million. Applicants seeking both programs must submit a separate application under each Grants.gov opportunity number.
Demand is likely to exceed the current pool. FTA reports that 179 eligible FY 2025 Low-No applications requested $3.1 billion; 103 projects received $1.6 billion. Those figures describe the prior round, not money available or promised in FY 2026.
Program pool versus individual award
- FY 2026 Low-No program pool
- Approximately $589 million
- Maximum individual Low-No award
- No maximum stated in the notice
- Minimum individual Low-No award
- No minimum stated in the notice
- Separate FY 2026 Bus Program pool
- Approximately $21 million
- Bus Program maximum award
- $2.1 million, or 10% of that program pool
Who can actually apply
- Direct Low-No applicants may be designated recipients, states including territories and the District of Columbia, local governmental authorities, and federally recognized Indian Tribes.
- Except for projects proposed by Indian Tribes, proposals for rural, non-urbanized areas must be submitted by a state, either alone or as part of a statewide application.
- A nonprofit is not listed as an independent Low-No applicant. The joint notice lists private nonprofits engaged in public transportation as possible subrecipients under the separate Bus Program. Do not transfer that Bus Program rule to Low-No.
- Eligible Low-No work is capital work for low- or zero-emission buses and required supporting equipment or facilities. The notice, not an organization type alone, controls project eligibility.
Deadline, forms, and submission sequence
- Use Grants.gov opportunity FTA-2026-011-TPM-LWNO and submit by the stated deadline. FTA recommends submitting at least 72 hours early.
- Complete the SF-424 and the current FY 2026 supplemental form. Identify every supporting attachment by file name in the supplemental form.
- Keep the submission to no more than 15 total attachments. The supplemental form is one of those attachments, as is the zero-emission fleet transition plan when required. Use the Low-No opportunity number on this application.
- For a zero-emission vehicle project, include the zero-emission fleet transition plan required by federal transit law and described in the notice.
- Confirm active SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations before submission. A confirmation from Grants.gov should show that the package was received and sent to FTA.
What the official notice says it evaluates
- Demonstration of need
- Demonstration of benefits
- Planning and local or regional prioritization
- Local financial commitment
- Project implementation strategy
- Technical, legal, and financial capacity
Readiness checklist
- Confirm the legal applicant and, for a rural project, whether the state must submit.
- Define the vehicles, charging or fueling equipment, facilities, and other capital items in one consistent scope.
- Complete the zero-emission transition plan when the project includes zero-emission vehicles.
- Document the non-federal funding commitment and identify the source for each share of the project budget.
- Record planning status, procurement readiness, environmental review, STIP or TIP placement, and any required bus testing.
- Show whether FTA funds could be obligated within 12 months of selection, because the notice uses that timing in its implementation review.
- Reconcile the SF-424, supplemental form, budget, schedule, and attachment names before uploading.
Primary sources
Related opportunities and the next search
- FY 2026 Buses and Bus Facilities Program
Separate $21 million pool under the joint notice; a separate application is required.
- FY 2026 Tribal Transit Program
Planning, capital, and operating assistance for public transportation in rural Tribal areas.
- FY 2026 Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Pilot
Capital projects coordinating transportation and non-emergency medical transportation.
- Search current transit-bus funding
Review current records, then save a narrow search or start an alert if the results fit your recurring need.
Analysis change log
- 2026-07-31: Initial analysis verified against the July 27 FTA notice, Federal Register notice, and Grants.gov application record.
Amount
Amount not published by the funder
Who can apply
Local government agencies and State government agencies can all apply here. Check the eligibility details below to see if your organization fits.
Eligible applicants for the Low- or No-Emission Program include designated recipients, States (including territories and Washington D.C.), local governmental authorities, and Indian Tribes. Except for projects proposed by Indian tribes, all proposals for projects in rural (non-urbanized) areas must be submitted by a State, either individually or as a part of a statewide application.
About this opportunity
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of approximately $589 million in competitive grants under the Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program) for the purchase or lease of low-emission and zero-emission transit buses, including acquisition, construction, and leasing of required supporting facilities. Synopses and full announcement will be posted on Grants.gov as opportunity FTA-2026-011-TPM-LWNO. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov website by 11:59 PM Eastern Time September 21, 2026.