2021 Port Infrastructure Development Grants | MA PID 21 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for MA PID 21 001

The 2021 Port Infrastructure Development Grants opportunity is a discretionary, competitive grant program run by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to help modernize and improve port-related infrastructure across the United States. The funding comes from two major federal laws passed around the same time: the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. Together, they authorized and provided a total of $230 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). The overall intent is straightforward: invest in port and port-adjacent projects that make the movement of goods safer, more efficient, and more reliable, whether that movement is coming into a port, leaving a port, moving within port boundaries, or traveling through the local intermodal connections that make ports function.

The program is designed to support a broad range of U.S. port types and geographies. Eligible projects can be located within port property or outside of it, as long as the work is directly tied to port operations or creates/strengthens an intermodal connection that the port depends on (for example, links between marine terminals and rail or truck corridors that handle port freight). The NOFO specifically calls out coastal seaports, inland river ports, and Great Lakes ports as the facilities this program is meant to serve, reflecting how freight moves through different regions and how national supply chains rely on multiple kinds of maritime gateways.

Congress also placed some clear funding directives on how the money should be targeted. At least $205 million of the $230 million total had to be used for projects at coastal seaports or Great Lakes ports, signaling a strong priority for those higher-volume gateways and their surrounding networks. In addition, the NDAA set a minimum set-aside for smaller facilities: not less than $41.4 million must go toward projects at small ports and terminals that meet the specific eligibility requirements laid out in the NOFO. In practice, that means the program is trying to balance large-scale national freight priorities with the needs of smaller ports that can be critical to regional economies, niche commodities, or specialized services but often have fewer resources to fund major upgrades.

Because PIDP awards are discretionary and competitive, applications are evaluated against selection criteria and application requirements described in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. The goal of that competitive process is to choose projects that most convincingly improve safety, efficiency, or reliability in freight movement. While the summary text does not list all evaluation factors, it makes clear that applicants are expected to follow the NOFO closely, since each section includes instructions and details that matter to eligibility and competitiveness.

Grant recipients must comply with applicable federal requirements, including the Buy American Act, which generally requires that certain iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in federally funded infrastructure projects be produced in the United States unless a waiver applies. This is an important compliance point for budgeting, procurement planning, contracting, and project scheduling, since sourcing rules can affect both cost and timelines.

Key administrative details are also specified. The opportunity number is MA PID 21 001, and it is categorized as a discretionary grant in the transportation funding area (CFDA 20.823). MARAD expected to make around 20 awards, and the maximum award size (award ceiling) is listed as $57.5 million. The original application deadline was July 30, 2021, with applications due by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and submitted through Grants.gov. Additional guidance, including answers to questions, clarifications, and webinar information, was made available through MARADs PIDP FAQ page, and the official notice was to be posted in the Federal Register for full program terms and instructions.

• The Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2021 Port Infrastructure Development Grants" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.823.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 29, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 30, 2021 Applications must be submitted by 500 p.m. E.D.T. on July 30, 2021. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $57,500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 20 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for MA PID 21 001

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: