FTA Bus Safety, Accessibility, and Innovation Research Program — FY 2026
U.S. Department of Transportation — Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Up to $10,000,000 total (≤2 awards anticipated)
Up to $10M cooperative agreements for bus safety and accessibility R&D; small businesses may lead with a transit vehicle manufacturer partner.
FTA will award up to $10 million in cooperative agreements under the Public Transportation Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. § 5312) for research and prototype development that makes transit buses safer for operators, passengers, and vulnerable road users, and more accessible for riders with disabilities. Private for-profit small businesses are eligible as lead applicants or partners, but each team must include a Transit Vehicle Manufacturer (TVM) in a prominent role. The federal share is capped at 80% of net project cost.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $10,000,000
- Realistic amount
- With $10 million total and up to two awards, realistic per-award funding is likely $3 million–$5 million for multi-year prototype-development projects. Applicants should also show meaningful non-federal cost share.
- Deadline
- Complete proposals due September 28, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- Eligible lead applicants include transit vehicle manufacturers, component manufacturers, public transportation providers, state/local DOTs, tribes, private for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, consultants, research consortia, and institutions of higher education
- Small businesses are explicitly eligible as lead applicants or team members
- Each team must include a Transit Vehicle Manufacturer (TVM) in a prominent role
- Project must research and prototype bus designs, innovations, or technologies that improve operator safety, passenger safety, vulnerable-road-user safety, or accessibility for people with physical and cognitive disabilities
- Applicants must have sufficient legal, financial, and technical capabilities to administer federal funds
- Active SAM.gov/UEI registration required
Who is not eligible
- Teams without a Transit Vehicle Manufacturer in a prominent role
- Applicants unable to demonstrate technical, legal, or financial capacity
- Proposals that do not produce a prototype or do not address bus safety/accessibility
- Projects that cannot begin within 2 months of award
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Research on bus operator, passenger, and vulnerable-road-user safety
- Design and prototyping of retrofittable or OEM-integrated bus features
- Advanced driver-assistance systems, camera/monitor systems, and VRU detection
- Accessibility improvements for riders with physical and cognitive disabilities
- Operator compartment protective barriers and ergonomics
- Fare-collection modernization and passenger-information systems
- Testing and evaluation tied to FTA Bus Testing requirements
Ineligible expenses
- General operating expenses not tied to the proposed R&D project
- Costs incurred before selection or award execution
- Activities that do not result in a prototype
- Procurement that does not meet Buy America requirements without an approved waiver
How to apply
-
1
Confirm TVM partnership
Identify and secure a Transit Vehicle Manufacturer (OEM or major component supplier) willing to play a prominent role in the project. Document the partnership with a letter of support or MOU.
~10 hrs
-
2
Register in SAM.gov and Grants.gov
Obtain or renew UEI and active SAM.gov registration, then complete Grants.gov registration. Allow several weeks.
~4 hrs
-
3
Develop proposal and 25-page narrative
Address FTA evaluation criteria: transit vehicle design experience, understanding of emerging transit needs, key personnel, implementation strategy, technical/legal/financial capacity, partnerships, and financial commitment. Include Buy America, ADA, data-management, and cybersecurity considerations.
~80 hrs
-
4
Complete FTA supplemental form
Download the FY 2026 supplemental form from Grants.gov or FTA's website. Fill it out electronically; scanned forms are not accepted.
~8 hrs
-
5
Submit via Grants.gov by September 28, 2026
Attach the supplemental form, narrative, SF-424, budget, and all supporting documents. Submit at least 72 hours before the deadline per FTA guidance.
~4 hrs
-
6
Finalize award in TrAMS if selected
Selected applicants must submit a final statement of work and complete the grant application in FTA's Transit Award Management System (TrAMS) within 60 days of selection.
~10 hrs
Do not wait until the last week — the TVM partnership is the gate that kills most applications. Reach out to a mid-size bus OEM or major component supplier early and make them a named co-applicant, not just a letter writer.
Deadline & timing
Posted July 29, 2026. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. SAM.gov/UEI registration is required. Mail, email, and fax submissions will not be accepted.
Required documents
- SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance
- FTA supplemental form (electronically filled)
- 25-page narrative proposal
- Line-item budget and budget narrative
- Evidence of TVM partnership and team roles
- Letters of support or MOUs from partners
- Data Management Plan
- Buy America and ADA compliance discussion
- Active SAM.gov UEI and registration
Related programs
Also open right now
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on August 24, 2026 — all 165 open grant programs · filter the database.
Explore more funding
Researched and verified 2026-08-24 against the official program source. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.