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.
Not accepting applications right now — get one email when it reopens
GrantCompass tracks FTA Bus Safety, Accessibility, and Innovation Research Program — FY 2026’s application windows in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll tell you the day the next window opens.
Free. One email when the window moves, deadline warnings on your watchlist, and the monthly closing-soon digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
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
This program is not taking applications today — these are
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on October 1, 2026 — all 162 open grant programs · filter the database.
Explore more funding
Last updated August 24, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.