FY 2023 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program

By Aimee Andres | May 19, 2023

FY 2023 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program

Total funding available: $170,000,000

Applications due July 17, 2023

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for $170 million in competitive grants under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Ferry Service for Rural Communities Program (FSRC) (Federal Assistance Listing #20.532). FSRC makes funding available competitively to assist in the financing of capital, planning, and operating assistance for eligible ferry services.

Summary: The Passenger Ferry Program provides funding to improve the condition and quality of existing passenger ferry services, support the establishment of new passenger ferry services, and repair and modernize ferry boats, terminals, and related facilities and equipment.

The Rural Ferry Program provides funding for capital, operating, and planning expenses for ferry service to rural areas.

Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants for the Passenger Ferry Program are: (1) designated recipients as defined in FTA Circular “Urbanized Area Formula Program: Program Guidance and Application Instructions” (FTA.C.9030.1E) and (2) direct recipients of FTA’s Urbanized Area Formula Grants, as well as public entities engaged in providing public transportation passenger ferry service in urban areas that are eligible to be direct recipients.

Eligible applicants for the Rural Ferry Program are States and Territories in which eligible service is operated. Eligible service is described in the NOFO.  Applicants must not have attributed data to an urbanized area in their most recent report to the National Transit Database for their ferry services.

Link and instructions for attaching the supplemental form to the SF-424: All applicants must complete the supplemental form and attach it to their submission in Grants.Gov.

Dates: Applicants must submit proposals electronically by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on July 17, 2023. Any agency intending to apply should initiate the process of registering on the Grants.Gov site immediately to ensure completion of registration before the submission deadline.

FTA will be hosting a webinar to discuss the requirements for the funding, application eligibility and criteria, and the submission process. Learn more about the Passenger Ferry and Ferry Service for Rural Communities programs and how to apply. The webinar will include an opportunity to ask questions. FTA is committed to providing equal access to this session for all participants. If you need alternative formats, options, or services, please email FTAFerryPrograms@dot.gov.

For Further Information: For further information, please contact the FTA program staff by email at FTAFerryPrograms@dot.gov, or by phone as shown below.

  • Passenger Ferry Program: Vanessa Williams at (202)-366-4818.
  • Rural Ferry Program:  Sarah Clements at (202) 366-3062.
Posted in Funding Opportunities