PIDP Grant Application Period Opens

The U.S. Department of Transportation released the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY 2024 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), making available $450 million in grant awards through the Maritime Administration (MARAD). The application due date has been extended to May 10, 2024. MARAD has scheduled a series of webinars on the PIDP grant application process to provide technical assistance for potential applicants. 

AAPA anticipates the NOFO to soon be updated to reflect the recently passed FY 2024 Appropriations legislation, which included $50 million for PIDP. That legislation also approved $70.5 million for earmarked port projects through PIDP, which will be unavailable for competitive application through the NOFO. Compared to FY 2023, there are several changes for the FY 2024 NOFO:

• Clarifies that projects supporting seafood and seafood-related businesses are eligible;
• Clarifies eligibility of projects for shore power;
• Amends the definition of Small Port and clarifies how MARAD will determine that an applicant qualifies as a Small Port;
• Adds a definition of strategic seaport and clarifies that MARAD may give priority to providing PIDP funding to strategic seaports in support of national security requirements;
• Adds rating rubrics for the statutory merit criteria;
• Updates guidance related to Selection Considerations based on Departmental priorities (Climate Change and Sustainability, Equity and the Justice40 Initiative, and Workforce Development, Job Quality, and Wealth Creation);
• Per changes made to the PIDP statute in section 3513 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Pub. L. 118-31, December 22, 2023) (FY 2024 NDAA), the cost-effectiveness determination stated in Section D.2.i. is waived for all large projects located in noncontiguous States and U.S. territories. Additionally, MARAD will not evaluate these projects under the Supporting Economic Vitality merit criterion; and
• Updates guidance related to the factors reviewers will consider in project readiness evaluations.

Read AAPA’s initial advocacy update on the short form PIDP NOFO.