The United States
Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced a Notice
of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) making available more than US$662 million in
Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 funding for MARAD’s Port Infrastructure
Development Program (PIDP).
The purpose of the PIDP
investment is to modernise the country’s ports and help
strengthen the supply chain sector in the US. The infrastructure package of the
president of the US, Joe Biden, provides US$450 million annually in funding for
the programme.
In addition, MARAD’s Port
Infrastructure Development Program discretionary grants help eligible
applicants including port authorities, states, local governments, indigenous
Tribal nations, counties, and other eligible entities complete critical port
and port-related infrastructure projects.
Maritime
Administrator Ann Phillips, commented, “The program also includes a statutory
set-aside for small ports to continue to improve and expand their capacity to
move freight reliably and efficiently, support local and regional economies,
and support supply chain improvement.”
Grants are awarded
on a competitive basis to support projects that improve the safety, efficiency,
or reliability of the movement of goods through ports and intermodal
connections to ports.
MARAD will also consider how
projects address climate change and sustainability, equity, and workforce
development objectives.
In the coming
weeks, the Federal Highway Administration will open FY 2022-20223 grant
applications for the Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities program,
which will make US$160 million available to test, evaluate, and deploy projects
that reduce port-related emissions from idling trucks, including through the
advancement of port electrification and improvements in efficiency.
MARAD is also
planning to host a series of webinars that describe PIDP NOFO requirements and
the PIDP application process.