Mega, also called the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program, is a competitive U.S. Department of Transportation grant program for significant transportation projects. Public agencies apply for the funding. Firm owners can help agency clients assess a project, prepare planning and analysis materials, and compete for later design and construction phase work, subject to procurement rules.
The program is authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58. The official program page is the best source for current requirements, application details, and funding announcements: Mega program page.
What it funds
Mega supports large, nationally or regionally significant transportation projects. Applicants should check the official program page for eligible project types, required documents, and selection factors before deciding whether a project fits.
Who applies
Public agencies apply for Mega grants. The official program page notes that IIJA programs can allow local governments, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Tribes, and other public authorities to compete directly for funding.
Consultants do not apply for Mega on behalf of the agency. They may support an agency's planning and application work, then compete for project services through the agency's procurement process.
Award size and funding available
Those figures can vary by funding notice and project. Check the official program page for the current notice and award terms. Do not rely on figures from an earlier cycle without confirming they still apply.
Cycle and current status
It does say that the IIJA provides the basis for FHWA programs and activities through September 30, 2026. Check the official program page for current status and deadlines.
FHWA and USDOT publish grant announcements and a Competitive Grant Funding Matrix organized by applicant type.
How consultants win the design work
Agencies apply for Mega funding. Consultants are selected separately by the agency to provide professional services. For planning, benefit-cost analysis, grant writing support where allowed, design, and construction phase services, consultants should follow the agency's solicitation and selection process.
Qualifications-based selection (QBS) may govern professional engineering services, and procurement rules apply. Consultants should review the solicitation and confirm applicable federal, state, and local requirements with the agency before proposing services.
What owners should do now
- Check the official Mega program page for the current funding notice, eligibility, deadlines, award terms, and required application materials.
- Confirm that the public agency is eligible and that the project matches the current program criteria before committing proposal resources.
- Help the agency assemble planning information and benefit-cost analysis inputs. Confirm whether grant writing assistance is allowed under the applicable procurement and funding rules.
- Track the agency's procurement schedule for planning, analysis, design, and construction phase services. Prepare qualifications that respond to the actual solicitation.
Official program page: https://www.transportation.gov/grants/mega-grant-program. Check it for current notices of funding opportunity before advising a client.
