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DRCOG reviews SS4A 2026 NOFO, offers data and application support after prior application debrief
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Summary
DRCOG briefed attendees on the SS4A 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), outlined changes (60‑day window, emphasis on implementation grants), shared reviewer feedback on last year's application, and offered draft review and letters of support to local applicants. Agencies were urged to check FARS for fatality data and ensure 20% local match.
DRCOG staff walked regional partners through key points of the 2026 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Notice of Funding Opportunity and summarized lessons from the region’s prior application.
Staff noted the NOFO was published March 27 and this cycle has a shorter application window: “It is due on May 26 at 5PM, and all of the times that will be referenced are in eastern time,” one presenter said. The program this year shifts toward a larger share of implementation funding (projects roughly $2.5 million to $25 million), while planning and demonstration funds remain available (about $100,000 to $5 million), with reviewers commonly favoring proposals at or above roughly $200,000 for contracting realities.
DRCOG described reviewer feedback on last year’s regional application: the submission was rated acceptable but not among the recommended projects. Reviewers flagged NEPA/project readiness, post‑award community engagement plans, and budget clarity as areas needing more explicit narrative detail, and asked for stronger demographic analysis tied to the administration’s underserved communities definitions. DRCOG said it asked reviewers for specifics but did not receive concrete examples; nevertheless, staff recommended applicants incorporate Highway Safety Manual–style crash reduction analyses, clearly document a committed 20% local match in narratives, and align narratives with the NOFO scoring rubric.
On data guidance, DRCOG advised using FARS for fatality counts and regional/CDOT/local data for serious injury totals. Staff also noted that applicants should confirm they have valid SAM/Grants.gov and appropriate agency credentials (valid EDA/agency/REVAL identifiers) well in advance — registration can take up to 30 days.
DRCOG offered direct application support: staff will review draft narratives and budgets, provide geospatial crash data and underserved communities maps, and prepare letters of support (agencies should submit a draft letter and the discretionary grant information form early to allow DRCOG internal review and director approval).
No specific regional call for projects will be run this year; instead, DRCOG will coordinate with local governments and CDOT on targeted implementation opportunities and provide technical help for local applicants. Staff closed by reiterating the April 24 technical question deadline and recommending applicants follow the NOFO scoring order closely.
