The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) on Friday announced a new infrastructure project funding program that will supplant the popular Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program.

The USDOT published a notice of funding opportunity for interested parties to apply for $1.5 billion in discretionary grants through the new Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) transportation grant program. The BUILD grant program will replace the TIGER program, which was introduced in 2009.

Fiscal-year 2018 BUILD grants can be used for road, bridge, transit, rail, port or intermodal projects.  Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects that will have a “significant local or regional impact,” USDOT officials said in a press release.

Projects seeking BUILD funding will be evaluated on merit criteria that includes safety, economic competitiveness, quality of life, environmental protection, state of good repair, innovation, partnership and additional non-federal revenue for future transportation infrastructure investments, they said.

The department intends to award a greater share of the grants to projects located in rural areas; at least 30 percent of funds must be awarded to projects in rural communities.

“BUILD transportation grants will help communities revitalize their surface transportation systems while also increasing support for rural areas to ensure that every region of our country benefits,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 made available $1.5 billion for National Infrastructure Investments, otherwise known as BUILD transportation grants, through Sept. 30, 2020.

For this initial round of BUILD grants, the maximum award will be $25 million, and no more than $150 million will be awarded to a single state.

USDOT will host three webinars on May 24, 29 and 31 to inform potential applicants of the BUILD grant application process. The deadline to submit an application is July 19.