FY 2023 Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure and Safety Modernization Grant | 693JK323NF0014

Opportunity Information: Apply for 693JK323NF0014

The FY 2023 Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure and Safety Modernization Grant (Funding Opportunity Number 693JK323NF0014) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The program is designed to support projects that modernize natural gas distribution infrastructure and improve safety, aligning with public safety and reliability goals tied to the nation s pipeline distribution systems. While the provided notice text is brief, the title and administering agency strongly indicate a focus on upgrading aging distribution pipelines and related equipment, reducing leak and failure risk, and strengthening overall system integrity through targeted modernization investments.

This opportunity uses a grant as the funding instrument, meaning selected applicants receive financial assistance to carry out eligible activities rather than a procurement contract for goods or services. The funding activity categories associated with the notice span energy, environment, transportation, employment and labor and training, and Opportunity Zone Benefits. That mix suggests projects may include not only physical infrastructure work but also related planning, program administration, workforce or training elements, and potential alignment with broader place based economic development priorities where applicable.

Eligible applicants include county governments, city or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The listing also includes an "Others" category with the note to see additional eligibility details in the full announcement, which typically means certain additional public entities, special districts, or other qualifying organizations may be eligible if they meet program specific criteria. A key constraint in the notice is that PHMSA will accept only one application per applicant, so any entity intending to apply would need to consolidate priorities into a single, well scoped proposal rather than submitting multiple project applications.

The maximum award amount listed is 125,000,000, indicating that individual grants can be very large for major modernization efforts. The notice projects about 60 awards, which implies a competitive selection process where PHMSA expects to fund a substantial number of recipients but likely with varying grant sizes depending on project scope, readiness, risk reduction impact, and other evaluation factors described in the full funding announcement.

The posting indicates the opportunity was created on May 23, 2023, with an original application deadline of July 24, 2023. Applications were required to be submitted electronically, since the notice explicitly states not to mail applications, and it warns that late submissions may not be considered. In practical terms, that means applicants needed to plan for submission well ahead of the deadline to avoid technical or administrative delays.

In summary, this PHMSA FY 2023 grant opportunity is aimed at helping eligible local and tribal governments (and possibly other qualifying entities per the full eligibility language) advance natural gas distribution infrastructure modernization and safety improvements. It is a discretionary, competitive grant program with potentially very large individual awards, an expected total of around 60 funded recipients, and strict submission rules including a single application per applicant and an electronic submission requirement by the stated deadline.

• The Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin in the employment, labor and training, energy, environment, opportunity zone benefits, transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure and Safety Modernization Grant" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.708.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 23, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 2023 Do not mail applications. Applications received after this deadline may not be considered. PHMSA will only accept one application from each applicant.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 60 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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