IIJA Infrastructure Grants 2026: What's Still Open

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — better known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — was signed in November 2021 with a price tag of $1.2 trillion over a decade. It was the largest infrastructure investment in a generation, touching everything from roads and bridges to broadband, clean water, and the electric grid.

Nearly five years in, the money is moving. But not all at the same pace, and not to every sector equally. Here's where IIJA funds are actually going in 2026 — and more importantly, what's still available for organizations that want to access this funding.

Recent Announcements

• August 2026: Surface-transportation authorization expires September 30 — the single most consequential date on the IIJA calendar. Programs authorized by the law need congressional action to continue past it.
• April 2026: All 56 states and territories have submitted BEAD Final Proposals; 53 have NTIA approval, unlocking funds and moving states into signing subgrant agreements (NTIA/CRS)
• FY2026 appropriations: Over $2.3 billion in IIJA allocations rescinded, the largest being roughly $879 million from the NEVI electric-vehicle charging program. Highway, bridge, transit, water, and broadband core programs were not cut.
• February 24, 2026: The FY2026 BUILD round closed — $1.5 billion. This is the program formerly called RAISE (see the rename note below).

Correction: RAISE is now BUILD, and the FY2026 round has closed

An earlier version of this post said a "RAISE Round 8" would open mid-2026. That was wrong on two counts, and if you were waiting on it, here is the correction:

1. The program was renamed. RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) is now BUILD. Searching for "RAISE grants 2026" will not surface the current notice.
2. The FY2026 round already closed — February 24, 2026, at $1.5 billion.

There is no open BUILD/RAISE competition right now. The next round is contingent on the September 30, 2026 reauthorization, not scheduled.

Overview: $550B in New Spending, $280B+ Already Awarded

First, an important distinction: IIJA authorized $1.2 trillion total, but roughly $650 billion of that was reauthorization of existing programs (highway formulas, transit, etc. that would have been funded anyway). The genuinely new federal investment is approximately $550 billion.

Of that new spending, an estimated $280 billion has been awarded or committed to date (estimated figure, based on publicly available data through early 2026). That leaves roughly $270 billion still to be distributed — a substantial portion of which flows through competitive grant programs that organizations can apply for.

The pace of spending has accelerated. In 2022, the focus was on standing up programs and processing applications. By 2023–2024, awards picked up significantly. In 2026, most formula programs are fully distributed, and the competitive grant programs are in later rounds with large pools still available.

Sector Breakdown: Where the New Money Is Going

Roads and Bridges (~$110B)

The single largest chunk of new IIJA spending goes to surface transportation. This includes the new $12.5 billion Bridge Investment Program, the expanded RAISE Grants (formerly TIGER/BUILD), and formula increases for state highway programs. The Bridge Investment Program alone has funded 8,500+ bridge projects in its first three years.

The BUILD program — formerly RAISE, formerly TIGER — is one of the most accessible competitive grant programs for state and local governments. Awards range from $1M to $25M. The FY2026 round closed February 24, 2026 at $1.5 billion, and no successor round is scheduled; a future round depends on the September 2026 reauthorization. See more on our transportation grants page →.

Water Infrastructure (~$55B)

IIJA delivered the largest federal water investment in American history — $55 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, lead service line replacement, and emerging contaminant cleanup. These funds flow primarily through EPA to state revolving funds, which then make loans and grants to local governments and utilities.

States are still actively awarding IIJA-enhanced SRF funds. If you're a water utility, municipality, or tribal water system, the SRF programs have significant capital available through at least 2026.

Broadband (~$65B)

The $65 billion broadband investment is one of the most consequential pieces of IIJA — and one of the most complex to execute. The centerpiece is the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which allocated $42.45 billion across all 50 states plus territories. States received their allocations and are now running competitive subgrant programs to reach unserved and underserved areas.

BEAD was significantly restructured in June 2025. NTIA's Restructuring Policy Notice eliminated the fiber preference in favor of a technology-neutral framework, directed states to rescind all provisional subgrantee awards, and required a fresh "Benefit of the Bargain" application round open to satellite, fixed wireless, and unlicensed spectrum on equal footing with fiber. It also stripped non-deployment uses — workforce development, digital literacy, and community outreach are no longer BEAD-eligible. NTIA estimates the restructuring saves roughly $21 billion against original projections.

As of April 2026, all 56 states and territories have submitted revised Final Proposals and 53 have NTIA approval, which unlocks the funds and moves states into signing subgrant agreements. If you're an internet service provider, local government, or broadband co-op, check your state broadband office for where your state sits in that sequence — an approved Final Proposal is the gate that matters. Browse infrastructure grants on GrantSonar →.

One caution if you built a plan around the original rules: a provisional award you won before June 2025 was rescinded, and digital-equity style work is no longer fundable here.

Clean Energy and Grid (~$73B)

IIJA invested $73 billion in energy infrastructure — grid resilience, EV charging, Appalachian economic development, and fossil fuel transition. The DOE's Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program funds utilities and state energy offices.

NEVI took the largest single cut in FY2026. Roughly $879 million was rescinded from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program — $503.8 million in formula grants, $300 million in competitive awards, and $75 million for the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. If EV charging is your project, verify your state's remaining allocation before you invest in an application.

Other Sectors: Airports, Ports, Transit, Resilience

FAA's Airport Terminal Program ($5B) has been funding airport modernization projects. Port infrastructure, public transit, and hazard mitigation programs round out the IIJA portfolio. Many of these programs are in mid-cycle with remaining funding still being awarded.

Which States Are Getting the Most

Formula programs distribute funds based on formulas (population, lane miles, etc.), so large states — Texas, California, Florida, New York — receive the largest absolute amounts. But on a per-capita basis, rural states and states with aging infrastructure have often done well in competitive programs.

A few patterns stand out:

• Texas and California lead in total formula dollars but also receive large competitive grants due to their scale of infrastructure needs
• Rural states (Montana, Wyoming, Vermont) punch above their weight in broadband and water programs designed for underserved areas
• Rust Belt states (Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia) have been aggressive in applying for manufacturing and clean energy transition funding
• Tribal nations have dedicated set-asides in water, broadband, and transportation programs

What's Still Available: Open Grant Windows in 2026

Here's where it gets practical. Not all IIJA money is gone. Significant competitive funding is still available in 2026:

Still moving:

• BEAD subgrants — The live opportunity. 53 of 56 states and territories have approved Final Proposals and are signing subgrant agreements. Check your state broadband office.
• Water SRFs — $23.4 billion combined across Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, unaffected by the FY2026 rescissions. States continue annual allocation to utilities, municipalities, and tribal water systems.
• Bridge Investment Program — Large bridge grants (>$100M projects) have an ongoing competitive process. Smaller bridge grants flow through states.
• Airport Terminal Program — FAA accepting applications for terminal modernization.
• GRIP (Grid Resilience) — DOE program for utilities and state energy offices; confirm the current round before building an application.

Closed or not scheduled:

• BUILD (formerly RAISE) — FY2026 round closed February 24, 2026. No successor round scheduled.
• NEVI — roughly $879 million rescinded in FY2026.

The key insight has changed. IIJA is a 5-year law and the honest 2026 framing is no longer "the competitive programs are hitting their stride" — it's that the surface-transportation authorization expires September 30, 2026, and the FY2026 rescissions showed that unobligated IIJA money is now a target rather than a guarantee. State-administered channels — SRFs, BEAD, state DOT and broadband offices — are where the reliable flow is. Formula and state-administered programs have generally survived; discretionary federal pots have been the ones cut.

How to Find IIJA Grants for Your Organization

Finding the right IIJA grant requires knowing which programs match your organization type and sector. The full landscape is complex — there are hundreds of IIJA-funded programs across 12+ federal agencies.

GrantSonar tracks IIJA-linked grants in real time and matches them to your organization's mission, geography, and eligibility. Instead of manually searching Grants.gov and agency websites, you can see which programs are the best fit for you. Start free, or see plans and Founder pricing →.

Explore IIJA grants on GrantSonar →

The funding window is still open, but it is narrower and more conditional than it was a year ago. The question is whether your organization is watching the right channel — and whether it knows what closed.

Related GrantSonar pages: All infrastructure grants · Transportation grants · Water infrastructure grants · Clean energy grants

_Last updated: August 4, 2026. Sources: DOT FY2026 BUILD NOFO · DOT IIJA funding status · CRS: BEAD Program · FHWA IIJA funding. Program status changes frequently; verify against the agency notice before you build an application._