The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is accepting applications for the Tribal HPP Program. The program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will provide nearly $9 million in Fiscal Year 2027 to (1) an Indian Tribe or governmental subdivision of an Indian Tribe whose annual allocation of funding under the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) is insufficient to complete the Tribe’s highest priority project, or (2) any Indian Tribe that has an emergency or disaster occur on a Tribal transportation facility that renders the facility impassable or unusable.
Please visit the Tribal HPP Program website to access the application forms and accompanying guides. If you have questions or require technical assistance, please contact the Tribal HPP Program Manager, Chris Riley at chris.w.riley@dot.gov, or (907) 214-0322. Technical assistance includes explaining project eligibility, clarifying the scoring criteria, and reviewing the application for completeness. The informational Priority Project checklist or the Emergency/Disaster checklist also provides the eligibility requirements for the Tribal HPP Program.
Applications must be submitted to your BIA Point of Contact or FHWA Tribal Coordinator by 11:59 P.M. (local time for applicant) on January 31, 2027. Late applications for priority projects will not be accepted for FY 2027.
A complete application package includes the following documents:
- Application form (fillable pdf) submitted by an authorized official of the Tribe. (Priority Project Application or Emergency or Disaster Application)
- Cost Estimate.
- NTTFI data sheet showing the route(s) and section(s) have official status.
- Official Tribal action (resolution or authorization) that includes all of the following: (1) requests the project and references the Tribal High Priority Projects Program, (2) provides authority of the Secretary of Interior to place the project on a Transportation Improvement Program if the project is selected and approved, AND signed by an authorized official of the Tribe.
- If requesting funds for construction, provide a signed/stamped plan cover sheet in accordance with 25 CFR 170.461 (if applicable) and following the Tribe’s program delivery contract/agreement.
For Emergency or Disaster Applications, a complete application includes the following additional documents:
- Documentation demonstrating that damage to a Tribal transportation facility meets the eligibility requirements of an emergency or disaster event.
- Preliminary cost estimate.
- Preliminary sketch(es) of the damage and proposed repairs.
- Preliminary quantity calculations for major work items.
- Detailed inspection of each damage site including photos.
- Email that was sent to BIA informing them of the emergency or disaster event.
All other documents listed in the informational Priority Project checklist or the Emergency/Disaster checklist will be used to support the score and ranking of the applications with reference to the Project Scoring Matrix. Instructions to fill out the application form instructions for the Priority Projects and Emergency/Disaster Projects can also be found on the Tribal HPP Program website.
