The Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces the opportunity to apply for up to $100 million in FY 2027 Airport Infrastructure Grant funds for the FCT competitive grant program, made available under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), Pub. L. 117-58. The purpose of the FCT competitive grant program is to make annual grants available to eligible airports for airport-owned airport traffic control tower (ATCT) projects that address the aging infrastructure of the nation’s airports. The FAA will consider ATCT projects that sustain, construct, repair, improve, rehabilitate, modernize, replace, or relocate non-approach control towers; or acquire and install air traffic control, communications, and related equipment to be used in those towers; or construct a remote tower certified by the FAA including acquisition and installation of air traffic control, communications, or related equipment.
FY 2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) FAA Contract Tower (FCT) Competitive Grant Program
Airport Improvement Program Discretionary Grants · Opportunity number DOT-FAA-26-0117-002
Details summarized from the official notice as of Oct 15, 2026. Always confirm eligibility, deadlines and requirements in the official notice before applying.
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Key facts
| Opportunity number | DOT-FAA-26-0117-002 |
|---|---|
| Agency | Airport Improvement Program Discretionary Grants Department of Transportation |
| Assistance listing (ALN, formerly CFDA) | 20.117 |
| Posted | Sep 24, 2026 |
| Deadline | Oct 19, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | $55,000,000 |
| Award floor | $25,000 |
| Cost sharing or matching required | No |
| Funding type | Grant |
| Category | Transportation |
| Last updated here | Oct 15, 2026 |
Summary from the notice
Who can apply
The official notice lists these applicant types as eligible:
- Special district governments
- County governments
- Others named in the notice (see the eligibility text)
- State governments
- City or township governments
Who should take a closer look
- State governments
- Local governments
Not listed as eligible
- Small businesses
- Nonprofits
- Colleges and universities
- Tribal governments and organizations
- Larger for-profit companies
- Individuals
Unless the eligibility text in the notice names you, this opportunity is probably not for you.
Eligibility details from the notice
See the link to the FY 2027 NOFO for eligibility information. Eligible applicants are those airport sponsors approved in the FAA’s Contract Tower Program or Contract Tower Cost Share Program as defined in 49 U.S.C. § 47124, and normally eligible for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) competitive grants as defined in 49 U.S.C. § 47115. This includes a public agency, private entity, state agency, Indian Tribe or Pueblo owning a public-use National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) airport, the Secretary of the Interior for Midway Island airport, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. For additional eligibility categories and further details on each eligible applicant category, see AIP Handbook Table 2-1 in the following weblink: https://www.faa.gov/airports/aip/aip_handbook/media/AIP-Handbook-Order-5100-38D-Chg1.pdf. For more information on the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS), visit: https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias
Registrations you will likely need
Most applications submitted through Grants.gov need the following. Registration can take several weeks, so start early. The notice lists the exact requirements.
- SAM.gov registration for your organization, which also gives you a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free.
- A Login.gov account, which Grants.gov uses for sign-in.
- A Grants.gov applicant registration linked to your organization's UEI.
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