FY 2026 Commercial Motor Vehicle High Priority Enforcement Training and Support Grant Program (HP-ETS)

The Commercial Motor Vehicle High Priority Enforcement Training and Support Grant Program (HP-ETS) is administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). FMCSA is responsible for regulating and overseeing the safety of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in the United States. The HP-ETS program specifically supports initiatives to train non-Federal employees involved in CMV safety enforcement and to develop training materials that align with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR), and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Out-of-Service criteria. The FY 2026 grant cycle aims to enhance national CMV safety through comprehensive, standardized instruction and certification of enforcement personnel. The HP-ETS program is authorized under 49 U.S.C. §§ 31102(l)(5) and 31104 and has been shaped by provisions from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. For FY 2026, FMCSA expects to issue up to three cooperative agreements with a total funding pool of $5,000,000. These agreements will be implemented with substantial federal involvement, including oversight of instructor certification, course content approvals, and LMS record integration. FMCSA will assign Subject Matter Experts and Master Instructors to support and evaluate performance during the cooperative agreement period. The award period spans the fiscal year of the award and four subsequent fiscal years. Eligible applicants are strictly limited to nonprofit organizations with demonstrated expertise in CMV safety training and the capacity to reach target populations of enforcement professionals. For-profit entities are explicitly excluded. Applicants must describe their curriculum development process, delivery methods (e.g., Instructor-Led Training, Virtual Instructor-Led Training, or Web-Based Training), and instructor qualifications. All courses must conform to Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) standards and be approved by FMCSA before implementation. The program prioritizes proposals that comprehensively address training needs across core areas such as inspections, hazardous materials, new entrant audits, and investigations. Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by April 24, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Required forms include the SF-424 series, Budget Narrative, Title VI Assurance and Compliance Plan, key personnel documentation, and curriculum outlines. Applicants must also submit a 15-month project timeline that includes a 3-month transition period. The application narrative is capped at 35 pages and must include sections on project introduction, objectives, activities, performance measurement, reporting, and budget justification. Each narrative component is limited to five pages. Applications will be reviewed first for eligibility and completeness, then evaluated on technical merit, budget appropriateness, alignment with FMCSA priorities, past performance (if applicable), and program-specific criteria such as curriculum comprehensiveness and instructor readiness. Final award decisions will be made by the FMCSA Administrator. Award notifications will be issued via GrantSolutions, and funded organizations will be required to comply with all federal laws, including Buy America and civil rights statutes. Recipients must report quarterly on performance and finances and submit all student records and examination outcomes via FMCSA’s LMS or an approved interface. FMCSA emphasizes that HP-ETS funding is competitive and not guaranteed. Organizations are encouraged to align their applications with best practices in instructional design (e.g., ADDIE model) and evaluation (e.g., Kirkpatrick model). They should also demonstrate readiness to meet accessibility standards and cybersecurity protocols. For assistance with financial application issues, Tiffany Boyd can be contacted at [email protected] or (240) 948-8780. Programmatic inquiries can be directed to Jeanette Staton at [email protected] or (202) 366-9426. Civil rights concerns should be addressed to Lester Finkle at [email protected] or (202) 366-4474.

Ensure all required documents and compliance certifications are uploaded; proposals must align with FMCSA-approved course objectives and instructor standards.