State Participation in Local Lead Projects Program

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has announced the availability of a non-competitive grant opportunity under its State Participation in Local Lead Projects Program. This funding initiative aligns with the state’s commitment to fostering public safety and economic development through infrastructure enhancements. Specifically, this opportunity—identified by Funding Opportunity Number 26-Gateway Green—is designated to support Chicago Gateway Green, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the beautification and enhancement of expressway corridors in the City of Chicago. The funding will serve as a sponsorship for expressway garden sites managed by the organization. The purpose of this grant is to provide capital funding to assist with roadway improvements and new construction projects that contribute to the safety, aesthetics, and functionality of state expressways. This investment targets high-visibility transportation corridors within Chicago and is designed to bolster local beautification efforts, particularly those with tangible public benefits. Although this grant is classified as non-competitive, it reflects the state's strategic approach to targeted local partnerships that serve statewide interests. The total program funding available is $175,000, which will be distributed as a single capital grant award. The award does not allow indirect costs, and cost sharing or matching funds are not required. The source of funding is strictly from the State’s Road Fund. As such, all expenses must be directly aligned with the goals of the program and applicable state requirements. There are no restrictions noted beyond those associated with indirect cost recovery, and the full amount is allocated to the named recipient. Eligibility is exclusive to the Chicago Gateway Green organization, a not-for-profit entity, and no other organizations are permitted to apply. As such, the grant has no open competition process. Evaluation criteria and selection processes are not applicable due to the sole-source nature of this funding, and the program bypasses traditional scoring or review panels. This arrangement underlines the specificity and directed purpose of the award. Applications must be submitted between March 6, 2026, and April 6, 2026, by 5:00 PM Central Time. Interested applicants—though limited to the pre-designated nonprofit—must complete and submit a set of GATA-compliant documents, including the GATA application, uniform budget, conflict of interest form, and programmatic risk assessment. Additionally, the recipient must be registered and pre-qualified in the Illinois GATA portal, have an active Unique Entity ID (UEI) on SAM.gov, and complete the fiscal and administrative risk assessment for FY2026. The grantor contact for this opportunity is Holly Bieneman, reachable at [email protected] or (217) 206-0655. There are no scheduled technical assistance sessions or webinars for this opportunity. The notice was posted on March 6, 2026, and is currently accepting applications. The award start and end dates have not been disclosed and will be determined later. Final award notifications will be sent via the GATA portal for review and acceptance by the designated grantee. The grantee will be required to submit monthly reports during the funding period. Given its exclusive focus and pre-designated recipient, this program does not operate on a recurring basis and is intended as a one-time funding action.