TIMBER FOR TRANSIT
Pre-Application Support: View NBRC's Spring 2025 Program Overview 7-Part Series
This pre-recorded series will review the focus areas for the Catalyst Program, Forest Economy Program, and the Timber for Transit Program along with eligibility details, timeline and other information necessary for selecting the program that is right for your project.
2025 Timber for Transit Program Information Session (February 11, 2025): View Session Recording | View PowerPoint PDF
Go to the NBRC Resources Page for grants management information. To register or submit pre-applications and applications
, please visit NBRC’s Grants Management System.
Spring 2025 Timeline and Key Dates
- Pre-applications and waivers due (Required): March 7, 2025, before 5:00 pm EST
- Applications due (By invitation only): April 18, 2025 before 5:00 pm EST
The purpose of this funding is to advance the use of wood-based materials and composites (advanced wood materials) through applied research and demonstration projects that showcase the suitability of such materials to transportation and transportation adjacent infrastructure.
Highly competitive projects will demonstrate and widely promote the utility of high value forest products (e.g. glued laminated timber, cross laminated timber, composite materials, etc.) in transportation infrastructure and planning for extreme weather readiness. Transportation infrastructure shall mean construction, alteration, or repair, for the purpose of transporting people and goods, including fixed installations and rights of way necessary for transporting from one point to another, including infrastructure that improves economic mobility for individuals, and may include roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, parking, refueling depots, and seaports.
TIMBER FOR TRANSIT will support a broad range of feasibility and implementation projects including, but not limited to, state or regional inventory assessments of the suitability of wood components to address needed transportation infrastructure improvements and/or new construction; architectural and engineering designs, cost analyses, and permitting necessary for implementation of transportation infrastructure projects; transportation infrastructure projects which utilize commercialized wood products and advanced wood materials; design and construction of pilot and demonstration projects that showcase the capabilities and benefits of utilizing advanced wood materials in transportation infrastructure; and transportation-adjacent structures that utilize advanced wood materials. Basic research projects will not be considered. Preference will be given to applied research and demonstration projects with a strong connection to industry.
TIMBER FOR TRANSIT will give preference to proposals that:
- Commit to utilizing domestically sourced timber
- Demonstrate evidence of planning for extreme weather readiness, including but not limited to carbon capture, increased frequency and intensity of storm events, and sea level rise.
- Utilize projects as a tool for university and industry education and training
- Demonstrates alignment with state and community initiatives.
- Include promotion/publication/marketing as part of their project deliverables
- Support, benefit, or engage communities that are impacted by specific socio-economic indicators.
Timber for Transit Program Award History
View a summary of awards that have been made through the NBRC's Timber for Transit Program.
A pre-application is required to apply for Timber for Transit.
For those considering applications in 2025, complete the PROJECT INTEREST FORM and contact NBRC TIMBER FOR TRANSIT Program Manager Marina Caceres (Bowie), mcaceres@nbrc.gov 603.724.5802
Pre-Application Process: TIMBER FOR TRANSIT requires a pre-application. See the Timber for Transit Program TIMELINE for pre-application deadlines. The Timber for Transit Program USER MANUAL has detailed guidance for developing both a pre-application and application. Pre-applications will be submitted using the NBRC Grants Management System.
During the pre-application phase, projects will be reviewed for eligibility, maximum award amounts based on project classification, and relevance to program priorities. Projects that are determined to be eligible by NBRC and invited to apply will submit a full application.
Application Process: See the Timber for Transit TIMELINE for application deadlines. The Timber for Transit Program USER MANUAL has detailed guidance for developing both a pre-application and application. Applications will be submitted using the NBRC Grants Management System. Full applications will only be accepted from those entities expressly invited to apply and must be submitted using NBRC’s online application system.
Each full application will be scored based on the rating criteria developed for the Timber for Transit Program. The rating criteria to be used to award the maximum points is determined by how fully and thoroughly the applicant answers each item listed in each rating criteria. The Program Managers from the states of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont will coordinate application scoring for each of the rating criteria and present results to the Commission. The Governor’s Alternates and the Federal Co-Chair will vote on the projects selected for funding . The rating criteria is detailed in the Timber for Transit Program USER MANUAL.
Location Eligibility Guidance:
By statute, the NBRC is required to annually assess the level of economic and demographic distress within its region (40 U.S.C, Subtitle V, §15702). Assessing distress is important as the resulting designations reflect whether the Commission can provide grants within a county as well as what level of match is required of Commission funded projects. For more details on the Annual Distress Criteria, county designations, and matching requirements, visit the NBRC’s Assessing Distress Criteria webpage.
NBRC funds may not be awarded to projects located within a designated Attainment County. There are three exceptions to this:
- Isolated Areas of Distress
When a county is designated as Attainment, the Commission will collect economic and demographic data within that county to identify Isolated Areas of Distress. Isolated Areas of Distress are municipalities that have high rates of poverty, unemployment, or outmigration. For a listing of the Isolated Areas of Distress see the Annual Distress Criteria.
If a project is located within an Isolated Areas of Distress, an application may be submitted, but the applicant must indicate the location of the isolated area in the application. The match ratio for Isolated Areas of Distress projects is 50%.
- Multi-County Projects
Projects within an Attainment County may be funded if the project is part of a multi-county project that includes at least one other Distressed or Transitional County. The match ratio for multi-county projects is based on the average of the counties that make up the project.
- Significant Benefit Waiver
There are two exceptions that require a Significant Benefit Waiver to allow those projects, applicants or co-applicants that fall outside of the areas that meet the Commission’s annual distress criteria as designated in Table 4 to apply for NBRC funds. Those exceptions are:
- An exception exists for projects located within an Attainment County but outside of one of the identified “Isolated Areas of Distress” that will bring significant economic benefits to NBRC Distressed or Transitional counties. See significant benefit waiver requirements in Appendix E of the Catalyst Program User Manual.
-An exception exists for applicants or co-applicants with established operations located outside of the NBRC service area but within a member state when the project that will bring significant economic benefits to NBRC Distressed or Transitional counties.
See the full list of counties and designations contained in the NBRC Distress Criteria.
Eligible Applicant Guidance:
- State government (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York only)
- Local governments (village, town, city and county)
- Secondary and career technical centers
- Other political subdivisions of States (regional planning commissions, authorities of the state)
- Non-profit entities (see Program Manual for additional details)
- Indian Tribes (federally recognized Indian tribes, see Program Manual for additional details)
For-profit entities, LLCs and other entities that are not a 501(c) are NOT eligible to apply for Timber for Transit Program funding.
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TIMBER FOR TRANSIT PROGRAM OVERVIEW (2025)
TIMBER FOR TRANSIT PROGRAM MANUAL
TIMBER FOR TRANSIT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
TIMBER FOR TRANSIT PROGRAM FAQ
NBRC Resources Page for Grants Management Information