The Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, Alaska Community Transit Office has opened the SFY2028 Human Service Transportation Grant for transportation projects serving seniors, individuals with disabilities, and Alaska Mental Health Trust beneficiaries when ordinary public transportation is unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate.
Funding: Alaska Community Transit estimates $4,829,020 total available funding for SFY2028, consisting of $1,393,558 in FTA Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities funds and $3,435,462 from the Alaska Mental Health Trust.
Mandatory Intent to Apply: Every prospective applicant must first submit the appropriate Intent to Apply form to dot.alaska.transit@alaska.gov by September 18, 2026 at 4:30 PM. The controlling NOFO does not state a time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. ACT expects to send eligibility notifications October 2, 2026.
Final application deadline: The application period opens October 19, 2026 and complete applications are due December 18, 2026 at 4:30 PM. The controlling NOFO again does not state a time zone. Late applications will not be accepted. The award period is July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028.
Eligible populations: Projects must directly serve older adults, people with disabilities, or Alaska Mental Health Trust beneficiaries, including people experiencing mental illness, developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, chronic alcoholism, or traumatic brain injury.
Eligible project types and mandatory match: Operating projects carry a 50/50 match rate; fares cannot count toward local match when FTA 5310 funds are involved. Capital projects carry an 80/20 match rate. Purchase-of-services projects also carry an 80/20 match rate and must buy transportation from a third-party vendor rather than being operated by the applicant. Alaska Community Transit’s related AMHT program guidance also identifies vehicles, equipment, technology, mobility management and purchased rides among historically eligible transportation uses, subject to the applicable funding source, coordinated plan and project approval.
Eligible applicants: An applicant must be in a community with a current coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan, must participate in that plan, and must receive ACT eligibility verification after the Intent to Apply. Eligible entity types include private nonprofit organizations and qualifying state or local government authorities, including Tribal authorities, that coordinate services for seniors and people with disabilities and/or can certify that no nonprofit organization is readily available in the area to provide the service.
Application requirements: After ACT eligibility verification, applicants must complete the application in BlackCat and provide the approved Intent to Apply, current coordinated plan, ranked Priority of Projects list, local governing-body resolution approving the priorities and any new or updated coordinated plan, plus a Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity when applicable.
Evaluation: ACT will consider whether a project establishes, preserves or improves transportation for the target populations; uses measurable performance indicators; addresses a recognized community need through coordinated planning; leverages other resources or demonstrates local commitment; connects with other transportation systems; supports useful-life vehicle goals where relevant; and demonstrates sufficient applicant transportation-grant experience and financial capacity.
Potential Alaska applicants: Organizations serving seniors and people with disabilities that already participate in local coordinated transportation planning are the strongest prospects. Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL) is one realistic candidate to screen because it serves elders and people with disabilities across Southeast Alaska and has documented transit-related compliance materials; Joan O’Keefe is identified as Executive Director and the organization publishes info@sailinc.org. Applicant eligibility, current coordinated-plan participation, project priority and match capacity must be verified before any outreach or package is advanced.
Atlas assessment: Atlas Opportunity Score 88/100. The program is highly relevant to aging, disability, behavioral-health, IDD and community-health access, with substantial statewide funding and clear transportation use cases. N9+ Fit Score: 3/100. This is transportation funding rather than a remote physical examination or connected-care procurement, so N9+ should not be forced into the project. QC Healthcare / Dr. Miltie fit: 8/100 conditional. Any role would be secondary to an applicant-led transportation or health-access strategy; Dr. Miltie is not being treated as the direct applicant.
Mandatory-match hold: Atlas has not initiated applicant outreach, prepared an applicant package, or committed any applicant to this opportunity because all listed project classes require a mandatory local/non-Federal share. Pursuit remains on hold pending approval of the match structure and applicant-specific verification. The September 18 Intent to Apply deadline should be treated as the immediate eligibility gate.
Official sources: Alaska Community Transit SFY28 funding page; SFY2028 Human Service Transportation Grant NOFO; Alaska Mental Health Trust transportation program guidance.