The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has opened the Downstate Reduced Fare Grant Program, Funding Opportunity 27-4112-001, CSFA 494-80-4112.
Program purpose: The program reimburses eligible Illinois public transit agencies for the difference between their regular fare and an approved reduced student fare for documented eligible student trips. Eligible students include those enrolled in Illinois public elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools, as well as public career centers and public technical education centers administered by the Illinois State Board of Education. Reduced fares may apply whenever the agency’s regular public transportation service is operating, including summer school, summer lunch programs, special education programs, and other eligible student trips.
Funding: IDOT lists $20,000,000 in estimated total program funding. The award floor, ceiling, and anticipated number of awards are not specified. No cost share or match is required, and indirect costs are not allowed.
Eligible applicants: Public transit agencies participating under 30 ILCS 740. The program is designed for public transit agencies, not school districts as direct applicants. Educational partners include public school districts, regional offices of education, public career centers, and public technical education centers.
Deadline: Applications are due October 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM. The official GATA summary and NOFO do not publish a time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. Applications are submitted through IDOT’s BlackCat Grant Management System.
Technical assistance: The NOFO identifies sessions on September 8 and September 22, 2026 at 3:00 PM. The summary page marks technical assistance as mandatory, while the detailed NOFO checkbox presentation is internally inconsistent on whether the session itself is mandatory. Applicants should attend the September 22 session if possible and confirm the requirement directly with IDOT before submission.
Required application components: At minimum, the application requires OP-3 describing the applicant organization; a detailed scope covering service delivery, vehicles/operators, readiness, educational-partner roles, student enrollment and ridership tracking, and current/proposed fare structure; demonstrated transportation need and feasibility; a list of proposed educational partners; mobility/economic hardship information; and letters of support. Applicants that received Illinois Safe Routes to School funding within the prior two years must show program coordination.
Scoring: IDOT scores Detailed Scope (30 points), Demonstrated Transportation Need and Feasibility (35 points), Educational Partner Participation and Community Support (25 points), and Areas of Mobility and Economic Hardship (10 points).
Restrictions: Funds reimburse only the approved fare differential for documented eligible student trips and cannot be used for general operating assistance or to replace traditional school transportation provided by private school bus operators. Participating agencies may not operate exclusive school bus service in direct competition with private school bus operators.
Atlas assessment: Atlas Opportunity Score 78/100. This is a strong school-access and student-support opportunity because it can reduce transportation barriers for public-school and career/technical students, including students participating in special education programs. N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100. The program reimburses transit fare reductions and does not support remote physical-examination technology or clinical equipment. Maximum defensible N9+ revenue: $0. Direct Dr. Miltie vendor path: not viable under the published public-transit-agency applicant structure and fare-reimbursement scope.
Official sources: Illinois GATA opportunity summary; official IDOT NOFO; IDOT BlackCat application portal.