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Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant - Community Charging & Fueling
Federal competitive grant for community-tier charging (multifamily, downtown, schools). Round 3 NOFO not yet released. 80% federal cost share max.
At a glance
| Status | Between rounds: next round not yet open |
|---|---|
| Eligible sites | affordable housing, multifamily, public access, workplace |
| Timing | Round 3 NOFO not yet announced as of May 2026. FHWA has not provided estimated date. Monitor grants.gov and fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cfi/. |
| Administered by | Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. DOT |
| Last verified | 2026-09-29 |
Status and key dates
Between rounds Checked against the agency page on 2026-09-29
Between rounds. FHWA has awarded Rounds 1A, 1B and 2 and says: "No estimated date for NOFO release is available at this time."
- Rounds 1A, 1B, 2
- Awarded
- Next notice of funding (NOFO)
- No date announced by FHWA
Who qualifies
Public entities apply: states, regional planning agencies, cities, counties, tribes and similar public authorities. A private site owner takes part as a partner of a public applicant.
How EV charging fits this program
The Community category funds publicly accessible charging in communities rather than along highway corridors. Chargers must be open to the public.
Amounts
Award sizes and the federal share are set in each NOFO. There is no per-port amount.
How to apply, step by step
- If you are a private owner, find a public applicant: your city, county, transit agency or regional planning agency.
- Prepare site control, a cost estimate and community benefit data before the next NOFO is published.
- Watch the FHWA CFI page and Grants.gov for the NOFO.
What to use instead
Open or upcoming programs that cover similar projects. Status and amounts are live from our database.
| Program | Level | Status | Amount (from our data) | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEVI Formula Program | Federal | Between rounds | See program | 2026-09-29 |
| CALeVIP Communities in Charge | California State | Between rounds | See program | 2026-09-29 |
| LCFS Electricity Pathway | California State | Open | See program | 2026-09-29 |
How it pays
Competitive discretionary grant. Past Round 1 and Round 2 community-tier projects of 20-30 ports landed in $60K-$215K range total. Final tranche of CFI funding is anticipated to be at least $700M.
DAC bonus available. Projects in state-designated low-income or environmental-justice areas qualify for a higher rebate amount on this program.
Who qualifies
Eligible applicants: states, MPOs, units of local government, special districts, tribal governments, authorities (transit, port, etc.), territories. Private entities apply via partnership with public entity. Public access generally required. Federal cost share 80% max.
Eligible properties
Geography
U.S. (Community-tier projects are non-corridor - local destinations like multifamily, downtown, schools, parks, libraries, community sites). 50% of funds set aside for projects in or benefiting DACs.
Timing
Round 3 NOFO not yet announced as of May 2026. FHWA has not provided estimated date. Monitor grants.gov and fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cfi/.
How to apply
How this stacks with other programs
Federal programs typically stack with utility, regional (air district), state, and city/county programs on the same project. The general California stacking rules:
- Federal §30C tax credit: ended for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026. Projects placed in service on or before that date may still claim it; new projects should plan without it.
- Federal grants (CFI, REAP, NEVI): not stackable with other federal grants on the same port.
- State + utility + regional + local: generally full stack across tiers. Same-tier programs serving the same port don't double-fund.
For the full stacking matrix, see the homepage stacking section.
Programs that stack with this one
These are explicit stacking partners verified against agency rules. Combine with this program on the same project to layer funding.
- Section 30C Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit
Federal · Tax Credit · Internal Revenue Service (Treasury) - Communities in Charge (CALeVIP 2.0 L2 statewide)
California State · Cash Rebate · California Energy Commission (CEC) - administered by CALSTART
More federal programs
- Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant - Corridor Charging
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. DOT - National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program
FHWA / Joint Office of Energy and Transportation; CA implementer is Caltrans + CEC - USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
USDA Rural Development - DOE State Energy Program (SEP) - formula funds to CA Energy Commission
U.S. DOE Office of State and Community Energy Programs
By utility
This program applies statewide. See what else is open in your utility's territory:
Sources checked on 2026-09-29
Sourcing chargers for a project that uses this program?
EVgpo quotes the chargers for projects that use this program: ChargePoint, Blink, Siemens, ABB, Wallbox and most other commercial brands. The program is filled in for you.
Get charger pricing →Verified against agency sources on 2026-09-29. Eligibility, deadlines, and dollar amounts can change between refresh cycles - always confirm directly with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. DOT before applying. See how we verify.