National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Community Charging Funding Opportunity Round 1 for the Southeastern Region

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, through its Strategic Development and Implementation Office, has released the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Community Charging Funding Opportunity Round 1 for the Southeastern Region. This funding opportunity is part of the broader federal NEVI Formula Program, which is designed to expand electric vehicle infrastructure across the United States. PennDOT administers these funds at the state level and is responsible for allocating resources to support the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of electric vehicle charging stations. This specific regional solicitation focuses on southeastern Pennsylvania and is one of several regionally segmented funding opportunities under the statewide NEVI initiative. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to deploy community-based electric vehicle charging stations that support local and regional travel. The program emphasizes installations in publicly accessible locations across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. Projects are expected to enhance EV accessibility, support transportation electrification, and align with regional planning priorities. PennDOT has identified priority eligible locations and provides an interactive map to guide applicants in selecting sites that maximize impact and align with community needs scoring criteria. Funding for this opportunity is provided on a reimbursement basis, with approximately thirty-four million dollars expected to be awarded within this Southeastern Region round. Individual project awards may not exceed one million dollars. There is no stated minimum award amount. Applicants are required to provide a minimum non-federal cost share of twenty percent of eligible project costs, meaning federal funding may cover up to eighty percent. Funding allocations may vary across counties based on population and proposal demand, and PennDOT retains discretion to adjust final award distributions. Eligible applicants, referred to as prospective contractors, must submit proposals that include a single candidate site per application. Projects involving new or upgraded utility connections of 150 kW or greater must coordinate with electric utilities and submit required utility forms in advance of the application deadline. The application process requires submission through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s eGrants Public Portal Interface. Applicants must ensure all required materials, forms, and supporting documentation are submitted electronically through this system. The application timeline begins with the release of the funding opportunity on February 19, 2026. The deadline for submitting technical questions was May 18, 2026. The proposal submission window opened on June 1, 2026, and closes on August 21, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Following submission, PennDOT will review proposals between August and October 2026, with conditional awards expected in November 2026. Selected projects will then undergo environmental review and proceed toward agreement execution between late 2026 and early 2027. Evaluation of proposals is conducted at PennDOT’s discretion and includes multiple scoring components such as site suitability, project readiness, cost considerations, and community impact. The program prioritizes geographic diversity and aims to fund at least one project in each priority eligible location. Applicants are encouraged to consult the prioritization strategy, scoring rubric, and interactive mapping tools to strengthen their proposals. Questions regarding the funding opportunity may be directed to the designated PennDOT resource email, and additional guidance materials, including webinars and supporting documents, are provided to assist applicants throughout the process.