On February 4th, 2026, the Safety Navigator for California Communities (SNCC) at Cal Poly hosted a free webinar for local public agencies, tribes, MPOs, and RTPAs preparing applications for the FY2026 BUILD Grants.

The recording of this webinar is now available for public viewing.

The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) program provides grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects with significant local or regional impact. The eligibility requirements allow project sponsors to pursue multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through other grant programs.

This webinar focused on how applicants can strengthen their submissions in the final weeks by aligning project narratives with the updated BUILD merit criteria of safety, quality of life, mobility, community connectivity, and economic competitiveness, as well as addressing state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation.

Participants received practical guidance on demonstrating data-driven benefits, addressing project readiness and risk, framing cost share and funding commitments, and avoiding common pitfalls.

Applications are due February 24, 2026
Watch the recording here or access the presentation slides