Project Summary

The Department of Transportation’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) is a grant program administered by the Maritime Administration. These funds are awarded for projects that aim to improve the safety, reliability, or efficiency of the movement of goods through US ports. This may include port infrastructure improvements, improvements to nearby transportation infrastructure, environmental impact mitigation, or projects supporting the seafood industry such as processing, storage, or transportation.

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In 2022, the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska was seeking funds from the DOT’s PIDP discretionary grant to improve the commercial port infrastructure in Unalaska, Alaska, and support employment, economic development, and safer, more reliable transportation access. The funding was expected to speed up the CMA-CGM Dutch Harbor Terminal’s North Barge Expansion Project and the Borad Bay project. Project activities included the construction of two new docks, the construction of a bulkhead, and improvement to terminal operations and efficiency.

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TBEC used information from the QTU, as well as additional research, to draft the Grant Application.  Client meetings were conducted to gain an understanding of what the community was hoping to achieve with the completion of the North Barge Expansion Project. As the QTU had applied for the DOT RAISE grant the same year for the same project, TBEC was able to repackage some of the information from the grant for use in the PIDP application. Overall, the application process took four weeks to complete, with client meetings, additional research, and drafting. The QTU was one of 41 applications awarded in 2022 from a nationwide pool of applicants. A total of $703 million was awarded, with the QTU receiving $92,020,000 for the North Barge Expansion Project.

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Project Deliverables:

• PIDP grant application that included:

  • Project description and expected benefits

  • Summary of costs

  • Summary of project readiness.

• Budget narrative

• Forms

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External Links:

2022 Award Notice

PIDP grant webpage

QTU website