Colorado State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive Program (STIC)

Program Overview

The mission of the Colorado State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) is to facilitate the rapid implementation of technology, processes, procedures and techniques among transportation professionals to ensure smart and efficient investment in Colorado's transportation infrastructure. The Incentive Program provides resources to help STICs foster a culture for innovation and to make innovations standard practice. Through the program, funding up to $125,000 per Federal fiscal year is made available to Colorado to support or offset the costs of standardizing innovative practices.

STIC Applications Announced, April 2023

Note: the 2024 STIC Application process is open. Available STIC funds increased from $100,000 to $125,000 for 2024. Applications are due May 1, 2024. 

Colorado’s Statewide Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) is currently soliciting ideas for innovations and technologies eligible for STIC Incentive Funds. Projects eligible for STIC funding under this current solicitation include, but are not limited to, projects that advance the implementation of Every Day Counts (EDC) Innovations in CO.

STIC Incentive Funds are available up to $125,000 per federal fiscal year for awards.

Applications should be innovative and ready to implement. STIC funding for winning applicants is intended to support or offset the costs of standardizing innovative practices, not fund entire projects. STIC-funded projects require 20% non-Federal match. 

Proposal submissions are due May 1, 2024. Please email completed applications to [email protected]. 

• The funding application is available here.
• STIC reporting forms are available here.

Please contact Bryan Roeder if you have any questions. 

About the STIC

The formation of State Transportation Innovation Councils, or STICs, emerged from the "Every Day Counts" summits sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Bringing together the key players in the area of highway transportation within a state is a great way to determine which innovations will work best for them. Colorado's STIC was chartered in July 2014 through an effort co-sponsored by CDOT and the Colorado Division of FHWA.

The vision of the Colorado STIC is to foster a collaborative culture for rapid implementation of innovations to efficiently deliver a modern, high-quality transportation system within the state. STIC's mission is to facilitate the rapid implementation of technology, processes, procedures and techniques among transportation program delivery professionals at all levels of government, and throughout the private and non-profit sectors to ensure smart, efficient investment in Colorado's transportation infrastructure.

The STIC Executive Steering Committee is co-chaired by the assistant division administrator of FHWA's Colorado Division and CDOT's chief engineer. CDOT's Office of Process Improvement served as the secretariat for STIC from 2014-2016. CDOT's Applied Research and Innovation Branch now serves in that role.

Colorado STIC Incentive Program

See all of Colorado's past STIC projects here.

Part of the responsibility of the Colorado STIC is to administer the Colorado STIC Incentive Program. This program offers technical assistance and funds—up to a total of $100,000 per year for all projects—to support the costs of standardizing innovative practices within CDOT and/or other public sector STIC stakeholders.

Projects selected for the Incentive Program meet these criteria:

• The project will have a statewide impact on making the innovation a standard practice.
• The activities for which incentives are requested should be included in the STIC's implementation plan, and align with FHWA's Technology and Innovation Deployment Program (TIDP) goals.
• The activities funded through the TIDP should be eligible for federal-aid assistance and adhere to CFR requirements.
• The activities in the proposal should be started as soon as practical after notification of selection (preferably within six months, but no later than one year), and TIDP work must be completed within two years.

As noted above, projects must advance TIDP goals, which include:

• Significantly accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies by the surface transportation community.
• Provide leadership and incentives to demonstrate and promote state-of-the-art technologies, elevated performance standards and new business practices in highway construction processes that result in improved safety, faster construction, reduced congestion from construction, and improved quality and user satisfaction.
• Construct longer-lasting highways through the use of innovative technologies and practices that lead to faster construction of efficient and safe highways and bridges.
• Improve highway efficiency, safety, mobility, reliability, service life, environmental protection and sustainability.
• Develop and deploy new tools, techniques and practices to accelerate the adoption of innovation in all aspects of highway transportation.