ARPA-I Ideas and Innovation Challenge Finals Event 2026

The ARPA-I Ideas and Innovation Challenge is a two-stage prize competition launched by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Infrastructure (ARPA-I). It serves as an open call for innovators across the public and private sectors to identify and develop breakthrough ideas in transportation technology. The challenge focuses on strategic thrust areas including Knowledge (tools that allow infrastructure operators to understand their transportation infrastructure systems), Construction (methods for building infrastructure safer, faster, more cost-effectively, and with a longer lifespan), Optimization (systems for optimizing the movement of people and goods at scale in real time), and Enabling and Foundational Technologies. The Finals Event on June 24, 2026, will feature selected Final Four teams presenting their detailed project proposals to a distinguished panel of judges and an audience from both public and private sectors, competing for a share of $700,000 in Stage 2 prizes. The aim is to inform ARPA-I and USDOT's future research and development path.