Visionary Seed Fund Program FY27 Grant Opportunity
The Application Period Has Ended
Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply. We truly appreciate your interest. Our team is now carefully reviewing each submission, and every applicant will receive a letter with the decision on their application soon.
What is the Visionary Seed Fund?
Measure M allocates $20 million over 40 years for the Visionary Seed Fund (VSF), a competitive grant program to support projects that “help spark and develop innovative mobility concepts in Los Angeles County.”
In 2023, Metro launched Round One of the Visionary Seed Fund and awarded pilot projects that proposed strategies to increase ridership to pre-COVID levels and beyond. Learn more about those projects below:
- Torrance Transit (microtransit pilot)
- City of West Covina (microtransit pilot)
- Metro (station area activations):
- Leimert Park Station
- Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station
VSF FY27 Grant Opportunity - Grant Focus
The FY27 award cycle will fund innovative mobility pilot projects that focus on improving the daily rider experience through bus and rail transit stop and station improvements, including but not limited to: seating, lighting, cleanliness, heat mitigation, activation, rider information, placemaking, and accessibility.
Applicants should submit projects that can be piloted before and/or during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and leave a lasting impact for riders.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include:
- Municipal transit operators
- Local transit operators
- Metro
Applicants are required to identify one or more research partner(s) to evaluate how proposed projects address the challenges put forth in the Grant Opportunity Announcement. Transit operators must serve as the lead applicant but may partner with other entities such as for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations, other government agencies, and academic institutions.
Metro has established a list of pre-qualified research partners, and applicants may elect to partner with one of Metro’s designated research partners by specifying this in the application.
Past Visionary Seed Fund Projects
In 2023, Metro launched Round One of the Visionary Seed Fund and awarded pilot projects that proposed strategies to increase ridership to pre-COVID levels and beyond. Learn more about those projects below:
- Torrance Transit (microtransit pilot)
- City of West Covina (microtransit pilot)
- Metro (station area activations):
- Leimert Park Station
- Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Station
