Recent updates to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Grant Program are a hot topic among airport staff and grant administrators. These grants provide crucial financial assistance, covering 75 percent of eligible expenses (up to a calculated limit) for Minnesota’s publicly owned airports (excluding Minneapolis–St. Paul International).
In a recent AirTAP webinar, Arika Johnson, MnDOT Office of Aeronautics airport development section supervisor, explained that the changes are designed to align with new MnDOT grant policies. The goal is ensuring consistent documentation and compliance, providing clear guidelines for eligibility and reimbursement, and supporting airports with maintenance and operations costs.
The most significant change to the M&O grant program is the adoption of a strict quarterly submittal process. Though reimbursement windows have always existed, MnDOT will now enforce these deadlines rigorously to ensure timely processing. Requesting a quarterly extension is possible, but Johnson emphasized that the absolute final deadline for all fiscal year expenses is December 31.
The reimbursement process has also been updated with a simplified all-in-one electronic form with dropdown menus.
To ensure accuracy and timely reimbursement, staff must use the form to provide correct documentation for every expense. This includes source documentation (such as an invoice or timesheet) and proof of payment (such as a financial report or ledger). The new form will be used until the scheduled rollout of MnDOT’s BlackCat grant management software, currently slated for late February–early March 2026. BlackCat Aviation is a hosted data management platform designed to support the full lifecycle of aviation program administration. For MnDOT, the platform will be used to manage capital improvement plans, grant and project management, contracting and invoicing, document and contact management, equipment inventory, and compliance tracking and reporting.
The list of eligible expenses for M&O grant reimbursement has been updated, with some items added and others removed. Examples of eligible expenses include maintenance, utilities, training, service contracts, and insurance. Ineligible expenses include administrative work, advertising, minor parts, and aircraft deicing.
MnDOT is also increasing oversight through grant-monitoring visits. During these visits, an engineering specialist will review airport property maintenance, verify that grant-funded equipment is present and in use, and ensure that documentation of employee maintenance activities is properly maintained. “Increasing these visits is required under our grant policies with the state, but it is also a good way to come out, visit with you guys, and listen to your concerns,” Johnson said.
Finally, a crucial administrative step that must be addressed immediately is the pre-award risk assessment. Johnson noted that grants cannot be fully executed, and reimbursements cannot be processed, until the risk assessment (available as a simple online form) has been completed and submitted.
Learn more:
- Watch the AirTAP M&O webinar recording.
- Visit MnDOT’s M&O grant program page.
- Attend a session featuring the BlackCat grant management software at this year’s Minnesota Airports Conference. Watch the conference web page for more details in early 2026.
