[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 196 (Thursday, October 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63653-63658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22316]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Competitive Funding Opportunity: Public Transportation COVID-19
Research Demonstration Grant Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity.
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SUMMARY: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health
emergency
[[Page 63654]]
has had a significant impact on transit operations. During a series of
FTA listening sessions held over the last three months, transit
agencies asked FTA to support research to identify solutions to address
the operational challenges that they are facing as a result of COVID-
19. In response, FTA makes available through this Notice of Funding
Opportunity (NOFO) funding to support research demonstration grants to
public transit agencies to develop, deploy, and demonstrate innovative
solutions that improve the operational efficiency of transit agencies,
as well as enhance the mobility of transit users affected by the COVID-
19 public health emergency. Demonstration grants under this NOFO are
authorized under FTA's Public Transportation Innovation Program (49
U.S.C. 5312). Eligible projects will demonstrate innovative solutions
to improve the operational efficiencies of transit systems and enhance
mobility for their communities in four major areas: (1) Vehicle,
facility, equipment and infrastructure cleaning and disinfection; (2)
exposure mitigation measures; (3) innovative mobility such as
contactless payments; and (4) measures that strengthen public
confidence in transit services. The total funding available for awards
under this NOFO is $10,000,000. FTA may supplement this amount if
additional funding becomes available.
DATES: Applicants must submit completed proposals for funding
opportunity FTA-2020-015-TRI through the GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function
by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 2, 2020. Prospective applicants
should register as soon as possible on the GRANTS.GOV website to ensure
they can complete the application process before the submission
deadline. Application instructions are available on FTA's website at
http://transit.dot.gov/howtoapply and in the ``FIND'' module of
GRANTS.GOV. FTA will not accept mail and fax submissions.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please send any questions on this
notice to Jamel El-Hamri email: Jamel.El-Hamri@dot.gov phone: 2020-366-
8985. A Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) is available for
individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at 1-800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
F. Federal Award Administration Information
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact Information
A. Program Description
The Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant
Program is funded through the Public Transportation Innovation Program
(49 U.S.C. 5312), with the goal to develop, deploy, and demonstrate
innovative solutions that improve the operational efficiency of transit
agencies, as well as enhance the mobility of transit users affected by
the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Eligible projects will propose to develop and deploy innovative
solutions in four major areas: (1) Vehicle, facility, equipment and
infrastructure cleaning and disinfection; (2) exposure mitigation
measures; (3) innovative mobility such as contactless payments; and (4)
measures that strengthen public confidence in transit.
As required by 49 U.S.C. 5312(e)(4), projects funded under this
NOFO must participate in an evaluation by an independent outside entity
that will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the success or failure
of the projects funded under this subsection and any plan for broad-
based implementation of the innovation promoted by successful projects.
B. Federal Award Information
FTA makes available $10,000,000 in fiscal year (FY) 2020 funds
under the Public Transportation Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. 5312) to
finance the Public Transportation COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant
Program. FTA may supplement the total funds available if additional
funding becomes available at the time project selections are made.
FTA will grant pre-award authority starting on the date of the
project award announcement for selected projects and should be
completed within 24 months from the date of award. Funds are available
only for eligible expenses incurred after the announcement of project
selections.
C. Eligibility Information
(1) Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include State and local governmental
authorities, direct recipients of Urbanized Area (49 U.S.C. 5307) and
Rural Area (49 U.S.C. 5311) formula funds, and Indian tribes. Eligible
applicants are limited to FTA grantees or subrecipients who would be
the primary beneficiaries of the innovative products and services that
are developed--typically public transit agencies. Except for projects
proposed by Indian tribes, proposals for projects in rural (non-
urbanized) areas must be submitted as part of a consolidated State
proposal. States and other eligible applicants also may submit
consolidated proposals for projects in urbanized areas. The submission
of the Statewide application will not preclude the submission and
consideration of any application from other eligible recipients in an
urbanized area in a State. Proposals may contain projects to be
implemented by the recipient or its subrecipients. Eligible
subrecipients include public agencies, private nonprofit organizations,
and private providers engaged in public transportation. Eligible
applicants may submit consolidated proposals for projects.
(2) Cost Sharing or Matching
The maximum Federal share of project costs is 100 percent. FTA may
give additional consideration to applicants that propose a local share
and may view these applicants as more competitive. The applicant must
document the source(s) of the local match, if any, in the grant
application. For any applicants proposing match, eligible local match
sources include the following:
Cash from non-Government sources other than revenues from
providing public transportation services;
revenues derived from the sale of advertising and
concessions;
revenues generated from value capture financing
mechanisms;
funds from an undistributed cash surplus;
replacement or depreciation cash fund or reserve;
new capital; or
in-kind contributions.
(3) Eligible Projects
Eligible projects will propose innovative solutions to improve
operational efficiencies of transit agencies and enhance the mobility
of transit users, through projects that demonstrate innovative
solutions for:
Vehicle, facility, equipment and infrastructure cleaning
and disinfection;
exposure mitigation measures such a real-time notification
of rail and bus passenger loads;
new multi-modal payment innovative mobility systems such
as contactless payments; and
measures that strengthen public confidence in transit.
Each applicant may only submit one proposal.
[[Page 63655]]
D. Application and Submission Information
(1) Address and Form of Application Submission
Applications must be submitted through GRANTS.GOV. Applicants can
find general information for submitting applications through GRANTS.GOV
at www.fta.dot.gov/howtoapply, along with specific instructions for the
forms and attachments required for submission. Mail and fax submissions
will not be accepted.
(2) Content and Form of Application Submission
a. Proposal Submission
A complete proposal submission consists of at least two forms:
1. The SF-424 Mandatory Form (downloadable from GRANTS.GOV) and
2. the supplemental form for the FY 2020 COVID-19 Demonstration
Program (downloadable from GRANTS.GOV), which is available on FTA's
website at (placeholder for FTA COVID-19 Demonstration Program).
The application must include responses to all sections of the SF-
424 mandatory form and the supplemental form unless a section is
indicated as optional. FTA will use the information on the supplemental
form to determine applicant and project eligibility for the program and
to evaluate the proposal against the selection criteria described in
part E of this notice. FTA will accept only one supplemental form per
SF-424 submission. FTA encourages applicants to consider submitting a
single supplemental form that includes multiple activities to be
evaluated as a consolidated proposal.
Applicants may attach additional supporting information to the SF-
424 submission, including but not limited to letters of support,
project budgets, or excerpts from relevant planning documents.
Supporting documentation must be described and referenced by file name
in the appropriate response section of the supplemental form, or it may
not be reviewed.
Information such as applicant name, Federal amount requested, local
match amount, description of areas served, etc., may be requested in
varying degrees of detail on both the SF-424 form and supplemental
form. Applicants must fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the
forms. If applicants copy information into the supplemental form from
another source, they should verify that the supplemental form has fully
captured pasted text and that it has not truncated the text due to
character limits built into the form. Applicants should use both the
``Check Package for Errors'' and the ``Validate Form'' validation
buttons on both forms to check all required fields. Applicants should
also ensure that the Federal and local amounts specified are
consistent.
Addressing the deteriorating conditions and disproportionately high
fatality rates on our rural transportation infrastructure is of
critical interest to the Department, as rural transportation networks
face unique challenges in safety, infrastructure condition, and
passenger and freight usage. Consistent with the R.O.U.T.E.S.
Initiative, the Department encourages applicants to consider how the
project will address the challenges faced by rural areas.
b. Application Content
The SF-424 Mandatory Form and the supplemental form will prompt
applicants for the required information, including:
i. Applicant Name
ii. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number
iii. Key contact information (contact name, address, email address, and
phone number)
iv. Congressional district(s) where project will take place
v. Project Information (title, executive summary, and type)
vi. A detailed description of the need for the project
vii. A detailed description of how the project will support the Program
objectives
viii. Evidence that the applicant can provide the local cost shares
ix. A description of the technical, legal, and financial capacity of
the applicant
x. A detailed project budget
xi. Details on the local matching funds
xii. A detailed project timeline
xiii. Whether the project impacts an Opportunity Zone
(3) Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
Each applicant is required to: (1) Be registered in SAM before
submitting an application; (2) provide a valid unique entity identifier
in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM
registration with current information at all times during which the
applicant has an active Federal award or an application or plan under
consideration by FTA. These requirements do not apply if the applicant:
(1) Is excepted from the requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c); or
(2) has an exception approved by FTA under 2 CFR 25.110(d). FTA may not
make an award until the applicant has complied with all applicable
unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not
fully complied with the requirements by the time FTA is ready to make
an award, FTA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to
receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making a
Federal award to another applicant. All applicants must provide a
unique entity identifier provided by SAM. Registration in SAM may take
as little as 3-5 business days, but there can be unexpected steps or
delays. For example, the applicant may need to obtain an Employer
Identification Number. FTA recommends allowing ample time, up to
several weeks, to complete all steps. For additional information on
obtaining a unique entity identifier, please visit www.sam.gov.
(4) Submission Dates and Times
Project proposals must be submitted electronically through
GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 2, 2020. Mail and fax
submissions will not be accepted.
FTA urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours prior
to the due date to allow time to correct any problems that may have
caused either GRANTS.GOV or FTA systems to reject the submission.
Proposals submitted after the deadline will only be considered under
extraordinary circumstances not within the applicant's control.
Deadlines will not be extended due to scheduled website
maintenance. GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are
announced on the GRANTS.GOV website.
Within 48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the
applicant should receive two email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1)
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV; and (2)
confirmation of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV. If the applicant
does not receive confirmation of successful validation or receives a
notice of failed validation or incomplete materials, the applicant must
address the reason for the failed validation, as described in the email
notice, and resubmit before the submission deadline. If making a
resubmission for any reason, applicants must include all original
attachments regardless of which attachments were updated and check the
box on the supplemental form indicating this is a resubmission.
Applicants are encouraged to begin the process of registration on
the GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of the submission deadline.
Registration is
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a multi-step process, which may take several weeks to complete before
an application can be submitted. Registered applicants may still be
required to update their registration before submitting an application.
Registration in SAM is renewed annually and persons making submissions
on behalf of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must be
authorized in GRANTS.GOV by the AOR to make submissions.
(5) Funding Restrictions
Funds may be used for post-award expenditures only. Funds under
this NOFO cannot be used to reimburse projects for otherwise eligible
expenses incurred prior to the date of project award announcements.
(6) Other Submission Requirements
FTA encourages applicants to identify scaled funding options in
case insufficient funding is available to fund a project at the full
requested amount. If an applicant indicates that a project is scalable,
the applicant must provide an appropriate minimum funding amount that
will fund an eligible project that achieves the objectives of the
program and meets all relevant program requirements. The applicant must
provide a clear explanation of how a reduced award would affect the
project budget and scope. FTA may award a lesser amount whether or not
the applicant provides a scalable option.
E. Application Review Information
(1) Project Evaluation Criteria
Addressing the deteriorating conditions and disproportionately high
fatality rates on our rural transportation infrastructure is of
critical interest to the Department, as rural transportation networks
face unique challenges in safety, infrastructure condition, and
passenger and freight usage. Consistent with the R.O.U.T.E.S.
Initiative, the Department will consider how the project will address
the challenges faced by rural areas. In addition, the Department will
review and consider applications for funding pursuant to this Notice in
accordance with the President's September 2, 2020 memorandum, entitled
Memorandum on Reviewing Funding to State and Local Government
Recipients of Federal Funds that Are Permitting Anarchy, Violence, and
Destruction in American Cities, consistent with guidance from the
Office of Management and Budget and the Attorney General and with all
applicable laws.
FTA will evaluate proposals submitted according to the following
criteria: (a) Project Innovation and Impact; (b) Project Approach; (c)
National Applicability; (d) Commercialization and/or Knowledge
Transfer; and (e) Technical, Legal and Financial Capacity. FTA
encourages each applicant to demonstrate how a project supports all
criteria with the most relevant information the applicant can provide,
regardless of whether such information has been specifically requested
or identified in this notice.
a. Project Innovation and Impact
i. Effectiveness of the project in achieving and demonstrating the
specific objectives of this program.
ii. Demonstration of benefits in addressing the needs of the
transit agency and industry and impacts to infrastructure, equipment,
transit workforce, and riders.
iii. Degree of improvement over current and existing technologies,
designs, and/or practices applicable to the transit industry.
b. Project Approach
i. Quality of the project approach such as existing partnerships,
collaboration strategies and level of commitment of the project
partners.
ii. Proposal is realistic in its approach to fulfill the
milestones/deliverables, schedule and goals.
c. National Applicability
i. Degree to which the project could be replicated by other transit
agencies regionally or nationally.
ii. Ability to evaluate technologies, designs and/or practices in a
wide variety of conditions and locales.
iii. Degree to which the technology, designs and/or practices can
be replicated by other transportation modes.
d. Commercialization and/or Knowledge Transfer
i. Demonstrates a realistic plan for moving the results of the
project into the transit marketplace (patents, conferences, articles in
trade magazines, webinar, site visits, etc.).
ii. How the project team plans to work with the industry on
improving best practices, guidance and/or standards, if applicable.
iii. Demonstrate a clear understanding and robust approach to data
collection, access and management.
e. Technical, Legal and Financial Capacity
Capacity of the applicant and any partners to successfully execute
the project effort. There should be no outstanding legal, technical, or
financial issues with the applicant that would make this a high-risk
project.
(2) Review and Selection Process
An FTA technical evaluation committee will evaluate proposals based
on the published project evaluation criteria. Members of the technical
evaluation committee will rate the applications and may seek
clarification about any statement in an application. The FTA
Administrator will determine the final selection and amount of funding
for each project after consideration of the findings of the technical
evaluation committee. Geographic diversity, diversity of the project
type, the amount of local match to be provided, and the applicant's
receipt and management of other Federal transit funds may be considered
in FTA's award decisions. Prior fare payment innovation efforts may
receive priority consideration. The FTA Administrator will consider the
following key DOT objectives:
a. Utilizing alternative funding sources and innovative financing
models to attract non-Federal sources of investment;
b. Whether the project is located in or supports public
transportation service in a qualified opportunity zone designated
pursuant to 26.U.S.C. 1400Z-1; and
c. The extent to which the project addresses challenges specific to
the provision of rural public transportation.
(3) FAPIIS Review
Prior to making a grant award, FTA is required to review and
consider any information about the applicant that is in the Federal
Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)
accessible through SAM. An applicant may review and comment on
information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously
entered.
FTA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the
other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant's
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as
described in 2 CFR 200.205 Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed
by Applicants.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
(1) Federal Award Notices
FTA will announce the final project selections on the FTA website.
Project recipients should contact their FTA Regional Office for
additional information regarding allocations for
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projects. At the time project selections are announced, FTA will extend
pre-award authority for the selected projects. There is no blanket pre-
award authority for these projects before announcement.
There is no minimum or maximum grant award amount, but FTA intends
to fund as many meritorious projects as possible. FTA only will
consider proposals from eligible recipients for eligible activities.
Due to funding limitations, projects selected for funding may receive
less than the amount originally requested. In those cases, applicants
must be able to demonstrate that the proposed projects are still viable
and can be completed with the amount awarded.
(2) Administrative and National Policy Requirements
a. Pre-Award Authority
FTA will issue specific guidance to recipients regarding pre-award
authority at the time of selection. FTA does not provide pre-award
authority for competitive funds until projects are selected, and there
are Federal requirements that must be met before costs are incurred.
For more information about FTA's policy on pre-award authority, see the
FY 2020 Apportionments Notice published on June 3, 2020, at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-06-03/pdf/2020-11946.pdf.
b. Grant Requirements
Selected applicants will submit a grant application through FTA's
electronic grant management system and adhere to the customary FTA
grant requirements for research project (insert Circular name). All
competitive grants, regardless of award amount, will be subject to the
Congressional notification and release process. FTA emphasizes that
third-party procurement applies to all funding awards, as described in
FTA Circular 4220.1F, ``Third Party Contracting Guidance.'' However,
FTA may approve applications that include a specifically identified
partnering organization(s) (2 CFR 200.302(f)). When included, the
application, budget, and budget narrative should provide a clear
understanding of how the selection of these organizations is critical
for the project and give sufficient detail about the costs involved.
c. Planning
FTA encourages applicants to engage the appropriate State
Departments of Transportation, Regional Transportation Planning
Organizations, or Metropolitan Planning Organizations in areas to be
served by the project funds available under this program.
d. Standard Assurances
The applicant assures that it will comply with all applicable
Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA circulars, and
other Federal administrative requirements in carrying out any project
supported by the FTA grant. The applicant acknowledges that it is under
a continuing obligation to comply with the terms and conditions of the
grant agreement issued for its project with FTA. The applicant
understands that Federal laws, regulations, policies, and
administrative practices might be modified from time to time and may
affect the implementation of the project. The applicant agrees that the
most recent Federal requirements will apply to the project unless FTA
issues a written determination otherwise. The applicant must submit the
Certifications and Assurances before receiving a grant if it does not
have current certifications on file.
e. Free Speech and Religious Liberty
In connection with any program or activity conducted with or
benefiting from funds awarded under this notice, recipients of funds
must comply with all applicable requirements of Federal law, including,
without limitation, the Constitution of the United States; statutory,
regulatory, and public policy requirements, including without
limitation, those protecting free speech, religious liberty, public
welfare, the environment, and prohibiting discrimination; the
conditions of performance, non-discrimination requirements, and other
assurances made applicable to the award of funds in accordance with
regulations of the Department of Transportation; and applicable Federal
financial assistance and contracting principles promulgated by the
Office of Management and Budget. In complying with these requirements,
recipients must ensure that no concession agreements are denied or
other contracting decisions made on the basis of speech or other
activities protected by the First Amendment. If the Department
determines that a recipient has failed to comply with applicable
Federal requirements, the Department may terminate the award of funds
and disallow previously incurred costs, requiring the recipient to
reimburse any expended award funds.
(3) Reporting
The post-award reporting requirements include submission of the
Federal Financial Report (FFR) and Milestone Progress Report in TrAMS.
An evaluation of the grant will occur at various points in the
demonstration process and at the end of the project. In addition, FTA
is responsible for producing an Annual Report to Congress that compiles
evaluation of selected projects, including an evaluation of the
performance measures identified by the applicants. All applicants must
develop an evaluation plan to measure the success or failure of their
projects and describe any plans for broad-based implementation of
successful projects. FTA may request data and reports to support the
evaluation and Annual Report.
a. Independent Evaluation
To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the impacts and
implications of each proposed COVID-19 Research Demonstration Program,
projects funded under this announcement will require the recipient to
conduct a third party independent evaluation of their project.
Recipients will be required to contract with a third party independent
evaluator to assist in developing an evaluation plan, and collecting,
storing and managing data required to fulfill the evaluation
requirement. No more than 10 percent of the Federal share of the
project may be used to hire the third-party independent evaluator and
the inclusion of a third-party independent evaluation should be
described in the grant application. If the project duration is more
than two years, an interim evaluation report would need to be submitted
to FTA, otherwise the evaluation report should be included as part of
the final project report.
b. COVID-19 Research Demonstration Grant Program Evaluation
Projects funded under this announcement will be required to
establish a set of performance metrics set by the third-party
independent evaluator and shared with FTA.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts Information
For questions about applying, please contact Jamel El-Hamri email:
Jamel.El-Hamri@dot.gov phone: 202-366-8985. A TDD is available at 1-
800-877-8339 (TDDFIRS). To ensure that applicants receive accurate
information about eligibility or the program, applicants are encouraged
to contact FTA directly with questions, rather than through
intermediaries or third parties.
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FTA staff also may conduct briefings on the competitive grants
selection and award process upon request.
K. Jane Williams,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2020-22316 Filed 10-7-20; 8:45 am]
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