Fiscal Year 2021 Competitive Funding Opportunity; Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program
| Published date | 20 September 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 52291 |
| Record Number | 2021-20203 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Federal Transit Administration |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 179 (Monday, September 20, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 179 (Monday, September 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52291-52296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-20203]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Fiscal Year 2021 Competitive Funding Opportunity; Grants for
Buses and Bus Facilities Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the
opportunity to apply for approximately $409.59 million in fiscal year
(FY) 2021 funds under the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program
(Federal Assistance Listing #20.526). As required by Federal public
transportation law and subject to funding availability, funds will be
awarded competitively to assist in the financing of capital projects to
replace, rehabilitate, purchase or lease buses and related equipment,
and to rehabilitate, purchase, construct or lease bus-related
facilities. Projects may include costs incidental to the acquisition of
buses or to the construction of facilities, such as the costs of
related workforce development and training activities, and project
administration expenses. FTA may award additional funds if they are
made available to the program prior to the announcement of project
selections.
DATES: Complete proposals must be submitted electronically through the
GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November
19, 2021. Prospective applicants should initiate the process by
promptly registering on the GRANTS.GOV website to ensure completion of
the application process before the submission deadline. Instructions
for applying can be found on FTA's website at http://transit.dot.gov/howtoapply and in the ``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV. The GRANTS.GOV
funding opportunity ID is FTA 2021-008-TPM-Bus. Mail and fax
submissions will not be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Wilson, FTA Office of Program
Management, 202-366-5279, or [email protected].
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 Contacts
H. Other Information
A. Program Description
Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5339(b)) authorizes
FTA to award grants for the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program
through a competitive process, as described in this notice. Grants
under this program are for capital projects to replace, rehabilitate,
purchase, or lease buses and related equipment, or to rehabilitate,
purchase, construct, or lease bus-related facilities.
FTA will evaluate projects based on how they will address
significant repair and maintenance needs and improve the safety of
transit systems through timely and efficient investment in public
transportation. FTA may prioritize projects that support FTA's
strategic goals and objectives.
This program supports President Biden's Build Back Better
initiative to mobilize American ingenuity to build a modern
infrastructure and an equitable, clean energy future. In addition, this
NOFO will advance the goals of the President's January 27, 2021,
Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,
and has the potential to enhance environmental stewardship and
community partnerships, consistent with the goals of Executive Order
13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities
Through the Federal Government.
B. Federal Award Information
Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5338(a)(2)(M))
authorizes $289,044,179 in FY 2021 funds for the Grants for Buses and
Bus Facilities Program. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,
appropriated an additional $125,000,000 for the Grants for Buses and
Bus Facilities Program. After the mandatory oversight takedown of
$4,455,331, FTA is announcing the availability of $409,588,848 for the
Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program through this notice. In FY
2020, the program received applications for 282 projects requesting a
total of $1.8 billion. Ninety-six projects were funded at a total of
$464 million.
As required by Federal public transportation law at 49 U.S.C.
5339(b)(5), a minimum of 10 percent of the amount awarded under the
Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program will be awarded to projects
located in rural areas. As required by 49 U.S.C. 5339(b)(8), no single
grant recipient will be awarded more than 10 percent of the amount made
available. FTA may further cap the amount a single recipient or State
may receive as part of the selection process. There is no minimum grant
award amount. FTA intends to fund as many meritorious projects as
possible.
C. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include designated recipients that allocate
funds to fixed route bus operators, States or local governmental
entities that operate fixed route bus service, and Indian tribes.
Eligible subrecipients include all otherwise eligible applicants and
also private nonprofit organizations engaged in public transportation.
States may submit a statewide application on behalf of public
agencies or private nonprofit organizations engaged in public
transportation in rural areas or for other areas to which a State
allocates funds. Except for projects proposed by Indian tribes, all
proposals for projects in rural (non-urbanized) areas must be submitted
by a State, either individually or as a part of a statewide
application. States and other eligible applicants also may submit
consolidated proposals for projects in urbanized areas. The submission
of a statewide or consolidated urbanized area application shall 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.
To be considered eligible, applicants must be able to demonstrate
the requisite legal, financial, and technical capabilities to receive
and administer Federal funds under this program.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
The maximum Federal share for projects selected under the Grants
for Buses and Bus Facilities Program is 80 percent of the net project
cost (i.e., the non-Federal amount must be at least 20 percent of the
net project cost, not 20 percent of the requested grant amount), unless
any of the following exceptions applies:
The maximum Federal share is 85 percent of the net project cost of
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acquiring vehicles (including clean-fuel or alternative fuel vehicles)
for purposes of complying with or maintaining compliance with the Clean
Air Act (CAA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
The maximum Federal share is 90 percent of the net project cost of
acquiring, installing or constructing vehicle-related equipment or
facilities (including clean fuel or alternative-fuel vehicle-related
equipment or facilities) for purposes of complying with or maintaining
compliance with the CAA or ADA. The award recipient must itemize the
cost of specific, discrete, vehicle-related equipment associated with
compliance with the CAA or ADA to be eligible for the maximum 90
percent Federal share for these costs.
Eligible sources of non-Federal match 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; amounts received under a service agreement with a
State or local social service agency or private social service
organization; revenues generated from value capture mechanisms; or
funds from an undistributed cash surplus, replacement or depreciation
cash fund or reserve, or new capital. In addition, transportation
development credits or documentation of in-kind match may substitute
for cash match if identified in the application.
If an applicant proposes a Federal share greater than 80 percent,
the application must clearly explain why the project is eligible for
the proposed Federal share.
3. Eligible Projects
Eligible projects are capital projects to replace, rehabilitate,
purchase, or lease buses, vans, or related equipment; or to
rehabilitate, purchase, construct, or lease bus-related facilities. A
single application may include both vehicle and facility components,
along with associated equipment and workforce development activities.
Recipients are permitted to use up to 0.5 percent of their
requested grant award for workforce development activities eligible
under Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5314(b)) and an
additional 0.5 percent for costs associated with training at the
National Transit Institute to pay not more than 80 percent of the cost
of such activities (49 U.S.C. 5314(b)(4) and 49 U.S.C. 5314(c)(4)(A)).
Applicants must identify the proposed use of funds for these activities
in the project proposal and identify them separately in the project
budget.
D. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
A complete proposal submission consists of two forms: The SF-424
Application for Federal Assistance (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV) and the
supplemental form for the FY 2021 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities
Program (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV or the FTA website at
www.transit.dot.gov/busprogram).
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
Application submissions must include both the SF-424 Application
for Federal Assistance and the FY 2021 Grants for Buses and Bus
Facilities Program supplemental form. The supplemental form and any
supporting documents must be attached to the ``Attachments'' section of
the SF-424.
FTA will accept only one supplemental form per SF-424 submission.
FTA encourages States and other applicants to consider submitting a
single supplemental form that includes multiple activities to be
evaluated as a consolidated proposal. If a State or other applicant
chooses to submit separate proposals for individual consideration by
FTA, each proposal must be submitted using a separate SF-424 and
supplemental form.
Applicants may attach additional supporting information to the SF-
424 submission, including but not limited to letters of support,
project budgets, fleet status reports, 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.
A complete application must include responses to all sections of
the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance and the supplemental
form, unless designated as optional. The information on the
supplemental form will be used 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. Information such
as applicant name, Federal amount requested, local match amount, and
description of areas served may be requested in varying degrees of
detail on both the SF-424 and the supplemental form. Applicants must
fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the forms. Applicants
should not place ``N/A'' or ``refer to attachment'' in lieu of typing
in responses in the field sections. If information is copied into the
supplemental form from another source, applicants should verify that
pasted text is fully captured on the supplemental form and has not been
truncated by the 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 on
the forms, and ensure that the Federal and non-Federal amounts
specified are consistent.
The SF-424 Mandatory Form and the Supplemental Form will prompt
applicants for information including:
Applicant name
Unique Entity Identifier/Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number
Key contact information (including contact name, address,
email address, and phone)
A description, both quantative and qualitative, of the area
and population served by the applicant, including ridership demographic
information and the type of service provided
Congressional district(s) where project will take place
Project information (including title, an executive summary,
and type)
A detailed description of the need for the project
A detailed description on how the project will support the
Buses and Bus Facilities Program's objectives
Evidence that the project is consistent with local and
regional planning objectives
Evidence that the applicant can provide the local cost share
A description of the technical, legal and financial capacity
of the applicant
A detailed project budget
An explanation of the scalability of the project
Details on the local matching funds
A detailed project timeline
Failure to submit the information as requested can delay review or
disqualify the application.
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. FTA may not make an award until the applicant has
complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM
requirements. If an applicant
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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. These requirements do not apply if
the applicant: (1) Is an individual, per 2 CFR 25.110(b); or (2) has an
exception approved by FTA or the U.S. Office of Management and Budget
under 2 CFR 25.110(c) or (d). SAM registration takes approximately 3-5
business days, but FTA recommends allowing ample time, up to several
weeks, for completion of 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 19, 2021. 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 be considered only under
extraordinary circumstances not under 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 an email message from GRANTS.GOV with
confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV. If a notice of
failed validation or incomplete materials is received, 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 a multi-step process, which may take several weeks to
complete before an application can be submitted. Registered applicants
may still be required to take steps to keep their registration up to
date before submissions can be made successfully: (1) Registration in
the System for Award Management (SAM) is renewed annually; and, (2)
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
Refer to Section C.3., Eligible Projects, for information on
activities that are allowable in this grant program. Allowable direct
and indirect expenses must be consistent with the Governmentwide
Uniform Administrative Requirements and Cost Principles (2 CFR part
200) and FTA Circular 5010.1E.
Funds awarded under this notice cannot be used to reimburse
applicants for expenses incurred prior to the pre-award authority
effective date. FTA will issue pre-award authority to incur costs for
selected projects beginning on the date that project selections are
announced. FTA does not provide pre-award authority for competitive
funds until projects are selected, and even then there are Federal
requirements that must be met before costs are incurred. FTA will issue
specific guidance to awardees regarding pre-award authority at the time
of selection. For more information about FTA's policy on pre-award
authority, please see the most recent Apportionment Notice on FTA's
website.
Funds awarded under this notice will remain available for
obligation for three Federal fiscal years, not including the year in
which the funds are allocated to projects.
6. Other Submission Requirements
All applications must be submitted via the Grants.Gov website. FTA
does not accept applications on paper, by fax machine, by email, or
other means. For information on application submission requirements,
please see Section D.1., Address to Request Application Package.
E. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
FTA will evaluate project proposals for the Grants for Buses and
Bus Facilities Program based on the criteria described in this notice.
Projects will be evaluated primarily on the responses provided in the
supplemental form. Additional information may be provided to support
the responses; however, any additional documentation must be directly
referenced on the supplemental form, including the file name where the
additional information can be found.
Applicants are encouraged 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 the project budget would be affected
by a reduced award. FTA may award a lesser amount whether or not a
scalable option is provided.
If an applicant is proposing to acquire autonomous vehicles or
other innovative motor vehicle technology, the application should
demonstrate that all vehicles will comply with applicable safety
requirements, including those administered by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA). Specifically, the application should show that
vehicles acquired will comply with applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards (FMVSS) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
(FMCSR). If the vehicles may not comply, the application should either
(1) show that the vehicles and their proposed operations are within the
scope of an exemption or waiver that has already been granted by NHTSA,
FMCSA, or both agencies or (2) directly address whether the acquisition
will require exemptions or waivers from the FMVSS, FMCSR, or any other
regulation and, if the acquisition will require exemptions or waivers,
present a plan for obtaining them.
a. Demonstration of Need
Applications will be evaluated based on the quality and extent to
which they demonstrate how the proposed project will address an unmet
need for capital investment in bus vehicles or supporting facilities.
For example, an applicant may demonstrate an excessive reliance on
vehicles that are beyond their intended service life, insufficient
maintenance facilities due to size or condition, a vehicle fleet that
is insufficient to meet current ridership demands, or passenger
facilities that are insufficient for their current use. Applicants
should address whether the project represents a one-time or periodic
need that cannot reasonably be funded from FTA formula program
allocations and State or local resources. As a part of the response for
demonstration of need, applicants should provide the following
information.
For bus projects (replacement, rehabilitation or expansion):
Applicants must provide information on the age
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and mileage, condition, and performance of the assets to be replaced or
rehabilitated by the proposed project. For service expansion requests,
applicants must provide information on the proposed service expansion
and for the reason that transit riders and the community need the new
service. For all vehicle projects, the proposal must address how the
project conforms to FTA's spare ratio guidelines.
For bus facility and equipment projects (replacement,
rehabilitation, or expansion): Applicants must provide information on
the age and condition of the asset to be rehabilitated or replaced
relative to its useful life. For expansion requests, applicants must
provide information on the proposed expansion and the reason that
transit riders and the community need the expansion.
b. Demonstration of Benefits
Applications will be evaluated based on how well they describe how
the proposed project will improve the condition of, or otherwise
modernize, the transit system; improve the reliability of transit
service for its riders; or enhance access and mobility within the
service area.
System Condition: FTA will evaluate the potential for the project
to improve the condition of the transit system by repairing or
replacing assets that are in poor condition or have surpassed their
minimum or intended useful life benchmarks, lowering the average age of
vehicles in the fleet, or reducing the cost of maintaining outdated
vehicles, facilities and equipment.
Service Reliability: FTA will evaluate the potential for the
project to reduce the frequency of breakdowns or other service
interruptions caused by the age and condition of the agency's bus
fleet. Applicants should document their current service reliability
metrics and benchmark goals, including their strategy for improving
reliability with or without the award of Bus and Bus Facilities Program
funds.
Enhanced Access and Mobility: FTA will evaluate the potential for
the project to improve access and mobility for the transit riding
public, such as through increased reliability, improved headways,
creation of new transportation choices, or eliminating gaps in the
current route network. Proposed benefits should be based on documented
ridership demand and be well-described or documented through a study or
route planning proposal.
c. Planning and Local and Regional Prioritization
Applicants must demonstrate how the proposed project will be
consistent with local and regional long-range planning documents and
local government priorities. This will involve assessing whether the
project is consistent with the transit priorities identified in the
long range plan, contingency or illustrative projects included in that
plan, or the locally developed human services public transportation
coordinated plan. Applicants are not required to submit copies of such
plans, but should describe how the project will support regional goals.
Applicants may also address how the proposed project will impact
overall system performance, asset management performance or specific
performance measures tracked and monitored by the applying entity to
demonstrate how the proposed project will address local and regional
planning priorities.
Evidence of additional local or regional prioritization (e.g.,
Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan and Long Range Transportation
Plan) should include letters of support for the project from local
government officials, public agencies (e.g., Metropolitan Planning
Organizations), or non-profit or other private sector partners.
d. Financial Commitment
Applicants must identify the source of the non-Federal cost share
and describe whether such funds are currently available for the project
or will need to be secured if the project is selected for funding. FTA
will consider the availability of the non-Federal cost share as
evidence of financial commitment to the project. Additional
consideration will be given to those projects for which non-Federal
funds have already been made available or reserved. Applicants should
submit evidence of the availability of funds for the project, for
example by including a board resolution, letter of support from the
State, a budget document highlighting the line item or section
committing funds to the proposed project, or other documentation of the
source of non-Federal funds.
e. Project Implementation Strategy
Projects will be evaluated based on the extent to which the project
is ready to implement within a reasonable period of time and whether
the applicant's proposed implementation plans are reasonable and
complete.
In assessing whether the project is ready to implement within a
reasonable period of time, FTA will consider whether the project
qualifies for a categorical exclusion, or whether the required
environmental work has been initiated or completed for projects that
require an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). As such,
applicants should submit information describing the project's
anticipated path and timeline through the environmental review process.
The proposal must also state whether grant funds can be obligated
within 12 months from time of award, and indicate the timeframe under
which the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program or Statewide
Transportation Improvement Program can be amended to include the
proposed project. Additional consideration will be given to projects
for which grant funds can be obligated within 12 months of the time of
award.
In assessing whether the proposed implementation plans are
reasonable and complete, FTA will review the proposed project
implementation plan, including all necessary project milestones and the
overall project timeline. For projects that will require formal
coordination, approvals, or permits from other agencies or project
partners, the applicant must demonstrate coordination with these
organizations and their support for the project, such as through
letters of support.
f. Technical, Legal, and Financial Capacity
Applicants must demonstrate that they have the technical, legal,
and financial capacity to undertake the project. FTA will review
relevant oversight assessments and records to determine whether there
are any outstanding legal, technical or financial issues with the
applicant that would affect the outcome of the proposed project.
Applicants with outstanding legal, technical or financial compliance
issues from an FTA compliance review or Federal Transit grant-related
Single Audit finding must explain how corrective actions taken will
mitigate negative impacts on the proposed project.
2. Review and Selection Process
In addition to other FTA staff that may review the proposals, a
technical evaluation committee will perform an administrative and merit
evaluation of proposals based on the published evaluation criteria.
Members of the technical evaluation committee and other FTA staff may
request additional information from applicants, if necessary.
After applying the above criteria, and in support of Executive
Order 14008, FTA will give priority consideration to projects that
support the government-
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wide Justice40 Initiative with the goal of delivering 40 percent of the
overall benefits of relevant Federal investments to disadvantaged
communities. For the purposes of the Justice40 Initiative, a community
is either a group of individuals living in geographic proximity to one
another, or a geographically dispersed set of individuals (such as
migrant workers or Native Americans), where either type of group
experiences common conditions. Furthermore, to determine whether a
specific community is disadvantaged, factors include, but are not
limited to, the following variables: Low income, high and/or persistent
poverty; high unemployment and underemployment; racial and ethnic
segregation; linguistic isolation; high housing cost burden and
substandard housing; distressed neighborhoods; high transportation cost
burden and/or low transportation access; transit dependency associated
with income, disability, or lack of access to a private automobile;
disproportionate environmental burden and high cumulative impacts;
limited water and sanitation access and affordability; disproportionate
climate impacts; and high energy cost burden and low energy access. If
a project supports the Justice40 Initiative, the applicant should state
the community definition used, including ridership demographic
information relevant to the Justice40 definition of disadvantaged
community, the variable(s) considered, and what immediate and long-term
benefits will be provided by the project request. In support of the
Justice40 Initiative, the applicant also should provide evidence of
strategies that the applicant has used in the planning process to seek
out and consider the needs of those traditionally disadvantaged and
underserved by existing transportation systems, such as low-income and
minority households. Examples should include, the number of meetings
held, including a description of the audience of each meeting and
documentation for how the input was considered for the proposed
project. Applicants are encouraged to contact FTA if they have any
questions or feedback on the implementation of the Justice40
Initiative.
In further support of Executive Order 14008, FTA will give priority
consideration to applications that are expected to create significant
community benefits relating to the environment, including those
projects that incorporate low or no emission technology or specific
elements to address greenhouse gas emissions and climate change
impacts. FTA encourages applicants to demonstrate whether they have
considered climate change and environmental justice in terms of the
transportation planning process or anticipated design components with
outcomes that address climate change (e.g., resilience or adaptation
measures). The application should describe what specific climate change
or environmental justice activities have been incorporated, including
whether a project supports a Climate Action Plan, whether an equitable
development plan has been prepared, and whether tools such as EPA's
EJSCREEN have been applied in project planning. The application should
also describe specific and direct ways the project will mitigate or
reduce climate change impacts including any components that reduce
emissions, promote energy efficiency, incorporate electrification or
low emission or zero emission vehicle infrastructure, increase
resiliency, or recycle or redevelop existing infrastructure.
FTA also will give priority consideration to applications that
encourage racial equity in two areas: (1) Planning and policies related
to racial equity and overcoming barriers to opportunity; and (2)
project investments that either proactively address racial equity and
barriers to opportunity, including automobile dependence as a form of
barrier, or redress prior inequities and barriers to opportunity. This
objective has the potential to enhance environmental stewardship and
community partnerships, and reflects Executive Order 13985, Advancing
Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the
Federal Government.
FTA encourages the applicant to include sufficient information to
evaluate how the applicant will advance racial equity and address
barriers to opportunity. The applicant should describe any
transportation plans or policies related to racial equity and barriers
to opportunity they are implementing or have implemented in relation to
the proposed project, along with the specific project investment
details necessary for FTA to evaluate if the investments are being made
either proactively to advance racial equity and address barriers to
opportunity or redress prior inequities and barriers to opportunity.
All project investment costs for the project that are related to racial
equity and barriers to opportunity should be summarized.
In determining the allocation of program funds, FTA may consider
geographic diversity, diversity in the size of the transit systems
receiving funding, and the applicant's receipt of other competitive
awards.
Due to funding limitations, projects that are selected for funding
may receive less than the amount originally requested, even if an
application did not present a scaled project option. In those cases,
applicants must be able to demonstrate that the proposed projects are
still viable and can be completed with the amount awarded.
3. Integrity and Performance Review
Prior to making an award, FTA is required to review and consider
any information about the applicant that is in the Federal Awardee
Performance and Integrity Information Systems (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 200.206.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notice
Final project selections will be posted on the FTA website. FTA
will also publish a list of the selected projects, a summary of final
ratings for selected projects, Federal award amounts, and recipients in
the Federal Register. Selected recipients should contact their FTA
regional offices for additional information regarding allocations for
projects under the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
a. Grant Requirements
If selected, awardees will apply for a grant through FTA's Transit
Award Management System (TrAMS). Recipients of Grants for Buses and Bus
Facilities Program funding in urban areas are subject to the grant
requirements of the Urbanized Area Formula Grant program (49 U.S.C.
5307), including those of FTA Circular ``Urbanized Area Formula
Program: Program Guidance and Application Instructions''
(FTA.C.9030.1E). Recipients of funding in rural areas are subject to
the grant requirements of the Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program
(49 U.S.C. 5311), including those of FTA Circular ``Formula Grants for
Rural Areas: Program Guidance and
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Application Instructions'' (FTA.C.9040.1G). All recipients must accept
the FTA Master Agreement and follow FTA Circular ``Award Management
Requirements'' (FTA.C.5010.1E) and the labor protections required by
Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5333(b)). Technical
assistance regarding these requirements is available from each FTA
regional office.
By submitting a grant application, the applicant assures that it
will comply with all applicable Federal statutes, regulations,
executive orders, directives, FTA circulars and other Federal
administrative requirements in carrying out any project supported by
the FTA grant. Further, 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.
b. Buy America and Domestic Preferences for Infrastructure Projects
All capital procurements must comply with FTA's Buy America
requirements (49 U.S.C. 5323(j)), which require that all iron, steel,
and manufactured products be produced in the United States, and imposes
minimum domestic content and final assembly requirements for rolling
stock. The cost of components and subcomponents produced in the United
States must be more than 70 percent of the cost of all components, and
final assembly of rolling stock must occur in the United States. Any
proposal that will require a waiver must identify the items for which a
waiver will be sought in the application. Applicants should not proceed
with the expectation that waivers will be granted.
c. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
Recipients of planning, capital, or operating assistance that will
award prime contracts (excluding transit vehicle purchases), the
cumulative total of which exceeds $250,000 in FTA funds in a Federal
fiscal year, must comply with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
(DBE) program regulations (49 CFR part 26).
To be eligible to bid on any FTA-assisted vehicle procurement,
entities that manufacture transit vehicles or perform post-production
alterations or retrofitting must be certified Transit Vehicle
Manufacturers (TVM). If a vehicle remanufacturer is responding to a
solicitation for new or remanufactured vehicles with a vehicle to which
the remanufacturer has provided post-production alterations or retro-
fitting (e.g., replacing major components such as engine to provide a
``like new'' vehicle), the vehicle remanufacturer must be a certified
TVM.
The TVM rule requires that, prior to bidding on any FTA-assisted
vehicle procurement, manufacturers of transit vehicles submit a DBE
Program plan and annual goal methodology to FTA. FTA then will issue a
TVM concurrence and certification letter. Grant recipients must verify
each manufacturer's compliance with these requirements before accepting
its bid. A list of compliant, certified TVMs is posted on FTA's website
at www.transit.dot.gov/TVM. Recipients should contact FTA before
accepting a bid from a manufacturer not listed on this Web posting. In
lieu of using a certified TVM, a recipient may establish project-
specific DBE goals for its vehicle procurement. FTA will provide
additional guidance as grants are awarded. For more information on DBE
requirements, please contact Monica McCallum, Office of Civil Rights,
206-220-7519, email: [email protected].
d. Planning
FTA encourages applicants to notify the appropriate State
Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations
(MPOs) in areas likely to be served by the project funds made available
under this program. Selected projects must be incorporated into the
long-range plans and transportation improvement programs of States and
metropolitan areas before they are eligible for FTA funding.
3. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include the electronic submission
of Federal Financial Reports and Milestone Progress Reports in FTA's
electronic grants management system. Recipients of funds made available
through this NOFO are also required to regularly submit data to the
National Transit Database. Applicant should include any goals, targets,
and indicators referenced in their application to the project in the
Executive Summary of the TrAMS application.
As part of completing the annual certifications and assurances
required of FTA grant recipients, a successful applicant must report on
the suspension or debarment status of itself and its principals.
If the award recipient's active grants, cooperative agreements, and
procurement contracts from all Federal awarding agencies exceeds
$10,000,000 for any period of time during the period of performance of
an award made pursuant to this Notice, the recipient must maintain the
currency of information reported to the System for Award Management
(SAM) that is made available in the designated integrity and
performance system (currently the Federal Awardee Performance and
Integrity Information System (FAPIIS)) about civil, criminal, or
administrative proceedings in connection with the award or performance
of a grant, cooperative agreement, or procurement contract from the
Federal Government. See Appendix XII to 2 CFR part 200 for more
information.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
For further information concerning this notice, please contact the
Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program manager, Thomas Wilson, via
email at [email protected] or by phone at 202-366-5279. A TDD is
available for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at 800-877-
8339. In addition, FTA will post answers to questions and requests for
clarifications on FTA's website at http://transit.dot.gov/busprogram.
In support of the President's Justice40 Initiative, FTA staff will also
conduct a webinar for potential applicants to learn more about the
program, provide stakeholder engagement, and review the application
submittal process. All interested stakeholders with questions regarding
the implementation of the Justice40 Initiative in the Grants for Buses
and Bus Facilities Competitive Program are encouraged to contact Thomas
Wilson.
To ensure the receipt of accurate information about eligibility or
the program, applicants with questions are encouraged to contact FTA
directly, rather than through intermediaries or third parties.
H. Other Information
This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
Nuria I. Fernandez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-20203 Filed 9-17-21; 8:45 am]
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