|
|---|
|
Fiscal Year 2021 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Pilot Program Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Transit Administration Byline: Nuria I. Fernandez Date: 7 October 2021 Subjects: American Government  , Buses
|
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 192 (Thursday, October 7, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55907-55913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21969]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Transit Administration
Fiscal Year 2021 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Innovative
Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Pilot Program
AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the
opportunity to apply for $3.5 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 funds
under the Innovative Coordinated Access and
[[Page 55908]]
Mobility (ICAM) pilot program. This funding opportunity seeks to
improve coordination to enhance access and mobility to vital community
services for older adults, people with disabilities, and people of low
income. As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be
awarded competitively as grants to finance innovative mobility
management capital projects that will improve the coordination of
transportation services and non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT)
services. FTA may award additional funding that is made available to
the program prior to the announcement of project selections.
DATES: Applicants must submit completed proposals for each funding
opportunity through the GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function by 11:59 p.m.
Eastern Time December 6, 2021. 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 https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/grant-programs/access-and-mobility-partnership-grants and in the ``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV. The
GRANTS.GOV funding opportunity ID for the ICAM is FTA-2021-009-ICAM.
Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Destiny Buchanan, FTA Office of
Program Management; Phone: (202) 493-8018; Email:
Destiny.Buchanan@dot.gov.
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
H. Other Information
A. Program Description
Section 3006(b) of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation
(FAST) Act (Pub. L. 114-94, Dec. 4, 2015), as extended for FY 2021 by
Division B of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other
Extensions Act (Pub. L. 116-159, Oct. 1, 2020), authorizes FTA to award
grants for ICAM pilot projects that improve the coordination of
transportation services and NEMT services projects for transportation
disadvantaged populations. Transportation disadvantaged populations
include older adults, people with disabilities, and people of low
income. In the FY 2021 program, FTA intends to target funding for
regional and statewide mobility management capital projects that
support coordination and enable comprehensive community access,
including access to NEMT, for underserved groups.
The Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) consists of
eleven Federal agencies and coordinates 130 Federal programs that may
fund transportation (find the CCAM Program Inventory at https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/ccam/about/ccam-program-inventory). The CCAM's mission is to improve the availability,
accessibility, and efficiency of transportation for targeted
populations. The benefits of successful coordinated transportation
systems include providing greater access to funding and enabling more
cost-effective use of resources; reducing duplication and overlap in
human service agency transportation services; filling service gaps in a
community or geographic area; serving additional individuals within
existing budgets; and providing more centralized management of existing
resources.
ICAM (Federal Assistance Listing 20.513) supports FTA's strategic
goals and objectives through timely and efficient investment in public
transportation. This program helps fulfill the President's commitment
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 20, 2021 Executive Order 13985 on
Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through
the Federal Government.
The ICAM pilot program will improve State and regional coordination
by funding regional and statewide mobility management capital projects
that enable comprehensive community access, including NEMT, for
underserved groups. Successful projects will prioritize coordination,
including coordination with recipients of funding from Federal agencies
that are members of the CCAM, that enhances access and mobility to
vital community services for older adults, people with disabilities,
and people of low income.
Successful applicants should coordinate to implement a multi-agency
effort to improve access of human services transportation by
establishing an oversight structure and increasing inter-agency
coordination to adopt:
1. Consistent driver and vehicle standards;
2. Cost allocation rate(s) when clients of different programs use a
single transportation service, (increasing efficiency by using the same
vehicles to transport passengers whose trips are funded via different
Federal programs);
3. Rate-setting methodology based on the cost allocation rate of
providing transportation (allows costs to be billed or allocated
appropriately to the transportation user, facilitating a more efficient
use of transportation resources); and
4. Cost allocation technology (enables costs to be shared equitably
among participating agencies who receive funding from a variety of
Federal agencies).
Agencies often restrict their transportation services to clients of
a specific program and do not permit the vehicles or services to be
used by other programs or riders. This practice leads to inefficient
use of resources and unused capacity. These restrictions are often
attributed to Federal requirements, but compliance with Federal
requirements can be achieved without such restrictions. Federally
funded vehicles and transportation resources can be shared with other
agencies that have a transportation role, as long as costs can be
allocated appropriately. The ICAM pilot program seeks to help promote
this coordination.
B. Federal Award Information
Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5338(a)(2)(E)), as
extended by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other
Extensions Act (Pub. L. 116-159), authorizes $3,500,000 in FY 2021 for
competitive grants under the ICAM pilot program. FTA may cap the amount
a single recipient or State may receive as part of the selection
process. There is no minimum or maximum grant award amount; however,
FTA intends to fund as many meritorious projects as possible. FTA may
award additional funding made available to the program prior to the
announcement of the project selections.
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, meet all eligibility requirements, and can be completed
with the amount awarded.
The ICAM grants will operate as pilots for up to 24 months. Within
the first year, projects must be able to demonstrate significant
progress toward increased State interagency coordination. During the
24-month span
[[Page 55909]]
of the project, ICAM mobility management capital funds may be used to
implement a regional or statewide pilot of coordinated service
delivery, to demonstrate the benefits of coordinated transportation.
C. Eligibility Information
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are State departments of transportation,
designated recipients for Section 5310 funds, or local governmental
entities that operate a public transportation service, or their
eligible subrecipients that have the authority and technical capacity
to implement a regional or statewide cost allocation pilot.
Applicants must serve as the lead agency of a regional or statewide
consortium that includes stakeholders from the transportation,
healthcare, human service, or other sectors. Members of this consortium
are eligible as subrecipients if they would otherwise be eligible
subrecipients of Section 5310 funds. Further, applicants must
demonstrate that the proposed project was planned through an inclusive
process with the involvement of the transportation, healthcare, and
human service sectors. An implementation plan and schedule must be
submitted as part of the proposal.
Cost Sharing or Matching
The maximum Federal share of projects selected under the ICAM pilot
program is 80 percent. The applicant must provide a non-Federal share
of at least 20 percent of the project cost and must document the source
of the local match in the grant application.
Eligible sources of local match include cash and in-kind
contributions. In-kind contributions must be documented in the
application.
Eligible Projects
Eligible projects are capital projects, as defined in 49 U.S.C.
5302(3). FTA may make grants to assist in financing innovative projects
for the transportation disadvantaged that improve the coordination of
transportation services and NEMT services, including: Regional or
statewide mobility management projects; deployment of coordination
technology; and regional or statewide projects that create or increase
access to one-call/one-click centers. FTA's goal for these pilot
program grants is to identify and test promising, innovative,
coordinated mobility strategies other communities can replicate. Only
one project may be included in each application.
D. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
A complete proposal submission consists of two forms:
SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance (downloaded from
GRANTS.GOV): And
Supplemental form for the FY 2021 Innovative Coordinated
Access and Mobility Pilot Program (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV or the
FTA website at https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/grant-programs/access-and-mobility-partnership-grants).
Applications must be submitted through GRANTS.GOV. Applicants can
find general information for submitting applications through
GRANTS.GOV. Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted. Applicants
may also attach additional supporting information. Failure to submit
the information as requested may delay or prevent review of the
application.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
i. Proposal Submission
A complete proposal submission consists of at least two forms, the
SF-424 Mandatory Form and the Supplemental Form for the FY 2021
Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Pilot 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 States and other applicants to consider
submitting a single Supplemental Form that includes multiple activities
to be evaluated as a consolidated proposal. If States or other
applicants choose to submit separate proposals for individual
consideration by FTA, they must submit each proposal with a separate
SF-424 and Supplemental Form.
Applicants may attach additional supporting information to the SF-
424 submission, including, but not limited to the following examples:
Letters of support, memorandums of understanding, interagency
agreements, coordinated plans, 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.
Information such as applicant name, Federal amount requested, local
match amount, or description of areas served, 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'' buttons on both
forms to check all required fields. Applicants should also ensure that
the Federal and local amounts specified are consistent.
ii. Application Content
The SF-424 Mandatory Form and the Supplemental Form will prompt
applicants for the required information, including:
a. Applicant Name
b. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number
c. Key contact information (including contact name, address, email
address, and phone)
d. Congressional district(s) where project will take place
e. Project Information (including title, an executive summary, and
type)
f. A detailed description of the project
g. A detailed description of the need for the project
h. A detailed description of how the project will support the ICAM
pilot program goals to improve access to coordinated transportation
services; reduce duplication of service; and enhance efficiency of the
130 Federal programs that may fund human service transportation.
i. Evidence that the project is consistent with State and regional
planning documents including consistency with the Coordinated Public
Transportation-Human Services Transportation Plan
j. A detailed description of all project partners and their specific
role in the eligible project
k. Specific performance measures the project will use to quantify
actual outcomes against expected outcomes
l. Evidence that the applicant can provide the non-Federal cost share
and details on the non-Federal match
[[Page 55910]]
m. A description of the technical, legal, and financial capacity of the
applicant
n. A detailed project budget (up to 24 months)
o. An explanation of the scalability of the project (if applicable)
p. A detailed project timeline
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 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 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 has an exception approved by FTA 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 https://www.sam.gov.
FTA will provide further instructions on registration through an
introductory applicant training session. Dates and times for the
training session will be posted on FTA's website.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Project proposals must be submitted electronically through
GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time December 6, 2021. Late
applications will not be accepted. 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.
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 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 made available under the ICAM pilot program may only be used
for capital expenditures, including mobility management, that are
included in the State Transportation Improvement Plan/Transportation
Improvement Plan. Eligible projects are capital projects, as defined in
49 U.S.C. 5302(3). Allowable direct and indirect expenses must be
consistent with the Government-wide 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
recipients for expenses incurred prior to FTA issuing pre-award
authority. FTA intends to issue pre-award authority pursuant to 2 CFR
200.458 to incur costs for selected projects beginning on the date FTA
announces recipients of the FY 2021 awards on FTA's website. Funds are
only available for projects that have not incurred costs prior to the
announcement of project selections on FTA's website and the
corresponding issuance of pre-award authority.
6. Other Submission Requirements
FTA encourages applicants to identify scaled funding options in the
event that insufficient funding is available to fund a project at the
fully 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. FTA may award a lesser amount regardless of whether
the applicant provides a scalable option.
E. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
FTA will evaluate proposals submitted according to the following
criteria: (a) Demonstration of need; (b) demonstration of benefits; (c)
planning and partnerships; (d) local financial commitment; (e) project
readiness; and (f) technical, legal, and financial capacity. Each
applicant is encouraged to provide a succinct, logical, and orderly
response to all criteria referenced in this NOFO. 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.
a. Demonstration of Need
FTA will evaluate proposals based on how the proposed project will
address the need for regional or statewide mobility management capital
projects that enable comprehensive community access, including NEMT
access, for underserved groups. FTA will consider the scope of the
overall need or challenge as described.
b. Demonstration of Benefits
FTA will evaluate proposals on the benefits provided by the
proposed project. Benefits will be tied to the ICAM pilot program goals
and objectives:
Goals:
(1) Improve access to coordinated transportation services;
(2) Reduce duplication of service; and
(3) Enhance efficiency of the 130 Federal programs that may fund
human service transportation.
Objectives:
(1) Develop an inter-agency transportation coordinating work group
at the regional or state-level;
(2) The adoption of:
a. Consistent driver and vehicle standards,
b. Cost allocation rate(s) when clients of different programs use a
single transportation service, (increasing efficiency by using the same
vehicles to
[[Page 55911]]
transport passengers whose trips are funded via different Federal
programs),
c. Rate-setting methodology based on the cost allocation rate of
providing transportation (allows costs to be billed or allocated
appropriately to the transportation user, facilitating a more efficient
use of transportation resources), and
d. Cost allocation technology (enables costs to be shared equitably
among participating agencies who receive funding from a variety of
Federal agencies); and
(3) Implementation of a regional or statewide pilot of coordinated
service delivery to demonstrate the benefits of coordinated
transportation.
Projects will be evaluated on the ability of the proposed project
to yield data demonstrating impacts on the goals of the ICAM pilot
program. Projects shall include a description of how the eligible
project would improve access to coordinated transportation services,
reduce duplication of service, and provide innovative solutions in the
region or State and include specific performance measures the eligible
project will use to quantify actual outcomes against expected outcomes.
Proposals must show that the applicant will be able to provide
impact data during and after the pilot project. FTA will require each
successful applicant to develop projected outcomes and project
performance measures. FTA requires each successful applicant to report
progress toward meeting project objectives on a quarterly basis. FTA
will use this data to produce the required Annual Report to Congress
that contains a detailed description of the activities carried out
under the pilot program, and an evaluation of the program, including an
evaluation of the performance measures described.
c. Planning and Partnerships
Applicants must describe the eligible project and identify project
partners and their specific role in the project. Successful projects
will work collaboratively and leverage partnerships with agencies that
are funding recipients of the Federal agencies that are members of the
CCAM, such as the Department of Health and Human Services'
Administration for Community Living, Health Resources and Services
Administration, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A
full list of CCAM agencies may be accessed by going to https://www.transit.dot.gov/ccam/about/agencies. Partners also may include
transportation providers as well as private and nonprofit entities
involved in the coordination of NEMT for the transportation
disadvantaged. Applicants should provide evidence of strong commitment
from key partners, including memoranda of agreement or letters of
support from relevant State agency stakeholders and partner
organizations. Any changes to the proposed partnerships will require
FTA's advance approval and must be consistent with the scope of the
approved project. Projects may be derived from a locally developed,
coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan.
d. Local Financial Commitment
Applicants must identify the source of the local 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 local share as evidence of local financial
commitment to the project.
e. Project Readiness
FTA will evaluate the project on the proposed schedule and the
applicant's demonstrated ability to implement it. Applicants should
indicate the short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals for the project.
Proposals must provide specific performance measures the eligible
project will use to quantify actual outcomes against expected outcomes.
FTA will evaluate the project based on the extent to which it was
developed inclusively, incorporating meaningful involvement from key
stakeholders including consumer representatives of the target groups
and providers from the healthcare, transportation, and human services
sectors, among others. The applicant must show significant, ongoing
involvement of the project's target population.
f. Technical, Legal and Financial Capacity
FTA will evaluate proposals on the capacity of the lead agency and
any partners to successfully execute the pilot effort. The lead agency
must have the authority and technical capacity to implement a regional
or statewide cost allocation pilot project. The applicant should have
no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues that would make
this a high-risk project. FTA will evaluate each proposal (including
the business plan, financial projections, and other relevant data) for
feasibility and longer-term sustainability of both the pilot project as
well as the proposed project at full deployment. FTA intends to select
projects with a high likelihood of long-term success and
sustainability.
2. Review and Selection Process
Technical evaluation committees made up of Federal staff will
evaluate proposals based on the published evaluation criteria. After
applying the above criteria, FTA will give priority consideration to
projects that support the Government-wide Justice 40 Initiative with
the goal of delivering 40 percent of the overall benefits of relevant
federal investments to disadvantaged communities. For the purposes of
the Justice 40 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,
an applicant should consider, 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. FTA will give
priority consideration to applications that have considered racial
equity in the planning stage and are designed with specific elements to
address racial equity and overcoming barriers to opportunity for
underserved communities, in support of Executive Order 13985, Advancing
Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the
Federal Government. Applicants should indicate which (if any) planning
and policies related to racial equity and barriers to opportunity they
are implementing or have implemented, along with the specific project
investment details necessary for FTA to evaluate if the investments are
being made either to proactively advance racial equity and remove
barriers to opportunity, or to redress prior inequities and barriers to
opportunity. All project investment costs for the project that are
related to advancing racial equity and addressing barriers to
opportunity should be summarized.
If an applicant is proposing to implement autonomous vehicles or
[[Page 55912]]
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 for the proposed project 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 project will require exemptions or waivers from the
FMVSS, FMCSR, or any other regulation and, if the project will require
exemptions or waivers, present a plan for obtaining them. If
applicable, FTA will also consider the extent to which the application
presents a plan to address workforce impacts of autonomous vehicles or
other innovative motor vehicle technology.
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, Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk
Posed by Applicants. In determining the allocation of program funds,
FTA may also consider geographic diversity, diversity in the size of
the transit systems receiving funding, and the applicant's receipt of
other competitive awards.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
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 projects under each
program.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
i. 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
announced on FTA's website, and there are Federal requirements that
must be met before costs are incurred. For more information about FTA's
policy on pre-award authority, please see the most recent Apportionment
Notice at https://www.transit.dot.gov.
ii. Grant Requirements
Selected applicants will submit a grant application through FTA's
Transit Award Management System (TrAMS) and adhere to FTA grant
requirements. All competitive grants will be subject to the
congressional notification and release process. All ICAM awards are
subject to the requirements of the Formula Grants for the Enhanced
Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (49 U.S.C. 5310),
including those of FTA Circular ``Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and
Individuals with Disabilities Program Guidance and Application
Instructions'' (FTA.C.9070.1). All recipients must accept the FTA
Master Agreement and follow the 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.
iii. Buy America
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.
iv. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
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.
iv. 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 these programs.
v. Standard Assurances
If it receives an award, the applicant must assure 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 will be 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.
vi. Reporting
Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Federal
Financial Reports and Milestone Progress Reports in FTA's electronic
grants management system. An independent evaluation of the pilot
program may occur at various points in the deployment process and at
the end of the pilot project. In addition, FTA is responsible for
producing an Annual Report to Congress that compiles evaluations 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 to
describe any plans for broad-based implementation of successful
projects. Applicants should also include any goals, targets, and
indicators referenced
[[Page 55913]]
in their application to the project in the Executive Summary of the
TrAMS application. FTA may request data and reports to support the
independent evaluation and annual report.
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 comply with
the Recipient Integrity and Performance Matters reporting requirements
described in Appendix XII to 2 CFR part 200.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact
For questions about applying to the pilot program outlined in this
notice, please contact the FTA Program Manager, Destiny Buchanan,
phone: (202) 493-8018, or email, Destiny.Buchanan@dot.gov. A TDD is
available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDDFIRS). Additionally, you may visit
FTA's website for this program at https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grants/grant-programs/access-and-mobility-partnership-grants.
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. FTA staff also may conduct briefings on the FY 2021
competitive grants selection and award process upon request. Contact
information for FTA's regional offices can be found on FTA's website at
http://www.transit.dot.gov/.
H. Other Information
This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
Nuria I. Fernandez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2021-21969 Filed 10-6-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P