Summary: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of approximately $5 million in funding provided by the Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (Tribal Transit Program (TTP)), as authorized by 49 U.S.C. 5311(c)(1)(A), as amended by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST), Public Law 114-94 (December 4, 2015). This is a national solicitation for project proposals and includes the selection criteria and program eligibility information for Fiscal Year 2017 projects. The primary purpose of these competitively selected grants is to support planning, capital, and, in limited circumstances, operating assistance for tribal public transit services. Funds distributed to Indian tribes under the TTP should not replace or reduce funds that Indian tribes receive from states through FTA’s Section 5311 program.
FTA requires that all project proposals be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT on March 20, 2017. Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted.
Link to the supplemental form: A complete proposal submission will consist of at least two files: (1) the SF 424 Mandatory Form and (2) the Tribal Transit 2017 supplemental form provided on Grants.gov and the FTA website NOFO page. The Tribal Transit supplemental form provides guidance and a consistent format for applicants to respond to the criteria outlined in this NOFA. Once completed, the applicant must place the supplemental form in the attachments section of the SF-424 Mandatory form. Applicants must use the supplemental form designated for TTP and attach the form to their submission in Grants.gov to complete the application process. A proposal submission may contain additional supporting documentation as attachments.
FTA urges applicants to submit their project proposals at least 72 hours prior to the due date to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any problems that may have caused a rejection notification. FTA will not accept submissions after the stated submission deadline. Grants.gov scheduled maintenance and outage times are announced on the website. The deadline will not be extended due to scheduled maintenance or outages.
Eligible Applicants: Federally recognized Indian tribes or Alaska Native villages, groups, or communities as identified by the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) located in rural areas with a population of 50,000 or less. As evidence of Federal recognition, a tribe may submit a copy of the most up-to-date Federal Register notice published by DOI, BIA: Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Service from the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. To be an eligible recipient, a tribe must have the requisite legal, financial and technical capabilities to receive and administer Federal funds under this program. Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database and maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by FTA.
Dates: An applicant must submit a proposal electronically by midnight Eastern Time on March 20, 2017. Any agency intending to apply should initiate the process of registering on the Grants.gov site immediately to ensure completion of registration before the submission deadline.
For Further Information Contact: For information on proposal content only, please contact Elan Flippin
, Tribal Transit Program, Office of Program Management, (202) 366-3800.
