[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 20, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78969-78974]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-32546]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


National Technical Assistance Center for Senior Transportation: 
Solicitation for Proposals

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: This solicitation seeks proposals from national not-for-profit 
organizations for a cooperative agreement to maintain and continue to 
implement the National Technical Assistance Center for Senior 
Transportation (National Senior Center or Center). The National Senior 
Center was enabled by statute under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users (SAFETEA-LU) in 
July 2005. The major goal of the National Senior Center is to gather 
best practices from senior transportation programs throughout the 
Nation and assist local communities, states and other organizations in 
successfully meeting the transportation needs of seniors including 
planning for an integrated transportation program. This cooperative 
agreement is for a five-year award. The first year of the cooperative 
agreement is for nine-hundred and ninety-eight thousand dollars 
($998,000) from funds appropriated in Fiscal Year 2011. Subsequent 
funding will be based on annual appropriations and future authorization 
of the program.
    This notice describes how to apply and the criteria the interagency 
review panel will use to evaluate the proposals received.
    This announcement is available on the FTA's Web site and on the 
United We Ride (UWR) Web page at: http://www.unitedweride.gov. FTA will 
announce the final selection on the UWR Web site and in the Federal 
Register. A synopsis of this announcement will be posted in the FIND 
module of the government-wide electronic grants Web site at http://www.Grants.Gov. Proposals must be submitted to FTA, electronically, 
through the GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function.

DATES: Complete proposals must be submitted electronically by February 
21, 2012. The proposals must be submitted electronically through the 
GRANTS.GOV Web site. Applicants who have not already done so should 
initiate the process of registering on the GRANTS.GOV site immediately 
to ensure completion of registration before the deadline for 
submission.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted electronically to http://www.Grants.Gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general program information, as 
well as proposal-specific questions, please send an email to 
[email protected] or contact Pamela Brown at (202) 493-2503. A 
TDD is available at 1-(800) 877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Proposal Submission Information
V. Proposal Review, Selection and Notification
VI. Award Administration
VII. Agency Contacts
Appendix A: Supplemental Form

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Authority

    The enactment of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient 
Transportation Equity Act--A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU); Public Law 
109-059, authorized a National Technical Assistance Center on Senior 
Transportation under 49 U.S.C. 5314 (c) as follows:
    1. Establishment--The Secretary shall award grants to a national 
not-for-profit organization for the establishment and

[[Page 78970]]

maintenance of a national technical assistance center.
    2. Eligibility-- An organization shall be eligible to receive a 
grant under paragraph 1 if the organization--
    A. Focuses significantly on serving the needs of the elderly;
    B. Has demonstrated knowledge and expertise in senior 
transportation policy and planning issues;
    C. Has affiliates in a majority of the states;
    D. Has the capacity to convene local groups to consult on operation 
and development of senior transportation programs; and
    E. Has established close working relationships with the Federal 
Transit Administration and the Administration on Aging (AoA).
    3. Use of Funds--The national technical assistance center 
established under this section shall--
    A. Gather best practices from throughout the Nation and provide 
such practices to local communities that are implementing senior 
transportation programs;
    B. Work with teams from local communities to identify how the 
communities are successfully meeting the transportation needs of senior 
citizens and any gaps in services in order to create a plan for an 
integrated senior transportation program;
    C. Provide resources on ways to pay for senior transportation 
services;
    D. Create a web site to publicize and circulate information on 
senior transportation programs;
    E. Establish a clearinghouse for print, video, and audio resources 
on senior mobility; and
    F. Administer the demonstration grant program established under 
paragraph (4).
    4. Grants Authorized--
    A. In General--The national technical assistance center established 
under this section, in consultation with the Federal Transit 
Administration, shall award senior transportation demonstration grants 
to--
    i. Local transportation organizations;
    ii. State agencies;
    iii. Units of local government; and
    iv. Nonprofit organizations.
    B. Use of Funds--Grant funds received under this paragraph may be 
used to--
    i. Evaluate the state of transportation services for senior 
citizens;
    ii. Recognize barriers to mobility that senior citizens encounter 
in their communities;
    iii. Establish partnerships and promote coordination among 
community stakeholders, including public, not-for-profit, and for-
profit providers of transportation services for senior citizens;
    iv. Identify future transportation needs of senior citizens within 
local communities; and
    v. Establish strategies to meet the unique needs of healthy and 
frail senior citizens.
    C. Selection of Grantees--The Secretary shall select grantees under 
this paragraph based on a fair representation of various geographical 
locations throughout the United States.

B. Background

    Older adult mobility and human service transportation is defined as 
a network of services including but not limited to driving modification 
and transition; pedestrian access; public transportation; paratransit 
(curb to curb, door to door, door through door); taxi service; and 
volunteer services. Mobility also can be achieved through Internet and 
Social Media connections. Technical assistance is a process that 
enables a goal-focused, strategy-oriented, accountable organization to 
transfer knowledge to clients for the purpose of their growth, change, 
and improvement. Technical assistance is intended to provide extensive 
information and assistance to facilitate adoption or application of 
research-based or practice-based products, policies, or knowledge in 
order to improve the provision of services for target populations. 
Technical assistance may include information dissemination, training, 
and enhancing capacity for building more efficient transportation 
services at the local and state levels. A primary goal of the technical 
assistance offered by the Center is to facilitate the expansion of 
transportation services and options for older persons in their local 
communities. A key strategy to accomplish this expansion of service is 
coordination of transportation programs and initiatives.
    SAFETEA-LU, Public Law 109-059, authorized the National Senior 
Center under 49 U.S.C. 5314(c). In recognition of the fundamental 
importance of senior mobility and human service transportation and the 
continuing need to enhance coordination, Executive Order 13330 (EO) on 
Human Service Transportation Coordination issued on February 24, 2004, 
directed multiple Federal departments and agencies to work together to 
ensure that transportation services are seamless, comprehensive and 
accessible. Secretaries from the Departments of Transportation, 
Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban 
Development, Interior, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, the Commissioner of 
the Social Security Administration, the Attorney General and the 
Chairperson of the National Council on Disability comprise the 
Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM).
    Specifically, the CCAM is tasked with seeking ways to simplify 
access to transportation services for persons with disabilities, 
persons with lower incomes, and older adults. The EO requires that CCAM 
members work together to provide the most appropriate, cost effective 
services within existing resources, and reduce duplication to make 
funds available for more services. To meet the requirements of the EO, 
the CCAM developed a comprehensive action plan and launched United We 
Ride (UWR), a national initiative on human service transportation 
coordination, which includes senior mobility. The National Senior 
Center is directly linked with UWR and related to technical assistance 
initiatives in the area of older adult mobility and human service 
transportation coordination. FTA collaborates with other members of 
CCAM on the implementation of the EO and therefore, the technical 
assistance provided under this solicitation will seek to continue to 
complement and optimize, not duplicate, the technical assistance and 
related work funded in this area by other CCAM partners.
    Under SAFETEA-LU, the Secretary of Transportation was directed to 
award grants to a national not-for-profit organization for the 
establishment and maintenance of a national technical assistance center 
on senior transportation.
    In the Fiscal Years since its inception, the National Technical 
Assistance Center on Senior Transportation has been instrumental in 
increasing the transportation options for older adults and enhancing 
their ability to live more independently within their communities 
throughout the United States. Technical assistance, research toward 
solutions, strategic communications and building partnerships among 
stakeholders are additional functions of the Center. The National 
Senior Center has become the lead organization to develop a 
comprehensive state-of-the-art technical information system dealing 
with training and research on the transportation of older persons.
    The Center has raised greater awareness, increased educational 
efforts, built strong coalitions, gained greater collaboration between 
the aging and the transportation industry, and developed a core set of 
training materials and products that provide the

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base level framework necessary to expand transportation options at the 
community level for older adults.
    The Center has hosted numerous webinars and teleconferences, since 
2005, which aid in the improvement of public transportation options of 
an aging population and include such topics as improvements to 
vehicles, planning, operations, rider information, and outreach; and 
more targeted, flexible services; and universal design.
    The need for mobility assistance to enable independence, especially 
public transportation services, increases with age and disability 
level. Many older adults prefer to age in place, despite mobility 
challenges. The car has made suburban and rural living practical, and 
contributed to a decline in public transportation and walking 
(Transportation Research Board, 2004). Mobility will be a significant 
challenge for this dispersed older population. Therefore, demand for 
transportation services is expected to skyrocket and the need for 
immediate attention to infrastructure and service investments for older 
adults and individuals with disabilities has increased.
    Thus, the results of technical assistance are targeted to enhance 
availability, accessibility, acceptability, affordability and 
adaptability for older adults. In order to achieve these goals, 
technical assistance will need to focus around one-stop access systems, 
streamlining eligibility, enhancing transportation coordination, better 
understanding of regulations and policies regarding cost-sharing and 
funding, and using social media to get information out to local 
consumers.

C. Program Purpose

    The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to maintain and 
continue to implement the National Technical Assistance Center for 
Senior Transportation (hereafter, the National Senior Center, or the 
Center). The major goal of the National Senior Center is to gather best 
practices from throughout the Nation and provide such practices to 
local communities that are implementing senior transportation programs 
and to assist local communities, other organizations and states in 
successfully meeting the transportation needs of seniors and 
identifying any gaps in services in order to create a plan for an 
integrated transportation program.
    The National Senior Center will follow a number of strategies, 
especially coordination, empowerment, knowledge management and person-
centered technical assistance. The Center will coordinate with other 
technical assistance initiatives related to senior mobility and human 
service transportation to ensure a coordinated approach in this area. 
In addition, all efforts of the Center should ensure consumer input and 
involvement such that all technical assistance has a person centered, 
self-determination and independence focus. Center personnel will engage 
with technical assistance recipients to ensure knowledge is transferred 
and relationships are developed. This information and referral system 
is meant to be a key focal point to disseminate models, best practices 
and develop successful demonstration sites for innovations in older 
adult transportation services and systems. This project will entail 
creative, engaging and collaborative public and private partnerships at 
all levels--local, Tribal, state and Federal.
    The following areas will be key areas of focus for the National 
Senior Center activities:
    The Center will conduct an assessment of technical assistance needs 
in the area of senior mobility and will formulate a plan in 
coordination with FTA and AoA for conducting technical assistance in 
future years of funding.
    It is expected that technical assistance will include:
     Peer-to-Peer Learning;
     Expertise in Senior Issues;
     Communities of Practice;
     Grantee Specific Assistance, as required;
     Information and Knowledge Transfer;
     Training; and,
     Demonstration Grants.
Tasks
    In the performance of this cooperative agreement, the grantee shall 
accomplish the following tasks:
Task 1--Project Management and Administration
    The grantee shall meet with the FTA Project Manager within ten (10) 
working days after issuance of agreement to discuss the project 
management and administration of the cooperative agreement. The grantee 
shall submit a Statement of Work to the FTA Project Manager within six 
(6) weeks of grant award.
Task 2--Technical Assistance and Training
    The National Senior Center will formulate a plan in coordination 
with FTA, AoA and other Federal partners for identifying technical 
assistance needs and conducting technical assistance and training at 
the state and local levels. The grantee will work with local sites to 
develop individual technical assistance plans that outline specific 
needs, intended outcomes, plans for assistance, and evaluation 
components, which shall include, but are not limited to:
    a. Integrating a range of services including driving transition, 
pedestrian environments, fixed route transit, paratransit services, 
taxi programs, door through door or escort options, voucher models, and 
volunteer transportation programs into overall technical assistance.
    b. Assisting local communities with the development of mobility 
management strategies and concepts that enhance transportation service 
options and access for older adults.
    c. Assisting states and local communities with identification of 
intelligent transportation systems and other technologies that enhance 
transportation services for older adults, including increased access to 
a community One-Call/One-Click Transportation Resource Centers.
    d. Implement training on topics related to older adult 
transportation, including but not limited to, mobility management 
techniques and incorporating older adult transportation resources into 
existing One-Call/One-Click Resource Centers. Training should be 
considered for transportation providers, human service providers, and 
consumers.
Task 3--Demonstration Grants
    The Center shall award senior transportation demonstration grants 
to local transportation organizations, state agencies, units of local 
Government and non-profit organizations in areas related to senior 
transportation which are intended to solve transportation and mobility 
needs of the older adult community.
Task 4--Communication and Management Information Activities
    The grantee shall work collaboratively with FTA, AoA and other 
Federal partners to coordinate input, direction and advice to ensure 
the dissemination of information related to older adult transportation. 
The grantee shall work collaboratively with the FTA Project Manager and 
the Steering Committee to identify specific topics.
Task 5--Strategic Development in Partnerships, Community Involvement in 
Senior Transportation, and Senior Mobility and Human Service 
Transportation Coordination
    The grantee shall provide guidance and direction on establishing 
coalitions, which can be integrally involved in

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providing strategic direction for state and community involvement in 
older adult transportation. This shall include a method to enhance 
awareness by all stakeholders of funded senior mobility and related 
human service transportation.
Task 6--Collaboration With FTA and the Federal Coordinating Council on 
Access and Mobility
    The grantee, in coordination with the FTA Project Manager, should 
provide technical assistance to the CCAM on older adult transportation 
issues.

II. Award Information

    FTA will fund one cooperative agreement for a five year award. Year 
one of the cooperative agreement is for nine-hundred and ninety-eight 
thousand dollars ($998,000). The anticipated notification date is the 
winter of 2011/12, with an anticipated starting date for the successful 
applicant of March 2012. Subsequent funding will be based on annual 
appropriations and future authorizations of program continuation. FTA 
recipients with existing FTA cooperative agreements or grants are 
eligible to compete for this competitive cooperative agreement.
    The FTA will participate in National Senior Center activities by 
attending review meetings, commenting on technical reports, maintaining 
frequent contact with the grantee Project Manager and approving key 
decisions and activities, and redirecting activities, if needed.
    FTA will publish the selected organization in the Federal Register 
and on the UWR Web site.

III. Eligibility Information

    FTA is interested in proposals for this cooperative agreement from 
national not-for-profit organizations with demonstrated capacity in 
state and community transportation services for older adults to 
include, but are not limited to, knowledge and/or understanding of 
information in the following areas:
     Understanding strategies for building a coordinated and 
integrated senior mobility and human service transportation program;
     Capacity and experience to build coordination and 
collaboration between the public and private sector;
     Capacity for developing and managing a technical 
assistance network;
     Capacity and experience for providing effective off-site 
technical assistance;
     Understanding the implementation of a range of 
transportation services including: One-call/one-click transportation 
resource centers; mobility management, older driver, assisted (door to 
door; hand to hand; escort) services, and other types of transportation 
services provision; and,
     Capacity and experience for conducting face-to-face and 
Web-based training.

IV. Proposal Submission Information

A. Proposal Process

    Project proposals must be submitted electronically through 
GRANTS.GOV. Complete proposals for the National Technical Assistance 
Center for Senior Transportation must be submitted electronically 
through the GRANTS.GOV Web site no later than February 21, 2012.
    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 a proposal can be submitted. In addition to the 
mandatory SF-424 Form that applicants must download from GRANTS.GOV, 
FTA requires applicants to complete the Supplemental FTA Form 
(Applicant and Proposal Profile, Human Service Transportation Technical 
Assistance Program). The Supplemental Form provides guidance and a 
consistent format for applicants to respond to the criteria outlined in 
this Notice.
    Applicants must use this format as stipulated in Appendix A and 
attach it to their submission in GRANTS.GOV to successfully complete 
the application process. Within 24-48 hours after submitting an 
electronic proposal, the applicant should receive an email validation 
message from GRANTS.GOV. The validation will state whether GRANTS.GOV 
found any issues with the submitted application. If making a 
resubmission for any reason, include all original attachments 
regardless of which attachments were updated. Complete instructions on 
the proposal process can be found at www.unitedweride.gov.
    Important: FTA urges applicants to submit their proposal 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. Submissions received after February 21, 2012 will not be 
accepted.

B. Proposal Content

    1. Proposal Information included in the Standard Form 424--
Application for Federal Assistance
    This provides basic sponsor identifying information, including:
    a. Applicant's Information;
    b. Contact Information for notification of project selection 
(including contact name, title, address, congressional district, email, 
fax and phone number);
    c. Type of Applicant;
    d. Congressional Districts and Funding Information;
    This form must be completed in order to be considered for funding.
2. Proposal Content
    Every proposal must:
    a. Describe concisely, but completely, the project scope to be 
funded;
    b. Address each of the evaluation criteria separately in the format 
as stipulated in Appendix A, demonstrating how the project responds to 
each criterion; Please do not exceed the maximum page limit of 90 
pages. All pages over the limit will be excluded from consideration.
    c. Provide a total budget for the project and provide a basic line-
item budget for each task, describing the various key components and 
estimating their cost; and,
    d. Provide an estimated project time-line and major milestones.

V. Proposal Review, Selection and Notification

A. Project Evaluation Criteria

    Applicants must identify how the proposal will enhance and/or 
increase transportation or mobility benefits to older adults.
    Projects will be evaluated by an interagency review team based on 
the proposals submitted according to: 1. Staff qualifications; 2. 
Existing capacity/readiness; 3. Collaboration; 4. Ability to administer 
demonstration grants; and 5. Understanding of key issues and ideas for 
future development.
    Each applicant is encouraged to demonstrate the responsiveness of a 
project to all of the selection criteria with the most relevant 
information that the applicant can provide, regardless of whether such 
information has been specifically requested, or identified, in this 
notice.
    The review panel will assess the extent to which a project 
addresses the following criteria.
1. Staff Qualifications
    Staff qualifications include experience in delivering technical 
assistance and training, knowledge of senior mobility issues, 
demonstrated process skills in assessment, strategic planning, 
facilitation, and other key areas associated with identified tasks, 
including capacity and experience for conducting face-to-face and Web-
based

[[Page 78973]]

training for consumers, human service/aging providers, and 
transportation agencies. Applicant should also address a plan for 
knowledge retention.
2. Existing Capacity/Readiness
    Existing capacity of the organization includes clearinghouse 
functions, web development and maintenance, a demonstrated ability to 
provide technical assistance, training, long distance and on-site 
intervention strategies, and other identified tasks; including 
technical assistance by telephone and email, moderated and un-moderated 
list-serves, web-based seminars, topic-based conference calls, the 
Internet (including the development of web content).
    a. Indicate the timeframe for implementation of the project and 
obligation of funds. If the timeline for either is expected to take 
more than 18 months, please indicate the expected timeline and the 
justification for the longer period of implementation.
    b. Please indicate the short-term, mid-range and long-term goals 
for the project.
3. Collaboration
    Applicants must plan to collaborate with the National Senior Center 
Steering Committee, stakeholders in the public and private sector, and 
intermediary organizations such as hospital discharge planners, private 
pay insurance, various social service and transportation system 
networks to establish effective partnerships to implement tasks. 
Applicants should also consider and develop partnerships with 
additional groups beyond those listed above. Established partnerships 
with employment, disability, or aging groups will increase a proposal's 
chance of selection.
    Applicants must also indicate how partners were involved in the 
proposal development and how they will participate in its 
implementation, if applicable.
4. Ability To Administer Demonstration Grants
    One purpose of the National Senior Center is to award senior 
transportation demonstration grants in order to improve transportation 
for senior populations. The applicant must indicate its experience and 
capacity to carry out this mandated task and indicate how its 
organization will administer and manage the implementation of the 
demonstration grants.
5. Understanding of Key Issues and Ideas for Future Development
    Understanding the key issues regarding: older drivers, pedestrian 
access, fixed routes, paratransit services, assisted (door to door; 
hand to hand; escort) services, volunteers, taxis, one-call/one-click 
transportation resource centers and other types of transportation 
services provisions. Applicants should indicate any ideas for future 
development of a range of transportation services as well as technical 
assistance, training, demonstration and other strategies needed to 
solve senior transportation challenges.

B. Legal Capacity

    Applicants must indicate that there are no legal issues which would 
impact their eligibility and authority to apply for, or prevent 
acceptance of FTA funds.

C. Submission Dates and Time

    All proposals must be submitted electronically via GRANTS.GOV no 
later than February 21, 2012.

D. Proposal Selection and Notification Process

    Proposals will first be screened by FTA staff members and then 
screened and ranked by an interagency review panel. Final decision and 
allocation of FTA funds will be made by the FTA Administrator. The 
anticipated starting date for the successful applicant is March 2012.

VI. Award Administration

A. Award Notices

    FTA will announce project selection in a Federal Register Notice 
and will post the Federal Register Notice on the following Web sites: 
www.fta.dot.gov and www.unitedweride.gov. Once an application is 
selected, FTA will award a cooperative agreement through the FTA 
Transportation Electronic Award Management System (TEAM). There is no 
pre-award authority for these projects.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    1. Grant Requirements. The successful applicant will apply for a 
grant through TEAM and adhere to the customary FTA grant requirements 
of Section 49 U.S.C. 5314(c), Transportation Research Program, 
including those of C 6100.1D, Technology Development and Deployment, 
dated 05-01-11, Research, Technical Assistance, and Training Programs: 
Application Instructions and Program Management Guidelines.
    2. Discretionary grants and Research earmarks greater than $500,000 
will go through Congressional Notification and Release Process. 
Technical assistance regarding these requirements is available from 
each FTA regional office.
    3. 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 that modifications 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.

C. Reporting

    Post-award reporting requirements include submission of Federal 
Financial Reports and Milestone Reports in TEAM on a quarterly basis 
for all projects. Documentation is required for payment. In addition, 
grants which include innovative technologies may be required to report 
on the performance of these technologies. Additional reporting may be 
required specific to the National Senior Center and the recipient may 
be expected to participate in events or peer networks related to the 
older adult transportation.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For general program information, as well as proposal-specific 
questions, please send an email to [email protected] or contact 
Pamela Brown, (202) 493-2503. A TDD is available at 1 (800) 877-8339 
(TDD/FIRS).

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 15th day of December,, 2011.
Peter Rogoff,
Administrator.

Appendix A

Standard Format

Applicant and Proposal Profile

Human Service Transportation Technical Assistance Program

    Please respond to the information requests listed below in 
ninety (90) pages or less--including any attachments to this 
appendix. Please use Times New Roman, 12 point font,

[[Page 78974]]

double-spaced for the following items and please number your pages.
    Project Title (One (1) page maximum):
    Provide a Basic Line-Item Budget for Each Task (Two (2) page 
maximum): You may attach the budget as a separate item.
    Provide an estimated project time-line and major milestones (Two 
(2) page maximum).
    Describe How You Will Administer the Program (Ten (10) page 
maximum):
    All applicants must respond to the following items in order to 
be considered for funding:
    1. Staff Qualifications (Ten (10) page maximum--you may attach 
up to 5 additional pages of Staff Resumes):
    Staff qualifications include experience in delivering technical 
assistance and training, knowledge of senior mobility issues, 
demonstrated process skills in assessment, strategic planning, 
facilitation, and other key areas associated with identified tasks, 
including capacity and experience for conducting face-to-face and 
web-based training for consumers, human service/aging providers, and 
transportation agencies.
    Applicant should also address a plan for knowledge retention.
    2. Existing Capacity/Readiness To Conduct Technical Assistance & 
Training (Fifteen (15) page maximum):
    Existing capacity of the organization includes clearinghouse 
functions, web development and maintenance, demonstrated ability to 
provide technical assistance, training, long distance and on-site 
intervention strategies, and other identified tasks; including 
technical assistance by telephone and email, moderated and un-
moderated list-serves, web-based seminars, topic-based conference 
calls, the Internet (including the development of web content).
    a. Indicate the timeframe for obligation of funds and 
implementation of the project. If the timeline is more than 18 
months, please provide the justification for the longer period of 
implementation.
    b. Please indicate the short-term, mid-range and long-term goals 
for the project.
    3. Collaboration (Ten (10) page maximum):
    Applicants must plan to collaborate with the National Senior 
Center Steering Committee, stakeholders in the public and private 
sector, and intermediary organizations such as hospital discharge 
planners, private pay insurance, various social service and 
transportation system networks to establish effective partnerships 
to implement tasks.
    Applicants should also consider and develop partnerships with 
additional groups beyond those listed above. Established 
partnerships with employment, disability, or aging groups will 
increase a proposal's chance of selection.
    Applicants must also indicate how partners were involved in the 
proposal development and how they will participate in its 
implementation, if applicable.
    4. Ability To Administer Demonstration Grants (Fifteen (15) page 
maximum):
    One purpose of the National Senior Center is to award senior 
transportation demonstration grants in order to improve 
transportation for senior populations. The applicant must indicate 
its experience and capacity to carry out this mandated task and 
indicate how its organization will administer and manage the 
implementation of the demonstration grants.
    5. Understanding of Key Issues and Ideas For Future Development 
(Fifteen (15) page maximum):
    Understanding the key issues regarding: older drivers, 
pedestrian access, fixed routes, paratransit services, assisted 
(door to door; hand to hand; escort) services, volunteers, taxis, 
one-call/one-click transportation resource centers and other types 
of transportation services provisions. Applicants should indicate 
any ideas for future development of a range of transportation 
services.
    6. Legal Capacity. (One (1) page maximum):
    Applicants must indicate that there are no legal issues which 
would impact their eligibility and authority to apply for, or 
prevent acceptance of FTA funds.

[FR Doc. 2011-32546 Filed 12-19-11; 8:45 am]
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