[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 61 (Friday, March 29, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12021-12025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06071]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Competitive Funding Opportunity: Innovations in Transit Public 
Safety

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

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SUMMARY:  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is soliciting 
proposals under the Department of Transportation's Public 
Transportation Innovation Program to select an eligible project or 
projects that will identify innovative solutions to reduce or eliminate 
human trafficking occurring on transit systems, protect transit 
operators from the risk of assault, and reduce crime on public transit 
vehicles and in facilities. The awarded projects will be referred to as 
the Innovations in Transit Public Safety projects, and the available 
funding is $2,000,000 in research funds.

DATES: Applicants must submit completed proposals for funding 
opportunity
    FTA-2019-006-TSO through the GRANTS.GOV ``APPLY'' function by 11:59 
p.m. Eastern Time on May 28, 2019. Prospective applicants should 
register as soon as possible on the GRANTS.GOV website to ensure they 
can complete the application process before the submission deadline. 
Application instructions are available on FTA's website at http://transit.dot.gov/howtoapply and in the ``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV.
    FTA will not accept mail and fax submissions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dakisha Spratling, FTA Office of 
Transit Safety and Oversight; phone: (202) 366-2530; email: 
[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 Information

A. Program Description

    The Innovations in Transit Public Safety projects are funded 
through the Public Transportation Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. 5312), 
with the goal of developing innovative projects that assist transit 
agencies with identifying and adopting specific measures to address 
public safety in transit systems, including crime prevention, human 
trafficking, and operator assault.
    Human Trafficking is a crime that involves exploiting a person for 
labor, services, or commercial sex. Section 7102(9), of Title 22, 
U.S.C., defines ``severe forms of trafficking in persons,'' as:

    (a) Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by 
force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform 
such act has not attained 18 years of age; or
    (b) The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or 
obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of 
force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to 
involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
    The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. 
Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, 
regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was 
used. There is no single profile of a trafficking victim. Victims of 
human trafficking can be anyone--regardless of race, color, national 
origin, disability, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, 
gender identity, socioeconomic status, education level, or 
citizenship status.

    The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) combats human 
trafficking by working with public and private sector stakeholders to 
empower transportation employees and the traveling public to recognize 
and report possible instances of human trafficking. The Innovations in 
Transit Public Safety projects support the DOT's Transportation Leaders 
Against Human Trafficking initiative, which has the following focus 
areas: Leadership, training and education, policy development, public 
awareness, and information sharing and analysis.
    Eligible projects will identify innovative solutions to reduce or 
eliminate human trafficking occurring on transit systems, protect 
transit operators from the risk of assault, and reduce crime on public 
transit vehicles and facilities. Specific project eligibility under 
this competitive allocation is described in Section C of this notice.

B. Federal Award Information

    The FTA makes available $2,000,000 under the Public Transportation 
Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. 5312) to

[[Page 12022]]

finance projects that demonstrate innovative methods of addressing and 
preventing human trafficking on transit, improving public safety in 
transit, and reducing crime on transit, including operator assault.
    The FTA will grant pre-award authority starting on the date of 
project award announcements for selected projects. Funds are available 
only for projects that have not incurred costs prior to the 
announcement of project selections. The FTA may supplement the total 
funds currently available with future appropriations.

C. Eligibility Information

(1) Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants for awards are limited to State and local 
governmental entities; providers of public transportation; non-profit 
organizations; or a consortium of entities, including a provider of 
public transportation, that will share the costs, risks, and rewards of 
early deployment and demonstration of innovation. Eligible applicants 
are limited to FTA grantees who would be the primary beneficiaries of 
the innovative products and services that are developed. Eligible 
applicants may submit consolidated proposals for projects. Proposals 
may contain projects the recipient or its subrecipients will implement. 
Eligible subrecipients include public agencies, private nonprofit 
organizations, and private providers engaged in public transportation.

(2) Cost Sharing or Matching

    The maximum Federal share of project costs is 80 percent. The 
applicant must document the source(s) of the local match in the grant 
application. Eligible local match sources include the following:
    [ssquf] Cash from non-Government sources other than revenues from 
providing public transportation services;
    [ssquf] revenues derived from the sale of advertising and 
concessions;
    [ssquf] revenues generated from value capture financing mechanisms;
    [ssquf] funds from an undistributed cash surplus;
    [ssquf] replacement or depreciation cash fund or reserve;
    [ssquf] new capital; or
    [ssquf] in-kind contributions.
    The FTA may give additional consideration to applicants who propose 
a local share that is greater than the minimum requirement of 20 
percent, and may view these applicants as more competitive.

(3) Eligible Projects

    Eligible projects include innovation and development projects that 
advance the interests of public transportation, to include projects 
that identify innovative solutions to:
    [ssquf] Reduce or eliminate human trafficking occurring at transit 
systems or through the use of transit systems,
    [ssquf] protect transit operators from the risk of assault,
    [ssquf] reduce crime on public transit vehicles and facilities, and
    [ssquf] improve rider and public safety.
    Key focus areas will be education and training, policy development, 
public awareness and outreach, and information sharing and analysis.
    Applicants may each submit one proposal.

D. Application and Submission Information

(1) Address To Request Application Package

    Applications must be submitted through GRANTS.GOV. Applicants can 
find general information for submitting applications through GRANTS.GOV 
at www.fta.dot.gov/howtoapply, along with specific instructions for the 
forms and attachments required for submission. Mail and fax submissions 
will not be accepted.

(2) Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Proposal Submission
    A complete proposal submission consists of at least two forms:
    1. The SF-424 Mandatory Form (downloadable from GRANTS.GOV) and
    2. the supplemental form for the FY 2018 Innovations in Transit 
Public Safety Project (downloadable from GRANTS.GOV), which is 
available on FTA's website at (placeholder for FTA Human Trafficking 
Program website).
    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. The FTA will accept only one supplemental form 
per SF-424 submission. The FTA encourages applicants to consider 
submitting a single supplemental form that includes multiple activities 
to be evaluated as a consolidated proposal.
    Applicants may attach additional supporting information to the SF-
424 submission, including but not limited to letters of support, 
project budgets, or excerpts from relevant planning documents. 
Supporting documentation must be described and referenced by file name 
in the appropriate response section of the supplemental form, or it may 
not be reviewed.
    Information such as applicant name, Federal amount requested, local 
match amount, description of areas served, etc., may be requested in 
varying degrees of detail on both the SF-424 form and supplemental 
form. Applicants must fill in all fields unless stated otherwise on the 
forms. If applicants copy information into the supplemental form from 
another source, they should verify that the supplemental form has fully 
captured pasted text and that it has not truncated the text due to 
character limits built into the form. Applicants should use both the 
``Check Package for Errors'' and the ``Validate Form'' validation 
buttons on both forms to check all required fields. Applicants should 
also ensure that the Federal and local amounts specified are 
consistent.
b. 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 (contact name, address, email address, and 
phone number)
d. Congressional district(s) where project will take place
e. Project Information (title, executive summary, and type)
f. A detailed description of the need for the project
g. A detailed description of how the project will support the 
Innovations in Transit Public Safety objectives
h. Evidence that the applicant can provide the local cost share
i. A description of the technical, legal, and financial capacity of the 
applicant
j. A detailed project budget
k. An explanation of the scalability of the project
l. Details on the local matching funds
m. 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 at all times during which the 
applicant has

[[Page 12023]]

an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration 
by FTA. These requirements do not apply if the applicant: (1) Is 
excepted from the requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c); or (2) has 
an exception approved by FTA under 2 CFR 25.110(d). The FTA may not 
make an award until the applicant has complied with all applicable 
unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not 
fully complied with the requirements by the time FTA is ready to make 
an award, FTA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to 
receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making a 
Federal award to another applicant. All applicants must provide a 
unique entity identifier provided by SAM. Registration in SAM may take 
as little as 3-5 business days, but there can be unexpected steps or 
delays. For example, the applicant may need to obtain an Employer 
Identification Number. The FTA recommends allowing ample time, up to 
several weeks, to complete all steps. For additional information on 
obtaining a unique entity identifier, please visit www.sam.gov.

(4) Submission Dates and Times

    Project proposals must be submitted electronically through 
GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on May 28, 2019. Mail and fax 
submissions will not be accepted.
    The FTA urges applicants to submit applications at least 72 hours 
prior to the due date to allow time to correct any problems that may 
have caused either GRANTS.GOV or FTA systems to reject the submission. 
Proposals submitted after the deadline will only be considered under 
extraordinary circumstances not within the applicant's control.
    Deadlines will not be extended due to scheduled website 
maintenance. GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage times are 
announced on the GRANTS.GOV website.
    Within 48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the 
applicant should receive two email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1) 
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV; and (2) 
confirmation of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV. If the applicant 
does not receive confirmation of successful validation or receives a 
notice of failed validation or incomplete materials, the applicant must 
address the reason for the failed validation, as described in the email 
notice, and resubmit before the submission deadline. If making a 
resubmission for any reason, applicants must include all original 
attachments regardless of which attachments were updated and check the 
box on the supplemental form indicating this is a resubmission.
    Applicants are encouraged to begin the process of registration on 
the GRANTS.GOV site well in advance of the submission deadline. 
Registration is a multi-step process, which may take several weeks to 
complete before an application can be submitted. Registered applicants 
may still be required to update their registration before submitting an 
application. Registration in SAM is renewed annually and persons making 
submissions on behalf of the Authorized Organization Representative 
(AOR) must be authorized in GRANTS.GOV by the AOR to make submissions.

(5) Funding Restrictions

    Funds may be used for expenditures only. Funds under this NOFO 
cannot be used to reimburse projects for otherwise eligible expenses 
incurred prior to the date of project award announcements.

(6) Other Submission Requirements

    The FTA encourages applicants to identify scaled funding options in 
case insufficient funding is available to fund a project at the full 
requested amount. If an applicant indicates that a project is scalable, 
the applicant must provide an appropriate minimum funding amount that 
will fund an eligible project that achieves the objectives of the 
program and meets all relevant program requirements. The applicant must 
provide a clear explanation of how a reduced award would affect the 
project budget. The FTA may award a lesser amount whether or not the 
applicant provides a scalable option.

E. Application Review Information

(1) Project Evaluation Criteria

    Each application for Innovations in Transit Public Safety must 
include a statement of purpose detailing: (1) The need being addressed; 
(2) the short- and long-term goals of the project, including 
opportunities for future innovation and development and benefits to 
riders of public transportation; (3) how the project will improve 
personal safety in public transit stations and vehicles; and (4) the 
short- and long-term funding requirements to complete the project and 
any future objectives of the project.
    The FTA will evaluate proposals submitted according to the 
following criteria: (a) Demonstration of need; (b) demonstration of 
benefits; (c) coordination, planning and partnerships; (d) local 
financial commitment; (e) project readiness; and (f) technical, legal 
and financial capacity. The FTA encourages each applicant to 
demonstrate how a project supports all criteria with the most relevant 
information the applicant can provide, regardless of whether such 
information has been specifically requested or identified in this 
notice.
a. Demonstration of Need
    The FTA will evaluate proposals based on how the proposed project 
will address reducing crime and improving the safety of riders, 
including preventing human trafficking; and operators, including 
preventing operator assault. Proposals should clearly define the public 
safety challenge(s) experienced by the transit agency and its 
customers, and how the proposed project will improve transit public 
safety.
b. Demonstration of Benefits
    The FTA will evaluate proposals on the benefits provided by the 
proposed project. The FTA is interested in how these investments will 
improve the quality of transit public safety, and in particular, rider 
safety and human trafficking awareness and prevention, as well as 
prevention of operator assault. The Innovations in Transit Public 
Safety projects provide an opportunity for communities to put into 
practice new and innovative ideas, practices, and approaches that 
reduce crime and address the personal safety of passengers and 
operators. The FTA encourages applicants to consider qualitative and 
quantitative benefits to transit systems, transit users, transit 
employees, and the surrounding communities. The FTA will rate proposals 
based on the quality and extent to which they discuss the following 
five factors:
    i. The project's ability to improve transit safety and operator 
safety;
    ii. The project's ability to provide quantitative data for expected 
benefits and outputs associated with the project;
    iii. The degree to which the project addresses human trafficking 
prevention;
    iv. Benefits such as increased educational opportunities; and
    v. Outputs that promote collaboration between community 
organizations, local government entities, state government entities, 
and federal agencies.
    Proposals must show that the applicant will be able to provide 
impact data during and at the conclusion of the project. Successful 
applicants will evaluate the performance of their project(s). At 
various points in the deployment process and at the end of the pilot 
project, the recipient will be

[[Page 12024]]

asked by FTA, or its designee, to provide performance measures required 
to conduct this evaluation. The FTA requires each applicant to submit 
the performance data on a quarterly basis. This data will be used by 
FTA to produce the required Annual Report to Congress that contains a 
detailed description of the activities carried out under the research 
program, and an evaluation of the program, including an evaluation of 
the performance measures described.
c. Demonstration of Coordination, Planning, and Partnerships
    Applicants must describe the eligible project and outline project 
partners (if any) and their specific role in the project. Applications 
should also include the following:
    i. Discuss the level of support by the community and other 
organizations for the proposed project;
    ii. Describe the opportunities for public participation that are or 
will be provided by the project;
    iii. Describe how the proposed project complements rather than 
duplicates any current and similar innovations in transit public safety 
projects;
    iv. Describe the implementation schedule for the proposed project, 
including time period, staffing, and procurement; and
    v. Describe any other planning or coordination efforts not 
mentioned above.
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. The FTA will 
consider the availability of the local share as evidence of local 
financial commitment to the project. In addition, an applicant may 
propose a local share that is greater than the minimum requirement or 
provide documentation of previous local investment in similar projects 
as evidence of local financial commitment. The FTA may give additional 
consideration to applicants who propose a local share that is greater 
than the minimum requirement of 20 percent, and may view these 
applicants as more competitive.
e. Project Readiness
    The FTA will evaluate the proposed schedule and the applicant's 
ability to implement it. Applicants should indicate the short-term, 
mid-range, and long-term goals for the project. The project readiness 
factor involves assessing whether:
    i. Project implementation plan documents are complete;
    ii. Project funds can be obligated and the project can be 
implemented quickly, if selected; and
    iii. The applicant demonstrates the ability to carry out the 
proposed project successfully.
f. Technical, Legal and Financial Capacity
    The FTA will evaluate the capacity of the applicant and any 
partners to successfully execute the research effort. There should be 
no outstanding legal, technical, or financial issues with the applicant 
that would make this a high-risk project. The FTA will evaluate each 
proposal (including the business plan, financial projections, and other 
relevant data) for feasibility and longer-term sustainability. It is 
FTA's intent to select projects with a high likelihood of long-term 
success, sustainability, and ability to be replicated in other 
communities.

(2) Review and Selection Process

    An FTA technical evaluation committee will evaluate proposals based 
on the published project evaluation criteria. Members of the technical 
evaluation committee and other involved FTA staff will rate the 
applications, and may seek clarification about any statement in an 
application. The FTA Administrator will determine the final selection 
and amount of funding for each project after consideration of the 
findings of the technical evaluation committee. Geographic diversity 
and the applicant's receipt and management of other Federal transit 
funds may be considered in FTA's award decisions. The FTA Administrator 
will consider the following key DOT objectives:
    a. Supporting economic vitality at the national and regional level;
    b. Utilizing alternative funding sources and innovative financing 
models to attract non-Federal sources of investment;
    c. Whether the project is located in or supports public 
transportation service in a qualified opportunity zone designated 
pursuant to 26.U.S.C. 1400Z-1;
    d. Using innovative approaches to improve safety and expedite 
project delivery; and,
    e. Holding grant recipients accountable for their performance and 
achieving specific, measurable outcomes identified by grant applicants.
    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 System (FAPIIS) accessible 
through SAM. An applicant may review and comment on information about 
itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered.
    The FTA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to 
the other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the 
applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under 
Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants 
as described in 2 CFR 200.205 Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk 
Posed by Applicants.

F. Federal Award Administration

(1) Federal Award Notice

    The 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. At the 
time project selections are announced, FTA will extend pre-award 
authority for the selected projects. There is no blanket pre-award 
authority for these projects before announcement.

[[Page 12025]]

(2) Award Administration

    There is no minimum or maximum grant award amount; however, FTA 
intends to fund as many meritorious projects as possible. The FTA will 
only consider proposals from eligible recipients for eligible 
activities. Due to funding limitations, projects selected for funding 
may receive less than the amount originally requested. In those cases, 
applicants must be able to demonstrate that the proposed projects are 
still viable and can be completed with the amount awarded.

(3) Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Pre-Award Authority
    The FTA will issue specific guidance to recipients regarding pre-
award authority at the time of selection. The FTA does not provide pre-
award authority for competitive funds until projects are selected, and 
there are Federal requirements that must be met before costs are 
incurred. For more information about FTA's policy on pre-award 
authority, please see the FY 2018 Apportionments Notice published on 
July 16, 2018, at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR0-2018-07-16/pdf/2018-14989.pdf.
b. Grant Requirements
    Selected applicants will submit a grant application through FTA's 
electronic grant management system and adhere to the customary FTA 
grant requirements. All competitive grants, regardless of award amount, 
will be subject to the Congressional notification and release process. 
The FTA emphasizes that third-party procurement applies to all funding 
awards, as described in FTA Circular 4220.1F, ``Third Party Contracting 
Guidance.'' However, FTA may approve applications that include a 
specifically identified partnering organization(s) (2 CFR 200.302(f)). 
When included, the application, budget, and budget narrative should 
provide a clear understanding of how the selection of these 
organizations is critical for the project and give sufficient detail 
about the costs involved.
c. Planning
    The FTA encourages applicants to engage the appropriate State 
Departments of Transportation, Regional Transportation Planning 
Organizations, or Metropolitan Planning Organizations in areas to be 
served by the project funds available under this programs.
d. Standard Assurances
    The applicant assures that it will comply with all applicable 
Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, FTA circulars, and 
other Federal administrative requirements in carrying out any project 
supported by the FTA grant. The applicant acknowledges that it is under 
a continuing obligation to comply with the terms and conditions of the 
grant agreement issued for its project with FTA. The applicant 
understands that Federal laws, regulations, policies, and 
administrative practices might be modified from time to time and may 
affect the implementation of the project. The applicant agrees that the 
most recent Federal requirements will apply to the project unless FTA 
issues a written determination otherwise. The applicant must submit the 
Certifications and Assurances before receiving a grant if it does not 
have current certifications on file.

(4) Reporting

    The post-award reporting requirements include submission of the 
Federal Financial Report (FFR) and Milestone Progress Report in TrAMs. 
An evaluation of the pilot program or research grant will occur at 
various points in the deployment process and at the end of the 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. FTA may request data and reports 
to support the evaluation and Annual Report.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact

    For questions about applying, please contact Dakisha Spratling, at 
Federal Transit Administration, Office of Transit Safety and Oversight, 
phone: (202) 366-2530, or email, [email protected]. A TDD is 
available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDDFIRS). To ensure that applicants 
receive accurate information about eligibility or the program, 
applicants are encouraged to contact FTA directly with questions, 
rather than through intermediaries or third parties. The FTA staff may 
also conduct briefings on the competitive grants selection and award 
process upon request.

K. Jane Williams,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-06071 Filed 3-28-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-57-P