[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]


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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).

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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: 
[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 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, [email protected]. 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