Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal Transit Program, 73134-73139 [2014-28792]

Agencies

• Federal Transit Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 236 (Tuesday, December 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73134-73139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28792]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program; Tribal 
Transit Program

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability: Solicitation of Grant 
Applications for FY 2014 Tribal Transit Program Funds.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the 
availability of approximately $5 million in funding provided by the 
Public Transportation on Indian Reservations Program (Tribal Transit 
Program (TTP)), as authorized by 49 U.S.C. Section 5311(j), as amended 
by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), 
Public Law 112-41 (July 6, 2012). This notice is a national 
solicitation for project proposals and includes the selection criteria 
and program eligibility information for Fiscal Year 2014 projects. FTA 
may choose to fund the program for more or less than the announcement 
amount, including applying any FY 2015 appropriations or other funding 
toward projects proposed in response to the Notice of Funding 
Availability (NOFA).
    This announcement is available on the FTA Web site at: https://www.fta.dot.gov/grants/15926_3553.html. Additionally, a synopsis of the 
funding opportunity will be posted in the FIND module of the 
government-wide electronic grants Web site at https://www.grants.gov.
    FTA requires that all project proposals be submitted electronically 
through https://www.GRANTS.GOV by 11:59 p.m. EDT on February 18, 2015. 
Mail and fax submissions will not be accepted. A complete proposal 
submission will consist of at least two files: (1) The SF 424 Mandatory 
form (downloaded from GRANTS.GOV) and (2) the Tribal Transit 
supplemental form found on the FTA Web site at https://www.fta.dot.gov/grants/15926_3553.html. The Tribal Transit supplemental form provides 
guidance and a consistent format for applicants to respond to the 
criteria outlined in this NOFA. Once completed, the applicant must 
place the supplemental form in the attachments section of the SF-424 
Mandatory form. Applicants must use the supplemental form designated 
for TTP and attach the form to their submission in GRANTS.GOV to 
complete the application process. A proposal submission may contain 
additional supporting documentation as attachments.
    Within 24-48 hours after submitting an electronic application, the 
applicant should receive three email messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1) 
Confirmation of successful transmission to GRANTS.GOV; (2) confirmation 
of successful validation by GRANTS.GOV; and (3) confirmation of 
successful validation by FTA. If the applicant does not receive 
confirmations of successful validation and instead receives a notice of 
failed validation or incomplete materials, the applicant must address 
the reason for the failed validation or incomplete materials, as 
described in the notice, and resubmit the proposal before the 
submission deadline. If making a resubmission for any reason, the 
applicant must include all original attachments regardless of which 
attachments are updated and check the box on the supplemental form 
indicating this is a resubmission. Complete instructions on the 
application process can be found at https://www.fta.dot.gov/grants/15926_3553.html.
    Important: FTA urges applicants to submit their project proposals 
at least 72 hours prior to the due date to allow time to receive the 
validation message and to correct any problems that may have caused a 
rejection notification. FTA will not accept submissions after the 
stated submission deadline. GRANTS.GOV scheduled maintenance and outage 
times are announced on the GRANTS.GOV Web site https://www.GRANTS.GOV. 
The deadline will not be extended due to scheduled maintenance or 
outages.
    Applicants may submit one proposal for each project or one proposal 
containing multiple projects. Applicants submitting multiple projects 
in one proposal must be sure to clearly define each project by 
completing a supplemental form for each project. Additional 
supplemental forms must be added within the proposal by clicking the 
``add project'' button in Section II of the supplemental form.
    Information such as applicant name, Federal amount requested, 
description of areas served, and other information 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. Applicants should use both the ``Check Package for Errors'' and 
the ``Validate Form'' validation buttons on both forms to check all 
required fields on the forms, and ensure that the Federal and local 
amounts specified are consistent.

DATES: Complete proposals for the Tribal Transit Program announced in 
this Notice must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on February 18, 2015. 
All proposals must be submitted electronically through the GRANTS.GOV 
APPLY function. Any tribe intending to apply should initiate the 
process of registering on the GRANTS.GOV site immediately to ensure 
completion of registration before the submission deadline. Instructions 
for applying can be found on FTA's Web site at https://www.fta.dot.gov/grants/15926_3553.html and in the ``FIND'' module of GRANTS.GOV.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact the appropriate FTA Regional 
Office at https://www.fta.dot.gov for proposal-specific information and 
issues. For general program information, contact [Eacute]lan Flippin, 
Office of Program Management, (202) 366-3800, email: 
elan.flippin@dot.gov. A TDD is available at 1-800-877-8339 (TDD/FIRS).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents

A. Overview
B. Program Purpose
C. Program Information
    1. Eligible Applicants
    2. Eligible Projects
    3. Cost Sharing and Matching
    4. Proposal Content
D. Technical Assistance and Other Program Information

List of Appendices
Appendix A: List of Regional Tribal Liaisons
Appendix B: Technical Assistance Contacts
Appendix C: Registering in SAM and Grants.gov

A. Overview

    The Tribal Transit Program was established by section 3013 of 
SAFETEA-LU and modified under Section 20010 of MAP-21, Public Law 112-
41 (July 6, 2012) and codified at 49 U.S.C. 5311(j). MAP-21 amended the 
Tribal Transit Program to consist of a $25 million formula allocation 
and a $5 million discretionary program. The program authorizes direct 
grants ``under such terms and conditions as may be established by the 
Secretary'' to Indian tribes for any purpose eligible under FTA's Rural 
Areas Formula Program, 49 U.S.C. 5311. Approximately $5 million is 
available for the Tribal Transit discretionary allocation in FY 2014 to 
projects selected pursuant to the process described in the following 
sections.

[[Page 73135]]

B. Program Purpose

    The primary purpose of these competitively selected grants is to 
support planning, capital, and, in limited circumstances, operating 
assistance for tribal public transit services. Funds distributed to 
Indian tribes under the TTP should NOT replace or reduce funds that 
Indian tribes receive from States through FTA's Section 5311 program. 
Specific project eligibility under this competitive allocation is 
described in Section C-2 below. Priority consideration will be given to 
eligible projects that help to expand ladders of opportunity. Examples 
could include enhancing access to work, educational, and other training 
opportunities, and supporting partnerships that expand access to other 
governmental, health, medical, education, social, human service, and 
transportation providers to improve coordinated delivery of services.

C. Program Information

 1. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants include federally recognized Indian tribes or 
Alaska Native villages, groups, or communities as identified by the 
U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). As 
evidence of Federal recognition, an Indian tribe may submit a copy of 
the most up-to-date Federal Register Notice published by DOI, BIA: 
Entities Recognized and Eligible to Receive Service from the United 
States Bureau of Indian Affairs (79 FR 4748, January 29, 2014). To be 
an eligible recipient, an Indian tribe must have the requisite legal, 
financial and technical capabilities to receive and administer Federal 
funds under this program. Applicants must be registered in the System 
for Award Management (SAM) database (instructions for registration are 
located under Appendix C) and maintain an active SAM registration with 
current information at all times during which it has an active Federal 
award or an application or plan under consideration by FTA.

2. Eligible Projects

    Eligible projects include public transportation planning, capital 
and operating projects, in limited circumstances. Public transportation 
includes regular, continuing shared-ride surface transportation 
services open to the public or open to a segment of the public defined 
by age, disability, or low income. FTA will award grants to eligible 
Indian tribes located in rural areas. Specific types of projects 
include: Capital projects for start-ups, replacement or expansion 
needs; operating assistance for start-ups; and planning projects up to 
$25,000. Indian tribes applying for capital replacement or expansion 
needs must demonstrate a sustainable source of operating funds for 
existing or expanded services. FY 2013 was considered a transition year 
for the discretionary program and Indian tribes who did not receive an 
FY 2013 formula apportionment or only received a Tier 3 allocation were 
allowed to apply for operating assistance under the discretionary 
program. This transition period gave tribes an opportunity to receive 
operating funds to run their transit systems and report Vehicle Revenue 
Miles (VRMs) to the National Transit Database (NTD) for inclusion in 
the FY14 formula program. In FY 2014, FTA will only consider operating 
assistance requests from tribes without existing transit service, or 
those tribes who received a TTP formula allocation of less than 
$20,000.

3. Cost Sharing or Matching

    There is a 90 percent Federal share for projects selected under the 
TTP discretionary program, unless the Indian tribe can demonstrate a 
financial hardship in its application. FTA is interested in the Indian 
tribe's financial commitment to the proposed project, thus the proposal 
should include a description of the Indian tribe's financial 
commitment.

4. Proposal Content (All Applicants Must Completely Respond to Items in 
This Section To Be Considered for TTP Funding)

    The following information MUST be included on the SF 424 and 
supplemental forms for all TTP funding proposals:
i. Proposal Information
    a. Name of federally-recognized tribe and, if appropriate, the 
specific tribal agency submitting the application.
    b. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number if available. (Note: If selected, applicant will be required to 
provide DUNS number prior to grant award).
    c. Contact information including: Contact name, title, address, fax 
and phone number, and email address if available.
    d. Description of public transportation services including areas 
currently served by the tribe, if any.
    e. Name of person(s) authorized to apply on behalf of the tribe 
(attach a signed transmittal letter) must accompany the proposal.
ii. Project Information
a. Project Description
    Indicate the category for which funding is requested; i.e., project 
type: Capital, operating or planning, and then indicate the project 
purpose; i.e., start-up, expansion or replacement. Describe the 
proposed project and what it will accomplish (e.g., number and type of 
vehicles, routes, service area, schedules, type of services, fixed 
route or demand responsive, safety aspects), route miles (if fixed 
route), ridership numbers expected (actual if an existing system, 
estimated if a new system), major origins and destinations, population 
served, and whether the tribe provides the service directly, contracts 
for services, and note vehicle maintenance plans.
b. Project Timeline
    Include significant milestones such as date of contract for 
purchase of vehicle(s), actual or expected delivery date of vehicles; 
facility project phases (e.g. NEPA compliance, design, construction); 
or dates for completion of planning studies. If applying for 
operational funding for new services, indicate the period of time funds 
are used to operate the system (e.g. one year). This section should 
also include any needed timelines for tribal council project approvals, 
if applicable.
c. Budget
    Provide a detailed budget for each proposed purpose noting the 
Federal amount requested and any additional funds that will be used. An 
Indian tribe use allow up to 15 percent of a grant award for capital 
projects for specific project-related planning and administration, and 
the indirect costs rate may not exceed ten percent (if necessary add as 
an attachment) of the total amount requested/awarded.
d. Technical, Legal, Financial Capacity
    Indian tribes must be able to demonstrate adequate capacity in 
technical, legal and financial areas to be considered for funding. 
Every proposal MUST describe this capacity to implement the proposed 
project.
    1. Technical Capacity: Provide examples of the Indian tribe's 
management of other Federal projects, including previously funded FTA 
projects and/or similar types of projects for which funding is being 
requested. Describe the resources the Indian tribe has to implement the 
proposed transit project.
    2. Legal Capacity: Provide documentation or other evidence to show 
that the applicant is a federally

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recognized Indian tribe and has an authorized representative to execute 
legal agreements with FTA on behalf of the Indian tribe. If applying 
for capital or operating funds, identify whether the Indian tribe has 
appropriate Federal or State operating authority.
    3. Financial Capacity: Provide documentation or other evidence to 
show that the Indian tribe has adequate financial systems in place to 
receive and manage a Federal grant. Describe the Indian tribe's 
financial systems and controls. Describe other sources of funds the 
Indian tribe manages and describe the long-term financial capacity to 
maintain the proposed or existing transit services.

5. Evaluation Criteria for Operating and Capital Assistance Requests

    Applications will be grouped into their respective category for 
review and rating purposes. Applicants must address criteria in 
Sections i-v for operating and capital requests. Applicants applying 
for planning grants must address evaluation criteria in Section vi.
i. Planning and Local/Regional Prioritization
    In this section, the applicant should describe how the proposed 
project was developed and demonstrate that there is a sound basis for 
the project and that the applicant is ready to implement the project if 
funded. Information may vary depending upon how the planning process 
for the project was conducted and what is being requested. Planning and 
local/regional prioritization should consider and address the following 
areas:
    a. Describe the planning document and/or the planning process 
conducted to identify the proposed project.
    b. Provide a detailed project description including the proposed 
service, vehicle and facility needs, and other pertinent 
characteristics of the proposed or existing service implementation.
    c. Identify existing transportation services in and near the 
proposed service area and document in detail, whether the proposed 
project will provide opportunities to coordinate service with existing 
transit services, including human service agencies, intercity bus 
services, or other public transit providers.
    d. Discuss the level of support by the community and/or tribal 
government for the proposed project.
    e. Describe how the mobility and client-access needs of tribal 
human service agencies were considered in the planning process.
    f. Describe what opportunities for public participation were 
provided in the planning process and how the proposed transit service 
or existing service has been coordinated with transportation provided 
for the clients of human service agencies, with intercity bus 
transportation in the area, or with any other rural public transit 
providers.
    g. Describe how the proposed service complements rather than 
duplicates any currently available services.
    h. Describe the implementation schedule for the proposed project, 
including time period, staffing, and procurement.
    i. Describe any other planning or coordination efforts not 
mentioned above.
    ii. Project Readiness: In this section, the applicant should 
describe readiness to implement the project. This involves assessing 
whether:
    a. Project is a Categorical Exclusion (CE) or the required 
environmental work has been initiated or completed for construction 
projects requiring an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) under, among others, the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended.
    b. Project implementation plans are complete, including initial 
design of facilities projects.
    c. Project funds can be obligated and the project can be 
implemented quickly, if selected.
    d. Applicant demonstrates the ability to carry out the proposed 
project successfully.
iii. Demonstration of Need
    FTA will evaluate each project to determine the need for resources. 
In addition to the project-specific criteria, this will include 
evaluating the project's impact on service delivery and whether the 
project represents a one-time or periodic need that cannot reasonably 
be funded from the FTA program formula allocations or State and/or 
local resources. In this section, the proposal should demonstrate the 
transit needs of the Indian tribe and discuss how the proposed transit 
improvements or the new service will address the identified transit 
needs. Proposals should include information such as destinations and 
services not currently accessible by transit, needs for access to jobs 
or health care, safety enhancements or special needs of elders and 
individuals with disabilities, income-based community needs, or other 
mobility needs. If an applicant received a planning grant in previous 
fiscal years, it should indicate the status of the planning study and 
how the proposed project relates to that study.
    Capital expansion or replacement projects should also address the 
following in the proposal. If the proposal is for capital funding 
associated with an expansion or expanded service, the applicant should 
describe how current or growing demand for the service necessitates the 
expansion (and therefore, more capital) and/or the degree to how the 
project is addressing a current capacity constraint. Capital 
replacement projects should include information about the age, 
condition, and performance of the asset to be replaced by the proposed 
project and/or how the replacement may be necessary to maintain the 
transit system in a state of good repair.
iv. Demonstration of Benefits
    In this section, proposals should identify expected or, in the case 
of existing service, achieved, project benefits. FTA is particularly 
interested in how these investments will improve the quality of life 
for the tribe and surrounding communities. Applicants should describe 
how the transportation service or capital investment will provide 
greater access to employment opportunities, educational centers, 
healthcare, or other needs that profoundly impact the quality of life 
for the community, as described in the program purpose above. Please 
note, DOT recognizes that a formal benefit-cost analysis can be 
particularly burdensome on Tribal governments. Therefore, the 
Department is providing flexibility to Tribal governments to 
demonstrate benefits--including some of the following examples--for the 
purposes of this notice. Possible examples include increased or 
sustained ridership and daily trips, improved service, elimination of 
gaps in service, improved operations and coordination, increased 
reliability, health care, education, and economic benefits to the 
community. Benefits can be demonstrated by identifying the population 
of community members in the proposed project service area and 
estimating the number of daily one-way trips the proposed transit 
service will provide or the actual number of individual riders served. 
Applicants are encouraged to consider qualitative and quantitative 
benefits to the Indian tribe and to the surrounding communities that 
are meaningful to them.
    Based on the information provided under the demonstration of 
benefits, proposals will be rated based on four factors:
    a. Will the project improve transit efficiency or increase 
ridership?

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    b. Will the project improve or maintain mobility, or eliminate gaps 
in service for the Indian tribe?
    c. Will the project improve or maintain access to important 
destinations and services?
    d. Are there other qualitative benefits, such as greater access to 
jobs, education and health care?
v. Financial Commitment and Operating Capacity
    In this section, the proposal should identify the source of local 
match (10 percent is required for all operating and capital projects), 
and any other funding sources used by the Indian tribe to support 
proposed transit services, including human service transportation 
funding, FHWA's Tribal Transportation Program funding, or other FTA 
programs. If requesting the local match to be waived based on financial 
hardship, the applicant must submit budgets and sources of other 
revenue to demonstrate hardship. FTA will review this information and 
notify tribes at the time of award if the waiver is approved. If 
applicable, the applicant should also describe how prior year TTP funds 
were spent to date to support the service. Additionally, Indian tribes 
applying for operating of new services should provide a sustainable 
funding plan that demonstrates how it intends to maintain operations.
    The proposal should describe any other resources the Indian tribe 
will contribute to the project, including in-kind contributions, 
commitments of support from local businesses, donations of land or 
equipment, and human resources, and describe to what extent the new 
project or funding for existing service leverages other funding. Based 
upon the information provided, the proposals will be rated on the 
extent to which the proposal demonstrates that:
    a. TTP Funding does not replace existing funding;
    b. The Indian tribe will provide non-financial support to the 
project;
    c. The Indian tribe is able to demonstrate a sustainable funding 
plan; and
    d. Project funds are used in coordination with other services for 
efficient utilization of funds.
vi. Evaluation Criteria for Planning Proposals
    For planning grants, the proposal should describe, in no more than 
three pages, the need for and a general scope of the proposed study. 
The proposal should also address the following:
    1. What is the tribes' long-term commitment to transit?
    2. How will the proposed study be implemented and/or further tribal 
transit.

6. Review and Selection Process

    A technical evaluation committee will review proposals under the 
project evaluation criteria. Members of the technical evaluation 
committee and other involved FTA staff reserve the right to screen, 
rate the applications, and seek clarification about any statement in an 
application.
    After consideration of the findings of the technical evaluation 
committee, the FTA Administrator will determine the final selection and 
amount of funding for each project. Geographic diversity and the 
applicant's receipt and management of other Federal transit funds may 
be considered in FTA's award decisions. FTA expects to announce the 
selected projects and notify successful applicants in summer 2015.
    Once successful applicants are announced, they will work with the 
appropriate Regional office to develop a grant application consistent 
with the selected proposal in FTA's electronic grant award and 
management system.

D. Technical Assistance and Other Program Information

    This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' FTA will consider 
applications for funding only from eligible recipients for eligible 
projects listed in Section C-2. Due to funding limitations, applicants 
that are selected for funding may receive less than the amount 
requested. Complete applications must be submitted through GRANTS.GOV 
no later than February 18, 2015.
    Additionally, FTA is continuing to expand its technical assistance 
and oversight of tribes receiving funds under this program by 
conducting technical assistance assessments. These assessments will 
include discussion of compliance areas and program requirements 
pursuant to the Master Agreement, a site visit and technical assistance 
from FTA and its contractors. To assist tribes with understanding 
program requirements, FTA will conduct Tribal Transit Technical 
Assistance Workshops in FY 2015. FTA plans to begin assessments in FY 
2015, giving tribes an opportunity to attend offered workshops. FTA 
will use these assessments as a tool to focus on areas of improvement 
and as an indication of the areas where technical assistance is needed.
    FTA will post information about upcoming workshops to its Web site 
and will disseminate information about the reviews through its Regional 
offices. A list of Tribal Liaisons is available on FTA's Web site at 
https://www.fta.dot.gov/grants/15926_3553.html and in Appendix A of this 
document.
    Applicants may also receive technical assistance for application 
development by contacting their FTA regional tribal liaison, or the 
National Rural Transportation Assistance Program office (Appendix B). 
Contact information for FTA's regional offices can be found on FTA's 
Web site at www.fta.dot.gov.

Therese W. McMillan,
Acting Administrator.

Appendix A

                      FTA Regional Tribal Liaisons
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region 1_Boston                      Region 6_Ft. Worth
Regional Tribal Liaison: Sean        Regional Tribal Liaisons: Lynn
 Sullivan                             Hayes and Luciana Nears.
States served: Connecticut, Maine,   States served: Arkansas, Louisiana,
 Massachusetts, New Hampshire,        Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.
 Rhode Island, and Vermont
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region 2_New York                    Region 7_Kansas City, MO
Regional Tribal Liaison: Darin       Regional Tribal Liaison: Cathy
 Allan                                Monroe.
States served: New Jersey, New       States served: Iowa, Kansas,
 York, New York Metropolitan Office   Missouri, and Nebraska.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region 3_Philadelphia                Region 8_Denver
                                     Regional Tribal Liaisons: Jennifer
                                      Stewart and David Beckhouse.
States served: Delaware, Maryland,   States served: Colorado, Montana,
 Pennsylvania, Virginia, West         North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
 Virginia, and District of Columbia   and Wyoming.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 73138]]

 
Region 4_Atlanta                     Region 9_San Francisco
Regional Tribal Liaison: Tajsha      Regional Tribal Liaison: Dominique
 LaShore                              Paukowits.
States served: Alabama, Florida,     States served: American Samoa,
 Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi,      Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii,
 North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South   Nevada, and the Northern Mariana
 Carolina, Tennessee, and Virgin      Islands.
 Islands
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Region 5_Chicago                     Region 10_Seattle
Regional Tribal Liaisons: Susan      Regional Tribal Liaison: Scot
 Orona and Angelica Salgado           Rastelli.
States served: Illinois, Indiana,    States served: Alaska, Idaho,
 Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and       Oregon, and Washington.
 Wisconsin
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Appendix B

                      Technical Assistance Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska Tribal Technical Assistance   Northern Plains Tribal Technical
 Program, Kim Williams, University    Assistance Program, Dennis Trusty,
 of Alaska, Fairbanks, P.O. Box       United Tribes Technical College,
 756720, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6720,    3315 University Drive, Bismarck,
 (907)842-2521, (907)474-5208,        ND 58504, (701)255-3285 ext. 1262,
 williams@nushtel.net, https://        (701)530-0635,
 community.uaf.edu/~alaskattac.       nddennis@hotmail.com, https://
 Service area: Alaska.                www.uttc.edu/forum/ttap/ttap.asp.
                                      Service area: Montana (Eastern),
                                      Nebraska (Northern), North Dakota,
                                      South Dakota, Wyoming.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Indian Justice Center,      Northwest Tribal Technical
 Raquelle Myers, 5250 Aero Drive,     Assistance Program, Richard A.
 Santa Rosa, CA 95403, (707) 579-     Rolland, Eastern Washington
 5507 or (800) 966-0662, (707) 579-   University, Department of Urban
 9019, nijc@aol.com, https://          Planning, Public & Health
 www.nijc.org/ttap.html. Service      Administration, 216 Isle Hall,
 area: California, Nevada.            Cheney, WA 99004, (800)583-3187,
                                      (509)359-7485, rrolland@ewu.edu,
                                      https://www.ewu.edu/TTAP/. Service
                                      area: Idaho, Montana (Western),
                                      Oregon, Washington.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribal Technical Assistance Program  Tribal Technical Assistance Program
 at Colorado State University,        at Oklahoma State University,
 Ronald Hall, Rockwell Hall, Room     James Self, Oklahoma State
 321, Colorado State University,      University, 5202 N. Richmond Hills
 Fort Collins, CO 80523-1276,         Road, Stillwater, OK 74078-0001,
 (800)262-7623, (970)491-3502,        (405)744-6049, (405)744-7268,
 ronald.hall@colostate.edu, https://   jim.self@okstate.edu, https://ttap.colostate.edu/. Service area:   ttap.okstate.edu/. Service area:
 Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico,       Kansas, Nebraska, (Southern),
 Utah.                                Oklahoma, Texas.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribal Technical Assistance Program  National RTAP (National Rural
 (TTAP), Bernie D. Alkire, 301-E      Transit Assistance Program),
 Dillman Hall, Michigan               Contact: Patti Monahan, National
 Technological University, 1400       RTAP, 5 Wheeling Ave., Woburn, MA
 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-  01801, (781) 404-5015 (Direct),
 1295, (888)230-0688, (906)487-       (781) 895-1122 (Fax), (888) 589-
 1834, balkire@mtu.edu, https://       6821 (Toll Free),
 www.ttap.mtu.edu/. Service area:     pmonahan@nationalrtap.org,
 Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut,      www.nationalrtap.org.
 Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
 Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky,
 Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
 Massachusetts, Michigan,
 Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
 New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
 York, North Carolina, Ohio,
 Pennsylvania.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Transportation             ...................................
 Association of America, The
 Resource Center_800-891-0590,
 https://www.ctaa.org/.
____________________________________

Appendix C

Registering In SAM and Grants.Gov

    Registration in Brief:
    Registration takes approximately 3-5 business days, please allow 
4 weeks for completion of all steps.
    In order to apply for a grant, you and/or your organization must 
first complete the registration process in Grants.gov. The 
registration process for an Organization or an Individual can take 
between three to five business days or as long as four weeks if all 
steps are not completed in a timely manner. So please register in 
Grants.gov early.
    The Grants.gov registration process ensures that applicants for 
Federal Funds have the basic prerequisites to apply for and to 
receive federal funds. Applicants for FTA discretionary funds must:

 Have a valid DUNS number
 Have a current registration in SAM (formerly CCR)
 Register and apply in Grants.gov

    The required registration steps are described in greater detail 
on Grants.gov Web site. The following is a link to a helpful 
checklist and explanations published by Grants.gov to assist 
applicants: Organization Registration Checklist. If you have not 
recently applied for federal funds, we recommend that you initiate 
your search, registration, and application process with Grants.gov. 
Visiting the Grants.gov site will inform you of how to apply for 
grant opportunities, as well as assist you in linking to the other 
required registrations, i.e., Dun & Bradstreet to obtain a DUNS 
Number, and System for Award Management (SAM).
    Summary of steps (these steps are available in Grants.gov during 
registration):

STEP 1: Obtain DUNS Number

    Same day. If requested by phone (1-866-705-5711) DUNS is 
provided immediately. If your organization does not have one, you 
will need to go to the Dun & Bradstreet Web site at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform to obtain the number.

STEP 2: Register With SAM

    Three to five business days or up to two weeks. If you already 
have a TIN, your SAM registration will take 3-5 business days to 
process. If you are applying for an EIN please allow up to 2 weeks. 
Ensure that your organization is registered with the System for 
Award Management (SAM) at System for Award Management (SAM). If your 
organization is not, an authorizing official of your organization 
must register.

STEP 3: Establish an Account in Grants.gov--Username & Password

    Same day. Complete your AOR (Authorized Organization 
Representative) profile on Grants.gov and create your username and 
password. You will need to use your organization's DUNS Number to 
complete this step. https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister.

STEP 4: Grants.gov--AOR Authorization

    *Same day. The E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) at your 
organization

[[Page 73139]]

must login to Grants.gov to confirm you as an Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR). Please note that there can be 
more than one AOR for your organization. In some cases the E-Biz POC 
is also the AOR for an organization. *Time depends on responsiveness 
of your E-Biz POC.

    Please Note:  Grants.gov gives you the option of registering as 
an ``individual'' or as an ``organization.'' If you register in 
Grants.gov as an as an ``Individual,'' your ``Organization'' will 
not be allowed to use the Grants.gov username and password. To apply 
for grants as an Organization you must register as an Organization 
and use that specific username and password issued during the 
``organization'' registration process.

[FR Doc. 2014-28792 Filed 12-8-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P