Notice of Funding Opportunity To Establish Cooperative Agreements With Technical Assistance Providers for the Fiscal Year 2023 Thriving Communities Program, 63648-63671 [2023-19984]
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63648
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 178 / Friday, September 15, 2023 / Notices
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the railroad’s PTC system. 49 CFR
236.1023(e)(1). In addition, FRA’s
regulations require PTC vendors and
suppliers to notify FRA of any safetyrelevant failure, defective condition, or
previously unidentified hazard
discovered by the vendor or supplier
and the identity of each affected and
notified railroad. 49 CFR 236.1023(h)(2).
Currently, each railroad or PTC vendor
and supplier that must submit
notifications of such a failure,
malfunction, or defective condition does
so by emailing the information to an
FRA inbox (FRAPart2361023
Notification@dot.gov). The information
is sent in different formats by each
railroad or PTC supplier and vendor
because there is currently no
standardized form.
Therefore, FRA is hereby proposing to
standardize the reporting process
required by 49 CFR 236.1023(e)(1), (h),
and (f) by creating the Errors and
Malfunctions Notification Form (Form
FRA F 6180.179), which is one part of
the existing information collection
request under OMB Control No. 2130–
0553. This proposed Form FRA F
6180.179 will be in an Excel format and
will make it easier for the entities to
notify FRA of each applicable failure,
malfunction, or defective condition, and
for FRA to synthesize and act on the
reported failure. The Errors and
Malfunctions Notification Form would
not change the requirements that each
railroad or PTC supplier and vendor
currently must follow to notify FRA of
each reportable failure, malfunction, or
defective condition. See, e.g., 49 CFR
236.1023(e), (h), and (f). The proposed
Form FRA F 6180.179 would be
submitted to FRAPart2361023
Notification@dot.gov within the 15-day
deadline under 49 CFR 236.1023(f)(1).
With the current reporting process,
FRA estimated that each notification
would take 8 hours to prepare. With the
new standardized Form, FRA estimates
that, on average, each notification will
be reduced to 7.5 hours to prepare if the
railroad or PTC supplier or vendor uses
the FRA-provided Excel Form. This
estimate is based on the fact that the
proposed new Form FRA F 6180.179
offers drop-down menus that would
allow railroads or PTC suppliers and
vendors to select an answer from an
established list instead of creating each
answer from scratch. The revised
burden would also account for the
review of the instructions in the FRAprovided Excel Form. Thus, FRA
estimates that by creating this Form, the
total annual burden hours will decrease
by 14 hours.1
Type of Request: Revision to a
currently approved collection.
Affected Public: Businesses.
Form(s): FRA F 6180.179 (new form)
and FRA F 6180.152 (existing form).2
Respondent Universe: 742 railroads
and 10 vendors.3
Frequency of Submission: On
occasion.
Total Estimated Annual Responses:
4,567,826.
Total Estimated Annual Burden:
51,930 hours.
Total Estimated Annual Burden Hour
Dollar Cost Equivalent: $4,324,155.
FRA informs all interested parties that
it may not conduct or sponsor, and a
respondent is not required to respond
to, a collection of information that does
not display a currently valid OMB
control number.
Authority: 44 U.S.C. 3501–3520.
Christopher S. Van Nostrand,
Acting Deputy Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2023–19976 Filed 9–14–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DOT–OST–2023–0125]
Notice of Funding Opportunity To
Establish Cooperative Agreements
With Technical Assistance Providers
for the Fiscal Year 2023 Thriving
Communities Program
Office of the Secretary of
Transportation, U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity
(NOFO), Assistance Listing Number:
20.942.
AGENCY:
The purpose of this notice is
to publish DOT’s application
submission requirements and
application review procedures to select
national and State, Tribal, or regional
capacity builders to provide technical
assistance, planning, and capacity
building support to communities
through cooperative agreements with
DOT, as authorized by the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023.
DATES: The deadline for application
submission is 4:59 p.m. eastern time on
November 28, 2023. Proposals or
applications received after the above
deadlines will not be reviewed or
considered. See section E of this NOFO
regarding DOT’s review process and
section G of the NOFO for DOT’s
contact information.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be
submitted through https://
www.grants.gov. Opportunity number:
DOT–TCP–FY23–01.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ongoing updates, webinar notices,
FAQs: https://www.transportation.gov/
thriving-communities.
POC: Monica Guerra, (202) 366–7738,
monica.guerra@dot.gov.
SUMMARY:
1 The current inventory exhibits a total burden of
51,993 hours and 4,567,826 responses, while the
total burden in this notice is 51,930 hours and
4,567,826 responses. As noted in the 60-day FRN,
the decrease in burden is due to the proposed
standardized reporting process using FRA F
6180.179 and in this notice, FRA has made
adjustments to correct rounding errors in previously
reported burden hours.
2 OMB-approved form FRA F 6180.152 remains
unchanged.
3 While included in the PRA table published,
FRA inadvertently did not include the 10 vendors
as part of the respondent universe summary.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 178 / Friday, September 15, 2023 / Notices
Email: ThrivingCommunities@
dot.gov.
A Telecommunications Device for the
Deaf (TDD) is available (202) 366–3993.
63649
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY OVERVIEW AND KEY INFORMATION: THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM (TCP)
Issuing Agency ................
Program Overview ..........
Program Types ................
Eligible Activities .............
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Eligible Applicants ...........
Funding Amount ..............
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U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary (OST).
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 provided $25 million to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a Thriving Communities Program (TCP) to develop and implement technical assistance, planning, and capacity building to help improve and foster thriving communities through transportation improvements.
Through TCP, DOT will award cooperative agreements for Capacity Builders to provide technical assistance, planning, and capacity
building support that advances transformative infrastructure plans, projects, and processes primarily in communities that have disproportionate rates of pollution and poor air quality, communities experiencing disproportionate human health and environmental effects
(as defined by Executive Order No. 12898), areas of persistent poverty as defined in section 6702(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code,
or historically disadvantaged communities.
Thriving Communities National Capacity Builder Program (TCP–N): Funds TCP–N Capacity Builders through cooperative agreements to
provide individualized technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to 15–20 communities located around the country,
selected and assigned by DOT, and organized into a Community of Practice. TCP–N Capacity Builders will work with communities to
co-design tailored scopes of work based on the community’s individual needs and stage in the transportation planning, design, and development process to be carried out over two years of intensive TCP support. TCP–N Capacity Builders will also facilitate peer learning
networks across the communities assigned to their Community of Practice. Evaluation, reporting, resource development, and transition
activities will be the Capacity Builders’ focus during the third year of the period of performance.
Thriving Communities Regional Pilot Program (TCP–R): Funds State and local governments and their agencies, Tribal governments, and
regional governments or organizations through cooperative agreements to provide support to communities selected by the applicant
that are located within their jurisdiction or service area. The focus of this program is to enable State, Tribal, local, and regional governments to support the advancement of transportation opportunities in disadvantaged communities that align with State, Tribal, or regional housing, economic development, public health, climate, and other community development goals. While this program overlaps
with the TCP–N Program in scope and purpose, it has a narrower focus on coordination and alignment within a specific geography.
TCP–R Capacity Builders will play a coordination and capacity building role rather than providing intensive, tailored technical assistance. TCP–R Capacity Builders will facilitate peer learning across communities in their State, Tribe and/or region to scale program impact and act as a model for other jurisdictions. The first two years of the period of performance will be focused on both individual community support and peer learning, while the third year will focus on evaluation, reporting, resource development, and transition activities.
TCP–N Capacity Builder Cooperative Agreements: Deep-dive technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support that could include, but is not limited to, the following set of activities:
• identifying and responding to funding opportunities that align with projects that implement local community mobility, access, climate
and community development goals and regional or statewide plans.
• activities to support grant writing, project management, and compliance with grant administration requirements.
• conducting project scoping, planning, and pre-engineering studies, market, and other technical analysis.
• supplementing local staffing, training, and workforce development capacity.
• developing systems or structures that improve compliance with Federal grant management, including but not limited to title VI of
the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and procurement requirements.
• supporting comprehensive community planning activities that better coordinate transportation with other land use, housing, climate,
health, and other infrastructure.
• implementing innovative public engagement strategies, particularly to involve traditionally underrepresented voices in the planning,
project identification, and prioritization process.
• sub-granting to local technical assistance and capacity building partners who bring local expertise and capacity.
• building organizational capacity to strengthen relationships between key stakeholders that deepen regional engagement and collaboration, position partners for future funding opportunities, and/or support inclusive planning processes.
• evaluating and establishing emerging transportation and planning technologies, data systems, and software.
• fostering peer learning and participation within a Community of Practice to advance policies, practices, and projects informed by
meaningful public involvement and partnership.
TCP–R Cooperative Agreements: Support provided by State governments and their agencies, Tribal governments, local governments and
their agencies, or regional governments and organizations to advance transformative infrastructure in disadvantaged communities that
face barriers to infrastructure advancement and implementation. This may include, but is not limited to:
• identifying funding opportunities that align with transportation goals and advance mobility access, climate resilience, equitable community development, healthy communities in support of regional or statewide plans.
• supporting predevelopment planning and scoping of projects that coordinate transportation with other land use, housing, and infrastructure development.
• building organizational capacity and strengthened relationships between key stakeholders that deepen regional engagement and
collaboration, position partners for future funding opportunities, and/or support inclusive planning processes.
• funding planning and technical assistance activities that reform local land use and zoning policies to align transportation infrastructure investment with equitable community development.
• establishing pooled resources and/or innovative funding tools that increase community investments in transportation, housing, environment, and health.
• supporting regional economic and workforce development that promotes local hiring, access to transit, and jobs in high quality industries.
• activities to support grant writing, project management, and compliance with grant administration requirements.
• peer-learning, networking, and knowledge sharing on strategies, types of tools, and lessons learned with other communities in the
applicant’s State or region.
TCP–N Capacity Builders:
• Non-profit organizations;
• philanthropic entities; and
• other technical assistance providers including academic institutions and private sector organizations with a demonstrated capacity
to develop and provide technical assistance, planning, and capacity building to a range of communities located across multiple
States and regions.
TCP–R Capacity Builders:
• State governments and their agencies;
• Indian Tribes;
• local governments and their agencies;
• governmental planning or transportation organizations working at the regional or metropolitan level; or
• regional planning non-profit organizations.
For FY 2023, the Department expects to award two different types of cooperative agreements through this NOFO, with up to $22 million
total being available for award.
• TCP–N Capacity Builder cooperative agreements are anticipated to be in the range of $4–5 million each; and
• TCP–R cooperative agreements are anticipated to be in the range of $1–2 million each.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 178 / Friday, September 15, 2023 / Notices
SUMMARY OVERVIEW AND KEY INFORMATION: THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAM (TCP)—Continued
Cost Share ......................
Deadlines ........................
Contact Information .........
No cost sharing or matching is required as a condition of eligibility under this competition. DOT will fund up to 100 percent of eligible
project costs through a monthly reimbursement invoicing model. Priority consideration will be given to those applicants that can demonstrate leveraging of other funding and resources.
November 28, 2023 at 4:59 p.m. ET via Grants.gov. Opportunity number: DOT–TCP–FY23–01.
Ongoing updates, webinar notices, FAQs: [https://www.transportation.gov/grants/thriving-communities].
Email: ThrivingCommunities@dot.gov.
Phone: (202) 366–7738.
A Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) is available (202) 366–3993.
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
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
H. Other Supporting Information
Appendix A. Full Application Checklist
A. Program Description
1. Overview
The U.S. Department of
Transportation’s (DOT or the
Department) Thriving Communities
Program (TCP) was established by the
Consolidated Appropriations Act of
2022 (Pub. L. 117–103 division L, title
I) and received additional funding
through the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2023 (Pub. L.
117–328 division L, title I). The goal of
the TCP is to ensure disadvantaged or
transportation-insecure communities
adversely and/or disproportionately
affected by environmental, climate, and
human health policy outcomes have the
technical tools and organizational
capacity to comprehensively plan for
and deliver quality infrastructure
projects and community development
projects that enable their communities
and neighborhoods to thrive.
The TCP was created by Congress
specifically to facilitate the planning
and development of transportation and
community revitalization activities
supported by DOT under titles 23, 46,
and 49, United States Code, that
increase mobility, reduce pollution from
transportation sources, expand
affordable transportation options,
facilitate efficient land use, preserve or
expand jobs, improve housing
conditions, enhance connections to
health care, education, and food
security, or improve health outcomes.
To achieve this, communities,
particularly those that are
disadvantaged and/or transportation
burdened or those that have limited
technical capacity or budgets, need
greater levels of support to successfully
take advantage of the recent historic
Federal investments in transportation
infrastructure and build capacity to
successfully fund these projects in the
long-term.
DOT’s FY2022–2026 Strategic Plan
[https://www.transportation.gov/dotstrategic-plan] and its Equity Action
Plan [https://www.transportation.gov/
priorities/equity/equity-action-plan]
articulate the Department’s commitment
to equity as a transportation
cornerstone. The TCP embodies this
commitment with a focus on ensuring
that all communities, regardless of their
size or current capacity, have the
necessary tools to access DOT funding
and that equity is infused into decision
making and planning, procurement, and
hiring processes. TCP is a Justice40
covered program, created to ensure that
disadvantaged communities can
successfully identify, develop, fund,
and deliver infrastructure projects
informed by meaningful public
Thriving Communities National (TCP–N) program
National capacity builders
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How to Apply ...........................
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Submit an application via
grants.gov in response to
this NOFO.
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Thriving Communities Regional Pilots (TCP–R) program
Recipient communities
TCP–R capacity builders
Submit a Letter of Interest via
[https://
www.transportation.gov/
grants/thriving-communitiesprogram-LOI-webform].
Find more information in the
Call for LOIs [https://
www.transportation.gov/
grants/thriving-communities/
call-for-letters-of-interestfy23].
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involvement that generate multiple
economic, climate, health, equity, and
other community benefits. Find more
information on the Justice40 Initiative
and other programs that that can
support equity goals on the DOT
Justice40 website [https://
www.transportation.gov/equityJustice40].
This Notice of Funding Opportunity
(NOFO) continues investment in a
national technical assistance program
(TCP–N) and provides new
opportunities for State-, Tribal-, local-,
and regional-level community support
through the Thriving Communities
Regional Pilot Program (TCP–R) that
will drive innovation, advance equity
outcomes, and build a national pipeline
of community-driven infrastructure
projects. In its first year, TCP supported
deep-dive technical assistance in 64
communities across the country. For the
TCP’s second year, DOT seeks to
support at least another 45–60
communities through its National
program, depending on responses to the
Letters of Interest and the size and
number of cooperative agreements
awarded through this NOFO, and
additional communities selected by
TCP–R applicants.
For the FY 2023 TCP, there are two
distinct programs, each of which will
involve a team of Capacity Builders
providing assistance to disadvantaged
and/or low-capacity communities. The
opportunities to provide and receive
assistance are summarized below:
Submit an application via
grants.gov in response to
this NOFO.
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Recipient communities
No application required; communities selected directly by
TCP–R Capacity Builder.
Identified communities must
include Letters of Commitment in TCP–R application.
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Thriving Communities National (TCP–N) program
Purpose ....................................
Primary Activity ........................
Eligible Applicants ....................
Partnership Requirements .......
Anticipated Funding Levels per
Cooperative Agreement.
National capacity builders
Recipient communities
TCP–R capacity builders
Recipient communities
Fund National Capacity Builders to provide direct no-cost
planning, technical assistance, and capacity building
support to selected TCP
communities located across
the country for a three-year
period of performance.
Provide technical assistance,
planning, and capacity building support.
Receive, at no cost, TCP technical assistance, capacity
building, and planning support from the DOT-funded
National Capacity Builders.
Fund State, Tribal, local, and
regional entities to provide
direct no-cost planning, technical assistance, and capacity building to communities of
their choice within their jurisdictions for a three-year period of performance.
Coordinate assistance and
support to advance and align
infrastructure goals and
projects.
• States government and its
agencies.
• Indian Tribes.
• Local government and its
agencies.
• a governmental planning,
economic development, or
transportation organization
working at the regional or
metropolitan level, or
• a regional, Tribal or Statewide planning non-profit organization.
Applicants are encouraged to
partner with other Capacity
Builders, which may include
other entities including local
governments, non-profits,
and other technical assistance providers to deepen
and broaden technical assistance and capacity building expertise.
Receive, at no cost, TCP technical assistance, capacity
building, and planning support from the DOT-funded
TCP–R Capacity Builders.
$1–$2 million ............................
None directly.
• Non-profit organizations.
• philanthropic entities; and
• other technical assistance
providers including academic
institutions or private sector
organizations with a demonstrated capacity to develop and provide technical
assistance, planning, and
capacity building to a range
of communities located
across multiple States and
regions.
Applicants are encouraged to
partner with other Capacity
Builders, which may include
other eligible applicants including non-profits, and
other technical assistance
providers to deepen and
broaden technical assistance
and capacity building expertise.
$4–$5 million ............................
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DOT staff from headquarters and from
regional and division offices will be
identified to serve as Federal liaisons
with both the National and Regional
Capacity Builders and with selected
TCP communities to facilitate
connections with other Federal
technical assistance resources that can
assist in project pre-development,
community engagement, planning,
financing, and project delivery
activities. The DOT Navigator [https://
www.transportation.gov/dot-navigator]
provides information on existing DOTsupported technical assistance resources
that may be a useful reference for
Capacity Builders. Note that key
definitions for terms relevant to TCP are
provided in section H.1 of this NOFO.
a. National Capacity Builder Program
As it did in the first year of the
program, the FY 2023 the TCP–N will
provide technical assistance, planning,
and capacity building support at a
national level to help communities
scope, develop, and deliver
transportation projects that advance
community stabilization or
revitalization activities that benefit
disadvantaged populations and
communities. Within the project
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Thriving Communities Regional Pilots (TCP–R) program
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Receive technical assistance,
planning, and capacity building support.
•
•
•
•
•
States.
Local governments.
Indian Tribes.
United States territories.
metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs).
• transit agencies.
• other political subdivisions of
State or local governments.
Applicants are required to
identify at least two community partners with whom they
will work to advance local
goals to be supported
through TCP–N assistance.
Find more information in the
Call for LOIs [https://
www.transportation.gov/
grants/thriving-communities/
call-for-letters-of-interestfy23].
None directly. ...........................
scoping, development, and design
phases, the TCP will support and build
local capacity to accelerate projects;
access and manage Federal funding; and
deploy local hiring, workforce
development, and inclusive community
engagement practices. DOT seeks
applications from technical assistance,
planning, and capacity building
providers—henceforth referred to as
TCP–N Capacity Builders. Eligible
applicants are identified in section C.1.
of this NOFO.
i. Individualized Deep Dive Technical
Assistance, Planning, and Capacity
Building Support
The primary focus of support through
TCP–N is on assisting individual
communities—recipients include
government agencies and their
community partner organizations—to
successfully advance projects identified
through meaningful public involvement
that deliver a broad set of
transportation, climate, equity, housing,
economic, and other community
benefits. DOT is requiring communities,
through a separate Letter of Interest
(LOI) process, to form and apply as
coalitions with organizations that may
also serve as local capacity building and
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Receive assistance and support to advance and align infrastructure goals and
projects.
• Local governments.
• Indian Tribes.
• United States territories.
• transit agencies.
• or other political subdivisions
of State or local governments.
Partnerships are not required
at the community level but
are encouraged to ensure
meaningful coordination and
engagement across stakeholders.
technical assistance implementation
partners and generate deeper
community engagement, particularly
from historically under-represented
populations and environmental justice
stakeholders. The composition of these
community partnerships will be at the
discretion of each LOI applicant and
identified in their LOI, but could
include other government entities, nonprofits, non-governmental and
community-based organizations, labor
unions, advocacy groups, chambers of
commerce and major employers or
anchor institutions, and philanthropic
organizations. For an overview of the
communities selected in FY 2022, their
challenges, and their visions for TCP
support, visit the FY 2022 Selected
Communities Fact Sheet [https://
www.transportation.gov/grants/thrivingcommunities/thriving-communitiesprogram-fy-2022-selected-communitiesfact-sheet].
Each TCP–N Capacity Building team
will provide individualized deep-dive
support to a set of 15–20 communities
selected by DOT. DOT will assign these
recipient communities to a specific
TCP–N Capacity Builder team prior to
finalizing cooperative agreements. Note
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that there may be more than one
Capacity Builder team per Community
of Practice, and the final number of
communities assigned by DOT to the
TCP–N Capacity Builder teams will be
informed by the LOIs received. Once
matched with the DOT-selected
communities, TCP–N Capacity Builders
will develop processes to engage with
these recipients and their community
partners to co-design a tailored scope of
work and set of equitable development
outcomes to be achieved over a two-year
period within 90 days of the period of
performance start date.
Technical assistance, planning, and
capacity building support could
include, but is not limited to, the
following set of activities:
• identifying and responding to funding
opportunities that align with projects
that implement local community
mobility, access, climate, and
community development goals and
regional or statewide plans
• activities to support grant writing,
project management, and compliance
with grant administration
requirements
• conducting project scoping, planning,
and pre-engineering studies, market,
and other technical analysis
• supplementing local staffing and
workforce development capacity
• developing systems or structures that
improve compliance with Federal
grant management, including but not
limited to Title VI of the Civil Rights
Act, the Americans with Disabilities
Act, section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act, and procurement requirements
• supporting comprehensive
community planning activities that
better coordinate transportation with
other land use, housing, climate,
health, and other infrastructure
• implementing innovative public
engagement strategies, particularly to
involve traditionally
underrepresented voices in the
planning, project identification, and
prioritization process.
• sub-granting to local technical
assistance and capacity building
partners who bring local expertise and
capacity
• building organizational capacity to
strengthen relationships between key
stakeholders that deepen regional
engagement and collaboration,
position partners for future funding
opportunities, and/or support
inclusive planning processes
• evaluating and establishing emerging
transportation and planning
technologies, data systems, and
software
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17:05 Sep 14, 2023
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ii. TCP Community of Practice Support
To build collective and sustained
learning, TCP–N Capacity Builders will
also support a Community of Practice
throughout the period of performance
that facilitates peer learning across
selected TCP communities. This may
include face-to-face meetings, as well as
web-based collaborative environments
to communicate, connect, and conduct
activities that collectively facilitate
long-term capacity building and systems
change. Applicants should propose
methods and tasks that will be
undertaken to support a Community of
Practice among the specific
communities they are assigned to
support and within the individual
communities to build capacity between
the lead applicant and community
partners. DOT believes that
communities best know the specific
challenges and opportunities they face.
TCP–N Capacity Builders will utilize a
community-centered approach to work
with selected recipient communities to
refine the areas of focus for specific
places and for the overall Community of
Practice.
The full period of performance for the
TCP–N is three years; however, during
the third year Capacity Builders will
shift away from individualized
community support and focus on
program evaluation and reporting,
transition activities for assigned
communities within the Community of
Practice and developing shared
resources for sustained learning for
those within and outside of the
Community of Practice. See section B
for more information.
Communities of Practice Typology
DOT established three Communities
of Practice in FY 2022 to organize
communities and their technical
assistance, planning, and capacity
building needs in relation to shared
demographics, transportation
challenges, and programmatic
opportunities. These include Main
Streets, Complete Neighborhoods, and
Networked Communities. TCP seeks to
amplify the program’s impact and
generate noteworthy practices that can
be scaled and replicated in other
regions. Within selected communities,
Community of Practices provide an
opportunity to foster cross-sector
collaboration between the lead recipient
of technical assistance (i.e., eligible
government entities), their identified
community partners, and other
community stakeholders that have not
historically been engaged in
infrastructure, economic and
community development planning and
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decision making; or those who bear the
heaviest environmental, health,
mobility, housing, economic and/or
social costs of infrastructure projects.
These Communities of Practice will be
maintained for the FY 2023 program
and include:
Main Streets
The Thriving Communities Main
Streets communities of practice consists
of eligible rural recipients from Indian
Tribes, US Territories, rural
communities, and small towns,
including communities that are not part
of an MPO. Less dense populations,
longer travel distances, older and
changing demographics, declining, or
transitioning economies, and smaller
government budgets and inadequate
staff are just a few of the shared
challenges faced by this cohort, which
also impact the ability of government to
deploy innovative workforce
development, climate resilience, equity,
and technology solutions. Illustrative of
the possible transportation issues that
this cohort may address are road
network improvement and safety
projects; resiliency and climate related
improvements; improving infrastructure
conditions alongside strategies to
support economic and community
revitalization with investments in highspeed internet deployment, water and
sewage lines, and electric vehicle
charging stations; rural transit, micro
mobility and transportation alternatives
including multimodal trails; context
sensitive design solutions that will
improve mobility and access
particularly for disadvantaged
populations and populations of older
adults, people with disabilities, youth,
and those without access to a personal
automobile; transportation worker
recruitment and training strategies; and
place-making strategies to leverage local
cultural, natural, and community assets.
State DOTs are a critical partner, facility
owner, and funder in these
communities.
TCP–N Capacity Builder teams
seeking to support the Main Streets
Community of Practice must
demonstrate their expertise and
familiarity in working with rural, U.S.
Territories, and/or Tribal communities,
such as through members of their team
that have experience working with
culturally, racially, language diverse
communities (e.g., experience working
with immigrant communities, foreign
language competencies), or proven
experience working on Federal Tribal
and rural transportation, community,
housing, and economic development
programs.
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Complete Neighborhoods
The Complete Neighborhoods
Community of Practice consists of
eligible urban and suburban recipients
that are included in a metropolitan
planning organization’s (MPO) planning
area. This cohort is focused on
comprehensive strategies to enhance
community connectivity, improve
coordination of land use, housing,
economic development, and
transportation, and to accelerate
innovation specifically for
disadvantaged communities or
neighborhoods. Areas of persistent
poverty and declining economies or
property values create challenges for
some, while others may be experiencing
market-induced or climate-induced
gentrification and displacement.
Technical assistance and capacity
building can advance equity by
addressing the inequities and systemic
barriers created by decades of
discrimination, segregation, urban
renewal, and suburban sprawl
impacting these communities.
Illustrative of the possible
transportation issues that the Complete
Neighborhoods Community of Practice
may address are increasing accessibility
to affordable and reliable multi-modal
transportation options to reach regional
jobs and community facilities, such as
health care centers, libraries, public
schools and grocery stores; deploying
transit-oriented and walkable
development policies; reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and
improving air quality; and improving
safety for all users of the transportation
system including bicyclists, pedestrians
and people of all ages and abilities. This
cohort will look to leverage planning,
project development and transportation
projects that serve community and
economic development goals and
promote revitalization strategies, such
as street level retail and community
space, urban place-making, and local
and economic hiring preferences to
support community wealth building in
economically disadvantaged
communities within the region. MPOs
and other types of regional planning
bodies are important infrastructure
implementation partners, especially to
coordinate transportation with housing
and economic development planning
and advance projects benefitting
disadvantaged communities.
Networked Communities
The Networked Communities
Community of Practice consists of
eligible recipients from urban,
suburban, and rural communities that
are located near intercity transportation
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facilities, such as ports, airports, and
freight or passenger rail facilities. These
communities may face local
environmental justice, economic
development, and mobility access issues
exacerbated by their proximity to largescale regionally or nationally significant
transportation projects. Networked
Communities have a distinct need to
work with a range of stakeholders to
advance equity by addressing both
existing and future mobility, health and
safety, and workforce development and
labor opportunities from locally
disadvantaged communities given the
context of each hub. Illustrative of the
possible transportation issues that this
cohort may face are community access
and connectivity; roadway safety and
design improvements, including of
major arterials and service roads;
strategies to reduce air and noise
pollution, including transitioning to
decarbonization technologies and clean
economies; or preparing for new or
extended passenger rail service. Private
sector partners may play a critical role
as utility and facility owners, rail
operators, port and airport authorities,
whose interests are generally broader
than those of the surrounding
community. The technical assistance
priorities for the Networked
Communities Community of Practice
can include advancing equity by
addressing environmental injustice,
mobility, pollution, public health,
economic development, and land use
planning through meaningful public
involvement for communities,
particularly those that are lower income
and/or have a higher proportion of
people of color, that reside near
multimodal hubs. DOT may decide to
create sub-cohorts within each of these
Communities of Practice based upon the
needs of the selected communities
informed by the LOI process.
For the FY 2023 TCP–N, Capacity
Builders will support the communities
they have been specifically assigned for
their selected Community of Practice
and will also support networking across
all Communities of Practice, including
those established in FY 2022 and TCP
communities that may be selected in
future years to build upon and scale
capacity building resources and learning
opportunities. DOT may assign Capacity
Builders to provide targeted technical
and limited support to TCP
communities and/or other DOT and
Federal technical assistance recipients,
as needed, to assist disadvantaged
communities and government agencies
to advance projects and processes
aligned with DOT’s Strategic Plan and
Equity Action Plan priorities for equity,
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workforce development, labor and
hiring preferences, small business
development and procurement, climate,
safety, technology transformation. TCP–
N Capacity builders are not expected to
provide targeted support to more than a
total of 20 total communities.
b. Thriving Communities Regional
Pilots (TCP–R)
For the FY 2023 TCP, up to five TCPRs will be funded to advance
transformative infrastructure projects in
disadvantaged communities or
jurisdictions located within a specific
State, Tribe, or metropolitan region that
face barriers to implementation. For the
TCP–R, ‘‘region’’ refers to the
geographic area within an individual
State or Indian Tribe; or the service area
covered by a regional transportation or
planning organization. The TCP–R will
fund efforts by State, Tribal, local, or
regional organizations to provide
technical assistance, planning and
capacity building support for
transportation projects located within
their geography or service area that align
with housing, economic development,
public health, climate, and other
community development plans and
goals. Eligible applicants for TCP–R will
select the communities within their
jurisdiction or service area to receive
technical assistance and capacity
building support through TCP and will
use TCP funding to advance these types
of transportation projects forward into
the next phase of development, deepen
community engagement, and align with
local or regional zoning, land use,
economic development, or other plans
and investments. This may include, but
is not limited to:
• identifying funding opportunities that
align with transportation goals and
advance mobility access, climate
resilience, equitable community
development, healthy communities in
support of regional or statewide plans
• supporting predevelopment planning
and scoping of projects that
coordinate transportation with other
land use, housing, and infrastructure
development
• building organizational capacity and
strengthened relationships between
key stakeholders that deepen regional
engagement and collaboration,
position partners for future funding
opportunities, and/or support
inclusive planning processes
• fund planning and technical
assistance activities that reform local
land use and zoning policies to align
transportation infrastructure
investment with equitable community
development;
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• establishing pooled resources or
innovative funding tools that increase
community investments in
transportation, housing, environment,
and health;
• supporting regional economic and
workforce development that promotes
local hiring, access to transit, and jobs
in high quality industries
• designing and implementing activities
to deepen and expand meaningful
public involvement, especially to
populations that are underrepresented in traditional planning
processes and/or are experience
disproportionate transportation,
environmental, or social burden
• activities to support grant writing,
project management, and compliance
with grant administration
requirements
• peer-learning, networking, and
knowledge sharing on strategies, types
of tools, and lessons learned with
other communities in the applicant’s
State or region.
DOT recognizes that many States,
Indian Tribes, MPOs, and other regional
government and non-governmental
entities are already undertaking, or
would like to undertake this important
work, but require additional resources
in order to amplify their impact and
more comprehensively provide support
to local communities. The TCP–R is
intended to fund these State, Tribal, and
regional organizations to scale up
support to enable communities to
develop, fund, and deliver critical
community-driven projects. Applicants
must commit to providing support to
communities within their jurisdiction
over a three-year period to plan,
develop, and deliver transportation
projects that interface with housing,
climate, safety, economic development,
public health, and other sectors that
align with TCP goals. The first two years
of the period of performance should be
dedicated to providing targeted support
to selected communities, as well as peer
learning and exchange activities
between these selected communities
and others within their region. During
the third year, TCP–R Capacity Builders
will be expected to focus on program
evaluation, reporting, transition
activities, and developing resources for
long-term capacity building. See section
B for more information.
2. Changes From FY 2022 Thriving
Communities Program
This FY 2023 NOFO updated and
revised some key aspects of the
program. These include the following:
• Extension of the period of
performance to three years, with the
first two years focused on deep-dive
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individual community support, peer
learning, and collaboration and the third
year focused on evaluation, reporting,
community transitioning, and resource
sharing.
• The inclusion of a separate Regional
Pilot Program.
• Reductions to the maximum award
amounts from up to $6 million to up to
$5 million per National Capacity
Builder and increases the number of
communities served by each Capacity
Builder from 10–15 to 15–20.
• Revisions to the merit rating
criteria, including how applicants
should respond to each criterion.
• Changes to the requirements for
targeted support to supported
communities, including a new
requirement to subgrant at least 20
percent of the budget to community
recipients.
• Option to renew FY 2023 selected
Capacity Builder cooperative
agreements for a second round of
funding for FY 2024 (i.e., re-select
Capacity Builders for a second threeyear period of performance), subject to
authorization and available funding.
3. Coordination Across the Federal
Government
The TCP is one of several technical
assistance programs administered
through DOT’s Build America Bureau.
Participation in technical assistance
programs is voluntary and does not
obligate the awardee or recipients to
apply for DOT grants or credit programs
in the future, nor does participation
offer preferential treatment to future
applications or a guarantee of Federal
funding.
The US Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) received
$2.5 million from the FY 2023
appropriations bill to coordinate with
DOT’s TCP. HUD will separately
provide funding to technical assistance
providers to help jurisdictions consider
housing and community development
needs as part of transportation
infrastructure plans (for example,
identifying land that is near planned
transportation projects and suitable for
housing development). HUD’s technical
assistance will enable more
communities to thoughtfully plan and
boost location-efficient housing supply.
Applicants interested in HUD’s Thriving
Communities Technical Assistance
NOFO should visit https://
www.huduser.gov/portal/nofos/thrivingcommunities.html.
The TCP will coordinate with and
leverage other Federal place-based
technical assistance and capacity
building initiatives being coordinated
through the Federal Thriving
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Communities Network [https://
www.transportation.gov/federalinteragency-thriving-communitiesnetwork] to provide comprehensive
support to selected recipient
communities. This may include, but is
not limited to USDA’s Rural Partners
Network, the Interagency Working
Group on Coal and Power Plant
Communities and Economic
Revitalization, the Economic
Development Administration’s Build
Back Better Regional Challenge, the
General Service Administration’s Center
for Urban Development, and the
Environmental Protection Agency’s
Environmental Justice Thriving
Communities Technical Assistance
Centers.
B. Federal Award Information
Under the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117–
328), Congress provided DOT with
$25,000,000 for the Thriving
Communities Program, to be obligated
by September 30, 2025. DOT will also
utilize up to $1 million in funds
remaining from the FY 2022 TCP as part
of this NOFO, for a total of up to $22
million available. If DOT identifies
additional funding after the release of
this NOFO, DOT may elect to award
such additional funding to Capacity
Builders selected under this NOFO, as
permitted by law. Of the funds
provided, DOT anticipates awarding at
least three separate cooperative
agreements to TCP–N Capacity Builders;
and potentially as many as five,
depending upon the needs of the
selected communities informed by the
LOI process and the number of TCP-Rs
awarded. DOT anticipates awarding at
least four separate cooperative
agreements through the TCP–R.
Cooperative agreements will be
managed through substantial
involvement by the Office of Technical
Assistance in DOT’s Build America
Bureau (see Federal Award
Administration Information in section F
of this NOFO).
DOT will determine the amount of
funds to be awarded but anticipates a
range of $4,000,000 to $5,000,000 for
each TCP–N cooperative agreement; and
a range of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 for
each TCP–R cooperative agreement.
Multiple cooperative agreements are
expected, with an aggregate total of
approximately $22,000,000. Awards are
at 100 percent Federal share. Final
decisions on the amount of funding per
award and number of cooperative
agreements will depend upon
applications received in response to the
NOFO as well as the demand from
community applicants expressed
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through Letters of Interest. DOT may
elect to award any unobligated funding
through future NOFOs, if necessary.
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1. Period of Performance
a. National Capacity Builders Period of
Performance
The period of performance for the FY
2023 TCP–N will be three years (36
months) from the date of execution in
DOT’s electronic grants management
system, unless the period of
performance is extended before
expiration. The first two years of the
period of performance must be
dedicated to providing targeted, deepdive support to assigned communities
in accordance with the scopes of work
co-designed with communities. TCP–N
Capacity Builders will also be expected
to conduct Community of Practice
activities during the first two years of
the period of performance. During the
third year of the period of performance,
TCP–N Capacity Builders will shift
focus to evaluation, reporting, resource
development, and transitioning
communities to self-sustaining capacity
building. The third year of the period of
performance must include:
• Strategic, targeted community of
practice communications (outlined in
the workplan)
• Transition plan for awardees, which
could include:
Æ Stewarding existing cohort into subgroups or other longer-term capacity
building models (based on geography
or areas of interest), if applicable
Æ Connecting communities to other
technical assistance resources or
networks
Æ Bridging new partnerships that can
leverage future funding (e.g.,
conferences/workshops/meetings
with philanthropy, regional or State
partners, etc.)
• Elevating project wins and learnings
via social media, blogs, etc. (in
partnership with DOT)
• Developing publicly available
educational tools and resources (e.g.,
toolkits, web-based portals)
• Participating in a Federal convening
with new TCP awardees (for FY 2024,
subject to program authorization and
appropriation) or other Federal
technical assistance networks
• A final report from Capacity Builders
summarizing the goals, impacts,
process, and lessons learned from
engagement with each individual
community and for the cohort as a
whole.
If funding is appropriated for an FY
2024 TCP, and there is no change in the
TCP’s authorization, DOT may elect not
to issue a new NOFO for the FY 2024
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program; rather, it may select National
Capacity Builders from the FY 2023
awardees, provided that DOT
determines that awardees have
demonstrated an appropriate level of
performance and that awardees have
sufficient capacity to and agree to
provide support to a new cohort of
communities. In this case, the Capacity
Builders would be asked to demonstrate
capacity and propose a detailed plan
and budget to support additional
communities. DOT would then establish
a new cooperative agreement with
existing Capacity Builders for an
additional three-year period of
performance with FY 2024 funds. If FY
2023 Capacity Builders have not
demonstrated an appropriate level of
performance, DOT may select new
Capacity Builders for FY 2024 from
other Highly Recommended applicants
from FY 2023.
Subsequent year funding and
additional funding from DOT will
depend upon priorities established by
the Secretary of Transportation, future
authorizations and appropriations, and
the Thriving Communities’ annual
performance reviews.
b. Thriving Communities Regional Pilot
Program Period of Performance
For the FY 2023 TCP–R Program, the
period of performance will be three
years (36 months) from the date of
execution in DOT’s electronic grants
management system. The first two years
of the period of performance must be
dedicated to providing support to the
communities identified in the
application, in accordance with the
activities described in the application.
The third year of the period of
performance will be focused on program
evaluation and reporting, transition
activities for communities, and
collecting and sharing lessons learned
and best practices from the first two
years of support, including sharing
information with communities outside
those who received targeted support in
the first two years to scale impact of the
program.
The third year of the period of
performance must include:
• Strategic, targeted community of
practice communications (outlined in
the workplan)
• Transition plan for awardees, which
could include:
Æ Stewarding existing cohort into subgroups or other longer-term capacity
building models (based on geography
or areas of interest), if applicable
Æ Connecting communities to other
technical assistance resources or
networks
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63655
Æ Bridging new partnerships that can
leverage future funding (e.g.,
conferences/workshops/meeting with
philanthropy, regional or State
partners, etc.)
• Elevating project wins and learnings
via social media, blogs, etc. (in
partnership with DOT)
• Developing publicly available
educational tools and resources (e.g.,
toolkits, web-based portals)
• Participating in a Federal convening
with new TCP awardees (for FY 2024,
subject to program authorization and
appropriation) or other Federal
technical assistance networks
• Final reporting and program
evaluation.
If funding is appropriated for an FY
2024 TCP, and there is no change in the
TCP’s authorization, DOT may elect not
to issue a new NOFO for the FY 2024
program; rather, it may select Regional
Capacity Builders from the list of Highly
Recommended, but not selected,
applicants from FY 2023. In this case,
DOT would contact Highly
Recommended applicants to request
confirmation that applicants are still
interested in participating in the
program and have the capacity to do so
before selecting them for participation
in the FY 2024 program.
Subsequent year funding and
additional funding from DOT will
depend upon priorities established by
the Secretary of Transportation, future
authorizations and appropriations, and
the Thriving Communities’ annual
performance reviews.
C. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
For both the TCP–N and TCP–R, those
applying to provide technical
assistance, planning, and capacity
building can apply individually or as
part of a team of eligible applicants.
DOT seeks Capacity Builders that have
technical knowledge across a diverse set
of issues and skills; therefore, the lead
applicant is strongly encouraged to
partner with other eligible organizations
to create Capacity Building teams that
represent a range of technical skills,
geographic connections and capacity
building approaches. If applying as part
of a team, the lead applicant must be
clearly identified and submit the
application on behalf of the team. The
cooperative agreement will be between
DOT and the lead organization, which is
the primary recipient of DOT TCP
funds. The recipient may make
contracts or subawards 1 to other team
1 Refer to 2 CFR 200.1 (Definitions) [https://
www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/
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members, but the recipient is
responsible for compliance with Federal
requirements, including 2 CFR parts 200
and 1201.
For the TCP–N Capacity Builders,
eligible lead applicants are non-profit
organizations, philanthropic entities,
and other technical assistance
providers, including but not limited to
for-profit organizations and academic
institutions, with a demonstrated
capacity to develop and provide
technical assistance, planning, and
capacity building to a range of
communities located across multiple
States and regions (i.e., applicants must
demonstrate capacity to provide support
at a national level, not just within
specific regions or geographies).
For the TCP–R, eligible lead
applicants are State governments and
their agencies; local governments and
their agencies; Indian Tribes; regional,
Tribal, or statewide planning non-profit
organizations; and governmental
planning, economic development, or
transportation organizations working at
the regional or metropolitan level
involved with transportation issues.
Where applicable, each lead applicant
and co-applicant must provide
documentation that supports each lead
applicant’s or co-applicant’s
organizational status as an eligible
entity. Refer to section D.2(b) of this
NOFO for more information on
organizational documentation
requirements.
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2. Cost Sharing and Matching
No cost sharing or matching is
required as a condition of eligibility
under this competition. DOT will fund
up to 100 percent of eligible project
costs. However, TCP–N and TCP–R
applicants that demonstrate an ability to
leverage other funding, including from
philanthropy, and other Federal funding
sources (e.g., formula funds, State or
local resources and in-kind
contributions of staff, volunteer time,
facilities, or other resources) to amplify
program impact and support Thriving
Communities Program goals and
objectives in the long-term will be
prioritized.
3. Eligible Project Costs
Eligible costs include those that the
Capacity Builders undertake to directly
assist in the development of technical
part-200/subpart-A/subject-groupECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1] and 2 CFR
200.331 (Subrecipient and contractor
determinations) [https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subjectgroup-ECFR031321e29ac5bbd/section-200.331] for
more information. Refer also to the TCP Fact Sheet
on Subcontracting and Subwards posted on the
program website.
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assistance, planning, or capacity
building for communities to carry out
eligible projects and plans for which the
award has been granted. Eligible costs
also include subgrants to build
community capacity, including staff and
benefits plus other overhead costs such
as rent, utilities, and office equipment,
hiring of new staff and fellows, building
IT systems for application processes and
reporting, and website development for
education and training.
For both TCP–N and TCP–R
applicants, DOT will give preference to
applications with the highest percentage
of identified targeted support budgeted
for community recipients and their
partners. ‘‘Targeted support’’ means
activities that directly enable the
community to advance efforts identified
in their scope of work. This may
include, for instance, direct subgrants
for the community to allocate internally;
funding to provide community stipends
or pay for staffing, apprenticeship, or
fellowship positions located within the
selected communities; access to
mapping, design and engineering,
modeling, civic participation or other
data analytic or community engagement
software tools; no-cost consulting
services; Capacity Builder staff time
dedicated to activities to advance
individual communities’ scopes of
work, including travel; or other types of
direct support. Activities to support the
overall Community of Practice (e.g.,
trainings, convenings, or webinars that
support all or multiple communities
within the cohort) and overall program
administration and grant management
activities are not considered targeted
support.
For both TCP–N and TCP–R
applicants, no more than 25 percent of
the proposed budget may be allotted to
program administration and grant
management activities (e.g., workplan
development, invoicing, team meetings,
evaluation report), and at least 20
percent of the proposed budget must be
allocated for subgrants to communities
and their partners. All applicants are
expected to plan for at least one visit to
each assigned community per year for
the first two years of the period of
performance.
Consistent with the provisions in 2
CFR 200.400, the Recipient may not
earn or keep any profit resulting from
funds awarded under this NOFO.
Recipients may not allocate profit fees
in their proposed or final budget.
Eligible activity costs must comply
with the cost principles set forth in 2
CFR subpart E (i.e., 2 CFR 200.403 and
200.405). DOT reserves the right to
make cost eligibility determinations on
a case-by-case basis.
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D. Application and Submission
Information
Applications must include the
materials listed in section D.2 of this
NOFO to be considered for funding.
1. Address To Request Application
Package
Applications will only be accepted
electronically through www.grants.gov
(Grants.gov) under Opportunity Number
DOT–TCP–FY23–01. Potential
applicants may also request paper
copies of materials at:
Telephone: 202–366–7738.
Mail: U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, W12–412, Washington, DC
20590.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission
This section describes the DOT and
Federal grant assistance forms and other
documents required for a complete
application for both the TCP–N and
TCP–R Programs under this NOFO. An
application checklist can be found in
appendix A of this NOFO.
Sharing of Application Information—
The Department may share application
information within the Department or
with other Federal agencies if the
Department determines that sharing is
relevant to the respective program’s
objectives.
a. Required Forms
All applicants must submit the
following required forms:
• Application for Federal Assistance
(SF–424)
• Budget Information for NonConstruction Programs (SF–424A)
• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF–
LLL)
All relevant forms must be signed
electronically by the applicant’s
Authorized Organizational
Representative (AOR); please see section
D.6 of this NOFO for information on
AOR requirements. The preferred
electronic file format for attachments is
Adobe portable document format (PDF);
however, DOT will accept electronic
files in Microsoft Word or Microsoft
Excel formats. DOT will not accept
paper, facsimile, or email transmissions
of applications. All documentation and
data submitted should be current and
applicable as of the date submitted.
Applicants may contact the appropriate
contact listed in section G for technical
assistance before submitting an
application.
b. Organizational Documentation
Each lead applicant and co-applicant
must provide documentation that
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supports each lead applicant’s or coapplicant’s organizational status as an
eligible entity where applicable (section
C.1 of this NOFO).
• States, Indian Tribes, cities, or other
political subdivisions of States, and
institutions of higher education that are
100% publicly controlled are not
required to submit organizational
documentation.
• Nonprofit organizations must
submit documentation that
demonstrates their status as nonprofit
organizations. This must include
articles of incorporation, bylaws,
certificate of good standing, and a copy
of the most recent (not older than 18
months) IRS Form 990 (Return of
Organization Exempt from Income Tax)
(without attachments or schedules).
• Other entities, including
institutions of higher education that are
not 100% publicly controlled, must
provide documentation that
demonstrates their organization type.
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c. Organization Descriptions
A one-page organization or company
profile must be provided for each
member of the Capacity Building Team.
These may be publicly shared as part of
the organization introductions. Profiles
should include the organization name,
its role on the team, number of
employees; location of office or its
geographic scope; whether it is a
certified disadvantaged business
enterprise (e.g., 8(a) business), as
defined by the Small Business
Administration (SBA), a small business
as defined by the SBA, a Historically
Black College or University, a Minority
Serving Institution, a HUBZone, or
woman owned or service-disabled
veteran-owned small businesses; 2 a
brief summary of the type of services it
provides; and involvement of team
members that represent the types of
communities and stakeholders to be
served. Key staff members of each
organization should be shown.
A template is provided for the
fulfillment of this requirement. DOT
recommends, but does not require, the
use of the template.
d. Indirect Costs (if Applicable)
If indirect costs are included in the
budget, the applicant must include
documentation to support the indirect
cost rate they are using (unless claiming
the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost
rate, discussed below). The applicant
must submit a copy of its current,
approved, and negotiated indirect cost
2 Additional DOT guidance on small business
contracting can be found at https://
www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2021-03/
508_OSDBU%20Contracting_03102021.pdf.
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rate agreement (NICRA). If the applicant
does not have a current or pending
NICRA, it may propose indirect costs in
its budget; however, the applicant must
prepare and submit an allocation plan
and rate proposal for approval within
ninety days from the award start date
(unless claiming the 10 percent de
minimis indirect cost rate, discussed
below). See 2 CFR part 200 apps. III, IV,
V, VI, VII for guidance. The allocation
plan and the rate proposal shall be
submitted to DOT. The applicant should
include a statement in its Budget
Narrative that it does not have a current
or pending NICRA and will submit an
allocation plan and rate proposal to
DOT or the applicant’s cognizant
Federal agency for approval.
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f),
an applicant that does not have a
current negotiated (including
provisional) rate, may elect to charge a
de minimis rate of 10 percent of
modified total direct costs (subject to
the exceptions of § 200.414(f)). No
documentation is required to justify the
10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate;
however, an applicant electing to charge
a de minimis rate of 10 percent must
include a statement in its Budget
Narrative that it does not have a current
negotiated (including provisional) rate
and is electing to charge the de minimis
rate.
If the applicant is a State or local unit
of government or an Indian Tribe that
receives less than $35 million in direct
Federal funding per year it may submit
any of the following:
• a Certificate of Indirect Costs from
the Department of the Interior (DOI) or
DOT;
• an acknowledgment received from
the Department of Interior (on behalf of
DOT) and a Certificate of Indirect Costs
in the form prescribed at 2 CFR part
200, app. VII; or
• a NICRA.
e. Executive Summary
The Executive Summary will not be
evaluated as part of application review.
If the applicant is selected for funding,
the Executive Summary may be used in
a public announcement or on DOT’s
website.
TCP–N Capacity Builders
Applicants are required to submit an
Executive Summary of no more than
500 words that must:
• Clearly indicate the application is
to be considered as a Thriving
Communities National Capacity Builder.
• Clearly identify which specific
Community of Practice the applicant is
seeking to be considered to support (the
applicant should select only one
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Community of Practice). DOT reserves
the right to assign a Capacity Builder to
a different Community of Practice, with
confirmation from the Capacity Builder,
if it determines the Capacity Builder has
the skills and experience necessary to
serve communities in that Community
of Practice.
• Provide a clear, concise, and
descriptive summary of the proposed
approach to technical assistance and
capacity building, including identifying
the types of targeted support that will be
provided with DOT resources and how
this support is anticipated to build local
capacity and advance Thriving
Communities Program goals within the
Community of Practice it seeks to
support.
• Briefly discuss the strengths that its
team provides in areas of technical
depth, diversity and capacity building
approach to underserved and
disadvantaged communities.
• Identify the amount of funding the
applicant is requesting.
In addition, but separate from the 500word limit, list all proposed Capacity
Builder team organizations and indicate
whether the organizations are
designated as any of the following:
• a disadvantaged business (e.g., 8(a)
business) as defined by the U.S. Small
Business Administration (SBA);
• a small business as defined by the
SBA;
• a Historically Black College or
University;
• other Minority Serving Institution;
• a HUBZone as defined by the SBA;
or
• A woman-owned or servicedisabled veteran-owned small business
as defined by the SBA.
TCP–R Capacity Builders
Applicants are required to submit an
Executive Summary of no more than
500 words that must:
• Clearly indicate the application is
to be considered as a Thriving
Communities Regional Pilot Capacity
Builder.
• Clearly identify the communities to
be supported, anticipated technical
assistance and capacity building needs,
and how they intersect with plans for
State or regional housing, economic
development, public health, climate and
other community development goals.
• List all proposed members of the
TCP–R applicant team.
• Provide a clear and concise
descriptive summary of the proposed
approach to supporting selected
communities, including identifying the
types of targeted support that will be
provided with DOT resources that
cannot be met with existing resources,
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and how this support is anticipated to
build local capacity and advance
Thriving Communities Program goals.
• Briefly discuss the strengths that
the applicant provides in areas of
technical depth, diversity and capacity
building to underserved and
disadvantaged communities within its
service area (i.e., the State, region,
Tribal, or MPO boundaries).
f. Narrative Responses Addressing Merit
Rating Criteria Sub-Factors
As detailed in NOFO section E,
‘‘Application Review Information,’’ any
applicant that does not submit a
narrative response that addresses each
of the 10 Merit Rating Criteria SubFactors within the page limits described
below will not be eligible for review.
See NOFO section E for more detail on
the Merit Rating Criteria Sub-Factors.
Your narrative responses for the two
Priority sub-factors must be less than 3pages each, and your narrative
responses for all other sub-factors must
be less than 1-page each (for a total limit
of 14 pages across all ten sub-factors).
Any additional pages will not be
considered during the merit rating
review. All page limits are single-sided
8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12point font and 1-inch margins.
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g. Letters of Commitment From
Communities (for TCP–R Applicants
Only)
For each community that TCP–R
applicants proposed to support,
applicants must submit a Letter of
Commitment signed by the community’s
top elected official or equivalent. Letters
should clearly demonstrate that the
community is aware of and receptive to
receiving support through TCP over a
two-year period. The Letter of
Commitment should demonstrate
alignment with the applicant’s
described support activities. Letters of
Commitment can be submitted as PDF
or Word document attachments.
h. Staffing Plan
All applications must include a
Staffing Plan listing all position types
proposed to be charged to the project for
each Capacity Builder partner
organization, whether as Federal or nonFederal costs. The Staffing Plan must
include the position titles, hourly rates,
and percentage of time dedicated to the
project. The sum of all salaries charged
to the project must equal the amount on
the ‘‘Personnel’’ budget line item on
Form SF–424A. The Staffing Plan
should provide a description of the
capacities each position type will
contribute and how these positions will
contribute to advancing the technical
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assistance and capacity building
approach.
Given that additional technical
assistance and capacity building needs
may arise in response to the specific
needs of selected communities receiving
support, refinements can be made to the
proposed staffing structure with DOT
approval. Applicants are required to
include strategic hiring plan that may be
utilized to supplement or hire
contingent staff that may work directly
with recipients and their community
partners to ensure continuity of
services.
Proposals should identify key project
staff to advance the identified technical
assistance and capacity building
approach. The proposal should include
a one-page resume for each key project
staff member. This should include a
short summary of the individual’s
relative areas of expertise; years of
experience; employment and education
history; and brief snapshot of related
project history noting work with
disadvantaged communities,
comprehensive economic or community
development, and/or capacity building.
Replacement of key staff are subject to
DOT approval. At least one key staff
member must be identified per Capacity
Builder partner organization.
Resumes should be compiled and
uploaded together as one PDF file. Midlevel or junior staff may be shown
without identification or resumes. Key
staff are defined as project managers,
subject matter experts, and individuals
who have specialized knowledge key to
delivery of technical assistance.
i. Budget Proposal
Application submissions must
include a completed SF–424A, Budget
Information—Non-Construction
Programs, form. In preparing the SF–
424A, applicants should break down
budget costs into the appropriate object
class categories in section B of the form.
A detailed budget narrative must
accompany the SF–424A. The purpose
of the narrative is to explain and justify
the proposed project expenditures. For
clarity and consistency, applicants
should discuss each expense by object
class in the order that they appear on
the SF–424A. The narrative must
include the dollar amounts of each
object class category and include
detailed descriptions of how the dollar
amounts were derived. Include an
explanation for each calculation and
provide a narrative that supports each
budget category listed on the SF–424A.
The costs provided in the narrative must
clearly equal total costs identified on
the SF–424A form and match the total
listed on line 15. Applicants may use
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the Budget Template as a starting point
for their Budget Proposals and are
encouraged to customize the template to
fit their individual needs and provide
an appropriate amount of detail. The
Budget Proposal must include tables
that organize and summarize the
information presented in the narrative.
The narrative, not including the table in
the Budget Template, should not exceed
three pages in length.
The budget must clearly show total
program administration and grant
management costs, which are not to
exceed 25 percent of the overall budget;
and identify those costs associated with
targeted support. TCP–R applicants are
encouraged to indicate in their budgets
activities and funds allocated to
meaningful public involvement
activities.
All applicants must allocate at least
20 percent of their budget for subgranting to communities to facilitate
long-term capacity building and to
compensate local community partners
who are serving as technical assistance,
planning, and capacity builders.
All applicants are expected to clearly
delineate in the budget the support costs
for the first two years of deep-dive
targeted community support and peer
learning support to the Community of
Practice, and the third year solely
focused on Community of Practice
management and overall program
reporting, knowledge sharing,
evaluation, and transition planning.
The narrative for following class
objectives must address:
Personnel Costs: Explain lead
applicant personnel costs by listing
each staff member who will be
supported from funds, name (if
possible), position title, percentage of
full-time equivalency, and annual
salary.
Fringe Benefits: List the components
that comprise the fringe benefit rate, for
example health insurance, taxes,
unemployment insurance, life
insurance, retirement plans, and tuition
reimbursement. The fringe benefits
should be directly proportional to that
portion of lead applicant personnel
costs that are allocated for the project.
Travel: Provide a narrative that
explains the destination, estimated costs
and type of transportation. Include the
number of travelers and related lodging
and subsistence (per diem costs) for
each trip. Include a brief description of
the travel involved, its purpose, and
explanation of how the proposed travel
is necessary for successful completion
of the project. If travel details are
unknown, then the basis for proposed
costs should be explained (i.e.,
historical information)—do not ‘‘pull
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numbers out of the air’’ or list a lump
sum estimate. Travel costs can be
charged on an actual basis, on a per
diem or mileage basis in lieu of actual
costs incurred, or a combination of the
two if applied consistently and results
in reasonable charges. Applicants are
expected to budget for at least one site
visit per community each year for the
first two years of the period of
performance.
Equipment—‘‘Equipment’’ is
nonexpendable, tangible personal
property with a unit cost of $5,000 or
more having a useful life of more than
1 year. Items that do not meet the
‘‘equipment’’ definition can be included
under supplies. List each piece of
equipment to be purchased and provide
description of how it will be used in the
project. The budget narrative should
explain why the equipment is necessary
for successful completion of the project.
General use equipment (i.e., computers,
faxes, etc.) must be used 100% for the
proposed project if charged directly to
the Thriving Communities Program.
Supplies: List the supplies that the
project will use to implement the
proposed project. Please note, items
such as laptops, tablets, and desktop
computers are classified as a supply if
the value is under the $5,000 equipment
threshold.
Contractual: Provide a list of all
contracts anticipated for the project. The
contracts will be for services rendered
by co-applicants, contractors, and
consultants. Provide the purpose of
each contract for services that you
intend on awarding and award how the
costs were estimated. Applicants should
not provide line-item details on
proposed contracts, instead provide the
basis for your cost estimate for the
contract. For co-applicant and
consultant services, identify each
consultant, the cost for each consultant,
the services they will perform,
anticipated hours or days, and travel
costs. The recipient is responsible for
ensuring that it has in place an
established and adequate procurement
system with fully developed written
procedures for awarding and monitoring
all contracts.
Other—Provide a list of all subawards
anticipated for the project. Provide a
clear explanation as to the purpose of
subaward and justification. The actual
number and costs of subawards may not
be known until each of the
individualized community assessments
are completed. Applicant should
provide an explanation on the basis for
the cost estimate in this section. The
recipient is responsible for ensuring it
has in place an established and
adequate grants management system
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with fully developed written procedures
for awarding, reporting, and monitoring
all subawards.
Grant Funds, Sources and Uses of
Project Funds—Project budgets should
show how different funding sources will
share in each activity and present those
data in dollars and percentages. The
budget should identify other Federal
funds the applicant is applying for or
has been awarded, if any, that the
applicant intends to leverage Funding
sources should be grouped into three
categories: non-Federal, Thriving
Communities Program, and other
Federal with specific amounts from
each funding source.
For TCP–N Capacity Builders
DOT is interested in the opportunities
for broader outreach and shared
learning that can be supported through
the dissemination of materials
developed by TCP–N Capacity Builders,
and by the lessons learned through the
technical assistance engagement to
inform future program design and
impact. This will include quarterly
virtual meetings with representatives of
the Capacity Builders to be organized
and conducted by DOT; and an annual
in-person 1.5-day TCP convening that
will include participation by Capacity
Builders (estimate 4 people) and
recipient communities including
community partners (estimate 3 people
per community). Capacity Builders
should allocate a portion of their budget
to support this involvement for
themselves and the recipient
communities. For the purpose of budget
estimation, assume meetings are held in
Washington, DC at average-priced travel
periods.
DOT invites, but does not require,
applicants to propose how they could
provide targeted support to additional
communities beyond those selected by
DOT, within the budget provided or
through leveraging other funding or
associated technical assistance efforts
that the applicant or its team members
may also be supporting. If doing so,
applicants must include information
demonstrating these existing
relationships and submit Letters of
Commitment from other entities
providing additional funding.
DOT will reimburse labor and direct
costs incurred by the Capacity Builder
team, including subcontractors.
Capacity Builders should maintain a
system for recording all project costs.
Invoices must be transmitted to DOT
monthly.
The Capacity Builder must notify
DOT in writing when 50% of the project
budget is expended. Further work must
stop, and DOT must be notified in
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63659
writing when 90% of the project budget
is expended. Aggregate payment shall
not exceed the cap shown in the
cooperative agreement. Costs incurred
over the cap shown in the cooperative
agreement will not be reimbursed.
For TCP–R Capacity Builders
DOT is interested in the opportunities
for broader outreach and shared
learning that can be supported through
the peer learning and knowledge
sharing by regional organizations and
their partners with other jurisdictions
and organizations within the State,
Tribe, or service area, including lessons
learned through the pilot that can
inform future program design and
impact. This will include quarterly
virtual meetings with TCP–R Capacity
Builders to be organized and conducted
by DOT, the potential to participate in
one or more State or regional
convenings, and potentially
participation in the annual in-person
1.5-day TCP convening by the TCP–R
capacity builder (estimate 2 people).
TCP–R Capacity Builders should
allocate a portion of their budget to
support this involvement, but event
specifics and their associated costs will
be finalized in cooperative agreements
and workplans. For the purpose of
budget estimation, assume the annual
convening is held in Washington, DC at
average-priced travel periods.
DOT will reimburse labor and direct
costs incurred by the TCP–R Capacity
Builders. TCP–R Capacity Builders
should maintain a system for recording
all project costs. Invoices may be
transmitted to DOT monthly.
DOT invites, but does not require,
applicants to propose how they could
leverage other funding or associated
technical assistance efforts to support
additional communities and/or support
TCP goals in the long-term. If doing so,
applicants must include information
demonstrating these existing
relationships and submit Letters of
Commitment from other entities
providing additional funding.
The TCP–R Capacity Builder must
notify DOT in writing when 50% of the
project budget is expended. Further,
work must stop, and DOT must be
notified in writing when 90% of the
project budget is expended. Aggregate
payment shall not exceed the cap shown
in the cooperative agreement. Costs
incurred over the cap shown in the
cooperative agreement will not be
reimbursed.
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System
for Award Management (SAM)
To enable the use of a universal
identifier and to enhance the quality of
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information available to the public as
required by the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act of
2006, all applicants are required to: (i)
be registered in SAM before submitting
an application; (ii) provide a valid
unique entity identifier in the
application; (iii) make certain
certifications; and (iv) continue to
maintain an active SAM registration
with current information at all times
during which they have an active
Federal award or an application or plan
under consideration by a Federal
awarding agency. DOT may not make a
Federal award to an applicant until the
applicant has complied with all
applicable unique entity identifier and
SAM requirements and, if an applicant
has not fully complied with the
requirements by the time the DOT is
ready to make an award, DOT may
determine that the applicant is not
qualified to receive an award and use
that determination as a basis for making
an award to another applicant. Award
recipients will be subject to reporting
requirements as identified in OMB
guidance published at 2 CFR parts 25
and 170.
4. Submission Dates and Times
The deadline for the receipt of an
application is 4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on
November 28, 2023. Applications
received after this deadline may not be
reviewed or considered for funding.
Applications will only be accepted
electronically through Grants.gov.
Applicants are advised to carefully read
the submission information provided in
section D of this NOFO. The Grants.gov
system records the date and time that an
application is received.
DOT strongly suggests that applicants
start early, review instructions, and test
systems well in advance of the
application deadline. Applications
should be submitted in advance of the
deadline, and progress can be saved in
the Grants.gov system. Applicants
should save and print written proof of
an electronic submission.
If technical issues arise that present
difficulties for submission, applicants
should notify DOT. DOT must receive
communication via telephone,
voicemail, or email regarding such
technical difficulty by 4:59 p.m. Eastern
Time on November 28, 2023; any
correspondence regarding technical
difficulties received after this deadline
will not be considered as a reason to
accept a late application. No extensions
to the deadline will be considered. In
cases of documented technical
difficulty, the applicant is expected to
submit the application immediately
upon resolution of technical difficulties,
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or a subsequent deadline delivered in
writing by DOT. In addition, please note
the following:
• DOT will not accept any unsolicited
changes, additions, revisions, or
deletions to applications after the
submission deadline.
• Throughout the review and
selection process, DOT reserves the
right to seek clarification from
applicants whose applications are being
reviewed and considered.
• Applicants may be asked to clarify
objectives and work plans and modify
budgets or other specifics as necessary
to comply with Federal requirements
and provide supplemental information
required by the agency before award.
• See section E of this NOFO for
application review and selection
information.
5. Funding Restrictions
For funding restrictions that may
affect an applicant’s ability to develop
an application and budget consistent
with program requirements, see section
C of this notice. DOT will not reimburse
costs incurred before the cooperative
agreement has been signed by DOT and
the lead applicant.
The maximum dollar amount of
allocable indirect costs for which DOT
will reimburse a recipient will be the
lesser of the (i) line-item amount for the
Federal share of indirect costs contained
in the DOT approved budget for the
award, or (ii) Federal share of the total
allocable indirect costs of the award
based on either (a) the indirect cost rate
approved by DOT (or applicable
cognizant Federal agency), provided
that the cost rate is current at the time
the costs were incurred and provided
that the rate is approved on or before the
award end date, or (b) other acceptable
documentation as indicated below.
6. Other Submission Requirements
The complete application must be
submitted electronically via Grants.gov.
To find this funding opportunity, search
for DOT–TCP–FY23–01 via the Funding
Opportunity Number field. The most
up-to-date instructions for application
submission can be found at https://
www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/
applyfor-grants.html. In the event of
system problems or the applicant
experiences technical difficulties,
contact grants.gov technical support via
telephone at 1–800–518–4726 or email
at support@grants.gov.
Early Registration and Application
Submission
In order to submit an application via
Grants.gov, applicants must register
with SAM.gov and Grants.gov.
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Registration can take between three to
five business days or as long as four
weeks. To avoid delays, DOT strongly
recommends that applicants start early
and not wait until the approaching
deadline date before logging in,
registering, reviewing the application
instructions, and applying.
AOR Requirement
Applicants must register as
organizations, not as individuals. As
part of the registration process, you will
register at least one AOR for your
organization. AORs registered at
Grants.gov are the only officials with the
authority to submit applications; please
ensure that your organization’s
application is submitted by an AOR.
Note that a given organization may
designate multiple individuals as AORs
for Grants.gov purposes. DOT may not
accept late submissions caused by
registration issues with Grants.gov,
SAM.gov, or other systems.
Field Limitations and Special
Characters
Please be advised of the following
notice with respect to form field
limitations and special characters:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/
applicants/submitting-utf8-specialcharacters.html.
Successful Submission Verification
It is your responsibility as an
applicant to verify that your submission
was timely received and validated
successfully at grants.gov. Applicants
should use the ‘‘Track My Application’’
function (https://www.grants.gov/web/
grants/applicants/track-myapplication.html). For a successful
submission, the application must be
received and validated by Grants.gov,
and an agency tracking number must be
assigned. If the date and time your
application is validated and
timestamped by Grants.gov is later than
4:59 p.m. eastern time on the
application deadline set forth in this
NOFO, your application is late. Once
validation is complete, the status will
change to ‘‘Validated’’ or ‘‘Rejected with
Errors.’’ If the status is ‘‘Rejected with
Errors,’’ your application has not been
received successfully. For more detailed
information about why an application
may be rejected, please consult with
resources such as ‘‘Encountering Error
Messages’’ (https://www.grants.gov/web/
grants/applicants/encounteringerrormessages.html) and ‘‘Frequently Asked
Questions by Applicants’’ (https://
www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/
applicant-faqs.html).
DOT requests that applicants kindly
refrain from submitting multiple copies
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of the same application package.
Applicants should save and print both
the confirmation screen provided on the
Grants.gov website after the applicant
has submitted an application and the
confirmation email when the
application has been successfully
received and validated in the system. If
an applicant receives an email from
Grants.gov indicating that the
application was received and
subsequently validated but does not
receive an email from Grants.gov
indicating that DOT has retrieved the
application package within 72 hours of
that email, the applicant may contact
the email address listed in section G of
this announcement to inquire if DOT is
in receipt of the applicant’s submission.
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Grants.gov System Issues
If you experience a systems issue (i.e.,
a technical problem or glitch with the
website) that you believe threatens your
ability to complete a submission in a
timely manner, please (i) print any error
message received; (ii) contact the
Grants.gov Support Center at (800) 518–
4726 for assistance; and (iii) contact
DOT using the contact information in
section G of this NOFO in advance of
the deadline. Ensure that you obtain a
case number regarding your
communications with Grants.gov. Please
note that problems with an applicant’s
internet access, computer system or
equipment are not considered systems
issues. Similarly, an applicant’s failure
to, e.g., (i) complete the required
registration, (ii) ensure that a registered
AOR submits the application, or (iii)
notice receipt of an email message from
Grants.gov are not considered systems
issues. A Grants.gov systems issue is an
issue occurring in connection with the
operations of Grants.gov itself, such as
the temporary loss of service by due to
unexpected volume of traffic or failure
of information technology systems, both
of which are highly unlikely. In the
event of a confirmed systems issue, DOT
reserves the right to accept an
application in an alternate format.
Applicants can visit the Grants.gov
Support Center [https://www.grants.gov/
web/grants/support.html] for assistance
in navigating Grants.gov and for a list of
useful resources, including Frequently
Asked Questions by Applicants [https://
www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/
applicant-faqs.html]. If you do not find
an answer to your question there,
contact Grants.gov by email at support@
grants.gov or telephone at (800) 518–
4726. The Grants.gov Contact Center is
open 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
except on Federal holidays.
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E. Application Review Information
DOT will review applications in
accordance with the requirements of
this NOFO. DOT will consider whether
the application is clear, concise, and
well-organized. Throughout the review
and selection process, DOT, at its sole
discretion, may seek clarification,
including but not limited to written
clarifications and corrected or missing
documents, from applicants whose
applications are being reviewed and
considered and require that applicants
provide such clarifications or
corrections to continue to be considered
for an award under this NOFO. DOT
will provide applicants a reasonable
amount of time to provide any
additional documentation. An
applicant’s failure to provide complete
and accurate supporting documentation
in a timely manner when requested by
DOT may result in the removal of that
application from consideration. DOT
may ask applicants to clarify application
materials, objectives, and work plans, or
modify budgets or other specifics as
necessary to comply with Federal
requirements.
1. Merit Criteria/Rating Factors
The table below describes the four
Rating Factors and the sub-factors for
each. The descriptions of each
individual Rating Factor notes where
the requirements of the factor differ
between the TCP–N and TCP–R
programs. Further, some Rating Factors
contain a Priority Sub-Factor, which are
sub-factors that have been determined to
be of higher priority than the others and
are denoted with an asterisk in the table
below. The table and language below
also describe Additional Considerations
and Priority Considerations, which the
Senior Review Team considers when
making its recommendations for
selection.
TCP RATING FACTORS
Rating Factor 1: Approach to Technical
Assistance and Capacity Building
A ...........
B ...........
C ..........
Technical Assistance Approach.*
Capacity Building Approach.
Community of Practice Management Approach.
Rating Factor 2: Teaming Arrangement
A ...........
B ...........
Role of Partner Organizations.
Staffing Plan and Demonstrated
Staff Expertise.
Rating Factor 3: Proven Success
A ...........
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TCP RATING FACTORS—Continued
B ...........
C ..........
Experience Supportive of Capacity
Building Approach.
Experience Supportive of Community of Practice Management Approach.
Rating Factor 4: Program Management and
Evaluation
A ...........
B ...........
Schedule of Milestones and
Deliverables.
Program Evaluation and Assessment.
Additional Considerations
A ...........
Soundness of Proposed Budget.
Priority Considerations
A ...........
B ...........
C ..........
Experience with Priority Geographies.
Diversity of Capacity Builder
Teams.
Leveraging of Additional Funding
Sources.
* Priority rating factor.
Each application will be assigned an
overall score of ‘‘Highly
Recommended,’’ ‘‘Recommended,’’ or
‘‘Not Recommended’’ based on the
ratings for each of the four Rating
Factors. See section E.2 below for more
details.
a. Rating Factor 1: Soundness of
Approach to Targeted Community
Support and Capacity Building
i. Technical Assistance Approach
(Priority Sub-Factor)
For TCP–N Applicants
Applicants must describe their
proposed approach to providing
customized support to 15–20 individual
communities at a national scale over a
two-year period for each of the
following three key phases of
transportation decision-making: Project
Planning and Scoping; Project
Development and Design; and Project
Delivery. Selected Capacity Builders
will be expected to provide technical
assistance support to communities who
may be in any of the three phases;
therefore, DOT will evaluate the
strength of the applicant’s described
approach to providing support in each
of the three phases. These three phases
are described in section H.1 of this
NOFO.
In their narratives, applicants must
describe their approach to:
• Co-designing an individualized
scope of work with communities and
their partners, including assessing
existing technical capacity and assets.
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• Providing technical assistance
support specific to the three
transportation decision-making phases.
• Incorporating meaningful and
innovative public engagement strategies,
including but not limited to engagement
with non-English speakers, people with
disabilities, and other underrepresented groups bridging racial,
cultural, and economic barriers that
affect community participation; and
strategies to tailor public involvement to
unique community requirements and
preferences.
• Building community wealth
through transportation investments,
innovative financing and leveraged
funding approaches that address the
unique challenges of under-resourced,
low-tax base and credit-challenged
communities.
• Supporting workforce development,
hiring and labor practices benefitting
local economically disadvantaged
communities.
• Strategically planning onsite
engagement with individual
communities, including at least one
visit to each community per year for the
first two years of the period of
performance.
For TCP–R Applicants
TCP–R applicants must identify and
describe the communities that they have
selected to support over two years of
targeted support. As noted in section
D.2(g) of this NOFO, applicants must
submit Letters of Commitment from
each community proposed for support
in the application. Applicants must
describe in detail how and why they
selected these communities, addressing
the following:
• The number of communities or
projects the applicant intends to support
with the requested funding amount.
• Metrics and methods for verifying
disadvantaged status or transportation
burden/disparity that the applicant used
to select communities, including the use
of tools such as CEJST and ETC
Explorer.
In their narratives, applicants must
also describe their proposed approach to
providing support to these communities
based on their individual needs,
including:
1. the types of local projects and
capacity building needs that will be
supported through TCP funding and
how this support will build longer term
capacity and meet critical technical
assistance needs that are not currently
being supported through other
resources.
2. how the proposed support will
advance transportation projects that
intersect with goals related to State or
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regional housing, economic
development, public health, climate and
other community development goals
and help to advance implementation of
related State, Tribal and/or regional
plans.
3. how the work supported through
the pilot may be scaled or leveraged to
support additional communities within
the applicant’s service area (i.e., the
larger metropolitan region, State,
Territory or Tribe).
4. approach to incorporating
meaningful and innovative public
engagement strategies, including but not
limited to engagement with non-English
speakers, people with disabilities, and
other under-represented groups;
bridging racial, cultural, and economic
barriers that affect community
participation; and strategies to tailor
public involvement to unique
community requirements and
preferences. DOT will give preference to
applications with robust meaningful
public engagement approaches. Refer to
DOT’s Promising Practices for
Meaningful Public Involvement in
Transportation Decision-Making
[https://www.transportation.gov/
priorities/equity/promising-practicesmeaningful-public-involvementtransportation-decision-making] for a
non-exhaustive list of public
involvement tools and techniques.
5. approach to building community
wealth through transportation
investments, innovative financing and
leveraged funding approaches that
address the unique challenges of underresourced, low-tax base and creditchallenged communities.
For this rating criteria, DOT will
evaluate applicants based on the
communities they propose to support,
including their methods for selecting
communities and the description of
community need and how well they
align with TCP goals. DOT will also
evaluate the strength of the proposed
approach to providing technical
assistance support to these
communities.
ii. Capacity Building Approach
For TCP–N Applicants
Applicants must describe how they
will build lasting capacity for TCP
recipients and their community partners
through activities undertaken during the
period of TCP support. Capacity
building should focus on ways to
improve the long-term ability of a
community to design and undertake
necessary technical, financial, business,
and data analyses; meet Federal
oversight and project management
requirements; undertake statewide and
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metropolitan long-range planning and
programming activities; and implement
other activities that broadly support
project planning, development, and
delivery. This includes developing longterm community capacity to sustain
partnerships and engage nongovernmental partners, leadership and
workforce development, and program
evaluation.
Capacity building approaches should
include an element of responsiveness to
the needs of individual communities
and adaptability over the period of
performance. Applicants may propose
different areas where they anticipate
capacity needs to be the greatest, and
strategies they envision deploying to
meet these needs through
individualized deep-dive support. They
should also describe the process they
will use to adapt capacity building
approaches, as needed.
Applicants must address the
following in their capacity building
narrative:
• Approach to supplementing local
staffing and workforce development
capacity
• Approach to developing systems or
structures that improve lasting
compliance with Federal grant
management, including but not
limited to title VI of the Civil Rights
Act, the Americans with Disabilities
Act, section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act, and procurement requirements
• Approach to sub-granting to local
technical assistance and capacity
building partners who bring local
expertise and capacity
• Approach to building organizational
capacity to strengthen relationships
between key stakeholders that
deepens regional engagement and
collaboration, positions partners for
future funding opportunities, and/or
supports inclusive planning processes
• Approach to evaluating and
establishing emerging transportation
and planning technologies, data
systems, and software
As part of the capacity building
narrative, applicants must also describe
their planned activities for the third
year of the period of performance to
transition communities for sustained
learning and capacity building. Refer to
section B of this NOFO for more
information on required activities for
the third year of the period of
performance.
DOT will evaluate applicants based
on the strength of their proposed
approach, considering long-term
impacts and relationship building and
the adaptability of the approach.
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For TCP–R Applicants
Applicants must describe how they
will build lasting capacity within
supported communities to continue
advancing transformative infrastructure
projects. Capacity building should focus
on ways to ensure that the projects or
planning efforts supported by the TCP–
R achieve results in the long-term,
including how the proposed support
will inform and potentially catalyze
systems change improvements to
advance community-driven projects in
long-range plans, transportation
improvement programs, and other
formal processes used to inform and
prioritize State, Tribal, and/or regional
investments and funding decisions.
Emphasis should be on ensuring that
the project or plan moves forward
within its current phase of
development, and that the community
continues to move the project forward,
including once TCP support concludes.
Capacity building approaches should
include an element of responsiveness to
the needs of individual communities
and adaptability over the period of
performance. Applicants may propose
different areas where they anticipate
capacity needs to be the greatest, and
strategies they envision deploying to
meet these needs. They should also
describe the process they will use to
adapt capacity building approaches, as
needed.
Applicants must address the
following in their capacity building
narrative:
• Approach to empowering
communities to access planning,
scoping, and funding resources in the
long-term
• Approach to supporting local
community partnerships and
expanding collaboration
• Approach to developing systems or
structures that improve lasting
compliance with Federal grant
management, including but not
limited to title VI of the Civil Rights
Act, the Americans with Disabilities
Act, section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act, and procurement requirements
• Approach to evaluating and
establishing emerging transportation
and planning technologies, data
systems, and software
• Approach to sub-granting to local
technical assistance and capacity
building partners who bring local
expertise and capacity
As part of the capacity building
narrative, applicants must also describe
their planned activities for the third
year of the period of performance to
transition communities for sustained
learning and capacity building. Refer to
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section B of this NOFO for more
information on required activities for
the third year of the period of
performance.
DOT will evaluate applicants based
on the strength of their proposed
approach, considering long-term
impacts and relationship building and
the adaptability of the approach.
provided to communities during the
support phase of the TCP–R Capacity
Builder’s work can serve as models for
other communities.
DOT will evaluate applicants based
on the strength of their peer learning
approach and its ability to achieve TCP
peer learning and networking goals.
iii. Community of Practice Management
Approach
b. Rating Factor 2: Staffing and Teaming
Arrangement
For TCP–N Applicants
i. Role of Partner Organizations
Selected Capacity Builders will be
expected not only to provide
individualized deep-dive support to
their assigned communities but also to
facilitate peer learning, networking, and
knowledge sharing across communities
facing similar challenges and building
similar capacities. Applicants must
describe an approach to managing
communities of practice, building and
sustaining cross-sector collaboration,
and strategies for encouraging member
engagement, and facilitating learning
and capacity building across the
communities within their assigned
Community of Practice over the first two
years of the period of performance.
Applicants should also address how
they will share knowledge to
communities beyond the selected cohort
during the third year of the period of
performance to amplify program impact
and learnings.
DOT will evaluate applicants based
on the strength of their Community of
Management approach and its ability to
achieve TCP peer learning and
networking goals.
For All Program Applicants
For TCP–R Applicants
Applicants will not select a
Community of Practice but are required
to describe peer-learning, networking,
and knowledge sharing activities that
the applicant will facilitate among
communities within the lead applicant’s
State or region. Applicants will describe
strategies for engaging regional partners,
building and sustaining cross-sector
collaboration, and examples of tools
used to prioritize community-based
goals and objectives. The emphasis of
these activities should be on addressing
the unique State, Tribal, or regional
challenges that are shared among
participating communities.
Applicants should also address how
they will share knowledge to
communities within their jurisdiction
that were not recipients of direct
support provided by the TCP–R
Capacity Builder, particularly during
the third year of the period of
performance. This kind of knowledge
sharing should emphasize how support
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DOT seeks Capacity Builders that
have technical knowledge across a
diverse set of issues and skills;
therefore, the lead applicant is strongly
encouraged to partner with other
eligible organizations to form a diverse
Capacity Builder team.
Applicants must describe the role of
each partner organization on the
Capacity Builder team, including the
skills, knowledge, and expertise each
organization brings to the team and how
those skills and experience will be
applied in the team’s approach to
technical assistance and capacity
building. This description should align
with the specific steps and activities
described in the approach to technical
assistance and capacity building. DOT
will evaluate applicants based on the
strength of their partnerships, including
the diversity of skills, knowledge, and
expertise the partner organizations bring
and how well they align with the
applicant’s proposed approach. For
TCP–R, DOT will evaluate the team’s
ability to address the specific needs of
the proposed communities.
ii. Demonstrated Staff Expertise
For All Program Applicants
As noted in section D.2(h) of this
NOFO, all applicants must submit a
Staffing Plan and resumes as part of
their applications. Applicants must
submit an accompanying narrative that
describes how the staff listed and their
relevant areas of expertise will
contribute to the goals of TCP and to
meeting individual community needs.
DOT will evaluate Staffing Plans based
on their ability to demonstrate how
individual team members represent the
different areas of expertise needed to
develop and implement a wellstructured, feasible, and scalable
technical assistance, planning, and
capacity building plan.
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c. Rating Factor 3: Proven Success
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i. Experience Supportive of Technical
Assistance Approach (Priority SubFactor)
For All Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior
experience and successes related to the
tasks and activities described in the
technical assistance approach, clearly
identifying which organization(s) have
undertaken the activities described.
DOT will evaluate applicants based on
their descriptions of past experience
and success undertaking activities
proposed in the technical assistance
approach.
Narratives should include information
on the following:
• Examples of conducting the activities
described in the technical assistance
approach for each of the three
transportation phases, including
outcomes and impacts
• Experience executing projects that
address local community mobility,
access, climate and community
development goals, in accordance
with regional or statewide plans
• Experience supporting disadvantaged,
rural, and Tribal communities on
equity-related issues such as civil
rights compliance, equitable
development, inclusive community
engagement
• Experience supporting innovative,
inclusive, and meaningful public
engagement activities, including
experience engaging with
communities with Limited English
Proficiency
• Experience and evidence of the team’s
knowledge of Federal funding and
technical assistance programs and the
transportation planning processes
relevant to the Community of Practice
being supported that will support its
role as a community navigator that
connects communities to existing
technical assistance resources
available through DOT and other
Federal agencies
• Experience and evidence of the team’s
knowledge and experience with
applicable Federal statutes such as
NEPA, title VI, ADA, and others
• Experience supporting workforce
development, hiring and labor
practices benefitting local
economically disadvantaged
communities, including specific
examples
ii. Experience Supportive of Capacity
Building Approach
For All Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior
experience and successes related to the
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tasks and activities described in the
capacity building approach, clearly
identifying which organization(s) have
undertaken the activities described.
DOT will evaluate applicants based on
their descriptions of past experience
and success undertaking activities
proposed in the capacity building
approach.
Narratives should include information
on the following:
• Examples of conducting the activities
described in the capacity building
approach, including outcomes and
impacts
• Demonstration of experience applying
strategies to nurture small and
disadvantaged business participation
and development, including capacity
building initiatives and facilitating
supportive services within
disadvantaged business enterprise
community marketplaces
• Experience with community wealth
building and economic development
practices, including community
ownership models, apprenticeship,
and business entrepreneurial
programs
iii. Experience Supportive of
Community of Practice Management
Approach
For TCP–N Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior
experience and successes related to the
tasks and activities described in the
Community of Practice Management
approach, clearly identifying which
organization(s) have undertaken the
activities described. DOT will evaluate
applicants based on their descriptions of
past experience and success
undertaking activities proposed in the
community of practice management
approach.
Narratives should include information
on the following:
• Examples of conducting the activities
described in the Community of
Practice approach, including
outcomes and impacts
• Specific examples of experiences
relevant to the chosen Community of
Practice cohort (Main Streets,
Complete Neighborhoods, or
Networked Communities)
• Demonstration of having conducted
convenings to facilitate peer learning
among communities
For TCP–R Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior
experience and successes related to the
tasks and activities described in the peer
learning approach, clearly identifying
which organization(s) have undertaken
the activities described. DOT will
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evaluate applicants based on their
descriptions of past experience and
success undertaking activities proposed
in the peer learning approach.
Narratives should include information
on the following:
• Examples of conducting the activities
described in the peer learning
approach, including outcomes and
impacts
• Demonstration of having conducted
convenings to facilitate peer learning
among communities; and/or support
regional collaboratives
d. Rating Factor 4: Program Management
and Evaluation
i. Schedule of Milestones and
Deliverables
For All Program Applicants
Applications must include a proposed
set of tasks and schedule detailing the
expected start and end date of tasks and
major deliverables described in the
proposed approach. Applicants must
clearly delineate and describe tasks and
deliverables expected in the first two
years of targeted community support,
including peer learning support, and the
third year of peer learning, evaluation,
reporting, and transition activities.
Applications should incorporate
preparation of the final report and
presentation into the project timeline
and period of performance. The
proposed task organization and
schedule will serve as a starting point
for cooperative agreement negotiations
with the selected teams.
DOT will evaluate applicants based
on the feasibility of the schedule; level
of detail; alignment with proposed
technical assistance, planning, and
capacity building support; and
alignment with accomplishing TCP
goals within the period of performance.
ii. Program Evaluation and Assessment
For All Program Applicants
Applicants must include specific
performance metrics under each of the
specific work tasks describing how they
will track, analyze, and report on the
results and outcomes of the technical
assistance, planning, and capacity
building they are providing to
individual communities and to the
Communities of Practice/network of
peer communities they are supporting.
Performance metrics may be qualitative
and/or quantitative and should be
described in terms of well-defined goals
that align with the goals of TCP.
DOT will evaluate the strength,
clarity, and meaningfulness of proposed
metrics and methodologies.
A list of potential metrics is bulleted
below each TCP goal below:
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1. Facilitate the Planning and
Development of Transportation and
Community Revitalization Activities
Supported by DOT
• New projects that increase mobility,
reduce pollution from transportation
sources, expand affordable
transportation options, facilitate
efficient land use, preserve or expand
jobs, and improve housing conditions
• Enhanced access to health care,
education, and food security, or
improved health outcomes
2. Build Capacity and Provide Support
to Disadvantaged and/or Transportation
Burdened Communities
• Short- and long-term capacity
increases (e.g., increased staff,
strategic hires)
• Sustained participation of key
stakeholders that have historically
been excluded from planning and
decision making processes
• Leveraging relationships with other
entities to advance community
priorities
3. Increase the Level of Federal
Investments in Transportation
Infrastructure
• Number of successful grant or funding
applications for projects supported
through this program
• Implementation of new transportation
infrastructure projects
4. Center and Advance CommunityDriven Priorities
ii. Diversity of Capacity Builder Teams
For TCP–N Program Applicants
Applicant Capacity Builder Teams
include one or more partner
organization that can be classified as:
• a disadvantaged business (e.g., 8(a)
business) as defined by the U.S. Small
Business Administration (SBA);
• a small business as defined by the
SBA;
• a Historically Black College or
University;
• other Minority Serving Institution;
• a HUBZone as defined by SBA
[https://www.sba.gov/federalcontracting/contracting-assistanceprograms/hubzone-program]; or
• a woman-owned or service-disabled
veteran-owned small business as
defined by SBA.
Applicants should identify this
information in their Executive Summary
and in each Organization Description
attachment.
The diversity of the Capacity Builder
teams is not a priority consideration for
the TCP–R program.
iii. Leveraging of Additional Funding
Sources
• Development of community-defined
impact metrics to evaluate local
equity outcomes
• Demonstrate positive benefits for
disadvantaged communities
• Establishment of resident steering or
advisory committees
DOT will prioritize Capacity Builders
based on the below priority
considerations. Priority considerations
will be evaluated and documented in
the Merit Review phase but will not
factor into Merit Review scores. The
documentation will be shared with the
SRT for final recommendations.
For All Program Applicants
Applicants that demonstrate an ability
to leverage other funding and resources
to provide support to additional
communities, supported by Letters of
Commitment, will be prioritized. This
may include leveraging other funding,
including from philanthropy, other
Federal funding sources (e.g., formula
funds, State or local resources and inkind contributions of staff, volunteer
time, facilities or other resources) to
amplify program impact and support
Thriving Communities Program goals
and objectives in the long-term.
Applicants should identify this
information in their Budget Proposals.
i. Experience With Priority Geographies
f. Additional Considerations
For All Program Applicants
i. Soundness of Proposed Budget
Proposed budgets will not receive
merit ratings, but will be evaluated for
soundness and strength, with reviewers
providing comments on the following
factors for consideration by the Senior
Review Team:
e. Priority Considerations
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• Communities identified as
disadvantaged in the transportation
category in the CEJST tool
• Communities identified as
transportation insecure in the ETC
tool
Applicants should provide this
information in their Experience
Supportive of Technical Assistance
Approach and Experience Supportive of
Capacity Building Approach narratives.
To receive priority consideration
under this factor, applicants must
clearly demonstrate their experience
with supporting communities facing
transportation burden and disparity,
including but not limited to:
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• Does the proposed budget seem
reasonable, feasible, and well-planned
relevant to the activities proposed?
• Does the proposed budget allocate
at least 20% of funding for sub-granting
to community organizations? Are these
allocations clearly described and
reasonable?
• Does the budget clearly delineate
between targeted support provided
during the first two years of the period
of performance and activities
undertaken in the third year?
• DOT will prioritize applicants
offering the highest percentages of
targeted support. How much of the
budget is devoted to targeted support?
• Does the proposed budget seem to
provide high service value relevant to
the funding requested?
• Do reviewers have any concerns or
foresee any risks with the proposed
budget? Examples of concerns/risks
include, but are not limited to: a budget
line-item for profit; excessive employee
salaries; a total budget request in excess
of what this NOFO offers; excessive subcontracting to consultants that are not
on the applicant team; and excessive
allocation to third-year budgets.
• For TCP–R applicants only: DOT
will view favorably applicants that
propose robust meaningful public
engagement activities. Does the
applicant allocate a reasonable amount
of budget for public engagement
activities in comparison to described
approach?
DOT acknowledges that TCP–N
applicants do not have details on
specific communities or the exact
number of communities they would
support if selected at the time of
application. If selected, applicants’
proposed budgets will be negotiated and
finalized with DOT as part of the
cooperative agreement process.
2. Review and Selection Process
a. Review for Eligibility and
Completeness
For each application, DOT staff will
assess whether the applicant is eligible
and submitted all the information
requested for a complete application.
The following elements are required for
a complete application:
• Required forms listed in section D.2(a)
• Organizational documentation (see
section D.2(b))
• Organizational descriptions (see
section D.2(c))
• Executive Summary (see section
D.2(e))
• Narrative Responses (see section
D.2(f))
• Letters of Commitment (TCP–R
applicants only) (see section D.2(g))
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• Staffing Plan (see section D.2(h))
• Budget Proposal (see section D.2(i)))
Applications that do not have all the
necessary components for a complete
application will be referred to an
Evaluation Management Oversight
Team, which will contact the applicant
if it is determined they are an eligible
applicant and request the missing
information with a response time of 5
business days. Applicants that do not
supply required information in this
timeframe will be disqualified. For the
Executive Summary and Narrative
Responses, DOT will contact applicants
only if these sections have been omitted
entirely; applications that lack
substance for either of these items will
not be disqualified but are likely to
receive low Merit Ratings.
Applicants will be disqualified if:
• Application does not include any
one of the required components listed
above and does not respond within 5
business days with complete
application component(s).
• Lead applicant is not an eligible
organization (as described in section
C.1).
• Activities proposed do not align
with the purpose and goals of the TCP.
• Application is submitted after the
deadline (unless application is late due
to legitimate technical issue(s)
documented in advance of the
application deadline and DOT is
notified of the technical issue prior to
the deadline in section D.4).
• Application is submitted via any
method other than grants.gov (unless
there is a confirmed systems issue and
DOT exercises its right to accept the
application in an alternate format).
Applicants who are determined to be
ineligible will be notified in writing,
and all determinations will be
documented.
b. Evaluation Criteria Review
First-level Review Teams, comprised
of staff from DOT, inter-agency Federal
staff, and contractor staff, will evaluate
all eligible and complete applications
received by the deadline for an
Evaluation Review against the
evaluation criteria in section E.1 of this
NOFO.
Ratings will be determined by each
reviewer on an individual basis, and a
compilation of ratings will be produced.
The First-level Review Team will
conduct a panel discussion, revise
scores as appropriate, and prepare an
overall project rating based on majority
opinion of the review team.
The First-level Review Team will
consider the quality and completeness
of each rating sub-factor, which will
result in a rating of ‘High,’ ‘Medium,’ or
‘Low,’ for each sub-factor.
Each Rating Factor will receive an
overall rating of ‘High,’ ‘Medium,’ or
‘Low,’ based on ratings of the SubFactors A, B, and/or C.
For Rating Factors 1 and 3:
Rating scale
High
Medium
Low
Description .............
The application is substantively and
comprehensively responsive to the
criterion. It makes a strong case
about advancing the program goals
as described in the criterion descriptions..
The application is moderately responsive to the criterion. It makes a moderate case about advancing the program goals as described in the criterion descriptions.
The application is minimally responsive
to the criterion. It makes a weak
case about advancing the program
goals as described in the criterion
descriptions. Proposal may be
counter to the criterion or does not
contain sufficient information. It does
not advance or may negatively impact criterion goals
Based on the criteria ratings, an
overall application merit rating of
‘Highly Recommended,’
‘Recommended,’ or ‘Not Recommended’
will be assigned using the following
methodology. The ratings on the
Overall merit rating
Recommended .............................................................
Not Recommended ......................................................
After completing the merit review,
among applications of similar merit,
DOT will prioritize applicants that:
• demonstrate an ability to leverage
other funding sources
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individual merit criteria translate to the
following overall application rating for
merit criteria:
Individual rating factors
Highly Recommended .................................................
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• Rating Factor will receive a ‘High’
rating when:
Æ Priority Sub-Factor A is rated ‘High;’
AND,
Æ Of the remaining two sub-factors (B
and C), at least one is rated ‘High,’
and neither is rated ‘Low’
• Rating Factor will receive a
‘Medium’ rating when:
Æ The Rating Factor does not meet the
criteria for a ‘High’ rating; AND,
Æ Priority Sub-Factor A is rated at least
‘Medium;’ AND,
Æ Of the remaining two sub-factors (B
and C), at least one is rated ‘Medium’
or higher
• Rating Factor will receive a ‘Low’
rating when:
Æ The Rating Factor does not meet the
criteria for a ‘High’ or ‘Medium’
rating; OR,
Æ Priority Sub-Factor A is rated ‘Low’
For Rating Factors 2 and 4:
• Rating Factor will receive a ‘High’
rating when both sub-factors (A and B)
are rated ‘High’
• Rating Factor will receive a
‘Medium’ rating when:
Æ either both sub-factors are rated
‘Medium;’ OR
Æ one sub-factor is rated ‘Medium’ and
another is rated ‘High’
• Rating Factor will receive a ‘Low’
rating when at least one sub-factor is
rated ‘Low’
•
•
•
•
•
At least three Rating Factors are ‘High’.
No Rating Factor is rated ‘Low’.
Application received fewer than three ‘High’ ratings, and;
No more than one Rating Factor is rated ‘Low’,
Application received at least two ‘Low’ ratings.
• demonstrate experience working with
priority geographies
• devote the highest percentage of their
proposed budgets to targeted
community support
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• have diverse Capacity Builder teams
(for TCP–N applicants only)
• describe robust meaningful public
involvement approaches (for TCP–R
applicants only)
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c. Leadership Selection Process
Applications that receive an overall
application rating of Highly
Recommended will be advanced to a
Senior Review Team (SRT), which will
include senior DOT and HUD
leadership, to recommend applicants to
the Under Secretary of Transportation
for Policy (Under Secretary) for final
selection. Final selection will be made
with consideration to:
• Geographic, team member, and
organizational diversity
• Applicant’s demonstrated ability to
leverage other funding sources to
support additional communities and
advance TCP goals in the long term
• Experience working with priority
geographies
• Soundness of overall proposed
budgets
• Applicants that devote the highest
percentage of their proposed budgets
to targeted community support
• For TCP–N applicants, ability to meet
anticipated technical assistance needs
of communities selected by DOT
• For the TCP–R, applicants with robust
meaningful public engagement
approaches
The SRT at its sole discretion may
elect to review and select for
cooperative agreements proposals rated
as Recommended if the proposal fulfills
technical assistance needs that would
not otherwise be met by applications
rated as Highly Recommended.
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d. Under Secretary of Transportation for
Policy Selection Phase
The SRT will present a list of
applications for recommended
consideration to the Under Secretary for
final selection. The SRT may advise the
Under Secretary on any application on
the list, including options for reduced
awards. The Under Secretary will make
final selections based on applications
that best address program requirements
and are most deserving of funding.
3. Risk Assessment
Prior to award, each selected
applicant will be subject to a risk
assessment as required by 2 CFR
200.206. DOT must review and consider
any information about the applicant that
is in the Federal Awardee Performance
and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS), the designated integrity and
performance system accessible through
SAM. An applicant may review
information in FAPIIS and comment on
any information about itself that a
Federal awarding agency previously
entered. DOT will consider comments
by the applicant, in addition to the other
information in FAPIIS, in making a
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judgment about the applicant’s integrity,
business ethics, and record of
performance under Federal awards
when completing the review of risk
posed by applicants.
•
F. Federal Award Administration
1. Federal Award Notice
This NOFO will remain open until
November 28, 2023.Following the
evaluation process, DOT will notify
successful applicants of their selection
for funding. DOT will also notify other
applicants, whose applications were
received by the deadline, but have not
been chosen for award. The DOT will
offer a written or telephonic debrief to
provide an explanation of, and guidance
regarding, the reasons why the
application was not approved.
Final Award. After DOT has made
selections, DOT will finalize specific
terms of the cooperative agreement and
budget in consultation with the selected
lead applicant. If DOT and the selected
applicant do not finalize the terms and
conditions of the cooperative agreement
in a timely manner, or the selected
applicant fails to provide requested
information, an award will not be made
to that applicant. In this case, DOT may
select another eligible applicant.
DOT will reimburse labor and direct
costs incurred by the Capacity Builder
team, including subcontractors.
Capacity Builders should maintain a
system for recording all project costs.
Invoices may be transmitted to DOT
monthly. Aggregate payment will not
exceed the cap shown in the cooperative
agreement.
Adjustments to Funding. To ensure
the fair distribution of funds and enable
the purposes or requirements of a
specific program to be met, DOT
reserves the right to fund less than the
amount requested in an application.
DOT Involvement. As the Federal
awarding agency, DOT will maintain
substantial involvement and oversight
throughout the three-year period of
performance of the executed cooperative
agreements. This includes, but may not
be limited to:
• Assigning communities selected to
receive support through the TCP with
specific Capacity Builder teams and
finalizing work plans for cohort
specific Communities of Practice
• Review of deliverables including
individualized community deep dive
work plans and technical assistance
assessment
• Collecting and reviewing quarterly
performance reports and final reports
• Convening regular meetings or
Capacity Builder calls to review
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•
•
•
•
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project activities, schedule, and
progress toward the scope of work
Identifying relevant Federal technical
assistance programs to be aligned
with TCP efforts in specific
communities and assigning Federal
agency staff to serve as liaisons with
capacity builders, technical assistance
recipients and their community
partners
Reviewing and approving changes in
key personnel or scope changes
Oversight of ongoing compliance with
applicable Federal regulations
Budget oversight, including collecting
and reviewing and reimbursing
monthly invoices for incurred costs
and receiving notification when
budgets are 50% and 90% expended
Conducting quarterly meetings with
Capacity Builders and involvement
with an annual TCP convening with
Capacity Builders and community
partners
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
Administrative Budget
DOT requires that a selected applicant
participates in negotiations to determine
an administrative budget. The
administrative budget must clearly
identify the labor, associated indirect
costs, travel, and material and supply
costs associated with your management
of the award. The administrative budget
must track the different sources of
funding and associate administrative
costs to each source. Should DOT not be
able to successfully conclude
negotiations with a selected applicant
within a period determined by DOT, an
award will not be made.
Performance under the grant program
will be governed by and in compliance
with the following requirements as
applicable to the type of organization of
the recipient and any applicable subrecipients:
All awards will be administered
pursuant to the Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles and
Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
found in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted by
DOT at 2 CFR part 1201.
Other terms and conditions as well as
performance requirements will be
addressed in further communications
with the recipient. The full terms and
conditions may vary and are subject to
discussions and negotiations.
In connection with any program or
activity conducted with or benefiting
from funds awarded under this notice,
recipients of funds must comply with
all applicable requirements of Federal
law, including, without limitation, the
Constitution of the United States
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ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
statutory, regulatory, and public policy
requirements, including without
limitation, those protecting free speech,
religious liberty, public welfare, the
environment, and prohibiting
discrimination; the conditions of
performance, non-discrimination
requirements, and other assurances
made applicable to the award of funds
in accordance with regulations of the
Department of Transportation; and
applicable Federal financial assistance
and contracting principles promulgated
by the Office of Management and
Budget. In complying with these
requirements, recipients must ensure
that no concession agreements are
denied, or other contracting decisions
made on the basis of speech or other
activities protected by the First
Amendment. If the Bureau determines
that a recipient has failed to comply
with applicable Federal requirements,
the Bureau may terminate the award of
funds and disallow previously incurred
costs, requiring the recipient to
reimburse any expended award funds.
Additionally, Executive Order 13858
directs the Executive Branch
Departments and agencies to maximize
the use of goods, products, and
materials produced in the United States
through the terms and conditions of
Federal financial assistance awards. If
selected for an award, grant recipients
must be prepared to demonstrate how
they will maximize the use of domestic
goods, products, and materials, as
applicable.
Administration Priorities
Civil Rights and Title VI: As a
condition of a grant award, grant
recipients should demonstrate that the
recipient has a plan for compliance with
civil rights obligations and
nondiscrimination laws, including title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
implementing regulations (49 CFR 21),
the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (ADA), and section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act, all other civil rights
requirements, and accompanying
regulations. This should include a
signed agreement of standard Title VI/
Non-Discrimination Assurances,
identified as an attachment in an
executed cooperative agreement. DOT’s
and the applicable Operating
Administrations’ Office of Civil Rights
may work with awarded grant recipients
to ensure full compliance with Federal
civil rights requirements.
Performance and Program Evaluation:
As a condition of grant award, grant
recipients may be required to participate
in an evaluation undertaken by DOT or
another agency or partner. The
evaluation may take different forms
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such as an implementation assessment
across grant recipients, an impact and/
or outcomes analysis of all or selected
sites within or across grant recipients, or
a benefit/cost analysis or assessment of
return on investment. DOT may require
applicants to collect data elements to
aid the evaluation and/or use
information available through other
reporting. As a part of the evaluation, as
a condition of award, grant recipients
must agree to: (1) make records available
to the evaluation contractor or DOT
staff; (2) provide access to program
records, and any other relevant
documents to calculate costs and
benefits; (3) in the case of an impact
analysis, facilitate the access to relevant
information as requested; and (4) follow
evaluation procedures as specified by
the evaluation contractor or DOT staff.
Recipients and subrecipients are also
encouraged to incorporate program
evaluation including associated data
collection activities from the outset of
their program design and
implementation to meaningfully
document and measure their progress
towards meeting an agency priority
goal(s). Title I of the Foundations for
Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of
2018 (Evidence Act), Public Law 115–
435 (2019) urges Federal awarding
agencies and Federal assistance
recipients and subrecipients to use
program evaluation as a critical tool to
learn, to improve equitable delivery,
and to elevate program service and
delivery across the program lifecycle.
Evaluation means ‘‘an assessment using
systematic data collection and analysis
of one or more programs, policies, and
organizations intended to assess their
effectiveness and efficiency.’’ 5 U.S.C.
311. Credible program evaluation
activities are implemented with
relevance and utility, rigor,
independence and objectivity,
transparency, and ethics (OMB Circular
A–11, part 6 section 290).
For grant recipients receiving an
award, evaluation costs are allowable
costs (either as direct or indirect), unless
prohibited by statute or regulation, and
such costs may include the personnel
and equipment needed for data
infrastructure and expertise in data
analysis, performance, and evaluation.
(2 CFR part 200).
Performance and Program Evaluation
Each cooperative agreement lead
organization must submit quarterly
progress reports to monitor progress and
ensure accountability and financial
transparency in the grant program. Each
Capacity Builder must collect and report
to the Bureau performance information
on the technical assistance and advisory
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services being provided. The specific
performance information and reporting
period will be determined on an
individual basis and communicated at
the kickoff meeting of the cooperative
agreement. It is anticipated that the
Bureau and the Capacity Builder will
hold regular, informal meetings or calls
to review project activities, schedule,
and progress toward the scope of work.
If funding is appropriated for an FY
2024 TCP, and there is no change in the
TCP’s authorization, DOT may elect not
to issue a new NOFO for the FY 2024
TCP–N program; rather, it may select
National Capacity Builders from the FY
2023 awardees, provided that DOT
determines that awardees have
demonstrated an appropriate level of
performance and that awardees have
sufficient capacity to and agree to
provide support to a new cohort of
communities. For the purposes of this
program, an appropriate level of
performance is determined based on the
community recipients’ overall
satisfaction with technical assistance
and capacity building support and with
the responsiveness by the Capacity
Builder to the needs of the community.
Community recipients of technical
assistance may be contacted to assess
their level of satisfaction with Capacity
Builder performance.
Additionally, it will be determined
based on the Capacity Builder’s
successful advancement of goals and
objectives related to:
1. Project Management
2. Technical Assistance, Planning, and
Capacity Building Services to
assigned TCP Communities
3. Meaningful Public Engagement to
assigned TCP Communities
4. Establishing and Managing a National
or Regional Community of Practice
5. Program Evaluation and Performance
Metrics Assessment Plan
6. Project Budget
Remedies for Noncompliance
Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.340 [https://
www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/
chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subjectgroup-ECFR86b76dde0e1e9dc/section200.340], a Federal award may be
terminated in whole or in part if the
grantee fails to comply with the terms
and conditions of the award or if DOT
determines the award no longer
effectuates the program goals or agency
priorities.
3. Reporting
If the total value of a selected
applicant’s currently active grants,
cooperative agreements, and
procurement contracts from all Federal
awarding agencies exceeds $10,000,000
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for any period of time during the period
of performance of this Federal award,
then the applicant during that period of
time must maintain the currency of
information reported to the SAM that is
made available in the designated
integrity and performance system
(currently FAPIIS) about civil, criminal,
or administrative proceedings described
in paragraph 2 of this award term and
condition. This is a statutory
requirement under section 872 of Public
Law 110–417, as amended (41 U.S.C.
2313). As required by section 3010 of
Public Law 111–212, all information
posted in the designated integrity and
performance system on or after April 15,
2011, except past performance review
required for Federal procurement
contracts, will be publicly available.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
If you have questions or need
additional information about this
NOFO, you may contact
ThrivingCommunities@dot.gov.
Prospective applicants may visit the
following website for more information:
https://www.transportation.gov/grants/
thriving-communities.
H. Other Supporting Information
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1. Definitions
Areas of Persistent Poverty: An area of
persistent poverty is a county with 20
percent or more of the population living
in poverty over the 30 years preceding
the date of enactment of the
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,
November 15, 2021, as measured by the
1990 and 2000 decennial census and the
most recent Small Area Income and
Poverty Estimates. Alternatively, data to
support eligibility may also be from any
census tract with a poverty rate of at
least 20 percent as measured by the
2013–2017, 5-year data series available
from the American Community Survey
of the Census Bureau.
Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR): The person
authorized to submit applications on
behalf of the organization via
Grants.gov. The AOR is authorized by
the E-Biz point of contact in the System
for Award Management. The AOR is
listed on the SF- 424.
Capacity Building: Activities designed
to improve the ability of an organization
to design and implement the necessary
technical, financial, business, data
analysis, and management skills of
grantees to access Federal funding, meet
Federal requirements, undertake
statewide and metropolitan long-range
planning and programming activities,
and implement other activities that
broadly support project development
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and delivery. This includes developing
long-term community capacity to
sustain partnerships and engage nongovernmental partners, leadership and
workforce development, and program
evaluation.
Community-Based Organizations: The
term ‘‘community-based organization’’
means a public or private nonprofit
organization of demonstrated
effectiveness that—(A) is representative
of a community or significant segments
of a community; and (B) provides
educational or related services to
individuals in the community.
Disadvantaged Business: According to
the Small Business Administration, a
Disadvantaged business must be 51%
owned or controlled by one or more
disadvantaged persons, and the firm
must also be small according to SBA’s
size standards. A full definition can be
found on SBA’s website [https://
www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/
contracting-assistance-programs/smalldisadvantaged-business].
Disadvantaged Community: (1) Any
Tribal land or any Territory or
possession of the United States and (2)
those census tracts (a) experiencing
disproportionate effects (as defined by
Executive Order 12898); (b) that contain
areas of persistent poverty as defined in
49 U.S.C. 6702(a)(1); (c) that are
historically disadvantaged as defined by
CEQ’s Climate & Economic Justice
Screening Tool [https://screeningtool.
geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5] and
DOT’s USDOT Equitable Transportation
Community (ETC) Explorer [https://
experience.arcgis.com/experience/
0920984aa80a4362b8778d779b090723/
page/ETC-Explorer---Homepage/]
mapping tool for Historically
Disadvantaged Communities; or (d)
other federally designated community
development zones.
Equitable Development: Equitable
development is a development approach
for meeting the needs of all
communities, including underserved
communities through policies and
programs that reduce disparities while
fostering livable places that are healthy
and vibrant for all.
Grants.gov: The website serving as the
Federal Government’s central portal for
searching and applying for Federal
financial assistance throughout the
Federal Government. Registration on
Grants.gov is required for submission of
applications to prospective agencies
unless otherwise specified in this
NOFO.
Historically Disadvantaged
Community: Any Tribal land or any
Territory or possession of the United
States, or certain census tracts census
experiencing disadvantage when its
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63669
overall disadvantaged index score
places it in the 65% (or higher) of all US
census tracts in the USDOT Equitable
Transportation Community (ETC)
Explorer [https://experience.arcgis.com/
experience/0920984aa80a4362b
8778d779b090723/page/ETC-Explorer--Homepage/].
Indian Tribe: For the purposes of this
NOFO, Indian Tribes include federally
recognized Tribal Governments (as
defined by the Bureau of Indian Affairs)
[https://www.federalregister.gov/
documents/2023/01/12/2023-00504/
indian-entities-recognized-by-andeligible-to-receive-services-from-theunited-states-bureau-of].
Location-Efficient Housing: Housing
that benefits from being located in
communities near work, schools,
services, and amenities and has
accessibility to public transportation
networks.
Meaningful Public Involvement: A
process that proactively seeks full
representation from the community,
considers public comments and
feedback, and incorporates that
feedback into a project, program, or plan
when possible. The impact of
community contributions encourages
early and continuous public
involvement and brings diverse
viewpoints and values into the decisionmaking process. This process enables
the community and agencies to make
better-informed decisions through
collaborative efforts.
Place-Making: A multi-faceted and
collaborative approach to the planning,
design, and management of the public
realm to re-activate or co-create active,
accessible and inviting public spaces
that promote the well-being of people.
Planning: Efforts that support
inclusive public participation and
community engagement in developing
and implementing a range of activities
to identify, assess, and evaluate
community needs, including but not
limited to environmental reviews, data
and mapping visualization, market and
mobility studies, health and safety
impacts, and climate vulnerability
assessments. Planning assistance may
involve developing or designing for a
program or project that aligns with the
goals of the DOT Strategic Plan [https://
www.transportation.gov/dotstrategicplan].
Project Planning and Scoping:
Technical assistance in this phase will
support communities in efforts to
identify projects that address a problem
in the community and complete
planning activities to move these
projects toward development and
implementation. Examples of areas of
technical assistance in this phase
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include, but are not limited to
environmental planning, transportation
planning (e.g., corridor studies, preengineering studies), visioning and goal
setting, feasibility studies, and other
planning and scoping activities.
Project Development and Design:
Technical assistance in this phase will
support communities that have
completed planning and scoping
activities for one or more projects and
who need assistance with completing
relevant analyses and identifying and
securing funding for project delivery.
Specific types of technical assistance
that could be provided for communities
in this phase include, but are not
limited to environmental analysis (e.g.,
NEPA); equity analysis; mapping and
data analysis; title VI, ADA, and other
regulatory compliance; benefit-cost
analysis; grant/funding identification
and planning; grant writing; and other
pre-construction activities.
Project Delivery: Technical assistance
in this phase will support communities
that have received funding for one or
more projects and who need assistance
administering funding to successfully
deliver projects. Examples of technical
assistance activities that could support
communities in this phase include but
are not limited to project and grant
management; value engineering; rightof-way acquisition; coordination with
housing and community development,
including anti-displacement strategies;
data and technology deployment; and
other project delivery activities.
Regional Planning Organization: For
the purposes of this NOFO, regional
planning organizations serve
metropolitan areas over 50,000
population, and can include public
agencies that fall within one of the
eligible entities to receive support under
this TCP NOFO that promote and
implement policy-driven, regional
planning solutions. These may include
MPOs, regional transportation
commissions, councils of government,
regional transportation agencies, and
regional planning councils. Non-profit
regional planning organizations are
eligible only to provide support through
the TCP–R.
Rural Area: Under this NOFO,
communities are in rural areas if:
• The community is not located in a
2020 Census Bureau designated urban
area, or
• The community is located in a 2020
Census Bureau designated urban area
with a population of 50,000 or less.
A community is not in a rural area if
located in a 2020 Census Bureau
designated urban area that has a
population of more than 50,000 people.
Applicants may use TigerWeb [https://
tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/
TIGERweb_main.html] to determine if
their community located in a 2020
Urban Area. A list of urban areas with
corresponding populations for the 2020
Census is available in the Federal
Register [https://
www.federalregister.gov/documents/
2022/12/29/2022-28286/2020-censusqualifying-urban-areas-and-finalcriteria-clarifications].
Statewide Transportation
Improvement Program (STIP): A
statewide prioritized listing/program of
transportation projects covering a period
of 4 years that is consistent with the
long-range statewide transportation
plan, metropolitan transportation plan,
and TIPs, and required for projects to be
eligible for funding under title 23 U.S.C.
and title 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53.
Technical Assistance: Programs,
processes, and resources that provide
targeted support, knowledge or
expertise to a community, region,
organization, or other beneficiary to
help them access and utilize Federal
funding to develop, analyze, design, and
deliver transportation plans and
projects.
Transportation Improvement Program
(TIP): A prioritized listing/program of
transportation projects covering a period
of 4 years that is developed and
formally adopted by an MPO as part of
the metropolitan transportation
planning process, consistent with the
metropolitan transportation plan, and
required for projects to be eligible for
funding under title 23 U.S.C. and title
49 U.S.C. chapter 53.
Issued in Washington, DC, on September
12, 2023.
Christopher Coes,
Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy,
Department of Transportation.
Appendix A. Full Application Checklist
Before you submit your application to
DOT, please ensure that the following
elements are included in your submission.
Location in
NOFO
Requirement
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b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
b
SF–424—Application for Federal Assistance (submitted as an attachment) .......................................................................
SF–424A—Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (submitted as an attachment) .........................................
SF–LLL—Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (submitted as an attachment) .........................................................................
Organizational Documentation (submitted as an attachment, no page limit) ......................................................................
Organization Descriptions (one page each for the lead and co-applicants) ........................................................................
Indirect Cost Documentation (if applicable, submitted as an attachment, no page limit) ....................................................
Executive Summary (500 words or less) ..............................................................................................................................
Letters of Commitment (TCP–R applicants only) .................................................................................................................
Staffing Plan (including key staff resumes) ..........................................................................................................................
Budget Proposal (template required, maximum 3 pages * (excluding tables)) (include Letters of Commitment as attachments, if applicable).
Technical Assistance Approach Narrative (maximum 3 pages) ..........................................................................................
Capacity Building Approach Narrative (maximum 1 page) ..................................................................................................
Community of Practice Management Approach Narrative (maximum 1 page) ...................................................................
Role of Partner Organizations Narrative (maximum 1 page) ...............................................................................................
Demonstrated Staff Expertise Narrative (maximum 1 page) ...............................................................................................
Experience Supportive of Technical Assistance Approach Narrative (maximum 3 pages) .................................................
Experience Supportive of Capacity Building Approach Narrative (maximum 1 page) ........................................................
Experience Supportive of Community of Practice Management Approach Narrative (maximum 1 page) ..........................
Schedule of Milestones and Deliverables Narrative (maximum 1 page) .............................................................................
Program Evaluation and Assessment Narrative (maximum 1 page) ...................................................................................
* All page limits are single-sided 8.5 x 11-inch pages, with a minimum 12-point font and 1-inch margins.
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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 178 / Friday, September 15, 2023 / Notices
[FR Doc. 2023–19984 Filed 9–14–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–9P–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DOT–OST–2023–0116]
Senior Executive Service Performance
Review Board Membership
Office of the Secretary,
Department of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Performance Review
Board (PRB) appointments.
AGENCY:
DOT published the names of
the persons selected to serve on
Departmental PRBs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Anne B. Audet, Director, Departmental
Office of Human Resource Management
(202) 366–2478.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
persons named below may be selected
to serve on one or more Departmental
PRBs.
SUMMARY:
(Authority: 5 U.S.C. 4314(c)(4))
Issued in Washington, DC, on September 8,
2023.
Anne B. Audet,
Director, Departmental Office of Human
Resource Management.
Department of Transportation
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Highway Administration
ALONZI, ACHILLE
ARNOLD, ROBERT E
BAKER, SHANA V
BENJAMIN, RANDALL KEITH II
BEZIO, BRIAN R
BIONDI, EMILY CHRISTINE
BRIGGS, VALERIE ANNETTE
BURROWS, SHAY K
CHIN, ARTHUR ANDREW
CHRISTIAN, JAMES C
CRONIN, BRIAN P
CUNNINGHAM, JOSHUA BLAKE
CURTIS, STEPHANIE
EVANS, MONIQUE REDWINE
FINFROCK, ARLAN E JR
FLEURY, NICOLLE M
FOUCH, BRIAN J
GIGLIOTTI, DANA
HARTMANN, JOSEPH L
HUGHES, CAITLIN GWYNNE
JENSEN, GARY ALAN
KALLA, HARI
KEHRLI, MARK R
KNOPP, MARTIN C
LEWIS, DAVID A
MAMMANO, VINCENT P
MARQUIS, RICHARD J
MCLAURY, KEVIN L
NEHME, JEAN ANTOINE
NESBITT, MICHAEL D
OSBORN, PETER W
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REGAL, GERALDINE K
RICHARDSON, CHRISTOPHER
STEVEN
RICO, IRENE
RITTER, ROBERT G
ROGERS, ANDREW CHARLES
RUSNAK, ALLISON B
SCHAFTLEIN, SHARI M
SHAFFER, RHONDA C
SHEPHERD, GLORIA MORGAN
SOSA, MAYELA
STEPHANOS, PETER J
THORNTON, NICHOLAS R
TURNER, DERRELL E
WALKER, CHERYL J
WILNER, MARCUS D
WINTER, DAVID R
WRIGHT, LESLIE JANICE
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
ADAMS, EARL STANLEY JR
FROMM, CHARLES J
HERNANDEZ, SCOTT
HUG, CARRIE A
KEANE, THOMAS P
KELLY, TAFT D
KREEB, ROBERT M
LAWLESS, SUE
LENFERT, WINSOME A
LIBERANTE, WENDY LOUISE
LIBERATORE, THOMAS JOSEPH
MINOR, LARRY W
NEMONS, PATRICK D
PIDUGU, PAVANKUMAR
RIDDLE, KENNETH H.
RUBAN, DARRELL L
SCHREIBMAN, JACK L
SENTEF, JOSEPH
STEELE, GEORGIA SHARLENE
Federal Railroad Administration
ALEXY, JOHN KARL
ALLAHYAR, MARYAM
DYER, WILLIAM PATRICK
FULTZ, ALLISON ISHIHARA
GARLAND, JAMES JASON
GLUCK, STUART MURRAY
HAYWARD-WILLIAMS, CAROLYN R
JORTLAND, BRETT ANDREW
KING, CHARLES PAT
KOUL, NEERAJ
LESTINGI, MICHAEL W.
LONG, MICHAEL T
LONGLEY, MICHAEL M
MITCHELL, JENNIFER LOUISE
NISSENBAUM, PAUL
OSTERHUES, MARLYS A
PATTERSON, MARK A
RENNERT, JAMIE P.
REYES-ALICEA, REBECCA
RIGGS, TAMELA LYNN
Federal Transit Administration
AHMAD, MOKHTEE
ALLEN, REGINALD E
BROOKINS, KELLEY
BUTLER, PETER S
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DELORENZO, JOSEPH P
GARCIA CREWS, THERESA
GOODMAN, STEPHEN C
IYER, SUBASH SUBRAMANIAN
JAMES, FELICIA LANISE
KOHLER, THERESA JANE
LEARY, MARY A
LYSSY, GAIL C
NIFOSI, DANA C.
PFISTER, JAMIE DURHAM
ROBINSON, BRUCE A
TAYLOR, YVETTE G
TELLIS, RAYMOND S
TERWILLIGER, CINDY E
VANTERPOOL, VERONICA MARIA
WELBES, MATTHEW J
Maritime Administration
BALLARD, JOHN R
BECKETT, COREY ANDREW
DAVIS, DELIA P
DUNLAP, SUSAN LYNN
HARRINGTON, DOUGLAS M
HELLER, DAVID M
KAMMERER, GREGORY LOUIS
KUMAR, SHASHI N
NUNAN, JOANNA MARIE
PAAPE, WILLIAM
TOKARSKI, KEVIN M
WHERRY REESE FLACK, TAMEKIA
ADEL
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration
BAUMANN, ROLAND T III
BLINCOE, LAWRENCE J
CARLSON, ANN ELIZABETH
CHEN, CHOU-LIN
CLAYTON, SEAN METRICE
DANIELSON, JACK H.
DOHERTY, JANE H
DOLAS, RAJEEV K
DONALDSON, K JOHN
HATIPOGLU, CEM
HINES, DAVID M
JOHNSON, TIM J
KOLODZIEJ, KERRY E
MARSHALL, JOHN W
MATHEKE, OTTO G III
POSTEN, RAYMOND R
SAUERS, BARBARA F
SHULMAN, SOPHIE MIKHAL
SOMMERS, TERRENCE
SRINIVASAN, NANDA N
SUMMERS, LORI K
VALLESE, JULIETTE M.
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
ABRAHAM, JULIE
ALBRIGHT, JACK G
AUDET, ANNE H
AUGUSTINE, JOHN E
AYLWARD, ANNE D
BAKER, SARAH ELIZABETH
BARTLETT, MAEVE VALLELY
BOHNERT, ROGER V
BROWN, ALVIN
CALLENDER, DUANE A
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63648-63671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19984]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Office of the Secretary
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2023-0125]
Notice of Funding Opportunity To Establish Cooperative Agreements
With Technical Assistance Providers for the Fiscal Year 2023 Thriving
Communities Program
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), Assistance Listing
Number: 20.942.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to publish DOT's application
submission requirements and application review procedures to select
national and State, Tribal, or regional capacity builders to provide
technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support to
communities through cooperative agreements with DOT, as authorized by
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
DATES: The deadline for application submission is 4:59 p.m. eastern
time on November 28, 2023. Proposals or applications received after the
above deadlines will not be reviewed or considered. See section E of
this NOFO regarding DOT's review process and section G of the NOFO for
DOT's contact information.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted through https://www.grants.gov. Opportunity number: DOT-TCP-FY23-01.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ongoing updates, webinar notices, FAQs: https://www.transportation.gov/thriving-communities.
POC: Monica Guerra, (202) 366-7738, [email protected].
[[Page 63649]]
Email: [email protected].
A Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) is available (202)
366-3993.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Summary Overview and Key Information: Thriving Communities Program (TCP)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Issuing Agency........................ U.S. Department of
Transportation, Office of the
Secretary (OST).
Program Overview...................... The Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2023 provided $25 million
to the US Department of
Transportation (DOT) for a
Thriving Communities Program
(TCP) to develop and implement
technical assistance, planning,
and capacity building to help
improve and foster thriving
communities through
transportation improvements.
Through TCP, DOT will award
cooperative agreements for
Capacity Builders to provide
technical assistance, planning,
and capacity building support
that advances transformative
infrastructure plans, projects,
and processes primarily in
communities that have
disproportionate rates of
pollution and poor air quality,
communities experiencing
disproportionate human health
and environmental effects (as
defined by Executive Order No.
12898), areas of persistent
poverty as defined in section
6702(a)(1) of title 49, United
States Code, or historically
disadvantaged communities.
Program Types......................... Thriving Communities National
Capacity Builder Program (TCP-
N): Funds TCP-N Capacity
Builders through cooperative
agreements to provide
individualized technical
assistance, planning, and
capacity building support to 15-
20 communities located around
the country, selected and
assigned by DOT, and organized
into a Community of Practice.
TCP-N Capacity Builders will
work with communities to co-
design tailored scopes of work
based on the community's
individual needs and stage in
the transportation planning,
design, and development process
to be carried out over two
years of intensive TCP support.
TCP-N Capacity Builders will
also facilitate peer learning
networks across the communities
assigned to their Community of
Practice. Evaluation,
reporting, resource
development, and transition
activities will be the Capacity
Builders' focus during the
third year of the period of
performance.
Thriving Communities Regional
Pilot Program (TCP-R): Funds
State and local governments and
their agencies, Tribal
governments, and regional
governments or organizations
through cooperative agreements
to provide support to
communities selected by the
applicant that are located
within their jurisdiction or
service area. The focus of this
program is to enable State,
Tribal, local, and regional
governments to support the
advancement of transportation
opportunities in disadvantaged
communities that align with
State, Tribal, or regional
housing, economic development,
public health, climate, and
other community development
goals. While this program
overlaps with the TCP-N Program
in scope and purpose, it has a
narrower focus on coordination
and alignment within a specific
geography. TCP-R Capacity
Builders will play a
coordination and capacity
building role rather than
providing intensive, tailored
technical assistance. TCP-R
Capacity Builders will
facilitate peer learning across
communities in their State,
Tribe and/or region to scale
program impact and act as a
model for other jurisdictions.
The first two years of the
period of performance will be
focused on both individual
community support and peer
learning, while the third year
will focus on evaluation,
reporting, resource
development, and transition
activities.
Eligible Activities................... TCP-N Capacity Builder
Cooperative Agreements: Deep-
dive technical assistance,
planning, and capacity building
support that could include, but
is not limited to, the
following set of activities:
identifying and
responding to funding
opportunities that align
with projects that implement
local community mobility,
access, climate and
community development goals
and regional or statewide
plans.
activities to
support grant writing,
project management, and
compliance with grant
administration requirements.
conducting project
scoping, planning, and pre-
engineering studies, market,
and other technical
analysis.
supplementing local
staffing, training, and
workforce development
capacity.
developing systems
or structures that improve
compliance with Federal
grant management, including
but not limited to title VI
of the Civil Rights Act, the
Americans with Disabilities
Act, section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act, and
procurement requirements.
supporting
comprehensive community
planning activities that
better coordinate
transportation with other
land use, housing, climate,
health, and other
infrastructure.
implementing
innovative public engagement
strategies, particularly to
involve traditionally
underrepresented voices in
the planning, project
identification, and
prioritization process.
sub-granting to
local technical assistance
and capacity building
partners who bring local
expertise and capacity.
building
organizational capacity to
strengthen relationships
between key stakeholders
that deepen regional
engagement and
collaboration, position
partners for future funding
opportunities, and/or
support inclusive planning
processes.
evaluating and
establishing emerging
transportation and planning
technologies, data systems,
and software.
fostering peer
learning and participation
within a Community of
Practice to advance
policies, practices, and
projects informed by
meaningful public
involvement and partnership.
TCP-R Cooperative Agreements:
Support provided by State
governments and their agencies,
Tribal governments, local
governments and their agencies,
or regional governments and
organizations to advance
transformative infrastructure
in disadvantaged communities
that face barriers to
infrastructure advancement and
implementation. This may
include, but is not limited to:
identifying funding
opportunities that align
with transportation goals
and advance mobility access,
climate resilience,
equitable community
development, healthy
communities in support of
regional or statewide plans.
supporting
predevelopment planning and
scoping of projects that
coordinate transportation
with other land use,
housing, and infrastructure
development.
building
organizational capacity and
strengthened relationships
between key stakeholders
that deepen regional
engagement and
collaboration, position
partners for future funding
opportunities, and/or
support inclusive planning
processes.
funding planning and
technical assistance
activities that reform local
land use and zoning policies
to align transportation
infrastructure investment
with equitable community
development.
establishing pooled
resources and/or innovative
funding tools that increase
community investments in
transportation, housing,
environment, and health.
supporting regional
economic and workforce
development that promotes
local hiring, access to
transit, and jobs in high
quality industries.
activities to
support grant writing,
project management, and
compliance with grant
administration requirements.
peer-learning,
networking, and knowledge
sharing on strategies, types
of tools, and lessons
learned with other
communities in the
applicant's State or region.
Eligible Applicants................... TCP-N Capacity Builders:
Non-profit
organizations;
philanthropic
entities; and
other technical
assistance providers
including academic
institutions and private
sector organizations with a
demonstrated capacity to
develop and provide
technical assistance,
planning, and capacity
building to a range of
communities located across
multiple States and regions.
TCP-R Capacity Builders:
State governments
and their agencies;
Indian Tribes;
local governments
and their agencies;
governmental
planning or transportation
organizations working at the
regional or metropolitan
level; or
regional planning
non-profit organizations.
Funding Amount........................ For FY 2023, the Department
expects to award two different
types of cooperative agreements
through this NOFO, with up to
$22 million total being
available for award.
TCP-N Capacity
Builder cooperative
agreements are anticipated
to be in the range of $4-5
million each; and
TCP-R cooperative
agreements are anticipated
to be in the range of $1-2
million each.
[[Page 63650]]
Cost Share............................ No cost sharing or matching is
required as a condition of
eligibility under this
competition. DOT will fund up
to 100 percent of eligible
project costs through a monthly
reimbursement invoicing model.
Priority consideration will be
given to those applicants that
can demonstrate leveraging of
other funding and resources.
Deadlines............................. November 28, 2023 at 4:59 p.m.
ET via Grants.gov. Opportunity
number: DOT-TCP-FY23-01.
Contact Information................... Ongoing updates, webinar
notices, FAQs: [https://www.transportation.gov/grants/thriving-communities].
Email:
[email protected].
Phone: (202) 366-7738.
A Telecommunications Device for
the Deaf (TDD) is available
(202) 366-3993.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
H. Other Supporting Information
Appendix A. Full Application Checklist
A. Program Description
1. Overview
The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT or the Department)
Thriving Communities Program (TCP) was established by the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103 division L, title I) and
received additional funding through the Consolidated Appropriations Act
of 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328 division L, title I). The goal of the TCP is
to ensure disadvantaged or transportation-insecure communities
adversely and/or disproportionately affected by environmental, climate,
and human health policy outcomes have the technical tools and
organizational capacity to comprehensively plan for and deliver quality
infrastructure projects and community development projects that enable
their communities and neighborhoods to thrive.
The TCP was created by Congress specifically to facilitate the
planning and development of transportation and community revitalization
activities supported by DOT under titles 23, 46, and 49, United States
Code, that increase mobility, reduce pollution from transportation
sources, expand affordable transportation options, facilitate efficient
land use, preserve or expand jobs, improve housing conditions, enhance
connections to health care, education, and food security, or improve
health outcomes. To achieve this, communities, particularly those that
are disadvantaged and/or transportation burdened or those that have
limited technical capacity or budgets, need greater levels of support
to successfully take advantage of the recent historic Federal
investments in transportation infrastructure and build capacity to
successfully fund these projects in the long-term.
DOT's FY2022-2026 Strategic Plan [https://www.transportation.gov/dot-strategic-plan] and its Equity Action Plan [https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/equity/equity-action-plan] articulate
the Department's commitment to equity as a transportation cornerstone.
The TCP embodies this commitment with a focus on ensuring that all
communities, regardless of their size or current capacity, have the
necessary tools to access DOT funding and that equity is infused into
decision making and planning, procurement, and hiring processes. TCP is
a Justice40 covered program, created to ensure that disadvantaged
communities can successfully identify, develop, fund, and deliver
infrastructure projects informed by meaningful public involvement that
generate multiple economic, climate, health, equity, and other
community benefits. Find more information on the Justice40 Initiative
and other programs that that can support equity goals on the DOT
Justice40 website [https://www.transportation.gov/equity-Justice40].
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) continues investment in a
national technical assistance program (TCP-N) and provides new
opportunities for State-, Tribal-, local-, and regional-level community
support through the Thriving Communities Regional Pilot Program (TCP-R)
that will drive innovation, advance equity outcomes, and build a
national pipeline of community-driven infrastructure projects. In its
first year, TCP supported deep-dive technical assistance in 64
communities across the country. For the TCP's second year, DOT seeks to
support at least another 45-60 communities through its National
program, depending on responses to the Letters of Interest and the size
and number of cooperative agreements awarded through this NOFO, and
additional communities selected by TCP-R applicants.
For the FY 2023 TCP, there are two distinct programs, each of which
will involve a team of Capacity Builders providing assistance to
disadvantaged and/or low-capacity communities. The opportunities to
provide and receive assistance are summarized below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thriving Communities National (TCP-N) Thriving Communities Regional Pilots
program (TCP-R) program
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National capacity Recipient TCP-R capacity Recipient
builders communities builders communities
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Apply.................... Submit an Submit a Letter of Submit an No application
application via Interest via application via required;
grants.gov in [https:// grants.gov in communities
response to this www.transportatio response to this selected directly
NOFO. n.gov/grants/ NOFO. by TCP-R Capacity
thriving- Builder.
communities- Identified
program-LOI- communities must
webform]. include Letters
Find more of Commitment in
information in TCP-R
the Call for LOIs application.
[https://www.transportation.gov/grants/thriving-communities/call-for-letters-of-interest-fy23].
[[Page 63651]]
Purpose......................... Fund National Receive, at no Fund State, Receive, at no
Capacity Builders cost, TCP Tribal, local, cost, TCP
to provide direct technical and regional technical
no-cost planning, assistance, entities to assistance,
technical capacity provide direct no- capacity
assistance, and building, and cost planning, building, and
capacity building planning support technical planning support
support to from the DOT- assistance, and from the DOT-
selected TCP funded National capacity building funded TCP-R
communities Capacity Builders. to communities of Capacity
located across their choice Builders.
the country for a within their
three-year period jurisdictions for
of performance. a three-year
period of
performance.
Primary Activity................ Provide technical Receive technical Coordinate Receive assistance
assistance, assistance, assistance and and support to
planning, and planning, and support to advance and align
capacity building capacity building advance and align infrastructure
support. support. infrastructure goals and
goals and projects.
projects.
Eligible Applicants............. Non- States. States Local
profit Local government and governments.
organizations. governments.. its agencies. Indian
Indian Indian Tribes.
philanthropic Tribes.. Tribes.. United
entities; and. United Local States
other States government and territories.
technical territories.. its agencies.. transit
assistance a agencies.
providers metropolitan governmental or other
including planning planning, political
academic organizations economic subdivisions of
institutions or (MPOs).. development, or State or local
private sector transit transportation governments.
organizations agencies.. organization
with a other working at the
demonstrated political regional or
capacity to subdivisions of metropolitan
develop and State or local level, or.
provide technical governments.. a
assistance, regional, Tribal
planning, and or Statewide
capacity building planning non-
to a range of profit
communities organization..
located across
multiple States
and regions..
Partnership Requirements........ Applicants are Applicants are Applicants are Partnerships are
encouraged to required to encouraged to not required at
partner with identify at least partner with the community
other Capacity two community other Capacity level but are
Builders, which partners with Builders, which encouraged to
may include other whom they will may include other ensure meaningful
eligible work to advance entities coordination and
applicants local goals to be including local engagement across
including non- supported through governments, non- stakeholders.
profits, and TCP-N assistance. profits, and
other technical Find more other technical
assistance information in assistance
providers to the Call for LOIs providers to
deepen and [https:// deepen and
broaden technical www.transportatio broaden technical
assistance and n.gov/grants/ assistance and
capacity building thriving- capacity building
expertise. communities/call- expertise.
for-letters-of-
interest-fy23].
Anticipated Funding Levels per $4-$5 million..... None directly..... $1-$2 million..... None directly.
Cooperative Agreement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOT staff from headquarters and from regional and division offices
will be identified to serve as Federal liaisons with both the National
and Regional Capacity Builders and with selected TCP communities to
facilitate connections with other Federal technical assistance
resources that can assist in project pre-development, community
engagement, planning, financing, and project delivery activities. The
DOT Navigator [https://www.transportation.gov/dot-navigator] provides
information on existing DOT-supported technical assistance resources
that may be a useful reference for Capacity Builders. Note that key
definitions for terms relevant to TCP are provided in section H.1 of
this NOFO.
a. National Capacity Builder Program
As it did in the first year of the program, the FY 2023 the TCP-N
will provide technical assistance, planning, and capacity building
support at a national level to help communities scope, develop, and
deliver transportation projects that advance community stabilization or
revitalization activities that benefit disadvantaged populations and
communities. Within the project scoping, development, and design
phases, the TCP will support and build local capacity to accelerate
projects; access and manage Federal funding; and deploy local hiring,
workforce development, and inclusive community engagement practices.
DOT seeks applications from technical assistance, planning, and
capacity building providers--henceforth referred to as TCP-N Capacity
Builders. Eligible applicants are identified in section C.1. of this
NOFO.
i. Individualized Deep Dive Technical Assistance, Planning, and
Capacity Building Support
The primary focus of support through TCP-N is on assisting
individual communities--recipients include government agencies and
their community partner organizations--to successfully advance projects
identified through meaningful public involvement that deliver a broad
set of transportation, climate, equity, housing, economic, and other
community benefits. DOT is requiring communities, through a separate
Letter of Interest (LOI) process, to form and apply as coalitions with
organizations that may also serve as local capacity building and
technical assistance implementation partners and generate deeper
community engagement, particularly from historically under-represented
populations and environmental justice stakeholders. The composition of
these community partnerships will be at the discretion of each LOI
applicant and identified in their LOI, but could include other
government entities, non-profits, non-governmental and community-based
organizations, labor unions, advocacy groups, chambers of commerce and
major employers or anchor institutions, and philanthropic
organizations. For an overview of the communities selected in FY 2022,
their challenges, and their visions for TCP support, visit the FY 2022
Selected Communities Fact Sheet [https://www.transportation.gov/grants/thriving-communities/thriving-communities-program-fy-2022-selected-communities-fact-sheet].
Each TCP-N Capacity Building team will provide individualized deep-
dive support to a set of 15-20 communities selected by DOT. DOT will
assign these recipient communities to a specific TCP-N Capacity Builder
team prior to finalizing cooperative agreements. Note
[[Page 63652]]
that there may be more than one Capacity Builder team per Community of
Practice, and the final number of communities assigned by DOT to the
TCP-N Capacity Builder teams will be informed by the LOIs received.
Once matched with the DOT-selected communities, TCP-N Capacity Builders
will develop processes to engage with these recipients and their
community partners to co-design a tailored scope of work and set of
equitable development outcomes to be achieved over a two-year period
within 90 days of the period of performance start date.
Technical assistance, planning, and capacity building support could
include, but is not limited to, the following set of activities:
identifying and responding to funding opportunities that align
with projects that implement local community mobility, access, climate,
and community development goals and regional or statewide plans
activities to support grant writing, project management, and
compliance with grant administration requirements
conducting project scoping, planning, and pre-engineering
studies, market, and other technical analysis
supplementing local staffing and workforce development
capacity
developing systems or structures that improve compliance with
Federal grant management, including but not limited to Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act, and procurement requirements
supporting comprehensive community planning activities that
better coordinate transportation with other land use, housing, climate,
health, and other infrastructure
implementing innovative public engagement strategies,
particularly to involve traditionally underrepresented voices in the
planning, project identification, and prioritization process.
sub-granting to local technical assistance and capacity
building partners who bring local expertise and capacity
building organizational capacity to strengthen relationships
between key stakeholders that deepen regional engagement and
collaboration, position partners for future funding opportunities, and/
or support inclusive planning processes
evaluating and establishing emerging transportation and
planning technologies, data systems, and software
ii. TCP Community of Practice Support
To build collective and sustained learning, TCP-N Capacity Builders
will also support a Community of Practice throughout the period of
performance that facilitates peer learning across selected TCP
communities. This may include face-to-face meetings, as well as web-
based collaborative environments to communicate, connect, and conduct
activities that collectively facilitate long-term capacity building and
systems change. Applicants should propose methods and tasks that will
be undertaken to support a Community of Practice among the specific
communities they are assigned to support and within the individual
communities to build capacity between the lead applicant and community
partners. DOT believes that communities best know the specific
challenges and opportunities they face. TCP-N Capacity Builders will
utilize a community-centered approach to work with selected recipient
communities to refine the areas of focus for specific places and for
the overall Community of Practice.
The full period of performance for the TCP-N is three years;
however, during the third year Capacity Builders will shift away from
individualized community support and focus on program evaluation and
reporting, transition activities for assigned communities within the
Community of Practice and developing shared resources for sustained
learning for those within and outside of the Community of Practice. See
section B for more information.
Communities of Practice Typology
DOT established three Communities of Practice in FY 2022 to
organize communities and their technical assistance, planning, and
capacity building needs in relation to shared demographics,
transportation challenges, and programmatic opportunities. These
include Main Streets, Complete Neighborhoods, and Networked
Communities. TCP seeks to amplify the program's impact and generate
noteworthy practices that can be scaled and replicated in other
regions. Within selected communities, Community of Practices provide an
opportunity to foster cross-sector collaboration between the lead
recipient of technical assistance (i.e., eligible government entities),
their identified community partners, and other community stakeholders
that have not historically been engaged in infrastructure, economic and
community development planning and decision making; or those who bear
the heaviest environmental, health, mobility, housing, economic and/or
social costs of infrastructure projects. These Communities of Practice
will be maintained for the FY 2023 program and include:
Main Streets
The Thriving Communities Main Streets communities of practice
consists of eligible rural recipients from Indian Tribes, US
Territories, rural communities, and small towns, including communities
that are not part of an MPO. Less dense populations, longer travel
distances, older and changing demographics, declining, or transitioning
economies, and smaller government budgets and inadequate staff are just
a few of the shared challenges faced by this cohort, which also impact
the ability of government to deploy innovative workforce development,
climate resilience, equity, and technology solutions. Illustrative of
the possible transportation issues that this cohort may address are
road network improvement and safety projects; resiliency and climate
related improvements; improving infrastructure conditions alongside
strategies to support economic and community revitalization with
investments in high-speed internet deployment, water and sewage lines,
and electric vehicle charging stations; rural transit, micro mobility
and transportation alternatives including multimodal trails; context
sensitive design solutions that will improve mobility and access
particularly for disadvantaged populations and populations of older
adults, people with disabilities, youth, and those without access to a
personal automobile; transportation worker recruitment and training
strategies; and place-making strategies to leverage local cultural,
natural, and community assets. State DOTs are a critical partner,
facility owner, and funder in these communities.
TCP-N Capacity Builder teams seeking to support the Main Streets
Community of Practice must demonstrate their expertise and familiarity
in working with rural, U.S. Territories, and/or Tribal communities,
such as through members of their team that have experience working with
culturally, racially, language diverse communities (e.g., experience
working with immigrant communities, foreign language competencies), or
proven experience working on Federal Tribal and rural transportation,
community, housing, and economic development programs.
[[Page 63653]]
Complete Neighborhoods
The Complete Neighborhoods Community of Practice consists of
eligible urban and suburban recipients that are included in a
metropolitan planning organization's (MPO) planning area. This cohort
is focused on comprehensive strategies to enhance community
connectivity, improve coordination of land use, housing, economic
development, and transportation, and to accelerate innovation
specifically for disadvantaged communities or neighborhoods. Areas of
persistent poverty and declining economies or property values create
challenges for some, while others may be experiencing market-induced or
climate-induced gentrification and displacement. Technical assistance
and capacity building can advance equity by addressing the inequities
and systemic barriers created by decades of discrimination,
segregation, urban renewal, and suburban sprawl impacting these
communities.
Illustrative of the possible transportation issues that the
Complete Neighborhoods Community of Practice may address are increasing
accessibility to affordable and reliable multi-modal transportation
options to reach regional jobs and community facilities, such as health
care centers, libraries, public schools and grocery stores; deploying
transit-oriented and walkable development policies; reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and improving air quality; and improving safety for all
users of the transportation system including bicyclists, pedestrians
and people of all ages and abilities. This cohort will look to leverage
planning, project development and transportation projects that serve
community and economic development goals and promote revitalization
strategies, such as street level retail and community space, urban
place-making, and local and economic hiring preferences to support
community wealth building in economically disadvantaged communities
within the region. MPOs and other types of regional planning bodies are
important infrastructure implementation partners, especially to
coordinate transportation with housing and economic development
planning and advance projects benefitting disadvantaged communities.
Networked Communities
The Networked Communities Community of Practice consists of
eligible recipients from urban, suburban, and rural communities that
are located near intercity transportation facilities, such as ports,
airports, and freight or passenger rail facilities. These communities
may face local environmental justice, economic development, and
mobility access issues exacerbated by their proximity to large-scale
regionally or nationally significant transportation projects. Networked
Communities have a distinct need to work with a range of stakeholders
to advance equity by addressing both existing and future mobility,
health and safety, and workforce development and labor opportunities
from locally disadvantaged communities given the context of each hub.
Illustrative of the possible transportation issues that this cohort may
face are community access and connectivity; roadway safety and design
improvements, including of major arterials and service roads;
strategies to reduce air and noise pollution, including transitioning
to decarbonization technologies and clean economies; or preparing for
new or extended passenger rail service. Private sector partners may
play a critical role as utility and facility owners, rail operators,
port and airport authorities, whose interests are generally broader
than those of the surrounding community. The technical assistance
priorities for the Networked Communities Community of Practice can
include advancing equity by addressing environmental injustice,
mobility, pollution, public health, economic development, and land use
planning through meaningful public involvement for communities,
particularly those that are lower income and/or have a higher
proportion of people of color, that reside near multimodal hubs. DOT
may decide to create sub-cohorts within each of these Communities of
Practice based upon the needs of the selected communities informed by
the LOI process.
For the FY 2023 TCP-N, Capacity Builders will support the
communities they have been specifically assigned for their selected
Community of Practice and will also support networking across all
Communities of Practice, including those established in FY 2022 and TCP
communities that may be selected in future years to build upon and
scale capacity building resources and learning opportunities. DOT may
assign Capacity Builders to provide targeted technical and limited
support to TCP communities and/or other DOT and Federal technical
assistance recipients, as needed, to assist disadvantaged communities
and government agencies to advance projects and processes aligned with
DOT's Strategic Plan and Equity Action Plan priorities for equity,
workforce development, labor and hiring preferences, small business
development and procurement, climate, safety, technology
transformation. TCP-N Capacity builders are not expected to provide
targeted support to more than a total of 20 total communities.
b. Thriving Communities Regional Pilots (TCP-R)
For the FY 2023 TCP, up to five TCP-Rs will be funded to advance
transformative infrastructure projects in disadvantaged communities or
jurisdictions located within a specific State, Tribe, or metropolitan
region that face barriers to implementation. For the TCP-R, ``region''
refers to the geographic area within an individual State or Indian
Tribe; or the service area covered by a regional transportation or
planning organization. The TCP-R will fund efforts by State, Tribal,
local, or regional organizations to provide technical assistance,
planning and capacity building support for transportation projects
located within their geography or service area that align with housing,
economic development, public health, climate, and other community
development plans and goals. Eligible applicants for TCP-R will select
the communities within their jurisdiction or service area to receive
technical assistance and capacity building support through TCP and will
use TCP funding to advance these types of transportation projects
forward into the next phase of development, deepen community
engagement, and align with local or regional zoning, land use, economic
development, or other plans and investments. This may include, but is
not limited to:
identifying funding opportunities that align with
transportation goals and advance mobility access, climate resilience,
equitable community development, healthy communities in support of
regional or statewide plans
supporting predevelopment planning and scoping of projects
that coordinate transportation with other land use, housing, and
infrastructure development
building organizational capacity and strengthened
relationships between key stakeholders that deepen regional engagement
and collaboration, position partners for future funding opportunities,
and/or support inclusive planning processes
fund planning and technical assistance activities that reform
local land use and zoning policies to align transportation
infrastructure investment with equitable community development;
[[Page 63654]]
establishing pooled resources or innovative funding tools that
increase community investments in transportation, housing, environment,
and health;
supporting regional economic and workforce development that
promotes local hiring, access to transit, and jobs in high quality
industries
designing and implementing activities to deepen and expand
meaningful public involvement, especially to populations that are
under-represented in traditional planning processes and/or are
experience disproportionate transportation, environmental, or social
burden
activities to support grant writing, project management, and
compliance with grant administration requirements
peer-learning, networking, and knowledge sharing on
strategies, types of tools, and lessons learned with other communities
in the applicant's State or region.
DOT recognizes that many States, Indian Tribes, MPOs, and other
regional government and non-governmental entities are already
undertaking, or would like to undertake this important work, but
require additional resources in order to amplify their impact and more
comprehensively provide support to local communities. The TCP-R is
intended to fund these State, Tribal, and regional organizations to
scale up support to enable communities to develop, fund, and deliver
critical community-driven projects. Applicants must commit to providing
support to communities within their jurisdiction over a three-year
period to plan, develop, and deliver transportation projects that
interface with housing, climate, safety, economic development, public
health, and other sectors that align with TCP goals. The first two
years of the period of performance should be dedicated to providing
targeted support to selected communities, as well as peer learning and
exchange activities between these selected communities and others
within their region. During the third year, TCP-R Capacity Builders
will be expected to focus on program evaluation, reporting, transition
activities, and developing resources for long-term capacity building.
See section B for more information.
2. Changes From FY 2022 Thriving Communities Program
This FY 2023 NOFO updated and revised some key aspects of the
program. These include the following:
Extension of the period of performance to three years,
with the first two years focused on deep-dive individual community
support, peer learning, and collaboration and the third year focused on
evaluation, reporting, community transitioning, and resource sharing.
The inclusion of a separate Regional Pilot Program.
Reductions to the maximum award amounts from up to $6
million to up to $5 million per National Capacity Builder and increases
the number of communities served by each Capacity Builder from 10-15 to
15-20.
Revisions to the merit rating criteria, including how
applicants should respond to each criterion.
Changes to the requirements for targeted support to
supported communities, including a new requirement to subgrant at least
20 percent of the budget to community recipients.
Option to renew FY 2023 selected Capacity Builder
cooperative agreements for a second round of funding for FY 2024 (i.e.,
re-select Capacity Builders for a second three-year period of
performance), subject to authorization and available funding.
3. Coordination Across the Federal Government
The TCP is one of several technical assistance programs
administered through DOT's Build America Bureau. Participation in
technical assistance programs is voluntary and does not obligate the
awardee or recipients to apply for DOT grants or credit programs in the
future, nor does participation offer preferential treatment to future
applications or a guarantee of Federal funding.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received
$2.5 million from the FY 2023 appropriations bill to coordinate with
DOT's TCP. HUD will separately provide funding to technical assistance
providers to help jurisdictions consider housing and community
development needs as part of transportation infrastructure plans (for
example, identifying land that is near planned transportation projects
and suitable for housing development). HUD's technical assistance will
enable more communities to thoughtfully plan and boost location-
efficient housing supply. Applicants interested in HUD's Thriving
Communities Technical Assistance NOFO should visit https://www.huduser.gov/portal/nofos/thriving-communities.html.
The TCP will coordinate with and leverage other Federal place-based
technical assistance and capacity building initiatives being
coordinated through the Federal Thriving Communities Network [https://www.transportation.gov/federal-interagency-thriving-communities-network] to provide comprehensive support to selected recipient
communities. This may include, but is not limited to USDA's Rural
Partners Network, the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant
Communities and Economic Revitalization, the Economic Development
Administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge, the General
Service Administration's Center for Urban Development, and the
Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Justice Thriving
Communities Technical Assistance Centers.
B. Federal Award Information
Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328),
Congress provided DOT with $25,000,000 for the Thriving Communities
Program, to be obligated by September 30, 2025. DOT will also utilize
up to $1 million in funds remaining from the FY 2022 TCP as part of
this NOFO, for a total of up to $22 million available. If DOT
identifies additional funding after the release of this NOFO, DOT may
elect to award such additional funding to Capacity Builders selected
under this NOFO, as permitted by law. Of the funds provided, DOT
anticipates awarding at least three separate cooperative agreements to
TCP-N Capacity Builders; and potentially as many as five, depending
upon the needs of the selected communities informed by the LOI process
and the number of TCP-Rs awarded. DOT anticipates awarding at least
four separate cooperative agreements through the TCP-R. Cooperative
agreements will be managed through substantial involvement by the
Office of Technical Assistance in DOT's Build America Bureau (see
Federal Award Administration Information in section F of this NOFO).
DOT will determine the amount of funds to be awarded but
anticipates a range of $4,000,000 to $5,000,000 for each TCP-N
cooperative agreement; and a range of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 for each
TCP-R cooperative agreement. Multiple cooperative agreements are
expected, with an aggregate total of approximately $22,000,000. Awards
are at 100 percent Federal share. Final decisions on the amount of
funding per award and number of cooperative agreements will depend upon
applications received in response to the NOFO as well as the demand
from community applicants expressed
[[Page 63655]]
through Letters of Interest. DOT may elect to award any unobligated
funding through future NOFOs, if necessary.
1. Period of Performance
a. National Capacity Builders Period of Performance
The period of performance for the FY 2023 TCP-N will be three years
(36 months) from the date of execution in DOT's electronic grants
management system, unless the period of performance is extended before
expiration. The first two years of the period of performance must be
dedicated to providing targeted, deep-dive support to assigned
communities in accordance with the scopes of work co-designed with
communities. TCP-N Capacity Builders will also be expected to conduct
Community of Practice activities during the first two years of the
period of performance. During the third year of the period of
performance, TCP-N Capacity Builders will shift focus to evaluation,
reporting, resource development, and transitioning communities to self-
sustaining capacity building. The third year of the period of
performance must include:
Strategic, targeted community of practice communications
(outlined in the workplan)
Transition plan for awardees, which could include:
[cir] Stewarding existing cohort into sub-groups or other longer-term
capacity building models (based on geography or areas of interest), if
applicable
[cir] Connecting communities to other technical assistance resources or
networks
[cir] Bridging new partnerships that can leverage future funding (e.g.,
conferences/workshops/meetings with philanthropy, regional or State
partners, etc.)
Elevating project wins and learnings via social media, blogs,
etc. (in partnership with DOT)
Developing publicly available educational tools and resources
(e.g., toolkits, web-based portals)
Participating in a Federal convening with new TCP awardees
(for FY 2024, subject to program authorization and appropriation) or
other Federal technical assistance networks
A final report from Capacity Builders summarizing the goals,
impacts, process, and lessons learned from engagement with each
individual community and for the cohort as a whole.
If funding is appropriated for an FY 2024 TCP, and there is no
change in the TCP's authorization, DOT may elect not to issue a new
NOFO for the FY 2024 program; rather, it may select National Capacity
Builders from the FY 2023 awardees, provided that DOT determines that
awardees have demonstrated an appropriate level of performance and that
awardees have sufficient capacity to and agree to provide support to a
new cohort of communities. In this case, the Capacity Builders would be
asked to demonstrate capacity and propose a detailed plan and budget to
support additional communities. DOT would then establish a new
cooperative agreement with existing Capacity Builders for an additional
three-year period of performance with FY 2024 funds. If FY 2023
Capacity Builders have not demonstrated an appropriate level of
performance, DOT may select new Capacity Builders for FY 2024 from
other Highly Recommended applicants from FY 2023.
Subsequent year funding and additional funding from DOT will depend
upon priorities established by the Secretary of Transportation, future
authorizations and appropriations, and the Thriving Communities' annual
performance reviews.
b. Thriving Communities Regional Pilot Program Period of Performance
For the FY 2023 TCP-R Program, the period of performance will be
three years (36 months) from the date of execution in DOT's electronic
grants management system. The first two years of the period of
performance must be dedicated to providing support to the communities
identified in the application, in accordance with the activities
described in the application. The third year of the period of
performance will be focused on program evaluation and reporting,
transition activities for communities, and collecting and sharing
lessons learned and best practices from the first two years of support,
including sharing information with communities outside those who
received targeted support in the first two years to scale impact of the
program.
The third year of the period of performance must include:
Strategic, targeted community of practice communications
(outlined in the workplan)
Transition plan for awardees, which could include:
[cir] Stewarding existing cohort into sub-groups or other longer-term
capacity building models (based on geography or areas of interest), if
applicable
[cir] Connecting communities to other technical assistance resources or
networks
[cir] Bridging new partnerships that can leverage future funding (e.g.,
conferences/workshops/meeting with philanthropy, regional or State
partners, etc.)
Elevating project wins and learnings via social media, blogs,
etc. (in partnership with DOT)
Developing publicly available educational tools and resources
(e.g., toolkits, web-based portals)
Participating in a Federal convening with new TCP awardees
(for FY 2024, subject to program authorization and appropriation) or
other Federal technical assistance networks
Final reporting and program evaluation.
If funding is appropriated for an FY 2024 TCP, and there is no
change in the TCP's authorization, DOT may elect not to issue a new
NOFO for the FY 2024 program; rather, it may select Regional Capacity
Builders from the list of Highly Recommended, but not selected,
applicants from FY 2023. In this case, DOT would contact Highly
Recommended applicants to request confirmation that applicants are
still interested in participating in the program and have the capacity
to do so before selecting them for participation in the FY 2024
program.
Subsequent year funding and additional funding from DOT will depend
upon priorities established by the Secretary of Transportation, future
authorizations and appropriations, and the Thriving Communities' annual
performance reviews.
C. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
For both the TCP-N and TCP-R, those applying to provide technical
assistance, planning, and capacity building can apply individually or
as part of a team of eligible applicants. DOT seeks Capacity Builders
that have technical knowledge across a diverse set of issues and
skills; therefore, the lead applicant is strongly encouraged to partner
with other eligible organizations to create Capacity Building teams
that represent a range of technical skills, geographic connections and
capacity building approaches. If applying as part of a team, the lead
applicant must be clearly identified and submit the application on
behalf of the team. The cooperative agreement will be between DOT and
the lead organization, which is the primary recipient of DOT TCP funds.
The recipient may make contracts or subawards \1\ to other team
[[Page 63656]]
members, but the recipient is responsible for compliance with Federal
requirements, including 2 CFR parts 200 and 1201.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Refer to 2 CFR 200.1 (Definitions) [https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-A/subject-group-ECFR2a6a0087862fd2c/section-200.1] and 2 CFR 200.331
(Subrecipient and contractor determinations) [https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR031321e29ac5bbd/section-200.331] for more information.
Refer also to the TCP Fact Sheet on Subcontracting and Subwards
posted on the program website.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
For the TCP-N Capacity Builders, eligible lead applicants are non-
profit organizations, philanthropic entities, and other technical
assistance providers, including but not limited to for-profit
organizations and academic institutions, with a demonstrated capacity
to develop and provide technical assistance, planning, and capacity
building to a range of communities located across multiple States and
regions (i.e., applicants must demonstrate capacity to provide support
at a national level, not just within specific regions or geographies).
For the TCP-R, eligible lead applicants are State governments and
their agencies; local governments and their agencies; Indian Tribes;
regional, Tribal, or statewide planning non-profit organizations; and
governmental planning, economic development, or transportation
organizations working at the regional or metropolitan level involved
with transportation issues.
Where applicable, each lead applicant and co-applicant must provide
documentation that supports each lead applicant's or co-applicant's
organizational status as an eligible entity. Refer to section D.2(b) of
this NOFO for more information on organizational documentation
requirements.
2. Cost Sharing and Matching
No cost sharing or matching is required as a condition of
eligibility under this competition. DOT will fund up to 100 percent of
eligible project costs. However, TCP-N and TCP-R applicants that
demonstrate an ability to leverage other funding, including from
philanthropy, and other Federal funding sources (e.g., formula funds,
State or local resources and in-kind contributions of staff, volunteer
time, facilities, or other resources) to amplify program impact and
support Thriving Communities Program goals and objectives in the long-
term will be prioritized.
3. Eligible Project Costs
Eligible costs include those that the Capacity Builders undertake
to directly assist in the development of technical assistance,
planning, or capacity building for communities to carry out eligible
projects and plans for which the award has been granted. Eligible costs
also include subgrants to build community capacity, including staff and
benefits plus other overhead costs such as rent, utilities, and office
equipment, hiring of new staff and fellows, building IT systems for
application processes and reporting, and website development for
education and training.
For both TCP-N and TCP-R applicants, DOT will give preference to
applications with the highest percentage of identified targeted support
budgeted for community recipients and their partners. ``Targeted
support'' means activities that directly enable the community to
advance efforts identified in their scope of work. This may include,
for instance, direct subgrants for the community to allocate
internally; funding to provide community stipends or pay for staffing,
apprenticeship, or fellowship positions located within the selected
communities; access to mapping, design and engineering, modeling, civic
participation or other data analytic or community engagement software
tools; no-cost consulting services; Capacity Builder staff time
dedicated to activities to advance individual communities' scopes of
work, including travel; or other types of direct support. Activities to
support the overall Community of Practice (e.g., trainings, convenings,
or webinars that support all or multiple communities within the cohort)
and overall program administration and grant management activities are
not considered targeted support.
For both TCP-N and TCP-R applicants, no more than 25 percent of the
proposed budget may be allotted to program administration and grant
management activities (e.g., workplan development, invoicing, team
meetings, evaluation report), and at least 20 percent of the proposed
budget must be allocated for subgrants to communities and their
partners. All applicants are expected to plan for at least one visit to
each assigned community per year for the first two years of the period
of performance.
Consistent with the provisions in 2 CFR 200.400, the Recipient may
not earn or keep any profit resulting from funds awarded under this
NOFO. Recipients may not allocate profit fees in their proposed or
final budget.
Eligible activity costs must comply with the cost principles set
forth in 2 CFR subpart E (i.e., 2 CFR 200.403 and 200.405). DOT
reserves the right to make cost eligibility determinations on a case-
by-case basis.
D. Application and Submission Information
Applications must include the materials listed in section D.2 of
this NOFO to be considered for funding.
1. Address To Request Application Package
Applications will only be accepted electronically through
www.grants.gov (Grants.gov) under Opportunity Number DOT-TCP-FY23-01.
Potential applicants may also request paper copies of materials at:
Telephone: 202-366-7738.
Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
W12-412, Washington, DC 20590.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
This section describes the DOT and Federal grant assistance forms
and other documents required for a complete application for both the
TCP-N and TCP-R Programs under this NOFO. An application checklist can
be found in appendix A of this NOFO.
Sharing of Application Information--The Department may share
application information within the Department or with other Federal
agencies if the Department determines that sharing is relevant to the
respective program's objectives.
a. Required Forms
All applicants must submit the following required forms:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A)
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)
All relevant forms must be signed electronically by the applicant's
Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR); please see section D.6
of this NOFO for information on AOR requirements. The preferred
electronic file format for attachments is Adobe portable document
format (PDF); however, DOT will accept electronic files in Microsoft
Word or Microsoft Excel formats. DOT will not accept paper, facsimile,
or email transmissions of applications. All documentation and data
submitted should be current and applicable as of the date submitted.
Applicants may contact the appropriate contact listed in section G for
technical assistance before submitting an application.
b. Organizational Documentation
Each lead applicant and co-applicant must provide documentation
that
[[Page 63657]]
supports each lead applicant's or co-applicant's organizational status
as an eligible entity where applicable (section C.1 of this NOFO).
States, Indian Tribes, cities, or other political
subdivisions of States, and institutions of higher education that are
100% publicly controlled are not required to submit organizational
documentation.
Nonprofit organizations must submit documentation that
demonstrates their status as nonprofit organizations. This must include
articles of incorporation, bylaws, certificate of good standing, and a
copy of the most recent (not older than 18 months) IRS Form 990 (Return
of Organization Exempt from Income Tax) (without attachments or
schedules).
Other entities, including institutions of higher education
that are not 100% publicly controlled, must provide documentation that
demonstrates their organization type.
c. Organization Descriptions
A one-page organization or company profile must be provided for
each member of the Capacity Building Team. These may be publicly shared
as part of the organization introductions. Profiles should include the
organization name, its role on the team, number of employees; location
of office or its geographic scope; whether it is a certified
disadvantaged business enterprise (e.g., 8(a) business), as defined by
the Small Business Administration (SBA), a small business as defined by
the SBA, a Historically Black College or University, a Minority Serving
Institution, a HUBZone, or woman owned or service-disabled veteran-
owned small businesses; \2\ a brief summary of the type of services it
provides; and involvement of team members that represent the types of
communities and stakeholders to be served. Key staff members of each
organization should be shown.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ Additional DOT guidance on small business contracting can be
found at https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2021-03/508_OSDBU%20Contracting_03102021.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A template is provided for the fulfillment of this requirement. DOT
recommends, but does not require, the use of the template.
d. Indirect Costs (if Applicable)
If indirect costs are included in the budget, the applicant must
include documentation to support the indirect cost rate they are using
(unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate,
discussed below). The applicant must submit a copy of its current,
approved, and negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA). If the
applicant does not have a current or pending NICRA, it may propose
indirect costs in its budget; however, the applicant must prepare and
submit an allocation plan and rate proposal for approval within ninety
days from the award start date (unless claiming the 10 percent de
minimis indirect cost rate, discussed below). See 2 CFR part 200 apps.
III, IV, V, VI, VII for guidance. The allocation plan and the rate
proposal shall be submitted to DOT. The applicant should include a
statement in its Budget Narrative that it does not have a current or
pending NICRA and will submit an allocation plan and rate proposal to
DOT or the applicant's cognizant Federal agency for approval.
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f), an applicant that does not
have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, may elect to
charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs
(subject to the exceptions of Sec. 200.414(f)). No documentation is
required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate;
however, an applicant electing to charge a de minimis rate of 10
percent must include a statement in its Budget Narrative that it does
not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate and is
electing to charge the de minimis rate.
If the applicant is a State or local unit of government or an
Indian Tribe that receives less than $35 million in direct Federal
funding per year it may submit any of the following:
a Certificate of Indirect Costs from the Department of the
Interior (DOI) or DOT;
an acknowledgment received from the Department of Interior
(on behalf of DOT) and a Certificate of Indirect Costs in the form
prescribed at 2 CFR part 200, app. VII; or
a NICRA.
e. Executive Summary
The Executive Summary will not be evaluated as part of application
review. If the applicant is selected for funding, the Executive Summary
may be used in a public announcement or on DOT's website.
TCP-N Capacity Builders
Applicants are required to submit an Executive Summary of no more
than 500 words that must:
Clearly indicate the application is to be considered as a
Thriving Communities National Capacity Builder.
Clearly identify which specific Community of Practice the
applicant is seeking to be considered to support (the applicant should
select only one Community of Practice). DOT reserves the right to
assign a Capacity Builder to a different Community of Practice, with
confirmation from the Capacity Builder, if it determines the Capacity
Builder has the skills and experience necessary to serve communities in
that Community of Practice.
Provide a clear, concise, and descriptive summary of the
proposed approach to technical assistance and capacity building,
including identifying the types of targeted support that will be
provided with DOT resources and how this support is anticipated to
build local capacity and advance Thriving Communities Program goals
within the Community of Practice it seeks to support.
Briefly discuss the strengths that its team provides in
areas of technical depth, diversity and capacity building approach to
underserved and disadvantaged communities.
Identify the amount of funding the applicant is
requesting.
In addition, but separate from the 500-word limit, list all
proposed Capacity Builder team organizations and indicate whether the
organizations are designated as any of the following:
a disadvantaged business (e.g., 8(a) business) as defined
by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA);
a small business as defined by the SBA;
a Historically Black College or University;
other Minority Serving Institution;
a HUBZone as defined by the SBA; or
A woman-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small
business as defined by the SBA.
TCP-R Capacity Builders
Applicants are required to submit an Executive Summary of no more
than 500 words that must:
Clearly indicate the application is to be considered as a
Thriving Communities Regional Pilot Capacity Builder.
Clearly identify the communities to be supported,
anticipated technical assistance and capacity building needs, and how
they intersect with plans for State or regional housing, economic
development, public health, climate and other community development
goals.
List all proposed members of the TCP-R applicant team.
Provide a clear and concise descriptive summary of the
proposed approach to supporting selected communities, including
identifying the types of targeted support that will be provided with
DOT resources that cannot be met with existing resources,
[[Page 63658]]
and how this support is anticipated to build local capacity and advance
Thriving Communities Program goals.
Briefly discuss the strengths that the applicant provides
in areas of technical depth, diversity and capacity building to
underserved and disadvantaged communities within its service area
(i.e., the State, region, Tribal, or MPO boundaries).
f. Narrative Responses Addressing Merit Rating Criteria Sub-Factors
As detailed in NOFO section E, ``Application Review Information,''
any applicant that does not submit a narrative response that addresses
each of the 10 Merit Rating Criteria Sub-Factors within the page limits
described below will not be eligible for review. See NOFO section E for
more detail on the Merit Rating Criteria Sub-Factors. Your narrative
responses for the two Priority sub-factors must be less than 3-pages
each, and your narrative responses for all other sub-factors must be
less than 1-page each (for a total limit of 14 pages across all ten
sub-factors). Any additional pages will not be considered during the
merit rating review. All page limits are single-sided 8.5x11-inch
pages, with a minimum 12-point font and 1-inch margins.
g. Letters of Commitment From Communities (for TCP-R Applicants Only)
For each community that TCP-R applicants proposed to support,
applicants must submit a Letter of Commitment signed by the community's
top elected official or equivalent. Letters should clearly demonstrate
that the community is aware of and receptive to receiving support
through TCP over a two-year period. The Letter of Commitment should
demonstrate alignment with the applicant's described support
activities. Letters of Commitment can be submitted as PDF or Word
document attachments.
h. Staffing Plan
All applications must include a Staffing Plan listing all position
types proposed to be charged to the project for each Capacity Builder
partner organization, whether as Federal or non-Federal costs. The
Staffing Plan must include the position titles, hourly rates, and
percentage of time dedicated to the project. The sum of all salaries
charged to the project must equal the amount on the ``Personnel''
budget line item on Form SF-424A. The Staffing Plan should provide a
description of the capacities each position type will contribute and
how these positions will contribute to advancing the technical
assistance and capacity building approach.
Given that additional technical assistance and capacity building
needs may arise in response to the specific needs of selected
communities receiving support, refinements can be made to the proposed
staffing structure with DOT approval. Applicants are required to
include strategic hiring plan that may be utilized to supplement or
hire contingent staff that may work directly with recipients and their
community partners to ensure continuity of services.
Proposals should identify key project staff to advance the
identified technical assistance and capacity building approach. The
proposal should include a one-page resume for each key project staff
member. This should include a short summary of the individual's
relative areas of expertise; years of experience; employment and
education history; and brief snapshot of related project history noting
work with disadvantaged communities, comprehensive economic or
community development, and/or capacity building. Replacement of key
staff are subject to DOT approval. At least one key staff member must
be identified per Capacity Builder partner organization.
Resumes should be compiled and uploaded together as one PDF file.
Mid-level or junior staff may be shown without identification or
resumes. Key staff are defined as project managers, subject matter
experts, and individuals who have specialized knowledge key to delivery
of technical assistance.
i. Budget Proposal
Application submissions must include a completed SF-424A, Budget
Information--Non-Construction Programs, form. In preparing the SF-424A,
applicants should break down budget costs into the appropriate object
class categories in section B of the form. A detailed budget narrative
must accompany the SF-424A. The purpose of the narrative is to explain
and justify the proposed project expenditures. For clarity and
consistency, applicants should discuss each expense by object class in
the order that they appear on the SF-424A. The narrative must include
the dollar amounts of each object class category and include detailed
descriptions of how the dollar amounts were derived. Include an
explanation for each calculation and provide a narrative that supports
each budget category listed on the SF-424A. The costs provided in the
narrative must clearly equal total costs identified on the SF-424A form
and match the total listed on line 15. Applicants may use the Budget
Template as a starting point for their Budget Proposals and are
encouraged to customize the template to fit their individual needs and
provide an appropriate amount of detail. The Budget Proposal must
include tables that organize and summarize the information presented in
the narrative. The narrative, not including the table in the Budget
Template, should not exceed three pages in length.
The budget must clearly show total program administration and grant
management costs, which are not to exceed 25 percent of the overall
budget; and identify those costs associated with targeted support. TCP-
R applicants are encouraged to indicate in their budgets activities and
funds allocated to meaningful public involvement activities.
All applicants must allocate at least 20 percent of their budget
for sub-granting to communities to facilitate long-term capacity
building and to compensate local community partners who are serving as
technical assistance, planning, and capacity builders.
All applicants are expected to clearly delineate in the budget the
support costs for the first two years of deep-dive targeted community
support and peer learning support to the Community of Practice, and the
third year solely focused on Community of Practice management and
overall program reporting, knowledge sharing, evaluation, and
transition planning.
The narrative for following class objectives must address:
Personnel Costs: Explain lead applicant personnel costs by listing
each staff member who will be supported from funds, name (if possible),
position title, percentage of full-time equivalency, and annual salary.
Fringe Benefits: List the components that comprise the fringe
benefit rate, for example health insurance, taxes, unemployment
insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, and tuition reimbursement.
The fringe benefits should be directly proportional to that portion of
lead applicant personnel costs that are allocated for the project.
Travel: Provide a narrative that explains the destination,
estimated costs and type of transportation. Include the number of
travelers and related lodging and subsistence (per diem costs) for each
trip. Include a brief description of the travel involved, its purpose,
and explanation of how the proposed travel is necessary for successful
completion of the project. If travel details are unknown, then the
basis for proposed costs should be explained (i.e., historical
information)--do not ``pull
[[Page 63659]]
numbers out of the air'' or list a lump sum estimate. Travel costs can
be charged on an actual basis, on a per diem or mileage basis in lieu
of actual costs incurred, or a combination of the two if applied
consistently and results in reasonable charges. Applicants are expected
to budget for at least one site visit per community each year for the
first two years of the period of performance.
Equipment--``Equipment'' is nonexpendable, tangible personal
property with a unit cost of $5,000 or more having a useful life of
more than 1 year. Items that do not meet the ``equipment'' definition
can be included under supplies. List each piece of equipment to be
purchased and provide description of how it will be used in the
project. The budget narrative should explain why the equipment is
necessary for successful completion of the project. General use
equipment (i.e., computers, faxes, etc.) must be used 100% for the
proposed project if charged directly to the Thriving Communities
Program.
Supplies: List the supplies that the project will use to implement
the proposed project. Please note, items such as laptops, tablets, and
desktop computers are classified as a supply if the value is under the
$5,000 equipment threshold.
Contractual: Provide a list of all contracts anticipated for the
project. The contracts will be for services rendered by co-applicants,
contractors, and consultants. Provide the purpose of each contract for
services that you intend on awarding and award how the costs were
estimated. Applicants should not provide line-item details on proposed
contracts, instead provide the basis for your cost estimate for the
contract. For co-applicant and consultant services, identify each
consultant, the cost for each consultant, the services they will
perform, anticipated hours or days, and travel costs. The recipient is
responsible for ensuring that it has in place an established and
adequate procurement system with fully developed written procedures for
awarding and monitoring all contracts.
Other--Provide a list of all subawards anticipated for the project.
Provide a clear explanation as to the purpose of subaward and
justification. The actual number and costs of subawards may not be
known until each of the individualized community assessments are
completed. Applicant should provide an explanation on the basis for the
cost estimate in this section. The recipient is responsible for
ensuring it has in place an established and adequate grants management
system with fully developed written procedures for awarding, reporting,
and monitoring all subawards.
Grant Funds, Sources and Uses of Project Funds--Project budgets
should show how different funding sources will share in each activity
and present those data in dollars and percentages. The budget should
identify other Federal funds the applicant is applying for or has been
awarded, if any, that the applicant intends to leverage Funding sources
should be grouped into three categories: non-Federal, Thriving
Communities Program, and other Federal with specific amounts from each
funding source.
For TCP-N Capacity Builders
DOT is interested in the opportunities for broader outreach and
shared learning that can be supported through the dissemination of
materials developed by TCP-N Capacity Builders, and by the lessons
learned through the technical assistance engagement to inform future
program design and impact. This will include quarterly virtual meetings
with representatives of the Capacity Builders to be organized and
conducted by DOT; and an annual in-person 1.5-day TCP convening that
will include participation by Capacity Builders (estimate 4 people) and
recipient communities including community partners (estimate 3 people
per community). Capacity Builders should allocate a portion of their
budget to support this involvement for themselves and the recipient
communities. For the purpose of budget estimation, assume meetings are
held in Washington, DC at average-priced travel periods.
DOT invites, but does not require, applicants to propose how they
could provide targeted support to additional communities beyond those
selected by DOT, within the budget provided or through leveraging other
funding or associated technical assistance efforts that the applicant
or its team members may also be supporting. If doing so, applicants
must include information demonstrating these existing relationships and
submit Letters of Commitment from other entities providing additional
funding.
DOT will reimburse labor and direct costs incurred by the Capacity
Builder team, including subcontractors. Capacity Builders should
maintain a system for recording all project costs. Invoices must be
transmitted to DOT monthly.
The Capacity Builder must notify DOT in writing when 50% of the
project budget is expended. Further work must stop, and DOT must be
notified in writing when 90% of the project budget is expended.
Aggregate payment shall not exceed the cap shown in the cooperative
agreement. Costs incurred over the cap shown in the cooperative
agreement will not be reimbursed.
For TCP-R Capacity Builders
DOT is interested in the opportunities for broader outreach and
shared learning that can be supported through the peer learning and
knowledge sharing by regional organizations and their partners with
other jurisdictions and organizations within the State, Tribe, or
service area, including lessons learned through the pilot that can
inform future program design and impact. This will include quarterly
virtual meetings with TCP-R Capacity Builders to be organized and
conducted by DOT, the potential to participate in one or more State or
regional convenings, and potentially participation in the annual in-
person 1.5-day TCP convening by the TCP-R capacity builder (estimate 2
people). TCP-R Capacity Builders should allocate a portion of their
budget to support this involvement, but event specifics and their
associated costs will be finalized in cooperative agreements and
workplans. For the purpose of budget estimation, assume the annual
convening is held in Washington, DC at average-priced travel periods.
DOT will reimburse labor and direct costs incurred by the TCP-R
Capacity Builders. TCP-R Capacity Builders should maintain a system for
recording all project costs. Invoices may be transmitted to DOT
monthly.
DOT invites, but does not require, applicants to propose how they
could leverage other funding or associated technical assistance efforts
to support additional communities and/or support TCP goals in the long-
term. If doing so, applicants must include information demonstrating
these existing relationships and submit Letters of Commitment from
other entities providing additional funding.
The TCP-R Capacity Builder must notify DOT in writing when 50% of
the project budget is expended. Further, work must stop, and DOT must
be notified in writing when 90% of the project budget is expended.
Aggregate payment shall not exceed the cap shown in the cooperative
agreement. Costs incurred over the cap shown in the cooperative
agreement will not be reimbursed.
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the
quality of
[[Page 63660]]
information available to the public as required by the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, all applicants are
required to: (i) be registered in SAM before submitting an application;
(ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in the application; (iii)
make certain certifications; and (iv) continue to maintain an active
SAM registration with current information at all times during which
they have an active Federal award or an application or plan under
consideration by a Federal awarding agency. DOT may not make a Federal
award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all
applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an
applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the
DOT is ready to make an award, DOT may determine that the applicant is
not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis
for making an award to another applicant. Award recipients will be
subject to reporting requirements as identified in OMB guidance
published at 2 CFR parts 25 and 170.
4. Submission Dates and Times
The deadline for the receipt of an application is 4:59 p.m. Eastern
Time on November 28, 2023. Applications received after this deadline
may not be reviewed or considered for funding. Applications will only
be accepted electronically through Grants.gov. Applicants are advised
to carefully read the submission information provided in section D of
this NOFO. The Grants.gov system records the date and time that an
application is received.
DOT strongly suggests that applicants start early, review
instructions, and test systems well in advance of the application
deadline. Applications should be submitted in advance of the deadline,
and progress can be saved in the Grants.gov system. Applicants should
save and print written proof of an electronic submission.
If technical issues arise that present difficulties for submission,
applicants should notify DOT. DOT must receive communication via
telephone, voicemail, or email regarding such technical difficulty by
4:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 28, 2023; any correspondence
regarding technical difficulties received after this deadline will not
be considered as a reason to accept a late application. No extensions
to the deadline will be considered. In cases of documented technical
difficulty, the applicant is expected to submit the application
immediately upon resolution of technical difficulties, or a subsequent
deadline delivered in writing by DOT. In addition, please note the
following:
DOT will not accept any unsolicited changes, additions,
revisions, or deletions to applications after the submission deadline.
Throughout the review and selection process, DOT reserves
the right to seek clarification from applicants whose applications are
being reviewed and considered.
Applicants may be asked to clarify objectives and work
plans and modify budgets or other specifics as necessary to comply with
Federal requirements and provide supplemental information required by
the agency before award.
See section E of this NOFO for application review and
selection information.
5. Funding Restrictions
For funding restrictions that may affect an applicant's ability to
develop an application and budget consistent with program requirements,
see section C of this notice. DOT will not reimburse costs incurred
before the cooperative agreement has been signed by DOT and the lead
applicant.
The maximum dollar amount of allocable indirect costs for which DOT
will reimburse a recipient will be the lesser of the (i) line-item
amount for the Federal share of indirect costs contained in the DOT
approved budget for the award, or (ii) Federal share of the total
allocable indirect costs of the award based on either (a) the indirect
cost rate approved by DOT (or applicable cognizant Federal agency),
provided that the cost rate is current at the time the costs were
incurred and provided that the rate is approved on or before the award
end date, or (b) other acceptable documentation as indicated below.
6. Other Submission Requirements
The complete application must be submitted electronically via
Grants.gov. To find this funding opportunity, search for DOT-TCP-FY23-
01 via the Funding Opportunity Number field. The most up-to-date
instructions for application submission can be found at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applyfor-grants.html. In the event
of system problems or the applicant experiences technical difficulties,
contact grants.gov technical support via telephone at 1-800-518-4726 or
email at [email protected].
Early Registration and Application Submission
In order to submit an application via Grants.gov, applicants must
register with SAM.gov and Grants.gov. Registration can take between
three to five business days or as long as four weeks. To avoid delays,
DOT strongly recommends that applicants start early and not wait until
the approaching deadline date before logging in, registering, reviewing
the application instructions, and applying.
AOR Requirement
Applicants must register as organizations, not as individuals. As
part of the registration process, you will register at least one AOR
for your organization. AORs registered at Grants.gov are the only
officials with the authority to submit applications; please ensure that
your organization's application is submitted by an AOR. Note that a
given organization may designate multiple individuals as AORs for
Grants.gov purposes. DOT may not accept late submissions caused by
registration issues with Grants.gov, SAM.gov, or other systems.
Field Limitations and Special Characters
Please be advised of the following notice with respect to form
field limitations and special characters: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/submitting-utf8-special-characters.html.
Successful Submission Verification
It is your responsibility as an applicant to verify that your
submission was timely received and validated successfully at
grants.gov. Applicants should use the ``Track My Application'' function
(https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/track-my-application.html). For a successful submission, the application must be
received and validated by Grants.gov, and an agency tracking number
must be assigned. If the date and time your application is validated
and timestamped by Grants.gov is later than 4:59 p.m. eastern time on
the application deadline set forth in this NOFO, your application is
late. Once validation is complete, the status will change to
``Validated'' or ``Rejected with Errors.'' If the status is ``Rejected
with Errors,'' your application has not been received successfully. For
more detailed information about why an application may be rejected,
please consult with resources such as ``Encountering Error Messages''
(https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encounteringerror-messages.html) and ``Frequently Asked Questions by Applicants''
(https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html).
DOT requests that applicants kindly refrain from submitting
multiple copies
[[Page 63661]]
of the same application package. Applicants should save and print both
the confirmation screen provided on the Grants.gov website after the
applicant has submitted an application and the confirmation email when
the application has been successfully received and validated in the
system. If an applicant receives an email from Grants.gov indicating
that the application was received and subsequently validated but does
not receive an email from Grants.gov indicating that DOT has retrieved
the application package within 72 hours of that email, the applicant
may contact the email address listed in section G of this announcement
to inquire if DOT is in receipt of the applicant's submission.
Grants.gov System Issues
If you experience a systems issue (i.e., a technical problem or
glitch with the website) that you believe threatens your ability to
complete a submission in a timely manner, please (i) print any error
message received; (ii) contact the Grants.gov Support Center at (800)
518-4726 for assistance; and (iii) contact DOT using the contact
information in section G of this NOFO in advance of the deadline.
Ensure that you obtain a case number regarding your communications with
Grants.gov. Please note that problems with an applicant's internet
access, computer system or equipment are not considered systems issues.
Similarly, an applicant's failure to, e.g., (i) complete the required
registration, (ii) ensure that a registered AOR submits the
application, or (iii) notice receipt of an email message from
Grants.gov are not considered systems issues. A Grants.gov systems
issue is an issue occurring in connection with the operations of
Grants.gov itself, such as the temporary loss of service by due to
unexpected volume of traffic or failure of information technology
systems, both of which are highly unlikely. In the event of a confirmed
systems issue, DOT reserves the right to accept an application in an
alternate format.
Applicants can visit the Grants.gov Support Center [https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html] for assistance in navigating
Grants.gov and for a list of useful resources, including Frequently
Asked Questions by Applicants [https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html]. If you do not find an answer to your
question there, contact Grants.gov by email at [email protected] or
telephone at (800) 518-4726. The Grants.gov Contact Center is open 24
hours a day, seven days a week, except on Federal holidays.
E. Application Review Information
DOT will review applications in accordance with the requirements of
this NOFO. DOT will consider whether the application is clear, concise,
and well-organized. Throughout the review and selection process, DOT,
at its sole discretion, may seek clarification, including but not
limited to written clarifications and corrected or missing documents,
from applicants whose applications are being reviewed and considered
and require that applicants provide such clarifications or corrections
to continue to be considered for an award under this NOFO. DOT will
provide applicants a reasonable amount of time to provide any
additional documentation. An applicant's failure to provide complete
and accurate supporting documentation in a timely manner when requested
by DOT may result in the removal of that application from
consideration. DOT may ask applicants to clarify application materials,
objectives, and work plans, or modify budgets or other specifics as
necessary to comply with Federal requirements.
1. Merit Criteria/Rating Factors
The table below describes the four Rating Factors and the sub-
factors for each. The descriptions of each individual Rating Factor
notes where the requirements of the factor differ between the TCP-N and
TCP-R programs. Further, some Rating Factors contain a Priority Sub-
Factor, which are sub-factors that have been determined to be of higher
priority than the others and are denoted with an asterisk in the table
below. The table and language below also describe Additional
Considerations and Priority Considerations, which the Senior Review
Team considers when making its recommendations for selection.
TCP Rating Factors
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating Factor 1: Approach to Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A...................................... Technical Assistance Approach.*
B...................................... Capacity Building Approach.
C...................................... Community of Practice
Management Approach.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating Factor 2: Teaming Arrangement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A...................................... Role of Partner Organizations.
B...................................... Staffing Plan and Demonstrated
Staff Expertise.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating Factor 3: Proven Success
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A...................................... Experience Supportive of
Technical Assistance
Approach.*
B...................................... Experience Supportive of
Capacity Building Approach.
C...................................... Experience Supportive of
Community of Practice
Management Approach.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating Factor 4: Program Management and Evaluation
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A...................................... Schedule of Milestones and
Deliverables.
B...................................... Program Evaluation and
Assessment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additional Considerations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A...................................... Soundness of Proposed Budget.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Priority Considerations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A...................................... Experience with Priority
Geographies.
B...................................... Diversity of Capacity Builder
Teams.
C...................................... Leveraging of Additional
Funding Sources.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Priority rating factor.
Each application will be assigned an overall score of ``Highly
Recommended,'' ``Recommended,'' or ``Not Recommended'' based on the
ratings for each of the four Rating Factors. See section E.2 below for
more details.
a. Rating Factor 1: Soundness of Approach to Targeted Community Support
and Capacity Building
i. Technical Assistance Approach (Priority Sub-Factor)
For TCP-N Applicants
Applicants must describe their proposed approach to providing
customized support to 15-20 individual communities at a national scale
over a two-year period for each of the following three key phases of
transportation decision-making: Project Planning and Scoping; Project
Development and Design; and Project Delivery. Selected Capacity
Builders will be expected to provide technical assistance support to
communities who may be in any of the three phases; therefore, DOT will
evaluate the strength of the applicant's described approach to
providing support in each of the three phases. These three phases are
described in section H.1 of this NOFO.
In their narratives, applicants must describe their approach to:
Co-designing an individualized scope of work with
communities and their partners, including assessing existing technical
capacity and assets.
[[Page 63662]]
Providing technical assistance support specific to the
three transportation decision-making phases.
Incorporating meaningful and innovative public engagement
strategies, including but not limited to engagement with non-English
speakers, people with disabilities, and other under-represented groups
bridging racial, cultural, and economic barriers that affect community
participation; and strategies to tailor public involvement to unique
community requirements and preferences.
Building community wealth through transportation
investments, innovative financing and leveraged funding approaches that
address the unique challenges of under-resourced, low-tax base and
credit-challenged communities.
Supporting workforce development, hiring and labor
practices benefitting local economically disadvantaged communities.
Strategically planning onsite engagement with individual
communities, including at least one visit to each community per year
for the first two years of the period of performance.
For TCP-R Applicants
TCP-R applicants must identify and describe the communities that
they have selected to support over two years of targeted support. As
noted in section D.2(g) of this NOFO, applicants must submit Letters of
Commitment from each community proposed for support in the application.
Applicants must describe in detail how and why they selected these
communities, addressing the following:
The number of communities or projects the applicant
intends to support with the requested funding amount.
Metrics and methods for verifying disadvantaged status or
transportation burden/disparity that the applicant used to select
communities, including the use of tools such as CEJST and ETC Explorer.
In their narratives, applicants must also describe their proposed
approach to providing support to these communities based on their
individual needs, including:
1. the types of local projects and capacity building needs that
will be supported through TCP funding and how this support will build
longer term capacity and meet critical technical assistance needs that
are not currently being supported through other resources.
2. how the proposed support will advance transportation projects
that intersect with goals related to State or regional housing,
economic development, public health, climate and other community
development goals and help to advance implementation of related State,
Tribal and/or regional plans.
3. how the work supported through the pilot may be scaled or
leveraged to support additional communities within the applicant's
service area (i.e., the larger metropolitan region, State, Territory or
Tribe).
4. approach to incorporating meaningful and innovative public
engagement strategies, including but not limited to engagement with
non-English speakers, people with disabilities, and other under-
represented groups; bridging racial, cultural, and economic barriers
that affect community participation; and strategies to tailor public
involvement to unique community requirements and preferences. DOT will
give preference to applications with robust meaningful public
engagement approaches. Refer to DOT's Promising Practices for
Meaningful Public Involvement in Transportation Decision-Making
[https://www.transportation.gov/priorities/equity/promising-practices-meaningful-public-involvement-transportation-decision-making] for a
non-exhaustive list of public involvement tools and techniques.
5. approach to building community wealth through transportation
investments, innovative financing and leveraged funding approaches that
address the unique challenges of under-resourced, low-tax base and
credit-challenged communities.
For this rating criteria, DOT will evaluate applicants based on the
communities they propose to support, including their methods for
selecting communities and the description of community need and how
well they align with TCP goals. DOT will also evaluate the strength of
the proposed approach to providing technical assistance support to
these communities.
ii. Capacity Building Approach
For TCP-N Applicants
Applicants must describe how they will build lasting capacity for
TCP recipients and their community partners through activities
undertaken during the period of TCP support. Capacity building should
focus on ways to improve the long-term ability of a community to design
and undertake necessary technical, financial, business, and data
analyses; meet Federal oversight and project management requirements;
undertake statewide and metropolitan long-range planning and
programming activities; and implement other activities that broadly
support project planning, development, and delivery. This includes
developing long-term community capacity to sustain partnerships and
engage non-governmental partners, leadership and workforce development,
and program evaluation.
Capacity building approaches should include an element of
responsiveness to the needs of individual communities and adaptability
over the period of performance. Applicants may propose different areas
where they anticipate capacity needs to be the greatest, and strategies
they envision deploying to meet these needs through individualized
deep-dive support. They should also describe the process they will use
to adapt capacity building approaches, as needed.
Applicants must address the following in their capacity building
narrative:
Approach to supplementing local staffing and workforce
development capacity
Approach to developing systems or structures that improve
lasting compliance with Federal grant management, including but not
limited to title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with
Disabilities Act, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and
procurement requirements
Approach to sub-granting to local technical assistance and
capacity building partners who bring local expertise and capacity
Approach to building organizational capacity to strengthen
relationships between key stakeholders that deepens regional engagement
and collaboration, positions partners for future funding opportunities,
and/or supports inclusive planning processes
Approach to evaluating and establishing emerging
transportation and planning technologies, data systems, and software
As part of the capacity building narrative, applicants must also
describe their planned activities for the third year of the period of
performance to transition communities for sustained learning and
capacity building. Refer to section B of this NOFO for more information
on required activities for the third year of the period of performance.
DOT will evaluate applicants based on the strength of their
proposed approach, considering long-term impacts and relationship
building and the adaptability of the approach.
[[Page 63663]]
For TCP-R Applicants
Applicants must describe how they will build lasting capacity
within supported communities to continue advancing transformative
infrastructure projects. Capacity building should focus on ways to
ensure that the projects or planning efforts supported by the TCP-R
achieve results in the long-term, including how the proposed support
will inform and potentially catalyze systems change improvements to
advance community-driven projects in long-range plans, transportation
improvement programs, and other formal processes used to inform and
prioritize State, Tribal, and/or regional investments and funding
decisions. Emphasis should be on ensuring that the project or plan
moves forward within its current phase of development, and that the
community continues to move the project forward, including once TCP
support concludes.
Capacity building approaches should include an element of
responsiveness to the needs of individual communities and adaptability
over the period of performance. Applicants may propose different areas
where they anticipate capacity needs to be the greatest, and strategies
they envision deploying to meet these needs. They should also describe
the process they will use to adapt capacity building approaches, as
needed.
Applicants must address the following in their capacity building
narrative:
Approach to empowering communities to access planning,
scoping, and funding resources in the long-term
Approach to supporting local community partnerships and
expanding collaboration
Approach to developing systems or structures that improve
lasting compliance with Federal grant management, including but not
limited to title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with
Disabilities Act, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and
procurement requirements
Approach to evaluating and establishing emerging
transportation and planning technologies, data systems, and software
Approach to sub-granting to local technical assistance and
capacity building partners who bring local expertise and capacity
As part of the capacity building narrative, applicants must also
describe their planned activities for the third year of the period of
performance to transition communities for sustained learning and
capacity building. Refer to section B of this NOFO for more information
on required activities for the third year of the period of performance.
DOT will evaluate applicants based on the strength of their
proposed approach, considering long-term impacts and relationship
building and the adaptability of the approach.
iii. Community of Practice Management Approach
For TCP-N Applicants
Selected Capacity Builders will be expected not only to provide
individualized deep-dive support to their assigned communities but also
to facilitate peer learning, networking, and knowledge sharing across
communities facing similar challenges and building similar capacities.
Applicants must describe an approach to managing communities of
practice, building and sustaining cross-sector collaboration, and
strategies for encouraging member engagement, and facilitating learning
and capacity building across the communities within their assigned
Community of Practice over the first two years of the period of
performance. Applicants should also address how they will share
knowledge to communities beyond the selected cohort during the third
year of the period of performance to amplify program impact and
learnings.
DOT will evaluate applicants based on the strength of their
Community of Management approach and its ability to achieve TCP peer
learning and networking goals.
For TCP-R Applicants
Applicants will not select a Community of Practice but are required
to describe peer-learning, networking, and knowledge sharing activities
that the applicant will facilitate among communities within the lead
applicant's State or region. Applicants will describe strategies for
engaging regional partners, building and sustaining cross-sector
collaboration, and examples of tools used to prioritize community-based
goals and objectives. The emphasis of these activities should be on
addressing the unique State, Tribal, or regional challenges that are
shared among participating communities.
Applicants should also address how they will share knowledge to
communities within their jurisdiction that were not recipients of
direct support provided by the TCP-R Capacity Builder, particularly
during the third year of the period of performance. This kind of
knowledge sharing should emphasize how support provided to communities
during the support phase of the TCP-R Capacity Builder's work can serve
as models for other communities.
DOT will evaluate applicants based on the strength of their peer
learning approach and its ability to achieve TCP peer learning and
networking goals.
b. Rating Factor 2: Staffing and Teaming Arrangement
i. Role of Partner Organizations
For All Program Applicants
DOT seeks Capacity Builders that have technical knowledge across a
diverse set of issues and skills; therefore, the lead applicant is
strongly encouraged to partner with other eligible organizations to
form a diverse Capacity Builder team.
Applicants must describe the role of each partner organization on
the Capacity Builder team, including the skills, knowledge, and
expertise each organization brings to the team and how those skills and
experience will be applied in the team's approach to technical
assistance and capacity building. This description should align with
the specific steps and activities described in the approach to
technical assistance and capacity building. DOT will evaluate
applicants based on the strength of their partnerships, including the
diversity of skills, knowledge, and expertise the partner organizations
bring and how well they align with the applicant's proposed approach.
For TCP-R, DOT will evaluate the team's ability to address the specific
needs of the proposed communities.
ii. Demonstrated Staff Expertise
For All Program Applicants
As noted in section D.2(h) of this NOFO, all applicants must submit
a Staffing Plan and resumes as part of their applications. Applicants
must submit an accompanying narrative that describes how the staff
listed and their relevant areas of expertise will contribute to the
goals of TCP and to meeting individual community needs. DOT will
evaluate Staffing Plans based on their ability to demonstrate how
individual team members represent the different areas of expertise
needed to develop and implement a well-structured, feasible, and
scalable technical assistance, planning, and capacity building plan.
[[Page 63664]]
c. Rating Factor 3: Proven Success
i. Experience Supportive of Technical Assistance Approach (Priority
Sub-Factor)
For All Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior experience and successes related
to the tasks and activities described in the technical assistance
approach, clearly identifying which organization(s) have undertaken the
activities described. DOT will evaluate applicants based on their
descriptions of past experience and success undertaking activities
proposed in the technical assistance approach.
Narratives should include information on the following:
Examples of conducting the activities described in the
technical assistance approach for each of the three transportation
phases, including outcomes and impacts
Experience executing projects that address local community
mobility, access, climate and community development goals, in
accordance with regional or statewide plans
Experience supporting disadvantaged, rural, and Tribal
communities on equity-related issues such as civil rights compliance,
equitable development, inclusive community engagement
Experience supporting innovative, inclusive, and meaningful
public engagement activities, including experience engaging with
communities with Limited English Proficiency
Experience and evidence of the team's knowledge of Federal
funding and technical assistance programs and the transportation
planning processes relevant to the Community of Practice being
supported that will support its role as a community navigator that
connects communities to existing technical assistance resources
available through DOT and other Federal agencies
Experience and evidence of the team's knowledge and experience
with applicable Federal statutes such as NEPA, title VI, ADA, and
others
Experience supporting workforce development, hiring and labor
practices benefitting local economically disadvantaged communities,
including specific examples
ii. Experience Supportive of Capacity Building Approach
For All Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior experience and successes related
to the tasks and activities described in the capacity building
approach, clearly identifying which organization(s) have undertaken the
activities described. DOT will evaluate applicants based on their
descriptions of past experience and success undertaking activities
proposed in the capacity building approach.
Narratives should include information on the following:
Examples of conducting the activities described in the
capacity building approach, including outcomes and impacts
Demonstration of experience applying strategies to nurture
small and disadvantaged business participation and development,
including capacity building initiatives and facilitating supportive
services within disadvantaged business enterprise community
marketplaces
Experience with community wealth building and economic
development practices, including community ownership models,
apprenticeship, and business entrepreneurial programs
iii. Experience Supportive of Community of Practice Management Approach
For TCP-N Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior experience and successes related
to the tasks and activities described in the Community of Practice
Management approach, clearly identifying which organization(s) have
undertaken the activities described. DOT will evaluate applicants based
on their descriptions of past experience and success undertaking
activities proposed in the community of practice management approach.
Narratives should include information on the following:
Examples of conducting the activities described in the
Community of Practice approach, including outcomes and impacts
Specific examples of experiences relevant to the chosen
Community of Practice cohort (Main Streets, Complete Neighborhoods, or
Networked Communities)
Demonstration of having conducted convenings to facilitate
peer learning among communities
For TCP-R Applicants
Applicants must demonstrate prior experience and successes related
to the tasks and activities described in the peer learning approach,
clearly identifying which organization(s) have undertaken the
activities described. DOT will evaluate applicants based on their
descriptions of past experience and success undertaking activities
proposed in the peer learning approach.
Narratives should include information on the following:
Examples of conducting the activities described in the peer
learning approach, including outcomes and impacts
Demonstration of having conducted convenings to facilitate
peer learning among communities; and/or support regional collaboratives
d. Rating Factor 4: Program Management and Evaluation
i. Schedule of Milestones and Deliverables
For All Program Applicants
Applications must include a proposed set of tasks and schedule
detailing the expected start and end date of tasks and major
deliverables described in the proposed approach. Applicants must
clearly delineate and describe tasks and deliverables expected in the
first two years of targeted community support, including peer learning
support, and the third year of peer learning, evaluation, reporting,
and transition activities. Applications should incorporate preparation
of the final report and presentation into the project timeline and
period of performance. The proposed task organization and schedule will
serve as a starting point for cooperative agreement negotiations with
the selected teams.
DOT will evaluate applicants based on the feasibility of the
schedule; level of detail; alignment with proposed technical
assistance, planning, and capacity building support; and alignment with
accomplishing TCP goals within the period of performance.
ii. Program Evaluation and Assessment
For All Program Applicants
Applicants must include specific performance metrics under each of
the specific work tasks describing how they will track, analyze, and
report on the results and outcomes of the technical assistance,
planning, and capacity building they are providing to individual
communities and to the Communities of Practice/network of peer
communities they are supporting. Performance metrics may be qualitative
and/or quantitative and should be described in terms of well-defined
goals that align with the goals of TCP.
DOT will evaluate the strength, clarity, and meaningfulness of
proposed metrics and methodologies.
A list of potential metrics is bulleted below each TCP goal below:
[[Page 63665]]
1. Facilitate the Planning and Development of Transportation and
Community Revitalization Activities Supported by DOT
New projects that increase mobility, reduce pollution from
transportation sources, expand affordable transportation options,
facilitate efficient land use, preserve or expand jobs, and improve
housing conditions
Enhanced access to health care, education, and food security,
or improved health outcomes
2. Build Capacity and Provide Support to Disadvantaged and/or
Transportation Burdened Communities
Short- and long-term capacity increases (e.g., increased
staff, strategic hires)
Sustained participation of key stakeholders that have
historically been excluded from planning and decision making processes
Leveraging relationships with other entities to advance
community priorities
3. Increase the Level of Federal Investments in Transportation
Infrastructure
Number of successful grant or funding applications for
projects supported through this program
Implementation of new transportation infrastructure projects
4. Center and Advance Community-Driven Priorities
Development of community-defined impact metrics to evaluate
local equity outcomes
Demonstrate positive benefits for disadvantaged communities
Establishment of resident steering or advisory committees
e. Priority Considerations
DOT will prioritize Capacity Builders based on the below priority
considerations. Priority considerations will be evaluated and
documented in the Merit Review phase but will not factor into Merit
Review scores. The documentation will be shared with the SRT for final
recommendations.
i. Experience With Priority Geographies
For All Program Applicants
To receive priority consideration under this factor, applicants
must clearly demonstrate their experience with supporting communities
facing transportation burden and disparity, including but not limited
to:
Communities identified as disadvantaged in the transportation
category in the CEJST tool
Communities identified as transportation insecure in the ETC
tool
Applicants should provide this information in their Experience
Supportive of Technical Assistance Approach and Experience Supportive
of Capacity Building Approach narratives.
ii. Diversity of Capacity Builder Teams
For TCP-N Program Applicants
Applicant Capacity Builder Teams include one or more partner
organization that can be classified as:
a disadvantaged business (e.g., 8(a) business) as defined
by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA);
a small business as defined by the SBA;
a Historically Black College or University;
other Minority Serving Institution;
a HUBZone as defined by SBA [https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/hubzone-program]; or
a woman-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small
business as defined by SBA.
Applicants should identify this information in their Executive
Summary and in each Organization Description attachment.
The diversity of the Capacity Builder teams is not a priority
consideration for the TCP-R program.
iii. Leveraging of Additional Funding Sources
For All Program Applicants
Applicants that demonstrate an ability to leverage other funding
and resources to provide support to additional communities, supported
by Letters of Commitment, will be prioritized. This may include
leveraging other funding, including from philanthropy, other Federal
funding sources (e.g., formula funds, State or local resources and in-
kind contributions of staff, volunteer time, facilities or other
resources) to amplify program impact and support Thriving Communities
Program goals and objectives in the long-term. Applicants should
identify this information in their Budget Proposals.
f. Additional Considerations
i. Soundness of Proposed Budget
Proposed budgets will not receive merit ratings, but will be
evaluated for soundness and strength, with reviewers providing comments
on the following factors for consideration by the Senior Review Team:
Does the proposed budget seem reasonable, feasible, and
well-planned relevant to the activities proposed?
Does the proposed budget allocate at least 20% of funding
for sub-granting to community organizations? Are these allocations
clearly described and reasonable?
Does the budget clearly delineate between targeted support
provided during the first two years of the period of performance and
activities undertaken in the third year?
DOT will prioritize applicants offering the highest
percentages of targeted support. How much of the budget is devoted to
targeted support?
Does the proposed budget seem to provide high service
value relevant to the funding requested?
Do reviewers have any concerns or foresee any risks with
the proposed budget? Examples of concerns/risks include, but are not
limited to: a budget line-item for profit; excessive employee salaries;
a total budget request in excess of what this NOFO offers; excessive
sub-contracting to consultants that are not on the applicant team; and
excessive allocation to third-year budgets.
For TCP-R applicants only: DOT will view favorably
applicants that propose robust meaningful public engagement activities.
Does the applicant allocate a reasonable amount of budget for public
engagement activities in comparison to described approach?
DOT acknowledges that TCP-N applicants do not have details on
specific communities or the exact number of communities they would
support if selected at the time of application. If selected,
applicants' proposed budgets will be negotiated and finalized with DOT
as part of the cooperative agreement process.
2. Review and Selection Process
a. Review for Eligibility and Completeness
For each application, DOT staff will assess whether the applicant
is eligible and submitted all the information requested for a complete
application. The following elements are required for a complete
application:
Required forms listed in section D.2(a)
Organizational documentation (see section D.2(b))
Organizational descriptions (see section D.2(c))
Executive Summary (see section D.2(e))
Narrative Responses (see section D.2(f))
Letters of Commitment (TCP-R applicants only) (see section
D.2(g))
[[Page 63666]]
Staffing Plan (see section D.2(h))
Budget Proposal (see section D.2(i)))
Applications that do not have all the necessary components for a
complete application will be referred to an Evaluation Management
Oversight Team, which will contact the applicant if it is determined
they are an eligible applicant and request the missing information with
a response time of 5 business days. Applicants that do not supply
required information in this timeframe will be disqualified. For the
Executive Summary and Narrative Responses, DOT will contact applicants
only if these sections have been omitted entirely; applications that
lack substance for either of these items will not be disqualified but
are likely to receive low Merit Ratings.
Applicants will be disqualified if:
Application does not include any one of the required
components listed above and does not respond within 5 business days
with complete application component(s).
Lead applicant is not an eligible organization (as
described in section C.1).
Activities proposed do not align with the purpose and
goals of the TCP.
Application is submitted after the deadline (unless
application is late due to legitimate technical issue(s) documented in
advance of the application deadline and DOT is notified of the
technical issue prior to the deadline in section D.4).
Application is submitted via any method other than
grants.gov (unless there is a confirmed systems issue and DOT exercises
its right to accept the application in an alternate format).
Applicants who are determined to be ineligible will be notified in
writing, and all determinations will be documented.
b. Evaluation Criteria Review
First-level Review Teams, comprised of staff from DOT, inter-agency
Federal staff, and contractor staff, will evaluate all eligible and
complete applications received by the deadline for an Evaluation Review
against the evaluation criteria in section E.1 of this NOFO.
Ratings will be determined by each reviewer on an individual basis,
and a compilation of ratings will be produced. The First-level Review
Team will conduct a panel discussion, revise scores as appropriate, and
prepare an overall project rating based on majority opinion of the
review team.
The First-level Review Team will consider the quality and
completeness of each rating sub-factor, which will result in a rating
of `High,' `Medium,' or `Low,' for each sub-factor.
Each Rating Factor will receive an overall rating of `High,'
`Medium,' or `Low,' based on ratings of the Sub-Factors A, B, and/or C.
For Rating Factors 1 and 3:
Rating Factor will receive a `High' rating when:
[cir] Priority Sub-Factor A is rated `High;' AND,
[cir] Of the remaining two sub-factors (B and C), at least one is rated
`High,' and neither is rated `Low'
Rating Factor will receive a `Medium' rating when:
[cir] The Rating Factor does not meet the criteria for a `High' rating;
AND,
[cir] Priority Sub-Factor A is rated at least `Medium;' AND,
[cir] Of the remaining two sub-factors (B and C), at least one is rated
`Medium' or higher
Rating Factor will receive a `Low' rating when:
[cir] The Rating Factor does not meet the criteria for a `High' or
`Medium' rating; OR,
[cir] Priority Sub-Factor A is rated `Low'
For Rating Factors 2 and 4:
Rating Factor will receive a `High' rating when both sub-
factors (A and B) are rated `High'
Rating Factor will receive a `Medium' rating when:
[cir] either both sub-factors are rated `Medium;' OR
[cir] one sub-factor is rated `Medium' and another is rated `High'
Rating Factor will receive a `Low' rating when at least
one sub-factor is rated `Low'
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating scale High Medium Low
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description.......................... The application is The application is The application is
substantively and moderately responsive minimally responsive
comprehensively to the criterion. It to the criterion. It
responsive to the makes a moderate case makes a weak case
criterion. It makes a about advancing the about advancing the
strong case about program goals as program goals as
advancing the program described in the described in the
goals as described in criterion descriptions. criterion
the criterion descriptions. Proposal
descriptions.. may be counter to the
criterion or does not
contain sufficient
information. It does
not advance or may
negatively impact
criterion goals
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Based on the criteria ratings, an overall application merit rating
of `Highly Recommended,' `Recommended,' or `Not Recommended' will be
assigned using the following methodology. The ratings on the individual
merit criteria translate to the following overall application rating
for merit criteria:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall merit rating Individual rating factors
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Highly Recommended................... At least three Rating
Factors are `High'.
No Rating Factor is
rated `Low'.
Recommended.......................... Application received
fewer than three `High' ratings,
and;
No more than one Rating
Factor is rated `Low',
Not Recommended...................... Application received at
least two `Low' ratings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
After completing the merit review, among applications of similar
merit, DOT will prioritize applicants that:
demonstrate an ability to leverage other funding sources
demonstrate experience working with priority geographies
devote the highest percentage of their proposed budgets to
targeted community support
have diverse Capacity Builder teams (for TCP-N applicants
only)
describe robust meaningful public involvement approaches (for
TCP-R applicants only)
[[Page 63667]]
c. Leadership Selection Process
Applications that receive an overall application rating of Highly
Recommended will be advanced to a Senior Review Team (SRT), which will
include senior DOT and HUD leadership, to recommend applicants to the
Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy (Under Secretary) for
final selection. Final selection will be made with consideration to:
Geographic, team member, and organizational diversity
Applicant's demonstrated ability to leverage other funding
sources to support additional communities and advance TCP goals in the
long term
Experience working with priority geographies
Soundness of overall proposed budgets
Applicants that devote the highest percentage of their
proposed budgets to targeted community support
For TCP-N applicants, ability to meet anticipated technical
assistance needs of communities selected by DOT
For the TCP-R, applicants with robust meaningful public
engagement approaches
The SRT at its sole discretion may elect to review and select for
cooperative agreements proposals rated as Recommended if the proposal
fulfills technical assistance needs that would not otherwise be met by
applications rated as Highly Recommended.
d. Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Selection Phase
The SRT will present a list of applications for recommended
consideration to the Under Secretary for final selection. The SRT may
advise the Under Secretary on any application on the list, including
options for reduced awards. The Under Secretary will make final
selections based on applications that best address program requirements
and are most deserving of funding.
3. Risk Assessment
Prior to award, each selected applicant will be subject to a risk
assessment as required by 2 CFR 200.206. DOT must review and consider
any information about the applicant that is in the Federal Awardee
Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), the designated
integrity and performance system accessible through SAM. An applicant
may review information in FAPIIS and comment on any information about
itself that a Federal awarding agency previously entered. DOT will
consider 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.
F. Federal Award Administration
1. Federal Award Notice
This NOFO will remain open until November 28, 2023.Following the
evaluation process, DOT will notify successful applicants of their
selection for funding. DOT will also notify other applicants, whose
applications were received by the deadline, but have not been chosen
for award. The DOT will offer a written or telephonic debrief to
provide an explanation of, and guidance regarding, the reasons why the
application was not approved.
Final Award. After DOT has made selections, DOT will finalize
specific terms of the cooperative agreement and budget in consultation
with the selected lead applicant. If DOT and the selected applicant do
not finalize the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement in a
timely manner, or the selected applicant fails to provide requested
information, an award will not be made to that applicant. In this case,
DOT may select another eligible applicant.
DOT will reimburse labor and direct costs incurred by the Capacity
Builder team, including subcontractors. Capacity Builders should
maintain a system for recording all project costs. Invoices may be
transmitted to DOT monthly. Aggregate payment will not exceed the cap
shown in the cooperative agreement.
Adjustments to Funding. To ensure the fair distribution of funds
and enable the purposes or requirements of a specific program to be
met, DOT reserves the right to fund less than the amount requested in
an application.
DOT Involvement. As the Federal awarding agency, DOT will maintain
substantial involvement and oversight throughout the three-year period
of performance of the executed cooperative agreements. This includes,
but may not be limited to:
Assigning communities selected to receive support through the
TCP with specific Capacity Builder teams and finalizing work plans for
cohort specific Communities of Practice
Review of deliverables including individualized community deep
dive work plans and technical assistance assessment
Collecting and reviewing quarterly performance reports and
final reports
Convening regular meetings or Capacity Builder calls to review
project activities, schedule, and progress toward the scope of work
Identifying relevant Federal technical assistance programs to
be aligned with TCP efforts in specific communities and assigning
Federal agency staff to serve as liaisons with capacity builders,
technical assistance recipients and their community partners
Reviewing and approving changes in key personnel or scope
changes
Oversight of ongoing compliance with applicable Federal
regulations
Budget oversight, including collecting and reviewing and
reimbursing monthly invoices for incurred costs and receiving
notification when budgets are 50% and 90% expended
Conducting quarterly meetings with Capacity Builders and
involvement with an annual TCP convening with Capacity Builders and
community partners
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Administrative Budget
DOT requires that a selected applicant participates in negotiations
to determine an administrative budget. The administrative budget must
clearly identify the labor, associated indirect costs, travel, and
material and supply costs associated with your management of the award.
The administrative budget must track the different sources of funding
and associate administrative costs to each source. Should DOT not be
able to successfully conclude negotiations with a selected applicant
within a period determined by DOT, an award will not be made.
Performance under the grant program will be governed by and in
compliance with the following requirements as applicable to the type of
organization of the recipient and any applicable sub-recipients:
All awards will be administered pursuant to the Uniform
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for
Federal Awards found in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted by DOT at 2 CFR part
1201.
Other terms and conditions as well as performance requirements will
be addressed in further communications with the recipient. The full
terms and conditions may vary and are subject to discussions and
negotiations.
In connection with any program or activity conducted with or
benefiting from funds awarded under this notice, recipients of funds
must comply with all applicable requirements of Federal law, including,
without limitation, the Constitution of the United States
[[Page 63668]]
statutory, regulatory, and public policy requirements, including
without limitation, those protecting free speech, religious liberty,
public welfare, the environment, and prohibiting discrimination; the
conditions of performance, non-discrimination requirements, and other
assurances made applicable to the award of funds in accordance with
regulations of the Department of Transportation; and applicable Federal
financial assistance and contracting principles promulgated by the
Office of Management and Budget. In complying with these requirements,
recipients must ensure that no concession agreements are denied, or
other contracting decisions made on the basis of speech or other
activities protected by the First Amendment. If the Bureau determines
that a recipient has failed to comply with applicable Federal
requirements, the Bureau may terminate the award of funds and disallow
previously incurred costs, requiring the recipient to reimburse any
expended award funds.
Additionally, Executive Order 13858 directs the Executive Branch
Departments and agencies to maximize the use of goods, products, and
materials produced in the United States through the terms and
conditions of Federal financial assistance awards. If selected for an
award, grant recipients must be prepared to demonstrate how they will
maximize the use of domestic goods, products, and materials, as
applicable.
Administration Priorities
Civil Rights and Title VI: As a condition of a grant award, grant
recipients should demonstrate that the recipient has a plan for
compliance with civil rights obligations and nondiscrimination laws,
including title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and implementing
regulations (49 CFR 21), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(ADA), and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, all other civil
rights requirements, and accompanying regulations. This should include
a signed agreement of standard Title VI/Non-Discrimination Assurances,
identified as an attachment in an executed cooperative agreement. DOT's
and the applicable Operating Administrations' Office of Civil Rights
may work with awarded grant recipients to ensure full compliance with
Federal civil rights requirements.
Performance and Program Evaluation: As a condition of grant award,
grant recipients may be required to participate in an evaluation
undertaken by DOT or another agency or partner. The evaluation may take
different forms such as an implementation assessment across grant
recipients, an impact and/or outcomes analysis of all or selected sites
within or across grant recipients, or a benefit/cost analysis or
assessment of return on investment. DOT may require applicants to
collect data elements to aid the evaluation and/or use information
available through other reporting. As a part of the evaluation, as a
condition of award, grant recipients must agree to: (1) make records
available to the evaluation contractor or DOT staff; (2) provide access
to program records, and any other relevant documents to calculate costs
and benefits; (3) in the case of an impact analysis, facilitate the
access to relevant information as requested; and (4) follow evaluation
procedures as specified by the evaluation contractor or DOT staff.
Recipients and subrecipients are also encouraged to incorporate
program evaluation including associated data collection activities from
the outset of their program design and implementation to meaningfully
document and measure their progress towards meeting an agency priority
goal(s). Title I of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act
of 2018 (Evidence Act), Public Law 115-435 (2019) urges Federal
awarding agencies and Federal assistance recipients and subrecipients
to use program evaluation as a critical tool to learn, to improve
equitable delivery, and to elevate program service and delivery across
the program lifecycle. Evaluation means ``an assessment using
systematic data collection and analysis of one or more programs,
policies, and organizations intended to assess their effectiveness and
efficiency.'' 5 U.S.C. 311. Credible program evaluation activities are
implemented with relevance and utility, rigor, independence and
objectivity, transparency, and ethics (OMB Circular A-11, part 6
section 290).
For grant recipients receiving an award, evaluation costs are
allowable costs (either as direct or indirect), unless prohibited by
statute or regulation, and such costs may include the personnel and
equipment needed for data infrastructure and expertise in data
analysis, performance, and evaluation. (2 CFR part 200).
Performance and Program Evaluation
Each cooperative agreement lead organization must submit quarterly
progress reports to monitor progress and ensure accountability and
financial transparency in the grant program. Each Capacity Builder must
collect and report to the Bureau performance information on the
technical assistance and advisory services being provided. The specific
performance information and reporting period will be determined on an
individual basis and communicated at the kickoff meeting of the
cooperative agreement. It is anticipated that the Bureau and the
Capacity Builder will hold regular, informal meetings or calls to
review project activities, schedule, and progress toward the scope of
work.
If funding is appropriated for an FY 2024 TCP, and there is no
change in the TCP's authorization, DOT may elect not to issue a new
NOFO for the FY 2024 TCP-N program; rather, it may select National
Capacity Builders from the FY 2023 awardees, provided that DOT
determines that awardees have demonstrated an appropriate level of
performance and that awardees have sufficient capacity to and agree to
provide support to a new cohort of communities. For the purposes of
this program, an appropriate level of performance is determined based
on the community recipients' overall satisfaction with technical
assistance and capacity building support and with the responsiveness by
the Capacity Builder to the needs of the community. Community
recipients of technical assistance may be contacted to assess their
level of satisfaction with Capacity Builder performance.
Additionally, it will be determined based on the Capacity Builder's
successful advancement of goals and objectives related to:
1. Project Management
2. Technical Assistance, Planning, and Capacity Building Services to
assigned TCP Communities
3. Meaningful Public Engagement to assigned TCP Communities
4. Establishing and Managing a National or Regional Community of
Practice
5. Program Evaluation and Performance Metrics Assessment Plan
6. Project Budget
Remedies for Noncompliance
Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.340 [https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR86b76dde0e1e9dc/section-200.340], a Federal award may be terminated
in whole or in part if the grantee fails to comply with the terms and
conditions of the award or if DOT determines the award no longer
effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.
3. Reporting
If the total value of a selected applicant's currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from all
Federal awarding agencies exceeds $10,000,000
[[Page 63669]]
for any period of time during the period of performance of this Federal
award, then the applicant during that period of time must maintain the
currency of information reported to the SAM that is made available in
the designated integrity and performance system (currently FAPIIS)
about civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings described in
paragraph 2 of this award term and condition. This is a statutory
requirement under section 872 of Public Law 110-417, as amended (41
U.S.C. 2313). As required by section 3010 of Public Law 111-212, all
information posted in the designated integrity and performance system
on or after April 15, 2011, except past performance review required for
Federal procurement contracts, will be publicly available.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
If you have questions or need additional information about this
NOFO, you may contact [email protected]. Prospective
applicants may visit the following website for more information:
https://www.transportation.gov/grants/thriving-communities.
H. Other Supporting Information
1. Definitions
Areas of Persistent Poverty: An area of persistent poverty is a
county with 20 percent or more of the population living in poverty over
the 30 years preceding the date of enactment of the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act, November 15, 2021, as measured by the 1990 and
2000 decennial census and the most recent Small Area Income and Poverty
Estimates. Alternatively, data to support eligibility may also be from
any census tract with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent as measured
by the 2013-2017, 5-year data series available from the American
Community Survey of the Census Bureau.
Authorized Organization Representative (AOR): The person authorized
to submit applications on behalf of the organization via Grants.gov.
The AOR is authorized by the E-Biz point of contact in the System for
Award Management. The AOR is listed on the SF- 424.
Capacity Building: Activities designed to improve the ability of an
organization to design and implement the necessary technical,
financial, business, data analysis, and management skills of grantees
to access Federal funding, meet Federal requirements, undertake
statewide and metropolitan long-range planning and programming
activities, and implement other activities that broadly support project
development and delivery. This includes developing long-term community
capacity to sustain partnerships and engage non-governmental partners,
leadership and workforce development, and program evaluation.
Community-Based Organizations: The term ``community-based
organization'' means a public or private nonprofit organization of
demonstrated effectiveness that--(A) is representative of a community
or significant segments of a community; and (B) provides educational or
related services to individuals in the community.
Disadvantaged Business: According to the Small Business
Administration, a Disadvantaged business must be 51% owned or
controlled by one or more disadvantaged persons, and the firm must also
be small according to SBA's size standards. A full definition can be
found on SBA's website [https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/small-disadvantaged-business].
Disadvantaged Community: (1) Any Tribal land or any Territory or
possession of the United States and (2) those census tracts (a)
experiencing disproportionate effects (as defined by Executive Order
12898); (b) that contain areas of persistent poverty as defined in 49
U.S.C. 6702(a)(1); (c) that are historically disadvantaged as defined
by CEQ's Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool [https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5] and DOT's USDOT
Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0920984aa80a4362b8778d779b090723/page/ETC-Explorer---Homepage/] mapping tool for Historically Disadvantaged
Communities; or (d) other federally designated community development
zones.
Equitable Development: Equitable development is a development
approach for meeting the needs of all communities, including
underserved communities through policies and programs that reduce
disparities while fostering livable places that are healthy and vibrant
for all.
Grants.gov: The website serving as the Federal Government's central
portal for searching and applying for Federal financial assistance
throughout the Federal Government. Registration on Grants.gov is
required for submission of applications to prospective agencies unless
otherwise specified in this NOFO.
Historically Disadvantaged Community: Any Tribal land or any
Territory or possession of the United States, or certain census tracts
census experiencing disadvantage when its overall disadvantaged index
score places it in the 65% (or higher) of all US census tracts in the
USDOT Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0920984aa80a4362b8778d779b090723/page/ETC-Explorer---Homepage/].
Indian Tribe: For the purposes of this NOFO, Indian Tribes include
federally recognized Tribal Governments (as defined by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs) [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/12/2023-00504/indian-entities-recognized-by-and-eligible-to-receive-services-from-the-united-states-bureau-of].
Location-Efficient Housing: Housing that benefits from being
located in communities near work, schools, services, and amenities and
has accessibility to public transportation networks.
Meaningful Public Involvement: A process that proactively seeks
full representation from the community, considers public comments and
feedback, and incorporates that feedback into a project, program, or
plan when possible. The impact of community contributions encourages
early and continuous public involvement and brings diverse viewpoints
and values into the decision-making process. This process enables the
community and agencies to make better-informed decisions through
collaborative efforts.
Place-Making: A multi-faceted and collaborative approach to the
planning, design, and management of the public realm to re-activate or
co-create active, accessible and inviting public spaces that promote
the well-being of people.
Planning: Efforts that support inclusive public participation and
community engagement in developing and implementing a range of
activities to identify, assess, and evaluate community needs, including
but not limited to environmental reviews, data and mapping
visualization, market and mobility studies, health and safety impacts,
and climate vulnerability assessments. Planning assistance may involve
developing or designing for a program or project that aligns with the
goals of the DOT Strategic Plan [https://www.transportation.gov/dot-strategicplan].
Project Planning and Scoping: Technical assistance in this phase
will support communities in efforts to identify projects that address a
problem in the community and complete planning activities to move these
projects toward development and implementation. Examples of areas of
technical assistance in this phase
[[Page 63670]]
include, but are not limited to environmental planning, transportation
planning (e.g., corridor studies, pre-engineering studies), visioning
and goal setting, feasibility studies, and other planning and scoping
activities.
Project Development and Design: Technical assistance in this phase
will support communities that have completed planning and scoping
activities for one or more projects and who need assistance with
completing relevant analyses and identifying and securing funding for
project delivery. Specific types of technical assistance that could be
provided for communities in this phase include, but are not limited to
environmental analysis (e.g., NEPA); equity analysis; mapping and data
analysis; title VI, ADA, and other regulatory compliance; benefit-cost
analysis; grant/funding identification and planning; grant writing; and
other pre-construction activities.
Project Delivery: Technical assistance in this phase will support
communities that have received funding for one or more projects and who
need assistance administering funding to successfully deliver projects.
Examples of technical assistance activities that could support
communities in this phase include but are not limited to project and
grant management; value engineering; right-of-way acquisition;
coordination with housing and community development, including anti-
displacement strategies; data and technology deployment; and other
project delivery activities.
Regional Planning Organization: For the purposes of this NOFO,
regional planning organizations serve metropolitan areas over 50,000
population, and can include public agencies that fall within one of the
eligible entities to receive support under this TCP NOFO that promote
and implement policy-driven, regional planning solutions. These may
include MPOs, regional transportation commissions, councils of
government, regional transportation agencies, and regional planning
councils. Non-profit regional planning organizations are eligible only
to provide support through the TCP-R.
Rural Area: Under this NOFO, communities are in rural areas if:
The community is not located in a 2020 Census Bureau
designated urban area, or
The community is located in a 2020 Census Bureau
designated urban area with a population of 50,000 or less.
A community is not in a rural area if located in a 2020 Census
Bureau designated urban area that has a population of more than 50,000
people. Applicants may use TigerWeb [https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/TIGERweb_main.html] to determine if their community
located in a 2020 Urban Area. A list of urban areas with corresponding
populations for the 2020 Census is available in the Federal Register
[https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/29/2022-28286/2020-census-qualifying-urban-areas-and-final-criteria-clarifications].
Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP): A statewide
prioritized listing/program of transportation projects covering a
period of 4 years that is consistent with the long-range statewide
transportation plan, metropolitan transportation plan, and TIPs, and
required for projects to be eligible for funding under title 23 U.S.C.
and title 49 U.S.C. Chapter 53.
Technical Assistance: Programs, processes, and resources that
provide targeted support, knowledge or expertise to a community,
region, organization, or other beneficiary to help them access and
utilize Federal funding to develop, analyze, design, and deliver
transportation plans and projects.
Transportation Improvement Program (TIP): A prioritized listing/
program of transportation projects covering a period of 4 years that is
developed and formally adopted by an MPO as part of the metropolitan
transportation planning process, consistent with the metropolitan
transportation plan, and required for projects to be eligible for
funding under title 23 U.S.C. and title 49 U.S.C. chapter 53.
Issued in Washington, DC, on September 12, 2023.
Christopher Coes,
Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, Department of
Transportation.
Appendix A. Full Application Checklist
Before you submit your application to DOT, please ensure that
the following elements are included in your submission.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Requirement Location in NOFO
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ballot] SF-424--Application for Federal D.2(a).
Assistance (submitted as an
attachment).
[ballot] SF-424A--Budget Information for D.2(a).
Non-Construction Programs
(submitted as an attachment).
[ballot] SF-LLL--Disclosure of Lobbying D.2(a).
Activities (submitted as an
attachment).
[ballot] Organizational Documentation D.2(b).
(submitted as an attachment, no
page limit).
[ballot] Organization Descriptions (one D.2(c).
page each for the lead and co-
applicants).
[ballot] Indirect Cost Documentation (if D.2(d).
applicable, submitted as an
attachment, no page limit).
[ballot] Executive Summary (500 words or D.2(e).
less).
[ballot] Letters of Commitment (TCP-R D.2(g).
applicants only).
[ballot] Staffing Plan (including key staff D.2(h).
resumes).
[ballot] Budget Proposal (template D.2(i).
required, maximum 3 pages *
(excluding tables)) (include
Letters of Commitment as
attachments, if applicable).
[ballot] Technical Assistance Approach E.1(a)(i).
Narrative (maximum 3 pages).
[ballot] Capacity Building Approach E.1(a)(ii).
Narrative (maximum 1 page).
[ballot] Community of Practice Management E.1(a)(iii).
Approach Narrative (maximum 1
page).
[ballot] Role of Partner Organizations E.1(b)(i).
Narrative (maximum 1 page).
[ballot] Demonstrated Staff Expertise E.1(b)(ii).
Narrative (maximum 1 page).
[ballot] Experience Supportive of Technical E.1(c)(i).
Assistance Approach Narrative
(maximum 3 pages).
[ballot] Experience Supportive of Capacity E.1(c)(ii).
Building Approach Narrative
(maximum 1 page).
[ballot] Experience Supportive of Community E.1(c)(iii).
of Practice Management Approach
Narrative (maximum 1 page).
[ballot] Schedule of Milestones and E.1(d)(i).
Deliverables Narrative (maximum 1
page).
[ballot] Program Evaluation and Assessment E.1(d)(ii).
Narrative (maximum 1 page).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* All page limits are single-sided 8.5 x 11-inch pages, with a minimum
12-point font and 1-inch margins.
[[Page 63671]]
[FR Doc. 2023-19984 Filed 9-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9P-P
