Order 2013

- 6

- 14 Served: June 24, 2013

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY WASHINGTON, D.C.

Issued by the Depa rtm ent of Transportation

on the 24 th day of June

, 201 3

In the Matter of Grant Applications

SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

under 49 U.S.C. § 41743 et seq. Docket DOT

- OST

- 2013

- 0120

ORDER SOLICITING

SMALL COMMUNITY GRANT PROPOSALS

By this order, the Department invites proposals from communities and/or consortia of communities interested in obtaining a federal grant under the Small Community Air Service Development Program ( “ Small Community Program ” or “ SCASDP ” ) to address air service and

airfare issues in their communities. Application s of no more than 2 0 pages each (one

- sided only , excluding the completed SF424, Summary Information schedule, and any letters from the community or an air carrier showing support for the application ) , including all required information, must be submitted to www.grants.gov no later than 5 :00 PM EDT on Friday

, July 26 , 201 3

.

This order is organized into the following sections:

I. Background

II. Selection Criteria and Guidance on Application of Selection Criteria

III. Evaluation and Selection Process

IV. How to Apply

V. Air Service Development Zone

VI. Grant Administration

VII. Questions and Clarifications Appendix A

– Additional Information on Applying Through www.grants.gov Appendix B

– Summary Information Appendix C

– Application Checklist Appendix D

– Confidential Commercial Information2

I. BACKGROUND

The Small Community Program was established by the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (P.L. 106

- 1 81 ) and reauthorized by the Vision 100

- Century

of Aviation Reauthorization Act ( P.L. 108

- 176). The program is designed to provide financial

assistance to small communities in order to help them enhance their air service. The Department provides this assistance in the form of monetary grants that are disbursed on a reimbursable

basis. Authorization for this program is codified at 49 U.S.C. § 417 43.

The Small Community Program is au thorized to receive appropriations under 49 U.S.C. § 41743(e)(2), as amended. Appropriations are provided for this program for award selection in

FY 201 3 pursuant to the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112

- 95 ). The Department has up to $ 11 .5 million available for FY 201 3 grant awards to carry o ut this

program

. There is no limit on the amount of individual awards, and the amounts awarded will vary depending upon the features and merits of the selected proposals. In past years, the Department’s individual grant sizes have ranged from $20,000 to nearly $1.6 million.

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are small communities that meet the following statutory criteria under 49 U.S.C. § 41743 :

1. As of calendar year 1997, the airport serving the community was not larger than a small hub airport, and it has insufficient air carrier service or unreasonably high air fares; and

2. The airport serving the community presents characteristics, such as geographic diversity or unique circumstances that demonstrate the need for, and feasibility of, grant assistance from the Small Community Program.

No more than four c ommunities or consortia of communities, or a combination thereof, from the

same s tate may be selected to participate in the program i n any fiscal year. No more than 40 communities or consortia of communities, or a combination thereof, may be selected to participate in the program in each year for which the funds are appropriated.

Communities without existing air service : Communities that do not currently have commercial air service are eligible for SCASDP funds, but air service providers must have met or be able to meet in a reasonable period

, all Department requirements for air service certification, including safety and economic aut horities.

Essential Air Service communities : Small communities that meet the basic SCASDP criteria and currently receive subsidized air service under the Essential Air Service ( “ EAS ” ) program are eligible to apply for SCASDP funds. However, grant awards to EAS

- subsidized communities are limited to marketing or promotion projects that support existing or newly subsidized EAS

. Grant funds will not be authorized for EAS

- subsidized communities to support any new competing air service. Furthermore, no funds will be authorized to support additional flights by3

EAS carriers or changes to those carriers’ existing schedules. These restrictions are necessary to

avoid conflicts with the mandate of the EAS program.

Consortium applications : Both individual communities and consortia of communities are eligible for SCASDP funds. An application from a consortium of communities must be one that seeks to facilitate the efforts of the communities working together toward one joint grant project,

wi th one joint objective, including the establishment of one entity to ensure that the jo int objective is accomplished.

Multiple Applications : Communities may file only one application for a grant , either individually or as part of a consortium

.

B. Eligible Projects

The Department is authorized to award grants under 49 U.S.C. § 41743 to communities that seek to provide assistance to:

• an air carrier to subsidize service to and from an underserved airport for a period not to exceed 3 years;

• an underserved airport to obtain service to and from the underserved airport; and/or

• an underserved airport to implement such other measures as the Secretary, in consultation with such airport, considers appropriate to improve air service both in terms

of the cost of such service to consumers and the availability of such service, including improving air service through marketing and promotion of air service and enhanced utilization of airport facilities.

Applicants should also keep in mind the following statutory rest rictions on eligible projects:

• An applicant may not receive an additional grant to support the same project from a previous grant ( see Same Project Limitation , below); and

• An applicant may not receive an additional grant, prior to the completion of its pr evious grant ( see Concurrent Grant Limitation , below ).

Same Project Limitation : A community may not receive an additional grant to support the same project for which it received a previous grant (Same Project Limitation) . In assessing whether a previous grantee’s current application represents a new project, the Department will compare the goals and objectives of the previous grant, including the key components of the means by which those goals and objectives were to be achieved, to the current applicati on. For example, if a community received an earlier grant to support a revenue guarantee for service to a particular destination or direction, a new application by that community for another revenue guarantee for service to the same destination or in the same direction is ineligible, even if the revenue guarantee were structured differently or the type of carrier were different. However, a new application by such a previous grantee for service to a new destination or direction using a

revenue guarantee, o r for general marketing of the airport and the various services it offers, is eligible. We recognize that not all revenue guarantees, marketing agreements, studies , etc. are of the same nature, and that if a subsequent application incorporates different g oals or significantly4

different components, it may be sufficiently different to constitute a new project under 49 U.S.C. § 41743(c).

Concurrent Grant Limitation : A community or consortium may have only one SCASDP grant at any time. If a community or consortium applies for a subsequent SCASDP grant when its current grant has not yet expired, that community /consortium must notify the Department of its intent to terminate the current SCASDP grant prior to entering into the new grant. In addition,

fo r consortium member applicants, permission must be granted from both the grant sponsor and the Department to withdraw from the current SCASDP grant before that consortium member will be deemed eligible to receive a subsequent SCASDP grant.

Airport Capital Improvements Ineligible: Airport capital improvement projects , including,

but not limited to

, runway expansions and enhancements , the construction of additional aircraft

gates

, and other airport terminal expansion s and reconfigurations are ineligible for funding under the Small Community Program. Airports seeking funding for airport capital improvement projects may want to consult with their local FAA Regional Office to discuss potential eligibility for grants under the Airport Improvement Program.

II. SELECTION CRITERIA AND GUIDANCE ON APPLICATION OF SELECTION

CRITERIA

SCASDP grants will be awarded based on the selection criteria as outlined below. There are two categories of selection criteria: Priority Selection Criteria and Secondary Selection Cr iteria. Applications that meet one or more of the P riority S election C riteria will be viewed more favorably than those that do not meet any P riority S election C riteria.

A. Priority Selection Criteria

The law directs the Department to give priority cons ideration to those communities or consortia

where the following criteria are met :

1. Air fares are higher than the national average air fares for all communities

– DOT will compare the local community’s air fares to the national average air fares for all similar

markets . Communities with market air fares significantly higher than the national average air fares in similar markets will receive priority consideration. DOT calculates these fares using data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) A irline Origin

and Destination Survey data . DOT evaluates all fares in all relevant markets that serve a SCASDP community and compares the SCASDP community fares to all fares in similar markets across the country. Each SCASDP applicant’s air fares are com puted as a

percentage above or below the n ational a verages . SCASDP community relevant markets are markets that average more than one passenger per day each way. The report compares a community’s air fares to the average for all other similar markets in t he country that have similar density (passenger volume) and similar distance characteristics (market groupings)

. All calculations are based on 12

- month ended periods to control for

seasonal variation of fares.5

2. T he community or consortium will provide a portion of the cost of the activity from local sources other than airport r evenue sources

– DOT will consider whether a community or consortium proposes local funding for the proposed project. Applications providing proportionately higher levels of cash c ontributions from sources other than airport

revenues will be viewed more favorably

. Applications that provide multiple levels of contributions (state, local, airport, cash and in

- kind contributions) will also be viewed more favorably

. See Additional Guidance

– Cost Sharing and Local Contributions

, in Subsection C below, for more information on the application of this selection criterion.

3. T he community or consortium has established or will establish a public

- private partnership to facilitate air carri er service to the public

– DOT will consider a community or consortium’s commitment to facilitate air carrier service in the form of a public

- private partnership. Applications that describe in detail how the partnership will actively participate in the im plementation of the proposed project will be viewed more favorably

.

4. T he assistance will provide material benefits to a broad segment of the traveling public, including business es , educational institutions, and other enterprises, whose access to the

nation al air transp ortation system is limited

– DOT will consider whether the proposed project would provide, to a broad segment of the community’s traveling public, important

benefits relevant to the community . Examples include service that would offer new or additional access to a connecting hub airport

, service that would provide convenient

travel times for both business and leisure travelers that would help obviate the need to drive long distances, and service that would offer lower fares

.

5. T he assist ance will be used in a timely manner

– DOT will consider whether a proposed project provides a well

- defined plan and reasonable timetable for use of the grant funds. In DOT’s experience, a reasonable timetable for use of grant funds includes a year to complete studies, two years for marketing and promotion of the airport, community, carrier, or destination, and three years for projects that target a revenue guarantee, subsidy, or other fin ancial incentives

. Applicants should describe how their projects can be accomplished within a reasonable time period

.

6. Multiple communities cooperate to submit a regional or multistate application to consolidate air service into one regional airport

– DOT will consider whether a proposed project involves a consortium effort to consolidate air service into one regional airport. This statutory priority criterion was added pursuant to Section 429 of the FAA

Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (P.L. 112

- 95).

B. Secondary Selection Criteria

1. Innovation

– DOT will consider whether an application proposes new and creative solutions to the transportation issues facing the community, including :

• the extent to which the applicant’s proposed solution(s) to solving the problem(s)

is new or innovative , including whether the proposed project utilizes or

encourages intermodal or regional solutions to connect passengers to the community’s air service (i.e., cost

- effective inter/i ntra city passenger bus service,6

marketin g of intermodal surface transportation options also avail able to air travelers, or projects that have a positive impact on travel and tourism ); and

• whether the proposed project, if successfully implemented, could serve as a working model for other communit ies

.

2. Participation

– DOT will consider whether an application has broad community participation, including:

• whether the proposed project has broad community support; and

• the community’s demonstrated commitment to and participatio n in the proposed project.

3. Location

– DOT will consider the location and characteristics of a community :

• the geographic location of each applicant, including the community’s proximity to larger centers of air service and low

- fare service alternatives;

• the population and business a ctivity

, as well as the relative size of each community; and

• whether the community’s proximity to an existing or prior grant recipient could adversely affect either its proposal or the project undertaken by the other recipient.

4. Other Factors

– DOT will al so consider :

• whether the proposed project clearly addresses the applicant’s stated problems ;

• the community’s existing level of air service and whether that service has been increasing or decreasing;

• whether the applicant has a plan to provide any necessary continued financial support for the proposed project after the requested grant award expires;

• the grant amount requested compared with total funds available for all communities;

• the proposed federal grant amount requested compared with the local share

off ered;

• any letters of intent from airline planning departments or intermodal surface transportation providers on behalf of applications that are specifically intended to enlist new or expanded air service or surface transportation service in support of

the air service in the community ;

• whether the applicant has plans to continue with the proposed project if it is not

self

- sustaining after the grant award expires; and

• equitable and geographic distri bution of available funds

.

C. Additional Guidance

Market A nalysis : Applicants requesting funds for a revenue guarantee/subsidy/ financial incentive are encouraged to conduct and reference in their application s an in

- depth analysis of their target markets

. Target markets can be destination specific (e.g.

, service to LAX), a geographic region (e.g.

, northwest mountain region) or directional (e.g.

, hub in the southeastern United States).7

Complementary M arketing C ommitment : Applicants requesting fun ds for a revenue guarantee/subsidy/financial incentive are encouraged to designate in their applications a portion of the project funds ( f ederal, local or in

- kind) for the development and implementation of a marketing plan in support of the service sought.

Subsidies for a carrier to compete against an incumbent : The Department is reluctant to subsidize one carrier but not others in a competitive market. For this reason, communities that propose to use the grant funds for service in a city

- pair market tha t is already served by another

air carrier must explain in detail why the existing service is insufficient or unsatisfactory, or provide other compelling information to support such proposals.

Cost S haring and Local Contributions : Applications must clearly identify the level of federal funding sought for the proposed project. Applications must also identify the community’s cash contributions to the proposed project, in

- kind contributions from the airport, and in

- kind

contribution s from the community. Non

- federal funds will be applied proportionately to the entire scope of the project. Communities cannot use non

- federal funds to selectively fund certain components of a project (see S ection VI

- Grant Administration

- Payments for mor e information). Cash contributions from airport revenues must be identified separately from cash contributions from other community sources, and cash contributions from the s tate and/or local government should be separately identified and described.

Type s of contributions

. Contributions should represent a new financial commitment or new financial resources devoted to attracting new or improved service, or addressing specific high

- fare or other service issues, such as improving patronage of existing servi ce at the airport. For communities that propose to contribute to the grant project, that contribution can be in the following forms:

Cash from non

- airport revenues. A cash contribution can include funds from the s tate,
the c ounty or local government, an d/or from local businesses, or other private organizations in the community. Contributions that are comprised of intangible non

- cash items, such as the value of donat ed advertising, are considered in

- kind contributions (see further discussion below).

Ca sh from airport revenues. This includes contributions from funds generated by airport operations. Airport revenues may not be used for revenue guarantees to airlines , per 49 U.S.C. §§ 47107 and 47133

. Applications that include local contributions based on airport revenues do not receive priority consideration for selection

.

In

- kind contributions from the airport

. This can include such items as waivers of landing fees, terminal rents, fuel fees, and/or vehicle parking fe es.

In

- kind contributions from the community. This can include such items as donated advertising from media outlets, catering services for inaugural events, or in

- kind trading,8

such as advertising in exchange for free air travel. Travel banks and travel commitments/pledges are considered to be in

- kind contributions

. 1

Cash vs. in

- kind contributions

. Communities that include local contributions made in cash

will be viewed more favorably

.

III. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

The Department will first review each application to determine whether it has satisfied the following eligibility requirements:

1. The applicant is an e ligible a pplicant;

2. The application is for an e ligible p roject (including compliance with the Same Project Limitation); and

3. The appli cation is complete (including submission of a completed SF424 and all of the

information listed in Contents of Application , in Section IV below).

To the extent that the Department determines that an application does not satisfy these eligibility requireme nts, the Department will deem that application ineligible and not consider it further.

The Department will then review all eligible applications based on the selection criteria outlined

above in Section II. Applications that meet one or more of the P rior ity S election C riteria will be viewed more favorably than those that do not meet any P riority S election C riteria

.

Grant awards will be made as promptly as possible so that selected communities can complete the grant agreement process and implement their p lans. Given the competitive nature of the grant process, the Department will not meet with applicants regarding their applications. A ll

non

- confidential portions of each application , all correspondence and ex

- parte communications,

and all orders will be posted in the above

- captioned docket on www.regulations.gov

.

The Department will announce its grant selections in a Selection Order that will be posted in the

above

- captioned docket

, served on all applicants and all parties serve d with this Solicitation Order, and posted on the Department’s SCASDP website at http://www.dot.gov/policy/aviation

policy/small

- community

- rural

- air

- service/SCASDP

.

IV. HOW TO APPLY

Required Steps:

• Determine eligibility ;

• Register with www.grants.gov ( see Registration with www.grants.gov , below);

1 A travel bank involves the actual deposit of funds from participating parties (e.g., businesses, individuals) into a designated bank account for purchasing air travel on the selected airline, with defined procedures for the subsequent

use or withdrawal o f those funds under an agreement with the airline. Often, however, what communities refer to as a travel bank actually involves travel pledges from businesses in the community without any collection of funds or formal procedures for use of the funds. As with other types of in

- kind contributions, the Department views travel banks and pledges included in grant applications as an indicator of local community support.9

• Submit an Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (SF424);

• Submit a completed “Summary Information” schedule

. This is your application cover

sheet ( see Appendix B );

• Submit a detailed application of up to 2 0 pages (one

- sided only , excluding the completed SF424, Summary Information schedule, and any letters from the community or an air carrier showing support for th e application ) that meets all required criteria ( see Appendix C );

• Attach any letters from the community or an air carrier showing support for the application to the proposal, which should be addressed to Brooke Chapman , Associate Director, Small Community Air Service Development Program; and

• Provide separate submission of confidential material, if requested. ( see Appendix D )

An application will not be complete and will be deemed ineligible for a grant award until and

u nless all required materials, including SF424, have been submitted through www.grants.gov by

5 :00 PM EDT on July 26 , 201 3

.

Registration wit h www.grants.gov : Communities must be registered with www.grants.gov in order to submit an application for funds available under this program. For consortium applications, only the Legal Sponsor must be registered with www.grants.gov in order to submit its application for funds available under this program. See Appendix A for additional information on applying through www.grants.gov

.

Contents of Application : There is no set format that must be used for applications. Each application should, to the maximum extent possible, address the selection criteria set forth in Section II, above , including a clear description of the air service needs/deficie ncies and present plans/strategies that direct ly address those needs/deficiencies

. At a minimum, however, each application must include the following information:

• A description of the communit y’ s air service needs or deficiencies , including information

about : (1) major origin/destination markets that are not now serv ed or are not served adequately; (2) fare levels that the community deems relevant to consideration of its application , including market analyses or studies demonstrating an und erstanding of local

air service needs ; and (3) any air service development efforts over the past three years

and the results of those efforts (including marketing and promotional efforts)

.

• A strategic plan for meeting those needs under the Small Community Program

, including the community’ s specific project goal(s) and detailed plan for attaining such goal(s). Applicants are advised to obtain firm assurances from air carriers proposing to offer new air services if a grant is awarded. Plans should:

o f or app lications involving new or improved service, explain how the service will

become self

- sufficient.

o f ully and clearly outline the goals and objectives of the p roject. When an application is selected, these goals and objectives will be incorporated into the grant agreement

, along with the strategic plan, and define the grant agreement’s project scope. Once a grant agreement is signed, the agreement cannot be amended in a way that would alter the project scope

.10

• A detailed description of the funding necessary for implementation of the proposed project ( including federal and non

- federal contributions )

.

• An explanation of how the proposed project differs from any previous projects for which the community received SC ASDP funds ( see Same Project Limitation , above )

.

• Designation of a legal sponsor responsible for administering the proposed project . The legal sponsor of the proposed project must be a government entity , such as a state, county , or municipality . The legal sponsor must be legally, financially, and otherwise able to administer the gr ant, including having the authority to assume and carry out the certifications, representations, warranties, assurances, covenants and other obligations required unde r the grant agreement with the Department and to ensure compliance by the grant recipient with the grant agreement and grant assurances . If the applicant is a public

private partnership, a public government member of the organization must be identified as the community’s sponsor to receive project cost reimbursements. A community may designate only one government entity as the legal sponsor, even if it is applying as a consortium that consists of two or more local government entities. Private organizatio ns may

not be designated as the legal sponsor of a grant under the Small Community Program. The community has the responsibility to ensure that the legal sponsor and grant recipient of any funding has the legal authority under s tate and local laws to carr y out all aspects of the grant

, and the Department may require an opinion of the legal sponsor’ s attorney as to its legal authority to act as a sponsor and to carry out its responsibilities under the grant agreement

.

V. AIR SERVICE DEVELOPM ENT ZONE DESIGN ATION

The statute authorizing the Small Community P rogram also provides that the Department will designate one of the grant recipients in the program as an Air Service Development Zone (ASDZ). A current grant recipient

– with its grant award period extending into FY201 3

– remains active as the ASDZ designee. As a result, the Department is not currently soliciting applications for selection as an ASDZ designee.11

V I

. GRANT ADMINISTRATION

Grant A greement s : Communities awarded grants are required to execute a grant agreement with the Department before they begin to expend funds under the grant award. Applicants should not assume they have received a grant, nor should they obligate or expend local funds prior to receiving and fully executing a grant a greement with the Department. Expenditures made prior to the execution of a grant agreement, including costs associated with preparation of the grant application , will not be reimbursed. Moreover, there are numerous assurances that grant recipients must sign and honor when federal funds are awarded. All communities receiving a grant will be required to accept and meet the obligations created by these assurances when they execute their grant agreements. Copies of assurances are available online at http://www.dot.gov/policy/aviation

- policy/small

- community

- rural

- air

- service/SCASDP

, ( cli ck on “SCASDP Grant Assurances”)

.

Payments : The Small Community Program is a reimbursable program; therefore, communities are required to make expenditures for project implementation under the program prior to seeking reimbursement from the Department. Project implementation costs are reimbursable from grant funds only for services or property delivered during the grant term. Reimbursement rates are calculated as a percentage of the total f ederal funds requested divided by the f ederal funds plus the local cash contribution (which is not refundable)

. The percentage is determined by: (SCASDP Grant Amount) ÷ (SCASDP Grant Amount + Local Cash Contribution + State Cash Contribution, if applicable). Payments/ expenditures in forms other than cash (e.g.

, in

- kind) are not reimbursable. For example, if a community requests $500,000 in f ederal funding and provides $100,000 in local contribution s, the reimbursement rate would be 83.33 percent: ((500,000) / (500,000 + 100,000)) = 83.33.

Grantee R eports : Each grantee must submit quarterly reports on the progress made during the previous quarter in implementing its grant project. In addition, each community will be required to submit a final report on its project to the Department, and 10 percent of the grant funds will

not be rei mbursed to the community until such a final report is received. Additional information on award administration for selected communities will be provided in the grant agreement.

VII: QUESTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

For further information concerning this O rder, please contact Brooke Chapman at Brooke.Chapman@dot.gov or (202) 366

- 0577. A TDD is available for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at (202 ) 366

- 3993 . The Department may post answers to questi ons and other important clarifications in the above

- captioned docket on www.regulations.gov and on the program website at http://www.dot.gov/policy/aviation

- policy/small

- community

- rural

- air

- service/SCASDP

.12

This order is issued under authority delegated in 49 CFR § 1.25a(b)

.

ACCORDINGLY,

1. Applications for funding under the Small Community Air Service Development Program

should be submitted via www.grants.gov as an at tachment to the SF424 by July 26 , 201 3 ; and

2. This Order will be published in the Federal Register

, posted on www.grants.gov and www.regulations.gov

, and served on the Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Governors Association, the National Association of State Aviation Officials, County Executives of America, the American Association of Airport Executives, and the Airports Council I nternational

- North America

.

By:

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for

Aviation and International Affairs

(SEAL)

An electronic version of this document is available

online at www.regulations.gov

.APPENDIX A Page 1

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON APPLYING THROUGH WWW.GRANTS.GOV

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov /Apply

. To apply for funding through www.grants.gov , applicants must be properly registered

. The Grants.gov/Apply feature includes a simple, unified application process that makes it possible for applicants to apply for grants online. There are five “Get Registered” steps for an organization to complete at Grants.gov. Complete instructions on how to register and apply can be found at http://www.grants.gov/a pplicants/organization_registration.jsp

. If applicants experience difficulties at any point during registration or application process, please call the

www.grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1

- 800

- 518

- 4726, Monda y

– Friday from 7 :00 AM

to 9 :00 PM ED T. Registering with www.grants.gov is a one

- time process; however, processing delays may occur and it can take up to several weeks for first

- time registrants to receive

confirmation and a user password. It is highly recommended that applicants start the registration process as early as possible to prevent delays that may preclude submitting an application by the deadlines specified. Applications will not be accepted after July 26 , 2 01 3 ; delayed registration is

not an ac ceptable reason for extensions.

In order to apply for SCASDP funding through www.grants.gov /Apply , all applicants are required to complete the following:

1. DUNS Requirement

. The Office of Management and Budget requires that all businesses and nonprofit applicants for f ederal funds include a Dun and Bradstreet Data

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in their applications for a new award or renewal of an existing award. A DUNS number is a unique nine

- digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of entities receiving f ederal funds. The identifier is used for tracking purposes and to validate address and point of contact informatio n for f ederal a ssistance applicants, recipients, and

sub

- recipients. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. The DUNS number must be included in the data entry field labeled “Organizational DUNS”

on the SF

- 424 form. Instructions for obtaining DUNS number can be found at the following website : http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step1.jsp

.

2. System for Award Management. In addition to having a DUNS number, applicants

app lying electronically through Grants.gov must register with the federal System for Award Management (SAM). Step

- by

- step instructions for registering with SAM can be

found here: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp

. All applicants must register with SAM in order to apply online. Failure to register with the SAM will result in your application being rejected by Grants.gov during the submissions process.

3. Username and P assword. Acquire an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)

and a www.grants.gov u sername and p assword. Complete your AOR profile on

www.grants.gov and create your username a nd password. You will need to use your organization’s DUNS Number to complete this step. For more information about creating a profile on Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/o rg_step3.jsp

.APPENDIX A Page 2

4. After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E

- Biz Point of Contact (E

- Biz POC)

– a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM

– will receive an email to grant the AOR permission to submit applications on behalf of their organization.

The E

- Biz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and approve an applicant as the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. To learn more about AOR

Authorization visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step5.jsp

. To track an AOR

status visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp

.

a. Applicants are, therefore, encouraged to register early. The registration process can take up to four weeks to be completed. Thus, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required

submission deadline s. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have approved as an A O R.

5. Electronic Signature. Applications submitted through Grants.gov constitute a submission as electronically signed applications. The registration and account creation with Grants.gov with E

- Biz POC approval e stablishes an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). When you submit the application through Grants.gov, the name of your AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application . Ap plicants must register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR);

6. Search for the Funding Opportunity on www.grants.gov . Please use the following identifying information when searching for the SCASDP funding opportunity on

www.grants.gov . The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for this

solicitation is 20.930 , titled Payments for Small Community Air Service Development

.

7. Submit an a pplication a ddressing a ll of the r equirements o utlined in this f unding

a vailability a nnouncement. Within 24

– 48 hours after submitting your electronic application, you should receive an email validation message from www.grants.gov . The validation message will tell you whether the application has been received and validated or rejected, with an explanation. You are urged to submit your app lication at least 72 hours prior to the due date of the application to allow time to receive the validation message and to correct any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

8. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic timestamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number from Grants.gov with successful transmission of the application. Applicants should print this receipt and save it, as a proof of timely submission.

9. Grants.gov allows applicants to download the application package, instructions and forms

that are incorporated in the instructions, and work offline. In addition to forms that are part of the application instructions, there will be a series of electronic forms that are provided utilizing Adobe Reader.APPENDIX A Page 3

a. Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader is available for fre e to download from on the Download Software page: http://www.grants.gov/help/download_software.jsp

. Adobe Reader allows applicants to read the electronic files in a form format so that they will look like any other Standard form. The Adobe Reader forms have content sensitive help. This engages the content sensitive help for each field you will need to complete on the form. The Adobe Reader forms can be downloaded and saved on your hard dri ve, network drive(s), or CDs.

b. NOTE : F or the Adobe Reader, Grants.gov is compatible with versions 8.1.1 and

later versions. Always refer to the Download Software page for compatible

versions

. Please do not use lower versions of the Adobe Reader.

c. Mandato ry Fields in Adobe Forms. In the Adobe Reader forms

, you will note fields that will appear with a background color on the data fields to be completed. These fields are mandatory fields and they must be completed to successfully submit your application.

N OTE : When uploading attachments please use generally accepted formats such as .pdf, .doc, and .xls. While you may imbed picture files such as .jpg, .gif, .bmp, in your files, please do not save and submit the attachment in these formats. Additionally, the following formats will not be accepted: .com, .bat, .exe, .vbs, .cfg, .dat, .db, .dbf, .dll, .ini, .log, .ora, .sys, and .zip.

Experiencing Unforeseen www.grants.gov Technical Issues

If you experience unforeseen www.grants.gov technical issues beyond your control that prevent you from submitting your application by 5 p.m. EDT on July 26 , 201 3 , you must contact us at Nina.Tatyanina @dot.gov or (202) 366

- 9959 within 24 hours following the deadline and request approval to submit your application after the deadline has passed. At that time, DOT staff will require you to provide your DUNS number and your www.grants.gov Help Desk tracking number(s). After DOT staff review all of the information submitted and contact the

www.grants.gov Help Desk to validate the technical issues you reported, D OT staff will contact you to either approve or deny your request to submit a late application through www.grants.gov

. If the technical issues you reported cannot be validated, your application will be rejected as

unti mely. To ensure a fair competition for limited discretionary funds, the following conditions are not valid reasons to permit late submissions: (1) Failure to complete the registration process before the deadline date; (2) failure to follow www.grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply as posted on its Web site; (3) failure to follow all of the ins tructions in the funding availability notice; and (4) technical issues experienced w ith the applicant’s computer or

information technology (IT) environment.APPENDIX B Page 1

APPLICATION UNDER

SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

DOCKET DOT

- OST

- 201 3

- 0120

SUMMARY INFORMATION

All applicants must submit this Summary Information schedule , as the application

coversheet

, a completed standard form SF424 and the full application proposal on www.grants.gov

.
For your preparation convenience, this Summary Information schedule is located at http://www.dot.gov/policy/aviation

- policy/small

- community

- rural

- air

- service/SCASDP

A. P ROVIDE THE LEGAL SPO NSOR AND ITS DUN AND BRADSTREET (D&B) DATA UNIVERSAL

NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER , INCLUDING +4, EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICAT ION NUMBER

(EIN) OR TAX ID

. Legal Sponsor Name:

DUNS Number:

EIN/ Tax ID:

B. L IST THE N AME OF THE COMMUNITY OR CONSORTIUM OF COM MUNITIES APPLYING :

1.

____________________________________________________ 2._____________________

_______________________________ 3.____________________________________________________

4.

____________________________________________________

C

. P ROVIDE THE FULL AIRPORT NAME AND 3

- L ETTER IATA A IRPORT C ODE FOR THE

APPLICANT ( S ) AIRPORT ( S ) (O NLY PROVIDE CODES FO R THE AIRPORT ( S ) THAT ARE ACTUALLY

SEEKING SERVICE ).

1. 2

.

3

. 4

.APPENDIX B Page 2

D. L IST THE 2

- DIGIT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CODE APPLIC ABLE TO THE SPONSORI NG

ORGANIZATION , AND IF A CONSORTIUM , TO EACH PARTICIPATIN G COMMUNITY

.

1. 2

.

3

. 4

.

E. A PPLICANT I NFORMATION : (C HECK A LL T HAT A PPLY )

Not a Consortium Interstate Consortium Intrastate Consortium

Community now receives subsidized Essential Air Service

Community (or Consortium member) previously received a Small Community Air Service Development Program Grant

If previous recipient: Year of grant (s) :

F

. P UBLIC /P RIVATE P ARTNERSHIPS : (L IST O RGANIZATION NAMES )

PUBLIC PRIVATE

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

G

. P ROJECT P ROPOSAL : ( CHECK ALL THAT APPLY )

Marketing Upgrade Aircraft New Route

Travel Bank Service Restoration Subsidy

Surface Transportation Regional Service Revenue Guarantee

Launch New Carrier Start

- up Cost Offset First Service

Study Secure Additional Service Other (explain below)

H

. E XISTING L ANDING A IDS AT L OCAL A IRPORT :

Full ILS Outer/Middle Marker Published Instrument Approach

Localizer Other (specify)APPENDIX B Page 3

I

. P ROJECT C OST : D O NOT ENTER TEXT IN SHADED AREA

L INE D ESCRIPTION S UB T OTAL T OTAL A MOUNT

1 Federal amount requested

2 State cash financial contribution

Local cash financial contribution

3a Airport cash funds

3b Non

- airport cash funds

3 Total local cash funds ( 3a + 3b )

4 TOTAL CASH FUNDING ( 1+2+3 )

In

- K ind contribution

5 a Airport In

- Kind contribution **

5b Other In

- Kind contribution **

5 TOTAL IN

- KIND CONTRIBUTION

( 5

a + 5b )

6 TOTAL PROJECT COST ( 4+ 5 )

J . IN

- KIND CONTRIBUTIONS **

For funds in lines 5 a (Airport In

- Kind contribution) and 5 b (Other In

- Kind contribution), please

describe the source(s) of fund(s) and the value ($) of each.APPENDIX B Page 4

K

. I S T HIS A PPLICATION S UBJECT T O R EVIEW B Y S T ATE U NDER E XECUTIVE O RDER 12372

P ROCESS ?

a. This application was made available to the s tate under the Executive Order 12372

Process for review on (date) _____________.

b. Program is subject to E.O. 12372, but has not been selected by the s tate for review.

c. Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.

L

. I S T HE A PPLICANT D ELINQUENT O N A NY F EDERAL D EBT ? (I F “Y ES ”, P ROVIDE

E XPLANATION )

No Yes ( explain)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________APPENDIX C

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

I NCLUDED ? I TEM

For Immediate Action

Determine Eligibility

New Grants.gov users must r egister with www.grants.gov

. Existing Grants.gov users must verify ex isting www.grants.gov account has not expired

and the A uthorized O rganization R epresentative (AOR) is current

. For Submission by 5:00 PM EDT on July 26 , 201 3

Communities with active SCASDP grants: n otify DOT/X50 of intent to terminate

exis ting grant in order to be eligib le for selection in FY201 3

. Complete Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (SF424) via www.grants.gov

S ummary Information s chedule complete and used as cover sheet (see Appendix B )

A pplication of up to 2 0 one

- sided pages (excluding any letters from the community or an air carrier showing support for the application ) , to include:

• A description of the community’ s air service needs or deficiencies

.

• A strategic plan for meeting those needs under the Small Community Program

.

• A detailed description of the funding necessary for implementation of the community's project

.

• An explanation of how the proposed project differs from any pr evious projects for which the community received SCASDP funds (if applicable).

• Designation of a legal sponsor responsible for administering the program

.

• A motion for confidential treatment ( if applicable)

.APPENDIX D

Confidential Commercial Information

Applicants will be able to provide certain confidential business information relevant to their proposals on a confidential basis. Under the Department’s Freedom of Information Act regulations (49 C.F.R. § 7.17), such information is limited to commercial or financial information that, if disclosed, would either likely cause substantial harm to the competitive position of a business or enterprise or make it more difficult for the Federal Government to

obtain similar information in the future.

Applicants seeking confidential treatment of a portion of their applications must segregate the confidential material in a sealed envelope marked “Confidential Submission of X (the a pplicant)

in Docket DOT

- OST

- 201 3

- 0120 ,” and include with that material a request in the form of a motion seeking confidential treatment of the material under 14 C

. F

. R

. § 302.12 ( “ Rule 12 ” ) of the Department’s regulations. The applicant should submit an original and two copies of its motion and an original and two copies of the confidential material in the sealed envelope.

The confidential material sh ould not be included with the original of the applicant’s proposal that

is submitted via www.grants.gov . The applicant’s original submission, however, should indicate clearly where the confidential material would have been inserted. If an applicant invokes Rule 12, the confidential portion of its filing will be treated as confidential pending a final determination. All confidential material must be received by July 26 , 201 3 , and delivered to the

Office of Aviation An alysis, 8 th Floor, Roo m W86

- 3 07 , 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington,

DC 20590.

A template for the confidential motion can be found at http://www.dot.gov/policy/aviation

policy/small

- community

- rural

- air

- service/SCASDP

.