Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 133 / Wednesday, July 11, 2018 / Notices 32185 

allows external users to register and 

gain secure access to SAS functions for 

initial certification, configuration, and 

to collaborate with their FAA 

counterparts in the execution of these 

functions. There will be extensive use of 

the External Portal for submittal of 

electronic documents from certificate 

holders and applicants. SAS External 

Portal is now accessible to all users via 

the internet, regardless of geographical 

location of the certificate holder or 

applicant, thus making it easier for 

applicants and certificate holders to 

collaborate with the FAA. 

Respondents: 300 respondents. 

Frequency: On occasion. 

Estimated Average Burden per 

Response: 146 hours. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden: 

43,800 hours. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 28, 

2018. 

Barbara Hall, 

FAA Information Collection Clearance 

Officer, IT Enterprises Business Services 

Division, ASP–110. 

[FR Doc. 2018–14784 Filed 7–10–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

FY 2018 Competitive Funding 

Opportunity: Public Transportation on 

Indian Reservations Program; Tribal 

Transit Program 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration 

(FTA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity 

(NOFO). 

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit 

Administration (FTA) announces the 

availability of approximately $5 million 

in funding provided by the Public 

Transportation on Indian Reservations 

Program (Tribal Transit Program). This 

notice is a national solicitation for 

project proposals and includes the 

selection criteria and program eligibility 

information for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 

projects. FTA may fund the program for 

more or less than the full year 

appropriation when made available, and 

may include other funding if available 

from prior fiscal years toward project 

proposals received in response to this 

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). 

This announcement is available on 

the FTA website at: http://

www.transit.dot.gov. Additionally, a 

synopsis of the funding opportunity, 

FTA–2018–001–TPM–TR, will be 

posted in the FIND module of the 

government-wide electronic grants 

website at http://www.grants.gov. The 

program is located in the Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) 

under 20.509. 

DATES: Complete proposals for the TTP 

announced in this Notice must be 

submitted by 11:59 p.m. EDT on 

September 10, 2018. All proposals must 

be submitted electronically through the 

GRANTS.GOV APPLY function. Any 

applicant intending to apply should 

initiate the process of registering on the 

GRANTS.GOV site immediately to 

ensure completion of registration before 

the submission deadline. Instructions 

for applying can be found on FTA’s 

website at http://www.transit.dot.gov 

and in the ‘‘FIND’’ module of 

GRANTS.GOV. Mail and fax 

submissions will not be accepted. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Contact the appropriate FTA Regional 

Office at http://www.transit.dot.gov for 

proposal-specific information and 

issues. For general program information, 

contact Douglas Moore, Office of 

Program Management, (202) 366–0876, 

email: douglas.moore@dot.gov. A TDD 

is available at 1–800–877–8339 (TDD/ 

FIRS). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

A. Program Description 

B. Federal Award Information 

C. Eligibility Information 

D. Application and Submission Information 

E. Application Review 

F. Federal Award Administration 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

Appendix A: Registering in SAM and 

Grants.gov 

A. Program Description 

The Tribal Transit Program is 

authorized by Federal Transit law 49 

U.S.C. 5311(c)(1)(A), as amended by the 

Fixing America’s Surface Transportation 

(FAST) Act, Public Law 114–94 

(December 4, 2015), contingent on full 

appropriations. The FAST Act increased 

the Tribal Transit formula program from 

$25 million to $30 million and 

continued the $5 million competitive 

program authorized under 49 U.S.C. 

5311(c)(1). The program authorizes 

grants ‘‘under such terms and 

conditions as may be established by the 

Secretary’’ to Indian tribes for any 

purpose eligible under FTA’s Formula 

Grants for Rural Areas Program, 49 

U.S.C. 5311. Tribes may apply for this 

funding directly. 

The primary purpose of these 

competitively selected grants is to 

support planning, capital, and, in 

limited circumstances, operating 

assistance for tribal public transit 

services. Funds distributed to Indian 

tribes under the TTP should NOT 

replace or reduce funds that Indian 

tribes receive from States through FTA’s 

Formula Grants for Rural Areas 

Program. Specific project eligibility 

under this competitive allocation is 

described in Section C of this notice. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Five million dollars is authorized for 

the Tribal Transit competitive allocation 

in FY 2018 to projects selected pursuant 

to the process described in the following 

sections. Federal awards under this 

competitive program will be in the form 

of grants. Additionally, there is a 

$25,000 cap on planning grant awards, 

and FTA has the discretion to cap 

capital and operating awards. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants 

Eligible applicants include federally 

recognized Indian tribes or Alaska 

Native villages, groups, or communities 

as identified by the U.S. Department of 

the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Indian 

Affairs (BIA). As evidence of Federal 

recognition, an Indian tribe may submit 

a copy of the most up-to-date Federal 

Register notice published by BIA: 

Entities Recognized and Eligible to 

Receive Service from the United States 

Bureau of Indian Affairs. To be an 

eligible recipient, an Indian tribe must 

have the requisite legal, financial and 

technical capabilities to receive and 

administer Federal funds under this 

program. Additionally, applicants must 

be located and provide service in a rural 

area with a population of 50,000 or less. 

A service area can include some 

portions of urban areas, as long as the 

tribal transit service begins in and 

serves rural areas. An applicant must be 

registered in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) database and 

maintain an active SAM registration 

with current information at all times 

during which it has an active Federal 

award or an application or plan under 

consideration by FTA. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

There is a 90 percent Federal share for 

projects selected under the TTP 

competitive program, unless the Indian 

tribe can demonstrate a financial 

hardship in its application. FTA is 

interested in the Indian tribe’s financial 

commitment to the proposed project, 

thus the proposal should include a 

description of the Indian tribe’s 

financial commitment. Tribes may use 

any eligible local match under 

Chapter 53. 


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3. Eligible Projects 

Eligible projects include public 

transportation planning and capital 

expenses. Operating projects are eligible 

in limited circumstances. In FY 2018, 

FTA will only consider operating 

assistance requests from tribes without 

existing transit service, or those tribes 

who received a TTP formula allocation 

of less than $20,000. 

Public transportation includes 

regular, continuing shared-ride surface 

transportation services open to the 

public or open to a segment of the 

public defined by age, disability, or low 

income. FTA will award grants to 

eligible Indian tribes located in rural 

areas. Applicants may submit one 

proposal for each project or one 

proposal containing multiple projects. 

Specific types of projects include: 

Capital projects for start-ups, 

replacement or expansion needs; 

operating assistance for start-ups; and 

planning projects up to $25,000. Indian 

tribes applying for capital replacement 

or expansion needs must demonstrate a 

sustainable source of operating funds for 

existing or expanded services. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package 

A complete proposal submission will 

consist of at least two files: (1) The SF 

424 Mandatory form (downloaded from 

GRANTS.GOV); and (2) the Tribal 

Transit supplemental form found on the 

FTA website at http://

www.transit.dot.gov. The Tribal Transit 

supplemental form provides guidance 

and a consistent format for applicants to 

respond to the criteria outlined in this 

NOFO. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

(i) Proposal Submission 

A complete proposal submission will 

consist of at least two files: (1) The SF 

424 Mandatory form (downloaded from 

GRANTS.GOV); and (2) the Tribal 

Transit supplemental form found on the 

FTA website at http://

www.transit.dot.gov. The applicant must 

place the supplemental form in the 

attachments section of the SF–424 

Mandatory form. Applicants must use 

the supplemental form designated for 

TTP and attach the form to their 

submission in GRANTS.GOV to 

complete the application process. A 

proposal submission may include 

additional supporting documentation as 

attachments. Within 24 to 48 hours after 

submitting an electronic application, the 

applicant should receive three email 

messages from GRANTS.GOV: (1) 

Confirmation of successful or 

unsuccessful transmission to 

GRANTS.GOV; (2) confirmation of 

successful validation by GRANTS.GOV; 

and (3) confirmation of successful 

validation by FTA. If the applicant does 

not receive confirmations of successful 

validation or instead receives a notice of 

failed validation or incomplete 

materials, the applicant must address 

the reason(s) for the failed validation or 

incomplete materials, as described in 

the notice, and resubmit the proposal 

before the submission deadline. If 

making a resubmission for any reason, 

the applicant must include all original 

attachments regardless of which 

attachments were updated and check 

the box on the supplemental form 

indicating this is a resubmission. 

Complete instructions on the 

application process can be found at 

http://www.transit.dot.gov. Important: 

FTA urges applicants to submit their 

project proposals at least 72 hours prior 

to the due date to allow time to receive 

the validation message and to correct 

any problems that may have caused a 

rejection notification. FTA will not 

accept submissions after the stated 

submission deadline. GRANTS.GOV 

scheduled maintenance and outage 

times are announced on the 

GRANTS.GOV website http://

www.GRANTS.GOV. The deadline will 

not be extended due to scheduled 

maintenance or outages. 

Applicants are encouraged to begin 

the process of registration on the 

Grants.gov site well in advance of the 

submission deadline. Registration is a 

multi-step process which may take 

several weeks to complete before an 

application can be submitted. Registered 

proposers may still be required to take 

steps to keep their registration up to 

date before submissions can be made 

successfully: (1) Registration in the 

SAM is renewed annually; and (2) 

persons making submissions on behalf 

of the Authorized Organization 

Representative (AOR) must be 

authorized in Grants.gov by the AOR to 

make submissions. Instructions on the 

Grants.gov registration process are 

provided at https://www.grants.gov/ 

web/grants/applicants.html. 

Applicants may submit one proposal 

for each project or one proposal 

containing multiple projects. Applicants 

submitting multiple projects in one 

proposal must be sure to clearly define 

each project by completing a 

supplemental form for each project. 

Additional supplemental forms must be 

added within the proposal by clicking 

the ‘‘add project’’ button in Section II of 

the supplemental form. 

Information such as applicant name, 

Federal amount requested, description 

of areas served, and other information 

may be requested in varying degrees of 

detail on both the SF 424 form and 

supplemental form. Applicants must fill 

in all fields unless stated otherwise on 

the forms. Applicants should use both 

the ‘‘Check Package for Errors’’ and the 

‘‘Validate Form’’ validation buttons on 

both forms to check all required fields 

on the forms, and ensure that the 

Federal and local amounts specified are 

consistent. 

(ii) Application Content 

The SF 424 Mandatory Form and the 

Supplemental Form will prompt 

applicants for the required information, 

including: 

a. Name of federally recognized tribe 

and, if appropriate, the specific tribal 

agency submitting the application. 

b. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number if available. (Note: If selected, 

applicant will be required to provide 

DUNS number prior to grant award.) 

c. Contact information including: 

Contact name, title, address, fax and 

phone number, email address if 

available. 

d. Description of public transportation 

services including areas currently 

served by the tribe, if any. 

e. Name of person(s) authorized to 

apply on applicant’s behalf must 

accompany the proposal (attach a signed 

transmittal letter). 

f. Complete Project Description: 

Indicate the category for which funding 

is requested (i.e., project type: capital, 

operating or planning), and then 

indicate the project purpose (i.e., startup, expansion or replacement). Describe 

the proposed project and what it will 

accomplish (e.g., number and type of 

vehicles, routes, service area, schedules, 

type of services, fixed route or demand 

responsive, safety aspects), route miles 

(if fixed route), ridership numbers 

expected (actual if an existing system, 

estimated if a new system), major 

origins and destinations, population 

served, and whether the tribe provides 

the service directly, contracts for 

services, and note vehicle maintenance 

plans. 

g. Project Timeline: Include 

significant milestones such as date of 

contract for purchase of vehicle(s), 

actual or expected delivery date of 

vehicles; facility project phases (e.g., 

NEPA compliance, design, 

construction); or dates for completion of 

planning studies. If applying for 

operational funding for new services, 


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indicate the period of time funds are 

used to operate the system (e.g., one 

year). This section should also include 

any needed timelines for tribal council 

project approvals, if applicable. 

h. Budget: Provide a detailed budget 

for each proposed purpose noting the 

Federal amount requested and any 

additional funds that will be used. An 

Indian tribe may use up to fifteen 

percent of a grant award for capital 

projects for specific project-related 

planning and administration, and the 

indirect cost rate may not exceed ten 

percent (if necessary add as an 

attachment) of the total amount 

requested/awarded. Indian tribes must 

also provide their annual operating 

budget as an attachment or under the 

Financial Commitment and Operating 

Capacity section of the supplemental 

form. 

i. Technical, Legal, Financial 

Capacity: Applicants must be able to 

demonstrate adequate technical, legal 

and financial capacity to be considered 

for funding. Every proposal MUST 

describe this capacity to implement the 

proposed project. 

1. Technical Capacity: Provide 

examples of management of other 

Federal projects, including previously 

funded FTA projects and/or similar 

types of projects for which funding is 

being requested. Describe the resources 

available to implement the proposed 

transit project. 

2. Legal Capacity: Provide 

documentation or other evidence to 

demonstrate status as a federally 

recognized Indian tribe. Further, 

demonstrate evidence of an authorized 

representative with authority to bind the 

applicant and execute legal agreements 

with FTA. If applying for capital or 

operating funds, identify whether 

appropriate Federal or State operating 

authority exists. 

3. Financial Capacity: Provide 

documentation or other evidence 

demonstrating current adequate 

financial systems to receive and manage 

a Federal grant. Fully describe: (1) All 

financial systems and controls; (2) other 

sources of funds currently managed; and 

(3) the long-term financial capacity to 

maintain the proposed or existing 

transit services. 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System 

for Award Management (SAM) 

Each applicant is required to: (1) Be 

registered in SAM before submitting an 

application; (2) provide a valid unique 

entity identifier in its application; and 

(3) continue to maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information at 

all times during which the applicant has 

an active Federal award or an 

application or plan under consideration 

by FTA. These requirements do not 

apply if the applicant: (1) Is an 

individual; (2) is excepted from the 

requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or 

(c); or (3) has an exception approved by 

FTA under 2 CFR 25.110(d). FTA may 

not make an award until the applicant 

has complied with all applicable unique 

entity identifier and SAM requirements. 

If an applicant has not fully complied 

with the requirements by the time FTA 

is ready to make an award, FTA may 

determine that the applicant is not 

qualified to receive an award and use 

that determination as a basis for making 

a Federal award to another applicant. 

SAM registration takes approximately 

3–5 business days, but FTA 

recommends allowing ample time, up to 

several weeks, for completion of all 

steps. 

Step 1: Obtain DUNS Number 

If requested by phone (1–866–705– 

5711) DUNS is provided immediately. If 

your organization does not have one, 

you will need to go to the Dun & 

Bradstreet website at http://

fedgov.dnb.com/webform to obtain the 

number. 

Step 2: Register With SAM 

Three to five business days or up to 

two weeks. If you already have a 

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), 

your SAM registration will take three to 

five business days to process. If you are 

applying for an Employer Identification 

Number (EIN) please allow up to two 

weeks. Ensure that your organization is 

registered with the System for Award 

Management (SAM) at https://

www.sam.gov. If your organization is 

not, an authorizing official of your 

organization must register. 

Step 3: Establish an Account in 

Grants.gov—Username & Password 

Complete your Authorized 

Organization Representative (AOR) 

profile in Grants.gov and create your 

username and password. You will need 

to use your organization’s DUNS 

Number to complete this step. https://

apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister. 

Step 4: Grants.gov—AOR Authorization 

The E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) at your organization must 

login to Grants.gov to confirm an 

Authorized Organization Representative 

(AOR). Please note that there can be 

more than one AOR for your 

organization. In some cases the E-Biz 

POC is also the AOR for an organization. 

*Time depends on responsiveness of 

your E-Biz POC. 

Step 5: Track AOR Status 

At any time, you can track your AOR 

status by logging in with your username 

and password. Login as an Applicant 

(enter your username & password you 

obtained in Step 3) using the following 

link: applicant_profile.jsp. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

Project proposals must be submitted 

electronically through GRANTS.GOV by 

11:59 p.m. EDT on September 10, 2018. 

Mail and fax submissions will not be 

accepted. Proposals submitted after the 

deadline will not be considered under 

any circumstance. Applications are time 

and date stamped by the FTA’s 

Discretionary Grants System (DGS) 

upon successful submission. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

Funds must be used only for the 

specific purposes requested in the 

application. Funds under this NOFO 

cannot be used to reimburse projects for 

otherwise eligible expenses incurred 

prior to FTA award under this program. 

6. Other Submission Requirements 

FTA requires that all project 

proposals be submitted electronically 

through http://www.GRANTS.GOV by 

11:59 p.m. EDT on September 10, 2018. 

Mail and fax submissions will not be 

accepted. 

E. Application Review 

1. Selection Criteria 

FTA will use the following primary 

selection criteria when evaluating 

competing capital and operating 

assistance projects eligible under this 

program. Applications will be evaluated 

based on the quality and extent to 

which the following evaluation criteria 

are addressed. 

i. Planning and Local/Regional 

Prioritization 

Applications will be evaluated based 

on the degree to which the applicant: (1) 

Describes how the proposed project was 

developed; (2) demonstrates that a 

sound basis for the project exists; and 

(3) demonstrates that the applicant is 

ready to implement the project if 

funded. Information may vary 

depending upon how the planning 

process for the project was conducted 

and what is being requested. Planning 

and local/regional prioritization should: 

a. Describe the planning document 

and/or the planning process conducted 

to identify the proposed project; 

b. Provide a detailed project 

description including the proposed 

service, vehicle and facility needs, and 

other pertinent characteristics of the 


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proposed or existing service 

implementation; 

c. Identify existing transportation 

services in and near the proposed 

service area, and document in detail 

whether the proposed project will 

provide opportunities to coordinate 

service with existing transit services, 

including human service agencies, 

intercity bus services, or other public 

transit providers; 

d. Discuss the level of support by the 

community and/or tribal government for 

the proposed project; 

e. Describe how the mobility and 

client-access needs of tribal human 

services agencies were considered in the 

planning process; 

f. Describe what opportunities for 

public participation were provided in 

the planning process and how the 

proposed transit service or existing 

service has been coordinated with 

transportation provided for the clients 

of human services agencies, with 

intercity bus transportation in the area, 

or with any other rural public transit 

providers; 

g. Describe how the proposed service 

complements rather than duplicates any 

currently available services; 

h. Describe the implementation 

schedule for the proposed project, 

including time period, staffing, and 

procurement; and 

i. Describe any other planning or 

coordination efforts not mentioned 

above. 

ii. Project Readiness 

Applications will be evaluated on the 

degree to which the applicant describes 

readiness to implement the project. The 

project readiness factor involves 

assessing whether: 

a. Project is a Categorical Exclusion 

(CE) or the required environmental work 

has been initiated or completed for 

construction projects requiring an 

Environmental Assessment (EA) or 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

under, among others, the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

Amended; 

b. Project implementation plans are 

complete, including initial design of 

facilities Projects; 

c. Project funds can be obligated and 

the project can be implemented quickly, 

if selected; and 

d. Applicant demonstrates the ability 

to carry out the proposed project 

successfully. 

iii. Demonstration of Need 

Applications will be evaluated based 

on the degree to which the applicant 

identifies the need for transit resources. 

In addition to project-specific criteria, 

FTA will consider the project’s impact 

on service delivery and whether the 

project represents a one-time or periodic 

need that cannot reasonably be funded 

from the FTA program formula 

allocations or State and/or local 

resources. FTA will evaluate how the 

proposal demonstrates the transit needs 

of the Indian tribe as well as how the 

proposed transit improvements or the 

new service will address identified 

transit needs. Proposals should include 

information such as destinations and 

services not currently accessible by 

transit, needs for access to jobs or health 

care, safety enhancements or special 

needs of elders, individuals with 

disabilities, behavioral health care 

needs of youth, income-based 

community needs, or other mobility 

needs. If an applicant received a 

planning grant in previous fiscal years, 

it should indicate the status of the 

planning study and how the proposed 

project relates to that study. 

Applicants applying for capital 

expansion or replacement projects 

should also address the following 

factors in their proposal. If the proposal 

is for capital funding associated with an 

expansion or expanded service, the 

applicant should describe how current 

or growing demand for the service 

necessitates the expansion (and 

therefore, more capital) and/or the 

degree to how the project is addressing 

a current capacity constraint. Capital 

replacement projects should include 

information about the age, condition, 

and performance of the asset to be 

replaced by the proposed project and/or 

how the replacement may be necessary 

to maintain the transit system in a state 

of good repair. 

iv. Demonstration of Benefits 

Applications will be evaluated based 

on the degree to which the applicant 

identifies expected or, in the case of 

existing service, achieved project 

benefits. FTA is particularly interested 

in how these investments will improve 

the quality of life for the tribe and 

surrounding communities in which it is 

located. Applicants should describe 

how the transportation service or capital 

investment will provide greater access 

to employment opportunities, 

educational centers, healthcare, or other 

needs that profoundly impact the 

quality of life for the community, as 

described in the program purpose 

above. Possible examples include 

increased or sustained ridership and 

daily trips, improved service, 

elimination of gaps in service, improved 

operations and coordination, increased 

reliability, health care, education, and 

economic benefits to the community. 

Benefits can be demonstrated by 

identifying the population of tribal 

members and non-tribal members in the 

proposed project service area and 

estimating the number of daily one-way 

trips the proposed transit service will 

provide or the actual number of 

individual riders served. Applicants are 

encouraged to consider qualitative and 

quantitative benefits to the Indian tribe 

and to the surrounding communities 

that are meaningful to them. 

Based on the information provided 

under the demonstration of benefits, 

FTA will rate proposals based on the 

quality and extent to which they discuss 

the following four factors: 

a. The project’s ability to improve 

transit efficiency or increase ridership; 

b. Whether the project will improve or 

maintain mobility, or eliminate gaps in 

service for the Indian tribe; 

c. Whether the project will improve or 

maintain access to important 

destinations and services; 

d. Any other qualitative benefits, such 

as greater access to jobs, education and 

health care services. 

v. Financial Commitment and Operating 

Capacity 

Applications must identify the source 

of local match (10 percent is required 

for all operating and capital projects), 

and any other funding sources used by 

the Indian tribe to support proposed 

transit services, including human 

service transportation funding, FHWA’s 

Tribal Transportation Program funding, 

or other FTA programs. If requesting 

that FTA waive the local match based 

on financial hardship, the applicant 

must submit budgets and sources of 

other revenue to demonstrate hardship. 

FTA will review this information and 

notify tribes at the time of award if the 

waiver is approved. If applicable, the 

applicant also should describe how 

prior year TTP funds were spent to date 

to support the service. Additionally, 

Indian tribes applying to operate new 

services should provide a sustainable 

funding plan that demonstrates how it 

intends to maintain operations. 


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In evaluating proposals, FTA will 

consider any other resources the Indian 

tribe will contribute to the project, 

including in-kind contributions, 

commitments of support from local 

businesses, donations of land or 

equipment, and human resources. The 

proposal should describe to what extent 

the new project or funding for existing 

service leverages other funding. Based 

upon the information provided, the 

proposals will be rated on the extent to 

which the proposal demonstrates that: 

a. TTP funding does not replace 

existing funding; 

b. The Indian tribe will provide nonfinancial support to the project; 

c. The Indian tribe is able to 

demonstrate a sustainable funding plan; 

and 

d. Project funds are used in 

coordination with other services for 

efficient utilization of funds. 

vi. Evaluation Criteria for Planning 

Proposals 

For planning grants, the proposal 

must describe the need for and a general 

scope of the proposed study. 

Applications will be evaluated based on 

the degree to which the applicant 

addresses the following: 

1. The tribe’s long-term commitment 

to transit; and 

2. The method used to implement the 

proposed study and/or further tribal 

transit. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

An FTA technical evaluation 

committee will review proposals under 

the project evaluation criteria. Members 

of the technical evaluation committee 

and other involved FTA staff reserve the 

right to screen, rate the applications, 

and seek clarification about any 

statement in an application. After 

consideration of the findings of the 

technical evaluation committee, the 

FTA Administrator will determine the 

final selection and amount of funding 

for each project. Geographic diversity 

and the applicant’s receipt and 

management of other Federal transit 

funds may be considered in FTA’s 

award decisions. After applying the 

above preferences, the FTA 

Administrator will consider the 

following key Departmental objectives: 

(A) Supporting economic vitality at 

the national and regional level; 

(B) Utilizing alternative funding 

sources and innovative financing 

models to attract non-Federal sources of 

infrastructure investment; 

(C) Accounting for the life-cycle costs 

of the project to promote the state of 

good repair; 

(D) Using innovative approaches to 

improve safety and expedite project 

delivery; and, 

(E) Holding grant recipients 

accountable for their performance and 

achieving specific, measurable 

outcomes identified by grant applicants. 

Prior to making an award, FTA is 

required to review and consider any 

information about the applicant that is 

in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through 

SAM (currently FAPIIS). An applicant, 

at its option, may review information in 

the designated integrity and 

performance systems accessible through 

SAM and comment on any information 

about itself that a Federal awarding 

agency previously entered and is 

currently in the designated integrity and 

performance system accessible through 

SAM. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

1. Federal Award Notice 

FTA will publish a list of the selected 

projects, including Federal dollar 

amounts and award recipients on the 

FTA’s website. Project recipients should 

contact their FTA Regional Offices and 

tribal liaison for information about 

setting up grants in FTA’s Transit 

Award Management System (TrAMS). 

2. Award Administration 

Successful proposals will be awarded 

through FTA’s TrAMS as grant 

agreements. The appropriate FTA 

Regional Office and tribal liaison will 

manage project agreements. 

3. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Except as otherwise provided in this 

NOFO, TTP grants are subject to the 

requirements of 49 U.S.C. 5311(c)(1) as 

described in the latest FTA Circular 

9040 for the Formula Grants for Rural 

Areas Program. 

4. Reporting 

The post award reporting 

requirements include submission of the 

Federal Financial Report (FFR) and 

Milestone Progress Report in TrAMs, 

and FTA’s National Transit Database 

(NTD) reporting as appropriate (see FTA 

Circular 9040). Reports to TrAMS and 

NTD are due annually. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For further information concerning 

this notice, please contact Douglas 

Moore, Office of Program Management, 

(202) 366–0876, email: douglas.moore@

dot.gov. A TDD is available at 1–800– 

877–8339 (TDD/FIRS). 

H. Other Information 

This program is not subject to 

Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.’’ FTA will consider 

applications for funding only from 

eligible recipients for eligible projects 

listed in Section C–2. Due to funding 

limitations, applicants that are selected 

for funding may receive less than the 

amount requested. 

Additionally, to assist tribes with 

understanding requirements under the 

TTP, FTA has conducted Tribal Transit 

Technical Assistance Workshops and 

will continue those efforts in FY 2018. 

FTA has expanded its technical 

assistance to tribes receiving funds 

under this program. Through the Tribal 

Transit Technical Assistance 

Assessments Initiative, FTA collaborates 

with Tribal Transit Leaders to review 

processes and identify areas in need of 

improvement and then assists to offer 

solutions to address these needs—all in 

a supportive and mutually beneficial 

manner that results in technical 

assistance. FTA has completed thirty 

assessments to date and expects to 

conduct fifteen assessments in FY 2018. 

These assessments include discussions 

of compliance areas pursuant to the 

Master Agreement, a site visit, 

promising practices reviews, and 

technical assistance from FTA and its 

contractors. These workshops and 

assessments have received exemplary 

feedback from Tribal Transit Leaders 

and provided FTA with invaluable 

opportunities to learn more about Tribal 

Transit Leaders’ perspectives and better 

honor the sovereignty of tribal nations. 

FTA will post information about 

upcoming workshops to its website and 

will disseminate information about the 

assessments through its regional offices. 

Contact information for FTA’s 

regional offices can be found on FTA’s 

website at www.transit.dot.gov. 

Applicants may also receive technical 

assistance by contacting their FTA 

regional Tribal Liaison. A list of Tribal 

Liaisons is available on FTA’s website at 

www.transit.dot.gov. 

Issued in Washington, DC. 

K. Jane Williams, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2018–14748 Filed 7–10–18; 8:45 am] 

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