Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 124 / Thursday, June 27, 2013 / Notices 38783 

may be mailed to Mr. Richard Cairo, 

General Counsel, Susquehanna River 

Basin Commission, 1721 North Front 

Street, Harrisburg, Pa. 17102–2391, or 

submitted electronically through http:// 

www.srbc.net/pubinfo/public

participation.htm. Comments mailed or 

electronically submitted must be 

received by the Commission on or 

before August 26, 2013, to be 

considered. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 

20, 2013, the Susquehanna River Basin 

Commission released a proposed 2013 

Update of the Comprehensive Plan for 

public review and comment. The public 

should take note that the August 15, 

2013, public hearing will be the only 

opportunity to offer oral comment to the 

Commission on the 2013 Update of the 

Comprehensive Plan. Written comments 

may be submitted at any time during the 

public comment period, which closes 

on August 26, 2013. The 2013 Update of 

the Comprehensive Plan is intended to 

be scheduled for Commission action at 

a future business meeting, tentatively 

scheduled for December 12, 2013, 

which will be noticed separately. 

Authority: Pub. L. 91–575, 84 Stat. 1509 

et seq., 18 CFR parts 806, 807, and 808. 

Dated: June 21, 2013. 

Paul O. Swartz, 

Executive Director. 

[FR Doc. 2013–15419 Filed 6–26–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7040–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of the Secretary 

[Docket DOT–OST–2013–0120] 

Grant Applications; Small Community 

Air Service Development Program 

under 49 U.S.C. 41743 et seq.; Order 

Soliciting Small Community Grant 

Proposals 

Issued by the Department of Transportation 

on the 24th day of June, 2013. 

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. Applications of no 

more than 20 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 p.m. 

EDT on Friday, July 26, 2013. 

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 

Information 

I. Background 

The Small Community Program was 

established by the Wendell H. Ford 

Aviation Investment and Reform Act for 

the 21st Century (Pub. L. 106–181) and 

reauthorized by the Vision 100-Century 

of Aviation Reauthorization Act (Pub. 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. 41743. 

The Small Community Program is 

authorized to receive appropriations 

under 49 U.S.C. 41743(e)(2), as 

amended. Appropriations are provided 

for this program for award selection in 

FY 2013 pursuant to the FAA 

Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 

(Pub. L. 112–95). The Department has 

up to $11.5 million available for FY 

2013 grant awards to carry out 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 communities or 

consortia of communities, or a 

combination thereof, from the same 

state may be selected to participate in 

the program in 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 authorities. 

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 EASsubsidized 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 

by 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, with one joint 

objective, including the establishment of 

one entity to ensure that the joint 

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 

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38784 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 124 / Thursday, June 27, 2013 / Notices 

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 restrictions 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 previous 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 application. 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, or 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 goals or 

significantly 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, for 

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 

expansions 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 

Criteria. Applications that meet one or 

more of the Priority Selection Criteria 

will be viewed more favorably than 

those that do not meet any Priority 

Selection Criteria. 

A. Priority Selection Criteria 

The law directs the Department to 

give priority consideration 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) Airline 

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 

computed as a percentage above or 

below the national averages. 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 

the 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. 

2. The community or consortium will 

provide a portion of the cost of the 

activity from local sources other than 

airport revenue sources—DOT will 

consider whether a community or 

consortium proposes local funding for 

the proposed project. Applications 

providing proportionately higher levels 

of cash contributions 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. The community or consortium has 

established or will establish a publicprivate partnership to facilitate air 

carrier 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 

implementation of the proposed project 

will be viewed more favorably. 

4. The assistance will provide 

material benefits to a broad segment of 

the traveling public, including 

businesses, educational institutions, 

and other enterprises, whose access to 

the national air transportation 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. The assistance 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 

financial 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 

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1A 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 of 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. 

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 (Pub. 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., costeffective inter/intra city passenger bus 

service, marketing of intermodal surface 

transportation options also available 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 

communities. 

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 participation 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 

activity, 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 also 

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 

offered; 

• 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 

distribution of available funds. 

C. Additional Guidance 

Market Analysis: Applicants 

requesting funds for a revenue 

guarantee/subsidy/financial incentive 

are encouraged to conduct and reference 

in their applications 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). 

Complementary Marketing 

Commitment: Applicants requesting 

funds for a revenue guarantee/subsidy/ 

financial incentive are encouraged to 

designate in their applications a portion 

of the project funds (federal, local or inkind) 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 that 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 Sharing 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 contributions 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 Section VI—Grant 

Administration—Payments for more 

information). Cash contributions from 

airport revenues must be identified 

separately from cash contributions from 

other community sources, and cash 

contributions from the state and/or local 

government should be separately 

identified and described. 

Types 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 service 

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 state, the county or local 

government, and/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 donated advertising, are 

considered in-kind contributions (see 

further discussion below). 

Cash 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 fees. 

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, 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. 

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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 eligible 

applicant; 

2. The application is for an eligible 

project (including compliance with the 

Same Project Limitation); and 

3. The application 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 requirements, 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 Priority Selection Criteria 

will be viewed more favorably than 

those that do not meet any Priority 

Selection Criteria. 

Grant awards will be made as 

promptly as possible so that selected 

communities can complete the grant 

agreement process and implement their 

plans. Given the competitive nature of 

the grant process, the Department will 

not meet with applicants regarding their 

applications. All 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 abovecaptioned docket, served on all 

applicants and all parties served with 

this Solicitation Order, and posted on 

the Department’s SCASDP Web site at 

http://www.dot.gov/policy/aviationpolicy/small-community-rural-airservice/SCASDP. 

IV. How To Apply 

Required Steps 

• Determine eligibility; 

• Register with www.grants.gov (see 

Registration with www.grants.gov, 

below); 

• 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 20 pages (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) 

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 unless all required 

materials, including SF424, have been 

submitted through www.grants.gov by 

5 p.m. EDT on July 26, 2013. 

Registration with 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/ 

deficiencies and present plans/strategies 

that directly address those needs/ 

deficiencies. At a minimum, however, 

each application must include the 

following information: 

• A description of the community’s 

air service needs or deficiencies, 

including information about: (1) Major 

origin/destination markets that are not 

now served 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 understanding 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: 

Æ for applications involving new or 

improved service, explain how the 

service will become self-sufficient. 

Æ fully and clearly outline the goals 

and objectives of the project. 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. 

• 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 SCASDP 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 grant, 

including having the authority to 

assume and carry out the certifications, 

representations, warranties, assurances, 

covenants and other obligations 

required under 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 publicprivate 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 

organizations 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 state and local laws to 

carry 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 Development Zone 

Designation 

The statute authorizing the Small 

Community Program also provides that 

the Department will designate one of the 

grant recipients in the program as an Air 

Service Development Zone (ASDZ). A 

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current grant recipient—with its grant 

award period extending into FY2013— 

remains active as the ASDZ designee. 

As a result, the Department is not 

currently soliciting applications for 

selection as an ASDZ designee. 

VI. Grant Administration 

Grant Agreements: 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 agreement 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/smallcommunity-rural-air-service/SCASDP, 

(click 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 federal funds requested divided 

by the federal 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 federal 

funding and provides $100,000 in local 

contributions, the reimbursement rate 

would be 83.33 percent: ((500,000)/ 

(500,000 + 100,000)) = 83.33. 

Grantee Reports: 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 

reimbursed 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 Order, 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 

questions and other important 

clarifications in the above-captioned 

docket on www.regulations.gov and on 

the program Web site at http:// 

www.dot.gov/policy/aviation-policy/ 

small-community-rural-air-service/ 

SCASDP. 

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 

attachment to the SF424 by July 26, 

2013; 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 International-North 

America. 

Issued June 24, 2013. 

Susan L. Kurland, 

Assistant Secretary for Aviation and 

International Affairs. 

An electronic version of this document is 

available online at www.regulations.gov. 

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/applicants/ 

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, Monday–Friday from 7 a.m. 

to 9 p.m. EDT. 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, 2013; 

delayed registration is not an acceptable 

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 federal 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 federal funds. The identifier is 

used for tracking purposes and to 

validate address and point of contact 

information for federal assistance 

applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. 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 Web site: 

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/ 

org_step1.jsp. 

2. System for Award Management. In 

addition to having a DUNS number, 

applicants applying 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 Password. Acquire 

an Authorized Organization 

Representative (AOR) and a 

www.grants.gov username and 

password. Complete your AOR profile 

on www.grants.gov and create your 

username and password. You will need 

to use your organization’s DUNS 

Number to complete this step. For more 

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38788 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 124 / Thursday, June 27, 2013 / Notices 

information about creating a profile on 

Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/ 

applicants/org_step3.jsp. 

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 

deadlines. You will be able to submit 

your application online any time after 

you have approved as an AOR. 

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 establishes 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. Applicants 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 application addressing 

all of the requirements outlined in this 

funding availability announcement. 

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 application 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. 

a. Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader is 

available for free 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 drive, network 

drive(s), or CDs. 

b. Note: For 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. Mandatory 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. 

Note: 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, 2013, 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, DOT 

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 untimely. 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 

instructions in the funding availability 

notice; and (4) technical issues 

experienced with the applicant’s 

computer or information technology (IT) 

environment. 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–P 

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APPLICATION UNDER 

SMALL COMMUNITY AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 

DOCKET DOT -OST -2013-0120 

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 

For your preparation convenience, this Summary Information schedule is located at 

A. PROVIDE THE LEGAL SPONSOR AND ITS DUN AND BRADSTREET (D&B) DATA UNIVERSAL 

NUMBERING SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER, INCLUDING +4, EMPLOYEE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER 

(EIN) OR TAX ID. 

Legal Sponsor Name: 

DUNS Number: 

EIN/Tax ID: 

B. LIST THE NAME OF THE COMMUNITY OR CONSORTIUM OF COMMUNITIES APPLYING: 

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ___ 

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ___ 

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________ ___ 
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4. ______________________________________________ __ 

C. PROVIDE THE FULL AIRPORT NAME AND 3-LETTER lATA AIRPORT CODE FOR THE 

APPLICANT(S) AIRPORT(S) (ONLY PROVIDE CODES FOR THE AIRPORT(S) THAT ARE ACTUALLY 

SEEKING SERVICE). 

1. 2. 

3. 4. 

D. LIST THE 2-DIGIT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT CODE APPLICABLE TO THE SPONSORING 

ORGANIZATION, AND IF A CONSORTIUM, TO EACH PARTICIPATING COMMUNITY. 

1. 2. 

3. 4. 

E. ApPLICANT INFORMATION: (CHECK ALL THAT ApPLY) 

D Not a Consortium 

D 

D Interstate Consortium D Intrastate Consortium 

D Community now receives subsidized Essential Air Service 

Community (or Consortium member) previously received a Small Community Air 

Service Development Program Grant 

lfprevious recipient: Year ofgrant(s): ____ __ 
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F. PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS: (LIST ORGANIZATION NAMES) 

PUBLIC PRIVATE 

1. 1. 

2. 2. 

3. 3. 

4. 4. 

5. 5. 

G. PROJECT PROPOSAL: (CHECK ALL THAT APPLY) 

0 Marketing 0 Upgrade Aircraft 0 New Route 

0 Travel Bank 0 Service Restoration 0 Subsidy 

0 Surface Transportation 0 Regional Service 0 Revenue Guarantee 

0 Launch New Carrier 0 Start-up Cost Offset 0 First Service 

0 Study 0 Secure Additional Service 0 Other (explain below) 

H. EXISTING LANDING AIDS AT LOCAL AIRPORT: 

o Full ILS 

o Localizer 

o Outer/Middle Marker 0 Published Instrument Approach 

o Other (specify) 
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I. PROJECT COST: Do NOT ENTER TEXT IN SHADED AREA 

LINE DESCRIPTION 

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-Kind contribution 

Sa Airport In-Kind contribution** 

5b Other In-Kind contribution** 

5 TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION 

(5a + 5b) 

6 TOT AL PROJECT COST (4+5) 

J. IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS** 

SUBToTAL TOTAL AMOUNT 

For funds in lines 5a (Airport In-Kind contribution) and 5b (Other In-Kind contribution), please 

describe the source(s) offund(s) and the value ($) of each. 
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K. Is THIS ApPLICATION SUBJECT To REVIEW By STATE UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 12372 

PROCESS? 

o a. This application was made available to the state under the Executive Order 12372 

Process for review on (date) _____ _ 

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

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

L. Is THE ApPLICANT DELINQUENT ON ANY FEDERAL DEBT? (IF "YES", PROVIDE 

EXPLANATION) 

o No o Yes (explain) 
38794 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 124 / Thursday, June 27, 2013 / Notices 

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 CFR 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 applicant) in 

Docket DOT–OST–2013–0120,’’ and 

include with that material a request in 

the form of a motion seeking 

confidential treatment of the material 

under 14 CFR 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 should 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, 2013, and 

delivered to the Office of Aviation 

Analysis, 8th Floor, Room W86–307, 

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. 

[FR Doc. 2013–15525 Filed 6–25–13; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 4910–9X–C 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Requests for Comments; 

Clearance of Renewed Approval of 

Information Collection: Competition 

Plans, Passenger Facility Charges 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA 

invites public comments about our 

intention to request the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

approval to renew an information 

collection. Title 49, United States Code, 


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