74360 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 177 / Thursday, September 12, 2024 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions 

on Transportation Project in 

Washington State 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims 

for judicial review of actions by FHWA. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces actions 

taken by the FHWA that are final. The 

action relates to the Central Puget 

Sound Regional Transit Authority 

(Sound Transit) plans to build and 

operate a light rail Operations and 

Maintenance Facility in its South 

Corridor (OMF South). The facility will 

meet Sound Transit’s needs for an 

expanded fleet of light rail vehicles 

(LRVs) and will support the expansion 

of the Link light rail system. The 

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 

project is located in the City of Federal 

Way in King County, in the State of 

Washington, and is adjacent to the 

Interstate 5 (I–5) right-of-way. Portions 

of OMF South will be accommodated 

within or will affect the I–5 right-ofway, which requires Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) approval. 

DATES: A claim seeking judicial review 

of the Federal agency actions on the 

listed highway project will be barred 

unless the claim is filed on or before 

February 10, 2025. If the Federal law 

that authorizes judicial review of a 

claim provides a time period of less 

than 150 days for filing such claim, then 

that shorter time period still applies. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Lindsey Handel, Urban Engineer, 

Federal Highway Administration, 360– 

753–9480, or Washington.FHWA@

dot.gov or Erin Littauer, Federal Transit 

Administration, 206–2220–7521 or 

erin.littauer@dot.gov; Erin Green, Sound 

Transit Environmental Manager, South 

Corridor, (206) 398–5464 or Erin.Green@

soundtransit.org. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Information about the NEPA Record of 

Decision and associated records are 

available from FHWA, FTA, and Sound 

Transit at the addresses provided above 

and can be found at: https://

www.soundtransit.org/systemexpansion/operations-maintenancefacility-south. This notice applies to all 

Federal agency decisions related to the 

Record of Decision as of the issuance 

date of this notice and all laws under 

which such actions were taken, 

including but not limited to: 

1. General: National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321– 

4347]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 

U.S.C. 109]. 

2. Air: Clean Air Act, as amended [42 

U.S.C. 7401–7671(q)]. 

3. Land: Section 6(f) of the Land and 

Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 

[16 U.S.C. 4601]; Section 4(f) of the 

Department of Transportation Act of 

1966 [49 U.S.C. 303]. 

4. Wildlife: Endangered Species Act 

[16 U.S.C. 1531–1544 and 1536]. Fish 

and Wildlife Coordination Act [16 

U.S.C. 661–667(d)]. Migratory Bird 

Treaty Act [16 U.S.C. 703–712]. Bald 

and Golden Eagle Protection Act [16 

U.S.C. 668–668c]. Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act of 1976, as amended [16 U.S.C. 1801 

et seq.]. 

5. Historic and Cultural Resources: 

Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, as amended 

[16 U.S.C. 470(f) et seq.]; Archaeological 

and Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C. 

469–469(c)]; 

6. Social and Economic: Civil Rights 

Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.]; 

Farmland Protection Policy Act [7 

U.S.C. 4201–4209]. 

7. Wetlands and Water Resources: 

Clean Water Act (section 319, section 

401, section 402, section 404) [33 U.S.C. 

1251–1377]. Safe Drinking Water Act 

[42 U.S.C. 300(f) et seq.]. 

8. Executive Orders: Executive Order 

11990 Protection of Wetlands; Executive 

Order 11988 Floodplain Management; 

Executive Order 12898 Federal Actions 

to Address Environmental Justice in 

Minority Populations and Low-Income 

Populations; Executive Order 11593 

Protection and Enhancement of Cultural 

Resources; Executive Order 13007 

Indian Sacred Sites; Executive Order 

13287 Preserve America; Executive 

Order 13175 Consultation and 

Coordination with Indian Tribal 

Governments; Executive Order 11514 

Protection and Enhancement of 

Environmental Quality; Executive Order 

13112 Invasive Species; Executive Order 

13166 Improving Access to Services for 

Persons with Limited English 

Proficiency; Executive Order 13045 

Protection of Children From 

Environmental Health Risks and Safety 

Risks; Executive Order 14096 

Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment 

to Environmental Justice for All. 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). 

Ralph J. Rizzo, 

FHWA Division Administrator, Olympia, WA. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20662 Filed 9–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–RY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Transit Administration 

Fiscal Year 2025 Solicitation of 

Proposals for the National Rural 

Transit Assistance Program 

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration 

(FTA), Department of Transportation 

(DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity 

(NOFO). 

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit 

Administration (FTA) announces the 

opportunity to apply for $3,250,723 in 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Rural 

Transportation Assistance Program 

funds through a competitive cooperative 

agreement award. FTA is soliciting 

proposals under the agency’s Formula 

Grants for Rural Areas Program to select 

an entity to administer a National Rural 

Transit Assistance Program (National 

RTAP). The National RTAP will carry 

out activities to design and implement 

training and technical assistance 

projects and other support services 

tailored to meet the specific needs of 

transit operators in rural areas, 

including tribal transit services. Primary 

activities will include the development 

of information and materials for use by 

local operators and State administering 

agencies and supporting research and 

technical assistance projects of national 

interest. 

DATES: Complete proposals for the 

National RTAP must be submitted 

electronically through the Grant.GOV 

‘‘Apply’’ function by 11:59 p.m. Eastern 

time on November 12, 2024. Late 

applications will not be accepted. 

Prospective applicants should register 

as soon as possible on the 

GRANTS.GOV website to ensure 

completion of the application process 

before submission deadline. 

ADDRESSES: Instructions for applying 

can be found on FTA’s website at 

https://www.transit.dot.gov/noticesfunding/fy24-notice-fundingopportunity-national-rural-transitassistance-program and in the ‘‘FIND’’ 

module of GRANTS.GOV. The funding 

opportunity ID is FTA–2024–014–TPM– 

NRTAP Mail and fax submissions will 

not be accepted. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Heather Edmonds, FTA Office of 

Program Management at (202) 366– 

3748; Email heather.edmonds@dot.gov. 

A TDD is available for individuals who 

are deaf or hard of hearing at 

800.877.8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 177 / Thursday, September 12, 2024 / Notices 74361 

SUMMARY OF KEY INFORMATION: NATIONAL RURAL TRANSIT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM COMPETITIVE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Issuing agency Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation 

Program Overview ............... The National RTAP provides for the development of information and materials for use by rural and tribal transit 

operators, State DOTs and State funded transit agencies, and supports research and technical assistance 

projects of national interest. 

Eligible Applicants ................ Eligible applicants are non-profit organizations with rural and tribal transportation experience that have the capacity to provide public transportation-related technical assistance and the ability to deliver a national technical assistance and training program. 

Eligible Projects .................... The National RTAP is funded under the Formula Grants for Rural Areas Program to enhance the delivery of public transportation services provided by State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and operators of rural and 

tribal transit. Rural transit systems and community transit drivers, dispatchers, maintenance workers, managers, 

and board members need special skills and knowledge to provide quality service to their diverse customers 

across large, rural service areas. The National RTAP carries out projects of a national scope that provide transportation technical assistance in these areas. 

Funding Amount ................... $3,250,723 for the first year, including $500,000 for programs specific to tribal transit. 

Cost Share ........................... The maximum Federal share of project costs under this program is 100 percent. 

Deadline ............................... November 12, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. 

Table of Contents 

A. Program Description 

B. Federal Award Information 

C. Eligibility Information 

D. Application and Submission Information 

E. Application Review Information 

F. Federal Award Administration 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

H. Other Information 

A. Program Description 

This Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(NOFO) supports FTA’s strategic goals 

and objectives by promoting safe, 

affordable, accessible, and multimodal 

access to opportunities and services 

while reducing transportation-related 

disparities, adverse community impacts, 

and health effects. FTA is soliciting 

proposals for a cooperative agreement 

for a project of national scope under the 

Rural Transit Assistance Program (49 

U.S.C. 5311(b)(3)), Assistance Listing 

20.509. The Formula Grants for Rural 

Areas Program authorizes the Secretary 

of Transportation to carry out a Rural 

Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) in 

rural areas to enhance the delivery of 

public transportation services provided 

by State Departments of Transportation 

(DOTs) and operators of rural and tribal 

transit. Since 1979, FTA has provided 

grants to States under the Formula 

Grants for Rural Areas Program and its 

predecessor programs to establish and 

maintain transit systems in 

communities with populations of less 

than 50,000 individuals. Rural transit 

systems and community transit drivers, 

dispatchers, maintenance workers, 

managers, and board members need 

special skills and knowledge to provide 

quality service to their diverse 

customers across large, rural service 

areas. The National RTAP was created 

in 1997 to carry out projects of a 

national scope that provide 

transportation assistance in these areas. 

The National RTAP provides for the 

development of information and 

materials for use by local operators, 

State DOTs and State funded transit 

agencies, and supports research and 

technical assistance projects of national 

interest. The FTA carries out the 

objectives of the National RTAP through 

a cooperative agreement that establishes 

and provides financial assistance for 

these activities. FTA selected the 

current recipient to administer the 

National RTAP in 2019. Consistent with 

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 

policy to maximize competition in 

discretionary awards, every five years 

the FTA competes the administration of 

the National RTAP. 

FTA also supports assistance for local 

RTAP activities through funding 

apportionments to the States. The State 

RTAPs develop and implement training 

and technical assistance in conjunction 

with the State’s administration of the 

Formula Grants for Rural Areas 

Program. The State RTAPs and the 

National RTAP complement each other, 

and both are funded under the Formula 

Grants for Rural Areas Program. The 

objectives of the National RTAP are: 

• Objective 1: To promote the 

delivery of safe, effective and efficient 

public transportation in rural areas, 

including tribal transit systems. 

• Objective 2: To support State and 

local governments, including tribal 

governments, in addressing the training 

and technical assistance needs of the 

rural and tribal transit community. 

• Objective 3: To conduct research, 

including analysis of data reported to 

FTA’s National Transit Database, and to 

maintain current profiles of the 

characteristics of rural transit as well as 

an inventory of rural, tribal and 

specialized transportation providers. 

• Objective 4: To develop materials, 

tools, trainings and network 

opportunities to address the unique 

needs of tribal transit providers and 

help build sustainable capacity in tribal 

transit programs. 

• Objective 5: To implement pilot 

grants to develop community and statelevel transportation innovations focused 

on increasing access and mobility in 

rural and tribal areas. 

Since its inception, the National 

RTAP has developed and distributed 

training materials, provided technical 

assistance, generated reports, published 

best practices, produced scholarships, 

conducted research, and offered peer 

assistance with the goal of improved 

mobility for the millions of Americans 

living in rural communities. The 

National RTAP also has developed tools 

for use by rural transit providers in 

providing their service, and provided 

access to scholarship, research and 

training through sponsorship of and 

participation in conferences attended by 

a variety of constituents with interest in 

rural and tribal transit. For more 

information on the various programs 

and services provided by the National 

RTAP, visit the National RTAP website 

at https://www.nationalrtap.org. 

B. Federal Award Information 

FTA is authorized to use two percent 

of funds appropriated for the Formula 

Grants for Rural Areas Program for 

research, technical assistance, training, 

and related support services in rural 

areas. Of this amount, not more than 15 

percent can be used for the National 

RTAP, with the remaining amount 

apportioned to states for state RTAP 

activities. FTA intends to fund the 

National RTAP with $3,250,723 in 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 funds for the first 

year. This includes an additional 

$500,000 made available through the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 

for National RTAP programming 

specific to tribal transit. FTA may 

extend funding for this center for up to 


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five years in total; however, subsequent 

funding will depend upon: (1) future 

authorization and appropriations; (2) 

decisions and program priorities 

established by the Secretary of 

Transportation related to 

implementation of the National Rural 

Transit Assistance program; and (3) 

performance of the recipient. 

This funding opportunity will be 

awarded under the terms of a 

cooperative agreement. This cooperative 

agreement will be managed from FTA’s 

headquarters office. FTA will 

participate in activities by negotiating 

the final statement of work, attending 

review meetings, commenting on 

technical reports, maintaining frequent 

contact with the project manager, 

approving key decisions and activities, 

and redirecting project activities, as 

needed. 

FTA will issue specific guidance to 

the awardee regarding pre-award 

authority at the time of selection. For 

more information about FTA’s policy on 

pre-award authority, please see the most 

recent Apportionment Notice on FTA’s 

website, https://www.transit.dot.gov/ 

funding/apportionments/currentapportionments. 

C. Eligibility Information 

Eligible applicants are non-profit 

organizations with rural and tribal 

transportation experience that have the 

capacity to provide public 

transportation-related technical 

assistance and the ability to deliver a 

national technical assistance and 

training program. Individuals, for-profit 

entities, and Federal agencies are 

ineligible to apply for this funding. 

There is no requirement for nonfederal matching funds or cost sharing 

for this program. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package 

Applications must be submitted 

electronically through GRANTS.GOV, as 

described above. General information 

for registering and submitting 

applications through GRANTS.GOV can 

be found at https://www.grants.gov/ 

applicants/grant-applications/how-toapply-for-grants along with specific 

instructions for the forms and 

attachments required for submission. 

Mail and fax submissions will not be 

accepted. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

A complete proposal submission will 

consist of at least two files: (1) the 

Standard Form (SF) 424 Application for 

Federal Assistance (downloaded from 

GRANTS.GOV or the FTA website 

https://www.transit.dot.gov/noticesfunding/fy24-notice-fundingopportunity-national-rural-transitassistance-program; and (2) a narrative 

application document submitted in a 

Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, or 

compatible file format, double-spaced 

using Times New Roman, 12-point font. 

Once completed, the narrative 

application must be placed in the 

attachments section of the SF–424 form. 

Applicants must attach the narrative 

application file to their submission in 

GRANTS.GOV to successfully complete 

the proposal process. The narrative 

application should be in the format 

outlined in Section 2 below. A proposal 

submission may contain additional 

supporting documentation as 

attachments. 

The application must include 

responses to all sections of the SF–424 

Mandatory Form and all components of 

the narrative application document 

unless a section is indicated as optional. 

FTA will use the information in the 

narrative application document to 

determine applicant and project 

eligibility for the program and to 

evaluate the proposal against the 

selection criteria described in part E of 

this notice. 

Applicants must fill in all fields 

unless stated otherwise on the SF–424 

form and include all requested 

components of the narrative application 

document. If applicants copy 

information from another source, they 

should verify that the form and 

narrative application document have 

fully captured pasted text and that it has 

not truncated the text due to character 

limits built into the form. Applicants 

should use both the ‘‘Check Package for 

Errors’’ and the ‘‘Validate Form’’ 

buttons on all required fields in the SF– 

424. 

The narrative application must 

contain the following components and 

adhere to the specified maximum 

lengths: 

a. Cover sheet (1 page). The cover 

sheet must include the name of the 

entity submitting the proposal, the 

principal’s name, title, and contact 

information (e.g., address, phone, and 

email), and the name and contact 

information for the key point of contact 

for each function of the agreement (if 

different from principal) referenced 

under the ‘‘Project Description’’ section 

of this Notice. 

b. Detailed budget proposal and 

budget narrative (not to exceed 3 pages). 

c. Project narrative and qualifications 

(not to exceed 10 pages) The project 

narrative should address: 

i. The methodology for addressing the 

project goals, objectives, activities, 

deliverables, milestones, timeline and 

intended outcomes for the National 

Rural Transit Assistance Program; 

ii. The methodology to develop 

performance measures and track the 

outcomes and benefits of the National 

Rural Transit Assistance Program, 

including how applicant will assess 

success; 

iii. The existing and future capacity of 

the organization to address the issues 

outlined in the proposal and the 

organization’s ability to implement 

goals, objectives, activities, milestones, 

deliverables and intended outcomes; 

iv. The applicants’ understanding of 

rural and tribal transit needs; including 

knowledge and experience with 

identifying and addressing issues 

related to funding and operation of rural 

and tribal transit systems; 

v. A detailed plan for communication, 

technical assistance, and outreach at the 

state and local levels; 

vi. The applicant’s experience with 

grant-making, developing performance 

measures, tracking performance 

measures and spending and 

communicating lessons learned and 

project benefits to stakeholders; 

vii. A plan to work with stakeholders 

and build partnerships at the national 

level; including how the applicant will 

work with State and local partners and 

stakeholders to promote coordination of 

transportation services; 

viii. Qualifications of lead staff, not to 

exceed one page per person, including: 

(1) Prior experience providing technical 

assistance, especially related to public 

transit in rural and tribal areas; (2) prior 

experience implementing the other tasks 

outlined in this solicitation; (3) staff 

members’ knowledge of issues related to 

public transit in rural and tribal 

communities, (4) staff members’ 

experience working directly with tribal 

entities; and (5) a biographical sketch 

for each lead staff member. 

d. Statement of Activities (not to 

exceed 10 pages). The application also 

should discuss how the recipient will 

perform the following short-term and 

long-term activities: 

Short-Term Activities: 

1. Hiring needed staff and setting up 

the center, including developing an 

interactive website that houses and 

delivering a library of tools, topics, 

articles, best practices for rural and 

tribal transit providers; acting as a 

clearinghouse for rural and tribal transit 

information; and facilitating outreach to 


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State and local partners and 

stakeholders. 

2. Developing an online fully 

functional National RTAP Help Desk 

that will enable email and phone 

technical assistance inquiries and 

responses on rural and tribal transit 

questions/topics; this system should be 

able to gather performance measures 

that track web-analytics, technical 

assistance requests, types of requests, 

and enable a quarterly report to FTA on 

what activities have been completed, 

how many people have received 

assistance; the cost of that assistance; 

and the satisfaction of those who sought 

assistance. 

3. Developing a Scope of Work for 

National RTAP’s first year of operations, 

including but not limited to: 

Æ A communications and outreach 

plan to promote the center, training and 

technical assistance products and 

relevant news through various channels 

(e.g., social media, newsletter, blogs) 

and engage stakeholders, partners and 

State RTAP programs. 

Æ Recommendations to FTA on a 

planning/pilot grant program that 

support partnerships and innovative 

transportation solutions to increase 

community access in rural and tribal 

areas. 

Æ A plan for how National RTAP will 

deliver training and technical assistance 

and recommendations to FTA on the 

data needs to help track and assess rural 

and tribal transit needs. 

Long-term/ongoing activities: 

1. Providing technical assistance in a 

variety of ways to rural and tribal transit 

operators and support to State RTAP 

programs: 

Æ Operating a toll-free number and 

email to respond to inquiries from rural 

and tribal transit operators. Developing 

a system to track inquires and 

responses. 

Æ Developing and promoting written 

and electronic training materials that 

assist rural and tribal operators (e.g., 

online courses, technical briefs, toolkits, 

case studies, etc.). 

Æ Maintaining a resource library of 

case studies, promising and best 

practices, videos, publications, webinars 

and other training materials. 

2. Providing technical assistance to 

assist recipients, subrecipients, and 

potential future grantees with 

challenges around accessing FTA 

funding programs (e.g., Section 5311 

and Tribal Transit Program) to increase 

transit sustainability. 

3. Coordinating with other 

organizations to build national 

connections to assist states and rural 

communities with transit system 

improvements. 

4. Developing a community grant 

program that offers funding for planning 

and/or pilot projects to foster 

partnerships, coordination of services 

and increased transit access for rural 

and tribal communities. 

5. Providing peer-to-peer meeting 

exchanges and collaboration 

opportunities, while expanding 

dialogue with rural and tribal transit 

partners and fostering relationships 

with other non-traditional partners. 

6. Developing a feedback system that 

enables opportunities for improvement 

of the Center’s customer service, 

programs, and processes. 

7. Identifying performance measures, 

evaluating and reporting on National 

RTAP activities and outputs. 

e. Supplemental Materials. 

Supplemental materials such as bios 

and letters of support may be included 

in an appendices section that is beyond 

the page limits above but may not 

exceed 15 additional pages. 

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System 

for Award Management (SAM) 

Each applicant is required to: (1) 

register in SAM.GOV before submitting 

an application; (2) provide a valid 

unique SAM 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. 

FTA may not make an award until the 

applicant has complied with all 

applicable unique entity identifier and 

SAM.GOV 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 the 

award to another applicant. These 

requirements do not apply if the 

applicant: (1) Is excepted from the 

requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or 

(c); or (2) has an exception approved by 

FTA under 2 CFR 25.110(d). SAM.GOV 

registration takes approximately 3–5 

business days, but FTA recommends 

allowing ample time, up to several 

weeks, for completion of all steps. For 

additional information on obtaining a 

unique entity identifier, please visit 

https://www.sam.gov. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

Project proposals must be submitted 

electronically through GRANTS.GOV 

and must be received by 11:59 p.m. 

Eastern time on November 12, 2024. 

GRANTS.GOV attaches a time stamp to 

each application at the time of 

submission. Late applications will not 

be accepted. Mail and fax submissions 

will not be accepted. Prospective 

applicants should initiate the process by 

registering on the GRANTS.GOV 

website promptly to ensure completion 

of the application process before the 

submission deadline. 

FTA urges applicants to submit 

proposals at least 72 hours prior to the 

due date to allow time to receive the 

validation messages and to correct any 

problems that may have caused a 

rejection notification. GRANTS.GOV 

scheduled maintenance and outage 

times are announced on the 

GRANTS.GOV website. Deadlines will 

not be extended due to scheduled 

website maintenance. 

Within 48 hours after submitting an 

electronic application, the applicant 

should receive two email messages from 

GRANTS.GOV: (1) Confirmation of 

successful transmission to 

GRANTS.GOV; and (2) confirmation of 

successful validation by GRANTS.GOV. 

If confirmation of successful validation 

is not received or a notice of failed 

validation or incomplete materials is 

received, the applicant must address the 

reason for the failed validation, as 

described in the email notice, and 

resubmit before the submission 

deadline. If making a resubmission for 

any reason, include all original 

attachments regardless of which 

attachments were updated. 

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 

applicants may be required to take steps 

to keep their registration up to date 

before submissions can be made 

successfully. Registration in SAM.GOV 

is renewed annually and persons 

making submissions on behalf of the 

Authorized Organization Representative 

(AOR) must be authorized in 

GRANTS.GOV by the AOR to make 

submissions. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

This award is subject to the 

Governmentwide Uniform 

Administrative Requirements and Cost 

Principles (2 CFR part 200) and FTA 

Circular 5010.1. Capital expenses such 

as equipment purchases are not 

considered to be eligible costs unless 

they directly relate to the technical 

assistance being supported by FTA 

funds. Acceptable costs can include but 

are not limited to technology and startup costs for information technology 

systems and website resources, subject 


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matter expert consultants as needed, 

salaries and fringe benefits of direct 

staff, support staff, staff travel to attend 

relevant conferences and provide on-site 

technical assistance, office space, 

program materials and supplies, and 

indirect costs. 

Funds awarded under this notice 

cannot be used to reimburse projects for 

otherwise eligible expenses incurred 

prior to FTA award of a Grant 

Agreement or Cooperative Agreement 

unless FTA has issued a ‘‘Letter of No 

Prejudice’’ for the project before the 

expenses are incurred. Allowable direct 

and indirect expenses must be 

consistent with the Governmentwide 

Uniform Administrative Requirements 

and Cost Principles (2 CFR part 200) 

and FTA Circular 5010.1. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria 

FTA will evaluate proposals 

according to the following criteria: 

a. Methodology for Achieving the 

Objectives of the National RTAP; 

b. Qualifications and Experience of 

Staff and Key Personnel; 

c. Communication, Technical 

Assistance, and Outreach Strategy; 

d. Technical, Legal, and Financial 

Capacity; 

e. Ability to Work with Stakeholders 

and Build Partnerships at the National 

Level; and 

f. Plan to Evaluate the National RTAP 

activities. 

The criteria are explained below: 

a. Methodology for Achieving the 

Objectives of the National RTAP 

FTA is seeking innovative and 

effective approaches and strategies to 

accomplish the project objectives. 

Proposals will be evaluated based on the 

proposed methodology for addressing 

the objectives of the National RTAP, as 

well as the capacity of the organization 

to address the issues outlined in the 

proposal. The proposal should clearly 

explain the objectives, activities, 

deliverables, milestones, timeline and 

intended outcomes for achieving the 

goals outlined in the scope for the first 

year, and how the organization intends 

to implement them. 

b. Qualifications and Experience of Staff 

and Key Personnel 

The proposal should demonstrate that 

staff and key personnel have the 

appropriate skills and experience to 

carry out the activities. FTA will 

evaluate the qualifications and 

experience of the key staff detailed in 

the proposal for their: (1) Prior 

experience providing technical 

assistance, especially related to public 

transit in rural and tribal areas, (2) prior 

experience implementing the other tasks 

outlined in this solicitation, (3) 

knowledge of issues related to public 

transit in rural and tribal areas. 

c. Communication, Technical 

Assistance, and Outreach Strategy 

The proposal should demonstrate the 

ability to execute a technical assistance 

program with a national scope, as well 

as strategies for delivering targeted 

assistance to State, regional, and local 

stakeholders. Proposing organizations 

are encouraged to think innovatively 

about this technical assistance delivery. 

The proposal also should demonstrate 

the ability to carry out outreach, 

dissemination, and information 

management activities. These activities 

will include capturing and sharing 

useful and best practices in rural and 

tribal transportation operations, as well 

as supporting activities related to FTA’s 

tribal transit program. The proposal 

should demonstrate innovative 

approaches, such as the use of 

communication that is accessible 

through social media and other 

information technologies, to accomplish 

effective stakeholder strategies that both 

manage and plan the engagement. Rural 

and tribal communities have unique 

needs, and the proposal should 

demonstrate effective strategies for 

providing technical assistance to 

address community needs, reflect 

engagement touchpoints and the ability 

to meaningfully engage with these 

communities to produce successful 

transportation outcomes. 

d. Technical, Legal, and Financial 

Capacity 

The proposal must include an 

effective project management plan to 

administer and manage the National 

RTAP and must demonstrate that the 

applicant has the technical, legal, and 

financial capacity to carry out the plan. 

FTA will evaluate the applicant’s: 

1. Technical capacity to administer 

and manage the proposed activities; 

2. Total budget and staffing; and 

3. Evidence of understanding of the 

National RTAP mission and 

comprehensive technical approach to 

delivering the National RTAP. 

The proposal should indicate a strong 

organizational capability to address the 

issues and activities outlined in the 

proposal. In addition, the proposal 

should indicate experience in managing 

and monitoring sub-recipients and 

contractors, if any are anticipated in the 

proposal. The recipient selected must be 

an eligible recipient for a cooperative 

agreement with FTA and able to sign the 

required certifications and assurances. 

The successful applicant must have no 

technical, legal or financial issues that 

would impact its eligibility and 

authority to apply for and accept FTA 

funds or carry out the award’s scope of 

work. 

e. Ability To Work With Stakeholders 

and Build Partnerships at the National 

Level 

The proposal must include a plan for 

effective and meaningful stakeholder 

engagement. The proposal will be 

evaluated based in the quality and 

effectiveness of the plan for engaging 

and supporting stakeholder engagement 

to drive the activities of the National 

RTAP. 

f. Plan To Evaluate the National RTAP 

Activities 

FTA will evaluate the effectiveness of 

proposed performance measures and the 

plan for collecting and reporting on data 

related to the National RTAP’s products 

activities, and outcomes. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

A technical evaluation committee 

made up of FTA staff will screen each 

application for eligibility and evaluate 

proposals based on the published 

evaluation criteria outlined in this 

notice. FTA may request additional 

information from applicants to clarify 

information contained within the 

proposal. After consideration of the 

findings of the technical evaluation 

committee, the FTA Administrator will 

determine the final selection. 

3. Integrity and Performance Review 

Prior to making an award, FTA is 

required to review and consider any 

information about the applicant that is 

in the Federal Awardee Performance 

and Integrity Information Systems 

(FAPIIS) accessible through SAM.GOV. 

An applicant may review and comment 

on information about itself that a 

Federal awarding agency previously 

entered. FTA will consider any 

comments by the applicant, in addition 

to the other information in FAPIIS, in 

making a judgment about the applicant’s 

integrity, business ethics, and record of 

performance under Federal awards 

when completing the review of risk 

posed by applicants as described in 2 

CFR 200.206, Federal Awarding Agency 

Review of Risk Posed by Applicants. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

1. Federal Award Notices 

FTA will notify the successful 

organization by email or telephone of 

their status and the selection will be 

announced FTA’s website. Following 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 177 / Thursday, September 12, 2024 / Notices 74365 

notification, the successful entity will 

be required to submit its application 

through the FTA Transit Award 

Management System (Tramps). FTA will 

work with the successful applicant to 

develop a detailed cooperative 

agreement and may require 

modifications to the proposal before a 

cooperative agreement is awarded. FTA 

will award and manage a cooperative 

agreement through Tramps. The 

selection of a cooperative agreement 

recipient under this NOFO will go 

through the Congressional notification 

and release process. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

a. Grant Requirements 

The successful applicant will execute 

their cooperative agreement through 

TrAMS and adhere to the FTA grant 

requirements of the National RTAP 

Program. For more information, see FTA 

Circular 9040.1G: Formula Grants for 

Rural Areas: Program Guidance and 

Application Instructions, available here: 

https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulationsand-guidance/fta-circular-90401gformula-grants-rural-areas-programguidance-and. Upon notification of 

intent to award funds, the recipient 

must execute the Award in TrAMS 

within 90 days; otherwise, FTA may 

withdraw its award. 

b. Standard Assurances 

Selected recipients must comply with 

all Federal statutes, regulations, 

executive orders, directives, FTA 

circulars, and other Federal 

administrative requirements in carrying 

out project supported activities by this 

FTA award. In addition to these 

requirements, recipients of FTA funds 

are required to execute the most current 

Certifications and Assurances before 

entering into a grant or cooperative 

agreement. 

c. Statement of Work 

Once selected for award, the recipient 

will be asked to outline a plan of action, 

a Statement of Work (SOW), in a format 

provided by FTA. The SOW includes 

estimated milestone dates and 

performance measures and goals for 

major activities and products which are 

SMART—specific, measurable, 

achievable, relevant, and timebound. 

Activities should be justified in terms of 

eligible program activities and proposals 

should clearly demonstrate the 

connection between the planned work 

and at least one of the specific program 

activities cited. The Statement of Work 

also should address supporting 

activities, such as plans for engaging 

participants and/or dissemination 

strategies for sharing the results, if such 

are critical to the success of the 

supported program. 

d. Measuring Outcomes 

The recipient will be required to 

assist FTA in evaluating the project and 

its outcomes. FTA will evaluate the 

project according to the metrics and 

goals approved in the Statement of 

Work for the project. FTA anticipates 

applying metrics, among others, that 

will demonstrate target audience usage 

and feedback on the services and 

resources of the center. 

e. Data Access & Data Sharing 

Recipients funded under this 

announcement will be required to 

gather and share all relevant and 

required data with FTA within 

appropriate and agreed-upon timelines, 

to support any project evaluations. 

In Response to the White House 

Office of Science and Technology Policy 

memorandum, dated August 25, 2022, 

titled ‘‘Ensuring Free, Immediate, and 

Equitable Access to Federally Funded 

Research,’’ the Department is 

incorporating Public Access 

requirements into all funding awarded 

(e.g., grants, cooperative agreements, 

etc.) for scientific research. Recipients 

are required to include these obligations 

in any sub-awards or other related 

funding agreements. 

Recipients must remove all 

confidential business information (CBI) 

or personally identifiable information 

(PII) information before providing 

public access to any project data. All 

appropriate data are to be accessible to 

FTA and the public for a minimum of 

five years after the period of 

performance has expired. Recipients 

and sub-recipients must make available 

to FTA copies of all work developed in 

performance of a project funded under 

this announcement, including but not 

limited to software and data. 

f. Knowledge Transfer 

Recipients and sub-recipients may be 

asked, during the period of 

performance, to participate in 

information exchange meetings, 

webinars, or outreach events to support 

FTA’s goal of advancing models of 

success and information that is helping 

to address human services 

transportation coordination. 

3. Reporting 

Post-award reporting requirements 

include submission of Federal Financial 

Reports and Milestone Progress Reports 

in TrAMS on a quarterly basis. 

Documentation is required for payment. 

Additional reporting may be required 

specific to the National Rural 

Transportation Assistance Program. 

As part of completing the annual 

certifications and assurances required of 

FTA recipients, a successful applicant 

must report on the suspension or 

debarment status of itself and its 

principals. If the award recipient’s 

active grants, cooperative agreements, 

and procurement contracts from all 

Federal awarding agencies exceeds 

$10,000,000 for any period of time 

during the period of performance of an 

award made pursuant to this Notice, the 

recipient must comply with the 

Recipient integrity and Performance 

Matters reporting requirements 

described in Appendix XII to 2 CFR part 

200. 

The Federal Financial Accountability 

and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires 

data entry at the FFATA Sub Award 

Reporting System (https://

www.FSRS.gov) for all sub-awards and 

sub-contracts issued for $25,000 or 

more, as well as addressing executive 

compensation for both grantee and 

subaward organizations. Additionally, 

FTA may evaluate and report on the 

success of the program. Applicants may 

be required to provide information for 

this purpose indicating the need, 

problem, or opportunity addressed by 

activities of the program. The national 

significance and relevance to the public 

transportation industry must also be 

clearly demonstrated. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For further information concerning 

this notice, please contact the Technical 

Assistance program manager Heather 

Edmonds by phone at 202–366–3748, or 

by email at heather.edmonds@dot.gov. 

A TDD is available for individuals who 

are deaf or hard of hearing at 800–877– 

8339. 

To ensure that applicants receive 

accurate information about eligibility or 

the program, applicants are encouraged 

to contact FTA directly with questions, 

rather than through intermediaries or 

third parties. 

H. Other Information 

For more information on FTA’s Rural 

and Tribal Transit Resources, visit 

https://www.transit.dot.gov/rural. 

For more information on FTA’s 

Sponsored Technical Assistance Centers 

see https://www.transit.dot.gov/ 

regulations-and-programs/access/ccam/ 

about/federal-transit-administrationsponsored-technical. 

For information on the Rural 

Transportation Assistance Program, visit 

https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/ 


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74366 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 177 / Thursday, September 12, 2024 / Notices 

grants/rural-transportation-assistanceprogram-5311b3. 

Veronica Vanterpool, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2024–20655 Filed 9–11–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

[Docket Number MARAD–2018–0088] 

Centers of Excellence for Domestic 

Maritime Workforce Training and 

Education; Notice of Opportunity To 

Apply for Designation 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, 

Department of Transportation. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The National Defense 

Authorization Act of 2018 (the Act) 

provided the Secretary of 

Transportation with the discretionary 

authority to designate qualified entities 

as Centers of Excellence (CoEs). CoE 

designations serve to assist the maritime 

industry in obtaining and maintaining 

the highest quality workforce. Upon the 

Secretary’s approval, twenty-seven 

institutions were designated on May 19, 

2021; thirty-two applicants were 

designated on February 22, 2024. The 

purpose of this notice is to solicit 

applications from qualified training 

entities for the next round of CoE 

designations. A Center of Excellence 

designation is valid for five years. 

DATES: Applications, including all 

supporting information and documents, 

must be submitted by 8:00 p.m. E.T. on 

November 12, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: A training entity seeking 

designation as a CoE may submit 

applications, including all supporting 

information and documents, by email to 

CoEDMWTE@dot.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Gerard Wall, Centers of Excellence for 

Domestic Maritime Workforce Training 

and Education (CoE) Program Manager, 

via electronic mail at gerard.wall@

dot.gov or call 202–366–7273. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

3507 of the FY 2018 NDAA provided 

authority to the Secretary to designate 

qualified entities as CoEs. This authority 

is codified at 46 U.S.C. 51706. 

Following the enactment of the FY 2018 

NDAA, MARAD developed a procedure 

to recommend to the Secretary the 

designation of eligible institutions as 

CoEs. Section 3532 of the FY 2023 

NDAA, enacted on December 23, 2022, 

revised the criteria for CoE designations 

by amending the definition of ‘‘covered 

training entity.’’ MARAD revised its CoE 

designation procedure to conform to the 

amended CoE criteria in the FY 2023 

NDAA. 

46 U.S.C. 51706(c)(1)(B), provides that 

a ‘‘covered training entity’’ includes (i) 

a postsecondary educational institution; 

(ii) a postsecondary vocational 

institution; (iii) a public or private 

nonprofit entity that offers one or more 

other structured experiential learning 

training programs for United States 

maritime industry, including a program 

that is offered by a labor organization or 

conducted in partnership with a 

nonprofit organization or one or more 

employers in the United States maritime 

industry; (iv) an entity sponsoring a 

registered apprenticeship program; or 

(v) a maritime training center designated 

prior to the date of enactment of the FY 

2023 NDAA. As reflected in the 

definition of ‘‘covered training entity’’ 

in the Key Terms section of this notice, 

to be eligible for CoE designation, an 

entity must meet one of the criteria 

under clauses (i) through (v) of 46 

U.S.C.51706(C)(1)(B). 

Qualified training entities seeking to 

be designated as CoEs should apply to 

MARAD. MARAD developed policy to 

provide interested parties with 

comprehensive agency guidance on how 

to apply for CoE designation and how 

the CoE program will be administered. 

Applications should include 

information to demonstrate that the 

applicant institution meets certain 

requirements, selection criteria, and 

qualitative attributes consistent with 

section 3532 of the FY 2023 NDAA. 

The MARAD application procedure 

and program details are listed below 

and are also available to the public on 

its website at https://

www.maritime.dot.gov/education/ 

maritime-centers-excellence. 

Prior Federal Action 

Multiple Federal Register Notices 

were published between May 2018 and 

March 2020 seeking and responding to 

public comment on the proposed CoE 

designation policy. All unabridged 

comments are available for review 

electronically at www.regulations.gov by 

searching DOT Docket ‘‘MARAD–2018– 

0088’’ or by visiting the DOT Docket, 

Room PL–401, 1200 New Jersey Avenue 

SE, Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 

5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 

for Federal Holidays. 

On March 06, 2020, MARAD 

published its final CoE designation 

policy in the Federal Register (85 FR 

13231). Subsequently, MARAD issued a 

notice in the Federal Register (85 FR 

67599) on October 23, 2020, entitled 

Center of Excellence for Domestic 

Maritime Workforce: Notice of 

Opportunity to Apply for Training and 

Education Designation, and on the 

MARAD website at 

www.MARAD.dot.gov, requesting 

applications from qualified training 

entities seeking to be designated as a 

CoE. The application period closed on 

December 22, 2020. Thirty applications 

for designation were received. Upon the 

Secretary’s approval, twenty-seven 

institutions were designated on May 19, 

2021, as 2021 CoEs. 

On July 19, 2022, MARAD issued a 

notice in the Federal Register (87 FR 

43103), entitled Center of Excellence for 

Domestic Maritime Workforce: Notice of 

Opportunity to Apply for Training and 

Education Designation, and on the 

MARAD website at 

www.MARAD.dot.gov, to solicit 

applications from qualified training 

entities for CoE designation. The 

application period closed on September 

19, 2022. Thirty-six applications for 

designation were received. However, 

before MARAD could complete final 

agency action on these applications, 

Congress enacted the FY 2023 NDAA, 

which amended the CoE designation 

criteria and required MARAD to 

terminate action on the 2022 

applications. 

On July 20, 2023, MARAD issued a 

notice in the Federal Register (88 FR 

46829), entitled Center of Excellence for 

Domestic Maritime Workforce: 

Designation Policy Update and Notice of 

Opportunity to Apply for Designation 

for 2023, and on the MARAD website at 

www.MARAD.dot.gov, to announce 

termination of agency action on the 

2022 applications, issue an updated CoE 

designation policy conforming to the FY 

2023 NDAA, and to solicit applications 

from qualified training entities for the 

next round of CoE designations. The 

application period closed on September 

18, 2023. Thirty-two of the thirty-four 

entities that submitted applications 

were designated as CoEs on February 

22, 2024. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

applications from qualified training 

entities under the FY 2023 NDAA for 

the next round of CoE designation. A 

Center of Excellence designation is valid 

for five years. 

Applicant Assistance 

To assist applicants to be designated 

as a CoE please find below MARAD’s 

policy to include recommendations on 

how best to apply. 


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