Defense Community Infrastructure Program
Agency: Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation
Posted: 2024-03-28 | Closing date: 2024-06-17
The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation previously held a pre-proposal webinar on January 25, 2024, and will hold an additional pre-proposal webinar at 3 p.m. EDT on April 18, 2024, to review goals and objectives of this Notice of Funding Opportunity and answer questions from interested respondents.  Details about participation in the pre-proposal webinar are available at the Defense Community Infrastructure Program link (https://OLDCC.gov/defense-community-infrastructure-program-dcip).  Complete proposals for Defense Community Infrastructure Program grants must be submitted to the funding opportunity number on Grants.gov by 5 p.m. PDT on June 17, 2024 (the Proposal Deadline).  Proposals will initially be screened to ensure completeness and eligibility.  Complete and eligible proposals from eligible entities will then be evaluated against the criteria in Section E. of this Notice.  A final proposal ranking will then be provided to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Energy, Installations and Environment) for approval.  Once approved, the listing will be provided to the Director, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, to invite a formal grant application on or about August 8, 2024.  All grant agreements must be issued and countersigned prior to September 17, 2024, to ensure the appropriated funds are obligated no later than September 30, 2024.
Award ceiling: 20000000
Award floor: 250000
Cost sharing or matching requirement: Yes

Section 2391(d) of Title 10, United States Code (10 U.S.C. § 2391(d)), authorizes the Secretary of Defense to “make grants, conclude cooperative agreements, and supplement funds available under Federal programs administered by agencies other than the Department of Defense to assist State and local governments to address deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of a military installation.” Community infrastructure projects are transportation projects, community support facilities (e.g., schools, hospitals, police, fire, and emergency response), and utility infrastructure projects (e.g., water, wastewater, telecommunications, electric, gas, etc.) that are located off of a military installation or on property under the jurisdiction of a Secretary of a military department that is subject to a real estate agreement (including a lease or easement), and are owned by a state or local government or a not-for-profit, member-owned utility service. This Notice identifies the criteria established for the selection of community infrastructure projects. Proposals will be competitively scored across these criteria, identified in Section E., paragraph 1. of this Notice. Program funding at $100 million is available and will expire if not obligated prior to the close of business on September 30, 2024. Project proposals must include a letter of support from the local installation commander representing the installation benefitting from the proposed project. Letters of support must, at a minimum, indicate the benefitting installation’s need for the project, willingness to support the civilian execution of the project to the extent practicable, including assisting the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation with technical review and execution of any required National Environmental Policy Act documentation for the proposed project, and, where applicable, indicate if the proposed project is defense-related critical infrastructure. For proposals for projects that will contribute to the training of cadets enrolled in an independent program at a covered educational institution, the letter of support must include the support of an installation commander for an installation benefitting from the proposed project, regardless of the distance between the covered educational institution and the installation benefitting from the project. 

Eligibility: The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation may award grants under this Notice to state and local governments.  “State” and “local governments” are defined in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200, paragraph 1 (2 C.F.R. Part 200.1).  The guidance in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, paragraphs 331 through 333 (2 C.F.R. Part 200.331-.333), prescribes how entities eligible to receive funding under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program may act as pass-through entities.  For example, not-for-profit, member-owned utilities may receive funding as a sub-recipient to a state or local government, and projects owned by such utilities must comply with Federal Interest rules described in the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation’s grant terms and conditions.  Proposals must be submitted on behalf of any proposed sub-recipient.  Any proposals submitted by a sub-recipient will not be considered.
This Notice of Funding Opportunity announces availability to obtain funding from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation under the Defense Community Infrastructure Program to assist state and local governments, and not-for-profit, member-owned utilities in addressing deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of a military installation.  For purposes of the Defense Community Infrastructure Program, “Community Infrastructure” includes projects related to transportation; schools; hospitals; police, fire, or emergency response, or other community support facilities; and utility projects (e.g., water, wastewater, telecommunications, electric and natural gas facilities).  The facility or project itself must be owned by a state or local government, or a not-for-profit, member-owned utility.  The facility addressed in the application must not be located on a military installation unless it is on property under the jurisdiction of a military department that is also subject to a real estate agreement (including a lease or an easement) held by an eligible community.  This Notice includes proposal requirements, deadline for submitting proposals, and criteria that will be used to select proposal respondents that will apply for a grant under this program.      Defense Community Infrastructure Program grants may supplement funds available under Federal programs administered by agencies other than the Department of Defense.  Additionally, subject to statutory authority, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation may transfer funds to another Federal agency for that agency’s award to state or local governments.  School construction or renovation projects for a facility listed in the April 2019 “Secretary of Defense 2018 Public Schools on Military Installations Prioritized List” are not eligible.