California Code of Regulations › Title 13 - Motor Vehicles › Division 3 - Air Resources Board › Chapter 8.2 - Guidelines for the AB 118 Air Quality Improvement Program › Section 2354 - Grant Project Solicitations

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
ARB shall issue a competitive solicitation for each grant
				  project in the Funding Plan. ARB shall begin issuing solicitations for
				  competitive grant projects in the Funding Plan no later than 90 days after the
				  fiscal year's funds are appropriated by the Legislature or 90 days after Board
				  approval of the Funding Plan, whichever is later.
(a)
Project Criteria:
ARB
				project solicitations must describe eligibility requirements in sufficient
				detail for potential applicants to determine if any specific vehicle or piece
				of equipment, research project, or workforce training project would be eligible
				for funding. The project solicitation must define the criteria by which
				projects are evaluated and selected. These must include, but are not limited
				to, an evaluation of the following: potential emission reductions,
				cost-effectiveness, contribution to regional air quality improvements, ability
				to promote the use of clean alternative fuels and vehicle technologies, and
				applicant's ability to successfully implement the project.
(b)
Project Evaluation
				Requirements:
A panel of not less than three individuals shall score
				each project application deemed compliant with the applicable statute, these
				regulations, and the applicable project solicitation. The panel shall use the
				applicant's responses and ability to meet the project-specific criteria to
				determine a project score. Eligible projects shall be ranked by score, with the
				highest scoring project or projects first in line to receive AQIP funding. The
				Board may delegate authority to the Executive Officer to resolicit for a
				project or to direct funding to another project in the Funding Plan if project
				applications fail to meet a minimum project score.
(c)
Application and Project
				Evaluation Deadlines:
The project solicitation must specify the dates
				by which applications must be submitted and applicants must be notified if they
				have or have not been selected to receive funding.
(d)
Match Funding:
The
				project solicitation must describe the match funding requirements for each
				project, if applicable.
(e)
Project Administration:
The project solicitation must describe
				project administrative requirements. These include but are not limited to
				implementation milestones, reporting requirements, and project oversight
				responsibilities. The project solicitation must also indentify maximum funding
				available for expenses associated with program administration.
(f)
Provisions for Air Quality
				Loans:
Projects funded via revolving loan, loan guarantee, or other
				loan mechanism must be implemented via one of the two mechanisms described
				below.
(1) ARB shall enter into an agreement
				with the State Treasurer or any of the boards, authorities or commissions
				chaired by the Treasurer. In this case, section
				2354(a) through
				section 2354(e) do not
				apply.
(2) ARB shall issue a
				competitive solicitation. The solicitation will include, but is not limited to,
				the project solicitation criteria in section
				2354(a) through
				section 2354(e).