Mock Data for NOFO FHWA 2.docx

NOFO Creation Fields:

Section 1: Basic Information

Expected # Of Awards

Estimated Total Program Funding 55000000

Award Ceiling 12500000 Award Floor

1. Award Amount Available The total amount of funding available for awards under this NOFO is up to $47.74 million for the FY 2024 application period, up to $55 million for the FY 2025 application period, and up to $55 million for the FY 2026 application period, which comprises all of the remaining funding authorized by BIL for the NSFLTP Program. The actual amount available to be awarded under this NOFO will be subject to the availability of funds. If additional funding is appropriated for the NSFLTP during FYs 2024, 2025, or 2026, FHWA may amend this NOFO to include any such amount.

2. Award Size and Anticipated Number of Awards Under Section § 1123(c)(3) of the FAST Act, eligible projects must have an estimated total eligible cost, based on the results of preliminary engineering, of at least $12.5 million. There are, however, no minimum or maximum award amount sizes assuming that the project’s estimated cost is at least $12.5 million. An applicant may request or receive less than $12.5 million in NSFLTP Program funding, and FHWA reserves the right to award less than the maximum amount of NSFLTP Program funding requested in an application. The NSFLTP Program funding and any additional sources of funding, however, must cover all eligible project costs, which, at the time of application, must be at least $12.5 million based on the results of preliminary engineering.

The number of awards will be determined ultimately by the number and quality of applications received in response to this NOFO and the availability of funding. The Federal Government is not obligated to make any Federal award as a result of the announcement, and the announcement of an award does not guarantee funding to the successful applicant. FHWA will obligate funds only to successful applicants upon execution of a grant agreement as described in Section B.5.

3. Statutory Funding Provisions Per Section § 1123(h)(1) of the FAST Act, of the amounts made available to carry out this program each fiscal year, 50 percent shall be used for eligible projects on Federal Lands transportation facilities and Federal Lands access transportation facilities (as those terms are defined in 23 U.S.C. 101(a); and 50 percent shall be used for eligible projects on Tribal transportation facilities (as that term is defined in 23 U.S.C. 101(a)).

Pursuant to Section § 1123(h)(2) of the FAST Act, at least one project funded using the 50 percent set-aside for projects on Federal Lands transportation facilities and Federal Lands access transportation facilities must be in a unit of the National Park System with at least 3 million annual visitors.

4. Types of Projects An applicant may apply for additional NSFLTP Program funds during any or all application periods under this NOFO. Similarly, entities that received previous NSFLTP Program awards for a project under an earlier application period in this NOFO or prior NOFOs may also apply for additional NSFLTP Program funding to complete additional activities, phases, or components not covered by the previous awards. FHWA will not provide NSFLTP Program funding for the same activities covered by a previous NSFLTP Program award. The resubmission of an identical application that received NSFLTP Program funding will not be eligible to receive additional NSFLTP Program funds. Applicants should clearly identify the phase and deliverables of the project for which it is seeking NSFLTP Program funding in every application submitted.

5. Type of Award If the grant recipient is a State department of transportation (State DOT), which must be sponsored by an eligible FLMA or federally recognized Tribe to be eligible, or if a State DOT will serve as a pass-through entity to another eligible applicant, NSFLTP Program funds will be allocated upon the execution of a project agreement, which is a type of grant agreement for the administration of funds to a State DOT, in Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS).

If the successful applicant is an FLMA, federally recognized Tribe, county, or unit of local government, NSFLTP Program funds will be obligated upon the execution of a grant agreement with FHWA. After selection, the grant recipient will need to determine whether the grant recipient will administer the grant, or at the request of the grant recipient, whether an applicable State DOT will administer the project.

6. Availability of Funds Selected projects may be funded with FY 2024, FY 2025, or FY 2026 funds. Per Section § 1123(h)(3) of the FAST Act, the funds provided for this program shall remain available for a period of 3 fiscal years following the fiscal year for which the amounts are appropriated. The deadline for when each fiscal year funding must be obligated is described in the chart below.

Once obligated, NSFLTP Program funds are available until expended, subject to the requirements and policies regarding inactive obligations.

Fiscal Year Obligation Deadline Expenditure Deadline FY 2024 September 30, 2027 Available until Expended FY 2025 September 30, 2028 Available until Expended FY 2026 September 30, 2029 Available until Expended Obligation of an NSFLTP Program grant occurs when a grant recipient enters into a project agreement or a grant agreement with FHWA and FHWA authorizes the project to proceed. For construction, this is generally after the grant recipient has satisfied applicable administrative requirements.

7. Period of Performance If a grant recipient will be a State DOT or if a State DOT will serve as a pass-through entity to a non-State DOT awarded a grant, the DOT Payment System will be “FMIS” and the start of the period of performance will begin on the date the NSFLTP Program funds are obligated in FMIS and end on the project end date in FMIS.

If a grant recipient is an FLMA, federally recognized Tribe, county, or unit of local government, the DOT Payment System will be “DELPHI G-Invoicing” and the start of the period of performance will begin on the date of the grant agreement is fully executed by FHWA and end on the period of performance that is listed in the grant agreement

Posted Date Last Modified Date Original Closing Date for Applications Current Closing Date for Applications Archive Date Applications for FY 2024 funds must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on October 16, 2024. The Grants.gov “Apply” function will close on October 17, 2024, and will reopen on May 1, 2025, for the FY 2025 application period.

Applications for FY 2025 funds must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov starting on May 1, 2025, and no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on August 1, 2025. The Grants.gov “Apply” function will close again on August 2, 2025, and will reopen on May 1, 2026, for the FY 2026 application period.

Applications for FY 2026 funds must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov starting on May 1, 2026, and no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, on August 1, 2026.

FHWA plans to conduct outreach regarding the NSFLTP Program in the form of Webinars. For more information and to join the Webinars, see the NSFLTP Webpage:

https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs/significant. The Webinar will be recorded and posted on FHWA’s Website at https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs/significant. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

sustainability, and workforce development, job quality, and wealth creation as described in the USDOT Strategic Plan, Research, Development and Technology Strategic Plan, USDOT Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026, and in executive orders (E.O.).1 These DOT Priorities will be considered in the application review process as provided in Section E of this NOFO, which outlines the Merit Criteria and describes the process for selecting projects that further these goals.

Section F.3 of this NOFO describes progress and performance reporting requirements for selected projects, including the relationship between that reporting and the program’s selection criteria, and the Administration’s Priorities and Departmental Strategic Plan goals, as appropriate

Grantor Contact Grantor’s Phone Grantor’s Email

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Frances Ramirez National Program Manager Office of Federal Lands Programs Federal Highway Administration Building E1, Suite 150 22001 Loudoun County Parkway Ashburn, VA 20147 email: NSFLTP-Program@dot.gov.

Alternate:

Veronica R. Jacobson, P.E.

Grants Management Specialist Office of Acquisition and Grants Management Federal Highway Administration (HCFA-42) U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.

Washington, DC 20590 email: NSFLTP-Program@dot.gov.

Office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Applicants are encouraged to refer to FHWA’s Website at https://highways.dot.gov/federallands/programs/significant for more program information, including fact sheets, additional resources, and points of contact. The DOT Navigator is a tool with additional information and guidance to assist applicants in applying for DOT funding.

FHWA will not review applications in advance, but FHWA staff are available for general questions about the NSFLTP Program and this NOFO. FHWA will not provide technical assistance to any applicant, including providing guidance on how to address any information that should be included in an application. In addition, FHWA will post answers to questions and requests for clarification at Grants.gov under this NOFO’s page and on the NSFLTP Program Website https://highways.dot.gov/federal-lands/programs/significant.

B. Eligibility

US Territory

Section C: Program Description

D. Application Contents and Format

All applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.

DOT may share application information within DOT or with other Federal Agencies if the Department determines that sharing is relevant to the respective program’s objectives.

Applicants must include in the application package the following:

(1) Standard Form 424 (Application for Federal Assistance);

Note: Applicants may leave fields 5a, 5b, 6, 7, and 12 blank on the form.

Note: Besides the Standard Form 424, Standard Form 424C, Grants.gov Lobbying Form, and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, all other documents must be attached to Standard Form 424 in Item 15 as flat PDF files. This includes the cover page, documentation of completed NEPA activities, and project narrative, which are described in further detail below.

Instructions for adding Item 15 Attachments:

• Click on “Add Attachments” in Item 15 to open the first pop-up window. Click “Add Attachment” and a second pop-up File Explorer/Directory window will appear, from which you can choose files to attach. Attachments can be added one at a time or all at once by holding down the CTRL key and selecting multiple files. Select “Open” to add the selected files as attachments.

• Click “Done” to finalize the attachments.

• Click “View Attachments” to see a list of files that have been added as attachments.

(2) Standard Form 424C (Budget Information for Construction Programs);

Note: The Standard Form 424C should be supported by a budget narrative included as part of the project narrative, as described below in Section D.2.a.II.

(3) Grants.gov Lobbying Form (Certification Regarding Lobbying)

(4) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form (SF-LLL)

(5) A cover page, including the following chart:

(6) Documentation of completed NEPA activities (see section C.3.c);

(7) A project narrative – The project narrative should include information required for FHWA to determine that the project satisfies the eligibility requirements described in Section C above for the grant program and to evaluate the selection criteria specified in Section E.1.

FHWA recommends that the project narrative follow the outline below. Following the outline will also assist evaluators in locating relevant information

II. Grant Funds, Sources, and Uses of all Project Funding See D.2.a.II III. Primary Merit Criteria See D.2.a.III IV. Secondary Merit Criteria See D.2.a.IV V. Project Readiness See D.2.a.V

Applicants are encouraged to identify scaled funding options in case insufficient funding is available to fund a project at the full requested amount. If an applicant advises that a project is scalable, the applicant must provide an appropriate minimum funding amount that will fund an eligible project that achieves the objectives of the program and meets all relevant program requirements. The applicant must provide a clear explanation of how the project budget would be affected by a reduced award. FHWA may award a lesser amount whether or not a scalable option is provided.

b. Submission Location Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov.

c. File Types and Size Applicants should submit documents in .docx or .pdf format.

For the submitted application package, FHWA suggests that pictures, graphics, and other large files be reduced in number and quality to keep the size of the files of the application manageable and in line with the Grants.gov maximum size of 200 megabytes for the entire grant application package.

d. Consideration of Applications Only eligible applicants who comply with all submission deadlines described in this NOFO and electronically submit valid applications through Grants.gov will be considered for award.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to make submission in advance of the deadline.

e. Late Applications Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

f. Compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 FHWA encourages applicants to submit documents that are compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 508 guidelines are available at https://www.access

E. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

DOT may share application information within DOT or with other Federal Agencies if the Department determines that sharing is relevant to the respective program’s objectives.

Applicants must include in the application package the following:

(1) Standard Form 424 (Application for Federal Assistance);

Note: Applicants may leave fields 5a, 5b, 6, 7, and 12 blank on the form.

Note: Besides the Standard Form 424, Standard Form 424C, Grants.gov Lobbying Form, and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form, all other documents must be attached to Standard Form 424 in Item 15 as flat PDF files. This includes the cover page, documentation of completed NEPA activities, and project narrative, which are described in further detail below.

Instructions for adding Item 15 Attachments:

• Click on “Add Attachments” in Item 15 to open the first pop-up window. Click “Add Attachment” and a second pop-up File Explorer/Directory window will appear, from which you can choose files to attach. Attachments can be added one at a time or all at once by holding down the CTRL key and selecting multiple files. Select “Open” to add the selected files as attachments.

• Click “Done” to finalize the attachments.

• Click “View Attachments” to see a list of files that have been added as attachments.

(2) Standard Form 424C (Budget Information for Construction Programs);

Note: The Standard Form 424C should be supported by a budget narrative included as part of the project narrative, as described below in Section D.2.a.II.

(3) Grants.gov Lobbying Form (Certification Regarding Lobbying)

(4) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form (SF-LLL)

(5) A cover page, including the following chart:

Project Name Total Project Cost $ NSFLTP Program Grant Request Amount $ Federal Funding including NSFLTP Program Funds Requested Total non‐Federal Funding $ Is the project within, adjacent to, or accessing Federal and/or Tribal land?

Yes/No

(6) Documentation of completed NEPA activities (see section C.3.c);

(7) A project narrative – The project narrative should include information required for FHWA to determine that the project satisfies the eligibility requirements described in Section C above for the grant program and to evaluate the selection criteria specified in Section E.1.

FHWA recommends that the project narrative follow the outline below. Following the outline will also assist evaluators in locating relevant information.

I. Basic Project Information – Description, Location, and Parties See D.2.a.I II. Grant Funds, Sources, and Uses of all Project Funding See D.2.a.II III. Primary Merit Criteria See D.2.a.III IV. Secondary Merit Criteria See D.2.a.IV V. Project Readiness See D.2.a.V To the extent practicable, applicants should provide supporting data and documentation in a form that is directly verifiable by FHWA. FHWA may, but is not required to, request additional information, including additional data, to clarify supporting data and documentation submitted in an application, but FHWA encourages applicants to submit the most relevant and complete information that they can provide. FHWA also encourages applicants, to the extent practicable, to provide data in a form that is publicly available or verifiable.

FHWA recommends that the project narrative be prepared with standard formatting preferences (i.e., a single-spaced document, using a standard 12-point font such as Times New Roman, with 1-inch margins). The project narrative should not exceed 10 pages in length. Appendixes may include documents supporting assertions or conclusions made in the 10-page project narrative and do not count towards the 10-page limit. If possible, Website links to supporting documentation should be provided rather than copies of these supporting materials. If supporting documents are submitted, applicants should clearly identify within the project narrative the relevant portion of the project narrative that each supporting document supports. FHWA recommends using appropriately descriptive final names (e.g., “Project Narrative,” “Maps,” “Memoranda of Understanding and Letters of Support,” etc.) for all attachments.

Section E – Submission Requirements

Section F. Application Review Information

project readiness as described in this Section E.1 and the Review and Selection Process described in Section E.2.

FHWA will assess the extent to which the project furthers the goals of DOT, including safety, state of good repair, economic competitiveness, and quality of life.

FHWA will consider:

i. The project’s safety improvements compared to a baseline in which the project is not done;

ii. Technical data provided about existing facilities in poor repair or, where the project is new construction, the extent to which the existing conditions demonstrate a need for new transportation facilities;

iii. The project’s economic benefits – such as travel time savings, vehicle operating cost savings, and emissions reductions – compared to a baseline in which the project is not done; and

iv. How the project is expected to improve the quality of life for a local community and the traveling public, providing data and analysis where relevant and feasible, such as estimates of trips and vehicle miles traveled.

Rating:

Highly Responsive: The project will make a profound and positive impact on furthering DOT’s goals, including safety. The application addresses at least three elements described above.

Responsive: The project will make a generally positive impact on furthering the DOT’s goals, including safety. The application addresses at least two elements described above.

Not Responsive: The project will not further the DOT’s goals. The application does not address any of the elements described above.

Primary Merit Criterion 2: Improvement of Condition of Critical Transportation Facilities.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project improves the condition of critical transportation facilities, including multimodal facilities.

FHWA will evaluate this criterion by considering the extent to which the project improves the condition of a transportation facility, whether the facility is multimodal, and the critical nature of the facility. Examples may include but are not limited to a bridge in poor condition that may be subject to closure in the absence of funds; or a primary transportation facility that provides access to critical community services, high use recreation destination areas, or other economic generators within Tribal and/or Federal Lands.

Rating:

Highly Responsive: The project will create or improve critical multimodal transportation facilities.

Responsive: The project will create or improve critical transportation facilities;

however, the project will not be multimodal.

Not Responsive: The project would not adequately promote the outcomes described for the criterion under consideration.

Primary Merit Criterion 3: Need for Project.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project needs construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation.

FHWA will consider data provided by the applicant documenting any physical or operational deficiencies of the existing facility that would warrant construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation, and how the proposed project will address those deficiencies.

Rating:

Highly Responsive: The facility is in a deficient condition that prevents its effective usage by all road users who could appropriate use it or needs to be created to improve connection and multimodal connectivity.

Responsive: The facility needs improvements or repair but is not in danger of failure, or new construction would benefit the facility and provide connection or multimodal connectivity when there are other connections are available.

Not Responsive: There is no apparent or pressing need for construction, reconstruction, or rehabilitation.

Primary Merit Criterion 4: Matched Costs.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project has costs matched by funds that are not provided under the NSFLTP Program, with projects with a greater percentage of other sources of matching funds ranked ahead of lesser matches.

Rating:

Highly Responsive: Non-NSFLTP Program funding will account for 50 percent or more of total eligible project costs.

Responsive: Non-NSFLTP Program funding will account for more than the minimum of non-NSFLTP Program funding required for the type of project12 but less than 50 percent of total eligible project costs.

Not Responsive: The project meets the minimum in non-NSFLTP Program funding required under Section C.2.

Primary Merit Criterion 5: National Register of Historic Places.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project is included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Rating:

Yes: The project is included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

No: The project is not included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Primary Merit Criterion 6: New Technologies and Innovations.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project uses new technologies and innovations that enhance the efficiency of the project.

In assessing this criterion, FHWA will assess the extent to which the applicant uses innovative strategies promoted by FHWA, especially those promoted by FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative.

For more information on the Every Day Counts initiative, see: https://highways.dot.gov/federallands/programs-tribal/partners-resources/every-day-counts.

12 For projects on Tribal transportation facilities, any amount of non-NSFTLP Program funds, up to 50 percent total eligible project costs, will warrant a Responsive rating. For projects on Federal lands transportation facilities or Federal lands access transportation facilities, any amount of non-NSLFTP Program funds beyond the 10-percent Federal share requirement, up to 50 percent total eligible project costs, will warrant a Responsive rating.

Applicants should clearly indicate which technologies or innovations they are using in their proposed project and how those technologies or innovations will enhance the efficiency of the proposed project.

Rating:

Highly Responsive: The project will effectively employ at least one new technology or innovation currently promoted by FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative.

Responsive: The project will employ at least one new technology or innovation not currently promoted by FHWA that could enhance the efficiency of the project.

Not Responsive: The project would not adequately promote the outcomes described for the criterion under consideration.

Primary Merit Criterion 7: Support to Construct, Maintain, and Operate the Facility.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project is supported by funds, other than funds received under the NSFLTP Program, to construct, maintain, and operate the facility.

FHWA will consider what other funds exist, besides those available for match, to aid in maintenance and operation of the facility, as well as the reasonable expectation that those funds will remain available. Historical trends, current policy, or future feasibility analyses can be used as evidence to substantiate or support the claims in the application.

Rating:

Highly Responsive: The facility to be improved has a secure source of funding to aid in the long-term maintenance and operation of the facility.

Responsive: The facility to be improved has a source of funding to aid in the future maintenance and operation of the facility, with reasonable expectation that those funds will remain available.

Not Responsive: A source of funding has not been identified to support operation and maintenance of the facility.

Primary Merit Criterion 8: Spans Two or More States.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project spans two or more States.

Rating:

Yes: The project spans two or more States.

No: The project is within one State.

Primary Merit Criterion 9: Serves Land Owned by Multiple Federal Agencies or Indian Tribes.

FHWA will consider the extent to which the project serves land owned by multiple Federal Agencies or Indian Tribes.

Rating:

Yes: The project serves land owned by multiple Federal Agencies or Indian Tribes.

No: The project serves land owned by one Federal Agency or Indian Tribe.

FHWA will assign an overall rating for the Primary Merit Criteria Category on the following basis:

• High – Projects with four or more primary merit criteria rated as “Highly Responsive” or “Yes” when applicable.

• Medium – Projects with between one and three primary merit criteria rated as “Highly Responsive” or “Yes” when applicable, or projects with “Responsive” with 5 or more of the primary Merit Criteria.

• Low – The project has no primary merit criteria rated as “Highly Responsive” and less than 5 of the primary merit criteria rated as “Responsive” or “Yes” when applicable.

screening based on the criteria in Section C. Only eligible projects will be evaluated against the Primary Merit Criteria, Secondary Merit Criteria, and Project Readiness in Section E.1. The NSFLTP Program application evaluation and selection process consists of: (1) a Technical Review, (2) an FHWA Senior Review, and (3) Project Selections.

i. Technical Review The evaluation of eligible applications will be conducted by a Technical Review Team who may consist of individuals from FHWA Headquarters and division offices. The Technical Review Team will evaluate each eligible application against the Primary Merit Criteria, Secondary Merit Criteria, and Project Readiness in Section E.1 and assign an overall application rating as described under Section E.1.d. Based on the outcome of these reviews, the Technical Review Team will assign an overall rating of Highly Recommended, Recommended, or Not Recommended to each application.

ii. FHWA Senior Review Team (SRT) The Technical Review Team will send to the FHWA SRT the overall application rating for each eligible NSFLTP Program application.

The composition of the FHWA SRT is senior leadership who have been requested to serve by the FHWA Administrator. The SRT, which may include the FHWA Administrator’s participation in the SRT review process, advises the FHWA Administrator which projects the FHWA Administrator should select for funding, taking into account the statutory requirement that half of the NSFLTP Program funding goes to projects on Tribal transportation facilities and that half goes to projects on Federal Lands transportation facilities and Federal Lands transportation facilities, as well as the statutory requirement that at least one eligible project shall be in a unit of the U.S. National Park Service with at least 3 million annual visitors.

The FHWA SRT may also recommend for selection an NSFLTP Program that is rated Recommended over a Highly Recommended project. When recommending a project that is Recommended over a Highly Recommended project, the FHWA SRT will select Recommended projects by considering how well the project addressed the Merit Criteria and the number of criteria rated Highly Responsive.

When recommending applications to the FHWA Administrator, the FHWA SRT may consider geographic diversity including, as applicable, the need for a balance between the needs of rural and urban communities.

iii. Project Selections The FHWA Administrator makes final project selections and will select among the projects advanced by the FHWA SRT. The review process gives the Administrator the discretion to determine which applications best address the program requirements, advance the Administration’s Priorities and Departmental Strategic Plan Goals, and should be selected.

When selecting projects, the Administrator may also consider geographic diversity, including the need for a balance between the needs of rural and urban communities, and selecting projects that ensure the effective use of Federal funding.

FHWA is not obligated to make any award as a result of this NOFO.

with 2 CFR 200.206. The risk evaluation will consider several factors, as outlined in 2 CFR

200.206. In addition, FHWA must review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov, currently the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS). An applicant may review information in FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a Federal awarding Agency previously entered. FHWA will consider 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.

FHWA reserves the right to request additional information and documentation to inform the risk evaluation and may deny an award based on the results of the risk assessment.

Section G: Award Notices

Following the evaluation outlined in Section E, the FHWA Administrator will announce awarded projects by posting a list of selected projects at https://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/programs/nsfltp/.

Notice of selection is not authorization to begin performance or to incur costs for the proposed project. Following the announcement, FHWA will contact the point of contact listed in form SF424 to initiate negotiation of a project-specific agreement. If the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submittal, FHWA reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the project.

Recipients of NSFLTP Program grant awards will not generally receive lump-sum cash disbursements at the time of award announcement or obligation of funds. Instead, FHWA will reimburse NSFLTP Program grant funds to recipients only after a project agreement has been executed, allowable expenses are incurred, and valid requests for reimbursement are submitted.

Unless authorized by FHWA in writing after FHWA’s announcement of awards, any costs that a…