PKG00257573-instructions.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Summary Information

Federal Agency Name:

U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT)

Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration (FMCSA)

Grants Management Office (GMO); MC-BG

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

West Building

Washington, DC 20590

Funding Opportunity Title:

High Priority Program – Commercial Motor Vehicle

(HP-CMV)

Announcement Type:

Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: FM-MHP-20-001

Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance (CFDA) Number:

20.237

Key Dates: Application Due Date –

Feburary 21, 2020

5:00pm EST

Point of Contact:

Financial/Application

Rikita Jarrett

202-366-4186

Rikita.jarrett@dot.gov

Programmatic:

Bettina Conroy

518-810-2985

Bettina.conroy@dot.gov mailto:Rikita.jarrett@dot.gov mailto:Bettina.conroy@dot.gov

SECTION A - PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1) Overview.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration (FMCSA) announces the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 High Priority-

Commercial Motor Vehicle (HP-CMV) program Notice of Funding Opportunity

(NOFO) to solicit applications from eligible entities to support the HP-CMV program activities.

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act Pub. L. No. 114-94, §5101 authorized FY 2020 HP-CMV program funding, and 49 U.S.C. §§ 31102(l) and

31104 and 49 C.F.R. part 350 govern the HP-CMV financial assistance program.

As the lead government agency responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of commercial motor vehicles (CMV), FMCSA may award HP-CMV funds to support innovative and impactful projects that advance its mission to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Funding is available for the support of enforcement projects that improve safety and compliance with FMCSA’s regulations for projects that are national in scope, increase public awareness and education, demonstrate new technologies, and reduce the number/rate of CMV crashes.

These activities are supported in alignment with the U.S. Department of

Transportation’s strategic goals of:

• SAFETY: Reduce transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries across the transportation system.

• INFRASTRUCTURE: Invest in infrastructure to ensure safety, mobility and accessibility and to stimulate economic growth, productivity and competitiveness for American workers and businesses.

• INNOVATION: Lead in the development and deployment of innovative practices and technologies that improve the safety and performance of the Nation’s transportation system.

• ACCOUNTABILITY: Serve the Nation with reduced regulatory burden and greater efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.

This NOFO provides important information about the HP-CMV safety priorities, highlighting the critical information related to preparing and submitting an application.

2) Project Type.

HP-CMV projects include the augmentation of projects funded by the Motor Carrier

Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP), as well as projects related to Performance and

Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) and State Safety Data

Quality (SSDQ).

Requirements When One or More Projects are Proposed

This section highlights requirements of the application package when one or more projects are proposed. Additional content requirements are found in Section D – Application and

Submission Information of this NOFO.

3) Application Narratives

A project consists of one or more activities that work towards achieving a defined goal(s) and objective(s). If an applicant chooses to propose multiple HP-CMV projects within a single application, each application must contain separate and distinct project narratives, budget narratives, line item budgets, and a title for each project proposed in that

When there are multiple projects, each project must include the following sections in consecutive order: Brief Introduction, Problem Statement, Performance Objectives, Project

Activity Plan, Performance Measurement Plan, Monitoring and Reporting Plan, and Budget

Narrative. For example, with multiple projects, project 1 includes the above sections in consecutive order, followed by project 2 including the above sections in consecutive order.

Grants.gov Application Package / SF-424 and SF-424a

This section highlights specific fields and sections of the SF-424 and SF-424a.

For instructions on completing these forms, please go to Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html

SF 424 Field 18 box (a) - Estimated Funding is required and must contain the 85%

Federal funding request, box (b) must contain the 15 percent applicant program match, and box (g) the sum of boxes (a) and (b), total project amount. Value of in-kind contributions should be included on appropriate lines, as applicable.

SF 424a - Section A – Budget Summary shows the 85 percent Federal, 15 percent non-

Federal and 100 percent total per project. Section B – Budget Categories captures 100 percent total amount per object class categories. In the column headings (1) through (4), enter the titles for each of the proposed projects. If five or more projects are proposed, download an additional 424a from Grants.gov. Please note, the 424a covers the life of the project costs, and not just the first year (as stipulated in the 424a instructions).

All costs in the budget narrative, SF-424 and SF-424-A must be rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount.

4) National Priorities Descriptions

Below are descriptions of the programmatic activities listed in order of priority.

Please note that additional information regarding cost eligibility may be found within the MCSAP Grant Comprehensive Policy (MCP). An electronic copy of the MCP may be found at: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-grant- comprehensive-policy https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-grant-http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-grant-

The HP-CMV grant program prioritizes projects that augment motor carrier safety initiatives, and enhance efforts proposed in the MCSAP agency’s

Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan (CVSP). The goal is to enable recipients to carry out projects that improve safety and compliance with FMCSA’s regulations. Funding is also available for projects that are national in scope, increase public awareness and education, demonstrate new technologies and reduce the number of CMV crashes.

Please note that routine equipment and operational expenses should be supported under a State’s or territory’s MCSAP formula grant awarded to a MCSAP lead agency and generally will not be considered under the HP-CMV program.

However, States and territories are eligible to request equipment and related expenses to supplement their MCSAP projects, if they can clearly demonstrate safety enforcement beyond their current MCSAP allocation.

Applicants should refer to the MCP for guidance on HP-CMV policies and eligible projects and costs.

a) Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM)

i) General.

HP CMV funding for PRISM projects support the deployment and maintenance of safety mechanisms that link FMCSA information systems with

States’ CMV registration information systems to identify and immobilize motor carriers with serious safety violations or that are prohibited from operating by FMCSA through the issuance of a Federal Out-of-Service (OOS) order, and hold them accountable through registration and law enforcement sanctions.

All PRISM project narratives must indicate the jurisdiction’s current level of participation (Partial, Full, Enhanced or Expanded) and explain how the project, once fully deployed, will meet specific program requirements that maintain, elevate, or enhance the State’s current level of participation. Please reference the MCSAP Comprehensive Policy, Section 4.3.1, for PRISM implementation information.

ii) Consideration for Funding.

The applications received for HP-CMV PRISM projects will be considered as follows (in order of priority):

A) Jurisdictions applying for HP CMV funds for PRISM projects that have never participated, or are partially participating in PRISM and seek to achieve Full Participation or implement an FMCSA-approved alternative approach that provides an equivalent level of safety must have an approved PRISM Implementation Plan or FMCSA-approved alternative approach before receiving an award. Please reference

Section 4.3.1 of the MCSAP Comprehensive Policy for the complete list of requirements for Full Participation.

PRISM projects (under this announcement) to achieve Full

Participation must include, but are not limited to, any of the following requirements and related processes as outlined in Section 4.3.1 of the

MCSAP Comprehensive Policy:

(1) Requirement 2 - collect and validate the USDOT number and Tax

Identification Number of the motor carrier responsible for safety before issuing or renewing CMV registration(s) by checking them against the

PRISM Census File or the Motor Carrier Management Information

System (MCMIS).

(2) Requirement 3 - check a motor carrier’s safety status against the

PRISM Target File or MCMIS before issuing new or renewing registrations, and deny registration(s) if the motor carrier responsible for safety is under any Federal OOS order or possesses an inactive or deactivated USDOT number due to the biennial update not being completed when required.

(3) Requirement 4 - check the safety status of motor carriers registered in the State against the PRISM Target File or MCMIS and suspend or revoke the existing registration(s) if the motor carrier responsible for safety is under any Federal OOS order.

(4) Requirement 5 - upload to the Safety and Fitness Electronic Records

(SAFER) database the USDOT number of the motor carrier responsible for safety, vehicle identification number(s), license plate number(s) and dates of registration for vehicle(s) operated by a motor carrier that is under any Federal OOS order.

(5) Requirement 6 - implement an automated process to capture the number of suspensions or revocations and registration denials to report to FMCSA as part of the required MCSAP quarterly performance reports.

B) Jurisdictions that are fully participating in PRISM that are applying for projects to achieve Enhanced Participation.

PRISM projects (under this announcement) to achieve Enhanced

Participation must include, but are not limited to, any of the following operational requirements and related processes:

(1) Requirements 8, 9 and 10 - check every Vehicle Identification

Number (VIN) against the PRISM data before issuing registration or renewing registration to verify if the vehicle is registered or was previously registered to a motor carrier under a Federal OOS order. Implement a process to check if the new motor carrier responsible for the safety of the vehicle has matching information to the motor carrier under a Federal OOS order. Determine if both motor carriers are affiliated and if the new motor carrier responsible for safety of the vehicle is attempting to reincarnate to avoid FMCSA enforcement sanctions. Deny registration if the motor carrier registering the vehicle is affiliated with a motor carrier under a Federal OOS order or implement a process to notify the PRISMTechnicalSupport@dot.gov of a VIN removal request from the PRISM targeted data.

(2) Requirement 11 - apply the 950-status code to vehicle registrations that are suspended due to a Federal OOS order and clear the 950-status code when the registration is reinstated.

(3) Requirement 12 - print and barcode the motor carrier information on a cab card if the motor carrier responsible for the safety of the vehicle is not expected to change during the registration year.

C) Jurisdictions that are at the Enhanced Participation level and are applying for projects to achieve the Expanded PRISM Participation level, which applies to commercial motor vehicles not registered with the International Registration Plan (IRP) or gross weighted vehicles between 10,001 to 26,001 lbs.

D) PRISM projects that enhance a jurisdiction’s current level of participation including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Implement PRISM Web Services into the registration process for real-time validation of carrier safety information.

(2) Implement a process to retrieve license plates for motor carriers under a Federal OOS order.

(3) Implement/update materials such as IRP manuals, cab cards or brochures to educate and/or require motor carriers to update the motor carrier responsible for safety on record if it changes during the registration period.

E) Operations and Maintenance (O&M)

The FMCSA will consider applications for O&M costs associated with maintaining Full Participation in PRISM. Eligible projects that maintain systems or capabilities required as part of Full Participation as outlined in the MCSAP Comprehensive Policy (MCP) will be considered. The FMCSA will reimburse 85 percent of eligible and approved O&M costs for approved PRISM projects.

An application from a non-MCSAP lead agency for O&M for PRISM mailto:PRISMTechnicalSupport@dot.gov projects will be considered before any MCSAP lead agency with similar funding requests.

iii) Cost Matching under this Priority.

For FY 2020 FMCSA may award up to 100 percent for the approved total project costs for PRISM project(s) deployed by jurisdictions seeking to achieve Full Participation. All other PRISM projects will be awarded at 85 percent of the approved total project cost.

For an explanation of Full Participation as mandated under the FAST Act, please visit https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-grant-comprehensive-policy PRISM sections 2.6, 4.3.1 and 5.8.

For an overview of the PRISM program, please visit:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/information-systems/prism/performance-and-registration-information-systems-management-prism

For PRISM Registration Requirements, please visit:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/information-systems/prism/registration-requirements

b) State Safety Data Quality.

The FMCSA's data-driven safety programs use State- reported data from crashes and inspections to prioritize resources for the greatest impact on large truck and bus safety. The FMCSA SSDQ program focuses on maintaining high quality data from our State partners. Data quality is monitored through a set of SSDQ performance measures that assess the completeness, timeliness, accuracy, and consistency of State-reported crash and inspection records in

MCMIS. Each month, States receive overall State ratings of “good,” “fair,” or

“poor” based on eight SSDQ performance measures and one indicator.

ii) Consideration for Funding.

The FMCSA will consider for funding the applications received for Safety

Data Quality as follows:

A) Data projects that improve and expand CMV data collected on police crash reports through increased implementation of the

Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). The

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the 5th edition MMUCC guidance in August 2017. This expands the information collected on CMVs in a new Large Vehicles and Hazardous Materials section. More information can https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-grant-comprehensive-policy https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-grant-comprehensive-policy https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/information-systems/prism/performance-and-registration-information-systems-management-prism https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/information-systems/prism/performance-and-registration-information-systems-management-prism https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/information-systems/prism/registration-requirements https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/information-systems/prism/registration-requirements be found at https://www.nhtsa.gov/mmucc-1.

B) Training projects for State and local law enforcement to improve the collection of CMV data on PARs, or training attendance for SAFETYNET, crash data, and DataQs users tentatively scheduled for August 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

C) Technology projects that improve or expand on commercial vehicle information collected through the State’s crash and/or inspection data. Such projects include, but are not limited to, automating or verification of driver, vehicle and motor carrier information, enhanced VIN screening and data input/verification through

NHTSA’s Product Information Catalog and Vehicle Listing (vPIC)

VIN decoder (https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/), geo-location data of crashes or inspection, collection and analysis of CMV event data recorders (CDRs) or improving coordination between

SAFETYNET and NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System coders.

D) Innovative projects, such as an independent appeals process, for resolving Requests for Data Review (RDRs) entered through

DataQs to improve timeliness, consistency, and/or accountability. Innovative projects for improving the State’s performance in the SSDQ results (overall or in specific measures).

iii) Special Consideration for Improvement in SSDQ Performance.

For projects seeking to improve SSDQ results, there are additional constraints and priorities depending on which agency is submitting the application:

A) For Non – MCSAP Lead Agencies.

Applications that contain projects that allow the State to complete the MCSAP requirements for safety data collection and participation in information reporting will be considered. In this context, complete the MCSAP requirements for participation means achieving an overall “good” rating in the SSDQ measures if the

State does not have an overall “good” rating at the time of HP

Applications that contain projects that will allow the State to exceed the

MCSAP requirements for participation will be considered next. In this context, “exceed the MCSAP requirements” for participation means improving upon a “good” rating in all SSDQ measures if the State already has an overall “good” rating at the time of HP-CMV application. For

State SSDQ ratings please visit: https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/DataQuality/.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/mmucc-1 https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/DataQuality/ https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/DataQuality/

Note: Non-MCSAP Lead agencies must confirm and document coordination in the application, including which agency was contacted, date contact was made, and who was contacted.

B) For MCSAP Lead Agencies.

The FMCSA has determined that each State must achieve an overall “good” rating, as published in the SSDQ ratings map posted on FMCSA Analysis & Information website

(https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/DataQuality/Default.aspx) as of the application submission date, to be considered compliant with the

MCSAP eligibility requirement related to data quality in the State’s most recent CVSP.

Applications that contain projects that will allow the State to exceed the MCSAP requirements for safety data collection and participation in information reporting will be considered next. In this context, “exceed the MCSAP requirements” for participation means achieving or improving upon a “good” rating in all SSDQ measures if the State has an overall “good” rating. Projects may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Activities that address the SSDQ priorities above (see

Application Consideration Based on Entity in this section);

(2) Development and implementation of policies and/or procedures directly related to the improvement of timeliness, accuracy and completeness of safety data;

(3) Establishing and maintaining a DataQs Review Council or an independent appeals process; or

(4) Implementation of procedures to ensure that at least 85 percent of RDRs are closed out within 14 days of receipt

(not counting the time for the carrier and other Agencies to respond to questions).

iv) Cost Matching under this Priority.

The FMCSA will reimburse at 85 percent of eligible approved costs incurred under this priority.

c) Enforcement of CMV Operation and Compliance with Safety Regulations.

These projects may include the following activities:

https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/DataQuality/Default.aspx

i) Targeting unsafe driving of CMVs and non-CMVs in areas identified as high-risk crash corridors.

A) General.

Funds are available for the administration of projects targeting unsafe driving of CMVs and non-CMVs in areas identified as high crash corridors.

In the application, the applicant must provide clear data

(reports, maps, and/or analysis) that identifies these corridors

(the specific highway and the mile markers involved;

including analysis of the previous three year averages for these corridors). Based on emerging data trends, applicants may modify the specific corridors during the period of performance, but the application must identify the initial corridors; specify the specific enforcement strategies that the applicant will conduct to reduce the crash rate in these corridors. The applicant must explain how it will monitor and report on the results of these projects. The applicant must also indicate how it will evaluate the outcome and success of this enforcement project to demonstrate whether increased vehicle contacts, issuance of traffic citations, and traffic citation convictions and the impact this has on overall crash rates.

The applicant must clearly demonstrate how these projects will go beyond the traditional traffic enforcement projects included in their State’s CVSP, and outline how they will report the number of contacts plus enforcement actions issued in their quarterly reports for the Division to upload in

GOTHAM.

B) Cost Matching under this Priority.

The FMCSA will reimburse 85 percent of eligible approved costs incurred under this priority.

ii) Improvements for the Safe Transportation of Goods and

Persons in Foreign Commerce.

A) General.

In the application, the applicant must provide statistical data or articulable facts that demonstrate a safety problem related to

CMVs transporting goods or persons in foreign commerce.

Based on data, the specific corridors may be modified during the period of performance, but the application must identify the initial corridors; specify strategies that the applicant will conduct to improve safe transportation of goods and persons within their State.

Priority consideration will be given to non-border States that can document the safety impact of CMVs engaged in international commerce within their jurisdiction.

In addition, if the applicant is a jurisdiction that borders a foreign country, they must demonstrate how these projects will go beyond the traditional enforcement projects required to maintain an adequate border enforcement program (as required for border funding per 49 USC § 31102) for the

MCSAP lead agency.

costs incurred under this priority.

iii) Improve CMV Safety and Compliance with CMV Safety

Regulations.

A) General.

The applicant must demonstrate how these projects will go beyond the traditional enforcement projects included in their State’s CVSP. Applicants must describe the type of project they plan to conduct including the number of personnel, the level of effort involved, how they will report the outputs and outcomes of the effort, and how the project will improve CMV safety and compliance. Project examples may include, but are not limited to:

(1) Passenger safety initiatives;

(2) Efforts to reduce distracted driving by CMV drivers and others operating around CMVs;

(3) CMV safety in work zones; especially in areas of congestion at the entrance to, and exit from, these areas; and

(4) Innovative efforts that have a demonstrable potential for nationwide implementation.

costs incurred for carrying out this priority.

d) Technologies to Improve CMV Safety Enforcement.

Funds are available for the demonstration of innovative methods for technologies to improve CMV safety enforcement. Applications must be supported by data justifying the need to identify, develop, maintain and/or implement new and/or existing technologies to improve CMV enforcement techniques. Examples include, but are not limited to, implementation of FMCSA’s electronic logging device requirements and the purchase of License Plate/US DOT number readers to augment enforcement efforts.

Applicants must include clear performance measurements to evaluate the outcome of the project(s), and include these statistics within their quarterly

Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR) to FMCSA. Metrics must be relevant to the use of purchased technology within the project framework, and if applicable, identify the number of CMVs/carriers screened and/or contacted.

ii) Cost Matching under this Priority.

The FMCSA will reimburse 85 percent of eligible approved costs incurred in carrying out this priority.

d) CMV safety on Rural Roads.

Rural road safety is a particular concern because a disproportionate share of highway fatalities occurs on rural roads. While 19 percent of the U.S.

population lives in rural areas, rural road fatalities account for roughly 50 percent of all traffic fatalities. The fatality rate, as measured by fatalities per vehicle miles traveled, is 2.6 times higher in rural areas than in urban areas.

Funds are available for projects targeting the safe operation of CMVs and enforcement of Federal regulations in rural areas as defined in the Highway

Functional Classification Guidelines on the Federal Highway Administration’s

(FHWA) Office of Planning, Environment, & Realty website at:

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/processes/statewide/related/highway_f unctional_classifications/section00.cfm https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/processes/statewide/related/highway_functional_classifications/section00.cfm https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/processes/statewide/related/highway_functional_classifications/section00.cfm

Please refer to Section 6 of the above linked document for definitions of urban versus rural areas.

States may also use their High Risk Rural Roads (HRRR) definition to identify focus areas under this activity. Please note that FMCSA may not reimburse for costs supported under an award through the FHWA or any other Federal entity.

Information on HRRR may be found here: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/hrrr/

Special Emphasis Area – Migrant Worker Transportation in Rural Areas

FMCSA requests that, where data indicates a need, special emphasis be placed on the development and implementation of a targeted enforcement plan which incorporates recurring roadside enforcement in high density agricultural regions (during peak harvest seasons) for the specific purposes of improving the safe transportation of seasonal and migrant agricultural workers.

Applicants are referred to 49 CFR part 398 for definitions relating to agricultural worker classifications and requirements regarding the transportation of these individuals. States that have identified safety concerns regarding the transportation of seasonal and migrant farm workers are encouraged to work closely with their

FMCSA Division Office and local offices of the U.S. Department of Labor to institute an effective safety intervention effort.

The FMCSA will reimburse 85 percent of eligible approved costs incurred in carrying out this priority.

d) Public Awareness and Education.

Public Education and Awareness projects provide information on a variety of traffic safety issues related to CMVs and non-CMVs operating around large trucks and buses. Applicants must describe the type of projects they plan to conduct, including but not limited to passenger transportation, hazardous materials transportation, and share the road safely initiatives, including the number of personnel and the level of effort..

The FMCSA encourages the performance of Public Awareness and Education activities in conjunction with enforcement activities, which has been shown to be more effective than conducting Public Awareness and Education activities on their own.

The FMCSA will reimburse 85 percent of eligible approved costs incurred for carrying out this priority.

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/hrrr/

SECTION B – FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1) Funding and Number of Awards.

The FMCSA anticipates making approximately 75 awards totaling $25,211,500, subject to the availability of funds, as a result of applications in response to this Notice of

Funding Opportunity. The FMCSA reserves the right to allocate additional funds for awards based on the volume and quality of applications. Awards under the HP-CMV program are subject to funding availability.

All funding amoutns are subject to the availability of funds under the Continuing

Resolution or FY 2020 Appropriation Act.

The FMCSA will limit Federal funding to a total amount of $2,000,000 per award, subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

2) Type of Award.

The planned award type(s) under this Notice will be issued as a grant or cooperative agreement. The FMCSA will determine the appropriate award type based on the proposed project.

These award types are for new FMCSA awards only. Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing awards are not eligible.

3) Period of Performance.

The Federal fiscal year in which the award is made plus two additional fiscal years.

4) Degree of Federal Involvement.

i) Cooperative Agreement: In accordance with 31 U.S.C. § 6305, FMCSA will award a cooperative agreement when substantial involvement between

FMCSA and the recipient is anticipated when carrying out the activity outlined in the Notice of Grant Agreement. The FMCSA will outline the nature of

Federal involvement at the time of award (e.g., the degree to which FMCSA employees are directly performing or implementing parts of the award program).

ii) Grant: Substantial involvement is not expected between FMCSA and the recipient when carrying out the activity outlined in the agreement. The FMCSA provides financial assistance, technical expertise, and oversight. Grantees provide the effort and expertise necessary to carry out the approved activities to improve CMV safety. The FMCSA grantees are responsible for achieving the work described in their grant award, complying with the grant requirements laid out in the grant award’s terms and conditions, the local administration of the grant, and monitoring and oversight of any sub-grantees and/or sub-contractors.

SECTION C – ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1) Eligible Applicants. The following section identifies the applicants eligible for award.

Different entities are eligible for different national priorities listed under Section A, and this is detailed below. This includes the eligibility of types of applicant organizations, any factors affecting the eligibility of the principal investigator or project director, and any criteria that make projects ineligible. Key elements to be addressed are:

i) The HP-CMV awards are available to States, the District of Columbia, the

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, local governments

(including county, city, township, and special district), and federally-recognized

Native American tribal governments, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service.

ii) Participation by Local Law Enforcement Agencies and Other Applicants

The FMCSA strongly encourages the participation of local law enforcement agencies, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribes, political jurisdictions and other eligible applicants in CMV safety projects either directly or in partnership with State enforcement officers. Any local law enforcement agency applying directly to FMCSA for HP-CMV funding must provide a statement within the application certifying the applicant meets the nine conditions below from 49 C.F.R. § 350.203.

Non-law enforcement applicants must also certify compliance with the conditions cited below but may state within their application a reason for exemption to the terms and conditions under (c), (h), and (i), if they are not directly responsible for law enforcement activity and/or no current database access exists for their specific project.

a) The application was prepared in accordance with 49 C.F.R. §350.213, as applicable.

b) The application was coordinated with the State’s lead MCSAP agency to ensure the application is consistent with State and national CMV safety project priorities.

c) Certify that their local jurisdiction has the legal authority, resources, and trained and qualified personnel necessary to perform the functions specified in the application.

d) A designated person will be responsible for implementation, reporting, and administering the approved application and will be the primary contact for the project.

e) Agree to fund up to 15 percent of the proposed request (unless otherwise stipulated in the Federal award).

f) Agree to prepare and submit all reports required with the application or other conditions of the award.

g) Agree to use the forms and reporting criteria required by the State’s lead

MCSAP agency and/or FMCSA to record work activities to be performed under the application.

h) Certify that the local agency will impose sanctions for violations of CMV and driver laws and regulations that are consistent with those of the State.

i) Certify participation in national data bases appropriate to the project.

2) Cost-Sharing and Matching Requirements.

The FMCSA will reimburse eligible approved costs incurred in the administration of an approved project plan, except as otherwise noted within this Notice of Funding

Opportunity, which will require the award recipient to include the matching or cost-sharing contribution as identified within the specific National Priorities in Section A.

Applicants are reminded that FMCSA has identified certain items as reimbursable at 100 percent (requiring no matching funds) and others at the level of 85 percent (requiring a

15 percent match on the part of the awardee) in Section A (3) under National Priorities.

As such, applicants should pay close attention to matching requirements when completing their HP-CMV proposals.

Cash, in-kind and third-party contributions are acceptable in meeting the matching share if they represent necessary, reasonable, allowable and allocable costs as established by 2

C.F.R. part 200 and FMCSA policy.

SECTION D - APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1) Submission Website Address.

The applicants must complete and submit all forms included in this Notice of

Funding Opportunity at www.grants.gov.

• When completing the Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 form, applicants must indicate the application type is “HP-CMV” in box 15, “Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project.”

• Please go to page 3 for Requirements When One or More Projects are Proposed.

2) Content and Form of Application Submission.

The application must follow the format and limitation stated below:

• Application must be prepared in 8 1/2 x 11-inch format.

• Margins (Top, Bottom, Right and Left) no smaller the 1” (Header and Footer are allowed in the margins) on all pages.

• Time New Romans 12pt. font must be used for all text, including tables and graphs.

• Application must be submitted in a format readable by Microsoft (MS) Word, Excel, or in text searchable PDF formats (as applicable).

• The application narrative is limited to 35 total pages. FMCSA will not read or consider any materials beyond the specified page limit in the application review process. NOTE: The 35-page total limit will apply to this section only. Submission of documentation and forms described in Appendix A will not count against the application page limit.

Application packages must contain the below elements and all applicable documentation described in Appendix A to be considered for an award. Appendix B contains example formats that may, but are not required to be, used.

i) Brief Introduction. 5-page maximum

Include a description of the goal(s) of the application and the applicable program priority(s) met by the application’s projects. Include in this introduction specific information about the outputs the application proposes to achieve. For each goal identified, the applicant must provide a problem statement, performance objective, program activity plan, and performance measurement plan.

http://www.grants.gov/

ii) Problem Statement. 5-page maximum

A quantitative description of the identified problem. Include details on the data used to identify the problem and to establish the baseline (include data source, date, and explain how the applicant collects, maintains, and analyzes the data). Data should support proposed project(s).

iii) Performance Objective. 5-page maximum

A description of the applicant’s quantifiable goal(s) related to the above problem statement. This can be measured in numbers, percentages, or other forms that accurately measure the outputs and outcomes the applicant anticipates will result from implementing the strategies and activities proposed.

iv) Project Activity Plan. 5-page maximum

A description of the project activities the applicant believes will help mitigate the identified problem(s). Description should include details such as number and frequency of activities.

v) Performance Measurement Plan. 5-page maximum

A description of how the applicant will measure progress towards the performance objective goal(s), such as quantifiable and measurable outputs (hours, carrier contacts, inspections, etc.) and in terms of performance outcomes. The measure must include specific benchmarks that can be reported on in the quarterly progress report, if practicable, or as annual outcomes.

vi) Monitoring and Reporting Plan. 5-page maximum

A description of the applicant’s method for ongoing monitoring of the progress of the project. This should include who will conduct the monitoring, the frequency with which it will be carried out, and how and to whom reports will be made.

vii) Budget Narrative. 5-page maximum

A budget narrative is a description, by budget category (object class), that details the costs necessary to complete the proposed projects. A well-written budget narrative ensures that the applicant has properly documented proposed costs. The level of detail must be sufficient to justify the funding requested. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the sample budget narrative format included in Appendix B.

The budget narrative should reflect the allocability of project activities to the grant.

Budgets should reflect the appropriate Federal and State match amounts. Exceeding the required State match will not favorably influence the evaluation of an application. FMCSA may adjust the applicant’s budget or adjust funding to reflect the appropriate match.

All costs in the budget narrative, SF-424 and SF-424-A must be rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

Consistent with the Department's R.O.U.T.E.S. Initiative

(https://www.transportation.gov/rural), the Department encourages applicants to describe how activities proposed in their application would address the unique challenges facing rural transportation networks, regardless of the geographic location of those activities.

3) SAM.Gov requirement.

The applicant must:

1) Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application at https://www.sam.gov; and

2) Provide a valid Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number on the SF-

424. If you do not have a DUNS number you can get one free through the D&B website: https://fedgov.dnbd.com/webform/displayHomePage.do .

The applicant must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration.

To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete.

If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time the Federal awarding agency is ready to make a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

4) Submission Dates and Times.

i) Deadline.

FULL AND COMPLETE APPLICATIONS FOR High Priority Program -

CMV Financial Assistance ARE DUE ON Feburary 21, 2020 by 5:00 pm

EST. Once Grants.gov has received your submission, you will receive email messages to advise you of the progress of your application through the system.

Over the next two business days, you should receive two emails: 1) confirms application receipt by the Grants.gov system; and 2) indicates that the application has either been successfully validated by Grants.gov prior to transmission to FMCSA or has been rejected due to errors. The applicant assumes all responsibility for a timely and complete application submission.

Click here for more information.

https://www.transportation.gov/rural https://www.sam.gov/ https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

ii) Consideration of Applications.

Only applicants who comply with all submission deadlines described in this notice and electronically submit valid applications through Grants.gov will be eligible for consideration of award. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make submissions well in advance of the deadline.

iii) Late Applications.

The FMCSA will not consider a late application except under extraordinary circumstances. A late application will be accepted only if there is a large scale natural disaster or a significant grants.gov system issue that threatens the timely submission of a grant application. Problems with computer systems at the applicant organization (excluding verified cyber attacks), failure to follow the application instructions or failure to submit or complete the program application or complete required registrations by the submission deadline are not considered system issues.

5) Intergovernmental Review.

The High Priority Program and this funding opportunity are subject to Executive Order

12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” The States with a Single

Point of Contact (SPOC) and therefore a requirement to comply with E.O. 12372 are listed in the Office of Management and Budget's Web site.

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

6) Funding Restrictions.

HP funds are awarded through a competitive evaluation process and are not guaranteed.

All funding decisions will be made based on the Agency’s priorities and the merits of the respective applications.

All cost elements of an application must be necessary, reasonable, allocable, and allowable to accomplish the goals of the project. Cost eligibility standards are described in the applicable cost principles and administrative requirements:

i) 2 C.F.R. part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards; and

ii) The FMCSA’s MCP, as revised in March 2018 (available from FMCSA's

Division Offices) and on FMCSA’s MCSAP Website at:

www.fmcsa.dot.gov/grants/mcsap-basic-incentive-grant/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-mcsap-basic-and-incentive.

In accordance with the provisions of 49 C.F.R. § 350.311 and the Federal Uniform

Administrative Requirements Cost Principles, additional guidance on eligible expenses under HP is included in the MCP. The eligibility of all expenditures is subject to review by FMCSA.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/grants/mcsap-basic-incentive-grant/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-mcsap-basic-and-incentive http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/grants/mcsap-basic-incentive-grant/motor-carrier-safety-assistance-program-mcsap-basic-and-incentive

The FMCSA is not obligated to approve costs incurred outside the award period of performance. These costs are incurred at the sole risk of the applicant and impose no obligation on FMCSA to make an award or to increase the amount of the approved budget.

The FMCSA will not provide reimbursement for indirect costs if an approved indirect cost rate agreement was not in place for the period of time the indirect cost expenses were incurred.

All FMCSA grant programs are cost reimbursable, which means that grant recipients must first incur costs before submitting a request for reimbursement to FMCSA for costs associated with approved activities identified in the grant agreement. Recipients will be reimbursed by FMCSA for actual costs incurred provided that the costs are reasonable, approved, allowable, and allocable in accordance with the OMB regulations and FMCSA policy, within the approved budget, and supported by documentation.

Recipients must request reimbursement at least once each quarter.

Recipients must submit requests for reimbursement electronically through the Delphi eInvoicing System (iSupplier). Additional information is available at:

http://www.dot.gov/cfo/delphi- einvoicing-system.

7) Other Submission Requirements.

Applications must only be submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov as described above in this section. In the event of system problems or technical difficulties with the application submittal, please call Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 or e-mail support@grants.gov

24 hours a day, 7 days a week (closed on Federal holidays).

To submit an application through Grants.gov, applicants must:

i) Create a username and password

ii) Establish an E-Business point of contact (POC) in order to respond to the registration emails.

iii) Establish an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR); more than one AOR can be established.

Please note the registration process in Grants.gov usually takes 2-4 business weeks to complete. The FMCSA will not consider late applications due to failure to register or comply with Grants.gov requirements.

In addition, applicants should also state within their Project Activity Plan narrative whether the proposed project(s) is/are located in a qualified opportunity zone designated pursuant to 26

U.S.C. § 1400Z-1.

http://www.dot.gov/cfo/delphi-einvoicing-system http://www.dot.gov/cfo/delphi-einvoicing-system https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

SECTION E - APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1) Initial Intake Review - Eligibility Criteria.

All applications received by the due date will undergo an initial intake review to determine if the application is eligible for a Merit Evaluation Review. The application eligibility criteria are listed below.

Application Eligibility Criteria Instructions

Deadline submission was met Section D.4(i)

Applicant eligibility was met Section C.1

SAM Registration Section D.3

SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance Section A.2 & Section D.1

SF-424 includes a DUNS Number Section D.3

SF-424 lists any cost sharing or match amounts on line 18b Section A.2

SF-424A, Budget Information Form Section A.2

Budget Narrative Section D.2 (vii)

Application/Project Narrative Section D.2 (i-vi)

Any other applicable Grant.gov document or attachment listed in Appendix A.

Appendix A

Applications that meet the eligibility criteria are then subject to a Merit Evaluation

Review process where each complete application is evaluated by FMCSA including:

a technical review panel (TRP), grant specialists, program officers, and FMCSA staff responsible for day-to-day grant management oversight. The reviewers also consider the budget, program specific aspects, past performance, and Department of

Transportation objectives in determining the application’s ratings.

Consistent with the Department's R.O.U.T.E.S. Initiative

(https://www.transportation.gov/rural), the Department recognizes that rural transportation networks face unique challenges. To the extent that those challenges are reflected in the merit criteria listed in this section, the Department will consider how the activities proposed in the application will address those challenges, regardless of the geographic location of those activities.

2) Review and Selection Process.

i) Merit Evaluation Review.

The Merit Evaluation Review consists of the following areas: 1) Technical Merit, 2)

Budget Review/Cost Analysis, 3) Program-Specific Aspects, and 4) Past Performance.

1) Technical Merit.

This review provides an independent assessment of the technical/programmatic merit of an application. At least three qualified individuals are selected to review https://www.transportation.gov/rural each application to ensure diversity of perspective and knowledge. The individuals are selected based on their technical education and experience and the extent to which the individual has engaged in relevant work, the capacities in which the individual has done so, and the quality of such work.

Panel will consider the extent to which the applications include projects that:

a) Describe a program that will meet the stated objectives of the NOFO to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles or achieve the other listed goals of the program;

b) Utilize a data-driven approach to clearly articulate the problem(s) the project(s) seek to address;

c) Include components that address specific HP program priorities;

d) Include proposed methodology that meets the stated objectives of the NOFO;

e) Propose work that identifies and/or makes progress on new/existing concepts;

f) Propose work that is based on sound principles to measure performance and gauge project success.

g) Include staffing resource allocations sufficient to achieve the program objectives;

h) Demonstrate that the proposed approach will ensure enforcement activities or other activities in areas likely to generate the maximum effectiveness of CMV enforcement;

i) Demonstrate appropriateness, rationale, and completeness of the proposed statement of project objectives;

j) Include clearly-identified quantifiable performance goals and measurements (such as percentages of enforcement on passenger carriers, traffic enforcement contact projections, etc.);

k) Demonstrate ability to develop performance-based metrics that adhere to FMCSA monitoring and reporting requirements;

l) Demonstrate that the proposed project/program is reasonable in scope, and adequate to address existing and emerging commercial vehicle safety issues;

m) Have an identified…