NOFA800 - FTA Section 5310 FY2028-FY2029

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), serving as the metro Atlanta Area Agency on Aging, is issuing a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for FTA Section 5310 transportation services for seniors and persons with disabilities in fiscal years 2028–2029, with proposals due November 9, 2026. Site registration and application approval must be completed prior to proposal submission through the ARC procurement portal.

The program funds transportation services serving seniors aged 65 and older and individuals with disabilities under 65 across an 11-county region (Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties) plus the City of Atlanta. Eligible services include demand-response trips, fixed-route shuttle services, mobility management, travel training, and coordinated transportation technologies serving large urbanized areas (over 200,000 population), small urbanized areas (50,000–200,000 population), and rural areas (under 50,000 population). Eligible respondents are private nonprofit organizations, state or local government authorities, and public transportation operators.

Total available funding is $687,500 in FTA Section 5310 capital funds ($550,000 federal with $137,500 in required local match) for fiscal year 2027, allocated at an 80/20 federal-to-local match ratio. All local match must come from non-DOT federal sources such as Medicaid, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, or state and local appropriations; farebox revenue cannot be used as match. The contract term runs October 1, 2027, through September 30, 2028, with an option to renew for one additional year based on satisfactory performance and fund availability.

Proposals are evaluated on organizational capacity (40%), service proposed (40%), and budget (20%). Preference is given to projects offering maximum consumer flexibility, filling transportation gaps, demonstrating cost effectiveness, serving larger geographic areas or multiple counties, and prioritizing high-need populations. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for October 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EST via Microsoft Teams. Questions are due October 12, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. EST, with answers posted by October 21. Awards are anticipated by December 18, 2026. Awardees must comply with Title VI civil rights requirements, Americans with Disabilities Act provisions, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise standards, and FTA circular requirements, including annual independent monitoring of subcontractors and federal criminal background and fingerprint checks for all drivers.