Defense Community Infrastructure Program

Assist state and local governments with addressing deficiencies in community infrastructure to, in order of priority, enhance military value (to include critical infrastructure), cadet training at covered educational institutions, installation resili

The Defense Community Infrastructure Program is a competitive grant program that assists state and local governments with addressing deficiencies in community infrastructure, supportive of a military installation, to, in order of priority, enhance military value (to include critical infrastructure), cadet training at covered educational institutions, installation resilience, and military family quality of life. 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.

State or local governments may apply for the assistance to address deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of a military installation. Assets owned by not-for-profit, member-owned utilities may be enhanced with the funding. However, they may only apply in partnership with a primary state or local government proposer. Community infrastructure projects or facilities must be located off a military installation or 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 a state or local government.

Eligible costs include only hard construction and renovation costs, including project administration, inspection, construction, utilities, and contingency costs required to execute the project, as well as costs of capital equipment affixed to the real property.

All costs must have been incurred within the proposed project period or no earlier than the date of enactment of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, August 13, 2018. Assistance is only available for obligation in the Fiscal Year it is appropriated, and must be expended no later than five (5) years from the date of grant award.

Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. An applicant is notified of funding availability through letter, electronic mail, or a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), and how to apply for the funding through this notification. Funding is subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act, and an environmental assessment or other environmental analysis and documentation may be required.

10 U.S.C. § 2391(d)(1)(B) requires that proposed community infrastructure projects be selected in the following order of priority: projects that will enhance military value at a military installation (to include critical infrastructure); projects that will contribute to the training of cadets enrolled in an independent program at a covered educational institution; projects that will enhance military installation resilience; and projects that will enhance military family quality of life at a military installation.

Applications are reviewed by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation staff, and the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation may consult with other Federal agencies as necessary in consideration of an application. Any issues or concerns noted in the application may be negotiated with the applicant prior to the application being accepted as final by the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. Awards by the Director, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, will be made on the basis of an approved final application.

Each fiscal year appropriations are available, a Notice of Funding Opportunity will be released in the spring identifying the proposal deadline. Contact the headquarters or website for application deadlines.

To the extent practicable, the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation will inform applicants of approval within seven business days of the receipt of a final, complete application for planning assistance, and within thirty business days of the receipt of a final, complete application for assistance to carry out community adjustments or economic diversification programs. The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation will promptly inform an applicant of the rejection of any application once OLDCC completes its due diligence.