Notice of Funding Opportunity for America’s Marine Highway Projects
June 27, 2018: Federal Register
Notice of Funding Opportunity for America’s Marine Highway Projects
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, signed by the President on March 23, 2018, appropriated $7,000,000 to the Short Sea Transportation Program, commonly referred to as the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). The purpose of the appropriation is to make grants to previously designated Marine Highway Projects that support the development and expansion of documented vessels, or of port and landside infrastructure. This notice announces the availability of funding for grants and establishes selection criteria and application requirements.
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department) will award Marine Highway Grants to implement projects or components of projects previously designated by the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) under AMHP. Only Marine Highway projects designated by the Secretary are eligible for funding as described in this notice.
Applications must be received by the Maritime Administration by 5 p.m. EDT on October 5, 2018.
Grant applications must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov(https://www.grants.gov). Please be aware that you must complete the Grants.gov registration process before submitting your application, and that the registration process usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to complete. Applicants are strongly encouraged to make submissions in advance of the deadline.
MARAD will seek to obtain the maximum benefit from the available funding by awarding grants to as many qualified projects as possible; however, MARAD reserves the right to award all funds to just one project. MARAD may partially fund applications by selecting discrete components of projects. The start date and period of performance for each award will depend on the specific project to which MARAD must agree. MARAD will administer each Marine Highway Grant pursuant to a grant agreement with the Marine Highway Grant recipient.
Recipients of prior Marine Highway Grants in earlier rounds of this program may apply for funding to support additional phases of a designated project. However, to be competitive, the applicant should demonstrate the extent to which the previously funded project phase has met estimated project schedules and budget, as well as the ability to realize the benefits expected for the new award.
Eligible grant applicants should be the original Project Applicant of a project that the Secretary has previously designated as a Marine Highway Project or a substitute (which can be either a public entity or a private-sector entity who has been referred to the Program Office, with written explanation, as part of the application). Grant applicants must have operations, or administrative areas of responsibility, that are adjacent to or near the relevant designated Marine Highway Project. Eligible grant applicants include State governments (including State departments of transportation), metropolitan planning organizations, port authorities, and tribal governments, or private sector operators of marine highway services within designated Marine Highway Projects.
Aimee Andres, AMPE
Executive Director
Phone (618) 468-3010
admin@irpt.net