Opportunity Information: Apply for FTA 09007 TPM
Apply for FTA 09007 TPM
- The DOT/Federal Transit Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Broad Agency Announcement for a cooperative agreement to evaluate and compare Federal formula grant programs." and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.514 Public Transportation Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 15, 2009 and posted on Apr 14, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 28, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $200,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible recipients include State and local government agencies, Native American tribal governments, public and private transit agencies, universities, non profit organizations, consultants, legally constituted public agencies, operators of public transportation services, and private for profit organizations.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to fund a single cooperative agreement focused on benchmarking and improving how Federal formula grant programs are administered and evaluated. The project is essentially a comparative study: the awardee will identify a set of Federal grant programs that resemble FTA's formula grants in key ways, then analyze how those other programs handle grant award decisions, ongoing oversight, and performance measurement. The end goal is practical guidance for FTA, based on proven approaches used elsewhere in the Federal government, so FTA can adopt or adapt effective grant management and evaluation practices.
The work described centers on selecting an appropriate sample of Federal grant programs with similarities to FTA formula programs, including comparable program purposes and restrictions, eligibility rules, application and award processes, typical funding levels, and the Federal policies that govern day-to-day management. After choosing this comparison set, the research team would study how the agencies running those programs actually operate them in practice. That includes examining the processes and performance measures those agencies use to make awards, track compliance, manage recipient performance, and oversee funded activities over time. Just as important, the research would look at how those agencies evaluate results: what methods they use to judge whether funded projects achieve intended outcomes and whether the overall program is effective.
The expected deliverable is a set of recommendations for FTA. Those recommendations should be grounded in the evidence gathered from the comparison programs and should explain how FTA could incorporate effective practices that have worked well for other agencies. In other words, the cooperative agreement is not just asking for a descriptive report; it is asking for actionable, well-supported suggestions that could improve FTA's own formula grant program management, performance measurement, and evaluation approach.
Administratively, the opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding and uses a cooperative agreement as the funding instrument, which typically means FTA expects substantial involvement during the project (for example, coordination on study design, program selection, and interpretation of findings). It falls under the transportation activity category and is linked to CFDA 20.514, Public Transportation Research. Only one award was anticipated, with an estimated total funding amount of $200,000. The expected award size ranged from a floor of $150,000 to a ceiling of $200,000, and there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
Eligibility was broad, allowing participation from many types of organizations that can carry out applied policy research and program evaluation. Eligible applicants included state and local government agencies, Native American tribal governments, public and private transit agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, consultants, legally constituted public agencies, operators of public transportation services, and private for-profit organizations. This wide eligibility suggests the FTA was open to proposals from both academic and practitioner communities, including teams with experience in Federal grant administration, performance management, and program evaluation methods.
Key dates show the announcement was posted April 14, 2009, with a closing date of May 28, 2009, and it was later archived on June 28, 2009. The announcement referenced "The Formula Grants Program Benchmarking Project" as additional information, and the listed point of contact for access issues was David Schneider at the FTA Office of Program Management (202-493-0175, David.Schneider@dot.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this grant opportunity?
This opportunity is a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to fund a single cooperative agreement focused on benchmarking and improving how Federal formula grant programs are administered and evaluated.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is a comparative study. The awardee is expected to identify Federal grant programs that are similar to FTA formula grants, analyze how those programs make award decisions, oversee recipients, and measure performance, and then provide practical, evidence-based recommendations FTA can use to improve its own grant management and evaluation practices.
What does "benchmarking" mean in this context?
Benchmarking here means comparing FTA's formula grant administration and evaluation approach against proven approaches used in other Federal grant programs that resemble FTA's programs in important ways.
What kind of work is expected under the cooperative agreement?
The work described includes (1) selecting an appropriate sample of comparable Federal grant programs and (2) studying how the agencies that run those programs operate them in practice, including award processes, compliance and oversight, performance measurement, and evaluation of outcomes and overall program effectiveness.
How should the comparison Federal grant programs be selected?
The comparison set should resemble FTA formula programs in key ways, such as program purposes and restrictions, eligibility rules, application and award processes, typical funding levels, and the Federal policies that govern day-to-day management.
What aspects of other grant programs should be analyzed?
The announcement emphasizes analyzing how other agencies handle grant award decisions, ongoing oversight and compliance tracking, recipient performance management, oversight of funded activities over time, and performance measurement.
What evaluation topics should the study cover?
The research is expected to examine how other agencies evaluate results, including the methods they use to determine whether funded projects achieve intended outcomes and whether the overall program is effective.
What deliverables are expected from the awardee?
The expected deliverable is a set of recommendations for FTA. These recommendations should be grounded in evidence gathered from the comparison programs and should explain how FTA could incorporate effective practices that have worked well for other Federal agencies.
Is the project asking only for a descriptive report?
No. The announcement indicates the cooperative agreement is not just for a descriptive report; it is intended to produce actionable, well-supported suggestions to improve FTA's formula grant management, performance measurement, and evaluation approach.
What type of funding opportunity is this?
The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the funding instrument?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement.
What does a cooperative agreement imply for how the project will be run?
A cooperative agreement typically means FTA expects substantial involvement during the project. The announcement gives examples such as coordination on study design, program selection, and interpretation of findings.
How many awards were expected?
Only one award was anticipated.
How much funding is available?
The estimated total funding amount was $200,000.
What is the expected award size range?
The expected award size ranged from a floor of $150,000 to a ceiling of $200,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The announcement states there was no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The opportunity falls under the transportation activity category.
What CFDA program is this linked to?
This opportunity is linked to CFDA 20.514, Public Transportation Research.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad. Eligible applicants included state and local government agencies, Native American tribal governments, public and private transit agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, consultants, legally constituted public agencies, operators of public transportation services, and private for-profit organizations.
Do applicants need to be academic institutions to apply?
No. The eligible applicant list includes many organization types beyond universities, including government agencies, transit agencies, nonprofits, consultants, and private for-profit organizations.
What types of expertise does the opportunity appear to support?
Based on the scope described, the opportunity supports applied policy research and program evaluation work related to Federal grant administration, performance management, and evaluation methods.
When was the announcement posted?
The announcement was posted on April 14, 2009.
What was the application closing date?
The closing date was May 28, 2009.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on June 28, 2009.
Is there a referenced project name or additional information label?
Yes. The announcement referenced "The Formula Grants Program Benchmarking Project" as additional information.
Who is the point of contact listed for access issues?
The point of contact listed for access issues was David Schneider, FTA Office of Program Management.
What contact details were provided?
Phone: 202-493-0175. Email: David.Schneider@dot.gov.
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