Enhancing Mobility Innovation FY 2021 Notice of Funding Opportunity

Details: 11/12/2021. Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Solicitation of project proposals for the Enhancing Mobility Innovation Competitive Funding Opportunity. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the availability of $2 million of Fiscal Year 2021 funds in this Notice of Funding Opportunity. Synopses and full announcement are posted on Grants.gov site as opportunity FTA-2021-010-TRI-EMI. Proposals must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov website by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 01/11/2022. See the Federal Register Notice.

Summary: This opportunity provides funding for projects that enhance mobility innovations for transit, supporting a vision for carefree mobility for all – a safe, reliable, equitable and accessible mobility ecosystem that supports complete trips for all travelers. Funds will be awarded competitively for projects that advance emerging technologies, strategies and innovations in passenger-centric mobility in two distinct areas. 

Of the total available funds, $1 million is available to accelerate innovative mobility and is for projects to improve mobility and enhance the rider experience with a focus on innovative service delivery models, creative financing, novel partnerships, and integrated payment solutions; and $1 million is available for projects to support the development of software solutions that facilitate integrated demand-response public transportation services that dispatch public transportation fleet vehicles through riders mobile devices or other means.  

To ensure the most impactful projects for each project area, FTA is seeking projects that require a minimum award amount of $250,000 with maximum award of $1 million. Projects will be selected based on the criteria outlined in the notice.

The NOFO implements two provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260), that directs FTA to fund $1 million for competitive awards to accelerate mobility innovations, and $1 million to fund competitive awards for the development of software solutions to facilitate demand-response public transportation. Federal public transportation law (49 U.S.C. § 5312) authorizes the Public Transportation Innovation Program that supports mobility innovations research efforts. 

Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants include providers of public transportation, private for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, state or local government entities, or other organizations such as research consortia, and institutions of higher education.  

Eligible applicants may also identify one or more project partners with a substantial interest and involvement in the proposed project.

Applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database and maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by FTA.

Match: Maximum federal share of project costs under this program is limited to 80 percent. Applicants may seek a lower federal contribution.

Link and Instructions for attaching the supplemental form to the SF-424: All applicants must complete the attached supplemental form and attach it to their submission in GRANTS.GOV.

Dates: An applicant must submit a proposal electronically by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on 01/11/2022. Any organization intending to apply should initiate the process of registering on the GRANTS.GOV site immediately to ensure completion of registration before the submission deadline.

For Further Information Contact: For information on this NOFO, contact Christina Gikakis, FTA Office of Mobility Innovation, (202) 366-2637.