The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced the 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the National Rural Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) through a competitive cooperative agreement. This program will allocate $3,250,723 for the fiscal year to support the development of training, technical assistance, and information resources tailored to rural and tribal transit agencies. National RTAP activities are intended to promote public transportation that is safe, accessible, and effective in rural areas, and will include projects aimed at improving transit services, providing specialized training, supporting research, and addressing technical needs for state DOTs and rural transit operators. An additional $500,000 from the 2024 budget will be allocated specifically to programs for tribal transit services.

Eligible applicants for this funding opportunity include nonprofit organizations with experience in rural and tribal transportation services. These entities must demonstrate the capacity to deliver nationwide training and technical assistance programs. FTA will award a cooperative agreement, meaning FTA will have substantial involvement in guiding and monitoring program activities. Applications must be submitted electronically by November 12, 2024, via Grants.gov, where applicants must be registered and provide necessary federal identifiers, such as a SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

The application package must contain the Standard Form (SF) 424 for Federal Assistance and a comprehensive project narrative that addresses specific areas, including methodology for achieving program goals, staff qualifications, outreach strategy, and plans for stakeholder engagement and performance evaluation. A detailed budget proposal with a narrative and biographical summaries of key personnel should also be included. Supplementary materials such as letters of support can be appended up to 15 pages beyond the main proposal requirements. FTA will assess applications based on the applicant’s ability to meet the program's technical, financial, and operational objectives.

The cooperative agreement will cover both short-term setup activities, such as developing a help desk and an interactive resource website, and long-term initiatives, including ongoing technical support, training material development, peer-to-peer networking, and a grant program for community transportation projects. The recipient will be responsible for maintaining communication channels to assist rural and tribal transit operators, providing resources and case studies, and coordinating with other transit and government entities to build nationwide partnerships.

Evaluation criteria for selection will focus on the effectiveness of the applicant’s proposed methodologies, the qualifications and experience of key personnel, capacity for managing outreach and technical assistance at a national level, and the ability to collaborate with stakeholders. Additionally, the proposal must include plans to track and report on performance outcomes. FTA expects applicants to set up robust systems for data collection, resource management, and feedback that will allow for detailed performance assessments.

Selected recipients will be notified through FTA’s Transit Award Management System (TrAMS) and must comply with FTA administrative and reporting requirements, including regular financial and progress updates. For additional details on applying, applicants can refer to FTA’s website and reach out directly to the designated program contact for questions on application requirements or program specifics.