The Community Air Service Coalition (www.smallairport.com) recently held a live, dial-in teleconference with Terri Bingham, assistant director, office of aviation analysis, U.S. Department of Transportation, to discuss the new 2006 guidelines for the Small Community Air Service Grant applications, as well as the new e-filing guidelines for the 2006 grants. The application deadline is April 7, 2006.
According to Bingham, the federal government has an ongoing initiative to create an electronic grants filing system (www.grants.gov). This year is an introductory year and the e-file portion will be part of the grant application process. However, in 2007, it’s the hope of the government that all grant applications will be filed solely through this new website, including all discretionary grants for 2007.
In addition to airports filing a grant application through the docket system, airports should go to www.grants.gov to file a SF424. Bingham admits that the first step on the website, registering, could be a challenging process for airports. “The registration process can take up to a week and you don’t even touch the SF424 until you’ve registered,” she says. “Do not wait until the last minute. There could be some glitches and we don’t want you not to be able to submit your proposal.”
Bingham advises that airports can register on the webiste as soon as possible and then file their application or proposal details for the Small Community Air Service grant at any time thereafter. The website will then funnel the necessary forms and information to DOT.
As more and more of our everyday workings go toward electronic, it would only seem natural that the government would jump on board. However, something of this size — the entire federal grant system — isn’t going to migrate painlessly or effortlessly, as Bingham notes. Again, it’s key that airports start the process early to ensure that all bases are covered, so no one misses out on federal dollars because of a technical error.
Information on the Small Community Air Service Grant program can be found at http://dms.dot.gov by searching for docket 23671.
