CFDA: 11.552; Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program

SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration

(NTIA) issues this Notice describing the conditions under which

applications will be received under the Telecommunications and

Information Infrastructure Assistance Program (TIIAP) and how NTIA will

determine which applications it will fund. TIIAP assists eligible

organizations by promoting the widespread use of advanced

telecommunications and information technologies in the public and non-

profit sectors. By providing matching grants for information

infrastructure projects, this program will help develop a nationwide,

interactive, multimedia information infrastructure that is accessible

to all citizens, in rural as well as urban areas.

DATES: Complete applications for the Fiscal Year 1997 TIIAP grant

program must be mailed or hand-carried to the address indicated below

and received by NTIA no later than 5 P.M. EST, March 27, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance

Program, National Telecommunications and Information Administration,

U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, HCHB, Room

4092, Washington, DC 20230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Stephen J. Downs, Acting Director of

the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance

Program, Telephone: 202/482-2048. Fax: 202/501-5136. E-mail:

[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Purposes

NTIA announces the fourth annual round of a competitive matching

grant program, TIIAP. TIIAP was created to promote the development and

widespread availability and use of advanced telecommunications and

information technologies to serve the public interest.

To accomplish this objective, TIIAP will provide matching grants to

state, local, and tribal governments, non-profit health care providers

and public health institutions, school districts, libraries, museums,

colleges, universities, public safety providers, non-profit community-

based organizations, and other non-profit entities. TIIAP will support

projects that improve the quality of, and the public's access to,

education and lifelong learning; reduce the cost, improve the quality,

and/or increase the accessibility of health care and public health

services; promote responsive public safety services; improve the

effectiveness and efficiency of government services; and foster

communication, resource-sharing, and economic development within

communities, both rural and urban.

Authority

Title III of the Department of Commerce, Justice and State, the

Judiciary and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (set out in Division

A, Title I of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997, Pub.

L. 104-208).

Funding Availability

Approximately $18.5 million is available for federal assistance. A

small amount of additional funds that have been deobligated from grants

awarded in previous fiscal years may also be available for Fiscal Year

1997 grants. Based on past experience, NTIA expects this year's grant

round to be highly competitive. In fiscal year 1996, NTIA received 809

applications, collectively requesting $260 million in grant funds. From

these 809 applications, the Department of Commerce announced 67 TIIAP

awards totaling $18.6 million in federal funds.

Based on past grant rounds, the average size of each grant award

will be approximately $300,000, although an applicant may request up to

$750,000 in federal support.

Eligible Organizations

State, local, and Indian tribal governments, colleges and

universities, and non-profit entities are eligible to apply. However,

individuals and for-profit organizations are not eligible.

Matching Funds Requirements

Grant recipients under this program will be required to provide

matching funds toward the total project cost. Applicants must document

the capacity to supply matching funds. Matching funds may be in the

form of cash or in-kind contributions. Grant funds under this program

will be released in direct proportion to local matching funds utilized

and documented as having been expended. NTIA will supply up to 50% of

the total project cost, unless the applicant can document extraordinary

circumstances warranting a grant of up to 75%. Federal funds (such as

grants) generally may not be used as matching funds, except as provided

by federal statute. For information about whether particular federal

funds may be used as matching funds, the applicant should contact the

federal agency that administers the funds in question.

Policy on Sectarian Activities

Applicants are advised that on December 22, 1995, NTIA issued a

notice in the Federal Register on its policy with regard to sectarian

activities. Under NTIA's prior policy, NTIA funds could not be used for

any sectarian purposes. Under the new policy, while religious

activities cannot be the essential thrust of a grant, an application

will not be ineligible where sectarian activities are only incidental

or attenuated to the overall project purpose for which funding is

requested. Applicants for whom this policy may be relevant should read

the policy that was published at 60 FR 66491, Dec. 22, 1995.

Completeness of Application

TIIAP will initially review all proposals to determine whether all

required elements are present and clearly identifiable. The required

elements are listed and described in the Guidelines for Preparing

Applications--Fiscal Year 1997. Each of the required elements must be

present and clearly identified. Failure to do so may result in

rejection of the application.

Closing Date

As noted above, complete applications for the Fiscal Year 1997

TIIAP grant program must be received by NTIA no later than 5 P.M. EST,

March 27, 1997. (Postmark date is not sufficient.) Applications

received after that time and date will not be accepted. But see Waiver

Authority, ante. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile

machine transmission or electronic mail. NTIA anticipates that it will

take between 4 and 6 months to process applications and make final

funding decisions.

Scope of Proposed Project

Funded projects must meet the funding priorities described in this

Notice. Projects must involve the delivery of useful, practical

services in real-world environments within the grant award period. In

Fiscal Year 1997,

[[Page 3947]]

TIIAP will not fund the following kinds of projects:

One-Way Networks. TIIAP will not support the construction or

augmentation of one-way networks; all services and networks proposed

under the program must be interactive.1

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ Interactivity is defined as the capacity of a communications

system to allow end users to communicate directly with other users,

either in real time (as in a video teleconference) or on a store-

and-forward basis (as with electronic mail), or to seek and gain

access to information on an on-demand basis, as opposed to a

broadcast basis.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Content Development 2 Projects. TIIAP will not support

projects whose primary focus is to develop or produce information

content, rather than to apply information infrastructure 3 to

practical problems. For example, TIIAP will not consider projects whose

primary purpose is the creation of databases or other information

resources by converting paper-based information, nor will TIIAP

consider projects that aim primarily to digitize existing graphics

collections. Similarly, TIIAP will not consider projects that aim

primarily to create new information resources, such as World Wide Web

sites.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\2\ ``Content development'' refers to the creation of

information resources, such as databases or World Wide Web sites,

for the purpose of dissemination through one or more on-line

services.

\3\ The telecommunication networks, computers, other end-user

devices, software, standards, and skills that collectively enable

people to connect to each other and to a vast array of services and

information resources.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hardware or Software Development Projects. While some hardware or

software development may be required to integrate existing systems or

components, it may not be a major emphasis of any TIIAP project.

Single-Organization Projects. TIIAP will not support projects whose

primary emphasis is on the internal communications needs of a single

organization. Projects must include appropriate partnerships,4

with plans for inter-organizational communications among the partners.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\4\ A partner is defined as an organization that supplies cash

or in kind resources and plays an active role in the planning and

implementation of the product.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Training Projects. TIIAP will generally not support projects whose

sole activity is to provide training in the use of information

infrastructure technology. Although a training component is essential

to most implementation projects, it must not be the exclusive focus of

the project.

Replacement or Upgrade of Existing Facilities. TIIAP will not

support any projects whose primary emphasis is the upgrade or

replacement of existing facilities.

Program Funding Priorities

NTIA has significantly changed the structure of the funding

categories for TIIAP and applicants who have previously applied to the

program should carefully note this change. For the 1997 fiscal year,

the TIIAP review process will not distinguish among access,

demonstration and planning projects. All applications will be judged

according to a single set of evaluation criteria, described later in

this Notice, and all rules set forth in this Notice will apply to all

applications. This change does not imply a change in the scope of

projects that will be considered for support; the change only reflects

NTIA's decision not to differentiate among different categories of

projects.

NTIA will support model projects that contribute to the development

of an advanced national information infrastructure (NII) 5 by

providing innovative examples of how telecommunications and information

technologies can be used to provide valuable services to communities

and by extending these opportunities to underserved 6 Americans.

NTIA seeks to fund exemplary projects that identify specific problems

or needs in a community, use information infrastructure services and

technologies to offer concrete solutions, and target measurable

outcomes. The emphasis is on the application of the technology, not the

technology itself. Each project should include a rigorous evaluation

and add to our national understanding of how the NII can be used to

benefit the public. Each project is expected to reach out to all

members of a community and thus help to bridge the gaps between

information ``haves'' and ``have-nots.''

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\5\ The National Information Infrastructure (NII) is a federal

policy initiative to facilitate and accelerate the development and

utilization of the nation's information infrastructure. The

Administration envisions the NII as a seamless web of communications

networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will

put vast amounts of information at users' fingertips. For more

information on various aspects of the NII initiative, see The

National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action, 58 Fed. Reg.

49,025 (September 21, 1993).

\6\ ``Underserved'' refers to individuals and communities that

are subject to barriers that limit or prevent their access to the

benefits of information infrastructure technologies and services. In

terms of information infrastructure, these barriers may be

technological, geographic, economic, physical, linguistic, or

cultural. For example, a rural community may be physically isolated

from circuits adequate to allow for data access; inner city

neighborhoods may contain large numbers of potential end users for

whom ownership of computer hardware is unlikely; individuals with

disabilities may have the need for different types of interfaces

when manipulating hardware and software.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

NTIA seeks to fund projects that are innovative, not necessarily in

terms of the technology to be used, but in the application of

technology in a particular setting, to serve a particular population,

or to solve a particular problem. Innovations often take the form of

imaginative partnerships or organizational models, new applications of

proven technologies, or creative strategies for overcoming traditional

barriers to access. Projects must be exemplary in the sense that they

can serve as models that can be emulated, replicated, or adapted to

local conditions by other organizations and communities facing similar

challenges. NTIA seeks to fund a wide variety of model projects across

different application areas, geographic regions, and underserved

populations.

In past fiscal years, TIIAP has supported planning projects whose

primary goal was to develop strategies for the enhanced application of

the NII, rather than deploy or use information infrastructure. Due to

the limited amount of funds available to the program, the emphasis for

Fiscal Year 1997 is on projects that deploy, use, and evaluate the use

of information infrastructure applications. NTIA will, however, also

consider allocating a limited amount of funds to support outstanding

projects in which planning is the sole activity. Applications for such

projects will be evaluated against the same criteria applied to all

other proposals.

In Fiscal Year 1997, TIIAP will support projects in five

application areas: Community-Wide Networking; Education, Culture, and

Lifelong Learning; Health; Public and Community Services; and Public

Safety. Each application in a particular application area will be

compared against other applications in that same area:

Community-Wide Networking

This area focuses on multi-purpose projects that help a broad range

of community residents and organizations to communicate, share

information, and participate in civic activities, and that promote

economic development. Community-Wide Networking projects typically link

services or provide information across multiple application areas.

Examples may include, but would not be limited to: Community-wide

information and communication services available to residents of a

local community; projects enabling a diverse array of organizations to

share information infrastructure and resources; and networks or

information services that promote community or regional economic

development.

[[Page 3948]]

Education, Culture, and Lifelong Learning

Projects in this area seek to improve education and training for

learners of all ages and provide cultural enrichment through the use of

information infrastructure in both traditional and non-traditional

settings.

Examples may include, but would not be limited to: Projects that

explore creative approaches to integrating computer-based learning and

network resources in K-12 classrooms; projects providing children,

youth, and adult learners with educational and training opportunities

in community centers and other non-traditional settings; projects that

forge stronger links among educators, students, parents, and others in

the community; projects linking workplaces and job-training sites to

educational institutions; distance learning networks providing

continuing education for professionals in remote areas; projects that

enrich communities by providing broad access to arts, science, and

cultural resources; delivery of on-line informational, educational, and

cultural services from public libraries, museums, and other cultural

centers; and projects that support the teaching of literacy to adult

learners.

Health

Projects in this area involve the use of information infrastructure

in the delivery of health and mental health services, public health,

home health care and the provision of health information to the public.

Examples of projects may include, but would not be limited to:

Telemedicine systems that offer new approaches to extending medical

expertise to rural or underserved urban areas; community health

information networks for sharing clinical, financial, and/or

administrative information among hospitals, clinics, public health

departments, and other organizations; home health care systems that

improve the care and treatment of patients in the home environment; and

networks or information services aimed at disease prevention and health

promotion.

Public and Community Services

Projects in this area aim to empower individuals and communities

and to improve the delivery of services to people with a range of

social service needs. This area includes social services such as

housing, child welfare, food assistance, employment counseling, and

others, typically delivered by state and local governments or by

community-based non-profit organizations.

Examples of projects may include but would not be limited to:

Projects that use information technology creatively to promote self-

sufficiency among individuals and families; networks that facilitate

coordination and collaboration among public and/or community-based

agencies; electronic information and referral services that provide

information on a variety of community-based or government services;

projects that make public agencies more accessible and responsive to

community residents; electronic benefits transfer projects; and

projects that employ community or geographic information systems to

study demographic or environmental trends and target community

interventions.

Public Safety

Projects in this area will seek to increase the effectiveness of

law enforcement agencies, emergency, rescue, and fire departments, or

other entities involved in providing safety services.

Examples may include, but would not be limited to, projects that

facilitate information exchange among public safety agencies located in

a single geographic area to increase efficiency and share resources, or

those that provide information in a timely manner to ``first-response

officials,'' such as police officers, emergency medical technicians,

and firefighters. Other examples could include projects that help

public safety agencies provide community outreach services, projects

that develop innovative ways to share scarce spectrum resources, and

projects that aim to increase the safety and security of children.

TIIAP will support projects that promote the accessibility and

usability of the NII for persons with disabilities. Such projects are

expected to fall under one of the five application areas described

above.

The Guidelines booklet provides more information on selecting an

application area for your application.

Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers will evaluate each application using the following

equally weighted criteria:

1. Project Purpose

Each application will be rated on the purpose of the project and

its potential contribution to our national understanding of how the NII

can be used to benefit the public. The proposal must: (1) Clearly

define a specific problem (or problems) within the community; (2)

propose a credible solution that employs information infrastructure

services and technologies; and (3) identify realistic, measurable

outcomes that are expected as a result of the project. These three

elements--problem, solution, and outcome must be clearly described and

the connections among them must be convincing. Reviewers will examine

the degree to which the proposed project supports NTIA's funding

priorities as outlined earlier in this Notice and will verify that the

scope of the project meets TIIAP's eligibility criteria. Reviewers will

assess the overall significance of the proposed project--the degree to

which it is innovative and has the potential to serve as a national

model that other communities could follow.

2. Project Feasibility

Each application will be rated on the overall feasibility of the

proposed project and its plan of implementation. In assessing project

feasibility, reviewers will focus on the following issues: The

technical approach; the qualifications of the applicant team; the

proposed budget and implementation schedule; and the applicant's plan

for sustaining the project beyond the grant period.

The technical approach should be consistent with the vision of a

nationwide, seamless, interactive network of networks and must

therefore address issues of interoperability 7 and scalability.

8 Proposals must specify in detail how the proposed system would

work, how it would operate with other systems, the technological

alternatives that have been examined, and the plans for the maintenance

and/or upgrading of the system. Applicants are expected to make use of

existing infrastructure and commercially available telecommunications

services, unless extraordinary circumstances require the construction

of new network facilities.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\7\ The condition achieved among information and communication

systems when information (i.e., data, voice, image, audio, or video)

can be easily and cost-effectively shared across acquisition,

transmission, and presentation technologies, equipment, and

services.

\8\ ``Scalability'' refers to the ability of a system to

accommodate a significant growth in the size of the system (i.e.,

services provided, end users served) without the need for

substantial redesign. A scalable approach that is demonstrated on a

small scale can also be applied on a larger scale.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applicants must describe the qualifications of the project team,

including the applicant and its partners, to show that they have the

resources, expertise, and experience necessary to undertake the project

and complete it within the proposed period.

Reviewers will analyze the budget in terms of clarity and cost-

effectiveness. The proposed budget must be appropriate to the tasks

proposed and sufficiently detailed so that reviewers

[[Page 3949]]

can easily understand the relationship of items in the budget to the

project narrative. In addition to a clear and well-justified budget

proposal, each application should contain a proposed implementation

schedule that identifies major project tasks and milestones.

Reviewers will also examine the potential viability of the proposed

project beyond the grant period. Applicants should therefore present a

credible plan, including a discussion of anticipated ongoing expenses

and potential sources of non-federal funds, to sustain the project

after completion of the grant. In evaluating the plan, reviewers will

consider the economic circumstances of the community or communities to

be served by the proposed project.

3. Community Involvement

Each application will be rated on the overall level of community

involvement in the development of the project and the implementation of

the proposed project. Reviewers will pay particular attention to the

partnerships involved, the strength and diversity of support for the

project within the community, and the support for the project's end

users. 9

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\9\ An end user is one who customarily employs or seeks access

to, rather than provides, information infrastructure. An end user

may be a consumer of information (e.g., a member of the public

employing a touch-screen public access terminal); may be involved in

an interactive communication with other end users; or may use

information infrastructure to provide services to the public.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Community involvement must include the development of partnerships

among unaffiliated organizations, from the public, non-profit, or

private sectors, as an integral part of each project. Partnerships must

be clearly defined, mutually beneficial, and the commitments well

documented in the application.

Reviewers will examine the steps the applicant has taken in

involving a wide variety of community stakeholders in the planning of

the project and the plans for ongoing community involvement in the

project's implementation. Each application should contain evidence of

demand, from the community, the end users, and the potential

beneficiaries, for the services that the proposed project would

provide.

Reviewers will consider the degree of attention paid to the needs,

skills, working conditions, and living environments of the targeted end

users. Plans for training end users, upgrading their skills, and

building community awareness and knowledge of the project must be

clearly delineated and the application should include evidence of a

significant degree of end-user involvement in the design and planning

of projects. NTIA expects applicants to safeguard the privacy of the

end users and beneficiaries 10 of the project. Where relevant,

proposals must address the privacy and confidentiality of user data.

For example, an applicant proposing a project dealing with individually

identifiable information (e.g., student grades, medical records) will

be required to describe the technical and policy mechanisms to be used

for protecting the confidentiality of such information and the privacy

of the individuals involved.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\10\ Project beneficiaries are those individuals or

organizations deriving benefits from a project's outcome(s). A

project beneficiary may also, but not necessarily, be a project end

user.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Reducing Disparities

Every project proposed to TIIAP should target underserved

communities specifically and/or reach out to underserved groups within

a broader community. Each application will be rated according to the

degree to which the proposed project will serve to reduce disparities

in access to information infrastructure technologies and services.

Reviewers will assess each application by examining evidence of

community need and the applicant's proposed strategies for overcoming

traditional barriers to access. Disparities in access must be clearly

described and supported by specific quantitative data. Beyond providing

service to underserved communities, each application should also

propose strategies for reaching out to targeted groups and for

tailoring any services to their specific needs and circumstances. These

strategies should reflect an understanding of why the barriers

currently exist and a sensitivity to the learning mechanisms,

attitudes, and customs of the community. In assessing community need,

reviewers will also consider the degree to which TIIAP support is vital

to success of the project.

5. Evaluation and Dissemination

Each proposal must include a plan for evaluating the project and a

dissemination plan for sharing knowledge gained from the project. Each

application will be rated on the quality of its evaluation design and

its potential to measure both the outcomes of the project and the

effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed solutions in achieving

intended outcomes. The design should include both quantitative and

qualitative indicators and must identify specific evaluation methods

and instruments. The evaluation design should also capture the lessons

learned during the project that will serve as pragmatic how-tos for

others interested in replicating or adapting the project in other

communities.

Applications must include the qualifications of any proposed

evaluators and sufficient funds in the budget to perform a thorough and

useful evaluation of the project.

Reviewers will also examine the applicant's plan for disseminating

the knowledge gained as a result of implementing the project.

Applicants must demonstrate a willingness to share information about

their projects with interested projects, to host site visits, and to

participate in demonstrations. The project budget should also include

adequate funds to support proposed dissemination activities.

Selection Process

NTIA will publish a notice in the Federal Register listing all

applications received by TIIAP. Listing an application in such a notice

merely acknowledges receipt of an application that will compete for

funding with other applications. Publication does not preclude

subsequent return or disapproval of the application, nor does it ensure

that the application will be funded.

(a) Each eligible application will first be reviewed by a panel of

outside readers, who have demonstrated expertise in both the

programmatic and technological aspects of the application. The review

panels will evaluate applications according to the evaluation criteria

provided in this Notice and make non-binding recommendations to the

program staff. Working with the staff, the TIIAP Director prepares and

presents a slate of recommended grant awards to the Office of

Telecommunications and Information Applications'' (OTIA) 11

Associate Administrator for review and approval.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\11\ The Office of Telecommunication and Information

Applications is the division of the National Telecommunications and

Information Administration that supervises NTIA's grant awards

programs, the Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure

Assistance Program and the Public Telecommunications Facilities

Program.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Director's recommendations and the Associate Administrator's

review and approval will take into account the following selection

factors:

1. The evaluations of the outside reviewers;

2. The geographic distribution of the proposed grant awards;

3. The variety of technologies and strategies employed by the

proposed grant awards;

4. The extent to which the proposed grant awards represent a

reasonable

[[Page 3950]]

distribution of funds across application areas;

5. The promotion of access to and use of the information

infrastructure by rural communities and other underserved groups;

6. Avoidance of redundancy and conflicts with the initiatives of

other federal agencies; and

7. The availability of funds.

(b) Upon approval by the OTIA Associate Administrator, the

Director's recommendations will then be presented to the Selecting

Official, the NTIA Administrator. The NTIA Administrator selects the

applications to be negotiated for possible grant award taking into

consideration the Director's recommendations and the degree to which

the slate of applications, taken as a whole, satisfies the selection

factors described above and the program's stated purposes as set forth

in the section entitled ``Program Purposes.''

After applications have been selected in this manner, negotiations

will take place between TIIAP staff and the applicant. These

negotiations are intended to resolve any differences that exist between

the applicant's original request and what TIIAP proposes to fund and,

if necessary, to clarify items in the application. Not all applicants

who are contacted for negotiation will necessarily receive a TIIAP

award. Final selections made by the Administrator will be based upon

the recommendations by the Director and the OTIA Associate

Administrator and the degree to which the slate of applications, taken

as a whole, satisfies the program's stated purposes as set forth in the

section entitled ``Program Purposes,'' upon the conclusion of

negotiations.

Eligible Costs

Eligible Costs

Allowable costs incurred under approved projects shall be

determined in accordance with applicable federal cost principles, i.e.,

OMB Circular A-21, A-87, A-122, or appendix E of 45 CFR part 74. If

included in the approved project budget, TIIAP will allow costs for

personnel, fringe benefits, computer hardware and software, other end-

user equipment, telecommunication services and related equipment,

consultants and other contractual services, travel, rental of office

equipment, furniture and space, supplies, etc. that are reasonable and

directly related to the project. Costs associated with the construction

or major renovation of buildings are not eligible. While costs for the

construction of new network facilities are eligible costs, applicants

are expected to make use of existing infrastructure and commercially

available telecommunications services. Only under extraordinary

circumstances will the construction of new network facilities be

approved. Costs of the professional services, such as instruction,

counseling, or medical care, provided via a network supported through

this program are not eligible.

Note that costs that are ineligible for TIIAP support may not be

included as part of the applicant's matching fund contribution.

Indirect Costs

The total dollar amount of the indirect costs proposed in an

application under this program must not exceed the indirect cost rate

negotiated and approved by a cognizant federal agency or 100 percent of

the total proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application,

whichever is less.

Award Period

Successful applicants will have between 12 and 36 months to

complete their projects. While the completion time will vary depending

on the complexity of the project, applicants should take special care

to justify a project lasting longer than 24 months.

Waiver Authority

It is the general intent of NTIA not to waive any of the provisions

set forth in this Notice. However, under extraordinary circumstances

and when it is in the best interest of the federal government, NTIA,

upon its own initiative or when requested, may waive the provisions in

this Notice. Waivers may only be granted for requirements that are

discretionary and not mandated by statute. Any request for a waiver

must set forth the extraordinary circumstances for the request and be

included in the application or sent to the address provided in the

Addresses section above. NTIA will not consider a request to waive the

application deadline for an application until the application has been

received.

Other Information

Electronic Information

Information about NTIA and TIIAP, including this document and the

Guidelines, can be retrieved electronically via the Internet using the

World Wide Web. To reach the WWW server, use http://www.ntia.doc.gov to

reach the NTIA Home Page and follow directions to locating information

about TIIAP. TIIAP can also be reached via electronic mail at

[email protected].

Application Forms

Standard Forms 424 (OMB Approval Number 0348-0044), Application for

Federal Assistance; 424A (OMB Approval Number 0348-0043), Budget

Information--Non-Construction Programs; and 424B (OMB Approval Number

0348-0040), Assurances--Non-Construction Programs, (Rev 4-92), and

other Department of Commerce forms shall be used in applying for

financial assistance. These forms are included in the Guidelines, which

can be obtained by contacting NTIA by telephone, fax, or electronic

mail, as described in the Addresses section above. TIIAP requests one

original and five copies of the application. Applicants for whom the

submission of five copies presents financial hardship may submit one

original and two copies of the application. Notwithstanding any other

provision of law, no person is required to respond to nor shall a

person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection

of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction

Act unless that collection of information displays a currently valid

OMB control number. In addition, all applicants are required to submit

a copy of their application to their state Single Point of Contact

(SPOC) offices, if they have one. (For information on contacting state

SPOC offices, refer to the Guidelines.)

Because of the high level of public interest in projects supported

by TIIAP, the program anticipates receiving requests for copies of

successful applications. Applicants are hereby notified that the

applications they submit are subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Applicants may identify sensitive information and label it

``confidential'' to assist NTIA in making disclosure determinations.

Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for awards under this program shall be a

grant.

Federal Policies and Procedures

Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all applicable federal

laws and federal and Department of Commerce policies, regulations, and

procedures applicable to federal financial assistance awards.

Pre-Award Activities

If an applicant incurs any project costs prior to the project start

date negotiated at the time the award is made, it does so solely at its

own risk of not being reimbursed by the government. Applicants are

hereby notified that, notwithstanding any oral or written assurance

that they may have

[[Page 3951]]

received, there is no obligation on the part of the Department of

Commerce to cover pre-award costs.

No Obligation for Future Funding

If an application is selected for funding, the Department of

Commerce has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in

connection with that award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or

extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the

Department of Commerce.

Past Performance

Unsatisfactory performance of an applicant under prior federal

financial assistance awards may result in that applicant's proposal not

being considered for funding.

Delinquent Federal Debts

No award of federal funds shall be made to an applicant who has an

outstanding delinquent federal debt until:

1. The delinquent account is paid in full;

2. A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one

payment is received; or

3. Other arrangements satisfactory to the Department of Commerce

are made.

Purchase of American-Made Products

Applicants are hereby notified that any equipment or products

authorized to be purchased with funding provided under this program

must be American-made to the maximum extent feasible.

Name Check Review

All non-profit applicants are subject to a name check review

process. Name checks are intended to reveal if any key individuals

associated with the applicant have been convicted of or are presently

facing criminal charges such as fraud, theft, perjury, or other matters

that significantly reflect on the applicant's management, honesty, or

financial integrity.

Primary Applicant Certifications

All primary applicants must submit a completed Form CD-511,

``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby provided:

1. Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension--Prospective

participants (as defined at 15 CFR part 26, Section 105) are subject

to 15 CFR part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and

the related section of the certification form prescribed above

applies;

2. Drug-Free Workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR part 26,

Section 605) are subject to 15 CFR part 26, Subpart F, ``Government

wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related

section of the certification form prescribed above applies;

3. Anti-Lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 CFR part 28, Section

105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352,

``Limitation on use of appropriated funds to influence certain

federal contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying

section of the certification form prescribed above applies to

applications/bids for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts

for more than $100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more than

$150,000, or the single family maximum mortgage limit for affected

programs, whichever is greater; and

4. Anti-Lobbying Disclosure--Any applicant that has paid or will

pay for lobbying in connection with a covered federal action, such

as the awarding of any federal contract, the making of any federal

grant, the making of any federal loan, the entering into of any

cooperative agreement, or the extension, continuation, renewal,

amendment, or modification of any federal contract, grant, loan, or

cooperative agreement using any funds must submit an SF-LLL,

``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities'' (OMB Control Number 0348-

0046), as required under 15 CFR part 28, appendix B.

Lower Tier Certifications

Recipients shall require applicants/bidders for subgrants,

contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier covered transactions at

any tier under the award to submit, if applicable, a completed Form CD-

512, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions and Lobbying''

and disclosure form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.'' Form

CD-512 is intended for the use of recipients and should not be

transmitted to DOC. SF-LLL submitted by any tier recipient or

subrecipient should be submitted to DOC in accordance with the

instructions contained in the award document.

False Statements

A false statement on an application is grounds for denial or

termination of funds and grounds for possible punishment by a fine or

imprisonment as provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.

Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order

12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.'' It has been

determined that this notice is a ``not significant'' rule under

Executive Order 12866.

Larry Irving,

Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.

[FR Doc. 97-1727 Filed 1-26-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-60-P