Opportunity Information: Apply for DOT OST 2024 0066
The Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) is a U.S. Department of Transportation discretionary grant program that helps smaller communities improve, restore, or expand commercial air service. It was created in federal law and has been reauthorized multiple times, most recently under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, and it is codified at 49 U.S.C. 41743. The basic idea is to give eligible communities financial tools to make local air service more viable, more available, and more affordable for travelers, especially in places where service is limited, has been cut back, or has disappeared altogether. USDOT also notes that it wants selected projects to align with broader departmental priorities such as safety, equity, climate and sustainability, and workforce development and job quality.
Funding is provided as reimbursable grants, meaning the grant recipient generally incurs allowable costs first and then requests reimbursement under the grant rules. For the referenced funding cycle, USDOT anticipated making up to $12 million available for awards (FY 2023 appropriations), with no fixed minimum or maximum award size. In practice, awards in prior years have varied widely, from about $20,000 up to nearly $1.6 million, depending on what the applicant proposes and how strong the application is. USDOT can also choose to issue partial awards, depending on available funding and other constraints. A key structural limit is that no more than 40 total communities or consortia can be selected in a year when funds are appropriated, and no more than four selected applicants can come from the same state in a given fiscal year.
Only public entities can apply and serve as the legal sponsor (for example, local or tribal governments, airport authorities, or other public bodies). Private organizations are not allowed to be the lead applicant, although they may sometimes participate as partners depending on how a project is organized. Each community is limited to one application per cycle, either applying on its own or as part of a consortium. Consortium applications are allowed, but they are expected to be genuinely joint efforts with a single shared project and objective, and a clear governance approach (including establishing one entity to ensure the joint objective is carried out).
The program is not designed to keep extending the same effort year after year. Applications that are simply renewals or supplements of existing projects are not eligible to compete. In addition, the law includes a “same project” restriction: a community or consortium generally cannot receive a new grant to support the same project more than once within a five-year period. USDOT evaluates whether something is the “same project” by comparing the goals and objectives and the main components of how the applicant plans to achieve them. As an example, if a prior grant supported a revenue guarantee to a specific destination (or in a specific direction of service), a new request for another revenue guarantee to that same destination/direction within five years would normally be blocked even if the financial structure or the carrier type changes. On the other hand, a revenue guarantee aimed at a different destination/direction, or a proposal focused on broader marketing and promotion rather than the same revenue guarantee concept, may qualify as a new project. The statute also allows limited waivers of this five-year limitation, as introduced in FAA 2018 and continued as amended.
SCASDP can support a range of strategies that communities commonly use to improve air service. Eligible projects include subsidizing a U.S. air carrier to serve an underserved airport (generally limited to a period of up to three years), helping an underserved airport (or an airport that has lost service or seen it substantially reduced) attract and secure service, and implementing other measures the Secretary considers appropriate to improve service levels and/or reduce consumer costs. The notice explicitly mentions activities such as marketing and promotion (including advertising and public relations) and better utilization of airport facilities as examples of allowable approaches. Importantly, communities that currently have no commercial air service are still eligible to apply, which allows places trying to regain service to compete alongside places trying to expand or stabilize existing service.
Eligibility also depends on the size of the airport. The airport serving the community or consortium cannot be larger than a “small hub” airport, using the FAA’s most recently published hub classification that is effective as of the application deadline. This focuses the program on smaller markets rather than airports already serving large passenger volumes. Finally, USDOT signals typical grant performance periods by project type: about three years for studies, four years for marketing and promotion efforts, and up to five years for projects involving revenue guarantees, subsidies, or other financial incentives. The opportunity listing identifies the sponsoring office as USDOT’s Office of the Under Secretary for Policy and references a closing date of July 25, 2024 for the posted opportunity (DOT OST 2024 0066; CFDA 20.930).Apply for DOT OST 2024 0066
- The 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Small Community Air Service Development Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.930.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-10.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-07-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $12,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 40 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Transportation
Next opportunity: NINDS Renewal Awards of SBIR Phase II Grants (Phase IIB) for Pre-Clinical Research (R44 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Previous opportunity: IIJA/IRA Bureau of Land Management Alaska Wildlife Program
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for DOT OST 2024 0066
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (DOT OST 2024 0066) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| FY24 Newport News Transportation Center Apply for FR CCD 23 007 Funding Number: FR CCD 23 007 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $1,200,000 |
| Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems Apply for 693JJ324NF00022 Funding Number: 693JJ324NF00022 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| FY 2024-2026 Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program Apply for 693JJ324NF00023 Funding Number: 693JJ324NF00023 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $100,000,000 |
| FY24 National Network Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Apply for FR AMT 24 011 Funding Number: FR AMT 24 011 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $758,036,398 |
| FY24 Northeast Corridor Cooperative Agreement to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Apply for FR AMT 24 010 Funding Number: FR AMT 24 010 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $582,742,520 |
| FYs 2023 through 2026 (Year Two through Year Five) National Culvert Removal, Replacement and Restoration Grant Program (Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage (Culvert AOP) Program) Apply for 693JJ324NF00025 Funding Number: 693JJ324NF00025 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $196,000,000 |
| State Legislative Research Apply for 693JJ924R000070 Funding Number: 693JJ924R000070 Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $1,400,000 |
| FY24-Corridor Identification and Development (Corridor ID) Program - Texas High-Speed Rail Corridor Apply for FR FSP 22 003 Funding Number: FR FSP 22 003 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $207,629 |
| FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Airport Terminal Program (ATP) Grants Apply for FAA ARP BIL G 24 002 Funding Number: FAA ARP BIL G 24 002 Agency: Airport Improvement Program Discretionary Grants Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $970,000,000 |
| FY 2024 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Enhancing Mobility Innovation Apply for FTA 2024 010 TRI EMI Funding Number: FTA 2024 010 TRI EMI Agency: DOT/Federal Transit Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $968,000 |
| FY 2024 Competitive Funding Opportunity: Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) National Technical Assistance Center Apply for FTA 2024 011 TPM CCAM Funding Number: FTA 2024 011 TPM CCAM Agency: DOT/Federal Transit Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $2,500,000 |
| Development of Fiscal Year 2025 Commercial Vehicle Safety Plans to Support National Safety Goals Apply for FM MCG 25 001 Funding Number: FM MCG 25 001 Agency: DOT-Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $53,500,000 |
| National Academy of Sciences - Core Program Services for a Highway Research, Development, and Technology Program Apply for 693JJ324NF00018 Funding Number: 693JJ324NF00018 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $7,000,000 |
| FY23-24 Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program Apply for FR RCE 24 001 Funding Number: FR RCE 24 001 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $1,148,809,580 |
| FY24 SMART Grants Stage 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity Apply for DOT SMART FY24 02 Funding Number: DOT SMART FY24 02 Agency: 69A345 Office of the Under Secretary for Policy Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $15,000,000 |
| FY21-24 Restoration and Enhancement Grant Program Apply for FR RAE 24 001 Funding Number: FR RAE 24 001 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $153,845,680 |
| FY 2024-2026 Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program Apply for 693JJ324NF00027 Funding Number: 693JJ324NF00027 Agency: DOT Federal Highway Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $23,870,000 |
| FY16 Capital and Debt Service and Americans with Disabilities Act Grant to Amtrak Apply for FR AMT 16 001 Funding Number: FR AMT 16 001 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $221,665,053 |
| FY 2016 Notice of Funding Availability for Small Shipyard Grant Program Apply for DTMA SSG 2016 Funding Number: DTMA SSG 2016 Agency: Maritime Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
| Amendment No. 2 to FY 2016 Capital and Debt Service and Americans with Disabilities Act Grant to Amtrak (FR-AMT-0008) Apply for FR AMT 16 003 Funding Number: FR AMT 16 003 Agency: DOT - Federal Railroad Administration Category: Transportation Funding Amount: $871,327,448 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "DOT OST 2024 0066", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.