Opportunity Information: Apply for FTA 2019 011 RSUTAT
The Rural and Small Urban Transit Applied Technology Technical Assistance Center (RSU-TAT) funding opportunity is a discretionary Federal Transit Administration (FTA) initiative under the Department of Transportation, offered through FTA's Technical Assistance and Workforce Development Program (CFDA 20.531). Through this competition (Funding Opportunity Number FTA 2019 011 RSUTAT), FTA sought a single organization to operate a national technical assistance center focused on applied technology, innovation, and capacity-building for public transportation providers and planning organizations serving rural areas, small urban communities, and tribal communities. The award instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the selected recipient would be expected to work closely with FTA during the execution of the project rather than operating entirely independently.
The core purpose of RSU-TAT is practical, implementation-oriented support that helps smaller and rural transit systems move from interest in new tools to real-world deployment. The center's mission is to deliver targeted, expert technical assistance to communities that already have the basic local commitment and capacity to act, with the overall goal of making transit in rural and small city America more cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable through the adoption of emerging technologies and innovative service strategies. A key condition is that RSU-TAT activities must not duplicate the work already performed by other national technical assistance programs, specifically National RTAP, the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM), or the National Aging and Disabilities Transportation Center (NADTC). In practice, this means RSU-TAT is meant to fill gaps, complement existing centers, and focus on applied innovation and technology deployment needs that are not being addressed elsewhere.
The opportunity lays out four major objectives that define what the center is expected to produce and deliver. First, RSU-TAT is expected to develop resources that help rural and small urban stakeholders understand the benefits and tradeoffs of emerging transit technologies and innovations, identify realistic investment and partnership pathways, and interpret how federal, state, and legislative changes affect technology choices and implementation. Second, the center must identify, document, and broadly share promising practices at the federal, state, and local levels, emphasizing approaches that can be replicated and that can benefit many communities rather than only one pilot site. Third, RSU-TAT must conduct research and publish practical reports and white papers that explain new transit technologies and innovations in plain terms and show how they can be adapted to rural and small city operating realities, such as long trip distances, limited staff capacity, constrained budgets, and varying levels of broadband or data infrastructure. Fourth, the center must provide direct, expert, on-the-ground or hands-on assistance to help communities design customized approaches that achieve specific transit outcomes, while also incorporating peer-to-peer learning so agencies can learn from others who have already implemented similar solutions.
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education as stated in the eligibility field) and other entities as described in the funding notice's additional eligibility language. FTA anticipated making one award under this announcement (Expected Awards: 1). The posting lists an award ceiling of 0, which typically signals that the amount is defined in the full notice or subject to availability and negotiation rather than being capped in the summary field. The opportunity was originally posted July 24, 2019, with an original closing date of August 9, 2019.
Overall, this grant opportunity is best understood as a national capacity-building and deployment-support effort: it is designed to translate emerging transit technology and innovative practice into practical, repeatable solutions for rural, tribal, and small urban transit providers, while coordinating with and not duplicating other federally supported technical assistance centers.Apply for FTA 2019 011 RSUTAT
- The Department of Transportation, DOT/Federal Transit Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rural and Small Urban Transit Applied Technology Technical Assistance Center" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.531.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 24, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 09, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the RSU-TAT funding opportunity?
The Rural and Small Urban Transit Applied Technology Technical Assistance Center (RSU-TAT) funding opportunity is a discretionary Federal Transit Administration (FTA) initiative under the U.S. Department of Transportation. It was offered through FTA's Technical Assistance and Workforce Development Program (CFDA 20.531) under Funding Opportunity Number FTA 2019 011 RSUTAT.
What is FTA trying to fund through this competition?
FTA sought a single organization to operate a national technical assistance center focused on applied technology, innovation, and capacity-building for public transportation providers and planning organizations serving rural areas, small urban communities, and tribal communities.
How many awards did FTA expect to make?
FTA anticipated making one award under this announcement (Expected Awards: 1).
What type of award instrument is used for RSU-TAT?
The award instrument is a cooperative agreement. This means the selected recipient would be expected to work closely with FTA during project execution rather than operating entirely independently.
What is the core purpose of the RSU-TAT center?
The center is intended to provide practical, implementation-oriented support that helps smaller and rural transit systems move from interest in new tools to real-world deployment. The overall goal is to make transit in rural and small city America more cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable through the adoption of emerging technologies and innovative service strategies.
Who is the RSU-TAT center meant to serve?
The center focuses on public transportation providers and planning organizations serving rural areas, small urban communities, and tribal communities.
What kinds of support does RSU-TAT emphasize?
RSU-TAT emphasizes applied technology, innovation, and capacity-building. It is designed to deliver targeted, expert technical assistance to communities that already have basic local commitment and capacity to act, with a focus on practical deployment rather than purely conceptual planning.
Does RSU-TAT provide help to communities that are not ready to implement?
The notice emphasizes that the mission is to provide targeted, expert technical assistance to communities that already have the basic local commitment and capacity to act. In other words, the focus is on helping agencies that are positioned to move toward implementation.
What are the major objectives RSU-TAT is expected to deliver?
The opportunity describes four major objectives:
- Develop resources to help rural and small urban stakeholders understand benefits and tradeoffs of emerging technologies and innovations, identify realistic investment and partnership pathways, and interpret how federal, state, and legislative changes affect technology choices and implementation.
- Identify, document, and broadly share promising practices at federal, state, and local levels, emphasizing approaches that can be replicated and benefit many communities.
- Conduct research and publish practical reports and white papers explaining new technologies and innovations in plain terms and showing how they can be adapted to rural and small city operating realities (long trip distances, limited staff capacity, constrained budgets, and varying broadband/data infrastructure).
- Provide direct, expert, hands-on assistance to help communities design customized approaches that achieve specific transit outcomes, while incorporating peer-to-peer learning.
What does it mean that RSU-TAT is "applied" and "implementation-oriented"?
It means the center is expected to help agencies move from interest in a technology or innovative strategy to practical, real-world deployment. The focus is on actionable support, practical guidance, and repeatable solutions rather than one-off demonstrations that cannot be replicated.
What kinds of deliverables are mentioned in the opportunity?
The opportunity specifically mentions resources for stakeholders, documentation and dissemination of promising practices, practical reports and white papers, and direct expert technical assistance. It also emphasizes peer-to-peer learning as part of the direct assistance approach.
How does RSU-TAT address the realities of rural and small urban transit?
The center is expected to tailor practical guidance to rural and small city operating conditions, including long trip distances, limited staff capacity, constrained budgets, and different levels of broadband or data infrastructure.
What is meant by "promising practices" in this opportunity?
The notice describes promising practices as approaches at the federal, state, and local levels that can be replicated and shared broadly, with an emphasis on solutions that can benefit many communities rather than only a single pilot site.
Is RSU-TAT allowed to duplicate work done by other national technical assistance programs?
No. A key condition is that RSU-TAT activities must not duplicate work already performed by other national technical assistance programs, specifically National RTAP, the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM), or the National Aging and Disabilities Transportation Center (NADTC).
What does "must not duplicate" mean in practice?
Based on the description, RSU-TAT is meant to fill gaps and complement existing centers, focusing on applied innovation and technology deployment needs that are not already being addressed by National RTAP, NCMM, or NADTC.
Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?
Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education as stated in the eligibility field) and other entities as described in the funding notice's additional eligibility language.
Are institutions of higher education eligible to apply?
No. The eligibility field explicitly excludes institutions of higher education.
What does CFDA 20.531 refer to in this announcement?
CFDA 20.531 is the program identifier for FTA's Technical Assistance and Workforce Development Program, which is the program under which this discretionary initiative was offered.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this competition?
The Funding Opportunity Number listed is FTA 2019 011 RSUTAT.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was originally posted on July 24, 2019, and had an original closing date of August 9, 2019.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The posting lists an award ceiling of 0. In summaries like this, that typically indicates the amount is defined in the full notice or subject to availability and negotiation rather than capped in the summary field.
What is the main strategic goal behind RSU-TAT?
The opportunity is framed as a national capacity-building and deployment-support effort designed to translate emerging transit technology and innovative practice into practical, repeatable solutions for rural, tribal, and small urban transit providers, while coordinating with and not duplicating other federally supported technical assistance centers.
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