Conference Calls
Intercity Bus Security Grant Program FY 2008
- Intercity Bus Security Grant Program
(IBSGP)Freight Rail Security Grant Program
FRSGP)Trucking Security Program
(TSP)Transit Security Grant Program Tier I
(TSGP Tier I)Transit Security Grant Program Tier II
(TSGP Tier II)
- Intercity Bus Security Grant Program
(IBSGP)Freight Rail Security Grant Program
(FRSGP)Trucking Security Program
(TSP)Transit Security Grant Program Tier I
(TSGP Tier I)Transit Security Grant Program Tier II
(TSGP Tier II)
Conferences and Workshops | Questions and Answers | Conference Calls
Dates/Timelines
Fiscal Year 2008 IBSGP Important Dates
Date & Time |
Event |
Additional Info |
| Wednesday, October 1 2:00 PM EST |
FY 2008 IBSGP After-Action Conference Call | Call-in number: 877-988-9660, passcode: 6827433 |
Conference Call Summaries
03/04/08 Conference Call
March 4, 2008
2:00 pm
Opening Comments:
TSA: Since we have already held a number of conference calls for the fiscal year (FY) 2008 IBSGP, I would like to open the floor for questions.
Questions and Answers:
There are no questions and answers.
Wrap-Up:
TSA: Remember that the Investment Justifications (IJ) are due in less than two weeks. If you have any questions, please submit them through askcsid@dhs.gov.
02/19/08 Conference Call
February 19, 2008
2:00 PM EST
Opening Comments:
TSA: Welcome, we are coming to you live from the IBSGP workshop in Washington, D.C. We have attendees here from Tier I, Tier II, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The workshop has been very productive so far. The day after tomorrow there will be another one in San Francisco from 12:00pm-5:00pm. Let's open up the floor for questions.
Questions and Answers:
Please see the following website for the questions and answers:
http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/grants/programs/ibsgp/2008/
questions_answers.shtm.
Wrap-Up:
TSA: I would like to remind everyone of the workshop in San Francisco. The details are on the TSA website which is www.tsa.gov/grants. You can send questions to askcsid@dhs.gov and copy TSAgrants@tsa.dhs.gov. If there are no further questions, we will conclude this call. See you next week at the same time.
02/12/08 Conference Call
February 12, 2008
2:00 pm EST
Opening Comments:
TSA: This is our Tuesday afternoon conference call for the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP). We would like to go over the key changes with respect to the previous years' programs and then open up the floor for questions.
This year we will be dividing the amount of available funds between Tier I and Tier II differently. Out of the $11,172,250 available funds, $6,144,739 is allocated for Tier I and $5,027,512 is allocated for Tier II.
The eligibility criteria are different this year as mandated by the 9/11 Act. Only private operators providing transportation by an over-the-road bus are eligible. Owners, affiliates, and subsidiaries are not eligible. The other eligibility criteria remain the same and are defined in the Grant Guidance.
Another key change is the cost share requirement. The maximum Federal share of any project is 75%. Grantees are required to provide at least 25% (cash or in-kind) in non-Federal funding.
In addition, there is a requirement that grantees must have a security plan (SP) and vulnerability assessment (VA) to apply for other project types. If your company does not have a VA and SP, the only project you can only apply for is conducting a VA and developing a SP. Tier I operators must complete them within one year. Tier II agencies are encouraged, but not required, to finish them within one year. If you have a current VA and SP, you must certify as such. Then, your company is eligible to apply for other project types. Upon request, the operator has to provide a copy of the VA and SP to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). You must have them available if we need to look at them.
Also, as a condition of accepting a grant, DHS must be allowed to perform a Corporate Security Review (CSR) and audit. It is not mandatory that everyone will be done every year. We may review some companies each year.
The minimum project amounts remain the same. For Tier I applicants, the minimum amount is $100,000, except for projects focused on training and/or exercises where the minimum is $50,000. For Tier II applicants, the minimum amount is $25,000, except for project focused on training and/or exercises where the minimum is $5,000. There are no minimum amounts for VA or SP development.
In our Grant Guidance, we have listed the eligible projects or security priorities. Project funding will be based on the quality of the project and how it addresses the security priorities, whether it is cost effective, whether it is sustainable without additional Federal funds, and the ability to complete the project within the submitted timeframes.
If you want to be considered as a Tier I entity, the documentation is due Friday, February 15th through askcsid@dhs.gov.
Questions and Answers:
Please see the following website for the questions and answers:
http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/grants/programs/ibsgp/2008/
questions_answers.shtm
Wrap-Up:
TSA: I would like to remind everyone to send questions to askcsid@dhs.gov and copy TSAgrants@tsa.dhs.gov.
Next Tuesday, February 19th, we will hold a workshop at the Doubletree in Crystal City from 12:00-5:00pm. Another workshop will take place in San Francisco on the 21st. Both workshops will cover the same subject matter.
Also, we will have the capability to hold the conference call at the same time. The phone number and passcode will be the same as today's call.
Tier I data must be submitted by Friday. Get on grants.gov today and make sure your passwords are up to date. The earlier you register the better.
02/04/08 Conference Call
February 4, 2008
3:00 pm EST
Opening Comments:
TSA: Thank you for calling in. I wish everyone a happy Monday. Hopefully, you are aware that the fiscal year (FY) 2008 Grant Guidance was released on Friday, February 1st. The Secretary made an announcement at 11am. The guidance was posted on the following two websites: http://www.fema.gov/government/grant/index.shtm and www.tsa.gov/grants.
Thank you for joining us today. We appreciate your time and interest in the program. If you do not apply for grant funding, you will not receive any grant money. The total funding for the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP) is $11,172,250. Due to the 9/11 Act, only private operators providing transportation by an over-the-road bus are eligible to apply.
In order to be eligible, applicants must operate a fixed route intercity bus that services a defined Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) jurisdiction or operate a charter bus service that provides at least 50 trips annually to a UASI. As in previous years, IBSGP funding will be divided into two tiers, Tier I and Tier II.
More than half of the funds will go towards Tier I. About $5 million will go towards Tier II. Awards to Tier I agencies will again be in the form of cooperative agreements. Tier I agencies are those that own at least 250 operational over-the-road buses. The basic eligibility requirements are listed in the Grant Guidance.
In order to be considered for Tier I, you must demonstrate that you meet the basic eligibility requirements and the Tier I fleet requirement by February 15, 2008. Please send that information to the following e-mail: askcsid@dhs.gov.
There are some key changes to this year's process. There is a maximum 75% federal cost share. This means that you will need to provide at least 25% of the project costs. For example, if the total project costs are $100,000, then the maximum Department of Homeland Security (DHS) award would be $75,000 and you would have to match $25,000 (cash or in-kind). This change is reflective of the cost share requirements instituted on all programs.
In order to receive funds, you must have developed a security plan and conducted a vulnerability assessment, and these must be current (within the last three years). This information is in the Grant Guidance. You must certify that you meet this requirement (vulnerability assessment and security plan) in order to be eligible to apply for other projects.
If your organization does not have a current security plan and vulnerability assessment, you can apply for IBSGP funds to meet that requirement. Tier II agencies can request funds for a security plan and vulnerability assessment and are encouraged to finish within one year. Tier I agencies that request funds for this purpose must finish the assessment/plan within one year. Also, as we mentioned earlier, if you have already conducted a security plan and vulnerability assessment, you can apply for the range of projects outlined in the guidance. You must certify as such and provide copies upon request before eligibility is approved for other projects.
The submission process is the same as last year. You will need to submit applications through grants.gov. Included in that, you will need to register with the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). You need to submit your applications electronically through grants.gov. The registration process can take several weeks to complete. The FY 2008 IBSGP Guidance has detailed instructions on how to register and apply for the grant.
If you applied for funding last year, you also had to go through grants.gov, and you should be good for this year. You only need to register once. We encourage new grantees, who have not applied for DHS grants, to apply early because it can take weeks. There are detailed instructions in appendix C of the Grant Guidance. We cannot accept any applications past the Congressionally mandated deadline of March 17th, 2008.
Questions and Answers:
Please see the following website for the questions and answers:
http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/grants/programs/ibsgp/2008/
questions_answers.shtm
Wrap-Up:
TSA: We will have weekly calls on Tuesdays at 2pm EST, starting on February 12th. We will use this same call-in number and participant code. If you didn't get to ask a question, please send it to askcsid@dhs.gov. Thank you for calling in today. We look forward to chatting next week at 2pm EST.
