Overall, the merit review panel ranks the narrative portion of the application based on completeness and reasonableness of the information provided, paying particular attention to cost/budget information.

Additionally, the panel used the following six evaluation criteria to determine how effectively each applicant addressed the goals and objectives of the CMV Operator Safety Training grant opportunity.They include:

1. Is the applicant an accredited training institution or institution of higher education?
2. Does the applicant have a valid training program?
3. Does the applicant serve an economically distressed area?
4. Does the applicant target the unemployed and underemployed?
5. Does the applicant provide job placement opportunities for the drivers?
6. Does the applicant have a monitoring and evaluation program in place?