$500,000 Available To be Awarded This Fiscal Year

If you've been mulling over some great ideas about how to help facilitate commercial space flight, there is federal money available for the first time to start putting those plans into place, if you're willing to jump through a few hoops to get it. The FAA has published in the Federal Register a request for grant proposals in an effort to begin beefing up the infrastructure that will support commercial space flight. Grant proposals for technical and environmental studies; construction, improvement, and design and engineering of space transportation infrastructure, including facilities and associated equipment; and real property to meet the needs of the United States commercial space transportation industry, will be considered.

The program has an initial appropriation of $500,000 to be used for space transportation infrastructure projects. The FAA says it hopes to award the appropriated funds before the end of fiscal year 2010. To that end, the FAA will review and evaluate all applications for a grant under 49 U.S.C. chapter 703 (Chapter 703), and may make one or more grant awards based upon its evaluations of the grant proposals. All grants awarded under this program are discretionary awards.

Given that the FAA may award multiple grants, the grant proposals may include multiple or alternative funding proposals for financing the proposed project. The grant proposal should also indicate how applicable environmental requirements were or will be satisfied, and applicants may submit multiple grant proposals.

Although the Congressional authorization has been in effect for some time, FY 2010 is the first year Federal funds have been appropriated. Grant applications are due on or before July 6, 2010, and the FAA hopes to turn the applications around quickly, with money going to recipients by August 31. The FAA says the Commercial Space Transportation Grant Assurances should be similar in nature and purpose to those required under the Airport Improvement Program

FMI: www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/media/grant_proposals.pdf