05/20/2021
Dear Members,
I was invited to sit-in on a call with ABA yesterday. They provided important information based on information received via Treasury. Here is what you need to know right now about getting prepared for applying for CERTS grant money. Note, you do not need to hire a grant writer.
After initially establishing a website for information on the CERTS grant program in March 2021, the U.S. Department of Treasury finally published in early May 2021 initial grant guidance for submitting a grant application.
NOTE: The Department is not yet accepting grant applications, publication of the guidance was the next step toward initiating the grant application process.
HOWEVER, you can start preparing now for when the Department does finally open the grant application portal. Once it is open for applications, it will only be open for 4-weeks.
Below are the fundamental requirements to apply for a grant, along with helpful links. Take the time now to prepare, as the Department strongly encourages you to apply as early as possible once the portal is available.
REQUIREMENTS TO APPLY FOR A CERTS GRANT:
1. Must be an eligible transportation service provider:
- Your company must be private Sector, established/organized in the U.S. or pursuant to Federal law, with significant operations/majority of employees in the U.S.
- You must have been in operation on March 1, 2020.
- Your company’s revenue loss must be 25% or more, from 2019-2020, due directly or indirectly to COVID-19.
- If you received other COVID relief Federal funding, the combined Federal assistance received, at the time of your grant application, must not exceed your 2019 revenues.
2. Motorcoach Transportation Service Providers:
- You must provide a current USDOT registration number, to verify your company
- You must provide the total number of ALL commercial passenger motor vehicles you operate, of all types, and identify the number of motorcoaches specifically, to validate the proportion of your business related to motorcoach operations.
3. Grant Application Process:
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Treasury will establish a web-based grant portal on its CERTS grant website.
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You must register with ID.me to access the application portal (which you can do in advance of the application period). Interested companies may register to obtain an ID.me username and password by visiting: https://portal.treasury.gov/cares and clicking on the option “Or create an ID.me account.” However, credentialed users will not be able to log on and submit an application until the portal opens.
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Please note, later in the process if you do receive a grant, that you may need to register with SAM.gov or obtain a DUNS number.
- You must submit tax documents to verify identity, annual revenues, and employment levels.
- The primary factor in determining a grant award will be lost revenue from 2019-2020.
- You must apply using your company’s true name as set forth in charter/legal documents. The name of the company and TIN/EIN on submitted documentation must all match.
- The 4-week application period and all registrations and documentation must be complete and successfully submitted through the portal to be considered.
4. Applicants will be required to certify, under penalty of perjury:
- Information and certifications provided in the application/attachments are true and correct.
- The applicant has all documentation to support amounts and figures entered on the application/attachments.
For more detail on specific data needed for the grant application – click here.
