FY 2024 - 2025 GRANT FUNDING APPLICATION
Grant Application Requirements (
please read carefully before filling out Grant Application)
Background
The Florida Defense Support Task Force (FDSTF) was established in 2011 under Florida Statute 288.987 with the mission to make recommendations to preserve, protect, and enhance Florida's military installations, support the state's position in research and development related to or arising out of military missions and contracting, and to improve the state's military friendly environment for service members, military dependents, military retirees, and business that bring military and base-related jobs to the state.
Purpose
Within budget constraints, the FDSTF may fund projects that can be leveraged to promote, preserve, or enhance military missions and installations in Florida.
Criteria
- The FDSTF will consider providing resources only for initiatives which directly support preserving, protecting and enhancing Florida's military installations. Projects must directly improve the military value of the installation.
- Applicants will only be accepted from eligible economic development applicants serving in an official capacity or a county, chamber of commerce, municipality, special district (i.e. an airport or deep water port authority), or state agency with the proper authority to complete the project. The applicant must represent a community or county with a military base/installation.
- Projects must have a clearly defined, measurable outcome in support of the Task Force mission of protecting military installations in Florida.
- Projects should be able to be accomplished within one year of contracting. If the project is expected to take longer than one year to complete, then the applicant must justify the longer time period.
Incubator Projects
Definition: Incubator Project: The FDSTF defines an incubator project as a first-time project which adds military value to an installation and/or improves the military-friendly environment of the state. Examples include but are not limited to: the establishment of defense related community support organizations, studies, and educational projects which enhance schools that serve military children.
Funding Incubator Projects: The purpose of funding is to provide support for projects the FDSTF believes support the mission of the Task Force and is not intended to be the primary funding source for long-term projects. The FDSTF may fund an incubator project it deems to have merit for a period of one year, not to exceed two years. In applying for funding grantees of long-term projects will be required to provide a strategic funding plan.
Process
Applicants for FDSTF project consideration must submit a FDSTF Project Application (Attachment A), a Budget and Financial Report Form (Attachment B), Plan of Action Form (Attachment C), and the Installation Certification (Attachment G) required for projects directly associated with a military installation or facility to Michelle Griggs, Manager, Contracts & Grants and copy (CC) the Task Force Executive Director, electronically.
- When scheduled, the applicant must present the project proposal to the full FDSTF.
- Approval requires a majority vote of eligible FDSTF members.
Previous Grant Recipients
Previous grant recipients are eligible to apply for FY 2023 - 2024 grants.
Previous Task Force grant recipients are not eligible to apply for FY 2023 - 2024 grants unless they have expended at least 50% of their funds from any previous fiscal year's grant award.
Ineligible Use of Funds
All expenditures must be in accordance with the State of Florida requirements, rules and regulations. Travel and other administrative expenses not specifically identified in the Budget (Attachment B) and Plan of Action (Attachment C) will not be authorized for reimbursement. Additionally, travel must comply with section 112.061, F.S. to be reimbursed. The following expenses will not be reimbursed:
Staff salaries
Purchase of food, alcohol, equipment, furniture, or fixtures.
- Receptions, gifts, and membership dues.
- Lobbying any branch of state government.
- Administration of the project in excess of 10% of the award.
- Project operating costs incurred before the applicant and Enterprise Florida, Inc. execute the grant agreement.
- Business entertainment expenses, including meals or activity fees.
- Task Force members may not receive direct financial benefit from any grant funds, e.g. travel, lodging, or conference cost reimbursements.
Contracting
Enterprise Florida will be the contracting authority in support of the FDSTF.
The contract manager will be Michelle Griggs, Manager, Contracts & Grants
Payments will be made on a reimbursement basis, in accordance with the contracted performance and reporting timeline.
Contracts will commence at the beginning of the state fiscal year - July 1st - or as soon thereafter as possible.
Reporting Requirements
Reports will be required quarterly determined by the length of the contract in accordance with the Enterprise Florida reports schedule. Negative reports are required.
Enterprise Florida will report each project's process to the FDSTF at least quarterly during the FDSTF meeting.
Guidance to Applicants
For installation specific projects, applicants will need to get a letter from an appropriate installation official in support of the project and submit as Attachment G. An example has been included for your convenience.
Applicants must submit a quote to be used in a possible press release announcing the grant award.
This is a Request of Proposal (RFP) for FY 2024 - 2025 grants cycle. Applicants will be notified at least two weeks prior to the date they may appear before the FDSTF to make in-person grant application presentations.
Presentations will include the proposal, clear support of the criteria listed above, details of the project, funding requested, expected return on investment and clearly defined, measurable outcomes in support of the Task Force mission.
Presentations are limited to a maximum of 15 minutes, approximately five (5) slides.
Upon conclusion of the presentations, the FDSTF members may render decisions concerning approval and grant amount. Approval requires a majority vote of eligible FDSTF members.
Funding for FY 2024 - 2025 Task Force grants will be contingent on the State of Florida budget.
If you have applied for either a Defense Infrastructure Grant (DIG) or Defense Reinvestment Grant (DRG), then you must indicate that on your application and clearly differentiate it from the Task Force grant application.
Florida Defense Support Task Force FY 2024 - 2025 Request for Proposals Timeline
August 1, 2023 Release of FY 2024 - 2025 Grant Funding Application.
August 31, 2023 Deadline for Task Force grants application submissions.
September 2023 Staff reviews all applications for eligibility.
September 2023 Staff provides Task Force members all applications for review.
March 21 2024 Task Force members review applications.
April 18 2024 Task Force members vote on grants' slate for presentation at the May Meeting
May 16, 2024 Oral presentations at the May Task Force Meeting in Tallahassee. TF Votes on final recipients and amounts for FY 2024 - 2025 grants.
Points of Contact
Michelle Griggs, Manager, Contracts & Grants, Florida Defense Support Task Force
Tim MacGregor, Executive Director, Florida Defense Support Task Force
Attachments