Defense Community Infrastructure Program

Section 2391(d) of Title 10, United States Code (10 U.S.C. 2391), authorizes the Secretary of Defense to, “make grants, conclude cooperative agreements, and supplement funds available under Federal programs administered by agencies other than the Department of Defense, for projects owned by a State or local government, or a not-for-profit, member-owned utility service to address deficiencies in community infrastructure supportive of a military installation.” On May 14, 2021, the Deputy Secretary of Defense approved the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation to implement this program with the eligibility criteria and grant process provided under this notice. This notice identifies the criteria established for the selection of community infrastructure projects, noting most projects will likely reflect some combination of attributes that will enhance: (i) military value; (ii) military installation resilience; and/or, (iii) military family quality of life (including whether the impact of the community infrastructure on alleviating installation commuter workforce issues and the benefit of schools or other local infrastructure located off of a military installation that will support members of the armed forces and their dependents residing in the community) at a military installation. The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (PL 116-260) provides $60 million to the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation for this program, and these funds expire if they are not obligated prior to September 30, 2021. Project proposals must include the endorsement of the local installation commander representing the installation benefitting from the proposed project, and will be competitively scored across review criteria identified in Section E., paragraph 1. of this notice. Local installation endorsement letters, among other information, should indicate the installation’s willingness to support the local community’s execution of the project (including the possible technical review of required National Environmental Policy Act environmental planning documents for the proposed project). Federal funds may supplement, but cannot substitute for or otherwise supplant other available public funds that are available for the proposed project, including funds from the Defense Access Roads Program, U.S. Department of Transportation grants, etc. School construction projects cannot be for public schools on military installations that are identified on the Secretary of Defense 2018 Public Schools on Military Installations Prioritized List.