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Aeronautics, Rail and Transit > Aeronautics > Block Grant Program
The State of New Hampshire, through its Department of Transportation Bureau of Aeronautics (Bureau), has been recommended by the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) New England Region to be a member of FAA's Airport Block Grant Program (Program). This Program has been in existence in the United States since Congress authorized the pilot program in 1990.

The Bureau's relationship with FAA is as strong as ever. The state's entry into the Program will enable the Bureau to be an extension of FAA's New England Region. Because of the Bureau's working relationships with the aviation community in NH, the Bureau has a better understanding of local issues and needs that will be used to help determine project and funding priorities. By giving the state the funding assistance in one or two grants, the FAA is giving the Bureau the flexibility to redistribute these funds for non-primary airport improvements based, in part, on local needs.

  • The Bureau will manage the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants for all non-primary NPIAS airports and the statewide program.
  • The Bureau will provide input and decisions on project-related issues and questions instead of the FAA.
  • The FAA will work with the Bureau as backup during FY2008 to assist the Bureau's transition into the Program.
  • The FAA will ultimately be one of the Bureau's many resources following the FY2008 transition period.
  • The Program airports will coordinate all project-related issues with the Bureau. FAA will provide input only upon request.
  • The Bureau will continue to operate its other programs, including the primary airport grants, 50-50 grants, aircraft operating fee (AOF) grants, airport tax reimbursement grants and aviation education programs.
  • The Bureau will provide additional guidance to Program airports through meetings and Web site updates.
  • The Program allows the Bureau to allocate non-primary entitlement and state general aviation apportionment funds to meet local needs. FAA will continue to control the distribution of discretionary funds to non-primary NPIAS airports.
  • The Program airports should experience uninterrupted service of their AIP grants.
  • The Bureau will continue to utilize FAA regulations, guidance and policies to implement projects within the Program such as: Airport Capital Improvement Program; Project Scoping Meetings; Grant Applications; Grant Offers; Grant Reimbursement Requests.

The above Program information is also available as a brochure in Adobe Acrobat format. For additional information or to provide suggestions on Web site content, please contact Carol Niewola via e-mail (cniewola@dot.state.nh.us) or telephone at (603) 271-1675.

FY2008 Block Grant Performance
Within NHDOT's first year in the Airport Block Grant Program (FFY 2008), 10 subgrants were issued to the Program airports. Each airport in the Program received at least one subgrant for the full amount requested. This was a difficult year in terms of funding availability, but NHDOT was able to fully fund 6 airport projects using the 3/4 AIP program and the remaining 4 projects were funded in the final 1/4 AIP program. The attached table breaks down the projects by airport: 2008 Block Grants

FY2009 Block Grant Performance
As of August 1, 2009, grant offers are still being issued for FY 2009 airport projects to NH’s Block Grant Program airports. Six of the anticipated 13 projects have been granted with four other projects in the process of grant approvals. The two remaining projects are anticipated to be issued grants shortly. The attached table breaks down all the projects granted to date: 2009 Block Grants

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) has included three NH Block Grant Program airports at this time. All three of the projects have been granted. The attached table breaks down the ARRA projects granted to date: 2009 ARRA Block Grants

FY2010 Block Grant Planning
The FY 2010 Block Grant Project scoping efforts have gone very well. The next steps include preparing project scopes of work and fee proposals, conducting Independent Fee Estimates (if needed), and preparing for the grant application deadline of April 1, 2010.

Safety and Phasing Plan
This is a reminder for all airport sponsors and their consultants that, as part of its grant oversight activities, the NHDOT/ Bureau of Aeronautics must review and approve Safety and Phasing Plans of all airport construction grants in the block grant program.

In order to ensure consistency and to facilitate the review process, NHDOT/Bureau of Aeronautics must now require that any new construction grants incorporate a separate stand-alone Safety and Phasing Plan along with a Safety Plan Checklist signed by the airport sponsor. The Safety and Phasing Plan shall be developed in accordance with FAA Advisory Circular 150/5370-2E. One acceptable method for meeting this requirement is to include the full Safety and Phasing Plan along with a Safety Plan Checklist on colored paper as part of the construction contract/specifications. Additionally, to allow efficient coordination with FAA Lines of Business during the review of various project components, NHDOT/Bureau of Aeronautics requests an electronic version of the Safety and Phasing Plan along with a Safety Plan Checklist. Such documents shall be submitted to NHDOT/Bureau of Aeronautics during the final phase of project design, ideally prior to bid openings, but at least 30 days before construction starts.

Please contact NHDOT/Bureau of Aeronautics with any questions or for concurrence on alternative methods to meeting this requirement.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program
The DBE Program is established by Title 49, Part 26 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Per Title 49, Part 26.21, FAA recipients receiving grants for airport planning or development who will award prime contracts exceeding $250,000 in FAA funds in a Federal fiscal year are required to have a DBE Plan or DBE Plan Update. Please send one copy of the airport's DBE Plan/Update to FAA Airports Division, Attention Lisa Lesperance, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803 and one copy to NHDOT. Lisa Lesperance will forward the DBE Plan/Update to the appropriate FAA Civil Rights Agency for approval. This approval is required by the FAA prior to issuance of a grant offer. Please submit your airport's DBE Plan/Update on or before submission of your project's grant application.

The US DOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization provides DBE Program guidance including forms, frequently asked questions, and a sample DBE Program. Additional DBE Program guidance can be found on the FAA's DBE Program Web site.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation maintains a DBE Program Web site which also contains DBE Program information as well as a directory of NH DBE Certified contractors, consultants, manufacturers and suppliers.

The FAA requires a report be submitted by December 1st of each year of all FAA funds awarded to DBEs during the previous fiscal year. This report can be submitted electronically through the DBE Office Online Reporting System (DOORS). A brief overview of the DOORS Program is also provided.

State Funding Process for NPIAS Airports
This is an overview of how the State processes funding for New Hampshire's NPIAS airports.

Grant Process
For all construction projects at Program airports which must go to bid, all bids must be held until atleast October 31st of that calendar year. A description of the Governor and Council process as it relates to the AIP Grant process is attached.
Prior to grant application submittals, the following list of items shall be received by NHDOT, as applicable:

  1. Record of Negotiations
  2. Executive Order 12372
  3. DBE Plan
  4. Construction Safety and Phasing Plan
  5. Bid Tabulation with engineer's estimate
  6. Construction Award Recommendation
  7. Permits
  8. Fair Market Value
  9. Title Opinion
  10. CATEX or FONSI for NEPA Compliance
  11. SRE Calculations

FAA recently switched to different forms for grant reimbursement requests and is phasing out the use of FAA Forms 5100-60 and 5100-61, among others. These changes are the result of audit requirements to which FAA is subject. In order to help facilitate the transition to the new FAA forms, below is a summary of the links to the forms FAA prefers to be used (and as a Block Grant state, NH will initially use these forms until further notice). All forms are in Adobe Acrobat format unless otherwise noted.

Grant Applications (Planning projects):

Note: For those non-primary airports within the Block Grant Program, NHDOT requires four (4) grant application packages printed double-sided (at least one must have original signatures) and FAA will no longer receive any grant applications. For those primary airports outside of the Block Grant program, FAA requires (3) grant application packages and NHDOT requires one (1) grant application package printed double-sided.

Note: E.O. 12372, Intergovernmental Review Process, in New Hamshire requires a coverletter and one (1) copy of SF 424, program narrative, the budget sheets from FAA Form 5100-101 or 5100-100 (as appropriate), and project sketch showing the location of the project sent to: Meghan McPherson, Grants Manager, NH Office of Energy and Planning, 4 Chenell Drive, Concord, NH 03301-8501 (phone: 603-271-1098). The coverletter should request that the comment summary be sent to NHDOT/Bureau of Aeronautics and FAA/Airports Division. In addition, the Intergovernmental Review Process in NH only includes reviews by state organizations so one additional copy of this same coverletter and application package must be sent to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, R5 ES New England FO, 70 Commercial Street, Concord, NH 03301-5087 for their review and comment. Lastly, to ensure the project meets the review and compliance requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, a request for project review must be submitted to the NH Division of Historical Resources (NHDHR). Information on submitting for a NHDHR review can be found at Review & Compliance, New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources

Grant Applications (Development including Design Only, Land, Equipment projects):

Note:For those non-primary airports within the Block Grant program, NHDOT requires four (4) grant application packages printed double-sided (at least one must have original signatures) and FAA will no longer receive any grant applications. For those primary airports outside of the Block Grant program, FAA requires (3) grant application packages and NHDOT requires one (1) grant application package printed double-sided.

Note: E.O. 12372, Intergovernmental Review Process, in New Hamshire requires a coverletter and one (1) copy of SF 424, program narrative, the budget sheets from FAA Form 5100-101 or 5100-100 (as appropriate), and project sketch showing the location of the project sent to: Meghan McPherson, Grants Manager, NH Office of Energy and Planning, 4 Chenell Drive, Concord, NH 03301-8501 (phone: 603-271-1098). The coverletter should request that the comment summary be sent to NHDOT/Bureau of Aeronautics and FAA/Airports Division. In addition, the Intergovernmental Review Process in NH only includes reviews by state organizations so one additional copy of this same coverletter and application package must be sent to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, R5 ES New England FO, 70 Commercial Street, Concord, NH 03301-5087 for their review and comment. Lastly, to ensure the project meets the review and compliance requirements under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, a request for project review must be submitted to the NH Division of Historical Resources (NHDHR). Information on submitting for a NHDHR review can be found at Review & Compliance, New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources

Grant Reimbursement Requests (Planning projects):
NHDOT 5555
SF 270
Provide supporting documentation (e.g., invoices, summary of project costs, sponsor administration receipts …)
Note: For those nonprimary airports within the Block Grant program, NHDOT requires one (1) grant reimbursement request package with original signatures) and FAA will no longer receive any grant reimbursement requests. For those primary airports outside of the Block Grant program, FAA requires two (2) grant reimbursement request packages and NHDOT requires one (1) grant reimbursement request package.

Grant Reimbursement Requests (Development, Land, Equipment projects):
NHDOT 5555
SF 271
Provide supporting documentation (e.g., invoices, periodic cost estimate of construction costs, summary of project costs, sponsor administration receipts …).
Note: For those nonprimary airports within the Block Grant program, NHDOT requires one (1) grant reimbursement request package with original signatures) and FAA will no longer receive any grant reimbursement requests. For those primary airports outside of the Block Grant program, FAA requires two (2) grant reimbursement request packages and NHDOT requires one (1) grant reimbursement request package.

Project Closeout (Development, Land, Equipment projects):
FAA Project Closeout Summary Form
FAA Project Closeout Summary Form Instructions
Provide supporting documentation (e.g., testing results summary, project photos, copy of grant amendment request (if applicable), copies of change orders …).
Note: For those nonprimary airports within the Block Grant program, NHDOT requires two (2) electronic project closeout packages (one PDF and one CAD on CD), and one (1) full size hard copy for NHDOT files; FAA will no longer receive any project closeout packages. For those primary airports outside of the Block Grant program, FAA requires one (1) project closeout package and NHDOT requires one (1) project closeout package.





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