DOT Grant

We should definately retain Boyd Consulting next time we apply for the DOT Grant. These guys are good, very good.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded $18.9 million in federal grants to 37 regional airport projects in 29 states and encompassing 68 communities as part of the 2005 Small Community Air Service Development Program. DOT received 84 applications in April for $19.8 million in available grant money.

This is the fourth year of this grant program. Collectively, the 84 applicants asked for more than double that amount - nearly $51 million - in federal funds to jump-start or expand air service in small communities. In many cases, these communities have not had scheduled air service since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when many carriers reduced their networks. In some cases, communities have not had service since the 1978 deregulation of the airline industry.
Of the 84 applicants, only 15 were from first-time applicants. The rest were past winners as well as repeat losers applying for the funds.

Although Congress had authorized up to $20 million to be split among up to 40 projects, the number of applicants were down from 120 last year to 84 this year, even though the program has proved to be "wildly successful," said Michael Boyd, of the Denver-based Boyd Consulting Group. "When you cull out the fruitcake ones, they were down to 65 good ones [of the 84 applications]," he said.

Of the winning applications, Boyd's firm advised 20 percent of them. Over the past three years, 25 percent of all the funds allocated have been awarded to Boyd clients.