2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program.pdf Act 154...

Location:	Vermont
Posted:	Feb 17, 2026
Due:	Mar 3, 2026
Agency:	State of Vermont - Agency of Transportation
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	A - Research and development V - Transportation, Travel and Relocation Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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State of Vermont

Agency of Transportation

Barre City Place

219 North Main Street, Suite 105

Barre, Vermont 05641

Administration Division

Contracts and Grants Administration

http://vtrans.vermont.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program

Issue Date:

Questions Due:

NOFO Responses Due:

February 17, 2026

February 24, 2026 – Prior to 2:00 PM (EST)

March 3, 2026 – Prior to 2:00 PM (EST)

State Contact: Tricia Scribner, Administrative Services Manager III

E-Mail:

tricia.scribner@vermont.gov

Please be advised that all notifications, releases, and addendums associated with this NOFO will be posted at:

Notice of Funding Opportunities | Agency of Transportation

The state will make no attempt to contact interested parties with updated information. It is the responsibility of

each applicant to periodically check the above webpage for all notifications, releases and addendums associated

with this NOFO. All questions related to this NOFO shall be forwarded to the below State Contact through

e-mail. AOT will not be bound by any oral communications. Communication with other AOT personnel

regarding this NOFO is prohibited and may result in the rejection of your application.

Contents

Agreement Classification: ................................................................................................................................................... 2

Source(s) of Fund(s):........................................................................................................................................................... 2

Program Description: .......................................................................................................................................................... 2

Eligibility Information:........................................................................................................................................................ 3

Technical Assistance: .......................................................................................................................................................... 4

Reservation of Rights: ......................................................................................................................................................... 4

Exceptions to Terms and Conditions: ................................................................................................................................. 4

Confidentiality:.................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Application Instructions – General: .................................................................................................................................... 5

Electronic Submission Requirements:................................................................................................................................. 5

Indirect Cost Rate, Federal De Minimis Rate, and/or Cost Allocation Plan: ...................................................................... 5

Fiscal Agents: ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Application Review and Selection Process: ........................................................................................................................ 7

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program

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Anticipated Number of Awards: ......................................................................................................................................... 7

Evaluation Criteria: ............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Application and Act 154 Good Standing Certification Forms: ........................................................................................... 8

Pre-Award Eligibility: ......................................................................................................................................................... 8

Grant Agreement: ................................................................................................................................................................ 8

Sub-Granting (If Applicable):.............................................................................................................................................. 9

Attachment A - Scope of Work ......................................................................................................................................... 10

Attachment B - Payment Provisions ................................................................................................................................. 11

Attachment C - Standard State Provisions for Contracts and Grants, Revised February 13, 2026................................... 13

Attachment D – Other Provisions - N/A – Left Intentionally Blank................................................................................. 14

Attachment E - Special Provisions .................................................................................................................................... 15

Attachment F - Act 154 Good Standing Certification - Please see Contract Administrations website: Notice of Funding

Opportunities | Agency of Transportation ......................................................................................................................... 17

Attachment G - Title VI Assurances – DOT Standard Title VI Assurances and Non-Discrimination Provisions (DOT

1050.2A) – Assurance Appendix A and Assurance Appendix E ...................................................................................... 18

Agreement Classification:

 Reimbursement Grant - Funds are distributed as a reimbursement of actual expenses incurred or

services provided by the grantee in the performance of program functions outlined in the grant.

Source(s) of Fund(s):

 Federal Award Information:

Federal Award Program: Federal Highway Administration

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 20.205

Program Description:

The purpose of the National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) program is to create awareness and

stimulate interest in transportation career opportunities among middle and high school students. The goal is to

help each student realize existing career opportunities in today’s transportation industry, participate in

transportation-related Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-based academic activities,

and to encourage students to pursue transportation-related course work at the college or university level. The

Vermont NSTI Program should be designed to introduce students to all modes of transportation-related careers

and work.

The program can be either residential or nonresidential. The NSTI can range anywhere from 2-4 weeks and can

be classified as a middle school (rising grades 6-8) and/or high school (rising grades 9-12) program. NSTI is

offered free to participants. Host Sites may not charge fees of any kind, even if the fee is reimbursable to the

participants.

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program

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The Host Site(s) will be responsible for:

• Selecting Project Director and Staff

• Developing program and proposal for funding consideration

• Executing and implementing all aspects of the program

• Preparing final report (annual report)

• Budgeting and expenditure (must comply with OMB Circular A-21)

AOT’s vision for the future is to build on past success and to effectively reach as many students as meaningfully

possible. An emphasis should be made on a pipeline of options to keep the students’ interest in transportation

careers through schooling to employment. To best meet this vision, it is preferred that we continue to offer both

a high school and middle school program and to explore partnerships with entities committed to increasing

opportunity and career development for youth.

AOT prefers to be a part of the student recruitment and selection process to help ensure program participants

represent a diverse pool of students covering a spectrum of gender, age, race, ethnicity, abilities, socioeconomic

standing, and other factors. If Colleges/Universities are proposing a non-residential program and plan on

offering lunch to the participants (to ensure all have equal access to nutritious food regardless of socio-economic

status) they must clearly state this in their Statement of Work and their budget.

AOT is an active partner in the delivery of this program and will assist the selected Host Site with planning,

arranging for speakers, field trips, staff for programming, partners and sponsors, and will provide technical

assistance and guidance.

Eligibility Information:

Eligible Applicants:

 Accredited Vermont Colleges/Universities

Other Eligibility Criteria:

 The Applicant awarded a grant shall, upon notification of award, apply for registration with the Vermont

Secretary of State's Office to do business in the State of Vermont, if not already so registered. The

registration form may be obtained from the Vermont Secretary of State, 128 State Street, Montpelier VT

05609-1101. The telephone number is 800-439-8683. Registration can be completed online at Vermont

Secretary of State - Business Services Division AOT will not process the grant until the Organization is

registered with the Secretary of State’s office.

 The Applicant shall submit to AOT a certificate of insurance showing that minimum coverages are in effect

Vermont State Insurance Specification | Agency of Administration. The certificate must be submitted to the

office of Contract Administration, Grant Unit prior to execution of the agreement. No work may be

performed for any AOT grant and/or Notice to Proceed, including mobilization, without compliant

insurance being on file at AOT Contract Administration, Grants Unit. It is the responsibility of the Applicant

to maintain current certificates of insurance on file with the State through the term of the grant.

 The Applicant awarded a grant shall, upon notification of award, apply for a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

Number with Home | SAM.gov. The UEI number assignment is free for all businesses required to register

with the US Federal government for grants. The twelve-character alphanumeric value is assigned and

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program

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maintained via SAM.gov.

Technical Assistance:

 The Agency of Commerce & Community Development (ACCD), Department of Economic Development

(DED), APEX Accelerator may be of assistance when registering with Home | SAM.gov. There is no cost

to the Applicant for assistance provided by APEX Accelerator. Their website is:

https://accd.vermont.gov/economic-development/programs/apex

Reservation of Rights:

Application(s) become the property of AOT upon submission. The cost of preparing, submitting and presenting

an application is the sole expense of the Applicant. Unselected application(s) shall be securely disposed of at

AOT’s discretion. AOT reserves the right to reject any and all application(s) received as a result of this

solicitation, to negotiate with any qualified source, to waive any formality and any technicalities or to cancel

this NOFO in part or in its entirety if it is in the best interest of AOT. This solicitation of application(s) in no

way obligates AOT to award a grant.

Exceptions to Terms and Conditions:

The applicant must state any exceptions taken to the terms and conditions in this NOFO. For each exception the

applicant shall identify the term or condition, state the reason for the exception, and provide any other

information concerning the exception. Such exceptions, deviations or conditional assumptions may, however,

result in rejection of the application as unresponsive. Failure to note exceptions when responding to the NOFO

will be deemed to be acceptance of the State grant terms and conditions. If exceptions are not noted in the

response to this NOFO but raised during grant negotiations, the State reserves the right to cancel the negotiation

if deemed to be in the best interests of the State. This includes waivers to the insurance requirements.

Confidentiality:

Applicants are hereby expressly directed not to include any confidential information in their application

submissions, except as specifically identified in this NOFO. By submitting an application in response to this

NOFO, applicants acknowledge and agree to abide by the terms and conditions outlined in this document,

including the prohibition on submitting confidential information. This prohibition reduces the burden on the

State while preventing applicant-confidential information from entering the public record. All application(s)

received will become part of the grant file and will become a matter of public record, and may be disclosed to

the public in accordance with the Vermont Public Records Act, 1 V.S.A. § 315 et seq. If the application

documents include material that is considered by the applicant to be proprietary and confidential under 1 V.S.A.

§ 315 et seq., the applicant shall submit a cover letter that clearly identifies each page or section of the

application that it believes is proprietary and confidential. The applicant shall also provide in their cover letter

a written explanation for each marked section explaining why such material should be considered exempt from

public disclosure in the event of a public records request, pursuant to 1 V.S.A. § 317(c), including the

prospective harm to the competitive position of the applicant if the identified material were to be released.

Additionally, the applicant must include a redacted copy of its response for portions that are considered

proprietary and confidential. Redactions must be limited so that the reviewer may understand the nature of the

information being withheld. It is typically inappropriate to redact entire pages, or to redact the titles/captions of

tables and figures. Under no circumstances can the entire response be marked confidential, and the State

reserves the right to disqualify responses so marked.

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program

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Application Instructions – General:

Do not merge individual documents into a single PDF file. The quality of application(s) and adherence to

solicitation response requirements and/or restrictions are considered reflective of the way the applicant could

be expected to conduct business and will be given due consideration throughout the evaluation process.

Failure to provide all required information, or indications that the applicant did not conform to all terms as set

forth in the NOFO and attachments may make the offer non-responsive and may result in the elimination of the

applicant from further consideration for award.

Applications or unsolicited revisions submitted after the above specified due date and time will not be accepted

and will be securely disposed of.

Electronic Submission Requirements:

Applications will only be accepted electronically via a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) site. To upload your

application, you must obtain a user account. This account will be provided when the above State Contact

receives your FTP account request via e-mail. Please submit your request for a user account. The email

subject should state “FTP Account Request for the 2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation

Institute (NSTI) Program”.

You will then receive guidance on uploading your application and a user account will be provided by a separate

e-mail. Please submit your request as soon as possible and no later than four (4) business days before the NOFO

due date to ensure there is ample time to set up the user account(s). If you are unable to submit your documents

by uploading them to the specified FTP site(s), please notify the sole point of contact listed in the NOFO for

additional guidance.

Applicants are required to use the application excel spreadsheet. Please use the checklist below to ensure you

have completed all steps before submitting your application package.

√ Checklist for Application Submission

Contact Information

Section A – Program Information

Section B – Program Overview Narrative

Section C – Program Administration Narrative and Budget Table responses

• Narrative responses for #1 and #7

• Responses in MS Excel budget tables for items #2-6

When submitting your application please use the following naming convention:

Application_Legal Name of Organization_ 2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI)

Program

Indirect Cost Rate, Federal De Minimis Rate, and/or Cost Allocation Plan:

If an applicant intends to use an indirect cost rate (per 2 CFR § 200.414) it must meet one of the following

criteria:

 Federally Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate

A current rate that has been reviewed and approved by a Federal Agency. You must submit the current

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program

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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

2026 Vermont National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) Program.pdf Act 154 Good Standing Certification.pdf Application Form.xlsx

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