Opportunity Information: Apply for F17AS00131
The Team Rubicon Heavy Equipment Safety Training Program is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) funding opportunity designed to build a formal partnership with Team Rubicon, Inc. to expand safe heavy equipment operations training, with a specific emphasis on supporting veterans as they transition into civilian employment. The opportunity is tied to Executive Order 13518, the Veterans Employment Initiative, and frames heavy equipment training as both a workforce development pathway for veterans and a practical capability that can be used to support communities during disaster response and recovery efforts in the United States and internationally. In practice, the program is meant to strengthen Team Rubicon's ability to train its members to operate heavy equipment safely and effectively, which can be critical during emergency debris removal, access restoration, and similar missions.
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning USFWS expects to have substantial involvement in how the work is carried out, rather than simply issuing a grant with minimal federal engagement. The project would be implemented in coordination with the National Wildlife Refuge System, reflecting DOI and USFWS interests in ensuring that field operations, particularly those that may occur on or near refuge lands or in sensitive habitats, are conducted using robust safety practices and consistent standards. The stated goal is to create a heavy equipment operations safety training program that Team Rubicon can sustain and deliver internally, rather than a one-time training event.
A central feature of the program is the development of safety instructors. Instead of focusing only on training individual equipment operators, the project prioritizes building a cadre of Team Rubicon instructors who are qualified to deliver the USFWS heavy equipment safety training program to Team Rubicon members. This "train-the-trainer" approach is intended to multiply the impact over time by giving Team Rubicon the internal capacity to conduct recurring trainings, maintain consistent safety expectations, and scale instruction as membership and mission needs grow.
Financially, Team Rubicon requested $50,000 per year for three years, effectively supporting a multi-year buildout of training capacity. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $50,000 and anticipates a single award. It is explicitly described as a notification of intent to make a single-source cooperative agreement to Team Rubicon, Inc., which indicates the agency had already identified Team Rubicon as the intended recipient rather than running a fully open competition among multiple applicants. The opportunity was published under Funding Opportunity Number F17AS00131, categorized as discretionary funding, with an activity focus in natural resources and a CFDA listing of 15.649.
Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). However, because this notice is framed as a single-source intent to award to Team Rubicon, the practical outcome is that the award was expected to go to that organization rather than broadly soliciting competing proposals.
The legal authority cited for the award reflects USFWS's mission and statutory ability to support programs that benefit fish and wildlife and their habitats. Specifically, the notice references the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 and 742 et seq.), the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 as amended (16 U.S.C. 753), and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544). Including these authorities situates the heavy equipment safety training work within the broader context of responsible land and habitat stewardship, implying that improved safety and standardized training help reduce operational risk to people, property, and environmentally sensitive areas during field work and disaster-related missions.
Key administrative details include the agency (Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service), the posting date (February 28, 2017), and the original closing date (March 6, 2017). Overall, the opportunity can be understood as a targeted federal partnership meant to professionalize and scale Team Rubicon's heavy equipment safety training through instructor development, while also advancing veteran employment objectives and supporting USFWS-related land stewardship and emergency response capabilities.Apply for F17AS00131
- The Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Team Rubicon Heavy Equipment Safety Training Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.649.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 28, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 06, 2017 This is a Notification of Intent to award a Single Source Cooperative Agreement to Team Rubicon, Inc.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $50,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Team Rubicon Heavy Equipment Safety Training Program?
It is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) funding opportunity intended to build a formal partnership with Team Rubicon, Inc. to expand safe heavy equipment operations training. The program emphasizes safety and standardization for heavy equipment use in field and disaster-response contexts.
What is the primary purpose of this funding opportunity?
The stated goal is to create a heavy equipment operations safety training program that Team Rubicon can sustain and deliver internally over time, rather than supporting a one-time training event.
How does the program support veterans?
The opportunity places specific emphasis on supporting veterans as they transition into civilian employment, positioning heavy equipment training as a workforce development pathway aligned with the Veterans Employment Initiative (Executive Order 13518).
How is this training connected to disaster response and recovery?
The training is framed as a practical capability that can be used to support communities during disaster response and recovery efforts in the United States and internationally, including work such as emergency debris removal and access restoration.
What type of federal funding instrument is being used?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This means USFWS expects substantial involvement in how the project is carried out, rather than issuing a grant with minimal federal engagement.
What does "substantial involvement" by USFWS imply in this cooperative agreement?
Based on the notice, USFWS is expected to be actively engaged in the execution of the work, including coordination aspects and alignment with USFWS interests in robust safety practices and consistent standards, particularly for field operations.
How does the National Wildlife Refuge System factor into the project?
The project would be implemented in coordination with the National Wildlife Refuge System, reflecting Department of the Interior (DOI) and USFWS interests in ensuring operations on or near refuge lands (or in sensitive habitats) follow strong safety practices and consistent standards.
Is the program focused only on training equipment operators?
No. A central feature is instructor development. The project prioritizes building a cadre of Team Rubicon instructors qualified to deliver the USFWS heavy equipment safety training program to Team Rubicon members.
What is the "train-the-trainer" approach described in the opportunity?
Instead of focusing solely on training individual operators, the program emphasizes training instructors who can then train additional Team Rubicon members. This is intended to multiply impact over time by creating internal capacity for recurring training and scalable instruction.
Why is instructor development a priority for this program?
The notice indicates that developing internal instructors helps Team Rubicon maintain consistent safety expectations, conduct recurring trainings, and scale instruction as membership and mission needs grow.
What is the award amount mentioned in the opportunity?
Team Rubicon requested $50,000 per year for three years. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $50,000 and anticipates a single award.
How many awards does the opportunity anticipate making?
The opportunity anticipates a single award.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity open to multiple applicants?
The notice is described as a notification of intent to make a single-source cooperative agreement to Team Rubicon, Inc. This indicates the agency had already identified Team Rubicon as the intended recipient rather than running a fully open competition.
Who is the intended recipient of this single-source cooperative agreement?
The opportunity explicitly describes an intent to award a single-source cooperative agreement to Team Rubicon, Inc.
What organizations are eligible under the eligibility description?
Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education. However, the notice is framed as a single-source intent to award to Team Rubicon, Inc.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is F17AS00131.
What type of funding is this categorized as?
It is categorized as discretionary funding.
What is the activity focus or subject area listed for this opportunity?
The opportunity lists an activity focus in natural resources.
What CFDA listing is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA listing referenced is 15.649.
What legal authorities are cited as the basis for the award?
The notice references the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 661 and 742 et seq.), the Fish and Wildlife Improvement Act of 1978 as amended (16 U.S.C. 753), and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1544).
Why are fish and wildlife-related authorities relevant to heavy equipment safety training?
Including these authorities situates the work within responsible land and habitat stewardship. The notice implies that improved safety and standardized training can reduce operational risk to people, property, and environmentally sensitive areas during field work and disaster-related missions.
When was this opportunity posted?
The posting date is February 28, 2017.
What was the original closing date for this opportunity?
The original closing date was March 6, 2017.
What outcomes is this program intended to strengthen for Team Rubicon?
The program is meant to strengthen Team Rubicon's ability to train its members to operate heavy equipment safely and effectively, particularly for missions where heavy equipment is critical.
What kinds of missions are mentioned where heavy equipment training can be important?
The notice specifically references emergency debris removal, access restoration, and similar missions during disaster response and recovery efforts.
What is the overall intent of the opportunity in plain terms?
It is a targeted federal partnership designed to professionalize and scale Team Rubicon's heavy equipment safety training through instructor development, while also advancing veteran employment objectives and supporting USFWS-related land stewardship and emergency response capabilities.
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