US – CBP and GSA launch Donation Acceptance Program to support port of entry infrastructure needs

On October 1, 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that it has teamed up with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to develop the Donation Acceptance Program (DAP), a framework supporting the new pilot program authorized by Congress in January 2014 that permits CBP to enter into partnerships for certain services and to accept certain donations. Pursuant to Section 559 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, CBP and GSA are authorized to accept donations of real property, personal property (including monetary donations) and non-personal services from private sector and government entities. Accepted donations may be used for activities related to the construction, alteration, operations, and maintenance of CBP or GSA-owned ports of entry.  The announcement stated in part:

Infrastructure enhancements play a critical role in the improvement of trade and travel facilitation. CBP faces a growing demand for facilities and renovations at aging ports of entry. This authority provides an alternate method of financing port of entry modernization and construction projects.

CBP will evaluate proposals from private corporations, public entities, municipalities, port authorities, consortiums, and any other private sector or Government entity. Donation proposals will be evaluated based on their individual merit and ability to satisfy the evaluation criteria posted on CBP.gov. Please also note that CBP and GSA will only consider submissions that envision Federal ownership of the proposed donation.

CBP and GSA will be providing multiple opportunities to learn more about the DAP and proposal submission process, including addressing program-related inquiries received, and hosting a live Q&A teleconference in the early November timeframe. Also, on October 20, 2014, CBP will be announcing the open period for submitting donation proposals for CBP and GSA consideration. Details regarding the abovementioned information-sharing opportunities and forthcoming proposal submission period may be found on CBP.gov, which we’ll continue to update as more information becomes available.

Public-private partnerships are a key component of CBP’s Resource Optimization Strategy, and allow CBP to provide new or expanded services at domestic ports of entry. Last year, CBP entered into Section 560 Reimbursable Services Agreements with the City of El Paso, Texas, The City of Houston Airport System, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Miami-Dade County, and South Texas Assets Consortium. These locations have already benefitted from significant wait time reductions despite rising traffic volumes.