(1) Award of Grants.
    (a) The Secretary will award grants in the order they appear on the prioritized list and in accordance with available funding. Each grant will be limited to a maximum of 10% of the total Department’s beautification grants budget.
    (b) Official notice of each grant award will be made by the Department by email to the applicant named in the grant application.
    (c) To accept a grant, an applicant must send a letter of acceptance by email to the Grant Coordinator within 15 days from the date of receipt of the offer of the award.
    (d) Funds will be released by the Department when agreements are executed, the project is constructed as per plans approved by the Department (see Part I of this rule chapter), there is written final acceptance by the Department, and receipts for grant expenses are reviewed and approved by the Department.
    (e) All funding of grants is contingent upon legislative appropriations.
    (2) Execution of Agreements.
    (a) Agreements associated with the grant must be executed within one year from date of the letter of acceptance, and meet the requirements of Fl. Admin. Code R. 14-40.003(3)(c) Failure to execute the required agreements will result in the grant award being withdrawn. Future grant applications from an applicant who fails to comply with this subsection will not be accepted for a period of two fiscal years.
    (b) The agreement(s) between the applicant and the Department must state:
    1. The intended use of the grant, as described in the grant application.
    2. The payment terms for the grant (e.g., lump sum reimbursement or progress payments for long term work).
    3. Any actions which the Department will take in the event of noncompliance by the applicant.
    4. The methods to be used by the Department to determine compliance with the terms of the agreement.
    (c) The individual(s) who sign the agreements on behalf of the grant applicant, or the grant applicant’s designee, shall certify that the project is implemented as specified in the agreements, and shall provide a certification of completion before the final invoices are submitted for the project.
Rulemaking Authority 339.2405 FS. Law Implemented 339.24, 339.2405 FS. History-New 3-20-03, Amended 8-10-03, 12-24-08, 6-21-18.