WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security has announced it will award roughly $11.7 million in security grants to over-the-road bus operators for fiscal 2009.

Both fixed-route intercity and charter bus operators may apply for the money through the departments competitive grants process.

The maximum federal share of any awarded project is 75 percent, meaning those winning the grants will be required to come up with the remaining 25 percent of project costs.

The program is little changed from previous years, with 55 percent of the money going to operators having at least 250 over-the-road buses (Tier I) and the remaining 45 percent going to smaller operators (Tier II). Most charter bus operators fall in Tier II.

To be eligible for the money, an operator must make at least 50 trips annually to one or more of 62 urban areas the Department of Homeland Security considers to have the highest risk of a terrorist attack.

Additionally, any company applying for the money must have completed what the Homeland Security Department calls a "vulnerability assessment" and a formal "security plan." Any company not having a security assessment and plan can only apply for money to help pay for an assessment and plan. Then, in future years, it can apply for money to make security improvements.

For fiscal 09, the program has been fined tuned in two areas: The money can now be used to pay overtime and other costs associated with training, drills and security exercises, and the departments methodology used to score applications has been made more transparent.

The minimum amount that may be requested for projects focused on training and/or exercises is $5,000, while there is no minimum for vulnerability assessments or security plan development.

The minimum amount that may be requested for other projects is $25,000. Applying for a bus security grant is not for the faint of heart. The Department of Homeland Security readily admits its application process is "complex."

However, it has developed comprehensive guidelines to help applicants. All details are contained in the "Intercity Bus Security Grant Program Guidance and Application Kit" available on the splash page of the United Motorcoach Association website at www.uma.org.

The deadline for applying is 11:59 a.m. Jan. 13. Not noon, but 11:59 a.m.

The department is conducting a series of teleconferences between now and Jan. 13, to answer questions about the grant program. All of the phone conferences will be between 2 and 3 p.m. eastern time, the toll-free phone number for conferences is (877) 988-9660, and the pass code is 6827433.

Here are the dates of the teleconferences: Nov. 25, Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 16, Dec. 23, Dec. 30, Jan. 6, and Jan. 13. Questions (outside the conference calls) can be directed via e-mail to AskCSID@dhs.gov and TSAGrants@tsa.gov.

UMA members can contact resident expert Ken Presley at (800) 424-8262 or by e-mail at kpresley@uma.org.