Department of Defense	Defense Security Cooperation Agency
About the Funded Transportation Program

The Funded Transportation program allows donors to petition the
U.S. Department of Defense for the transport of humanitarian goods and equipment to countries in need.

Overview

The Funded Transportation program is a commodities transportation program authorized under Title 10 U.S.C. Section 2561. Section 2561 provides the Department of Defense (DoD) the authority to conduct humanitarian assistance operations worldwide and to transport DoD non-lethal excess property and humanitarian assistance materials donated by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations (IOs), and private voluntary organizations (PVOs) for humanitarian relief. This authority provides for the actual cost of commercial transportation and the payment of any associated DoD administrative costs incurred. The DoD administers the Funded Transportation program.

Guidelines

While the statutory authority permits transportation via any mode and for any cargo that could be defined as humanitarian assistance materials, the DoD and the Department of State (DOS) have established policies that impose limits on the program due to the austere level of funding made available. These policies are:

· Transport is limited only to surface modes -- funded airlift is reserved only for emergency (declared disaster) situations.

· Cargo is limited only to that which addresses basic humanitarian needs (e.g., medical, food, shelter, and clothing).

· Minimum cargo restrictions -- to use this program, the minimum cargo size is one 20 - foot shipping container (or 1100 cubic feet equivalent).

Before gathering supplies, donors should first contact the DoD Funded Transportation Program Manager to determine whether the program is possible in the specific country. The DoD Funded Transportation Program Manager contact information is at the end of this discussion.

The following is a synopsis of the four stages of the Funded Transportation program. More detailed information and instructions are provided below in the download documents link under the Section titled Funded Transportation Program Application.

Please use this link to read detailed Funded Transportation Guidelines file.

Application

· The donor must identify an in-country consignee and/or local contact/recipient who will:

o Secure the written approval of the destination country’s government for duty-free entry

o Ensure compliance with all legal requirements in the destination country

o Receive and take possession of cargo on arrival

o Distribute cargo to the beneficiaries.

· All prospective donors must complete an on-line application for DoD funded transportation.

· A destination country Duty Free Certificate, Duty Free Certificate Cover Letter and notarized Consignment Affidavit must be completed and forwarded to the DoD Funded Transportation Program Manager before processing of an application will take place.

· DoD will communicate with the destination country to ensure the cargo will be accepted. Depending on the workload and responsiveness of the host government in the destination country, this process may take several weeks, perhaps months.

· DoS will determine whether the application is consistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives.

· Your application will be formally approved (or disapproved) by DoD and you will be notified.

Note: Applications in which the donor seeks financing for any cost other than DoD funded transport, such as local storage (in the US or the destination country), will not be approved.

Please use the link at the bottom of this page to view a sample of the Funded Transportation application and templates of Duty Free Certificate Cover Letter and Consignment Affidavit.

Cargo and Shipping

· DoD will arrange for representatives of the U.S. government to inspect all donated cargo at the warehousing/storage sites. The inspection team reserves the right to remove items from the inventory, which, for reasons of safety or legality, may not be shipped. Time-sensitive cargo (e.g., medical supplies within 14 months of their expiration date and perishable food) cannot be accepted and will not be shipped.

· Donors must package the items/commodities in compliance with international shipping procedures and must be able to store or pay for commercial storage until transportation becomes available.

· The commercial contract shipper will contact the donor when transportation is arranged.

· Donor is required to provide specific certification for certain types of cargo. For further details please read the Funded Transportation Guidelines file by using the link at the bottom of this page.

Arrival in Destination Country

· The donor can obtain the estimated date and time of arrival of the cargo in the destination country from the DoD Funded Transportation Program Manager and the donor must communicate this information to the consignee in the destination country.

Distribution and Reporting

· The consignee is responsible for timely distribution of the cargo to the targeted beneficiaries. All cargo must be distributed on a non-commercial basis, free of cost to the beneficiaries.

· The donor must submit an on-line after action report (AAR) within 30 days after the cargo is distributed, describing in detail how they were distributed, to whom, and how the supplies were used. Subsequent applications for shipment of humanitarian items/commodities goods from donors who have not provided this mandatory report will not be processed.

Please use the link at the bottom of this page to view a template of on-line After Action Report.

Sample After Action Report (add a link to a sample report here)

Funded Transportation Program Documents

· Download Documents

If you have any questions regarding the operations of the web site, please call the HAP-I Help Desk at (703) 797-8990.

 If you have any questions regarding the application approval process, please call the DoD Funded Transportation Program Manager Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time at: 703.601.3854(telephone).