Ten State or Local Governments to Receive Software, Hardware, and Training to Develop Mobile Public Domain Applications

ESRI, the world leader in GIS software, along with Trimble, the world leader in global positioning systems (GPS), has announced its call for demonstration projects for government mobility.

The goal of this program is to foster innovative approaches to solving government problems through the combined use of GIS and GPS technology. Projects must demonstrate increased efficiencies in collecting data for decision support or increased productivity in delivering government services. The ESRI and Trimble software, hardware, and training grants totaling $140,000 will be awarded to 10 state or local governments within the United States.

The ESRI and Trimble Government Mobility Demonstration Program has been established with two goals in mind. The first objective is to establish a vehicle to provide assistance to state or local government agencies in creating 10 models that demonstrate concepts related to the development and implementation of innovative GIS and GPS applications aimed at improving government processes. The second objective is to provide reusable applications that can be shared between governments with similar projects via a public domain Web site.

The GIS/GPS projects should focus on the collection of stationary or moving data elements for the advancement of mobile government.

Definition of Mobile Government

Mobile government is the use of technologies to enable documentation, processing, and management of government issues in the field. For example, public works staff could inventory and manage projects in the field and have the information compiled centrally in the office.

Additional examples of projects could draw from, but are not limited to, areas such as disease tracking, health surveillance, homeland security management, disaster response, fire response, environmental management, asset management, land records and survey data collection, enhanced inspection reporting, utility management, crime scene investigation, vehicle tracking, facility inspection sites, public facilities, land use, risk assessment, code enforcement, and tree inventory. While innovative ideas are embraced, ESRI and Trimble will prefer applications that enhance daily work efforts as a means of supporting the primary objectives of the program.

The demonstration grant program consists of a $14,000 GIS and GPS investment in projects that provide insight through project conceptualization, program implementation, and documentation of progress and benefits. ESRI and Trimble will provide hardware, software, and training to a total of 10 unique government agencies meeting the requirements of an eligible government organization.

Each agency considered must thoroughly communicate an understanding of the two technologies. Eligible applicants must have some basic capacity for GIS in their organization. The program is not designed to initiate a GIS program but rather to enhance an existing program. Likewise, each agency must agree to make the development of the application a priority as a means of developing timely and meaningful educational materials for the benefit of other government agencies.

What Is Supplied?

Each program recipient will receive the following:

1. One Trimble GeoXT for Mobile GPS Device
2. One Trimble External Antenna for GeoXT Mobile GPS Device
3. One Trimble Extended Receiver/Field Software Enhancement
4. One Trimble GPS Correct Software Kit
5. 12-Month Subscription to Pathfinder Express
6. One ESRI ArcPad Application Builder 6.x License That Provides
   • ArcPad 6 for Mobile GIS
   • ArcPad Studio for Developing Custom Applications
7. One Working with ArcPad Workshop Via ESRI's Virtual Campus
8. A Copy of the ESRI Press Publication Titled Integrating GIS and Global Positioning Systems

The program is open to all forms of state and local governments in the United States, as well as all departments within a government organization. Examples of agencies that are eligible for the ESRI and Trimble GIS/GPS demonstration program include

• State Government Agencies
• Regional Governments
• Special Districts
• County Governments
• City Governments
• Townships

The government entity must identify at least one staff member who will be responsible for using the hardware and software. Likewise, the GIS and GPS technologies granted must remain in the possession of the recipient site. An outside consultant can work with this staff member, but the government may not forward the licenses or hardware to that consultant.

The government entity must have an adequate system in place to be able to forward the application code for posting on the public domain Web site.

Departments that have won a grant through ESRI within the past year will not be eligible for this grant.

Priority is given to organizations that do one or more of the following:

• Projects that communicate innovative government through the use of GIS and GPS
• Projects that tie GIS and GPS to daily work flow
• Organizations demonstrating collaborative efforts with multiple departments within a single agency
• Projects that demonstrate or encourage the sharing of geographically enabled GIS/GPS data with multiple jurisdictions and with interagency or interdepartmental projects

To meet the goals of the Government Mobility Demonstration Program, applicants must confirm the availability of framework databases. This program is not designed as a means of initiating a GIS program. These framework data sets must include combinations of the following:

1. Parcel/Cadastral base
2. Street right-of-way base or street centerline base
3. Digital version of the demonstration project's geographic boundaries

The demonstration program is limited to one hardware, software, and training grant per eligible government organization. Applicants do not need to currently use ESRI software or Trimble hardware. In addition, existing customers of ESRI and/or Trimble will receive equal consideration in awarding of the grants.

• Applications will be accepted beginning August 1, 2003.
• The official deadline for all submissions is 5:00 p.m., Pacific time, October 24, 2003.
• Awards will be announced November 21, 2003.
• Applications must be documented and submitted to the public domain Web site no later than May 21, 2004.
• Submission of articles related to the implementation of mobile government applications is due no later than May 21, 2004.
• ESRI and Trimble Web sites will be used as official notification media on the date designated as the award announcement date. Formal letters notifying the sites selected will follow.
• All recipients must agree to have their organization's name used in ESRI and Trimble press releases and marketing efforts.
• Program recipients must agree to become a reference site of both ESRI and Trimble.
• Maintenance of ESRI software and Trimble equipment become the responsibility of the program recipient.

No product or training substitutions in the grant offerings will be extended. The program is offered with the understanding that the complete hardware, software, and training suite will be used in its entirety for the purpose of developing a mobile government application for future distribution via a public domain Web site.

The public domain Web site includes a standard public domain disclaimer that expressly states the script is being placed in the public domain or is "freeware," so that the script may be freely used and redistributed. It is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, and there is no technical support provided. To view a full version of the disclaimer, visit the ArcScripts Web site.

Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific time, October 24, 2003. There is no formal application. We request that each applicant provide two copies of the proposed mobile government demonstration project in a double-spaced typewritten proposal addressing each of the following items in the format requested below.

1. Letter of support signed by agency head (one page maximum)
2. Organizational profile with the following details (one page maximum, double-spaced)
• Organization name
• Organization agency or department responsibilities (25 words or less)
• Organization mailing address
• Organization physical site address including street name and number
• Estimated population within demonstration project or jurisdiction
• Estimated number of employees in organization
• Primary organization contact
• Primary contact phone, fax, and e-mail (e-mail required for Virtual Campus and initial notification)
• Secondary organization contact
• Secondary contact phone, fax, and e-mail (e-mail required for Virtual Campus)
3. Information on the proposed GIS/GPS demonstration project (three pages maximum, double-spaced):
• Proposed program name
• Proposed program description
• Proposed program goals and objectives
• Proposed units of measure for determining success of project (e.g., time savings, cost savings, productivity increases)
(D—H; three pages maximum, double-spaced)
4. Description of the use of GIS/CAD software currently used by your organization
5. Description of the use of GPS hardware currently used by your organization
6. Description of plans to distribute GIS/GPS data and applications throughout your organization
7. Description of anticipated additional uses of GIS/GPS software and hardware provided after initial project has been completed
8. Description of perceived benefits or return on investment


Optional: You can also include any appendices such as photos, screen shots, graphs, etc. that illustrate your proposal. These do not count as part of the page limit requirements.

Two copies of the submission must be received no later than 5:00 p.m., Pacific time, October 24, 2003.

Review Process

An internal team of ESRI industry solutions managers and Trimble solutions managers will review all applications to determine the finalists. See Additional Information for notification details.