The latest round of applications has opened for the US government’s Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP), a scheme designed to help small communities address air service and airfare issues.

The US Transportation Department has up to $17 million in available funding during the current financial year. Grant sizes in the past have ranged from $20,000 to almost $1.6 million.

The scheme can involve revenue guarantees and financial assistance for marketing programs, as well as start-up costs and studies.

In addition, the DOT can award US carriers grants in order to subsidize service to and from an underserved airport for up to three years.

Priority will be given to projects that help to restore scheduled passenger air service that has been terminated, as well as ones that provide “material benefits to a broad segment of the traveling public,” including businesses and educational institutions whose access to the national air transportation system is limited.

Communities with air fares that are “significantly higher” than the national average in similar markets will also receive priority consideration. Applications for the latest SCASDP funding round are open until March 15.