1. (a) TANEO may establish and specify any selection criteria it considers relevant to the grant.

2. (b) TANEO shall evaluate each application for a grant based on, at a minimum:

   1. (1) the grant applicant's:

      1. (A) quality of services and management;
      2. (B) efficiency of operations;
      3. (C) access to resources essential for operating the project for which the grant is requested, such as land, water, and reliable infrastructure, as applicable;
      4. (D) application for or docketing of a permit or license with the regulatory commission; and
      5. (E) ability to repay the grant if project benchmarks are not met; and
   2. (2) the project's potential benefit to this state.

3. (c) TANEO shall not consider incomplete applications.

   1. (1) An application is complete when an applicant has submitted all required documentation to TANEO, including any supplemental documentation TANEO requests from the applicant.
   2. (2) If TANEO specifies an application deadline, an applicant must submit all required documentation to TANEO on or before that deadline.
4. (d) TANEO will initially screen each completed application for eligibility. TANEO will not consider ineligible applications.
5. (e) Notwithstanding subsection (c)(2) of this section, TANEO may request additional information from an applicant regarding its application after the application deadline. If an applicant does not provide requested information on or before the date specified by TANEO in its request for additional information, TANEO may reject the application as incomplete.
6. (f) TANEO may reject an application at any point during the review and evaluation process.
7. (g) TANEO's approval of an award shall not obligate TANEO to make any additional, supplemental, or other awards.
8. (h) TANEO may only issue the grant after the grant agreement is fully executed by the grant recipient and TANEO.
9. (i) Providing false information, knowingly or unknowingly, on a grant application may result in TANEO denying an application or, if a grant has been awarded, terminating the grant agreement and, at a minimum, recouping any grant funds distributed to a grantee.

Source Note:The provisions of this §331.5 adopted to be effective March 19, 2026, 51 TexReg 1623.