The Department shall solicit one or more times annually, depending on available funding, competitive grant proposals to facilitate the delivery of spay and neuter services. It is the Department’s intent to select the best proposals that most efficiently and effectively facilitate and promote the provision of those services and target low-income communities and populations to the maximum extent possible. The Department shall provide guidelines and detailed instructions for submitting a proposal for the Department’s consideration. The Department shall rank applications based on the following: The Department shall rank eligible applications and select for funding those that most effectively and efficiently achieve the purpose of the Fund; and In determining which projects to fund, the Department will consider: How low-income communities and populations are targeted and how the goal of reaching those communities and populations will be accomplished; How well the project proposal identifies and assesses the need for additional spay and neuter services in the targeted community or population, and how effectively and efficiently the project will meet that need; Whether a proposal targeting feral cat populations violates local law; How the project proposal identifies and meets the need to promote spay/neuter services to the targeted population or community through education and outreach; The extent to which the project increases the number of spay/neuter procedures in Maryland and impacts animal shelter over-population and cat and dog euthanasia rates; The expected project results relative to the amount of funds requested; The qualifications and experience of the applicant and the individuals who will be responsible for implementing the project; and The recommendations of the Spay Neuter Advisory Board.