[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32882-32889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13169]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
[Docket #RBS-21-CO-OP-0017]
Inviting Applications for Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grants
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of funding availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Rural Business-Cooperative
Service (Agency) is announcing fiscal year (FY) 2021 funding for
applications for the Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG)
program. The purpose of this program is to provide technical assistance
to socially disadvantaged groups in rural areas. Eligible applicants
include cooperatives, groups of cooperatives, and cooperative
development centers. This program supports Rural Development's (RD)
mission of improving the quality of life for rural Americans and
commitment to directing resources to those who most need them. The
program funding level for FY 2021 is a total of $3.0 million. Detailed
information can be found on the SDGG website located at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/socially-disadvantaged-groups-grant.
Expenses incurred in developing applications are the responsibility of
the applicant.
DATES: Completed applications for grants must be submitted
electronically by no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time August 9, 2021,
through https://www.grants.gov to be eligible for grant funding. Please
review the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html for instructions on the
process of registering your organization as soon as possible to ensure
that you are able to meet the electronic application deadline.
Applications received after the deadline are not eligible for funding
under this notice and will not be evaluated.
ADDRESSES: You are encouraged to contact your USDA Rural Development
State Office well in advance of the application deadline to discuss
your project and ask any questions about the application process.
Contact information for State Offices can be found at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.
[[Page 32883]]
Program guidance as well as application templates may be obtained
at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/socially-disadvantaged-groups-grant or by contacting your State Office. To submit an
electronic application, follow the instructions for the SDGG funding
announcement located at https://www.grants.gov. You are strongly
encouraged to file your application early and allow sufficient time to
manage any technical issues that may arise.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Chestnut, Branch Chief, Program
Management Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United States
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop-3226,
Washington, DC 20250-3226, (202) 720-1400 or by email at:
david.chestnut@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency Name: USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
Funding Opportunity Title: Socially Disadvantaged Groups Grant.
Announcement Type: Initial Notice.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.871.
Dates: Application Deadline. Your electronic application must be
received by https://www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern
Time, by August 9, 2021, or it will not be considered for funding.
The Application Template provides specific, detailed instructions
for each item of a complete application. The Agency emphasizes the
importance of including every item and strongly encourages applicants
to follow the instructions carefully, using the examples and
illustrations in the Application Template. Prior to official submission
of applications, applicants may request technical assistance or other
application guidance from the Agency, as long as such requests are made
prior to July 23, 2021. Agency contact information can be found in
section D (Application and Submission Information) of this document.
Hemp Related Projects: Please note that no assistance or funding
from this grant can be provided to a hemp producer unless they have a
valid license issued from an approved State, Tribal or Federal plan as
per Section 10113 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public
Law 115-334. Verification of valid hemp licenses will occur at the time
of award. The purpose of this program is to provide technical
assistance, so funding for the production of hemp or marketing hemp
production is not eligible.
Persistent Poverty Counties: Section 736 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116-260, designates funding for
projects in persistent poverty counties. Persistent poverty counties as
defined in Section 736 is ``any county that has had 20 percent or more
of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured
by the 1990 and 2000 decennial censuses, and 2007-2011 American
Community Survey 5-year average, or any territory or possession of the
United States''. Another provision in Section 736 expands the eligible
population in persistent poverty counties to include any county seat of
such a persistent poverty county that has a population that does not
exceed the authorized population limit by more than 10 percent. This
provision expands the current 50,000 population limit to 55,000 for
only county seats located in persistent poverty counties. Therefore,
applicants and/or beneficiaries of technical assistance services
located in persistent poverty county seats with populations up to
55,000 (per the 2010 Census) are eligible.
The Agency will not solicit or consider new scoring or eligibility
information that is submitted after the application deadline. The
Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to seek clarification
on materials contained in the submitted application. See the
Application Guide for a full discussion of each item. For requirements
of completed grant applications, refer to Section D (Application and
Submission Information) of this document.
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork
burden associated with this notice has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570-0052.
A. Program Description
The SDGG program is authorized by the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932 (e)(11)), as amended by the Agriculture
Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334. The primary objective of
the SDGG program is to provide technical assistance to socially
disadvantaged groups. Grants are available for cooperative development
centers, individual cooperatives, or groups of cooperatives (i) that
serve socially disadvantaged groups and (ii) of which a majority of the
board of directors or governing board is comprised of individuals who
are members of socially disadvantaged groups.
Definitions
The definitions applicable to this notice are as follows:
Agency--Rural Business-Cooperative Service, an agency of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development or a
successor agency.
Conflict of interest--A situation in which a person or entity has
competing personal, professional, or financial interests that make it
difficult for the person or business to act impartially. Federal
procurement standards prohibit transactions that involve a real or
apparent conflict of interest for owners, employees, officers, agents,
or their immediate family members having a financial or other interest
in the outcome of the project or that restrict open and free
competition for unrestrained trade. Specifically, project funds may not
be used for services or goods going to, or coming from, a person or
entity with a real or apparent conflict of interest, including, but not
limited to, owner(s) and their immediate family members. Examples of
conflicts of interest include using grant funds to pay a member of the
applicant's board of directors to provide proposed technical assistance
to socially disadvantaged groups, paying a cooperative member to
provide proposed technical assistance to other members of the same
cooperative, and paying an immediate family member of the applicant to
provide proposed technical assistance to socially-disadvantaged groups.
Cooperative--A business or organization that is owned and operated
for the benefit of its members, with returns of residual earnings paid
to such members on the basis of patronage. Eligible cooperatives for
the SDGG program are those where a majority of the board of directors
or governing board is comprised of individuals who are members of
socially disadvantaged groups.
Cooperative development center--A nonprofit corporation or
institution of higher education operated by the grantee for cooperative
or business development. An eligible cooperative development center for
the SDGG program is one where a majority of the board of directors or
governing board is comprised of individuals who are members of socially
disadvantaged groups. It may or may not be an independent legal entity
separate from the grantee.
Feasibility study--An analysis of the economic, market, technical,
financial, and management feasibility of a proposed project.
[[Page 32884]]
Group of cooperatives--A group of cooperatives whose primary focus
is to provide assistance to socially disadvantaged groups; each
cooperative must meet the eligibility requirements set forth in the
definition of ``cooperative'' herein. One of the cooperatives must be
designated as the lead entity and have legal authority to contract with
the federal government.
Immediate family(ies)--A group of individuals who live in the same
household or who are closely related by blood, marriage, or adoption,
such as a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, sibling, aunt,
uncle, grandparent, grandchild, niece, nephew, or first cousin.
Operating cost--The day-to-day expenses of running a business; for
example: utilities, rent on the office space a business occupies,
salaries, depreciation, marketing and advertising, and other basic
overhead items.
Participant support costs--Direct costs for items such as stipends
or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees
paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in
connection with conferences or training projects.
Project--Any activities to be funded by the Socially Disadvantaged
Groups Grant.
Rural and rural area--Any area of a state other than (a) a city or
town that has a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants, according
to the latest decennial census of the United States and (b) any
urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town described in
clause (a), and urbanized areas that are rural in character defined by
7 U.S.C.1991(a)(13)(D). For the purposes of this definition, cities and
towns are incorporated population centers with definite boundaries,
local self-government, and legal powers set forth in a charter granted
by the state. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph,
within the areas of the County of Honolulu, Hawaii, and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Secretary may designate any part of
the areas as a rural area if the Secretary determines that the part is
not urban in character, other than any area included in the Honolulu
Census Designated Place or the San Juan Census Designated Place.
Rural Development--A mission area within USDA consisting of the
Office of Under Secretary for Rural Development, Rural Business-
Cooperative Services, Rural Housing Service, and Rural Utilities
Service and any successors.
Socially disadvantaged group--A group whose members have been
subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their
identity as members of a group without regard to their individual
qualities.
State--Includes each of the 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam, American Samoa,
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and, as may be
determined by the Secretary to be feasible, appropriate, and lawful,
the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall
Islands and the Republic of Palau.
Technical assistance--An advisory service performed for the purpose
of assisting cooperatives or groups that want to form cooperatives such
as market research, product and/or service improvement, legal advice
and assistance, feasibility study, business planning, marketing plan
development, and training.
B. Federal Award Information
Type of Award: Competitive Grant.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY2021.
Total Funding: $3,000,000.
Maximum Award: $175,000.
Project Period: 1 year.
Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2021.
C. Eligibility Information
Applicants must meet all the following eligibility requirements.
Applications which fail to meet any of these requirements by the
application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not be
evaluated further.
1. Eligible applicants. Grants may be made to individual
cooperatives, groups of cooperatives, or cooperative development
centers that serve socially disadvantaged groups and of which a
majority of the board of directors or governing board of the applicant
is comprised of individuals who are members of socially disadvantaged
groups. You must be able to verify your legal structure in the state or
the tribe under which you are legally organized or incorporated. Grants
may not be made to public bodies or to individuals. Your application
must demonstrate that you meet all definition requirements for one of
the three eligible applicant types as defined above. Federally
recognized tribes have a government-to-government relationship with the
United States and may have difficulty meeting the definition
requirements. Therefore, it is recommended that they utilize a separate
entity, such as a tribally owned business, tribal authority, tribal
non-profit, tribal college or university to apply for SDGG funding that
would provide technical assistance to members of the tribe. This
separate tribal entity must also demonstrate that it meets all
definition requirements for one of the three eligible applicant types
as defined above.
(a) An applicant is ineligible if it has been debarred or suspended
or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal
assistance programs under Executive Order 12549, ``Debarment and
Suspension.'' The Agency will check the System for Award Management
(SAM) to determine if the applicant has been debarred or suspended at
the time of application and also prior to funding any grant award. In
addition, an applicant will be considered ineligible for a grant due to
an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a Federal Court (other
than U.S. Tax Court), is delinquent on the payment of Federal income
taxes, or is delinquent on Federal debt. The applicant must certify as
part of the application that they do not have an outstanding judgment
against them. The Agency will check the Do Not Pay System to verify
this information at the time of application and also prior to funding
any grant award.
(b) Any corporation or cooperative (i) that has been convicted of a
felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the past 24
months or (ii) that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been
assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been
exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner
pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting
the tax liability, is not eligible for financial assistance provided
with funds appropriated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2021,Public Law 116-260, unless a Federal agency has considered
suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination
that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of
the Government. Certification of compliance with this provision is now
completed during registration or annual recertification in SAM.gov via
the Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations.
2. Cost sharing or matching. No matching funds are required.
3. Other eligibility requirements.
Use of funds: Your application must propose technical assistance
that will benefit other socially disadvantaged groups. Any recipient of
technical assistance must have a membership that consists of a majority
of members from socially disadvantaged groups. Please review section
D(6) (Funding Restrictions) of this notice carefully.
Project eligibility: The proposed project must only serve members
of
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socially disadvantaged groups located in rural areas.
Grant period eligibility: Your application must include a grant
period of one-year or less or it will not be considered for funding.
The proposed time frame should begin no earlier than October 1, 2021
and end no later than December 31, 2022. Applications that request
funds for a time period ending after December 31, 2022, will not be
considered for funding. You should note that the anticipated award date
is September 30, 2021. Projects must be completed by December 31, 2022
or within the 12-months of award funding, whichever is earlier.
The Agency may approve requests to extend the grant period for up
to an additional 12 months at its discretion. However, you may not have
more than one SDGG award during the same grant period. If you extend
the period of performance for your current award, you may be deemed
ineligible to receive a SDGG in the next grant cycle. Further guidance
on grant period extensions will be provided in the award document.
Satisfactory performance eligibility: If you have an existing SDGG
award, you must be performing satisfactorily to be considered eligible
for a new SDGG award. Satisfactory performance includes being up to
date on all financial and performance reports as prescribed in the
grant award and being current on tasks and timeframes for utilizing
grant and matching funds as approved in the work plan and budget. If
you have any unspent grant funds on SDGG awards from projects prior to
September 30, 2019, your application will not be considered for
funding. If your FY 2020 award has unspent funds of 50 percent or more
than what your approved work plan and budget projected at the time of
evaluation of your FY2020 application, your FY 2021 application may not
be considered for funding. The Agency will verify the performance
status of any FY 2020 awards and make a determination after the FY 2021
application period closes.
Completeness eligibility: Your application must provide all the
information requested in section D (2) (Content and form of application
submission) of this notice. Applications lacking sufficient information
to determine eligibility and scoring criteria will be considered
ineligible.
Duplication of current services. Your application must demonstrate
that you are providing services to new customers or new services to
current customers. If your work plan and budget is duplicative of your
existing award, your application will not be considered for funding. If
your work plan and budget is duplicative of a previous or existing
Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) and/or SDGG award, your
application will not be considered for funding.
Multiple grant eligibility: You may only submit one SDGG grant
application each funding cycle. If two applications are submitted
(regardless of the applicant name) that include the same Executive
Director and/or advisory boards or committees of an existing
cooperative or cooperative development center, both applications will
be determined ineligible for funding.
D. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Template
The application template to assist you in applying for this funding
opportunity is located at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/socially-disadvantaged-groups-grant. Use of the application template is
strongly recommended to assist you with the application process. You
may also contact your USDA RD State Office for more information.
Contact information for State Offices is located at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
You must submit your application electronically through Grants.gov.
Your application must contain all required information. To apply
electronically, you must follow the instructions for this funding
announcement at https://www.grants.gov. Please note that we cannot
accept applications through mail or courier delivery, in-person
delivery, email, or fax.
You can locate the Grants.gov downloadable application package for
this program by using a keyword, the program name, or the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program.
When you enter the Grants.gov website, you will find information
about applying electronically through the site, as well as the hours of
operation.
To use Grants.gov, you must already have a DUNS number and you must
also be registered and maintain registration in SAM. We strongly
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to
begin the application process through Grants.gov.
You must submit all application documents electronically through
Grants.gov. Applications must include electronic signatures. Original
signatures may be required if funds are awarded.
After applying electronically through Grants.gov, you will receive
an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov
tracking number.
Your application must also contain the following required forms and
proposal elements:
(a) Standard Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance,''
to include your DUNS number. You must also provide your SAM Commercial
and Government Entity (CAGE) Code and expiration date under the
applicant eligibility discussion in your proposal narrative. If you do
not include the CAGE code and expiration date and the DUNS number in
your application, it will not be considered for funding.
(b) Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs.''
This form must be completed and submitted as part of the application
package. You no longer must complete the Form SF 424B, ``Assurances--
Non- Construction Programs'' as a part of your application. This
information is now collected through your registration or annual
recertification in SAM.gov through the Financial Assistance General
Certifications and Representation.
(c) You must certify that there are no current outstanding Federal
judgments against your property and that you will not use grant funds
to pay for any judgment obtained by the United States. You must also
certify that you are not delinquent on the payment of Federal income
taxes, or any Federal debt. There is no standard form to complete, but
to satisfy the certification requirement, you should include this
statement in your application: ``[INSERT NAME OF APPLICANT] certifies
that the United States has not obtained an unsatisfied judgment against
its property, is not delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes,
or any Federal debt, and will not use grant funds to pay any judgments
obtained by the United States.'' A separate signature is not required.
(d) Table of Contents. Your application must contain a detailed
Table of Contents (TOC). The TOC must include page numbers for each
part of the application. Page numbers should begin immediately
following the TOC.
(e) Executive Summary. A summary of the proposal, not to exceed one
page, must briefly describe the project, tasks to be completed, and
other relevant information that provides a general overview of the
project.
(f) Eligibility Discussion. A detailed discussion, not to exceed
four pages, must describe how you meet the following requirements:
[[Page 32886]]
(1) Applicant Eligibility. You must describe how you meet the
definition of a cooperative, group of cooperatives, or cooperative
development center. Your application must also show that your
individual cooperative, group of cooperatives or cooperative
development center has a majority of its board of directors or
governing board comprised of individuals who are members of socially
disadvantaged groups and that the applicant serves socially
disadvantaged groups. Your application must include a list of your
board of directors/governing board and the percentage of board of
directors/governing board that are members of socially disadvantaged
groups. Note: Your application will not be considered for funding if
you fail to show that a majority of your board of directors/governing
board is comprised of individuals who are members of socially
disadvantaged groups.
You must verify your incorporation and status in the state that you
have applied by providing the state's or Tribe's Certificate of Good
Standing and your Articles of Incorporation. You may also submit your
Bylaws if they provide additional information not included in your
Articles of Incorporation that will help verify your legal status. If
applying as an institution of higher education, documentation verifying
your legal status is not required; however, you must demonstrate that
you qualify as an Institution of Higher Education as defined at 20
U.S.C. 1001. You must apply as only one type of applicant. The
requested verification documents should be included in Appendix A of
your application. If they are not included, your application will not
be considered for funding.
(2) Use of Funds. You must provide a brief discussion on how the
proposed project activities meet the definition of technical assistance
and identify the socially disadvantaged groups that will be assisted.
(3) Project Area. You must provide specific information that
details the location of the Project area and explain how the area meets
the definition of ``rural area.''
(4) Grant Period. You must provide a time frame for the proposed
project and discuss how the project will be completed within that time
frame. Your project must have a time frame of one year or less.
(5) Indirect Costs. Please indicate if you have a negotiated
indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA), and if so, the rate. Your
negotiated indirect cost rate approval does not need to be included in
your application, but you will be required to provide it if a grant is
awarded. Approval for indirect costs that are requested in an
application without an approved indirect cost rate agreement is at the
discretion of the Agency.
(g) Scoring Criteria. Each of the scoring criteria in this notice
must be addressed in narrative form, with a maximum of three pages for
each individual scoring criterion, unless otherwise specified. Failure
to address each scoring criteria will result in the application being
determined ineligible.
(h) The Agency has established annual performance evaluation
measures to evaluate the SDGG program. You must provide estimates on
the following performance evaluation measures as part of your
narrative:
(1) Number of cooperatives assisted; and
(2) Number of socially disadvantaged groups assisted.
3. DUNS Number and SAM
To be eligible (unless you are excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c)
or (d)), you are required to:
(a) Provide a valid DUNS number in your application, which can be
obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line at (866) 705-5711;
(b) Register in SAM before submitting your application. You may
register in SAM at no cost at: https://sam.gov/SAM/ You must provide
your SAM CAGE Code and expiration date in the application materials.
When registering in SAM, you must indicate you are applying for a
Federal financial assistance project or program or are currently the
recipient of funding under any Federal financial assistance project or
program; and
(c) The SAM registration must remain active with current
information at all times while the Agency is considering an application
or while a Federal grant award or loan is active. To maintain the
registration in the SAM database, the applicant must review and update
the information in the SAM database annually from date of initial
registration or from the date of the last update. The applicant must
ensure that the information in the database is current, accurate, and
complete. Applicants must ensure they complete the Financial Assistance
General Certifications and Representations in SAM.
If you have not fully complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM
requirements, the Agency may determine that the applicant is not
qualified to receive a Federal award and the Agency may use that
determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.
Please refer to section F(2) (Administrative and national policy
requirements) for additional submission requirements that apply to
grantees selected for this program.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Application Deadline Date: August 9, 2021.
Explanation of Deadline: Electronic applications must be RECEIVED
and accepted by https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
August 9, 2021, to be eligible for funding. Please review the
Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html for instructions on the process of
registering your organization as soon as possible to ensure you can
meet the electronic application deadline. Grants.gov will not accept
applications submitted after the deadline.
5. Intergovernmental Review
Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs,'' applies to this program. This E.O. requires that Federal
agencies provide opportunities for consultation on proposed assistance
with State and local governments. Many states have established a Single
Point of Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. The Rural
Development State Office where the project is located will provide
compliance guidance to applicants.
6. Funding Restrictions
Grant funds must be used for technical assistance as defined. No
funds made available under this solicitation shall be used to:
(a) Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building or
facility, including a processing facility;
(b) Purchase, rent, or install fixed equipment, including
processing equipment;
(c) Purchase vehicles, including boats;
(d) Pay for the preparation of the grant application;
(e) Pay expenses not directly related to the funded Project;
(f) Fund political or lobbying activities;
(g) Fund any activities considered unallowable by the applicable
grant cost principles, including 2 CFR part 200, subpart E and the
Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 CFR 1);
(h) Fund architectural or engineering design work for a specific
physical facility;
(i) Fund any direct expenses for the production of any commodity or
product to which value will be added, including seed, rootstock, labor
for harvesting the crop, and delivery of the commodity to a processing
facility;
[[Page 32887]]
(j) Fund research and development;
(k) Purchase land;
(l) Duplicate current activities or activities paid for by other
Federal grant programs;
(m) Pay costs of the project incurred prior to the date of grant
approval;
(n) Pay for assistance to any private business enterprise that does
not have at least 51 percent ownership by those who are either citizens
of the United States or reside in the United States after being legally
admitted for permanent residence;
(o) Pay any judgment or debt owed to the United States;
(p) Pay any operating costs of the cooperative, group of
cooperatives, or cooperative development center not directly related to
the project;
(q) Pay expenses for applicant employee training or professional
development not directly related to the project;
(r) Pay for any goods or services from a person or entity who has a
conflict of interest with the grantee; or
(s) Pay for technical assistance provided to a cooperative that
does not have a membership that consists of a majority of members from
socially disadvantaged groups.
In addition, your application will not be considered for funding if
it does any of the following:
(a) Requests more than the maximum grant amount;
(b) Proposes ineligible costs that equal more than 10 percent of
total grant funds requested; or
(c) Proposes participant support costs that equal more than 10
percent of total grant funds requested.
We will consider your application for funding if it includes
ineligible costs of 10 percent or less of total grant funds requested
if it is determined eligible otherwise. However, if your application is
successful, those ineligible costs must be removed and replaced with
eligible costs before the Agency will make the grant award or the
amount of the grant award will be reduced accordingly. If we cannot
determine the percentage of ineligible costs, your application will not
be considered for funding.
7. Other Submission Requirements
(a) Applications will not be accepted if the text is less than an
11-point font. You must submit your application electronically, through
Grants.gov. You must follow the instructions for this funding
announcement at https://www.grants.gov. A password is not required to
access the website.
(b) National Environmental Policy Act. This notice has been
reviewed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, ``Environmental Policies
and Procedures.'' We have determined that an Environmental Impact
Statement is not required because the issuance of regulations and
instructions, as well as amendments to them, describing administrative
and financial procedures for processing, approving, and implementing
the Agency's financial programs is categorically excluded in the
Agency's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulation found at 7
CFR 1970.53(f). We have determined that this notice does not constitute
a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human
environment.
The Agency will review each grant application to determine its
compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant may be asked to provide
additional information or documentation to assist the Agency with this
determination.
(c) Civil Rights Compliance Requirements. All grants made under
this notice are subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as
required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, subpart A) and Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
E. Application Review Information
The State Offices will review applications to determine if they are
eligible for assistance based on requirements in this notice, and other
applicable Federal regulations. If determined eligible, your
application will be scored by a panel of USDA employees in accordance
with the point allocation specified in this notice. A recommendation
will be submitted to the Administrator to fund applications in highest
ranking order. Applications that cannot be fully funded may be offered
partial funding at the Agency's discretion.
1. Scoring Criteria
All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated based on
the following criteria. Evaluators will base scores only on the
information provided or cross-referenced by page number in each
individual evaluation criterion. SDGG is a competitive program, so you
will receive scores based on the quality of your responses. Simply
addressing the criteria will not guarantee higher scores. The total
points possible for the criteria are 105.
(a) Technical Assistance (maximum score of 25 points)--Three-page
limit. A panel of USDA employees will evaluate your application to
determine your ability to assess the needs of and provide effective
technical assistance to socially disadvantaged groups. You must discuss
the:
(1) Needs of the socially disadvantaged groups to be assisted and
explain how those needs were determined,
(2) Proposed technical assistance to be provided to the socially
disadvantaged groups; and
(3) Expected outcomes of the proposed technical assistance,
including how socially disadvantaged groups will benefit from
participating in the project. You will score higher on this criterion
if you provide examples of past projects that demonstrate successful
outcomes in identifying specific needs and providing technical
assistance to socially disadvantaged groups.
(b) Work Plan/Budget (maximum of 25 points)--Six-page limit. Your
work plan must provide specific and detailed descriptions of the tasks
and the key project personnel that will accomplish the project's goals.
The budget will be reviewed for completeness. You must list what tasks
are to be done, when it will be done, who will do it, and how much it
will cost. Reviewers must be able to understand what is being proposed
and how the grant funds will be spent. The budget must be a detailed
breakdown of estimated costs. These costs should be allocated to each
of the tasks to be undertaken.
A panel of USDA employees will evaluate your work plan for detailed
actions and an accompanying timetable for implementing the proposal.
Clear, logical, realistic, and efficient plans that allocate costs to
specific tasks using applicable budget object class categories provided
on the Form SF-424A will result in a higher score. You must discuss at
a minimum:
(1) Specific tasks to be completed using grant funds;
(2) How customers will be identified;
(3) Key personnel and what tasks they are undertaking; and
(4) The evaluation methods to be used to determine the success of
specific tasks and overall project objectives.
Please provide qualitative methods of evaluation. For example,
evaluation methods should go beyond quantitative measurements of
completing surveys or number of evaluations, such as discussion of
evaluation methods per task.
(c) Experience (maximum score of 25 points)--Three-page limit. A
panel of USDA employees will evaluate your experience, commitment, and
availability for identified staff or consultants in providing technical
assistance, as defined in this notice. You must describe the technical
assistance experience for each identified staff member or consultant,
as well as years of experience in providing that
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assistance. You must also discuss the commitment and the availability
of identified staff, consultants, or other professionals to be hired
for the project--especially those who may be consulting on multiple
SDGG/RCDG projects. If staff or consultants have not been selected at
the time of application, you must provide specific descriptions of the
qualifications required for the positions to be filled. In addition,
resumes for each individual staff member or consultant must be included
as an attachment in Appendix B. The attachments will not count toward
the maximum page total. We will compare the described experience in
this section and in the resumes to the work plan to determine relevance
of the experience. Applications that do not include the attached
resumes will not be considered for funding. Applications that
demonstrate strong credentials, education, capabilities, experience,
and availability of project personnel that will contribute to a high
likelihood of project success will receive more points than those that
demonstrate less potential for success in these areas.
Points will be awarded as follows:
(1) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address
the criterion.
(2) 1-9 points will be awarded if qualifications and experience of
some, but not all, staff is addressed and, if necessary, qualifications
of unfilled positions are not provided.
(3) 10-14 points will be awarded if (ii) is met, plus all project
personnel are identified but do not demonstrate qualifications or
experience relevant to the project.
(4) 15-19 will be awarded if (ii) and (iii) are met, plus most, but
not all, key personnel demonstrate strong credentials and/or
experience, and availability indicating a reasonable likelihood of
success.
(5) 20-25 points will be awarded if (ii)-(iv) are met, plus all
personnel demonstrate strong, relevant credentials or experience and
availability indicating a high likelihood of project success.
(d) Commitment (maximum of 10 points)--Three-page limit. A panel of
USDA employees will evaluate your commitment to providing technical
assistance to socially disadvantaged groups in rural areas. You must
list the number and location of socially disadvantaged groups that will
directly benefit from the assistance provided. You must also define and
describe the underserved and economically distressed areas within your
service area and provide current and relevant statistics that support
your description of the service area. Projects located in persistent
poverty counties as defined in Section 736 of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021, Public Law 116-260, will score higher on this
factor.
(e) Local support (maximum of 10 points)--Three-page limit. A panel
of USDA employees will evaluate your application for local support of
the technical assistance activities. Your discussion on local support
should include previous and/or expected local support and plans for
coordinating with other developmental organizations in the proposed
service area or with tribal, State, and local government institutions.
You will score higher if you demonstrate strong support from potential
beneficiaries and other developmental organizations. You may also
submit a maximum of 10 letters of support or intent to coordinate with
the application to verify your discussion.
Points will be awarded as follows:
(1) 0 points are awarded if you do not adequately address this
criterion.
(2) A range of 1-5 points are awarded if you demonstrate support
from potential beneficiaries and other developmental organizations in
your discussion but do not provide letters of support.
(3) Additional 1 point is awarded if you provide 2-3 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(4) Additional 2 points are awarded if you provide 4-5 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(5) Additional 3 points are awarded if you provide 6-7 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(6) Additional 4 points are awarded if you provide 8-9 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(7) Additional 5 points are awarded if you provide 10 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
You may submit a maximum of 10 letters of support. Support letters
should be signed and dated after the notice publication date and come
from potential beneficiaries and other local organizations. Letters
received from Congressional members and technical assistance providers
will not be included in the count of support letters received.
Additionally, identical form letters signed by multiple potential
beneficiaries and/or local organizations will not be included in the
count of support letters received. Support letters should be included
as an attachment to the application in Appendix C and will not count
against the maximum page total. Additional letters from industry
groups, commodity groups, Congressional members, and similar
organizations should be referenced, but not included in the application
package. When referencing these letters, provide the name of the
organization, date of the letter, the nature of the support, and the
name and title of the person signing the letter.
(f) Administrator Discretionary Points (maximum of 10 points)--In
the event two projects have the same score; the Administrator may award
points to the applicant that has not received SDGG funds in the past.
The Administrator may also award points to applications to increase the
geographic diversity of socially disadvantaged groups served by
approved projects.
2. Review and Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed in the State Offices to determine if
they are eligible for assistance based on requirements in this notice,
and other applicable Federal regulations. If determined eligible, your
application will be scored by a panel of USDA employees in accordance
with the point allocation specified in this notice. The review panel
will convene to reach a consensus on the scores for each of the
eligible applications. The Administrator may choose to award up to 10
Administrator priority points based on criterion (f) in section E(1)
(Scoring Criteria) of this notice. These points will be added to the
cumulative score for a total possible score of 105. Applications will
be funded in highest ranking order until the funding limitation has
been reached. Applications that cannot be fully funded may be offered
partial funding at the Agency's discretion. If your application is
ranked and not funded, it will not be carried forward into the next
competition.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notices
If you are selected for funding, you will receive a signed notice
of Federal award by postal or electronic mail, containing instructions
on requirements necessary to proceed with execution and performance of
the award.
If you are not selected for funding, you will be notified in
writing via postal or electronic mail and informed of any review and
appeal rights. Funding of successfully appealed applications will be
limited to available FY 2021 funding.
[[Page 32889]]
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this
program can be found in 2 CFR parts 200, 215, 400, 415, 417, 418, and
421. All recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to
report information about first tier subawards and executive
compensation (See 2 CFR part 170). You will be required to have the
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the Federal
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act reporting requirements (See
2 CFR 170.200(b), unless you are exempt under 2 CFR 170.110(b)).
The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected
for this program:
(a) Execution of an Agency approved Grant Agreement.
(b) Acceptance of a written Letter of Conditions.
(c) Submission of Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of
Funds.''
(d) Submission of Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet
Conditions.''
(e) Assurance Agreement. By signing the Financial Assistance
General Certifications and Representations in SAM, grant recipients
affirm that they will operate the program free from discrimination. The
grant recipients will maintain the race and ethnic data on their board
members and the beneficiaries of the program. The grant recipient will
provide alternative forms of communication to persons with limited
English proficiency. The Agency will conduct civil rights compliance
reviews on grant recipients to identify the collection of racial and
ethnic data on program beneficiaries. In addition, the compliance
review will ensure that equal access to the program benefits and
activities are provided for persons with disabilities and language
barriers.
3. Reporting
After grant approval and through grant completion, you will be
required to provide the following:
(a) An SF-425, ``Federal Financial Report,'' and a project
performance report will be required on a semiannual basis (due 30
calendar days after end of the semiannual period). The project
performance reports shall include a comparison of actual
accomplishments to the objectives established for that period;
(b) A statement providing reasons why established objectives were
not met, if applicable;
(c) A statement providing reasons for any problems, delays, or
adverse conditions, if any, which have affected or will affect
attainment of overall project objectives, prevent meeting time
schedules or objectives, or preclude the attainment of particular
objectives during established time periods (This disclosure shall be
accompanied by a statement of the action taken or planned to resolve
the situation.);
(d) Objectives and timetable established for the next reporting
period;
(e) A final project and financial status report within 90 days
after the expiration or termination of the grant in accordance to 2 CFR
200.344; and
(f) Outcome project performance reports and final deliverables.
G. Agency Contacts
For general questions about this announcement and for program
technical assistance, please contact the appropriate State Office at
https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. You may also contact
the David Chestnut, Branch Chief, Program Management Division, Rural
Business-Cooperative Service, USDA at (202) 720-1400 or by email at
david.chestnut@usda.gov.
H. Non-Discrimination Statement
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital
status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing
deadlines vary by program or incident.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print,
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages
other than English.
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and
at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in
the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a
copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed
form or letter to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410;
(2) Email: OAC@usda.gov.
Mark Brodziski,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-13169 Filed 6-22-21; 8:45 am]
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