[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 123 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38111-38119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13736]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
[DOCLET #: RBS-20-CO-OP-2020]
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) 2020 funding for
applications for the Socially-Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG)
program. The program funding level for FY2020 is a total of $3.0
million. Detailed information can be found on the SDGG website located
at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/socially-disadvantaged-groups-grant. Expenses incurred in developing applications are the
responsibility of the applicant.
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.
DATES: Completed applications for grants must be submitted
electronically by no later than midnight Eastern Time August 10, 2020,
through http://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. Late
applications 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: http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.
Program guidance as well as application templates may be obtained
at http://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 http://www.grants.gov. 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. 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,
Room 4204-South, Washington, DC 20250-3226, (202) 692-5233 or email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Preface
The Agency encourages applications that will support
recommendations made in the Rural Prosperity Task Force report to help
improve life in rural America. https://www.usda.gov/topics/rural/rural-prosperity. Applicants are
[[Page 38112]]
encouraged to consider projects that provide measurable results in
helping rural communities build robust and sustainable economies
through strategic investments in infrastructure, partnerships and
innovation. Key strategies include:
Achieving e-Connectivity for rural America
Developing the Rural Economy
Harnessing Technological Innovation
Supporting a Rural Workforce
Improving Quality of Life
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 http://www.grants.gov no later than midnight Eastern Time,
by August 10, 2020, 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 27, 2020. Agency contact information can be found in
Section D of this document.
Hemp Related Projects
Hemp related projects: Please note that no assistance or funding
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.
Persistent Poverty Counties
The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94),
SEC. 740 designates funding for projects in Persistent Poverty
counties. Persistent Poverty counties as defined in SEC. 740 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 SEC. 740 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.
COVID-19 Administrative Relief Exceptions: The Agency reviewed the
Office of Budget and Management's (OMB) M-20-26 memorandum ``Extension
of Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal
Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-
19) due to Loss of Operations'' and has made every attempt to reduce
administrative burden within our authority. Any reduction in burden
will be discussed within the requirement.
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 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 section 310B (e)(11) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932 (e)(11)) as
amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 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 that serve Socially-Disadvantaged Groups and where a
majority of their board of directors or governing board is comprised of
individuals who are members of Socially-Disadvantaged Groups.
Definitions
The definitions you need to understand 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; pay a cooperative member to provide
proposed Technical Assistance to other members of the same cooperative;
and pay an immediate family member of the applicant to provide proposed
Technical Assistance to Socially-Disadvantaged Groups.
Cooperative--A business or organization owned by and operated for
the benefit of those using its services and where a majority of the
board of directors or governing board is comprised of individuals who
are members of Socially-Disadvantaged Groups. Profits and earnings
generated by the cooperative are distributed among the members, also
known as user-owners.
Cooperative Development Center--A nonprofit corporation or
institution of higher education operated by the grantee for cooperative
or business development and 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.
Group of Cooperatives--A group of Cooperatives whose primary focus
is to provide assistance to Socially-
[[Page 38113]]
Disadvantaged Groups and where a majority of the board of directors or
governing board is comprised of individuals who are members of
Socially-Disadvantaged Groups. One of the Cooperatives must be
designated as the lead entity and have legal authority to contract with
the Federal Government.
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--Includes all activities to be funded by the Socially-
Disadvantaged Groups Grant.
Rural and Rural Area--Any area of a State:
(1) Not in 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
(2) The contiguous and adjacent urbanized area,
(3) Urbanized areas that are rural in character as defined by 7
U.S.C. 1991 (a) (13).
(4) 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 (CDP) or the San Juan CDP.
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: FY2020.
Total Funding: $3,000,000.
Maximum Award: $175,000.
Project Period: 1 year.
Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2020.
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, and Cooperative Development
Centers that serve Socially-Disadvantaged Groups and where a majority
of the board of directors or governing board 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 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 under Program Description. 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 they have 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. 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.
(b) Any corporation (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 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub.
L. 116-94), 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. Note: Corporations no longer must complete the Form AD
3030, ``Representation Regarding Felony Corporations and Tax Delinquent
Status for Corporate Applicants'' as a part of the application. This
information is now collected through registration or annual
recertification in SAM.gov via the Financial Assistance General
Certifications and Representations. Institutions of Higher Education
are not required to submit this form.
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 Socially-Disadvantaged Groups. Cooperatives that are
recipients of Technical Assistance must have a membership that consists
of a majority of members from Socially-Disadvantaged Groups. Please
review section D (6) of this Notice, ``Funding Restrictions,''
carefully.
Project Eligibility: The proposed Project must only serve members
of
[[Page 38114]]
Socially-Disadvantaged Groups 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, 2020
and end no later than December 31, 2021. Applications that request
funds for a time period ending after December 31, 2021, will not be
considered for funding. You should note that the anticipated award date
is September 30, 2020. Projects must be completed within the 12-months
or less time frame.
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 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. The
Agency understands that fiscal year 2019 recipients may have had loss
of operations due to COVID-19 and will work with them to determine an
acceptable grant period if they are awarded in fiscal year 2020 in
accordance with OMB Memoranda M-20-26 and 2 CFR 200.308.
Satisfactory performance eligibility: You must be performing
satisfactorily on any outstanding SDGG award to be considered eligible
for a new award. Satisfactory performance includes being up-to-date on
all financial and performance reports as prescribed in the grant award,
and 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 prior to FY 2019, your application will not
be considered for funding. If your FY 2019 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 FY 2020 application, your
FY 2020 application may not be considered for funding. The Agency will
verify the performance status of FY 2019 awards and make a
determination after the FY 2020 application period closes. The Agency
understands that fiscal year 2019 recipients may have had a loss of
operations due to COVID-19 and will consider providing flexibility in
terms of fund utilization on FY 19 awards with acceptable justification
of delays resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with OMB
Memorandum M-20-26 and 2 CFR 200.343.
Completeness Eligibility: Your application must provide all the
information requested in Section D (2) of this Notice. Applications
lacking sufficient information to determine eligibility and scoring
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. Please note that the
Agency only allows one active award to ensure that there is no
duplication of services. The Agency will work with FY 2019 recipients
who request an extension of their FY 2019 award due to COVID-19 loss of
operations to determine an acceptable grant period if they are awarded
in fiscal year 2020 in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-20-26 and 2 CFR
200.343. Thus, requesting an extension on a FY 2019 award is not cause
for deeming a FY 2020 application ineligible.
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. Address To Request Application Package
The application template to assist you in applying for this funding
opportunity is located at http://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 http://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 http://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 (see paragraph (a)
below for more on flexibility).
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. In accordance
with OMB Memoranda M-20-26, the Agency can accept an application
without an active SAM registration. However, the registration must be
completed before an award is made. Current registrants in SAM with
active registrations expiring before May 16, 2020 will be afforded a
one-time extension of 60 days.
(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
[[Page 38115]]
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:
(1) Applicant Eligibility. You must describe how you meet the
definition of a Cooperative, Group of Cooperatives, or Cooperative
Development Center. Your application must show that your individual
Cooperative, Group of Cooperatives or Cooperative Development Center
serves Socially-Disadvantaged Groups and a majority of the board of
directors or governing board is comprised of individuals who are
members of 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. You 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:
Number of cooperatives assisted; and
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://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.
You must provide your SAM CAGE Code and expiration date. 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. In
accordance with OMB Memoranda M-20-26, the Agency can accept an
application without an active SAM registration. However, the
registration must be completed before an award is made. Current
registrants in SAM with active registrations expiring before May 16,
2020 will be afforded a one-time extension of 60 days. Please refer to
Section F. 2 for additional submission requirements that apply to
grantees selected for this program.
4. Submission Dates and Times
Application Deadline Date: August 10, 2020.
Explanation of Deadline:
Electronic applications must be RECEIVED by http://www.grants.gov
by midnight Eastern Time August 10, 2020, 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.
[[Page 38116]]
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. For a list of
States that maintain a SPOC, please see the White House website:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SPOC-Feb.-2018.pdf. If your State has a SPOC, you may submit a copy of the
application directly for review. Any comments obtained through the SPOC
must be provided to your State Office for consideration as part of your
application. If your State has not established a SPOC, or if you do not
want to submit a copy of the application, our State Offices will submit
your application to the SPOC or other appropriate agency or agencies.
6. Funding Restrictions
Grant funds must be used for Technical Assistance. 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;
(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;
(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 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:
Requests more than the maximum grant amount;
Proposes ineligible costs that equal more than 10 percent
of total grant funds requested; or
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 can find State Office contact information at: http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. You must follow the
instructions for this funding announcement at http://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,
[[Page 38117]]
(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.
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:
(i) Specific tasks to be completed using grant funds;
(ii) How customers will be identified;
(iii) Key personnel and what tasks they are undertaking, and
(iv) 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 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:
(i) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address
the criterion.
(ii) 1-9 points will be awarded if qualifications and experience of
some, but not all, staff is addressed and/or if necessary
qualifications of unfilled positions are not provided.
(iii) 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.
(iv) 15-19 points 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.
(v) 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 SEC. 740 of Further Consolidated
Appropriations Act 2020, Public Law 116-94, 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:
(i) 0 points are awarded if you do not adequately address this
criterion.
(ii) 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.
(iii) Additional 1 point is awarded if you provide 2-3 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(iv) Additional 2 points are awarded if you provide 4-5 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(v) Additional 3 points are awarded if you provide 6-7 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(vi) Additional 4 points are awarded if you provide 8-9 support
letters that show support from potential beneficiaries and/or support
from local organizations.
(vii) 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
[[Page 38118]]
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)--
Three-page limit. The Administrator may choose to award up to 10 points
to an eligible applicant who has never previously been awarded an SDGG
grant; and whose workplan and budget seeks to help rural communities
build robust and sustainable economies through strategic investments in
infrastructure, partnerships and innovation. These points are not
guaranteed if requested. Eligible applicants who want to be considered
for discretionary points must discuss how their workplan and budget
supports one or more of the five following key strategies:
Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural America;
Improving Quality of Life;
Supporting a Rural Workforce;
Harnessing Technological Innovation; and
Economic Development.
2. Review and Selection Process
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. 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. 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 2020 funding.
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:
Execution of an Agency approved Grant Agreement.
Acceptance of a written Letter of Conditions.
Submission of Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of
Funds.''
Submission of Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet
Conditions.''
SF LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' if
applicable.
You no longer must complete the following forms for acceptance of a
Federal award. This information is now collected through your
registration or annual recertification in SAM.gov in the Financial
Assistance General Certifications and Representations section:
[cir] Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.''
Form AD-1047, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters-Primary Covered
Transactions.''
Form AD-1048, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered
Transactions.''
Form AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding a Drug-Free
Workplace Requirement (Grants).''
Form AD-3031, ``Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or
Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.''
3. Reporting
After grant approval and through grant completion, you will be
required to provide the following:
a. A SF-425, ``Federal Financial Report,'' and a project
performance report will be required on a semiannual basis (due 30
working 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. Reasons why established objectives were not met, if applicable;
c. 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; and
d. Objectives and timetable established for the next reporting
period.
e. Provide a final project and financial status report within 90
days after the expiration or termination of the grant in accordance to
2 CFR 200.343.
f. Provide 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
http://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) 692-5233 or email
[email protected].
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
[[Page 38119]]
(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 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) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: [email protected].
Mark Brodziski,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-13736 Filed 6-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P