Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels, 26241-26245 [2012-10614]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Rural Utilities Service

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 86 (Thursday, May 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26241-26245]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10614]


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 86 / Thursday, May 3, 2012 / 
Notices

[[Page 26241]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funds availability and solicitation of applications.

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SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural 
Utilities Service (RUS) announces its Community Connect Grant Program 
application window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012. In addition, RUS 
announces the minimum and maximum amounts for Community Connect grants 
applicable for the fiscal year. The Community Connect Grant Program 
regulations can be found at 7 CFR 1739, subpart A.

DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or 
electronically according to the following deadlines:
     Paper copies must carry proof of shipping no later than 
June 18, 2012 to be eligible for FY 2012 grant funding. Late 
applications are not eligible for FY 2012 grant funding.
     Electronic copies must be received by June 18, 2012 to be 
eligible for FY 2012 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible 
for FY 2012 grant funding.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain application guides and materials for the 
Community Connect Grant Program via the Internet at the following Web 
site: https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/utp_commconnect.html. You may also 
request application guides and materials from RUS by contacting the 
appropriate individual listed in section VII of the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this notice.
    Submit completed paper applications for grants to the Rural 
Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Ave. SW., Room 2868, STOP 1599, Washington, DC 20250-1599. Applications 
should be marked ``Attention: Director, Broadband Division, Rural 
Utilities Service.''
    Submit electronic grant applications at https://www.grants.gov 
(Grants.gov), following the instructions you find on that Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Kuchno, Director, Broadband 
Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
telephone: (202) 690-4673, fax: (202) 690-4389.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
    Funding Opportunity Title: Community Connect Grant Program.
    Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.863.

DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or 
electronically according to the following deadlines:
     Paper copies must carry proof of shipping no later than 
June 18, 2012, to be eligible for FY 2012 grant funding. Late 
applications are not eligible for FY 2012 grant funding.
     Electronic copies must be received by June 18, 2012, to be 
eligible for FY 2012 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible 
for FY 2012 grant funding.

Items in Supplementary Information

I. Funding Opportunity: Brief introduction to the Community Connect 
Grant Program
II. Award Information: Available funds and minimum and maximum 
amounts
III. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, what kinds of 
projects are eligible, what criteria determine basic eligibility
IV. Application and Submission Information: Where to get application 
materials, what constitutes a completed application, how and where 
to submit applications, deadlines, items that are eligible
V. Application Review Information: Considerations and preferences, 
scoring criteria, review standards, selection information
VI. Award Administration Information: Award notice information, 
award recipient reporting requirements
VII. Agency Contacts: Web, phone, fax, email, contact name

I. Funding Opportunity

    The provision of broadband transmission service is vital to the 
economic development, education, health, and safety of rural Americans. 
The purpose of the Community Connect Grant Program is to provide 
financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible applicants that 
will provide currently unserved areas, on a ``community-oriented 
connectivity'' basis, with broadband service that fosters economic 
growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, and public 
safety services. Rural Utilities Service will give priority to rural 
areas that it believes have the greatest need for broadband services, 
based on the criteria contained herein.
    Grant authority will be used for the deployment of broadband 
service to extremely rural, lower-income communities on a ``community-
oriented connectivity'' basis. The ``community-oriented connectivity'' 
concept will stimulate practical, everyday uses and applications of 
broadband facilities by cultivating the deployment of new broadband 
services that improve economic development and provide enhanced 
educational and health care opportunities in rural areas. Such an 
approach will also give rural communities the opportunity to benefit 
from the advanced technologies that are necessary to achieve these 
goals. Please see 7 CFR 1739, subpart A for specifics.
    This notice has been formatted to conform to a policy directive 
issued by the Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) of the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), published in the Federal 
Register on June 23, 2003. This Notice does not change the Community 
Connect Grant Program regulation (7 CFR 1739, subpart A).

II. Award Information

A. Available Funds

    1. General. The Administrator has determined that the following 
amounts are available for grants in FY 2012 under 7 CFR 1739.2(a).
    2. Grants
    a. $10,372,000 is available for grants. Under 7 CFR 1739.2, the 
Administrator has established a minimum grant amount of $100,000 and a 
maximum grant amount of $1,500,000 for FY 2012.
    b. Assistance instrument: Rural Utilities Service (RUS) will 
execute grant documents appropriate to the project prior to any advance 
of funds with successful applicants.

[[Page 26242]]

B. Community Connect Grants Cannot Be Renewed

    Award documents specify the term of each award. Applications to 
supplement existing projects are welcomed (grant applications must be 
submitted during the application window) and will be evaluated as new 
applications.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Who is eligible for grants? (See 7 CFR 1739.10.)

    1. Only entities legally organized as one of the following are 
eligible for Community Connect Grant Program financial assistance:
    a. An incorporated organization.
    b. An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C. 
450b(b) and (c).
    c. A state or local unit of government.
    d. A cooperative, private corporation or limited liability company 
organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis.
    2. Individuals are not eligible for Community Connect Grant Program 
financial assistance directly.
    3. Applicants must have the legal capacity and authority to own and 
operate the broadband facilities as proposed in its application, to 
enter into contracts and to otherwise comply with applicable federal 
statutes and regulations.
    4. Corporations that have been convicted of a felony (or had an 
officer or agency acting on behalf of the corporation convicted of a 
felony) within the past 24 months are not eligible. Any Corporation 
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.

B. What are the basic eligibility requirements for a project?

    1. Required matching contributions. Please see 7 CFR 1739.14 for 
the requirement. Grant applicants must demonstrate a matching 
contribution, in cash or in kind (new, non-depreciated items), of at 
least fifteen (15) percent of the total amount of financial assistance 
requested. Matching contributions must be used for eligible purposes of 
the Community Connect grant assistance (see 7 CFR 1739.12).
    2. To be eligible for a grant, the Project must (see 7 CFR 
1739.11):
    a. Serve a Rural Area where Broadband Service does not currently 
exist, to be verified by RUS prior to the award of the grant;
    b. Serve one Community recognized in the latest U.S. Census or in 
the absence thereof, the most recent edition of the Rand McNally Atlas 
containing population data;
    c. Deploy Basic Broadband Service, free of all charges for at least 
2 years, to all Critical Community Facilities located within the 
proposed Service Area;
    d. Offer Basic Broadband Service to residential and business 
customers within the proposed Service Area; and
    e. Provide a Community Center with at least ten (10) Computer 
Access Points within the proposed Service Area, and make Broadband 
Transmission Service available therein, free of all charges to users 
for at least 2 years.
    C. See paragraph IV.B of this notice for a discussion of the items 
that make up a completed application. You may also refer to 7 CFR 
1739.15 for completed grant application items.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Clarifications to requirements for FY 2011

    1. Although 7 CFR 1739.3 defines Broadband Service as 200 kilobits/
second both in the downstream and upstream directions, the Agency 
recognizes that these speeds are not adequate to deliver much needed 
benefits such as distance learning and telemedicine to communities that 
are not currently receiving broadband service. Therefore, when the 
applications are scored for the ``community-oriented connectivity 
benefits derived from the proposed services,'' emphasis will be placed 
on the amount of bandwidth that is being delivered to the customer. 
Although the amount of bandwidth is not the only item that will be 
evaluated for this criteria, the bandwidth being provided to enhance 
rural economic development will have a direct impact on the score that 
is assigned. All applicants are encouraged to construct systems that 
are capable of delivering the broadband speeds that are identified in 
the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan, 
available on its Web site.
    2. When determining the points that will be awarded for the 
``community-oriented connectivity'' benefits derived from the proposed 
service, systems that are proposing to deliver more than the minimum 
bandwidth requirements have a greater potential of receiving the 
maximum number of points for this category.
    3. When determining if a community has no existing broadband 
service, applicants are encouraged to refer to the Federal 
Communication Commission's National Broadband Map, also available on 
its Web site. Note that wireless services meeting the definition of 
broadband service will disqualify an area from being eligible to 
receive funding under this program.
    4. RUS clarifies that the definition of ``Critical Community 
Facilities'' includes the mandatory Community Center.
    5. For all funding commitments, including matching funds, evidence 
must be submitted demonstrating that funding has been obtained and that 
the entity providing this funding has the resources to fulfill the 
commitment. If the appropriate funding commitments are not included in 
the application, the application will be deemed ineligible for 
consideration. This evidence must:
    a. Clearly state the name of the entity that is making the 
commitment;
    b. Include the amount of the commitment and evidence that the 
entity making the commitment has the necessary resources; and
    c. State the purpose of commitment.
    6. RUS clarifies that in order to qualify as eligible grant costs 
or matching fund contributions, operating expenses incurred in 
providing Broadband Service to Critical Community Facilities for the 
first 2 years of operation and in providing training and instruction 
must be for the following purposes subject to the specified maximum 
amounts:
    a. Salary for operations manager, not to exceed $30,000 per year.
    b. Salary for technical support staff, not to exceed $30,000 per 
year.
    c. Salary for community center staff, once operational, not to 
exceed $25,000 per year.
    d. Bandwidth expenses, once operational, not to exceed $25,000 per 
year.
    e. Training courses on the use of the Internet, not to exceed 
$15,000 per year.
    The operating costs to be funded by the grant or from matching 
contributions cannot exceed in the aggregate $250,000. No other 
operating expenses than those listed above are eligible for grant 
funding or to be considered as matching funds. The period for expenses 
to be considered eligible for grant funding or to be used as an in-kind 
match is three years from the date the Administrator signs the award 
documents.
    7. Community means any incorporated or unincorporated town, 
village, or borough located in a Rural Area, that is recognized in the 
latest decennial census as published by the Bureau of the Census or, in 
the absence thereof, in the most recent edition of a

[[Page 26243]]

Rand McNally Atlas containing population data.
    8. RUS clarifies that the economic need of the applicant's service 
territory will be based on the median household income (MHI) for the 
Community serviced and the state in which the Community is located, as 
determined by the decennial census for the year 2000 of the U.S. Bureau 
of the Census. If the community was qualified using the Rand McNally 
Atlas, the applicant must use the MHI, contained in the 2000 decennial 
census, of the county in which the Community resides as the Community 
MHI.

B. Where To Get Application Information

    The application guide which contains forms and samples, and the 
Community Connect Grant Program regulation are available from these 
sources:
    1. The Internet: https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/utp_commconnect.htm.
    2. The RUS Broadband Division, for paper copies of these materials 
call (202) 690-4673.
    You may file an application in either paper or electronic format. 
Whether you file a paper or an electronic application, you will need a 
DUNS number.
1. DUNS Number
    As required by the OMB, all applicants for grants must supply a Dun 
and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when 
applying. The Standard Form 424 (SF-424) contains a field for you to 
use when supplying your DUNS number. Obtaining a DUNS number costs 
nothing and requires a short telephone call to Dun and Bradstreet. 
Please see https://www.grants.gov/applicants/request_duns_number.jsp 
for more information on how to obtain a DUNS number or how to verify 
your organization's number. For electronic applications, you must file 
an electronic application at the Web site: https://www.grants.gov. You 
must be registered with Grants.gov before you can submit a grant 
application. If you have not used Grants.gov before, you will need to 
register with the CCR and the Credential Provider. You will need a DUNS 
number to access or register at any of the services.
2. Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
    (a) In accordance with 2 CFR part 25, applicants, whether applying 
electronically or by paper, must be registered in the CCR prior to 
submitting an application. Applicants may register for the CCR at 
https://www.uscontractorregistration.com/ or by calling 1-877-252-2700. 
Completing the CCR registration process takes up to five business days, 
and applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the process well in 
advance of the deadline specified in this notice.
    (b) The CCR registration must remain active, with current 
information, at all times during which an entity has an application 
under consideration by an agency or has an active Federal Award. To 
remain registered in the CCR database after the initial registration, 
the applicant is required to review and update, on an annual basis from 
the date of initial registration or subsequent updates, its information 
in the CCR database to ensure it is current, accurate and complete.

C. What constitutes a completed application?

    1. Detailed information on each item required can be found in the 
Community Connect Grant Program regulation and the Community Connect 
Grant Program application guide, available at the internet link above. 
Applicants are strongly encouraged to read and apply both the 
regulation and the application guide. This Notice does not change the 
requirements for a completed application as specified in the Community 
Connect Grant Program regulation. The Community Connect Grant Program 
regulation and the application guide provide more specific guidance 
than contained in this NOFA and the application guide provides all 
necessary forms and sample worksheets.
    2. Applications should be prepared in conformance with the 
provisions in 7 CFR 1739, subpart A, applicable USDA regulations 
including 7 CFR parts 3015, 3016, and 3019, and the application guide, 
which contains instructions and all necessary forms. Completed 
applications must include the following:
    a. An Application for Federal Assistance. A completed Standard Form 
424 (SF-424).
    b. An executive summary of the Project. The applicant must provide 
RUS with a general project overview.
    c. Scoring criteria documentation. Each grant applicant must 
address and provide documentation on how it meets each of the scoring 
criteria detailed 7 CFR 1739.17.
    d. System design. The applicant must submit a system design, 
including narrative specifics of the proposal, associated costs, maps, 
engineering design studies, technical specifications and system 
capabilities, and any other information necessary to the system design.
    e. Scope of work. The scope of work must include specific 
activities and services to be performed under the proposal, who will 
carry out the activities and services, specific time-frames for 
completion, and a budget for all capital and administrative 
expenditures reflecting the line item costs for all grant purposes, the 
matching contribution, and other sources of funds necessary to complete 
the project.
    f. Community-Oriented Connectivity Plan. The applicant must provide 
a detailed Community-Oriented Connectivity Plan.
    g. Financial information and sustainability. The applicant must 
provide financial statements and information, and a narrative 
description demonstrating the sustainability of the Project.
    h. A statement of experience. The applicant must provide a written 
narrative demonstrating its capability and experience, if any, in 
operating a broadband telecommunications system.
    i. Evidence of legal authority and existence. The applicant must 
provide evidence of its legal existence and authority to enter into a 
grant agreement with RUS and to perform the activities proposed under 
the grant application.
    j. Funding commitment from other sources. If the Project requires 
additional funding from other sources in addition to the RUS grant, the 
applicant must provide evidence that funding agreements have been 
obtained to ensure completion of the Project, as outlined in Section 
IVA.5.
    k. Compliance with other federal statutes. The applicant must 
provide evidence of, or certify compliance with, other federal statutes 
and regulations, including, but not limited to the following:
    (i) 7 CFR part 15, subpart A--Nondiscrimination in Federally 
Assisted Programs of the Department of Agriculture--Effectuation of 
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
    (ii) 7 CFR part 3015--Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations.
    (iii) 7 CFR part 3017--Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 
(Non-procurement).
    (iv) 7 CFR part 3018--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
    (v) 7 CFR part 3021--Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Financial Assistance).
    (vi) Certification regarding Architectural Barriers.
    (vii) Certification regarding Flood Hazard Precautions.
    (viii) An environmental report, in accordance with 7 CFR 1794.
    (ix) Certification that grant funds will not be used to duplicate 
lines, facilities,

[[Page 26244]]

or systems providing Broadband Transmission Service.
    (x) Federal Obligation Certification on Delinquent Debt.

D. How many copies of an application are required?

    1. Applications submitted on paper: Submit an original application 
and two (2) copies to Rural Development.
    2. Electronically submitted applications: The additional paper 
copies are not necessary if you submit the application electronically 
through Grants.gov.

E. How and Where To Submit an Application

    Grant applications may be submitted on paper or electronically.
1. Submitting Applications on Paper
    a. Address paper applications to the Rural Utilities Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 2868, STOP 
1599, Washington, DC 20250-1599. Applications should be marked 
``Attention: Director, Broadband Division, Rural Utilities Service.''
    b. Paper applications must show proof of mailing or shipping 
consisting of one of the following:
    (i) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark;
    (ii) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
USPS; or
    (iii) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier.
    c. Due to screening procedures at the Department of Agriculture, 
packages arriving via the USPS are irradiated, which can damage the 
contents. RUS encourages applicants to consider the impact of this 
procedure in selecting their application delivery method.
2. Electronically Submitted Applications
    (a) Applicant may file an electronic application at https://www.grants.gov. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine 
transmission or electronic mail. Grants.gov contains full instructions 
on all required passwords, credentialing, and software. Follow the 
instructions at Grants.gov for registering and submitting an electronic 
application. If a system problem or technical difficulty occurs with an 
electronic application, please use the customer support resources 
available at the Grants.gov Web site.
    (b) First time Grants.gov users should go to the ``Get Started'' 
tab on the Grants.gov site and carefully read and follow the steps 
listed. These steps need to be initiated early in the application 
process to avoid delays in submitting your application online.
    (c) Registering with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR), will 
take some time to complete, so keep that in mind when beginning the 
application process. In order to register with the CCR, your 
organization will need a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number.

F. Deadlines

    1. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or 
sent overnight no later than June 7, 2012 to be eligible for FY 2012 
grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2012 grant 
funding.
    2. Electronic grant applications must be received by June 18, 2012 
to be eligible for FY 2012 funding. Late applications are not eligible 
for FY 2012 grant funding.

F. Funding Restrictions

    1. Eligible grant purposes. Grant funds may be used to finance:
    a. The construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, 
including spectrum, to deploy Broadband Transmission Service to all 
participating Critical Community Facilities and all required facilities 
needed to offer such service to residential and business customers 
located within the proposed Service Area;
    b. The improvement, expansion, construction, or acquisition of a 
Community Center that furnishes free access to Broadband Transmission 
Service, provided that the Community Center is open and accessible to 
all area residents before, during, and after normal working hours and 
on Saturday or Sunday. Grant funds provided for such costs shall not 
exceed the lesser of five percent (5%) of the grant amount requested or 
$100,000;
    c. End-User Equipment needed to carry out the Project;
    d. Operating expenses incurred in providing Broadband Transmission 
Service to Critical Community Facilities for the first 2 years of 
operation and in providing training and instruction, as outlined in 
Section IV.A.6; and
    e. The purchase of land, buildings, or building construction needed 
to carry out the Project.
2. Ineligible Grant Purposes
    a. Grant funds may not be used to finance the duplication of any 
existing Broadband Transmission Service provided by another entity.
    b. Facilities financed with grant funds cannot be utilized, in any 
way, to provide local exchange telecommunications service to any person 
or entity already receiving such service.
    3. Please see 7 CFR 1739.3 for definitions, 7 CFR 1739.12 for 
eligible grant purposes, and 7 CFR 1739.13 for ineligible grant 
purposes.

V. Application Review Information

A. Criteria

    1. Grant applications are scored competitively and subject to the 
criteria listed below.
    2. Grant application scoring criteria (total possible points: 100) 
See 7 CFR 1739.17 for the items that will be reviewed during scoring 
and for scoring criteria.
    a. The rurality of the Project (up to 40 points);
    b. The economic need of the Project's Service Area (up to 30 
points); and
    c. The ``community-oriented connectivity'' benefits derived from 
the proposed service (up to 30 points).

B. Review Standards

    1. All applications for grants must be delivered to RUS at the 
address and by the date specified in this notice (see also 7 CFR 
1739.2) to be eligible for funding. RUS will review each application 
for conformance with the provisions of this part. RUS may contact the 
applicant for additional information or clarification.
    2. Incomplete applications as of the deadline for submission will 
not be considered. If an application is determined to be incomplete, 
the applicant will be notified in writing and the application will be 
returned with no further action.
    3. Applications conforming with this part will then be evaluated 
competitively by a panel of RUS employees selected by the Administrator 
of RUS, and will be awarded points as described in the scoring criteria 
in 7 CFR 1739.17. Applications will be ranked and grants awarded in 
rank order until all grant funds are expended.
    4. Regardless of the score an application receives, if RUS 
determines that the Project is technically or financially infeasible, 
RUS will notify the applicant, in writing, and the application will be 
returned with no further action.

C. Selection Process

    Grant applications are ranked by final score. RUS selects 
applications based on those rankings, subject to the availability of 
funds.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    RUS recognizes that each funded project is unique, and therefore 
may attach conditions to a specific project in

[[Page 26245]]

the award documents. RUS generally notifies applicants whose projects 
are selected for awards by faxing an award letter. RUS follows the 
award letter with a grant agreement that contains all the terms and 
conditions of the grant. The applicant must execute and return the 
grant agreement, accompanied by any additional items required by the 
grant agreement.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    The items listed in paragraph IV.B.2.k of this notice, and the 
Community Connect Grant Program regulation, application guide, and 
accompanying materials implement the appropriate administrative and 
national policy requirements.

C. Reporting

    1. Performance reporting. All recipients of Community Connect Grant 
Program financial assistance must provide annual performance activity 
reports to RUS until the project is complete and the funds are 
expended. A final performance report is also required; the final report 
may serve as the last annual report. The final report must include an 
evaluation of the success of the project. See 7 CFR 1739.19.
    2. Financial reporting. All recipients of Community Connect Grant 
Program financial assistance must provide an annual audit, beginning 
with the first year a portion of the financial assistance is expended. 
Audits are governed by United States Department of Agriculture audit 
regulations. Please see 7 CFR 1739.20.
    a. Grantees expending $500,000 or more Federal funds per fiscal 
year will submit an audit conducted in accordance with OMB Circular A-
133. The audit will be submitted within 9 months after the grantee's 
fiscal year. Additional audits may be required if the project period 
covers more than one fiscal year.
    b. Grantees expending less than $500,000 will provide annual 
financial statements covering the grant period, consisting of the 
organization's statement of income and expense and balance sheet signed 
by an appropriate official of the organization. Financial statements 
will be submitted within 90 days after the grantee's fiscal year.
    3. Recipient and Subrecipient Reporting. The applicant must have 
the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the 
reporting requirements for first-tier-sub-awards and executive 
compensation under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency 
Act of 2006 in the event the applicant receives funding unless such 
applicant is exempt from such reporting requirements pursuant to 2 CFR 
part 170 Section 170.110(b). The reporting requirements under the 
Transparency Act pursuant to 2 CFR part 170 are as follows:
    a. First Tier SubAwards of $25,000 or more in non-Recovery Act 
funds (unless they are exempt under 2 CFR part 170) must be reported by 
the Recipient to https://www.fsrs.gov report no later than the end of 
the month following the month the obligation was made.
    b. The Total Compensation of the Recipient's Executives (5 most 
highly compensated executives) must be reported by the Recipient (if 
the Recipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR part 170) to https://www.ccr.gov by the end of the month following the month in which the 
award was made.
    c. The Total Compensation of Subrecipient Executives (5 most highly 
compensated executives) must be reported by the Subrecipient (if the 
Subrecipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR part 170) to the Recipient 
by the end of the month following the month in which the subaward was 
made.

VII. Agency Contacts

    A. Web site: https://www.usda.gov/rus/commconnect.htm. This Web site 
maintains up-to-date resources and contact information for the 
Community Connect Grant Program.
    B. Phone: 202-690-4673.
    C. Fax: 202-690-4389.
    D. Main point of contact: Kenneth Kuchno, Director, Broadband 
Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    Dated: April 13, 2012.
Jonathan Adelstein,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-10614 Filed 5-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P