Inviting Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program Applications for Grants To Provide Technical Assistance for Rural Transportation Systems, 40092-40095 [2013-16079]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 128 / Wednesday, July 3, 2013 / Notices
Palmer, AK 99645–6539, (907) 761–
7705/TDD (907) 761–8905.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Arizona
Inviting Rural Business Enterprise
Grant Program Applications for Grants
To Provide Technical Assistance for
Rural Transportation Systems
USDA Rural Development State Office,
230 N 1st Ave., Suite 206, Phoenix,
AZ 85003–1706, (602) 280–8701/TDD
(602) 280–8705.
Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
Arkansas
AGENCY:
The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBS), an Agency
within the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development
mission area, announces the availability
of three individual grants: two single
grants not to exceed $929,111 together
from the rural transportation funds
appropriated for the Rural Business
Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program and
another single $232,278 grant for
Federally Recognized Native American
Tribes’ (FRNATs) (collectively
‘‘Programs’’) from funds appropriated
for the RBEG program. RBS will
administer these awards under the
RBEG program and 7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(2)
for fiscal year (FY) 2013. Each grant is
to be competitively awarded to an
eligible applicant which is a qualified
national non-profit organization. Two
grants are for the provision of technical
assistance to rural transportation (RT)
projects and the other grant will be for
the provision of technical assistance to
RT projects operated by FRNAT’s only.
All applicants are responsible for any
expenses incurred in developing their
applications.
SUMMARY:
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, 700 West Capitol
Avenue, Room 3416, Little Rock, AR
72201–3225, (501) 301–3200/TDD
(501) 301–3279.
California
USDA Rural Development State Office,
430 G Street, Agency #4169, Davis,
CA 95616–4169, (530) 792–5800/TDD
(530) 792–5848.
Colorado
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Denver Federal Center, Building 56,
Room 2300, P.O. Box 25426, Denver,
CO 80225–0426, (720) 544–2903/TDD
(800) 659–3656.
Delaware-Maryland
USDA Rural Development State Office,
1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200,
Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857–3580/
TDD (302) 857–3585.
Florida/Virgin Islands
USDA Rural Development State Office,
4440 NW 25th Place, P.O. Box
147010, Gainesville, FL 32614–7010,
(352) 338–3402/TDD (352) 338–3499.
Georgia
The deadline for receipt of
applications in the USDA Rural
Development State Office is no later
than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on
September 3, 2013. Applications
received at a USDA Rural Development
State Office after that date will not be
considered for FY 2013 funding.
ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for
assistance should contact the
appropriate USDA Rural Development
State Office to receive copies of the
application package. A list of the USDA
Rural Development State Offices
addresses and telephone numbers are as
follows:
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Stephens Federal Building, 355 E.
Hancock Avenue, Stop 300, Athens,
GA 30601–2768, (706) 546–2162/TDD
(706) 546–2034.
Alabama
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Sterling Centre, Suite 601, 4121
Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL
36106–3683, (334) 279–3400/TDD
(334) 279–3495.
USDA Rural Development State Office,
9173 West Barnes Dr., Suite A1,
Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378–5600/TDD
(208) 378–5644.
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DATES:
Alaska
USDA Rural Development State Office,
800 West Evergreen, Suite 201,
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Hawaii/Guam/American Samoa/
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands/, Republic of Palau/Federated
States of Micronesia/, Republic of the
Marshall Islands, USDA Rural
Development State Office, Federal
Building, Room 311, 154 Waianuenue
Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933–
8380/TDD (808) 933–8321.
Idaho
Illinois
USDA Rural Development State Office,
2118 West Park Court, Suite A,
Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 403–
6200/TDD (217) 403–6240.
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Indiana
USDA Rural Development State Office,
5975 Lakeside Boulevard,
Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290–
3100 ext. 4/TDD (317) 290–3343.
Iowa
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, Room 873, 210
Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309,
(515) 284–4663/TDD (515) 284–4858.
Kansas
USDA Rural Development State Office,
1303 SW First American Place, Suite
100, Topeka, KS 66604–4040, (785)
271–2700/TDD (785) 271–2767.
Kentucky
USDA Rural Development State Office,
771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200,
Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224–7300/
TDD (859) 224–7422.
Louisiana
USDA Rural Development State Office,
3727 Government Street, Alexandria,
LA 71302, (318) 473–7921/TDD (318)
473–7655.
Maine
USDA Rural Development State Office,
967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, P.O. Box
405, Bangor, ME 04402–0405, (207)
990–9160/TDD (207) 942–7331.
Massachusetts/Rhode Island/
Connecticut
USDA Rural Development State Office,
451 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002–
2999, (413) 253–4300/TDD (413) 253–
4590.
Michigan
USDA Rural Development State Office,
3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East
Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324–5190/
TDD (517) 324–5169.
Minnesota
USDA Rural Development State Office,
375 Jackson Street, Suite 410, St. Paul,
MN 55101–1853, (651) 602–7800/TDD
(651) 602–3799.
Mississippi
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, Ste 831, 100 West
Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269,
(601) 965–4316/TDD (601) 965–5850.
Missouri
USDA Rural Development State Office,
601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade
Ctr., Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203,
(573) 876–0976/TDD (573) 876–9480.
Montana
USDA Rural Development State Office,
2229 Boot Hill Court, P.O. Box 850,
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Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 585–2530/
TDD (406) 585–2562.
Harrisburg, PA 17110–2996, (717)
237–2299/TDD (717) 237–2261.
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Wisconsin
Nebraska
Puerto Rico
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, Rom 152, 100
Centennial Mall N., Lincoln, NE
68508, (402) 437–5551/TDD (402)
437–5093.
USDA Rural Development State Office,
IBM Building, Ste 601, 654 Munoz
Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00936–
6106, (787) 766–5095/TDD (787) 766–
5332.
USDA Rural Development State Office,
5417 Clem’s Way, Stevens Point, WI
54482, (715) 345–7671/TDD (715)
345–7614.
Wyoming
Nevada
South Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office,
1390 South Curry Street, Carson City,
NV 89703–9910, (775) 887–1222/TDD
(775) 885–0633.
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Strom Thurmond Federal Building,
1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007,
Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 765–5163/
TDD (803) 765–5697.
USDA Rural Development State Office,
100 East B Street, Room 1005, P.O.
Box 11005, Casper, WY 82601, (307)
233–6700/TDD (307) 233–6733.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Please contact the USDA Rural
Development State Office provided in
the ADDRESSES section of this Notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
South Dakota
Overview
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, Room 210, 200 4th
Street, SW, Huron, SD 57350, (605)
352–1100/TDD (605) 352–1147.
Federal Agency: Rural BusinessCooperative Service.
Solicitation Opportunity Title: Rural
Business Enterprise Grants.
Announcement Type: Initial
Solicitation Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 10.769.
Dates: Application Deadline:
Completed applications must be
received in the USDA Rural
Development State Office no later than
4:30 p.m. (local time) on September 3,
2013, to be eligible for FY 2013 grant
funding. Applications received after this
date will not be eligible for FY 2013
grant funding.
New Jersey
USDA Rural Development State Office,
5th floor North, Ste 500, 8000
Midlantic Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054,
(856) 787–7700/TDD (856) 787–7784.
New Mexico
USDA Rural Development State Office,
6200 Jefferson Street NE., Room 255,
Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761–
4953/TDD (505) 761–4938.
New York
USDA Rural Development State Office,
441 South Salina Street, Suite 357,
Syracuse, NY 13202–2541, (315) 477–
6400/TDD (315) 477–6447.
North Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office,
4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh,
NC 27609, (919) 873–2000/TDD (919)
873–2003.
Tennessee
USDA Rural Development State Office,
3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300,
Nashville, TN 37203–1071, (615) 783–
1300.
Texas
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, Suite 102, 101
South Main, Temple, TX 76501, (254)
742–9700/TDD (254) 742–9712.
Utah
North Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East
Rosser, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND
58502–1737, (701) 530–2037/TDD
(701) 530–2113.
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building,
125 South State Street, Room 4311,
Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524–
4324/TDD (801) 524–3309.
Vermont/New Hampshire
Ohio
USDA Rural Development State Office,
Federal Building, Room 507, 200 N.
High Street, Columbus, OH 43215–
2418, (614) 255–2400/TDD (614) 255–
2554.
USDA Rural Development State Office,
City Center, 3rd Floor, 87 Main Street,
Suite 324, P.O. Box 249, Montpelier,
VT 05601, (802) 828–6031/TDD (802)
223–6365.
Virginia
Oklahoma
USDA Rural Development State Office,
100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK
74074–2654, (405) 742–1000/TDD
(405) 742–1007.
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Oregon
USDA Rural Development State Office,
1201 NE Lloyd Boulevard, Suite 801,
Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414–3366/
TDD (503) 414–3387.
Pennsylvania
USDA Rural Development State Office,
One Credit Union Place, Suite 330,
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USDA Rural Development State Office,
Culpeper Building, Ste 238, 1606
Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA
23229, (804) 287–1551/TDD (804)
287–1753.
Washington
USDA Rural Development State Office,
1835 Blacklake Boulevard SW., Suite
B, Olympia, WA 98512–5715, (360)
704–7740/TDD (360) 704–7760.
West Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office,
1550 Earl Core Road, Suite 101,
Morgantown, WV 26505, (304) 284–
4860/TDD (304) 284–4836.
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I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Purpose of the Program. The
purpose of this program is to improve
the economic conditions of rural areas.
B. Statutory Authority. This programs
is authorized under section 310B(c) of
the Consolidated Farm and Rural
Development Act (CONACT) (7 U.S.C.
1932(c)). Regulations are contained in 7
CFR part 1942, subpart G. The program
is administered on behalf of RBS at the
State level by the USDA Rural
Development State Offices. Assistance
provided to rural areas under the
Programs may include the provision of
on-site technical assistance to local and
regional governments, public transit
agencies, and related non-profit and forprofit organizations in rural areas; the
development of training materials; and
the provision of necessary training
assistance to local officials and agencies
in rural areas.
Awards under the RBEG passenger
transportation program will be made on
a competitive basis using specific
selection criteria contained in 7 CFR
part 1942, subpart G, and in accordance
with section 310B(c)(2) of the CONACT.
Information required to be in the
application package includes Forms SF
424, ‘‘Application for Federal
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Assistance;’’ Form RD 1940–20,
‘‘Request for Environmental
Information;’’ Scope of Work Narrative;
Income Statement; Balance Sheet or
Audit for previous 3 years; AD–1047,
‘‘Debarment/Suspension Certification;’’
AD–1048, ‘‘Certification Regarding
Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility
and Voluntary Exclusion;’’ AD–1049,
‘‘Certification Regarding Drug-Free
Workplace Requirements;’’ SF LLL,
‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;’’ RD
400–1, ‘‘Equal Opportunity Agreement;’’
RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance Agreement;’’ a
letter stating Board authorization to
obtain assistance; and a letter certifying
citizenship, as referenced in 7 CFR
1942.307(b). For the FRNAT grant,
which must benefit FRNATs, at least 75
percent of the benefits of the project
must be received by members of
FRNATs. The project that scores the
greatest number of points based on the
RBEG selection criteria and the
discretionary points will be selected for
each grant.
Applicants must be qualified national
non-profit organizations with
experience in providing technical
assistance and training to rural
communities Nation-wide for the
purpose of improving passenger
transportation service or facilities. To be
considered ‘‘national,’’ RBS requires a
qualified organization to provide
evidence that it operates RT assistance
programming Nation-wide. There is not
a requirement to use the grant funds in
a multi-State area. Grants will be made
to qualified national non-profit
organizations for the provision of
technical assistance and training to rural
communities for the purpose of
improving passenger transportation
services or facilities.
Definitions
C. Definition of Terms. The
definitions applicable to this Notice are
published at 7 CFR 1942.304.
D. Application awards. The Agency
will review, evaluate, and score
applications received in response to this
Notice based on the provisions in 7 CFR
part 1942, subpart G and as indicated in
this Notice. However, the Agency
advises all interested parties that the
applicant bears the burden in preparing
and submitting an application in
response to this Notice whether or not
funding is appropriated for these
programs in FY 2013.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2013.
Total Funding: $1,161,389.
Approximate Number of Awards:
Three.
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Average Award: Two single grants not
to exceed $929,111 together and another
single $232,278 grant for FRNAT’s.
Anticipated Award Date: October 16,
2013, subject to the availability of
funding.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
To be considered eligible, an entity
must be a qualified national non-profit
organization serving rural areas as
evidenced in its organizational
documents and demonstrated
experience. Grants will be competitively
awarded to qualified national non-profit
organizations. As mentioned later in
this Notice, regarding corporate felony
convictions and corporate Federal tax
delinquencies, applicants that are not
delinquent on any Federal debt or
otherwise disqualified from
participation in this program are eligible
to apply. All other restrictions in this
Notice will apply.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Matching funds are not required.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
Applications will only be accepted
from qualified national non-profit
organizations to provide technical
assistance for rural transportation.
D. Completeness Eligibility
Applications will not be considered
for funding if they do not provide
sufficient information to determine
eligibility or are missing required
elements. If due to a change made in the
appropriations act for FY 2013,
additional information is needed, then
applicants that submitted complete
applications prior to the application
deadline will be provided additional
time in which to provide that
information.
IV. Fiscal Year 2013 Application and
Submission Information:
A. Address to Request Application
Package
For further information, entities
wishing to apply for assistance should
contact the USDA Rural Development
State Office provided in the ADDRESSES
section of this Notice to obtain copies of
the application package.
Applicants are encouraged to submit
applications through the Grants.gov
Web site at: https://www.grants.gov.
Applications may be submitted in either
electronic or paper format. Users of
Grants.gov will be able to download a
copy of the application package,
complete it off line, and then upload
and submit the application via the
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Grants.gov Web site. Applications may
not be submitted by electronic mail.
• When you enter the Grants.gov Web
site, you will find information about
submitting an application electronically
through the site as well as the hours of
operation. USDA Rural Development
strongly recommends that you begin the
application process through Grants.gov
in sufficient time to complete the
application before the deadline date.
• You may submit all documents
electronically through the Web site,
including all information typically
included on the application and all
necessary assurances and certifications.
• After electronically submitting an
application through the Web site, the
applicant will receive an automatic
acknowledgement from Grants.gov that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number.
• USDA Rural Development may
request that the applicant provide
original signatures on forms at a later
date.
• If applicants experience technical
difficulties on the closing date and are
unable to meet the deadline, you may
submit a paper copy of your application
to your respective Rural Development
State Office. Paper applications
submitted to a Rural Development State
Office must meet the closing date and
local time deadline.
• Please note that applicants can
locate the downloadable application
package for this program by the Catalog
of Federal Domestic Assistance Number
or FedGrants Funding Opportunity
Number, which can be found at https://
www.Grants.gov.
All applicants, whether filing
applications through www.Grants.gov or
by paper, must have a Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number which can be
obtained at no cost via a toll-free request
line at 1–866–705–5711 or at https://
www.dnb.com.
B. Content and Form of Submission
An application must contain all of the
required elements. Each application
received in a USDA Rural Development
State Office will be reviewed to
determine if it is consistent with the
eligible purposes contained in section
310B(c)(2) of the CONACT. Each
selection priority criterion outlined in 7
CFR 1942.305(b)(3), must be addressed
in the application. Failure to address
any of the criteria will result in a zeropoint score for that criterion and will
impact the overall evaluation of the
application. Copies of 7 CFR part 1942,
subpart G, will be provided by any
interested applicant making a request to
a USDA Rural Development State Office
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provided in the ADDRESSES section of
this Notice.
All projects to receive technical
assistance through these passenger
transportation grant funds are to be
identified when the applications are
submitted to the USDA Rural
Development State Office. Multiple
project applications must identify each
individual project, indicate the amount
of funding requested for each individual
project, and address the criteria as
stated above for each individual project.
For multiple-project applications, the
average of the individual project scores
will be the score for that application.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Application Deadline Date: No later
than 4:30 p.m. (local time) September 3,
2013.
Explanation of Deadlines:
Applications must be in the USDA
Rural Development State Office by the
deadline date.
V. Application Review Information
RBS will score applications based on
the grant selection criteria and weights
contained in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart
G and will select grantees subject to the
grantees satisfactory submission of the
additional items required by 7 CFR part
1942, subpart G and the USDA Rural
Development Letter of Conditions. The
amount of an RT grant may be adjusted,
in the RBS’s discretion,to enable RBS to
award RT grants to the two applications
with the highest priority scores.
Applicants selected for award who have
their grant request adjusted, will have
the opportunity to either rescind their
request or modify their proposal to
reflect the adjusted award. RBS must
approve the modified proposal. RBS
will select the next highest ranking
application(s) for award when any
initially selected application is
rescinded or when RBS and the initially
selected applicant cannot reach an
agreement on a modified proposal.
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VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive
notification for funding from the USDA
Rural Development State Office.
Applicants must comply with all
applicable statutes and regulations
before the grant award will be approved.
Unsuccessful applications will receive
notification by mail.
B. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
Additional requirements that apply to
grantees selected for this program can be
found in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G.
Grantees must further comply with
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applicable provisions of 7 CFR parts
3015, 3016, 3019, and 3052.
VII. Agency Contacts
For general questions about this
announcement, please contact your
USDA Rural Development State Office
provided in the ADDRESSES section of
this Notice.
VIII. Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act, the paperwork burden
has been cleared by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under
OMB Control Number 0570–0022.
Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act
All applicants, in accordance with 2
CFR part 25, must have a DUNS
number, which can be obtained at no
cost via a toll-free request line at 1–866–
705–5711 or online at https://
fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Similarly, all
applicants must be registered in the
System for Award Management (SAM)
prior to submitting an application.
Applicants may register for the SAM at
https://www.sam.gov. All recipients of
Federal financial assistance are required
to report information about first-tier
sub-awards and executive total
compensation in accordance with 2 CFR
part 170.
Corporate Felony Convictions and
Corporate Felony Tax Delinquencies
Applications from corporate
applicants submitted under this Notice
must include Form AD 3030,
‘‘Representations Regarding Felony
Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status
for Corporate Applicants.’’ Corporate
applicants who receive an award under
this Notice will be required to sign Form
AD 3031, ‘‘Assurance Regarding Felony
Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status for
Corporate Applicants.’’
Nondiscrimination Statement: The
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
prohibits discrimination against its
customers, employees, and applicants
for employment on the bases of race,
color, national origin, age, disability,
sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal,
and where applicable, political beliefs,
marital status, familial or parental
status, sexual orientation, or all or part
of an individual’s income is derived
from any public assistance program, or
protected genetic information in
employment or in any program or
activity conducted or funded by the
Department. (Not all prohibited bases
will apply to all programs and/or
employment activities.)
If you wish to file a Civil Rights
program complaint of discrimination,
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40095
complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF),
found online at https://
www.ascr.usda.gov/
complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any
USDA office, or call (866) 632–9992 to
request the form. You may also write a
letter containing all of the information
requested in the form. Send your
completed complaint form or letter to us
by mail at U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Director, Office of
Adjudication, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250–
9410, by fax (202) 690–7442 or email at
program.intake@usda.gov.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of
hearing or have speech disabilities and
you wish to file either an EEO or
program complaint please contact
USDA through the Federal Relay
Service at (800) 877–8339 or (800) 845–
6136 (in Spanish).
Persons with disabilities, who wish to
file a program complaint, please see
information above on how to contact us
by mail directly or by email. If you
require alternative means of
communication for program information
(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.)
please contact USDA’s TARGET Center
at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).
Dated: June 25, 2013.
Lillian E. Salerno,
Acting Administrator, Rural BusinessCooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2013–16079 Filed 7–2–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Information Collection Activity;
Comment Request
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
Notice and request for
comments.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the
Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites
comments on this information
collection for which approval from the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) will be requested.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be
received by September 3, 2013.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michele L. Brooks, Director, Program
Development and Regulatory Analysis,
Rural Utilities Service, 1400
Independence Ave. SW., STOP 1522,
Room 5162-South Building,
Washington, DC 20250–1522.
Telephone: (202) 690–1078, FAX: (202)
SUMMARY:
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[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40092-40095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16079]
[[Page 40092]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Inviting Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program Applications for
Grants To Provide Technical Assistance for Rural Transportation Systems
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within
the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development mission
area, announces the availability of three individual grants: two single
grants not to exceed $929,111 together from the rural transportation
funds appropriated for the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG)
program and another single $232,278 grant for Federally Recognized
Native American Tribes' (FRNATs) (collectively ``Programs'') from funds
appropriated for the RBEG program. RBS will administer these awards
under the RBEG program and 7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(2) for fiscal year (FY)
2013. Each grant is to be competitively awarded to an eligible
applicant which is a qualified national non-profit organization. Two
grants are for the provision of technical assistance to rural
transportation (RT) projects and the other grant will be for the
provision of technical assistance to RT projects operated by FRNAT's
only.
All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in
developing their applications.
DATES: The deadline for receipt of applications in the USDA Rural
Development State Office is no later than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on
September 3, 2013. Applications received at a USDA Rural Development
State Office after that date will not be considered for FY 2013
funding.
ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact the
appropriate USDA Rural Development State Office to receive copies of
the application package. A list of the USDA Rural Development State
Offices addresses and telephone numbers are as follows:
Alabama
USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Centre, Suite 601, 4121
Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3400/TDD (334)
279-3495.
Alaska
USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201,
Palmer, AK 99645-6539, (907) 761-7705/TDD (907) 761-8905.
Arizona
USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 N 1st Ave., Suite 206,
Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706, (602) 280-8701/TDD (602) 280-8705.
Arkansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, 700 West Capitol
Avenue, Room 3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3200/TDD (501)
301-3279.
California
USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street, Agency
4169, Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-5800/TDD (530) 792-5848.
Colorado
USDA Rural Development State Office, Denver Federal Center, Building
56, Room 2300, P.O. Box 25426, Denver, CO 80225-0426, (720) 544-2903/
TDD (800) 659-3656.
Delaware-Maryland
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite
200, Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857-3580/TDD (302) 857-3585.
Florida/Virgin Islands
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 NW 25th Place, P.O. Box
147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3402/TDD (352) 338-3499.
Georgia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 E.
Hancock Avenue, Stop 300, Athens, GA 30601-2768, (706) 546-2162/TDD
(706) 546-2034.
Hawaii/Guam/American Samoa/
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands/, Republic of Palau/
Federated States of Micronesia/, Republic of the Marshall Islands, USDA
Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311, 154
Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933-8380/TDD (808) 933-8321.
Idaho
USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Suite A1,
Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5600/TDD (208) 378-5644.
Illinois
USDA Rural Development State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A,
Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 403-6200/TDD (217) 403-6240.
Indiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard,
Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100 ext. 4/TDD (317) 290-3343.
Iowa
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873, 210
Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4663/TDD (515) 284-4858.
Kansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1303 SW First American Place,
Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040, (785) 271-2700/TDD (785) 271-2767.
Kentucky
USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200,
Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-7300/TDD (859) 224-7422.
Louisiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street,
Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7921/TDD (318) 473-7655.
Maine
USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, P.O.
Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9160/TDD (207) 942-7331.
Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut
USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Amherst, MA
01002-2999, (413) 253-4300/TDD (413) 253-4590.
Michigan
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200,
East Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324-5190/TDD (517) 324-5169.
Minnesota
USDA Rural Development State Office, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 410, St.
Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-7800/TDD (651) 602-3799.
Mississippi
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Ste 831, 100
West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4316/TDD (601) 965-
5850.
Missouri
USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade
Ctr., Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0976/TDD (573) 876-9480.
Montana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 2229 Boot Hill Court, P.O. Box
850,
[[Page 40093]]
Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 585-2530/TDD (406) 585-2562.
Nebraska
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Rom 152, 100
Centennial Mall N., Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5551/TDD (402) 437-
5093.
Nevada
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson
City, NV 89703-9910, (775) 887-1222/TDD (775) 885-0633.
New Jersey
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5th floor North, Ste 500, 8000
Midlantic Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787-7700/TDD (856) 787-
7784.
New Mexico
USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street NE., Room
255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-4953/TDD (505) 761-4938.
New York
USDA Rural Development State Office, 441 South Salina Street, Suite
357, Syracuse, NY 13202-2541, (315) 477-6400/TDD (315) 477-6447.
North Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260,
Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2000/TDD (919) 873-2003.
North Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220
East Rosser, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737, (701) 530-2037/TDD
(701) 530-2113.
Ohio
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 N.
High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2418, (614) 255-2400/TDD (614) 255-
2554.
Oklahoma
USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater,
OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1000/TDD (405) 742-1007.
Oregon
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd Boulevard, Suite
801, Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-3366/TDD (503) 414-3387.
Pennsylvania
USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 330,
Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2299/TDD (717) 237-2261.
Puerto Rico
USDA Rural Development State Office, IBM Building, Ste 601, 654 Munoz
Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00936-6106, (787) 766-5095/TDD (787) 766-
5332.
South Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal Building,
1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 765-5163/TDD
(803) 765-5697.
South Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200
4th Street, SW, Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1100/TDD (605) 352-1147.
Tennessee
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300,
Nashville, TN 37203-1071, (615) 783-1300.
Texas
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102, 101
South Main, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9700/TDD (254) 742-9712.
Utah
USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal
Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138,
(801) 524-4324/TDD (801) 524-3309.
Vermont/New Hampshire
USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 87 Main
Street, Suite 324, P.O. Box 249, Montpelier, VT 05601, (802) 828-6031/
TDD (802) 223-6365.
Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Culpeper Building, Ste 238, 1606
Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287-1551/TDD (804) 287-1753.
Washington
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Blacklake Boulevard SW.,
Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7740/TDD (360) 704-7760.
West Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1550 Earl Core Road, Suite 101,
Morgantown, WV 26505, (304) 284-4860/TDD (304) 284-4836.
Wisconsin
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5417 Clem's Way, Stevens Point, WI
54482, (715) 345-7671/TDD (715) 345-7614.
Wyoming
USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B Street, Room 1005, P.O.
Box 11005, Casper, WY 82601, (307) 233-6700/TDD (307) 233-6733.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the USDA Rural
Development State Office provided in the ADDRESSES section of this
Notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
Solicitation Opportunity Title: Rural Business Enterprise Grants.
Announcement Type: Initial Solicitation Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.769.
Dates: Application Deadline: Completed applications must be
received in the USDA Rural Development State Office no later than 4:30
p.m. (local time) on September 3, 2013, to be eligible for FY 2013
grant funding. Applications received after this date will not be
eligible for FY 2013 grant funding.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Purpose of the Program. The purpose of this program is to
improve the economic conditions of rural areas.
B. Statutory Authority. This programs is authorized under section
310B(c) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) (7
U.S.C. 1932(c)). Regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart
G. The program is administered on behalf of RBS at the State level by
the USDA Rural Development State Offices. Assistance provided to rural
areas under the Programs may include the provision of on-site technical
assistance to local and regional governments, public transit agencies,
and related non-profit and for-profit organizations in rural areas; the
development of training materials; and the provision of necessary
training assistance to local officials and agencies in rural areas.
Awards under the RBEG passenger transportation program will be made
on a competitive basis using specific selection criteria contained in 7
CFR part 1942, subpart G, and in accordance with section 310B(c)(2) of
the CONACT. Information required to be in the application package
includes Forms SF 424, ``Application for Federal
[[Page 40094]]
Assistance;'' Form RD 1940-20, ``Request for Environmental
Information;'' Scope of Work Narrative; Income Statement; Balance Sheet
or Audit for previous 3 years; AD-1047, ``Debarment/Suspension
Certification;'' AD-1048, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion;'' AD-1049,
``Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements;'' SF LLL,
``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;'' RD 400-1, ``Equal Opportunity
Agreement;'' RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement;'' a letter stating Board
authorization to obtain assistance; and a letter certifying
citizenship, as referenced in 7 CFR 1942.307(b). For the FRNAT grant,
which must benefit FRNATs, at least 75 percent of the benefits of the
project must be received by members of FRNATs. The project that scores
the greatest number of points based on the RBEG selection criteria and
the discretionary points will be selected for each grant.
Applicants must be qualified national non-profit organizations with
experience in providing technical assistance and training to rural
communities Nation-wide for the purpose of improving passenger
transportation service or facilities. To be considered ``national,''
RBS requires a qualified organization to provide evidence that it
operates RT assistance programming Nation-wide. There is not a
requirement to use the grant funds in a multi-State area. Grants will
be made to qualified national non-profit organizations for the
provision of technical assistance and training to rural communities for
the purpose of improving passenger transportation services or
facilities.
Definitions
C. Definition of Terms. The definitions applicable to this Notice
are published at 7 CFR 1942.304.
D. Application awards. The Agency will review, evaluate, and score
applications received in response to this Notice based on the
provisions in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G and as indicated in this
Notice. However, the Agency advises all interested parties that the
applicant bears the burden in preparing and submitting an application
in response to this Notice whether or not funding is appropriated for
these programs in FY 2013.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2013.
Total Funding: $1,161,389.
Approximate Number of Awards: Three.
Average Award: Two single grants not to exceed $929,111 together
and another single $232,278 grant for FRNAT's.
Anticipated Award Date: October 16, 2013, subject to the
availability of funding.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
To be considered eligible, an entity must be a qualified national
non-profit organization serving rural areas as evidenced in its
organizational documents and demonstrated experience. Grants will be
competitively awarded to qualified national non-profit organizations.
As mentioned later in this Notice, regarding corporate felony
convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies, applicants that
are not delinquent on any Federal debt or otherwise disqualified from
participation in this program are eligible to apply. All other
restrictions in this Notice will apply.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Matching funds are not required.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
Applications will only be accepted from qualified national non-
profit organizations to provide technical assistance for rural
transportation.
D. Completeness Eligibility
Applications will not be considered for funding if they do not
provide sufficient information to determine eligibility or are missing
required elements. If due to a change made in the appropriations act
for FY 2013, additional information is needed, then applicants that
submitted complete applications prior to the application deadline will
be provided additional time in which to provide that information.
IV. Fiscal Year 2013 Application and Submission Information:
A. Address to Request Application Package
For further information, entities wishing to apply for assistance
should contact the USDA Rural Development State Office provided in the
ADDRESSES section of this Notice to obtain copies of the application
package.
Applicants are encouraged to submit applications through the
Grants.gov Web site at: https://www.grants.gov. Applications may be
submitted in either electronic or paper format. Users of Grants.gov
will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it
off line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov
Web site. Applications may not be submitted by electronic mail.
When you enter the Grants.gov Web site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site as well as the hours of operation. USDA Rural Development strongly
recommends that you begin the application process through Grants.gov in
sufficient time to complete the application before the deadline date.
You may submit all documents electronically through the
Web site, including all information typically included on the
application and all necessary assurances and certifications.
After electronically submitting an application through the
Web site, the applicant will receive an automatic acknowledgement from
Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number.
USDA Rural Development may request that the applicant
provide original signatures on forms at a later date.
If applicants experience technical difficulties on the
closing date and are unable to meet the deadline, you may submit a
paper copy of your application to your respective Rural Development
State Office. Paper applications submitted to a Rural Development State
Office must meet the closing date and local time deadline.
Please note that applicants can locate the downloadable
application package for this program by the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number or FedGrants Funding Opportunity Number, which can be
found at https://www.Grants.gov.
All applicants, whether filing applications through www.Grants.gov
or by paper, must have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number which can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free
request line at 1-866-705-5711 or at https://www.dnb.com.
B. Content and Form of Submission
An application must contain all of the required elements. Each
application received in a USDA Rural Development State Office will be
reviewed to determine if it is consistent with the eligible purposes
contained in section 310B(c)(2) of the CONACT. Each selection priority
criterion outlined in 7 CFR 1942.305(b)(3), must be addressed in the
application. Failure to address any of the criteria will result in a
zero-point score for that criterion and will impact the overall
evaluation of the application. Copies of 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G,
will be provided by any interested applicant making a request to a USDA
Rural Development State Office
[[Page 40095]]
provided in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice.
All projects to receive technical assistance through these
passenger transportation grant funds are to be identified when the
applications are submitted to the USDA Rural Development State Office.
Multiple project applications must identify each individual project,
indicate the amount of funding requested for each individual project,
and address the criteria as stated above for each individual project.
For multiple-project applications, the average of the individual
project scores will be the score for that application.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Application Deadline Date: No later than 4:30 p.m. (local time)
September 3, 2013.
Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be in the USDA Rural
Development State Office by the deadline date.
V. Application Review Information
RBS will score applications based on the grant selection criteria
and weights contained in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G and will select
grantees subject to the grantees satisfactory submission of the
additional items required by 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G and the USDA
Rural Development Letter of Conditions. The amount of an RT grant may
be adjusted, in the RBS's discretion,to enable RBS to award RT grants
to the two applications with the highest priority scores. Applicants
selected for award who have their grant request adjusted, will have the
opportunity to either rescind their request or modify their proposal to
reflect the adjusted award. RBS must approve the modified proposal. RBS
will select the next highest ranking application(s) for award when any
initially selected application is rescinded or when RBS and the
initially selected applicant cannot reach an agreement on a modified
proposal.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from
the USDA Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with
all applicable statutes and regulations before the grant award will be
approved. Unsuccessful applications will receive notification by mail.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this
program can be found in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G. Grantees must
further comply with applicable provisions of 7 CFR parts 3015, 3016,
3019, and 3052.
VII. Agency Contacts
For general questions about this announcement, please contact your
USDA Rural Development State Office provided in the ADDRESSES section
of this Notice.
VIII. Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork
burden has been cleared by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
under OMB Control Number 0570-0022.
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
All applicants, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must have a DUNS
number, which can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line
at 1-866-705-5711 or online at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
Similarly, all applicants must be registered in the System for Award
Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application. Applicants may
register for the SAM at https://www.sam.gov. All recipients of Federal
financial assistance are required to report information about first-
tier sub-awards and executive total compensation in accordance with 2
CFR part 170.
Corporate Felony Convictions and Corporate Felony Tax Delinquencies
Applications from corporate applicants submitted under this Notice
must include Form AD 3030, ``Representations Regarding Felony
Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.''
Corporate applicants who receive an award under this Notice will be
required to sign Form AD 3031, ``Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction
or Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.''
Nondiscrimination Statement: The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and
applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin,
age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where
applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental
status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is
derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic
information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or
funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all
programs and/or employment activities.)
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of
discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form
(PDF), found online at https://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the
form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information
requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to
us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410,
by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech
disabilities and you wish to file either an EEO or program complaint
please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339
or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish).
Persons with disabilities, who wish to file a program complaint,
please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or
by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program
information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
Dated: June 25, 2013.
Lillian E. Salerno,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-16079 Filed 7-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P
