Inviting Applications for the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2014, 25100-25102 [2014-10096]
Download as PDF
25100
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 85 / Friday, May 2, 2014 / Notices
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.
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) July 1, 2014
Explanation of Deadlines:
Applications must be in the USDA
Rural Development State Office by the
deadline date.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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.
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00:23 May 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
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.
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
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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
wish to file either an EEO or program
complaint may 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: April 25, 2014.
Lillian E. Salerno,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–10084 Filed 5–1–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Inviting Applications for the Rural
Economic Development Loan and
Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2014
Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, USDA.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice.
This Notice is to invite
applications for loans and grants under
the Rural Economic Development Loan
and Grant (REDLG) programs pursuant
to 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A for fiscal
year (FY) 2014. Funding to support
$30.6 million in loans and $9.2 million
in grants is currently available. The
commitment of program dollars will be
made to applicants of selected responses
that have fulfilled the necessary
requirements for obligation.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\02MYN1.SGM
02MYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 85 / Friday, May 2, 2014 / Notices
All applicants are responsible for any
expenses incurred in developing their
applications.
DATES: Applications received during
each month in the USDA Rural
Development State Office no later than
4:30 p.m. (local time) on the last
business day of each month will be
considered for funding the following
month in FY 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit applications in
paper format to the USDA Rural
Development State Office in the state
where your project is located. A list of
the USDA Rural Development State
Offices addresses and telephone
numbers can be found online at: https://
www.rurdev.usda.gov/
StateOfficeAddresses.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Please contact the USDA Rural
Development State Office provided in
the ADDRESSES section of this Notice
where the project will be located.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural BusinessCooperative Service.
Funding Opportunity Type: Rural
Economic Development Loans and
Grants.
Announcement Type: Initial
Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 10.854.
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 the last
business day of each month to be
considered for funding in the following
month in FY 2014.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Purpose of the Program. The
purpose of the program is to promote
rural economic development and job
creation projects.
B. Statutory Authority. These
programs are authorized under 7 CFR
part 4280, subpart A. Assistance
provided to rural areas, as defined,
under this program may include
business startup costs, business
expansion, business incubators,
technical assistance feasibility studies,
advanced telecommunications services
and computer networks for medical,
educational, and job training services,
and community facilities projects for
economic development. Awards are
made on a competitive basis using
specific selection criteria contained in 7
CFR part 4280, subpart A. Information
required to be in the application
includes an SF–424, ‘‘Application for
VerDate Mar<15>2010
00:23 May 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
25101
Federal Assistance;’’ a Resolution of the
Board of Directors; AD–1047,
‘‘Debarment/Suspension Certification;’’
Assurance Statement for the Uniform
Act; Restrictions on Lobbying, AD–
1049, ‘‘Certification Regarding DrugFree Workplace Requirements;’’ Form
RD 400–1, ‘‘Equal Opportunity
Agreement;’’ Form RD 400–4,
‘‘Assurance Agreement;’’ Seismic
Certification (if construction); Form RD
1940–20, ‘‘Request for Environmental
Information;’’ RUS Form 7, ‘‘Financial
and Statistical Report;’’ and RUS Form
7a, ‘‘Investments, Loan Guarantees, and
Loans,’’ or similar information; and
written narrative of project description.
Applications will be tentatively scored
by the State Offices and submitted to the
National Office for review.
such Act, shall be eligible for assistance
under section 313(b)(2)(B) of such Act
in the same manner as a borrower under
such Act. All other restrictions in this
Notice will apply.
Definitions
Applications will only be accepted for
projects that promote rural economic
development and job creation.
C. Definition of Terms. The
definitions applicable to this Notice are
published at 7 CFR 4280.3.
D. Application awards. The Agency
will review, evaluate, and score
applications received in response to this
Notice based on the provisions found in
7 CFR part 4280, subpart A 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 2014.
II. Award Information
Type of Awards: Loans and Grants.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2014.
Maximum Award: The following are
maximum amounts per award: Loans—
$2,000,000; Grants—$300,000.
Award Dates: The last day of the
month following the month in which
application was received.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Loans and grants may be made to any
entity that is identified by USDA Rural
Development as an eligible borrower
under the Rural Electrification Act. In
accordance with 7 CFR 4280.13,
applicants that are not delinquent on
any Federal debt or otherwise
disqualified from participation in these
programs are eligible to apply. An
applicant must be eligible under 7
U.S.C. 940c. Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any former Rural
Utilities Service borrower that has
repaid or prepaid an insured, direct or
guaranteed loan under the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936, or any notfor-profit utility that is eligible to
receive an insured or direct loan under
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
For loans, either the Ultimate
Recipient or the Intermediary must
provide supplemental funds for the
project equal to at least 20 percent of the
loan to the Intermediary. For grants, the
Intermediary must establish a Revolving
Loan Fund and contribute an amount
equal to at least 20 percent of the Grant.
The supplemental contribution must
come from Intermediary’s funds which
may not be from other Federal Grants,
unless permitted by law.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
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.
IV. Fiscal Year 2014 Application and
Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application
Package
For further information, entities
wishing to apply for assistance should
contact the Rural Development State
Office identified in this Notice to obtain
copies of the application package.
Applicants are encouraged to submit
grant applications only 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 do not
wait until the application deadline date
to begin the application process through
Grants.gov. To use Grants.gov,
applicants 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.
E:\FR\FM\02MYN1.SGM
02MYN1
25102
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 85 / Friday, May 2, 2014 / Notices
• You may submit all documents
electronically through the Web site,
including all information typically
included on the application for REDLGs
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 must
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.
B. Content and Form of Submission
An application must contain all of the
required elements. Each selection
priority criterion outlined in 7 CFR
4280.42(b), 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 4280, subpart A,
will be provided to any interested
applicant making a request to a Rural
Development State Office. An original
copy only of the application is to be
filed with the Rural Development State
Office for the State where the
Intermediary is located.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
C. Submission Dates and Times
Application Dates: No later than 4:30
p.m. (local time) on the last business
day of each month to be considered for
funding in the following month.
Explanation of Dates: Applications
must be in the USDA Rural
Development State Office by the dates
as indicated above.
V. Application Review Information
The National Office will score
applications based on the grant
selection criteria and weights contained
in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A, and will
select an Intermediary
subject to the Intermediary’s
satisfactory submission of the additional
items required by
VerDate Mar<15>2010
00:23 May 02, 2014
Jkt 232001
that subpart and the USDA Rural
Development Letter of Conditions.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive
notification for funding from the Rural
Development State Office. Applicants
must comply with all applicable statutes
and regulations before the loan/grant
award will be approved. Provided the
application and eligibility requirements
have not changed, an application not
selected will be reconsidered in three
subsequent funding competitions for a
total of four competitions. If an
application is withdrawn, it can be
resubmitted and will be evaluated as a
new application.
B. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
Additional requirements that apply to
Intermediary’s selected for this program
can be found in 7 CFR part 4280,
subpart A. Applicable provisions of 7
CFR parts 3015, 3019, and 3052 also
apply.
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 of 1995, the information
collection requirement contained in this
Notice is approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under
OMB Control Number 0570–0024.
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/webor. Similarly, all
grant 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 grant
assistance are required to report
information about first-tier sub-awards
and executive total compensation in
accordance with 2 CFR part 170.
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,
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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
wish to file either an EEO or program
complaint may 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: April 25, 2014.
Lillian E. Salerno,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014–10096 Filed 5–1–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Inviting Applications for Rural
Business Opportunity Grants
Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability
(NOFA).
AGENCY:
USDA announces the
availability of grants through the Rural
Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG)
Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014.
Governmental entities, nonprofit
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\02MYN1.SGM
02MYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 85 (Friday, May 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25100-25102]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-10096]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Inviting Applications for the Rural Economic Development Loan and
Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2014
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This Notice is to invite applications for loans and grants
under the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) programs
pursuant to 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A for fiscal year (FY) 2014.
Funding to support $30.6 million in loans and $9.2 million in grants is
currently available. The commitment of program dollars will be made to
applicants of selected responses that have fulfilled the necessary
requirements for obligation.
[[Page 25101]]
All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in
developing their applications.
DATES: Applications received during each month in the USDA Rural
Development State Office no later than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on the
last business day of each month will be considered for funding the
following month in FY 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submit applications in paper format to the USDA Rural
Development State Office in the state where your project is located. A
list of the USDA Rural Development State Offices addresses and
telephone numbers can be found online at: https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/StateOfficeAddresses.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the USDA Rural
Development State Office provided in the ADDRESSES section of this
Notice where the project will be located.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
Funding Opportunity Type: Rural Economic Development Loans and
Grants.
Announcement Type: Initial Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.854.
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 the last business day of each month to be
considered for funding in the following month in FY 2014.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Purpose of the Program. The purpose of the program is to promote
rural economic development and job creation projects.
B. Statutory Authority. These programs are authorized under 7 CFR
part 4280, subpart A. Assistance provided to rural areas, as defined,
under this program may include business startup costs, business
expansion, business incubators, technical assistance feasibility
studies, advanced telecommunications services and computer networks for
medical, educational, and job training services, and community
facilities projects for economic development. Awards are made on a
competitive basis using specific selection criteria contained in 7 CFR
part 4280, subpart A. Information required to be in the application
includes an SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance;'' a
Resolution of the Board of Directors; AD-1047, ``Debarment/Suspension
Certification;'' Assurance Statement for the Uniform Act; Restrictions
on Lobbying, AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace
Requirements;'' Form RD 400-1, ``Equal Opportunity Agreement;'' Form RD
400-4, ``Assurance Agreement;'' Seismic Certification (if
construction); Form RD 1940-20, ``Request for Environmental
Information;'' RUS Form 7, ``Financial and Statistical Report;'' and
RUS Form 7a, ``Investments, Loan Guarantees, and Loans,'' or similar
information; and written narrative of project description. Applications
will be tentatively scored by the State Offices and submitted to the
National Office for review.
Definitions
C. Definition of Terms. The definitions applicable to this Notice
are published at 7 CFR 4280.3.
D. Application awards. The Agency will review, evaluate, and score
applications received in response to this Notice based on the
provisions found in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A 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 2014.
II. Award Information
Type of Awards: Loans and Grants.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2014.
Maximum Award: The following are maximum amounts per award: Loans--
$2,000,000; Grants--$300,000.
Award Dates: The last day of the month following the month in which
application was received.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Loans and grants may be made to any entity that is identified by
USDA Rural Development as an eligible borrower under the Rural
Electrification Act. In accordance with 7 CFR 4280.13, applicants that
are not delinquent on any Federal debt or otherwise disqualified from
participation in these programs are eligible to apply. An applicant
must be eligible under 7 U.S.C. 940c. Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any former Rural Utilities Service borrower that has
repaid or prepaid an insured, direct or guaranteed loan under the Rural
Electrification Act of 1936, or any not-for-profit utility that is
eligible to receive an insured or direct loan under such Act, shall be
eligible for assistance under section 313(b)(2)(B) of such Act in the
same manner as a borrower under such Act. All other restrictions in
this Notice will apply.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
For loans, either the Ultimate Recipient or the Intermediary must
provide supplemental funds for the project equal to at least 20 percent
of the loan to the Intermediary. For grants, the Intermediary must
establish a Revolving Loan Fund and contribute an amount equal to at
least 20 percent of the Grant. The supplemental contribution must come
from Intermediary's funds which may not be from other Federal Grants,
unless permitted by law.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
Applications will only be accepted for projects that promote rural
economic development and job creation.
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.
IV. Fiscal Year 2014 Application and Submission Information
A. Address to Request Application Package
For further information, entities wishing to apply for assistance
should contact the Rural Development State Office identified in this
Notice to obtain copies of the application package.
Applicants are encouraged to submit grant applications only 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 do not wait until the application deadline date to
begin the application process through Grants.gov. To use Grants.gov,
applicants 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.
[[Page 25102]]
You may submit all documents electronically through the
Web site, including all information typically included on the
application for REDLGs 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 must 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.
B. Content and Form of Submission
An application must contain all of the required elements. Each
selection priority criterion outlined in 7 CFR 4280.42(b), 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 4280,
subpart A, will be provided to any interested applicant making a
request to a Rural Development State Office. An original copy only of
the application is to be filed with the Rural Development State Office
for the State where the Intermediary is located.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Application Dates: No later than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on the last
business day of each month to be considered for funding in the
following month.
Explanation of Dates: Applications must be in the USDA Rural
Development State Office by the dates as indicated above.
V. Application Review Information
The National Office will score applications based on the grant
selection criteria and weights contained in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A,
and will select an Intermediary
subject to the Intermediary's satisfactory submission of the
additional items required by
that subpart and the USDA Rural Development Letter of Conditions.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from
the Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with all
applicable statutes and regulations before the loan/grant award will be
approved. Provided the application and eligibility requirements have
not changed, an application not selected will be reconsidered in three
subsequent funding competitions for a total of four competitions. If an
application is withdrawn, it can be resubmitted and will be evaluated
as a new application.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Additional requirements that apply to Intermediary's selected for
this program can be found in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A. Applicable
provisions of 7 CFR parts 3015, 3019, and 3052 also apply.
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 of 1995, the
information collection requirement contained in this Notice is approved
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number
0570-0024.
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/webor. Similarly,
all grant 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 grant assistance are required to report information about
first-tier sub-awards and executive total compensation in accordance
with 2 CFR part 170.
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 wish to file either an EEO or program complaint may
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: April 25, 2014.
Lillian E. Salerno,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-10096 Filed 5-1-14; 8:45 am]
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