Inviting Applications for Rural Cooperative Development Grants, 31266-31275 [2021-12292]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 111 (Friday, June 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31266-31275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-12292]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Docket #: RBS-21-CO-OP-0015]


Inviting Applications for Rural Cooperative Development Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: This Notice announces that the Rural Business-Cooperative 
Service (Agency) is accepting fiscal year (FY) 2021 applications for 
the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program. The program 
funding level for FY 2021 is a total of $5.8 million. The purpose of 
this program is to provide financial assistance to improve the economic 
condition of rural areas through cooperative development. Eligible 
applicants are non-profit corporations and institutions of higher 
education.

DATES: Completed applications must be submitted electronically by no 
later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, August 10, 2021, through 
Grants.gov, to be eligible for grant funding. Please review the 
Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html 
for instructions on the process of registering your organization as 
soon as possible to ensure that you are able to meet the electronic 
application deadline. Late applications are not eligible for funding 
under this Notice and will not be evaluated.

ADDRESSES: You are encouraged to contact your USDA Rural Development 
State Office well in advance of the application deadline to discuss 
your project and ask any questions about the RCDG program or the 
application process. Contact information for State Offices can be found 
at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.
    Program guidance as well as application and matching funds 
templates may be obtained at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-cooperative-development-grant-program. To submit an electronic 
application, follow the instructions for the RCDG funding announcement 
located at https://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa Sharp, Program Management 
Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United States Department 
of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop-3226, Room 5160-
South, Washington, DC 20250-3226, (202) 720-1400 or email to 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Rural Cooperative Development Grants.
    Announcement Type: Initial Notice.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.771.
    Date: Application Deadline. Electronic applications must be 
received by https://www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern 
Time, August 10, 2021, or it will not be considered for funding.
    The Application Template provides specific, detailed instructions 
for each item of a complete application. The Agency emphasizes the 
importance of including every item and strongly encourages applicants 
to follow the instructions carefully, using the examples and 
illustrations in the Application Template. Prior to official submission 
of applications, applicants may request technical assistance or other 
application guidance from the Agency, as long as such requests are made 
prior to July 12, 2021. Agency contact information can be found in 
Section D of this document.
    Hemp Related Projects: Please note that no assistance or funding 
can be provided to a hemp producer unless they have a valid license 
issued from an approved State, Tribal or Federal plan as defined by the 
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334. Verification 
of valid hemp licenses will occur at the time of award.
    Persistent Poverty Counties: Section 736 of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021, designates funding for projects in Persistent 
Poverty counties. Persistent Poverty counties as defined in Section 736 
is ``any county that has had 20 percent or more of its population 
living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured by the 1990 and 
2000 decennial censuses, and 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-year 
average, or any territory or possession of the United States.'' Another 
provision in Section 736 expands the eligible population in Persistent 
Poverty counties to include any county seat of such a persistent 
poverty county that has a population that does not exceed the 
authorized population limit by more than 10 percent. This provision 
expands the current 50,000 population limit to 55,000 for only county 
seats located in Persistent Poverty counties. Therefore, applicants 
and/or beneficiaries of technical assistance services located in 
Persistent Poverty county seats with populations up to 55,000 (per the 
2010 census) are eligible.
    COVID-19 Administrative Relief Exceptions: The Agency reviewed the 
Office of Budget and Management's (OMB) Memorandum M-20-17 entitled 
``Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal 
Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-
19) due to Loss of Operations'', and OMB Memorandum M-20-11, 
``Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal 
Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-
19)'', and has made every attempt to reduce administrative burden 
within our authority. Any reduction in burden will be discussed within 
the requirement.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork 
burden associated with this Notice has been

[[Page 31267]]

approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control 
Number 0570-0006.

A. Program Description

    The RCDG program is authorized under section 310B(e) of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) (7 U.S.C. 
1932(e)), as amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. 
L. 115-334). You are required to comply with the regulations for this 
program published at 7 CFR part 4284, subparts A and F, which are 
incorporated by reference in this Notice. Therefore, you should become 
familiar with these regulations. The primary objective of the RCDG 
program is to improve the economic condition of rural areas through 
cooperative development. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. The 
maximum award amount per grant is $200,000. Grants are available for 
non-profit corporations and institutions of higher education only. 
Grant funds may be used to pay for up to 75 percent of the cost of 
establishing and operating centers for rural cooperative development. 
Grant funds may be used to pay for 95 percent of the cost of 
establishing and operating centers for rural cooperative development 
when the applicant is a college identified as a ``1994 Institution'' 
for purposes of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 
1994, as defined by 7 U.S.C. 301. The 1994 Institutions are commonly 
known as Tribal Land Grant Institutions. Centers may have the expertise 
on staff, or they can contract out for the expertise to assist 
individuals or entities in the startup, expansion or operational 
improvement of rural businesses, especially cooperative or mutually-
owned businesses.
Definitions
    Certain terms relating to the RCDG program that you will need to 
understand are defined at 7 CFR 4284.3 and 7 CFR 4284.504. In addition, 
the terms ``rural'' and ``rural area,'' defined at section 343(a)(13) 
of the CONACT (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)), are incorporated by reference, 
and will be used for this program instead of the definition of ``Rural 
and rural area'' currently published at 7 CFR 4284.3. The term ``you'' 
referenced throughout this Notice should be understood to mean ``you'' 
the applicant. Finally, there has been some confusion about the 
Agency's interpretation of the terms ``conflict of interest'' and 
``mutually-owned business'' because they are not defined in the CONACT 
or in the regulations used for the program. Therefore, the Agency is 
clarifying those terms for the purpose of this program as follows:
    Conflict of interest--A situation in which a person or entity has 
competing personal, professional, or financial interests that make it 
difficult for the person or business to act impartially. Regarding use 
of both grant and matching funds, Federal procurement standards 
prohibit transactions that involve a real or apparent conflict of 
interest for owners, employees, officers, agents, or their immediate 
family members having a financial or other interest in the outcome of 
the project; or that restrict open and free competition for 
unrestrained trade. Specifically, project funds may not be used for 
services or goods going to, or coming from, a person or entity with a 
real or apparent conflict of interest, including, but not limited to, 
owner(s) and their immediate family members. An example of a conflict 
of interest occurs when an employee of the grantee, an individual on 
the grantee's board of directors, or an immediate family member of 
either, has the appearance of a professional or personal financial 
interest in the recipients receiving the benefits or services of the 
grant.
    Mutually-owned business--An organization owned and governed by 
members who are its consumers, producers, employees, or suppliers.

B. Federal Award Information

    Type of Award: Competitive Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2021.
    Total Funding: $5,800,000.
    Maximum Award: $200,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2021.

C. Eligibility Information

    Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements. 
Applications which fail to meet any of these requirements by the 
application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not be 
evaluated further.
1. Eligible Applicants
    You must be a nonprofit corporation or an institution of higher 
education to apply for this program. Public bodies and individuals 
cannot apply for this program. See 7 CFR 4284.507. You must also meet 
the following requirements:
    a. An applicant is ineligible if they have been debarred or 
suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in 
Federal assistance programs under Executive Order 12549, ``Debarment 
and Suspension.'' The Agency will check the System for Award Management 
(SAM) at the time of application and also prior to funding any grant 
award to determine if the applicant has been debarred or suspended. In 
addition, an applicant will be considered ineligible for a grant due to 
an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a Federal Court (other 
than U.S. Tax Court), is delinquent on the payment of Federal income 
taxes, or is delinquent on Federal debt. See 7 CFR 4284.6. The 
applicant must certify as part of the application that they do not have 
an outstanding judgment against them. The Agency will check the Do Not 
Pay System at the time of application and also prior to funding any 
grant award to verify this information.
    b. Any corporation that has been convicted of a felony criminal 
violation under any Federal law within the past 24 months or that has 
any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all 
judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have 
lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an 
agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax 
liability, is not eligible for financial assistance provided with funds 
appropriated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-
260), unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of 
the corporation and has made a determination that this further action 
is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government. Note: You 
no longer must complete the Form AD 3030, ``Representation Regarding 
Felony Corporations and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate 
Applicants'' as a part of your application. This information is now 
collected through your registration or annual recertification in 
SAM.gov via the Financial Assistance General Certifications and 
Representations.
    c. Applications will be deemed ineligible if the application 
includes any funding restrictions identified under Section D.6(a) or 
(b) of this Notice. The inclusion of funding restrictions outlined in 
Section D.6(a) or (b) of this Notice precludes the Agency from making a 
federal award to the applicant.
    d. Applications will be deemed ineligible if the application is 
deemed incomplete in accordance with the requirements stated in Section 
C.3.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
    Your matching funds requirement is at least 25 percent of the total 
project cost (5 percent for 1994 Institutions). See 7 CFR 4284.508. 
When you calculate your matching funds requirement, please round up or 
down to whole dollars as appropriate. An example of how to calculate 
your matching funds is as follows:

[[Page 31268]]

    a. Take the amount of grant funds you are requesting and divide it 
by .75. This will give you your total project cost.

Example: $200,000 (grant amount)/.75 (percentage for use of grant 
funds) = $266,667 (total project cost)

    b. Subtract the amount of grant funds you are requesting from your 
total project cost. This will give you your matching funds requirement.

Example: $266,667 (total project cost) - $200,000 (grant amount) = 
$66,667 (matching funds requirement)

    c. A quick way to double check that you have the correct amount of 
matching funds is to take your total project cost and multiply it by 
.25.

Example: $266,667 (total project cost) x .25 (maximum percentage of 
matching funds requirement) = $66,667 (matching funds requirement)

    You must verify that all matching funds are available during the 
grant period and provide this documentation with your application in 
accordance with requirements identified in Section D.2.e.8. If you are 
awarded a grant, additional verification documentation may be required 
to confirm the availability of matching funds.
    Other rules for matching funds that you must follow are listed 
below.
     They must be spent on eligible expenses during the grant 
period.
     They must be from eligible sources.
     They must be spent in advance or as a pro-rata portion of 
grant funds being spent.
     They must be provided by either the applicant or a third 
party in the form of cash or an in-kind contribution.
     They cannot include board/advisory council member's time.
     They cannot include other Federal grants unless provided 
by authorizing legislation.
     They cannot include cash or in-kind contributions donated 
outside of the grant period.
     They cannot include over-valued, in-kind contributions.
     They cannot include any project costs that are ineligible 
under the RCDG program.
     They cannot include any project costs that are restricted 
or unallowable under 2 CFR part 200, subpart E, and the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation (for-profits) or successor regulation.
     They can include loan funds from a Federal source.
     They can include travel and incidentals for board/advisory 
council members if you have established written policies explaining how 
these costs are normally reimbursed, including rates. You must include 
an explanation of this policy in your application or the contributions 
will not be considered as eligible matching funds.
     You must be able to document and verify the number of 
hours worked and the value associated with any in-kind contribution 
being used to meet a matching funds requirement.
     In-kind contributions provided by individuals, businesses, 
or cooperatives which are being assisted by you cannot be provided for 
the direct benefit of their own projects as USDA Rural Development 
considers this to be a conflict of interest or the appearance of a 
conflict of interest.
3. Other Eligibility Requirements
a. Completeness
    Your application will not be considered for funding if it fails to 
meet all eligibility criteria by the application deadline or does not 
provide sufficient information to determine eligibility and scoring. 
You must include in one submission to the Agency all of the forms and 
proposal elements as discussed in the program regulation and as 
clarified further in this Notice. Incomplete applications will not be 
reviewed by the Agency. For more information on what is required for a 
complete application, see 7 CFR 4284.510.
b. Purpose Eligibility
    Your application must propose the establishment or continuation of 
a cooperative development center concept. You must use project funds, 
including grant and matching funds, for eligible purposes only (see 7 
CFR 4284.508). In addition, project funds may also be used for programs 
providing for the coordination of services and sharing of information 
among the centers (see 7 U.S.C 1932(e)(4)(C)(vi)).
c. Project Eligibility
    All project activities must be for the benefit of a rural area.
d. Multiple Applications Deemed Ineligible
    Only one application can be submitted per applicant. If two 
applications are submitted (regardless of the applicant name) that 
include the same Executive Director and/or advisory boards or 
committees of an existing center, both applications will be determined 
ineligible for funding.
e. Grant Period
    Your application must include no more than a one-year grant period, 
or it will not be considered for funding. The grant period should begin 
no earlier than October 1, 2021, and no later than January 1, 2022. 
Applications that request funds for a grant period ending after January 
1, 2023, will not be considered for funding. Projects must be completed 
within a one-year timeframe. Prior approval is needed from the Agency 
if you are awarded a grant and desire the grant period to begin earlier 
or later than previously approved.
    The Agency may approve requests for a one-time extension of the 
grant period of up to 12 months at its discretion. However, you may not 
have more than one active RCDG during the same grant period. Further 
guidance on grant period extensions will be provided in the award 
document. The Agency understands that fiscal year 2019 or 2020 
recipients may have had loss of operations due to COVID-19 and the 
Agency will work with them in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-20-17 
and 2 CFR 200.308 to determine an acceptable grant period if they are 
awarded RCDG funds in fiscal year 2021.
f. Satisfactory Performance
    You must be performing satisfactorily on any outstanding RCDG award 
to be considered eligible for a new award. Satisfactory performance 
includes being up-to-date on all financial and performance reports as 
prescribed in the grant award, and current on all tasks and timeframes 
for utilizing grant and matching funds as approved in the work plan and 
budget. If you have any unspent grant funds on RCDG awards prior to 
fiscal year 2019, your application will not be considered for funding. 
If your prior award(s) has unspent funds of 50 percent or more than 
what your approved work plan and budget projected at the time that your 
fiscal year 2021 application is being evaluated, your application will 
not be considered for funding. The Agency will verify the performance 
status of the applicant's prior awards and make a determination after 
the FY 2021 application period closes.
g. Duplication of Current Services
    Your application must demonstrate that you are providing services 
to new customers or new services to current customers. If your work 
plan and budget is duplicative of your existing award, your application 
will not be considered for funding. If your workplan and budget is 
duplicative of a previous or existing RCDG and/or Socially 
Disadvantaged Groups Grant (SDGG) award, your application will not be 
considered for funding. The Agency will make this determination in its 
sole

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discretion. Please note that the Agency only allows one active award to 
a grantee to ensure that there is no duplication of services. The 
Agency will work with FY 2019 and FY 2020 recipients who requested an 
extension of their award due to COVID-19 loss of operations to 
determine an acceptable grant period if they are awarded grant funds in 
fiscal year 2021 in accordance with OMB Memorandum M-20-17 and 2 CFR 
200.343. Thus, requesting an extension on a previous award is not cause 
for deeming a FY 2021 application ineligible.
h. Indirect Costs
    Your negotiated indirect cost rate approval does not need to be 
included in your application, but you will be required to provide it if 
a grant is awarded. Approval for indirect costs that are requested in 
an application without an approved indirect cost rate agreement is at 
the discretion of the Agency.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package
    For further information, you should contact your State Office at 
https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. Program materials may 
also be obtained at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-cooperative-development-grant-program.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
    You must submit your application electronically through Grants.gov. 
You are encouraged, but not required to utilize the application 
template found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-cooperative-development-grant-program.
a. Electronic Submission
    An optional-use Agency application template is available online at 
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-cooperative-development-grant-program. To apply electronically, you must use the Grants.gov 
website at https://www.Grants.gov. You may not apply electronically in 
any way other than through Grants.gov.
    You can locate the Grants.gov downloadable application package for 
this program by using a keyword, the program name, or the Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program.
    When you enter the Grants.gov website, you will find information 
about applying electronically through the site, as well as the hours of 
operation if the system is undergoing maintenance.
    To use Grants.gov, you must already have a DUNS number and you must 
also be registered and maintain registration in SAM. We strongly 
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to 
begin the application process through Grants.gov.
    You must submit all your application documents electronically 
through Grants.gov. Applications must include electronic signatures. 
Original signatures may be required if funds are awarded.
    After electronically applying through Grants.gov, you will receive 
an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov 
tracking number.
b. Supplemental Information
    Your application must contain all the required forms and proposal 
elements described in 7 CFR 4284.510 and as otherwise described in this 
Notice. Specifically, your application must include: The required forms 
as described in 7 CFR 4284.510(b) and the required proposal elements as 
described in 7 CFR 4284.510(c). If your application is incomplete, it 
is ineligible to compete for funds. Applications lacking sufficient 
information to determine eligibility and scoring will be considered 
ineligible. Information submitted after the application deadline will 
not be accepted.
c. Clarifications on Forms
     Your DUNS number should be identified in the 
``Organizational DUNS'' field on Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application 
for Federal Assistance.'' You must also provide your SAM Commercial and 
Government Entity (CAGE) Code and expiration date under the applicant 
eligibility discussion in your proposal narrative. If you do not 
include the CAGE code and expiration date and the DUNS number in your 
application, it will not be considered for funding. In accordance with 
OMB Memorandum M-20-17, the Agency can accept an application without an 
active SAM registration. However, the registration must be completed 
before an award is made. Current registrants in SAM with active 
registrations expiring before July 31, 2021 will be afforded a one-time 
extension of 60 days.
     You no longer must complete the Form SF 424B, 
``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs'' as a part of your 
application. This information is now collected through your 
registration or annual recertification in SAM.gov through the Financial 
Assistance General Certifications and Representation.
     You can voluntarily fill out and submit the ``Survey on 
Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants,'' as part of your 
application if you are a nonprofit organization.
d. Clarifications on Proposal Elements
    1. You must include the title of the project as well as any other 
relevant identifying information on the Title Page.
    2. You must include a Table of Contents with page numbers for each 
component of the application to facilitate review.
    3. Your Executive Summary must include the items in 7 CFR 
4284.510(c)(3) and discuss the percentage of work that will be 
performed among organizational staff, consultants, or other 
contractors. It should not exceed two pages.
    4. Your Eligibility Discussion must cover how you meet the 
applicant eligibility requirements, matching funds, and other 
eligibility requirements. It must not exceed two pages.
    5. Your Proposal Narrative must not exceed 40 pages using at least 
11-point font and should describe the essential aspects of the project.
    i. You are required to only have one title page for the proposal.
    ii. If you list the evaluation criteria on the Table of Contents 
and then specifically and individually address each criterion in 
narrative form, it is not necessary for you to include an Information 
Sheet. Otherwise, the Information Sheet is required under 7 CFR 
4284.510(c)(5)(ii).
    iii. You must include the following under Goals of the Project:
    A. A statement that substantiates that the Center will effectively 
serve rural areas in the United States;
    B. A statement that the primary objective of the Center will be to 
improve the economic condition of rural areas through cooperative 
development;
    C. A description of the contributions that the proposed activities 
are likely to make to the improvement of the economic conditions of the 
rural areas for which the Center will provide services. Expected 
economic impacts should be tied to tasks included in the work plan and 
budget; and
    D. A statement that the Center, in carrying out its activities, 
will seek, where appropriate, the advice, participation, expertise, and 
assistance of representatives of business, industry, educational 
institutions, the Federal government, and State and local governments.

[[Page 31270]]

    iv. The Agency has established annual performance evaluation 
measures to evaluate the RCDG program. You must provide estimates on 
the following performance evaluation measures:
     Number of groups assisted who are not legal entities.
     Number of businesses assisted that are not cooperatives.
     Number of cooperatives assisted.
     Number of businesses incorporated that are not 
cooperatives.
     Number of cooperatives incorporated.
     Total number of jobs created as a result of assistance.
     Total number of jobs saved as a result of assistance.
     Number of jobs created for the Center as a result of RCDG 
funding.
     Number of jobs saved for the Center as a result of RCDG 
funding.
    It is permissible to have a zero in a performance element. When you 
calculate jobs created, estimates should be based upon actual jobs to 
be created by your organization because of the RCDG funding or actual 
jobs to be created by cooperative businesses or other businesses as a 
result of assistance from your organization. When you calculate jobs 
saved, estimates should be based only on actual jobs that would have 
been lost if your organization did not receive RCDG funding or actual 
jobs that would have been lost without assistance from your 
organization.
    v. You can also suggest additional performance elements, for 
example, where job creation or jobs saved may not be a relevant 
indicator (e.g., housing). These additional criteria should be 
specific, measurable performance elements that could be included in an 
award document.
    vi. You must describe in the application how you will undertake 
each of the following and prefer that you describe these undertakings 
within the noted proposal evaluation criteria to reduce duplication in 
your application. The specific proposal evaluation criterion where you 
should address each undertaking is noted below.
    A. Take all practicable steps to develop continuing sources of 
financial support for the Center, particularly from sources in the 
private sector (should be presented under proposal evaluation criterion 
j., utilizing the specific requirements of Section E.1.j.);
    B. Make arrangements for the Center's activities to be monitored 
and evaluated (should be addressed under proposal evaluation criterion 
` h.' utilizing the specific requirements of Section E.1.h.); and
    C. Provide an accounting for the money received by the grantee in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F and 2 CFR part 200. This 
should be addressed under proposal evaluation criterion ` a.', 
utilizing the specific requirements of Section E.1.a.
    vii. You should present the Work Plan and Budget proposal element 
under proposal evaluation criterion ` h.', utilizing the specific 
requirements of Section E.1.h. of this Notice to reduce duplication in 
your application.
    viii. You should present the Delivery of Cooperative development 
assistance proposal element under proposal evaluation criterion ` b', 
utilizing the specific requirements of Section E.1.b. of this Notice.
    ix. You should present the Qualifications of Personnel proposal 
element under proposal evaluation criterion ' '', utilizing the 
specific requirements of Section E.1.i. of this Notice.
    x. You should present the Local Support and Future Support proposal 
elements under proposal evaluation criterion ` j ', utilizing the 
requirements of Section E.1.j. of this Notice.
    xi. Your application will not be considered for funding if you do 
not address all of the proposal evaluation criteria. See Section E.1. 
of this Notice for a description of the proposal evaluation criteria.
    xii. Only appendices A-C will be considered when evaluating your 
application. You must not include resumes of staff or consultants in 
the application.
    6. You must certify that there are no current outstanding Federal 
judgments against your property and that you will not use grant funds 
to pay for any judgment obtained by the United States. To satisfy the 
certification requirement, you should include this statement in your 
application: ``[INSERT NAME OF APPLICANT] certifies that the United 
States has not obtained an unsatisfied judgment against its property, 
is not delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes, or any 
Federal debt, and will not use grant funds to pay any judgments 
obtained by the United States.'' A separate signature relating to this 
certification is not required.
    7. You must certify that matching funds will be available at the 
same time grant funds are anticipated to be spent and that expenditures 
of matching funds are pro-rated or spent in advance of grant funding, 
such that for every dollar of the total project cost, not less than the 
required amount of matching funds will be expended. Please note that 
this certification is a separate requirement from the Verification of 
Matching Funds requirement. To satisfy the certification requirement, 
you should include this statement in your application: ``[INSERT NAME 
OF APPLICANT] certifies that matching funds will be available at the 
same time grant funds are anticipated to be spent and that expenditures 
of matching funds shall be pro-rated or spent in advance of grant 
funding, such that for every dollar of the total project cost, at least 
25 cents (5 cents for 1994 Institutions) of matching funds will be 
expended.'' A separate signature relating to this certification is not 
required.
    8. You must provide documentation in your application to verify all 
of your proposed matching funds. The documentation must be included in 
Appendix A of your application and will not count towards the 40-page 
limitation. Template letters are available for each type of matching 
funds contribution at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-cooperative-development-grant-program.
    a. If matching funds are to be provided in cash, the following 
requirements must be met:
     If the matching funds are being provided by the applicant, 
the application must include a statement verifying (1) the amount of 
the cash and (2) the source of the cash. You may also provide a bank 
statement dated 30 days or less from the application deadline date to 
verify your cash match.
     If the matching funds are being provided by a third-party, 
the application must include a signed letter from the third party 
verifying (1) how much cash will be donated and (2) that it will be 
available corresponding to the proposed grant period or donated on a 
specific date within the grant period.
    b. If matching funds are to be provided by an in-kind donation, you 
must meet the following requirements:
     If the in-kind donation is being provided by the 
applicant, the application must include a signed letter from you or 
your authorized representative verifying (1) the nature of the goods 
and/or services to be donated and how they will be used, (2) when the 
goods and/or services will be donated (i.e., corresponding to the 
proposed grant period or to specific dates within the grant period), 
and (3) the value of the goods and/or services. Please note that most 
applicant contributions for the RCDG program are considered applicant 
cash match in accordance with this Notice. If you are unsure, please 
contact your State Office because identifying your matching funds 
improperly can affect your scoring.
     If the in-kind donation is being provided by a third-
Party, the application must include a signed letter from the third 
party verifying (1) the

[[Page 31271]]

nature of the goods and/or services to be donated and how they will be 
used, (2) when the goods and/or services will be donated (i.e., 
corresponding to the proposed grant period or to specific dates within 
the grant period), and (3) the value of the goods and/or services.
    To ensure that you are identifying and verifying your matching 
funds appropriately, please note the following:
     If you are paying for goods and/or services as part of the 
matching funds requirement, the expenditure is considered a cash match, 
and you must verify it as such. Universities must verify the goods and 
services they are providing to the project as a cash match and the 
verification must be approved by the appropriate approval official 
(i.e., sponsored programs office or equivalent).
     If you have already received cash from a third-party 
(e.g., a foundation) before the start of your proposed grant period, 
you must verify this as your own cash match and not as a third-party 
cash match. If you are receiving cash from a third-party during the 
grant period, then you must verify the cash as a third-party cash 
match.
     Board resolutions for a cash match must be approved at the 
time of application.
     You can only consider goods or services for which no 
expenditure is made as an in-kind contribution.
     If a non-profit or another organization contributes the 
services of affiliated volunteers, they must follow the third-party, 
in-kind donation verification requirement for each individual 
volunteer.
     Expected program income may not be used to fulfill your 
matching funds requirement at the time you submit your application. 
However, if you have a contract to provide services in place at the 
time you submit your application, you can verify the amount of the 
contract as a cash match.
     The valuation processes used for in-kind contributions 
does not need to be included in your application, but you must be able 
to demonstrate how the valuation was derived if you are awarded a 
grant. The grant award may be withdrawn, or the amount of the grant 
reduced if you cannot demonstrate how the valuation was derived.
    Successful applicants must comply with requirements identified in 
Section F, Federal Award Administration Information.
3. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System 
for Awards Management (SAM)
    To be eligible (unless you are excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c) 
or (d)), you are required to:
    (a) Provide a valid DUNS number in your application, which can be 
obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line at (866) 705-5711;
    (b) Register in SAM before submitting your application. You may 
register in SAM at no cost at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/. You must 
provide your SAM CAGE Code and expiration date in the application 
materials. When registering in SAM, you must indicate you are applying 
for a Federal financial assistance project or program or are currently 
the recipient of funding under any Federal financial assistance project 
or program, and
    (c) The SAM registration must remain active with current 
information at all times while RBCS is considering an application or 
while a Federal grant award or loan is active. To maintain the 
registration in the SAM database the applicant must review and update 
the information in the SAM database annually from date of initial 
registration or from the date of the last update. The applicant must 
ensure that the information in the database is current, accurate, and 
complete. Applicants must ensure they complete the Financial Assistance 
General Certifications and Representations in SAM.
    If you have not fully complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM 
requirements, the Agency may determine that the applicant is not 
qualified to receive a Federal award and the Agency may use that 
determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. In 
accordance with OMB Memorandum M-20-17, the Agency can accept an 
application without an active SAM registration. However, the 
registration must be completed before an award is made. Current 
registrants in SAM with active registrations expiring before July 31, 
2021, will be afforded a one-time extension of 60 days. Please refer to 
Section F.2. for additional submission requirements that apply to 
grantees selected for this program.
4. Submission Date and Time
    Explanation of Deadline: Completed applications must be submitted 
electronically by no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, August 10, 
2021, through Grants.gov, to be eligible for grant funding. Please 
review the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html for instructions on the process of registering your 
organization as soon as possible to ensure that you can meet the 
electronic application deadline. Grants.gov will not accept 
applications submitted after the deadline.
    The Agency will not solicit or consider new scoring or eligibility 
information that is submitted after the application deadline. The 
Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to seek clarification 
on materials contained in the submitted application. See the 
Application Template for a full discussion of each item. For 
requirements of completed grant applications, refer to Section D of 
this document.
5. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
    Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs,'' applies to this program. This E.O. requires that Federal 
agencies provide opportunities for consultation on proposed assistance 
with State and local governments. Many States have established a Single 
Point of Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. For a list of 
States that maintain a SPOC, please see the White House website: 
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. 
If your State has a designated point of contact (SPOC), you may submit 
a copy of the application directly to the SPOC for review. Any comments 
obtained through the SPOC must be provided to your State Office for 
consideration as part of your application. If your State has not 
established a SPOC, or if you do not want to submit a copy of the 
application to the SPOC for a review, our State Offices will submit 
your application to the SPOC or other appropriate agency or agencies.
6. Funding Restrictions
a. Project funds, including grant and matching funds, cannot be used 
for ineligible grant purposes (see 7 CFR 4284.10). Also, you shall not 
use project funds for the following:
     To purchase, rent, or install laboratory equipment or 
processing machinery;
     To pay for the operating costs of any entity receiving 
assistance from the Center;
     To pay costs of the project where a conflict of interest 
exists;
     To fund any activities prohibited by 2 CFR part 200; or
     To fund any activities considered unallowable by 2 CFR 
part 200, subpart

[[Page 31272]]

E, ``Cost Principles,'' and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (for-
profits) or successor regulations.
    b. In addition, your application will not be considered for funding 
if it does any of the following:
     Focuses assistance on only one cooperative or mutually-
owned business;
     Requests more than the maximum grant amount; or
     Proposes ineligible costs that equal more than 10 percent 
of total project costs. The ineligible costs will NOT be removed at 
this stage to proceed with application processing. For purposes of this 
determination, the grant amount requested plus the matching funds 
amount constitutes the total project costs.
    We will consider your application for funding if it includes 
ineligible costs of 10 percent or less of total project costs, if the 
remaining costs are determined eligible otherwise. However, if your 
application is successful, those ineligible costs must be removed and 
replaced with eligible costs before the Agency will make the grant 
award, or the amount of the grant award will be reduced accordingly. If 
we cannot determine the percentage of ineligible costs, your 
application will not be considered for funding.
7. Other Submission Requirements
    a. You should not submit your application in more than one format. 
You must submit your application electronically. Note that we cannot 
accept applications through mail or courier delivery, in-person 
delivery, email, or fax. To submit an application electronically, you 
must follow the instruction for this funding announcement at https://www.grants.gov.
    b. National Environmental Policy Act: All recipients under this 
Notice are subject to the requirements of 7 CFR part 1970. However, 
technical assistance awards under this Notice are classified as a 
Categorical Exclusion according to 7 CFR 1970.53(b), and usually do not 
require any additional documentation.
    The Agency will review each grant application to determine its 
compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant may be asked to provide 
additional information or documentation to assist the Agency with this 
determination.
    c. Civil Rights Compliance Requirements: All grants made under this 
Notice are subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 
required by USDA (7 CFR part 15, subpart A) and Section 504 of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

E. Application Review Information

    The State Offices will review applications to determine if they are 
eligible for assistance based on requirements in 7 CFR part 4284, 
subparts A and F, this Notice, and other applicable Federal 
regulations. If determined eligible, your application will be scored by 
a panel of USDA employees in accordance with the point allocation 
specified in this Notice. Applications will be funded in rank order 
until the funding limitation has been reached. Applications that cannot 
be fully funded may be offered partial funding at the Agency's 
discretion.
1. Scoring Criteria
    Scoring criteria will follow statutory criteria in 7 U.S.C. 1932(e) 
and the criteria published in the program regulations at 7 CFR 4284.513 
as described below. You should also include information as described in 
Section D.2.e.5.vi. if you choose to address these items under the 
scoring criteria. Evaluators will base scores only on the information 
provided or cross-referenced by page number in each individual 
evaluation criterion. The maximum amount of points available is 110. 
Newly established or proposed Centers that do not yet have a track 
record on which to evaluate the following criteria should refer to the 
expertise and track records of staff or consultants expected to perform 
tasks related to the respective criteria. Proposed or newly established 
Centers must be organized well-enough at the time of application to 
address its capabilities for meeting these criteria.
    a. Administrative capabilities (maximum score of 10 points). A 
panel of USDA employees will evaluate your demonstrated track record in 
carrying out activities in support of development assistance to 
cooperatively and mutually owned businesses. At a minimum, you must 
discuss the following administrative capabilities:
    1. Financial systems and audit controls;
    2. Personnel and program administration performance measures;
    3. Clear written rules of governance; and
    4. Experience administering Federal grant funding no later than the 
last 5 years, including but not limited to past RCDG awards. Please 
list the name of the Federal grant program(s), the amount(s), and the 
date(s) of funding received.
    You will score higher on this criterion if you can demonstrate that 
the Center has independent governance. For applicants that are 
universities or parent organizations, you should demonstrate that there 
is a separate board of directors for the Center.
    b. Technical assistance and other services (maximum score of 10 
points). A panel of USDA employees will evaluate your demonstrated 
expertise no later than the last 5 years in providing technical 
assistance and accomplishing effective outcomes in rural areas to 
promote and assist the development of cooperatively and mutually owned 
businesses. At a minimum, you must discuss:
    1. Your potential for delivering effective technical assistance;
    2. The types of assistance provided;
    3. The expected effects of that assistance;
    4. The sustainability of organizations receiving the assistance; 
and
    5. The transferability of your cooperative development strategies 
and focus to other areas of the United States.
    A chart or table showing the outcomes of your demonstrated 
expertise based upon the performance elements listed in Section 
D.2.e.5.iv. or as identified in your award document on previous RCDG 
awards is recommended. At a minimum, please provide information for FY 
2017 to FY 2019 awards. You may also include any performance outcomes 
from an FY 2020 RCDG award. We prefer that you provide one chart or 
table for each award year. The intention here is for you to provide 
actual performance numbers based upon award years (fiscal year) even 
though your grant period for the award was implemented during the next 
calendar or fiscal year. Please provide a narrative explanation if you 
have not previously received an RCDG award.
    You will score higher on this criterion if you provide more than 3 
years of outcomes and can demonstrate that the organizations you 
assisted within the last 5 years are sustainable. Additional outcome 
information should be provided on RCDG grants awarded before FY 2017. 
Please describe specific project(s) when addressing items 1-5 of 
paragraph b. To reduce duplication, descriptions of specific projects 
and their impacts, outcomes and roles can be discussed once under 
criterion b or c. However, you must cross-reference the information 
under the other criterion.
    c. Economic development (maximum score of 10 points). A panel of 
USDA employees will evaluate your demonstrated ability to facilitate:
    1. Establishment of cooperatives or mutually owned businesses;
    2. New cooperative approaches (i.e., organizing cooperatives among 
underserved individuals or

[[Page 31273]]

communities; an innovative market approach; a type of cooperative 
currently not in your service area; a new cooperative structure; novel 
ways to raise member equity or community capitalization; conversion of 
an existing business to cooperative ownership); and
    3. Retention of businesses, generation of employment opportunities 
or other factors, as applicable, that will otherwise improve the 
economic conditions of rural areas.
    You will score higher on this criterion if you provide quantifiable 
economic measurements showing the impacts of your past development 
projects no later than the last 5 years and identify your role in the 
economic development outcomes.
    d. Past performance in establishing legal business entities 
(maximum score of 10 points). A panel of USDA employees will evaluate 
your demonstrated past performance in establishing legal cooperative 
business entities and other legal business entities since October 1, 
2016. Provide the name of the organization(s) established, the date(s) 
of formation, and your role(s) in assisting with the incorporation(s) 
under this criterion. In addition, documentation verifying the 
establishment of legal business entities must be included in Appendix C 
of your application and will not count against the 40-page limit for 
the narrative. The documentation must include proof that organizational 
documents were filed with the Secretary of State's Office (i.e., 
Certificate of Incorporation or information from the State's official 
website naming the entity established and the date of establishment); 
or if the business entity is not required to register with the 
Secretary of State, a certification from the business entity that a 
legal business entity has been established and when. Please note that 
you are not required to submit articles of incorporation to receive 
points under this criterion. You will score higher on this criterion if 
you have established legal cooperative businesses. If your State does 
not incorporate cooperative business entities, please describe how the 
established business entity operates like a cooperative. Due to 
extenuating circumstances of COVID-19, the Agency will utilize 
information in the narrative to score this criterion. Documentation to 
verify past performance in establishing legal entities will be required 
before an award is made.
    e. Networking and regional focus (maximum score of 10 points). A 
panel of USDA employees will evaluate your demonstrated commitment to:
    1. Networking with other cooperative development centers, and other 
organizations involved in rural economic development efforts, and
    2. Developing multi-organization and multi-State approaches to 
addressing the economic development and cooperative needs of rural 
areas.
    You will score higher on this criterion if you can demonstrate the 
outcomes of your multi-organizational and multi-State approaches. 
Please describe the project(s), partners and the outcome(s) that 
resulted from the approach.
    f. Commitment (maximum score of 10 points). A panel of USDA 
employees will evaluate your commitment to providing technical 
assistance and other services to underserved and economically 
distressed areas in rural areas of the United States. You will score 
higher on this criterion if you define and describe the underserved and 
economically distressed areas within your service area, provide 
economic statistics, and identify past or current projects within or 
affecting these areas, as appropriate. Projects identified in the work 
plan and budget that are located in persistent poverty counties as 
defined in Section 736 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, 
will score even higher on this criterion.
    g. Matching Funds (maximum score of 10 points). A panel of USDA 
employees will evaluate your commitment for the 25 percent (5 percent 
for 1994 Institutions) matching funds requirement. A chart or table 
should be provided to describe all matching funds being committed to 
the project. However, formal documentation to verify all the matching 
funds must be included in Appendix A of your application. You will be 
scored on the total amount and how you identify your matching funds.
    1. If you meet the 25 percent (5 percent for 1994 Institutions) 
matching funds requirement, points will be assigned as follows:
     In-kind only--1 point;
     Mix of in-kind and cash--3-4 points (maximum points will 
be awarded if the ratio of cash to in-kind is 30 percent or more); or
     Cash only--5 points.
    2. If you exceed the 25 percent (5 percent for 1994 Institutions) 
matching funds requirement, points will be assigned as follows:
     In-kind only--2 points;
     Mix of in-kind and cash--6-7 points (maximum points will 
be awarded if the ratio of cash to in-kind is 30 percent or more); or
     Cash only--up to 10 points.
    h. Work Plan/Budget (maximum score of 10 points). A panel of USDA 
employees will evaluate your work plan for detailed actions and an 
accompanying timetable for implementing the proposal. The budget must 
present a breakdown of the estimated costs associated with cooperative 
and business development activities as well as the operation of the 
Center and allocate these costs to each of the tasks to be undertaken. 
Matching funds as well as grant funds must be accounted for in the 
budget.
    You must discuss at a minimum:
    1. Specific tasks (whether it be by type of service or specific 
project) to be completed using grant and matching funds;
    2. How customers will be identified;
    3. Key personnel; and
    4. The evaluation methods to be used to determine the success of 
specific tasks and overall objectives of Center operations. Please 
provide qualitative methods of evaluation. For example, evaluation 
methods should go beyond quantitative measurements of completing 
surveys or number of evaluations.
    You will score higher on this criterion if you present a clear, 
logical, realistic, and efficient work plan and budget.
    i. Qualifications of those Performing the Tasks (maximum score of 
10 points). A panel of USDA employees will evaluate your application to 
determine if the personnel expected to perform key tasks have 
experience:
    1. Developing positive solutions for complex cooperative 
development and/or marketing problems; and
    2. Conducting accurate feasibility studies, business plans, 
marketing analysis, or other activities relevant to your success as 
determined by the tasks identified in the work plan.
    Your application must indicate whether the personnel expected to 
perform the tasks are full/part-time employees of your organization or 
are contract personnel. You will score higher on this criterion if you 
demonstrate commitment and availability of qualified personnel expected 
to perform the tasks.
    j. Local and Future Support (maximum score of 10 points). A panel 
of USDA employees will evaluate your application for local and future 
support. Support should be discussed directly within the response to 
this criterion.
    1. Discussion of local support should include previous and/or 
expected local support and plans for coordinating with other 
developmental organizations in the proposed service area or with state 
and local government institutions. You will score higher if you 
demonstrate strong support from potential beneficiaries and formal 
evidence of intent to coordinate with other developmental 
organizations. You may

[[Page 31274]]

also submit a maximum of 10 letters of support or intent to coordinate 
with the application to verify your discussion. These letters should be 
included in Appendix B of your application and will not count against 
the 40-page limit for the narrative. Due to the extenuating 
circumstances of COVID-19, the Agency will utilize information in the 
narrative to score this criterion. Documentation to verify local 
support will be required before an award is made.
    2. Discussion on future support will include your vision for 
funding operations in future years. You should document:
    (i) New and existing funding sources that support your goals;
    (ii) Alternative funding sources that reduce reliance on Federal, 
State, and local grants; and
    (iii) The use of in-house personnel for providing services versus 
contracting out for that expertise. Please discuss your strategy for 
building in-house technical assistance capacity.
    You will score higher if you can demonstrate that your future 
support will result in long-term sustainability of the Center, 
including the use and building of in-house personnel for providing 
services.
    k. Administrator Discretionary Points (maximum of 10 points). The 
Administrator may choose to award up to 10 points to an eligible non-
profit corporation or institution of higher education that has never 
previously been awarded an RCDG grant.
2. Review and Selection Process
    The State Offices will review applications to determine if they are 
eligible for assistance based on requirements in 7 CFR part 4284, 
subparts A and F, this Notice, and other applicable Federal 
regulations. If determined eligible, your application will be scored by 
a panel of USDA employees in accordance with the point allocation 
specified in this Notice. The Administrator may choose to award up to 
10 Administrator priority points based on criterion (k) in section E.1. 
of this Notice. These points will be added to the cumulative score for 
a total possible score of 110. Applications will be funded in highest 
ranking order until the appropriations funding limitation for the RCDG 
program has been reached. Applications that cannot be fully funded may 
be offered partial funding at the Agency's discretion. If your 
application is evaluated, but not funded, it will not be carried 
forward into the competition for any subsequent fiscal year program 
funding. Successful applicants must comply with requirements identified 
in Section F, Federal Award Administration Information.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices
    If you are selected for funding, you will receive a signed notice 
of Federal award by postal or electronic mail from the State Office 
where your application was submitted, containing instructions and 
requirements necessary to proceed with execution and performance of the 
award. You must comply with all applicable statutes, regulations, and 
notice requirements before the grant award will be funded.
    If you are not selected for funding, you will be notified in 
writing via postal or electronic mail and informed of any review and 
appeal rights. See 7 CFR part 11 for USDA National Appeals Division 
(NAD) procedures. Note that rejected applicants that are successful in 
their NAD appeals will not receive funding in the event that all FY 
2021 RCDG program funding has already been awarded and obligated to 
other applicants.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
    Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this 
program can be found in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F; the Grants and 
Agreements regulations of the Department of Agriculture codified in 2 
CFR parts 180, 200, 400, 415, 417, 418, 421; 2 CFR parts 25 and 170; 
and 48 CFR part 31 (subpart 31.2), and successor regulations to these 
parts.
    In addition, all recipients of Federal financial assistance are 
required to report information about first-tier subawards and executive 
compensation (see 2 CFR part 170). You will be required to have the 
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-282) 
reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 170.200(b), unless you are exempt 
under 2 CFR 170.110(b)).
    The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected 
for awards within this program:
    a. Execution of an Agency-approved Grant Agreement;
    b. Acceptance of a written Letter of Conditions; and submission of 
the following Agency forms:
     Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of Funds.''
     Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.''
     SF LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' if 
applicable.
3. Reporting
    After grant approval and through grant completion, you will be 
required to provide an SF-425, ``Federal Financial Report,'' and a 
project performance report on a semiannual basis (due 30 working days 
after end of the semiannual period). The project performance reports 
shall include the following:
    a. A comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives 
established for that period;
    b. Reasons why established objectives were not met, if applicable;
    c. Reasons for any problems, delays, or adverse conditions, if any, 
which have affected or will affect attainment of overall project 
objectives, prevent meeting time schedules or objectives, or preclude 
the attainment of particular objectives during established time 
periods. This disclosure shall be accompanied by a statement of the 
action taken or planned to resolve the situation; and
    d. Objectives and timetable established for the next reporting 
period.
    The grantee must provide a final project and financial status 
report within 90 days after the expiration or termination of the grant 
with a summary of the project performance reports and final 
deliverables to closeout a grant in accordance to 2 CFR 200.344.

G. Agency Contacts

    If you have questions about this Notice, please contact the 
appropriate State Office at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. Program guidance as well as application and matching funds 
templates may be obtained at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-cooperative-development-grant-program. You may also contact 
National Office Program Management Division: RCDG Program Lead, 
[email protected], or call the main line at 202-720-1400. 
Applicants must follow the instructions for the RCDG funding 
announcement located at https://www.grants.gov.

H. Nondiscrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or 
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, family/

[[Page 31275]]

parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, 
political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights 
activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not 
all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible 
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint and 
at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in 
the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a 
copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed 
form or letter to USDA by:
    (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-9410; or
    (2) Email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Mark Brodziski,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-12292 Filed 6-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P