Inviting Applications for Agriculture Innovation Demonstration Center Grants, 74392-74401 [2022-26370]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 232 (Monday, December 5, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74392-74401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26370]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Docket #: RBS-22-Business-0024]


Inviting Applications for Agriculture Innovation Demonstration 
Center Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (Agency), an agency of 
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces that it 
is accepting fiscal year (FY) 2023 applications for the Agriculture 
Innovation Demonstration Center (AIC) program. In FY 2023, the program 
has $8,005,621 available for grant funding. The purpose of this program 
is to establish and operate Agriculture Innovation Centers (Centers) 
that provide technical and business development assistance to 
Agricultural Producers seeking to engage in developing and marketing of 
Value-Added Agricultural Products. This program supports Rural 
Development's (RD) mission of improving the quality of life for rural 
Americans and commitment to directing resources to those who most need 
them.

DATES: 
    1. Application Deadline. Completed applications for grants must be 
submitted electronically by no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, 
March 6, 2023, through Grants.gov. Late applications are not eligible 
for funding under this notice and will not be evaluated. All components 
of the application must be submitted with the Grants.gov submission. 
The Agency will not accept additional information through other 
submission methods, such as email or courier delivery.
    2. Training Session. The Agency will offer one training session for 
potential applicants on January 13, 2023 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). 
The training session will provide an overview of the requirements for 
the program and address questions posed by potential applicants. It is 
expected that the session will be offered via webinar and will have a 
duration of approximately

[[Page 74393]]

two hours. The session will be recorded and available for viewing 
within two weeks. Details for how to access the webinar and recording 
will be posted on the program's website. Applicants can register for 
the webinar at: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_AZxgP03KQwSFLMNm6NOhUQ.

ADDRESSES: Application materials are available on Grants.gov and on the 
program website at: https://rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-programs/agriculture-innovation-center-program. Applications must be 
submitted through Grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gail Thuner, Direct Programs Branch, 
Program Management Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United 
States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, MS 3201, 
Room 5803-South, Washington, DC 20250-3250, or call 202-720-1400, or 
email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    Federal Awarding Agency Name: USDA Rural Business-Cooperative 
Service.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Agriculture Innovation Demonstration 
Center.
    Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Availability.
    Funding Opportunity Number: RBCS-AIC-2023.
    Assistance Listing: 10.377.
    Dates: Application Deadline. Your application must be received by 
Grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, March 6, 2023, or it 
will not be considered for funding.
    Administrative: The Agency encourages applicants to consider 
projects that will advance the following key priorities.
     Assisting rural communities in their efforts to recover 
economically through more and better market opportunities and through 
improved infrastructure.
     Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to 
Rural Development programs and benefits from Rural Development funded 
projects.
     Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to 
the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural 
communities.
    More details on the key priorities may be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.

A. Program Description

    1. Purpose of the Program. The objective of the AIC program is to 
provide technical assistance to Agricultural Producers to develop and 
market Value-Added Agricultural Products through Centers.
    2. Statutory Authority. The AIC program is authorized by section 
7608 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 
1632b) and is implemented by 7 CFR part 4284 subparts A and K, which 
are incorporated by reference into this notice.
    3. Definitions. The terms you need to understand are defined and 
published at 7 CFR 4284.3, 7 CFR 4284.1004, and 7 CFR 4284.902. The 
term ``you'' referenced throughout this notice should be understood to 
mean ``you'' the applicant. Additional definitions are included below.
    (a) Agricultural Commodity Organization means an organization that 
exclusively represents a single Agricultural Commodity or group of 
similar commodities either on behalf of the commodity itself or on 
behalf of the Agricultural Producers who grow or raise it. The 
representation can be at a local, State, regional, or national level. 
Examples are Agricultural Commodity Marketing Boards established by 
States, a national association representing corn growers, and a 
regional association representing vegetable and berry growers.
    (b) Conflict of Interest means a situation in which a person or 
entity has competing personal, professional, or financial interests 
that make it difficult for the person or business to act impartially. 
Federal procurement standards prohibit transactions that involve a real 
or apparent conflict of interest for owners, employees, officers, 
agents, or their immediate family members having a financial or other 
interest in the outcome of the project; or that restrict open and free 
competition for unrestrained trade. Specifically, neither grant nor 
matching funds may be used for services or goods going to, or coming 
from, a person or entity with a real or apparent conflict of interest, 
including, but not limited to, owner(s) and their immediate family 
members. Examples of conflicts of interest include using grant or 
matching funds to pay a member of the applicant's Board of Directors to 
provide Producer Services and using grant or matching funds to pay an 
immediate family member of the applicant to provide Producer Services. 
Note that the conflict of interest does not include cases when the 
State's Secretary of Agriculture or an employee of the State's 
Department of Agriculture acts as a member of the Board of Directors.
    (c) General Agricultural Organization means an organization that 
represents agriculture in general, without restriction to any specific 
group, commodity, or sector. Representing agriculture through policy 
making, education, and/or marketing must be the sole purpose of the 
organization. The organization must represent Agricultural Producers, 
although it may represent processors and other stakeholders as well. 
The representation can occur at the State, regional, or national level. 
Examples include organizations that represent farmers and ranchers and 
organizations that represent sustainable farming. Note that 
organizations representing organic agriculture and credit organizations 
are not considered part of this definition.
    (d) Qualified Board of Directors means a Board of Directors that 
includes, but is not limited to, representatives from each of the 
following groups: (1) two General Agricultural Organizations with the 
greatest number of members in the State in which the Center is located, 
(2) the department of agriculture, or similar State department or 
agency or a State legislator, of the State in which the Center is 
located, and (3) four Agricultural Commodity Organizations representing 
different commodities produced in the State in which the Center is 
located. Note that no representative may represent more than one group 
or organization. Board of Director representatives must not have any 
Conflicts of Interest. Note that this definition supersedes the 
existing definition at 7 CFR 4284.1004 based on the revision 
established by Public Law 115-334 (the 2018 Farm Bill or Agriculture 
Improvement Act of 2018).

B. Federal Award Information

    Type of Award: Competitive Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2023.
    Total Funding: $8,005,621. RBCS may at its discretion, increase the 
total level of funding available in this funding round [or in any 
category in this funding round] from any available source provided the 
awards meet the requirements of the statute which made the funding 
available to the agency.
    Minimum Award: $600,000.
    Maximum Award: $1,000,000.
    Project Period: 3 years.
    Anticipated Award Date: August 2, 2023.

C. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants. You must meet all of the following 
eligibility requirements. Applicants and/or applications which fail to 
meet any of these requirements by the application deadline will not be 
evaluated further or considered for funding.
    (a) Applicant Eligibility.

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    (1) Eligible Entities. Grants may be made to Nonprofit 
Organizations, Commercial Organizations, Local Governments, State 
Governments, Indian Tribes, and Institutions of Higher Education. 
Consortiums are also eligible to apply, but they must select a single 
organization to represent the consortium as the applicant. Only the 
applicant organization must meet the eligibility requirements. Note 
that applicant organizations must be prepared to act as Centers to 
provide Producer Services. Grant awards are not made directly to 
businesses or Agricultural Producers to market Value-Added Agricultural 
Products. Organizations that propose to use grant award funds to earn 
revenue processing and selling value-added products are not eligible. 
(See section D 2(b)(xii) of this notice for the information you are 
required to submit in your application for the Agency to assess your 
eligibility as an eligible entity.)
    (2) Independent Governance. The Center must be independently 
governed, although it does not have to be a separate legal entity from 
the applicant organization. If the applicant is a parent organization 
or institution of higher education, you must demonstrate that there is 
a separate Board of Directors for the Center and that the Center has 
independent governance. The Center has independent governance if it has 
control over personnel decisions, including hiring and firing employees 
and contractors; setting policies and procedures, including personnel 
and procurement; developing and approving its budget; and selecting its 
own Board of Directors, which shall not include any members who are 
affiliated with the parent organization. (See section D 2(b)(xiv) of 
this notice for the information you are required to submit in your 
application for the Agency to assess whether your organization meets 
the requirement for independent governance.)
    (3) Qualified Board of Directors. The Board of Directors for the 
Center must meet the definition for Qualified Board of Directors in 
section A 3(d) of this notice. (See section D 2(b)(xv) of this notice 
for the information you are required to submit in your application for 
the Agency to assess whether your Center's Board of Directors meets the 
definition.)
    (4) Existing Capability to Provide Services. You must be able to 
demonstrate that you have previously provided services similar to the 
Producer Services defined in 7 CFR 4284.1004 or that you have the 
capability to provide those services. In order to be considered 
qualified, you must either demonstrate at least three years of 
experience during the last five years providing the same type of 
Producer Services as those proposed in the application and show a 
record of at least three positive outcomes or you must demonstrate that 
you currently have at least two key personnel committed to the project 
who have the same level of experience and positive outcomes, even if 
they have not worked for you for at least three years. (See section D 
2(b)(xvi) of this notice for the information you are required to submit 
in your application for the Agency to assess whether your organization 
meets the requirement for existing capability to provide services.)
    (5) Support of Agricultural Community. You must demonstrate that at 
least three relevant agricultural organizations support your project. 
The support is relevant if the supporting organization is based in the 
State or region in which the project will take place and if the 
organization serves the same group of producers (either directly or 
through commodity/marketing efforts) targeted by the proposed project. 
(See section D 2(b)(xvii) of this notice for the information you are 
required to submit in your application for the Agency to assess whether 
your organization has the required support from the agricultural 
community.
    (6) Financial Capability. The Agency will assess the financial 
statements from your most recent audit to confirm that you possess 
sufficient financial capabilities for the proposed project. In 
particular, you must have a current ratio of at least 1:1 and the 
ability to provide sufficient cash flow to cover at least three months 
of total project costs to account for the lag between when expenses are 
incurred, and award funds are disbursed. If you do not meet these 
requirements, you are not eligible for funding. The Agency will also 
review your audit and any notes and findings, and if the Agency 
determines that your financial capability would preclude you from 
properly managing Federal funds, your organization will not be eligible 
for an award. The Agency may also identify any concerns that might 
require special conditions if an award is made. (See section D 
2(b)(xix) of this notice for the information you are required to submit 
in your application for the Agency to assess whether your organization 
has the required financial capability.)
    (7) Satisfactory Performance. The Agency will check the Federal 
Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System as well as the Do 
Not Pay system prior to awarding funds. These systems track all Federal 
awards. If you have deficiencies identified in either system, the 
Agency may either discontinue processing your application if the 
deficiencies are significant or indicate a lack of capability to 
accomplish the proposed project, or the Agency may impose special 
conditions to address the deficiencies. Special conditions may include, 
but are not limited to, more frequent reporting, more detailed 
reporting, and the addition of benchmarks or checkpoints to assess 
progress.
    (8) Number of Applicants. Only one organization can be listed as an 
applicant on an application, even if the project will be completed by a 
consortium or partnership. Collaboration and partnerships are 
encouraged, but one organization must be responsible for administering 
the award, if approved. Typically, we would expect collaborations to 
involve contributions of matching funds or procurement contracts.
    (b) Ineligible Applicants. Organizations are ineligible if the 
following apply.
    (1) Entity Type. Individuals are not eligible for funding.
    (2) Debarment and Suspension. 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.'' 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), a delinquency on the payment of Federal income 
taxes, or a delinquency on Federal debt. The applicant must certify as 
part of the application that it does not have an outstanding judgment 
against it. The Agency will check the Do Not Pay system to verify the 
certification. (See section D 2(b)(x) of this notice for the 
information you are required to submit in your application for the 
Agency to assess whether you are ineligible due to outstanding 
judgments and/or delinquent Federal debt.)
    (3) Felony Criminal Violations or Unpaid Tax Liabilities. Any 
corporation (i) that has been convicted of a felony criminal violation 
under any Federal law within the past 24 months or (ii) that has any 
unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all 
judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have 
lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an 
agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax 
liability, is not eligible for financial assistance provided with funds 
appropriated by the Consolidated

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Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103), 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.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching. Matching funds are required for at 
least one-third of the total project budget. For example, if the total 
project budget is $1,500,000, matching funds must be at least $500,000. 
Matching funds may be provided in cash by the applicant or a third 
party or in-kind by a third party. They must be available for use 
during the period of performance, and they must be used for allowable 
expenses. Applicants cannot propose to use unrecovered indirect costs 
as matching funds. (See section D 2(b)(xiii) of this notice for the 
information you are required to submit in your application for the 
Agency to assess whether your organization has sufficient matching 
funds committed to the proposed project.)
    3. Other Eligibility Requirements.
    (a) Improving Value-Added Markets: Your project must focus on 
increasing and improving the ability of local Agricultural Producers to 
develop markets and processes for Value-Added agricultural commodities 
or products. (See section D 2(b)(iv) of this notice for the information 
you are required to submit in your application for the Agency to assess 
whether your project has the required focus.)
    (b) Use of Funds: Grant Award funds may be used only to provide the 
following Producer Services directly to Agricultural Producers for the 
purpose of developing and marketing a Value-Added Agricultural Product. 
The categories listed below are allowable uses of funds. For 
information on selected items that are not allowable for funding under 
this notice, please review section D 5 of this notice, ``Funding 
Restrictions.''
    (1) Business Development Services. Business Development Services 
include feasibility studies, business plans, and other types of 
technical assistance and applied research that support business 
development.
    (2) Market Development Services. Market development services 
include marketing plans, branding, and customer identification.
    (3) Financial Advisory Services. Financial advisory services 
include assistance with preparing financial statements, assessing 
financing options, and other types of financial guidance related to the 
development, expansion, or operation of a business.
    (4) Process Development Services. Process development services 
include the following:
    (i) Engineering services, including scale-up of production systems 
(not to include cost of renovating or constructing a facility or 
system).
    (ii) Scale production assessments, defined as studies that analyze 
facilities, including processing facilities, for potential value-added 
activities to determine the size that optimizes construction and other 
cost efficiencies.
    (iii) Systems development.
    (iv) Other technical assistance and applied research related to 
development, implementation, improvement and operations of processes 
and systems to produce and market a Value-Added Agricultural Product.
    (5) Organizational Assistance. Organizational assistance includes 
legal and technical advisory services related to the development, 
expansion, or operation of a business.
    (6) Value Chain Coordination. Value chain coordination includes 
assistance with connecting an Agricultural Producer to a distribution 
system, processing facility, or commercial kitchen.
    (7) Product Development. Product development (excluding research 
and development) includes the stages involved in bringing a product 
from idea or concept through commercial-scale production, including 
concept testing; feasibility and cost analysis; product taste-testing; 
demographic and other types of consumer analysis; production analysis; 
and evaluation of packaging and labeling options.
    (8) Grants of $5,000 or less to Agricultural Producers for the 
above services, where the aggregate amount of all such matching grants 
made by the Center does not exceed $50,000. Note that these ``mini-
grants'' are considered pass-through awards. Therefore Centers and the 
subrecipients must comply with all Federal and programmatic 
requirements for pass-through entities and awards, including, but not 
limited to, Pre-Award Requirements, Award Requirements, Post-Award 
Requirements, Property Standards, Procurement Standards, Performance 
and Financial Monitoring and Reporting, Subrecipient Monitoring and 
Reporting, Record Retention and Access, Remedies for Noncompliance, 
Closeout, Post-Closeout Adjustments and Continuing Responsibilities. 
Pass-Through Entities are responsible for acting on behalf of the 
Federal Agency when determining eligibility for the mini-grants as well 
as compliance with Federal and program requirements. Subrecipients of 
the mini-grants must be eligible to receive a Federal award, use grant 
award and matching funds for allowable costs, provide at least one-
third of the total project costs in matching funds, and meet all other 
Federal and program requirements for this program.
    (9) Center Start-up and Operation. Center start-up and operation 
costs include expenses associated with establishing and operating a 
Center, such as legal services, accounting services, clerical 
assistance, technical services, hiring employees, monitoring contracts, 
and Board of Director travel.
    (c) Period of Performance: The proposed period of performance must 
be three years, or the application will not be considered for funding. 
The proposed start date must be no earlier than three months after the 
expected award date and no later than six months after the expected 
award date. Extensions will not be approved.
    (d) Application Completeness: Your application must provide all the 
information requested in section D 2(b) of this notice. Applications 
lacking sufficient information to determine eligibility and scoring 
will not be considered for funding.
    (e) No Duplication of Current Services: Your application must 
demonstrate that you are providing services to new customers or new 
services to current customers.
    (f) Number of Applications: You may only submit one application in 
response to this notice.
    (g) Collaboration, Contracts, and Subawards: While the Agency 
supports collaboration between and among Centers, you must limit any 
contracts or subawards with other Centers to 10 percent or less of 
project costs. We consider collaboration to occurs when two or more 
Centers work jointly on an activity, but each Center controls its own 
budget for its involvement. Any collaboration with other Centers must 
be identified in the proposed Work Plan. The collaborators or 
contractors do not have to meet the eligibility requirements for the 
program. Only the applicant organization is required to meet the 
requirements.

D. Application and Submission Information

    1. Web Address to Access Application Package.
    The application template for applying for this funding opportunity 
is located at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/agriculture-innovation-center-program. Use of the application template is strongly 
recommended to assist you with the application process.

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    2. Content and Form of Application Submission.
    (a) Submission. Your application must be submitted electronically 
through Grants.gov. Your application must contain all required 
information. You must follow the instructions for this funding 
announcement at https://www.grants.gov/. Note that the Agency cannot 
accept applications through mail or courier delivery, in-person 
delivery, email, or fax.
    You can locate the Grants.gov downloadable application package for 
this program by using a keyword, the program name, or the Assistance 
Listing Number (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number) 
for this program.
    When you enter the Grants.gov website, you will find information 
about applying electronically through the site, as well as the hours of 
operation.
    To use Grants.gov, you must already have a Unique Entity Identifier 
(UEI) number and you must also be registered and maintain registration 
in the System for Award Management (SAM). It is strongly recommended 
that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the 
application process through Grants.gov because it can take up to four 
weeks to complete the registration process. See section D 3 of this 
notice for additional information about SAM and the UEI.
    You must submit all application documents electronically through 
Grants.gov. The Agency recommends attaching all files to the SF-424 
form. Applications must include electronic signatures. Original 
signatures may be required if funds are awarded.
    After applying electronically through Grants.gov, you will receive 
an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov 
tracking number.
    (b) Required Information. Your application must contain the 
following required forms and other components. Note that an Application 
Template and Checklist are available on the program's website at: 
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/agriculture-innovation-center-program. Use of the template is strongly recommended, but not 
required.
    (1) Title Page. Your application must contain a Title Page. It is 
recommended that your Title Page include a short title for your 
proposed project as well as contact information or other application 
identifying information.
    (2) Table of Contents. Your application must contain a detailed 
Table of Contents (TOC). The TOC must include page numbers for each 
part of the application, including each evaluation criterion. Page 
numbers should begin immediately following the TOC.
    (3) Executive Summary. A summary of the proposal, not to exceed one 
page, must briefly describe the Project, tasks to be completed, and 
other relevant information that provides a general overview of the 
Project.
    (4) Goals of the Project. You must include a listing of each 
Producer Service to be offered during the project. The Agency 
recommends that you offer only services identified in section C.6 of 
this notice; other types of services may not be eligible for funding. 
You must also identify one or more specific goals relating to 
increasing and improving the ability of identified local Agricultural 
Producers to develop a market or process for Value-Added agricultural 
commodities or products. (See section C 3(a) of this notice for 
eligibility information related to this requirement.)
    (5) Work Plan. You must include a description of your proposed work 
for the project, including how your project focuses on increasing and 
improving the ability of local Agricultural Producers to develop 
markets and processes for Value-Added Agricultural Products. This 
description must include the actions that will be taken in order for 
the Producer Services to be available from the Center. Each action 
should include a target date for completion. General start-up tasks 
should be listed, followed by specific tasks listed for each Producer 
Service to be offered. Tasks associated with the start-up of the Center 
should include a focused marketing and delivery plan directed at the 
local Agricultural Producers that were identified in the Goals section 
of your application. The actions to be taken should include steps for 
identifying customers, hiring key personnel (if not already hired), 
contracting for services for the Center, and making arrangements for 
strategic alliances. Each defined task needs to have a description, 
assigned key personnel, and an expected time frame for accomplishment. 
You must also clearly demonstrate how your project will provide 
services to new customers or provide new services to existing 
customers.
    Note that the work you propose to accomplish must be allowable 
based on section C 3(b) of this notice. Funding restrictions are 
described in section D 5.
    (6) Budget Justification. You must provide additional information 
regarding the budget you submit on the SF-424A, including your matching 
funds. This additional information must describe each category of 
expense and what specific costs are included in each category as well 
as how your Matching Funds will be used. For example, the Salaries 
justification must include the names of each staff member (not just key 
personnel) who will be paid and how much they will be paid. The Fringe 
Benefits category must include a description of how fringe benefits are 
calculated and what is included. The Contracts category must identify 
the contractors by name (if known) as well as the amounts expected for 
each contract and the purpose of each contract. The Other category must 
include the expected expenses (e.g., supplies) that will be included. 
The Travel category must identify specific trips that will be taken, 
who will be traveling, and the reason for the travel. Additionally, if 
there are any unusual expenses, you should describe them and why they 
are appropriate for the award.
    (7) Scoring Criteria. Each of the scoring criteria in this notice 
must be addressed in narrative form, with a maximum of three pages for 
each individual scoring criterion, unless otherwise specified. Failure 
to address each scoring criterion will result in the application being 
determined ineligible.
    (8) Standard Form 424 (SF-424), ``Application for Federal 
Assistance.''
    (9) Standard Form 424A (SF-424A), ``Budget Information-Non-
Construction Programs.'' All sections of the form must be completed.
    (10) Certification Regarding Outstanding Federal Judgments. You 
must certify that there are no current outstanding Federal judgments 
against your property and that you will not use grant funds to pay for 
any judgment obtained by the United States. You must also certify that 
you are not delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes, or any 
Federal debt. To satisfy the Certification requirement, you must 
include this statement in your application: ``[INSERT NAME OF 
APPLICANT] certifies that the United States has not obtained an 
unsatisfied judgment against its property, is not delinquent on the 
payment of Federal income taxes, or any Federal debt, and will not use 
grant funds to pay any judgments obtained by the United States.'' A 
separate signature is not required. (See section C1(b)(2) of this 
notice for information related to the eligibility of this requirement.)
    (11) Certification on Lobbying. Your authorized representative must 
sign a certification which contains the entire statement from 2 CFR 
part 418, appendix A.
    (12) Applicant Eligibility. You must verify your legal status and 
demonstrate your eligibility for the program as described below. (See 
section C 1(a)(1)

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of this notice for information about eligibility related to this 
requirement.)
    (i) Local Governments. Local Governments must provide the legal 
citation that authorizes their organization and attach a copy to the 
application.
    (ii) State Governments. State governments must provide the legal 
citation that authorizes their organization and attach a copy to the 
application.
    (iii) Indian Tribes. Indian Tribes must provide the legal citation 
that authorizes their tribe and attach a copy to the application.
    (iv) Nonprofit Organizations. Nonprofit Organizations must attach 
the organization's Certificate of Good Standing (or the equivalent 
tribal documentation if incorporated under tribal law) and the Articles 
of Incorporation to the application.
    (v) Commercial Organizations. Commercial Organizations must attach 
the organization's Certificate of Good Standing (or equivalent tribal 
documentation if incorporated under tribal law) and the Articles of 
Incorporation to the application.
    (vi) Institutions of Higher Education. Institutions of Higher 
Education must demonstrate that you qualify as an Institution of Higher 
Education as defined at 20 U.S.C. 1001. The most common way to 
demonstrate this qualification is to provide the legal citation that 
authorizes the institution. A copy of the legal citation or other 
documentation must be attached to the application.
    (13) Verification of Matching Funds. Matching funds must be 
provided for at least one-third of the total project cost. For example, 
if your total project cost is $1,500,000, you must provide at least 
$500,000 in matching funds. Matching funds can be provided in cash by 
the applicant organization or a third-party. They can also be provided 
in-kind by a third-party organization. You must verify the amount of 
funds to be contributed, the source of the funds, the availability of 
the funds, and the purpose for which the funds will be used. If a 
third-party is providing part or all of the matching funds, that third-
party must provide a separate, signed verification. All verification 
must be done on an organization's letterhead and be signed by the 
organization's authorized representative. (See section C 2 of this 
notice for information about eligibility related to this requirement.)
    (14) Governance Structure of the Center. The Center does not need 
to be an independent legal entity; however, it must be independently 
governed. You must provide an explanation of how the governance of the 
Center works (or will work if it hasn't been established at the time of 
application). In particular, you must address how the Center carries 
out personnel decisions, including hiring and firing employees and 
contractors; sets its policies and procedures, including personnel and 
procurement; develops and approves its budget; and selects its own 
Board of Directors. (See section C 1(a)(2) of this notice for 
information about eligibility related to this requirement.)
    (15) Board of Directors. You must provide the following 
information. If your application is selected for funding, we will 
confirm the Board of Directors still meets the requirements. If at any 
time, the Center's Board of Directors does not meet the requirements 
during the period of performance, the award will either be suspended 
until the requirements can be met or the award will be terminated if 
the requirements can no longer be met. (See section C 1(a)(3) of this 
notice for information about eligibility related to this requirement.)
    (i) General Agricultural Organizations. For the representatives 
from the two General Agricultural Organizations with the greatest 
number of members in your State, you must identify the representatives, 
the organizations, their purposes, and the number of members they have 
in your State. You must also explain how you determined that the 
organizations have the most (or second most) members. Acceptable 
sources for this information can include the state Department of 
Agriculture, or its equivalent, or a third-party, reliable source, such 
as a trade journal or university agriculture department. You must also 
submit a signed statement from each representative stating that they 
either are currently on the Center's Board of Directors or that they 
commit to being on the Center's Board of Directors during the proposed 
period of performance.
    (ii) State Department of Agriculture or State Legislator. For the 
representative from the State Department of Agriculture (or equivalent) 
or State legislator, you must identify the representative and include 
the person's title and job responsibility if from the Department of 
Agriculture or identify the district the State legislator represents. 
You must also submit a signed statement from the representative stating 
that they either are currently on the Center's Board of Directors or 
that they commit to being on the Center's Board of Directors during the 
proposed period of performance.
    (iii) Agricultural Commodity Organizations. For representatives 
from four Agricultural Commodity Organizations, you must identify each 
representative and the organization they represent. You must use data 
from the State Department of Agriculture, or its equivalent, to 
demonstrate that the commodities are produced in your state and provide 
a copy of the information used. You must also submit a signed statement 
from each representative stating that they either are currently on the 
Center's Board of Directors or that they commit to being on the 
Center's Board of Directors during the proposed period of performance.
    (16) Existing Capability to Provide Services. The applicant 
organization must be able to demonstrate that it has the capability to 
provide the Producer Services proposed in its application. You must use 
one of the two options identified below. (See section C 1(a)(4) of this 
notice for information about eligibility related to this requirement.)
    (i) Center-Provided Services. To demonstrate previously providing 
services, you must include a chart or narrative that describes the 
services provided during the last three to five years, as needed, to 
show that you can meet the requirement. The description must include 
the specific type of service provided, the role of the Center in 
providing the service, how many times it has been provided, and the 
outcomes of the services provided (preferably with quantitative 
measurements).
    (ii) Key Personnel-Provided Services. If the Center does not have 
at least three years of experience providing Producer Services during 
the last five years, you must provide a chart or narrative that 
describes the key personnel's experience with providing Producer 
Services during the last three to five years, as needed, to show that 
you can meet the requirement. The narrative must include a description 
of the services provided, the role of the key personnel in providing 
the service, how many times it has been provided, and the outcomes of 
the services provided (preferably with quantitative measurements).
    (17) Support of the Agricultural Community. You must include at 
least three letters of support from agricultural organizations, other 
than the applicant organization, that are relevant to the project. 
Evidence of support includes contributions of cash or in-kind matching 
funds. Other examples of support include referring clients and intent 
to collaborate. We will consider the support to be relevant if the 
organization is based in the State or region in which the project will 
take place and if the organization serves the same group of producers 
(either directly

[[Page 74398]]

or through commodity/marketing efforts) targeted by the proposed 
project. Note that support from organizations that are not agricultural 
in nature (such as local chambers of commerce) is not considered 
relevant for the purpose of meeting this requirement. (See section C 
1(a)(5) of this notice for information about eligibility related to 
this requirement.)
    (18) Strategic Coordination and Alliances. Describe arrangements in 
place or planned with end users (for example, processing and 
distribution companies and regional grocers) as well as with entities 
that have technical research capabilities, broad support from the 
agricultural community in the State or region, significant coordination 
with end users, strategic alliances with entities having technical 
research capabilities and a focused delivery plan for reaching out to 
the producer community.
    (19) Financial Capability. You must include your most recent audit 
(including the Letter to the Managers). It is recommended that you 
include a calculation for your end-of-year current ratio as well as the 
amount of cash on hand and the end of the year. (See section C 1(a)(6) 
of this notice for information about eligibility related to this 
requirement.)
    3. System for Award Management and Unique Entity Identifier.
    (a) At the time of application, each applicant must have an active 
registration in the SAM before submitting its application in accordance 
with 2 CFR 25 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25). In order to register in SAM, entities will be required to 
create a UEI. Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at 
https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.
    (b) Applicants must maintain an active SAM registration, with 
current, accurate and complete information, at all times during which 
it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by 
a Federal awarding agency.
    (c) Applicants must ensure they complete the Financial Assistance 
General Certifications and Representations in SAM.
    (d) Applicants must provide a valid UEI in their applications, 
unless determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110).
    (e) The Agency will not make an award until the applicant has 
complied with all SAM requirements including providing the UEI. If an 
applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the 
Agency is ready to make an award, the Agency may determine that the 
applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that 
determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another 
applicant.
    If you have not fully complied with all applicable UEI 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. 
Please refer to section F 2 for additional submission requirements that 
apply to grantees selected for this program.
    4. Submission Dates and Times.
    Applications must be received by https://www.grants.gov/ by 11:59 
Eastern Time March 6, 2023, to be eligible for funding. Please review 
the Grants.gov website at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants.html for instructions on the process of registering your 
organization as soon as possible to ensure you can meet the electronic 
application deadline. Grants.gov will not accept applications submitted 
after the deadline.
    5. Funding Restrictions.
    No funds made available under this solicitation shall be used to 
engage in the following activities. Note that the Agency will consider 
your application for funding if it includes unallowable costs of 10 
percent or less of total grant funds requested, if it is determined 
eligible otherwise. However, if your application is successful, those 
unallowable costs must be removed. If time permits, the Agency may 
allow those unallowable costs to be replaced with allowable costs. 
Otherwise, the amount of the grant award will be reduced accordingly. 
If the Agency cannot determine the percentage of unallowable costs, 
your application will not be considered for funding.
    (a) Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building or 
facility, including a processing facility;
    (b) Purchase, rent, or install fixed equipment, including 
processing equipment;
    (c) Purchase vehicles, including boats;
    (d) Pay for the preparation of the grant application;
    (e) Pay expenses not directly related to the funded project;
    (f) Fund political or lobbying activities;
    (g) Fund any activities considered unallowable by the applicable 
grant cost principles, including 2 CFR part 200, subpart E and the 
Federal Acquisition Regulation;
    (h) Fund architectural work for a specific physical facility;
    (i) Fund any direct expenses for the production of any commodity or 
product to which value will be added, including seed, rootstock, labor 
for harvesting the crop, and delivery of the commodity to a processing 
facility;
    (j) Fund manufacturing or processing expenses, including testing 
expenses;
    (k) Purchase land;
    (l) Fund internships;
    (m) Fund fellowships, scholarships, tuition remission, or any other 
type of compensation for students at any level of education;
    (n) Duplicate current activities or activities paid for by another 
Federal grant program;
    (o) Pay costs of the project incurred prior to the date of award 
approval;
    (p) Pay for assistance to any private business enterprise that does 
not have at least 51 percent ownership by those who are either citizens 
of the United States or reside in the United States after being legally 
admitted for permanent residence;
    (q) Pay any judgment or debt owed to the United States;
    (r) Pay for research and development; or
    (s) Pay for any goods or services from a person who has a Conflict 
of Interest with the recipient.
    (t) In addition, your application will not be considered for 
funding if it does any of the following:
    (1) Requests less than the minimum or more than the maximum grant 
amount;
    (2) Focuses assistance on only one agriculture producer or 
business;
    (3) Proposes ineligible costs that equal more than 10 percent of 
total grant funds requested;
    (4) Earns revenue from processing or selling a product as part of 
the project. Centers may charge fees for services provided, but they 
cannot earn revenue on actually processing a product or from sales 
associated with a product they helped develop; or
    (5) Provides services to entities other than Agricultural Producers 
on behalf of and at the request of Agricultural Producers.
    6. Other Submission Requirements.
    RBCS also reserves the right to ask applicants for clarifying 
information and additional verification of assertions in the 
application.

E. Application Review Information

    The Agency will review applications to determine eligibility for 
assistance based on requirements in this notice, and other applicable 
Federal laws and regulations. If the Agency determines that your 
application is eligible for

[[Page 74399]]

assistance, your application will be scored by a panel of USDA 
employees based on the Scoring Criteria specified in this notice. The 
highest scoring application will be funded up to the maximum amount 
available. Additional applications that cannot be fully funded may be 
offered partial funding at the Agency's discretion.
    1. Scoring Criteria. All eligible and complete applications will be 
evaluated based on the following criteria. Evaluators will base scores 
only on the information provided in the application. This is a 
competitive program, so you will receive scores based on the quality of 
the information provided. Simply addressing the criteria will not 
guarantee higher scores. The total points possible for the criteria are 
80.
    (a) Ability to Deliver (maximum score of 15 points). The 
application will be evaluated as to whether it evidences unique 
abilities to deliver Producer Services so as to create sustainable 
Value-Added ventures. Abilities that are transferable to a wide range 
of agricultural Value-Added commodities are preferred over highly 
specialized skills. Strong skills must be accompanied by a credible and 
thoughtful plan. Points will be awarded as follows:
    (1) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address 
the criterion.
    (2) 1-4 points will be awarded for unique abilities, that is, 
abilities that are not available through other organizations in the 
Center's service area.
    (3) 1-4 points will be awarded for the expected sustainability of 
the Value-Added ventures supported by the project. For example, 
applications that propose to work with ventures where the expected 
sustainability has been assessed will receive more points than 
applications that do not address expected sustainability. 
Sustainability refers to the wealth generated by the assisted venture 
(e.g., if the project adds retained earnings to the balance sheet, not 
just an increase in cash flow).
    (4) 1-4 points will be awarded for the transferability of the 
abilities identified. Abilities that are transferable to a wide range 
of commodities will receive more points.
    (5) 1-3 points will be awarded for plans to accomplish work that 
are thoughtful and seem reasonable. For example, will the services 
provided match the stated goals (from section D 2(b)(iv)? Are the 
results measurable and attainable within the proposed project period?
    (b) Successful Track Record (maximum score of 15 points). The 
applicant organization's track record in achieving Value-Added 
successes will be evaluated. Points will be awarded as follows:
    (1) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address 
the criterion.
    (2) 1-3 points will be awarded if the applicant has more than three 
years of experience in accomplishing Value-Added successes. More points 
will be given for more years of experience, based on the distribution 
of what all eligible applicants submit. No credit will be given for 
activities that did not directly result in a Value-Added success. Note 
that success may include working with an organization and providing 
coaching to indicate that the proposed venture is not feasible.
    (3) 1-4 points will be awarded based on the number of Value-Added 
successes. More points will be given for higher numbers, based on the 
distribution of what eligible applicants submit.
    (4) 1-4 points will be awarded based on the significance of Value-
Added successes. More points will be given for more significant 
successes, based on the distribution of what eligible applicants 
submit.
    (5) 1-4 points will be awarded based on the complexity of the role 
that the applicant organization played in the Value-Added successes.
    (c) Work Plan/Budget (maximum of 15 points). The Agency will review 
the work plan for detailed actions and an accompanying timetable for 
implementing the proposed work. The Agency will review budgets for 
completeness and the strength of non-Federal funding commitments. Note 
that there is no additional information required for this criterion. 
The Agency will use the Work Plan and Budget Justification for our 
evaluation. Points will be awarded as follows:
    (1) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address 
this criterion.
    (2) 1-6 points will be awarded for work plans that describe each 
task, including objectives and potential outcomes, and how that task 
connects to the goal of the project. More points will be awarded for 
work plans that completely describe tasks and show measurable outcomes 
as well as for work plans that show a cohesive plan for the achievement 
of the goal(s) of the project.
    (3) 1-3 points will be awarded for work plans that show a 
reasonable and differentiated timetable for the proposed tasks. For 
example, a work plan that shows a schedule for how a Center will begin 
operation, then market its services, and then provide its services 
would be awarded more points than a work plan that simply states all 
Producer Services will be offered for 12 months. The Agency will also 
consider how you will identify customers. Applications with a specific 
description of customer identification will receive more points.
    (4) 1-3 points will be awarded for the budget justification. More 
points will be awarded for justifications that completely describe all 
categories of cost, including indirect costs. A complete description 
includes identification of key personnel (including any contractors) 
and the salaries and fringe benefits associated with their time on the 
project as well as identification of all travel events (including who 
will be traveling and what the purpose of the trip is), individual 
contract amounts and purposes, and items that are categorized, such as 
computers, printers, scanners, copiers, and other office items.
    (5) 1-3 points will be awarded for higher quality matching funds. A 
cash match is of a higher quality than in-kind. Thus, the Agency will 
award more points to applications that have a larger percentage of 
matching funds coming from cash, based on the distribution of what is 
submitted by applicants.
    (d) Qualifications of Key Personnel (maximum of 15 points). 
Describe the qualifications of the key personnel for the project. Key 
personnel may include employees of the Center or consultants/
contractors, but they do not include administrative or financial staff 
whose purpose is to support the administrative requirements of the 
award. Your description should include the number of years of 
experience that a person has doing the type of work that will be 
assigned during the project as well as metrics indicating the number of 
times the person has provided the assistance and the outcomes of that 
assistance. You must also include the total hours that will be 
contributed to the project by each person. Points will be awarded as 
follows:
    (1) 0 points will be awarded if you do not adequately address this 
criterion.
    (2) 1-5 points based on the percentage of work that will be carried 
out by Center employees. The Agency will calculate the percentage by 
adding the hours of the key personnel and dividing the number of hours 
from Center employees by the total hours.
    (i) 1 point for 10-20% of the work carried out by Center employees;
    (ii) 2 points for 21-40% of the work carried out by Center 
employees;
    (iii) 3 points for 41-60% of the work carried out by Center 
employees;
    (iv) 4 points for 61-80% of the work carried out by Center 
employees; and

[[Page 74400]]

    (v) 5 points for 81-100% of the work carried out by Center 
employees.
    (3) 1-10 points based on the qualifications of the key personnel. 
More points will be awarded in cases where the key personnel are 
assigned to specific tasks that match their experience and skills.
    (e) Local support (maximum of 5 points). You must show that the 
Center has local support from and coordination with other developmental 
organizations in the proposed service area and with Tribal, State, and 
local institutions. Support documentation should include recognition of 
rural values that balance employment opportunities with environmental 
stewardship and other rural amenities. You may submit a maximum of 4 
letters of support for this criterion (or you may reference other 
letters submitted with the application). When awarding points for this 
criterion, the Agency will only consider support letters from 
developmental organizations in the proposed service area, and State and 
local institutions. Additionally, identical form letters signed by 
multiple organizations will not be included in the count of support 
letters received. Support letters must be included as an attachment to 
the application. Points will be awarded as follows:
    (1) 0 points are awarded if you do not adequately address this 
criterion or if you do not provide at least three letters of support.
    (2) 1 point will be awarded for a support letter from a 
developmental organization in the proposed service area that shows 
coordination with your project.
    (3) 1 point will be awarded for a support letter from a State 
institution.
    (4) 1 point will be awarded for a support letter from a Tribal 
institution.
    (5) 1 point will be awarded for a support letter from a local 
institution.
    (6) 1 point will be awarded for support that includes recognition 
of rural values that balance employment opportunities with 
environmental stewardship and other rural amenities.
    (f) Future support (maximum of 15 points). Describe the vision for 
funding Center operations for future years, including diversification 
of funding sources and building in-house technical assistance capacity. 
Points will be awarded as follows:
    (1) 0 points will be awarded if you do not substantively address 
the criterion.
    (2) 1-5 points will be awarded for applications that describe a 
specific plan for obtaining future funding for the Center. More points 
will be awarded for plans that show concrete actions for at least 3 
years into the future.
    (3) 1-5 points will be awarded for applications that show a 
diversification of funding sources. Possible funding sources include 
Federal awards, Tribal, State and local awards, private donations, and 
pay-for-service plans. More points will be awarded for plans that 
include multiple, committed funding sources. You may summarize the 
funding sources/support in a chart or narrative, and you must include 
the following information for each source: name of the organization, 
the amount of funds committed, the expected time period for commitment, 
and the purpose for which the funds can be used.
    (4) 1-5 points will be awarded for applications that show how in-
house capacity for providing technical assistance will be improved. 
More points will be awarded for Centers that have a specific plan for 
training and hiring in-house technical assistance experts.
    2. Review and Selection Process.
    The Agency will review applications to determine if they are 
eligible for assistance based on requirements in this notice, and other 
applicable Federal laws and regulations. If the agency determines that 
your application meets the requirements, it will be scored by a panel 
of USDA employees in accordance with the Scoring Criteria and point 
allocation specified in this notice. The review panel will convene to 
reach a consensus on the scores for each of the eligible applications. 
Applications will be ranked solely based on the points awarded, and 
they will be funded in rank order until available funds are expended or 
a minimum score of 40 points is reached. If an application cannot be 
fully funded, the Agency will offer partial funding to the extent funds 
are available. If the applicant offered partial funding does not 
accept, the Agency will offer the funding to the next highest-ranked 
applicant until the Agency finds an applicant that accepts the funding 
or no additional eligible applicants exist.
    If your application is ranked and not funded, it will not be 
carried forward into the next competition.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

    1. Federal Award Notices.
    Successful Applications will receive a signed Letter of Conditions 
containing instructions on requirements necessary to proceed with 
execution and performance of the award. If you are able to meet the 
conditions of the award within the specified time frame (typically up 
to 90 calendar days), the Agency will proceed with approving an award. 
If you are not able to meet the conditions of the award, the Agency may 
terminate consideration of your application at its discretion and 
choose to award the funds to the next highest-ranked applicant. 
Unsuccessful Applications will be notified in writing and informed of 
any review and appeal rights. Funding of successfully appealed 
applications will be limited to the funding available in this notice.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Additional 
requirements that apply to grantees selected for this program include, 
but are not limited to, 2 CFR parts 200, 400, 415, 417, 418, and 421.
    (a) Requirements for All Recipients. All recipients of Federal 
financial assistance are required to do the following:
    (1) Report information about first-tier subawards and executive 
compensation (See 2 CFR part 170).
    (2) Have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply 
with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act reporting 
requirements (See 2 CFR 170.200(b), unless you are exempt under 2 CFR 
170.110(b)). These regulations may be obtained at: the following link: 
https://ecfr.io/.
    (b) Requirements for Program Recipients. Applicants whose 
applications are selected for funding through this program will be 
required to execute the following additional documentation:
    (1) Form RD 4280-2, ``Rural Business-Cooperative Service Financial 
Assistance Agreement.''
    (2) Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of Funds,'' if funds 
must be obligated prior to the execution of Form RD 4280-2.
    (3) Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.''
    (4) Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.'' By signing Form 400-4, 
Assurance Agreement, recipients affirm that they will operate the 
program free from discrimination. The recipient will maintain the race 
and ethnic data on the board members and beneficiaries of the program. 
The Recipient will provide alternative forms of communication to 
persons with limited English proficiency. The Agency will conduct Civil 
Rights Compliance Reviews on recipients to identify the collection of 
racial and ethnic data on program beneficiaries. In addition, the 
compliance review will ensure that equal access to the program benefits 
and activities are provided for persons with disabilities and language 
barriers.
    (5) SF LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' if applicable.

[[Page 74401]]

    (6) Certification of Lobbying. Your authorized representative must 
sign a certification which contains the entire statement from 2 CFR 
part 418, appendix A.
    (c) Reporting. After award approval, you will be required to 
provide the following:
    (1) Semi-Annual Reports. A SF-425, ``Federal Financial Report,'' 
and a project performance report will be required on a semi-annual 
basis The project performance reports shall include the following 
information:
    (i) A comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives 
established for that period;
    (ii) Reasons why established objectives were not met, if 
applicable; and
    (iii) 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.
    (iv) Objectives and a timetable established for the next reporting 
period.
    (2) Final Reports. A SF-425, ``Federal Financial Report,'' and a 
project performance report will be required within 120 calendar days 
after the expiration or termination of the award.
    (3) Deliverables. Provide deliverables as described in Form RD 
4280-2, Attachment B, ``Approved Work Plan and Budget.''

G. Agency Contacts

    For general questions about this announcement and for program 
Technical Assistance, please contact National Office staff: Gail 
Thuner, Management and Program Analyst, [email protected], or call 
202-720-1400.

H. Other Information

    1. Paperwork Reduction Act. In accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act, the paperwork burden associated with this notice has 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB 
Control Number 0570-0045.
    2. National Environmental Policy Act. All recipients under this 
notice are subject to the requirements of 7 CFR part 1970. However, 
awards for financial and technical assistance 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.
    3. Non-Discrimination Statement.
    In accordance with Federal civil rights laws and USDA civil rights 
regulations and policies, the USDA, its Mission Areas, agencies, staff 
offices, employees, and institutions participating in or administering 
USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, 
national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender 
expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, 
family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Program information may be made available in languages other than 
English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large 
print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the 
responsible Mission Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA TARGET 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY); or the 711 Relay Service.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should 
complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, 
which can be obtained online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-program-discrimination-complaint-form.pdf, from 
any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter 
addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, 
address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged 
discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an 
alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter 
must be submitted to USDA by:
    (1) Mail: United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the 
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-9410;
    (2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
    (3) Email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Karama Neal,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-26370 Filed 12-2-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P