Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) FY 2023, 28469-28483 [2023-09460]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Rural Housing Service

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 86 (Thursday, May 4, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28469-28483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09460]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

[Docket No. RHS-22-MFH-0011]


Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant 
Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) FY 2023

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, Department of Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Consolidated notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency), a Rural 
Development (RD) agency of the USDA, announces the availability of 
funding for Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance 
(MFH NP TA) Grants and Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance 
(Off-FLH TA) Grants. This funding is available for eligible technical 
assistance (TA) providers seeking grants to provide technical 
assistance services to qualified applicants.

DATES: Complete applications must be submitted in electronic format via 
CloudVault and must be received by noon E.T. on July 3, 2023.
    All respondents must email a request to create a shared folder in 
CloudVault at least three (3) business days prior to the application 
deadline.
    The General Section of this consolidated notice provides the 
application procedures and

[[Page 28470]]

requirements that are applicable to both programs in this notice. 
Program Sections A and B of this notice provide descriptions of the 
specific programs for which funding is made available and explains any 
additional procedures and requirements applicable to the specific 
program. Please be sure to read both the General Section and the 
Program Sections of this consolidated notice to ensure that all 
requirements have been responded to and are included with the 
application.

ADDRESSES: All applications made in response to this notice must be 
submitted electronically to the RHS Production and Preservation 
Division, Program Support Branch. Entities submitting more than one 
application must request separate CloudVault folders for each 
submission. All email requests must be sent to one of the following 
addresses: [email protected] for MFH NP TA Grant applications or 
[email protected] for FLH TA Grant applications.
    This grant funding opportunity will also be announced on 
www.Grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General questions about this 
consolidated notice may be directed to Stephanie Vergin, Policy 
Advisor, Production and Preservation Division, Multi-Family Housing, 
United States Department of Agriculture; Phone: 651-602-7820; or email 
at [email protected] or [email protected].
    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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    This is the first year that MFH is issuing a consolidated notice 
for its technical assistance grant programs. MFH designed this 
consolidated notice with the intent to simplify the application 
process, better coordinate services for applicants, and ensure 
transparency and predictability in funding cycles. It is the Agency's 
belief that consolidating the MFH TA notices will avoid duplication of 
efforts within the communities it serves and better serve its rural 
stakeholders most in need of these programs. The RHS Production & 
Preservation Division will host a virtual workshop prior to the 
application deadline to provide general information and guidance 
regarding this notice. The workshop will be announced via GovDelivery 
notice and will also be posted on the MFH Programs website (https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multi-family-housing-programs). 
Prospective respondents are encouraged to read this entire notice 
thoroughly and attend the informational workshop for more information 
and clarification prior to submitting funding applications.

Organization of the Consolidated Notice

    This notice is divided into two major sections, the General Section 
and Program Sections A-B. The standard forms, certifications, 
assurances, procedures, and requirements applicable to both technical 
assistance grant programs are included in the General Section of this 
notice. Program Sections A-B separately outline each technical 
assistance grant funding opportunity with program specific eligibility, 
statutory and regulatory requirements, and include the factors used for 
scoring and ranking applications, the grant award process, and any 
additional requirements and/or limitations specific to each program.
    Please read both the General Section and Program Sections A-B of 
this notice carefully to ensure all application and program 
requirements are met. Not all respondents are eligible to receive 
awards under both funding opportunities identified within this 
consolidated notice.
    Rural Development Priorities: The Agency encourages respondents to 
consider projects that will advance the following key priorities:
     Assisting rural communities to recover economically 
through more and better market opportunities and through improved 
infrastructure.
     Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD 
programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and
     Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to 
the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural 
communities.
    For further information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.

Table of Contents: General Section

A. Program Descriptions
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information
F. Federal Award Administration Information
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact
H. Other Information

I. General Section

    RHS administers the Multifamily Housing Programs that provide 
affordable multifamily rental housing in rural areas by financing 
projects geared for low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals and 
families as well as domestic farm laborers. The MFH programs extend 
their reach by guaranteeing loans for affordable rental housing 
designed for low to moderate-income residents in rural areas and towns. 
MFH Programs are administered, subject to appropriations, by the USDA 
as authorized under sections 514, 515, 516 and 521 of the Housing Act 
of 1949, as amended.

A. Program Descriptions

(1) Purpose of the Programs
    The section 515 MFH NP TA Grants are intended to provide technical 
assistance to multifamily housing borrowers and applicants to 
facilitate the acquisition of section 515 properties by nonprofit 
organizations and public housing authorities.
    The Off-FLH TA Grants are intended to provide technical assistance 
to qualified section 514 loan and section 516 grant applicants to 
encourage the development of domestic and migrant Off-FLH projects.
    RHS has a strong interest in broad geographic availability of 
technical assistance services and expanding the pool of technical 
assistance providers. Respondents will compete in a national funding 
pool and multiple awards may be made in a single region. However, if 
there are qualified and eligible respondents, RHS will prioritize 
awarding at least one MFH NP TA Grant and one Off-FLH TA Grant in each 
of the following four geographic regions:

Midwestern Region: IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI
Northeastern Region: CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV
Southern Region: AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, OK, PR, SC, TN, TX, VI
Western Region: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY

    Multifamily Housing's four geographic regions may also be found on 
the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/multi-family-housing-programs.
    Each entity applying for funding under this notice, whether 
individually or jointly, is limited to submission of one grant 
application per technical assistance program, per geographic region. 
Entities applying in more than one geographic region must submit 
separate applications for each region in which they apply. Respondents 
may propose to serve single-State or multi-State areas within 
geographic regions.

[[Page 28471]]

(2) Statutory and Regulatory Authority
    MFH NP TA Grants are authorized under section 764 of the Further 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94); section 753 of 
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260); and 
section 745 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-
103), section 745 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 
117-328) and implemented by 7 CFR part 3560.
    MFH Off-FLH TA Grants are authorized under section 516(i) of the 
Housing Act of 1949, as amended; 42 U.S.C. 1486(i); and implemented by 
7 CFR part 3560.
    To be eligible for funding under this consolidated notice, 
respondents must meet all statutory and regulatory requirements 
applicable to the program(s) for which funding is sought. RD program 
regulations may be found at the following link: https://www.rd.usda.gov/page/regulations-and-guidance.
(3) Definitions and Acronyms
    The definitions and acronyms applicable to this notice are 
published at 7 CFR part 3560.11 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXV/part-3560#3560.11; 7 CFR 15.2 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-A/part-15; 2 CFR part 200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200; and 2 CFR 
part 400 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400.
    The following supplementary definitions and acronyms are applicable 
to and for the purpose of this notice only.
    Applicant--one who submits an application to receive technical 
assistance services from a technical assistance provider (Grantee), and 
application means such an application.
    Broad-based nonprofit organization (as an Off-FLH loan/grant 
applicant)--nonprofit organization with a membership that reflects a 
variety of interests in the market area.
    Capacity--demonstrated experience in the areas of federal grant 
administration and technical assistance program development and 
delivery.
    Co-respondent--a separate legal entity made part of the application 
process by the primary respondent through a Memorandum of Understanding 
(MOU) or other agreement who will be accountable to the primary 
respondent for any federal award funds received.
    Conflicts of interest--situations in which an officer, director, 
board member, agent, employee, or partner of the non-Federal entity 
being considered for a Federal award, any immediate family member of 
these parties, or any organization which employs or is about to employ 
any of these parties, have a competing personal, professional, 
financial, and/or other interest in activities performed under the 
Federal award or may receive a tangible personal benefit from 
activities performed under the Federal award which renders them unable, 
or gives the appearance of being unable, to be impartial in conducting/
administering the Federal award.
    Consultant--an individual who provides professional advice or 
services for a fee, but normally not as an employee of the engaging 
party. The term ``consultant'' may also include a firm that provides 
paid professional advice or services, or independent entities engaged 
under a grant to provide a specific service or product (product 
purchase or fee-for-service). They are not employees of the grantee, 
and no employer-employee relationship exists between the consultant and 
the grantee.
    Contract--for the purpose of Federal financial assistance, a legal 
instrument by which a recipient or subrecipient purchases property or 
services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal 
award.
    Contractor--an entity that receives a contract as defined in this 
section.
    Curable deficiency--omission, error, or oversight that, if 
corrected, would not alter the review and/or scoring of an application 
in a positive or negative fashion.
    Disallowed costs--charges to a federal award that the Federal 
awarding agency or pass-through entity determines to be unallowable, in 
accordance with the applicable Federal statutes, regulations, or the 
terms and conditions of the Federal award.
    Expenditures--charges made by a non-Federal entity to a project or 
program for which a federal award was received.
    Federal awarding agency--the Federal agency that provides a Federal 
award directly to a non-Federal entity.
    Federal share--the portion of the Federal award costs that are paid 
using Federal funds.
    Grant Agreement--a legal instrument of financial assistance between 
a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal 
entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302, 6304: (1) Is used to enter 
into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer 
anything of value to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of 
the United States (see 31 U.S.C. 6101(3)); and not to acquire property 
or services for the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity's 
direct benefit or use; (2) Is distinguished from a cooperative 
agreement in that it does not provide for substantial involvement of 
the Federal awarding agency in carrying out the activity contemplated 
by the Federal award; (3) Does not include an agreement that provides 
only: (i) Direct United States Government cash assistance to an 
individual; (ii) A subsidy; (iii) A loan; (vi) A loan guarantee; or (v) 
Insurance.
    Grantee--a legal entity that has been awarded financial assistance 
under one of the Agency's grant programs and assumes responsibility for 
fiscal accountability for managing awarded funds, supervision of grant-
supported activities, and submission of final reports.
    Indirect Costs (facilities & administrative (F&A))--costs incurred 
for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, 
and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically 
benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To 
facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost 
objectives served, it may be necessary to establish a number of pools 
of indirect (F&A) costs. Indirect (F&A) cost pools must be distributed 
to benefitted cost objectives on bases that will produce an equitable 
result in consideration of relative benefits derived.
    Indirect cost rate--a percentage established by a federal 
department or agency for a grantee organization, which the grantee uses 
in computing the dollar amount it charges to the grant to reimburse 
itself for indirect costs incurred in doing the work of the grant 
project.
    Key personnel services--technical assistance service delivery and 
grant administration.
    Market Area--the geographic or locational delineation of the market 
for a specific project, including outlying areas that will be impacted 
by the project, i.e., the area in which alternative, similar properties 
effectively compete with the subject property.
    Non-curable deficiency--omission, error, or oversight that, if 
corrected, would alter the review and/or scoring of the application in 
a positive or negative fashion.
    Non-Federal Entity--a State, local government, Indian tribe, or 
nonprofit organization that carries out a federal award as a recipient 
or subrecipient.
    Organizational conflicts of interest--situations in which the non-
Federal

[[Page 28472]]

entity being considered for a federal award is unable, or appears to be 
unable, to be impartial in conducting/administering the Federal award 
because of its relationship with a parent company, affiliate, 
subsidiary organization, or other related organization or party.
    Period of Performance--the total estimated time interval between 
the start of the initial grant award and the planned end date.
    Primary Respondent (see Respondent)--one who submits an 
application, request, or plan required to be approved by an Agency as a 
condition to eligibility for Federal financial assistance, and 
application means such an application, request, or plan.
    Respondent (see Primary Respondent).
    Targeted service area--area targeted to receive technical 
assistance services.
    Technical Assistance--technical expertise, information and services 
provided by eligible entities with the necessary knowledge, experience, 
and capacity to provide the services outlined in this notice to 
eligible respondents. Commonly used Acronyms:

CFR Code of Federal Regulation
FLH Farm Labor Housing
MFH Multifamily Housing
NOFA Notice of Funding Availability
NP Nonprofit organization
OMB Office of Management and Budget
PHA Public Housing Authority RD Rural Development
RHS Rural Housing Service
SAM System for Award Management
SOW Statement of Work/Scope of Work
TA Technical Assistance
TDHE Tribally Designated Housing Entity
UEI Unique Entity Identifier USDA United States Department of 
Agriculture
(4) Application for Awards
    Awards under these programs will be made on a competitive basis 
using specific selection criteria contained in Program Sections A and B 
of this notice.
    The Agency advises all interested parties that expenses incurred in 
applying for this notice will be borne by and be at the respondent's 
sole risk.

B. Federal Award Information

    Funding Opportunity Title: Consolidated MFH Technical Assistance 
Grant Program NOFA FY 2023.
    Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).
    Assistance Listing (AL) Numbers:
     Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical 
Assistance Grants: 10.494.
     Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grants: 10.495.
    Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-RD-HCFP-NPTA-OFFFLHTA.
    Dates: Complete applications must be submitted in electronic format 
via CloudVault and must be received by noon E.T. on July 3, 2023. Refer 
to the DATES section of this notice for further details.
    Funding Amounts:

 $6.9 million for MFH NP TA Grants
 $1 million for Off-FLH TA Grants

    Available funding amounts for the technical assistance programs in 
this notice may also be found at the following link: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/Multifamily-housing-programs.
    Type of Award: Technical Assistance Grants.
    Award Amounts:
     The minimum and maximum award amounts per funded MFH NP TA 
Grant application are $100,000 and $500,000, respectively.
     The minimum and maximum award amounts per funded Off-FLH 
TA Grant application are $50,000 and $250,000, respectively.
    Anticipated Award Date: The Agency anticipates making awards 120 
days after the application deadline.
    Performance Period: 24 months from executed grant agreement.
    Renewal or Supplemental Awards: None.
    Type of Assistance Instrument: Grant Agreement.
    Respondents selected for funding will complete a grant agreement 
suitable to the Agency, which outlines the terms and conditions of the 
Grant award. The Agency may request changes to the Statement of Work 
(SOW) which will be incorporated into the grant agreement. If a 
selected grantee does not accept the terms of the Agency and/or does 
not deliver an executed Grant Agreement to the Agency within ten (10) 
business days after receiving the Grant Agreement with the Agency-
approved SOW, the Agency may choose to rescind the award and select 
another grantee based on scoring without further notice.
    The grant period of performance is 24 months with an extension 
allowed for up to an additional 12 months at the Agency's discretion. 
However, proposals should be structured to utilize all grant funds 
within 24 months from the date of the award. The grant term will be 
defined in the Grant Agreement and will become effective once signed by 
the Grantee and the Agency. Grant funds will be obligated within ten 
(10) business days after both parties have executed the Grant 
Agreement.

C. Eligibility Information

(1) Eligible Respondents
    To be considered eligible for funding under this notice, all 
respondents are required to meet both the general eligibility 
requirements outlined below, as well as the program specific 
requirements outlined in Program Sections A and B of this notice.
    Except as may be modified in Program Sections A and B of this 
notice, the general requirements, procedures, and principles outlined 
below apply to respondents for both funding opportunities contained in 
this notice.
    (a) All respondents will be screened for eligibility to participate 
in the grant program using Treasury's Do Not Pay Portal in compliance 
with the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act.
    (b) Debarment and suspension information is required in accordance 
with 2 CFR 180 (OMB's Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide 
Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) supplemented by 2 CFR 417 
(Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension) if it applies. The section 
heading is ``What information must I provide before entering into a 
covered transaction with a Federal agency?'' located at 2 CFR 180.335. 
It is part of OMB's Guidance for Grants and Agreements concerning 
Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension. Respondents are not eligible 
if they have been debarred or suspended or otherwise excluded from, or 
ineligible for, participation in Federal assistance programs under 2 
CFR parts 180 and 417.
    (c) Conflicts of Interest. No Grantee funded under this notice or 
its officers, directors, board members, agents, employees, or partners 
can participate in conducting or administering the grant award if a 
real or apparent conflict of interest exists.
    Entities applying for funding under this notice and all funded 
Grantees must disclose in writing any potential conflicts of interest 
to the Agency, including situations that would create a conflict of 
interest, potential for conflict of interest, or any appearance of a 
conflict of interest. Unless approved by the Agency, Grantees may not 
provide TA for projects in which they or their third-party affiliates 
have a direct or indirect ownership interest. Respondents must disclose 
all MFH projects in which they or their third-party affiliates have a 
direct or indirect ownership interest.
    Unless approved by the Agency, neither the Grantee nor any officer, 
director, board member or partner of the Grantee may accept or share 
any compensation or remuneration, directly or indirectly, in any form 
whatsoever, from or with any party interested in the

[[Page 28473]]

activities performed under the grant agreement.
    Unless approved by the Agency, neither the Grantee nor any officer, 
director, board member, partner or any person employed by the Grantee 
may accept compensation or remuneration contrary to the intentions of 
the grant agreement
    Unless approved by the Agency, neither the Grantee nor any officer, 
director, board member or partner of the Grantee may be involved as an 
officer, director, board member or general partner in a business 
venture with an officer, director, board member or general partner of 
any other party interested in the activities performed under the grant 
agreement.
    Grantees funded under this notice must maintain written standards 
of conduct governing organizational conflicts of interest and conflicts 
of interest related to the performance of its officers, directors, 
board members, agents, and employees in conducting/administering 
Federal grant awards. The standards of conduct must provide for 
disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by 
the Grantee and its directors, board members, officers, employees, and 
agents.
(2) Cost Sharing or Matching
    There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for either 
program.
(3) Discretionary Points
    Please refer to Program Sections A and B.
(4) Other
    Each entity applying for funding under this notice, whether 
individually or jointly, may submit only one application per program, 
per geographic region. MFH's geographic regions are listed in the 
General Section A.1. of this notice.
    The use of consultants/contractors for key personnel services 
(technical assistance service delivery and grant administration) is 
limited to a maximum of 20% of the total key personnel services budget. 
This requirement is intended to advance the Agency's goal of increasing 
the capacity of Agency-funded nonprofit TA providers to deliver 
technical assistance services directly to recipients.
    The total direct and indirect administrative costs associated with 
the administration of the grant should not exceed 20% of the total 
technical assistance grant fund.
    Any respondent with an open MFH Transfer or Off-FLH technical 
assistance funding award must demonstrate satisfactory progress toward 
completion of the work plan identified in their Agency approved grant 
agreement to be eligible for funding under this notice. In evaluating 
satisfactory progress, RHS will consider past performance in managing 
funds including, but not limited to, the ability to account for funds 
appropriately; timely use of funds received from RHS; meeting 
performance targets for completion of activities; and receipt of 
promised matching or leveraged funds.

D. Application and Submission Information

(1) Content and Form of Application Submissions
    Applications to this notice must be submitted electronically via 
CloudVault using the process described below. The electronic 
application submission process may also be viewed at www.grants.gov.
    (a) All applications made in response to this notice must be 
submitted electronically to the RHS Production and Preservation 
Division, Program Support Branch using the following process: All 
respondents must email a request to create a shared folder in 
CloudVault at least three (3) business days prior to the application 
deadline of July 3, 2023. Entities submitting more than one application 
must request separate CloudVault folders for each submission. All email 
requests must be sent to one of the following addresses: 
[email protected] for MFH NP TA Grant applications or [email protected] 
for FLH TA Grant applications. Email requests for CloudVault folders 
should contain the following information (at minimum):
    (1) Subject line: TA Grant Application CloudVault Folder Request.
    (2) Body of email: Respondent Name and Complete Contact 
Information.
    (3) Request language: Please create a shared CloudVault folder for 
MFH NP TA Grant application or Off-FLH TA Grant application.
    A shared CloudVault folder will be created within two (2) business 
days from the date the emailed request is received by RHS. An email 
will be sent to the respondent's valid submission email address with a 
link to the created shared CloudVault folder. All required application 
documents in accordance with this notice must be uploaded into the 
respondent's shared CloudVault folder. Respondent's access to the 
shared CloudVault folder will be removed when the submission deadline 
is reached. Any document(s) uploaded to CloudVault after the 
application deadline will not be considered. The Agency will provide 
responding entities with a written acknowledgement of receipt upon 
request. Please note: CloudVault is a USDA[hyphen]approved 
cloud[hyphen]based file sharing and synchronization system. CloudVault 
folders are not suitable nor intended for file storage due to agency 
file retention policies and space limitations. Therefore, the agency 
will remove all application-related files stored in shared CloudVault 
folders the latter of either 180 days from the application date, or 
once the application has been processed and the transaction has been 
closed.
    (b) Forms, Requirements and Procedures for all Respondents.
    All respondents are required to electronically submit signed copies 
of the standard forms, certifications, and assurances listed in this 
section, unless the requirements in the Program Section specify 
otherwise. All forms should be completed in their entirety using the 
most current versions of unexpired Rural Development or OMB-approved 
forms. All application packages must include a Table of Contents and a 
separate one-page sheet listing each of the Scoring Criteria from 
Program Sections A or B, followed by the page numbers of all relevant 
material and documentation contained within the submitted application 
materials to support those criteria.
    (i) Except as may be modified in the Program Sections A and B, the 
forms and standard certifications and assurances required for all 
respondents are:
     SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance'' which can 
be obtained at: https://www.grants.gov/.
     Standard Form 424A, ``Budget Information-Non-Construction 
Programs'' which can be obtained at: https://www.grants.gov/.
     Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if 
applicable, or a statement certifying the entity's election to charge 
the de minimis rate of 10% of the modified total direct costs (MTDC).
     Form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,'' if 
applicable, or a statement certifying that the organization does not 
lobby.
     Form RD 3560-30, ``Certification of no Identity of 
Interest (IOI),'' if applicable: https://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eForms/RD3560-30.PDF.
     Form RD 3560-31, ``Identity of Interest Disclosure/
Qualification Certification'' if applicable (IOI is defined in 7 CFR 
3560.11): https://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eForms/RD3560-31.PDF.
     Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement'': https://

[[Page 28474]]

forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/eFileServices/eForms/RD400-4.PDF.
     Form RD 400-6, ``Compliance Statement'': https://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/eForms/searchAction.do?pageAction=BrowseForms&_MenuAction=Yes.
    (ii) All responding entities must include organizational status 
documents and current (within six months of this notice's deadline 
date) financial statements to evidence their status as a properly 
organized private or public nonprofit agency, or public/tribal housing 
authority, with the financial ability to carry out the approved 
objectives of the TA grant program under which funding is sought. This 
requirement includes (at minimum):
    (A) Status (i.e., Articles of Incorporation) as a NP or PHA.
    (B) Good standing within the State or Tribe in which the entity is 
organized.
    (C) Legal authority to provide services stated in the application 
under the applicable laws for the state(s) in which operation is 
proposed. (Examples of acceptable documentation for this requirement 
include, but are not limited to, bylaws, organizational charters, and 
statutes or regulations).
    (D) Certification of no current or unresolved default or violation 
of any other Federal, Tribal, State, or local grant or loan 
agreement(s).
    (E) The requirements above will also apply to all entities 
performing services on behalf of the respondent.
(2) System for Award Management and Unique Entity Identifier
    (a) At the time of application, each respondent must have an active 
registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting 
its application in accordance with 2 CFR 25. In order to register in 
SAM, entities will be required to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier 
(UEI). Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.
    (b) Respondent 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) Respondent must complete the Financial Assistance General 
Certifications and Representations in SAM.
    (d) Respondent must provide a valid UEI in its application, unless 
determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110.
    (e) The Agency will not make an award until the respondent has 
complied with all SAM requirements including providing the UEI. If a 
respondent has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the 
Agency is ready to make an award, the Agency may determine that the 
respondent is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that 
determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another 
respondent.
(3) Submission Dates and Times
    Submission dates and times can be found in the DATES section of 
this notice.
(4) Intergovernmental Review
    Applications under this notice are not subject to Executive Order 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
(5) Funding Restrictions
    Refer to Program Sections A and B for Ineligible Grant Fund 
Purposes/Costs.

E. Application Review Information

(1) Application Review Criteria
    To be eligible for funding under this notice, respondents must meet 
the criteria set forth in the individual program Sections A and B of 
this notice, as well as all general eligibility criteria as follows:
    a. The application must be complete as specified by this notice;
    b. The complete application must be received by the submission 
deadline specified in this notice;
    c. The application proposal must be for authorized purposes; and
    d. The respondent must be an eligible entity and must not currently 
be debarred, suspended, or delinquent on any Federal debt.
    No application will be accepted after the specified deadline unless 
the date and time is extended by another notice published in the 
Federal Register. Applications will first be reviewed to determine if 
they meet the eligibility requirements outlined in this notice. If all 
eligibility requirements are met, applications will then be reviewed 
for completeness. If the Agency determines that any application is 
ineligible or incomplete, application processing will be discontinued, 
which means the application will be rejected and returned to the 
respondent without being scored.
    RHS may contact respondents to clarify items and/or to correct 
curable (correctable) technical deficiencies identified within 
application packages after the application deadline is reached. RHS 
will notify respondents of any curable deficiencies and will do so on a 
uniform basis for all respondents. If deficiencies are not corrected 
within the period prescribed by RHS, the application will be rejected 
as incomplete, and will not be considered for funding.
    Only applications meeting all the general eligibility criteria 
above will be scored and ranked. RHS will consider the scoring factors 
outlined in Program Sections A and B to score and rank application(s) 
for each TA program respectively. Points will be awarded only for 
factors that are well-documented in the application package and, in the 
opinion of the Agency, meet the objectives outlined in each of the 
evaluation criteria. References to external websites, publications, 
and/or other information not submitted as part of the application 
package will not be reviewed or considered. Therefore, full 
documentation and support of all criteria is recommended and 
encouraged.
    Risk Review: The Agency may request additional documentation from 
selected respondents in order to evaluate the financial, management, 
and performance risk posed by awardees as required by 2 CFR 200.206. 
Based on the risk review, the Agency may apply special conditions that 
correspond to the degree of risk assessed, either pre-award or post-
award.
    If the Agency determines it is unable to select an application for 
funding, the respondent will be informed in writing. Such notification 
will include the reasons the respondent was not selected. The Agency 
will advise respondents whose applications do not meet eligibility and/
or selection criteria of their review rights or appeal rights in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 11.
(2) Review and Selection Process
    Refer to Program Sections A and B for program specific application 
reviewing, scoring and selection processes.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

(1) Federal Award Notice
    The Agency will notify in writing respondents whose applications 
have been selected for funding. At the time of notification, the Agency 
will advise respondents what additional information and documentation 
is required along with a timeline for submitting the additional 
information.
(2) Administrative and National Policy Requirements
    The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected 
for these TA Grant program awards:

[[Page 28475]]

    (i) Grantees must complete Form RD 1942-46 ``Letter of Intent to 
Meet Conditions.''
    (ii) Grantees must complete Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for 
Obligation of Funds.''
    (iii) Grantees must use Form SF 270, ``Request for Advance or 
Reimbursement,'' to request reimbursements and provide receipts for 
expenditures, timesheets, and any other documentation to support the 
request for reimbursement, as determined by the Agency.
    (iv) Grantees must maintain a financial management system that is 
acceptable to the Agency.
    (v) Grantees must certify that the U.S. has not obtained an 
outstanding judgment against their organization in a Federal Court 
(other than in the United States Tax Court).
    (vi) Awards made under this notice are subject to the provisions 
contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-
260) Division E, Title VII sections 744 and 745 regarding felony 
convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies.
    (vii) Workplace identification is required under the drug-free 
workplace requirements in 2 CFR 182, which provides guidance on the 
portion of the Drug-Free Workplace Act applicable to grants, as adopted 
by 2 CFR 421. Therefore, grantees must identify all organizational 
known workplaces by including the actual physical addresses of 
buildings (or parts of buildings) or other sites where work under the 
award takes place.
    (viii) 2 CFR part 182 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Financial Assistance)) and 2 CFR part 421 (Requirements for 
Drug Free Workplace (Financial Assistance).
(3) Reporting
    (i) Grantees must comply with reporting requirements of and 2 CFR 
part 200, and will provide the required financial status and project 
performance reports for the period after grant approval and throughout 
the grant period of performance as outlined in the Agency approved 
grant agreement.
    (ii) Grantees must maintain records to document all activities and 
expenditures utilizing technical assistance grant funds. Receipts for 
expenditures will be included in this documentation.
    (iii) Grantees must provide a final project performance report as 
outlined in the Agency approved grant agreement.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

    Stephanie Vergin, Policy Advisor, Production and Preservation 
Division, Multi-Family Housing, United States Department of Agriculture 
at [email protected] or [email protected].

H. Other Information

1. Paperwork Reduction Act
    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq.), OMB must approve all ``collection of information'' as 
defined at 42 U.S.C. 3504. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, the information collection reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements as covered in this notice, are exempt because the 
requirements are not imposed on 10 or more people, as defined at 44 
U.S.C. 3502(3)(A)(i)).
    RHS has concluded that the reporting requirements contained in this 
NOFA will involve less than 10 persons and do not require approval 
under the provisions of the Act.
2. National Environmental Policy Act
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 
Public Law 91-190, this funding announcement has been reviewed in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 1970 (Environmental Policies and 
Procedures). As permitted by 7 CFR 1970.51(b), The Agency has 
determined that because:
     this action meets the criteria established in 7 CFR 
1970.53(f);
     no ``extraordinary circumstances exist'' as defined at 7 
CFR 1970.52(a); and
     the action is not ``connected'' (see 40 CFR 1508.25(a)(1)) 
to other actions with potentially significant impacts, is not 
considered a ``cumulative action'' and;
     the action is not precluded by 40 CFR 1506.1.
    Therefore, the Agency has determined that the action does not have 
a significant effect on the human environment, and therefore neither an 
Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is 
required. All recipients under this notice are subject to the 
requirements of 7 CFR part 1970.
For Non-Construction Programs Under the National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA)
    Technical assistance 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. MFH will review each grant application to determine its 
compliance with 7 CFR 1970. The respondent may be asked to provide 
additional information or documentation to MFH with this determination.
3. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
    All respondents, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-25), must be registered in SAM and 
have a UEI number as stated in Section D.2. of this notice. All 
recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report 
information about first-tier subawards and executive total compensation 
in accordance with 2 CFR part 170 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-170).
4. Civil Rights Act
    All grants made under this notice are subject to Title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 as required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, 
subpart A (eCFR :: 7 CFR part 15 Subpart A--Nondiscrimination in 
Federally-Assisted Programs of the Department of Agriculture--
Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) and section 
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VIII of the Civil Rights 
Act of 1968, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Executive 
Order 13166 (Limited English Proficiency), Executive Order 11246, the 
Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities 
Act (ADA) of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Executive Order 
12250, and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E.
    (i) All respondents must certify to compliance with 7 CFR part 15, 
subpart A--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the 
Department of Agriculture--Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights 
Act of 1964, by completing the Financial Assistance General 
Certification and Representations in SAM.
    Civil Rights compliance includes, but is not limited to the 
following:
    (a) Collecting and maintaining data provided by ultimate recipients 
on race, sex, and national origin.
    (b) Collection of race and ethnicity data in accordance with Office 
of Management and Budget (OMB) Federal Register notice, ``Revisions to 
the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and 
Ethnicity'' (published October 30, 1997 at 62 FR 58782). Sex data will 
be collected in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 
1972.

[[Page 28476]]

    This data should not be submitted with the application but should 
be available upon request by the Agency.
5. USDA Nondiscrimination 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 Federal Relay Service 
at (800) 877-8339.
    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/oascr/, 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: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-9410; or
    (2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
    (3) Email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

II. Program Sections

Organization of the Program Sections

    Program Sections A and B of this notice provide descriptions for 
both of the specific programs. In addition to the requirements set 
forth in the General section, the following program sections outline 
additional procedures and requirements applicable to each program.
    Both funding opportunities contained in this consolidated notice 
are identified in the following chart entitled Consolidated Multifamily 
Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program Funding Chart FY 2023. This 
chart includes Program Name, the Assistance Listing Number for each 
program, the Funding Amounts Available, and the Program Section 
Reference for program-specific application requirements.

                Consolidated Multifamily Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program Funding Chart
                                                    [FY 2023]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                      Funding         Program
                         TA program name                            Assistance       available        section
                                                                    listing No.      (million)       reference
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance               10.494            $6.9               A
 Grants.........................................................
Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grants..............          10.495               1               B
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Program Section A

Multifamily Housing Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grants

Table of Contents

A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information

A. Program Description

    The technical assistance (TA) grants offered under this funding 
opportunity are for the purpose of facilitating the transfer and 
preservation of existing Rural Rental Housing properties under section 
515 of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1485). Agency 
regulations for the section 515 program are published at 7 CFR part 
3560. The Agency is authorized to utilize the appropriations from each 
fiscal year, for a total appropriation of $6.9 million, to provide 
grants to NPs and PHAs meeting the qualification standards of this 
Notice, who will then provide technical assistance, including financial 
and legal services, to MFH borrowers to facilitate the acquisition of 
section 515 MFH properties by nonprofit organizations and public 
housing authorities. Public Law 116-94 Sec. 764; Public Law 116-260, 
Sec. 753, Public Law 117-328, Sec. 745 and Public Law 117-103, Sec. 
745. These grants must be provided in areas where the USDA Secretary 
determines there is a risk of loss of affordable housing in order to 
keep such properties in the MFH program. Risk of loss of affordable 
housing may be driven by market conditions or may be due to property-
specific factors, including mortgages reaching maturity, owner ability 
to prepay existing Agency loans, poor physical condition of the 
property, or failing ownership.

B. Federal Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year (FY) Funds: 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
    Award Amounts: $6.9 million for MFH Nonprofit Transfer TA Grants.

C. Eligibility Information

(1) Eligible Respondents
    Eligibility for MFH Nonprofit Transfer Technical Assistance Grants 
is limited to private and public nonprofit organizations and public 
housing authorities meeting the qualification requirements of this 
Notice. Potentially qualifying NPs and PHAs include tribally designated 
housing entities (TDHE) and Tribal housing NPs.
    Eligible entities responding to this notice must have the 
knowledge, ability, technical expertise, practical experience, and 
capacity necessary to develop and package section 515 property transfer 
transactions. They must also demonstrate the ability to provide 
technical assistance to NPs and/or PHAs to facilitate their acquisition 
of section 515 properties. In addition, all eligible entities must 
demonstrate the ability to exercise leadership, organize work, and 
prioritize assignments to meet work demands in a cost-efficient

[[Page 28477]]

and timely manner within the 24-month grant term.
(2) Eligible Grant Activities
    Grantees awarded under this notice are expected to provide 
technical assistance services to NPs and/or PHAs who are acquiring 
section 515 projects in order to increase TA recipients' capacity 
(knowledge, skills, and abilities) in the following areas: Locating 
potential section 515 properties for transfer; completing the transfer 
analysis, negotiation, application, underwriting, and closing 
processes; and identifying and securing funding from the Agency and/or 
other sources for the purpose of acquisition, repair and/or 
rehabilitation.
(3) Eligible Costs
    Costs will be limited to those allowed under 2 CFR 200. Grantees 
may, with Agency concurrence and approval, utilize MFH NP TA grant 
funds for the following purposes: Soft costs such as financial 
analysis, transaction structuring analysis and completion of other 
transaction details such as Capital Needs Assessments, appraisals, and 
market surveys or other consultation, advisory and non-construction 
services required as part of the application process. Grantees may 
request Agency approval on a case-by-case basis for costs not included 
in the list.
(4) Ineligible Purposes/Costs
    In addition to costs identified as unallowable by 2 CFR parts 200 
and 400, grant funds cannot be used for the following:
    (a) Grant funds cannot be used by the grantee for activities that 
are not directly related to preservation transactions (such as 
conferences, sponsorships, provider personnel education/training, 
etc.).
    (b) Grant funds cannot be used by the grantee for activities or 
transactions in which they have any direct or indirect ownership 
interest (regardless of whether it is an interest as a current or 
prospective owner).
    (c) Grant funds cannot be used to reimburse grantees for technical 
assistance services provided to another nonprofit or public body 
applicant in the development and packaging of its loan/grant docket and 
project when those applicant entities have requested reimbursement for 
technical assistance expenses as part of their total project 
development cost (See 7 CFR 3560.553(c) and 7 CFR part 3560.53(o)(3)). 
Duplication of service costs is not allowed.
    (d) Grant funds cannot be used when an identity of interest exists 
between the technical assistance provider (or any third-party entity 
acting on their behalf) and the loan/grant applicant. Identity of 
interest is defined in 7 CFR 3560.11.
    (e) Grant funds cannot be used for building materials, labor costs, 
or expenditures otherwise typically included as any hard costs for 
actual construction or repairs, prepayment, interest, or principal 
payments.

D. Application and Submission Information

(1) Electronic Application Submissions
    All materials must be submitted via CloudVault. The process for 
submitting electronic application packages to the Agency via CloudVault 
is outlined above in the General Section of this notice.
(2) Content and Form of Application Submissions
    In addition to the forms, certifications and assurances required of 
all respondents as outlined in the General Section of this notice, 
complete application packages for the MFH NP TA Grant must also contain 
a written grant proposal that includes the following required 
information:
    (a) Summary page, which must include the following:
    a. Responding entity's name, address, telephone number, and 
complete contact information for the entity's main point of contact;
    b. Responding entity's Taxpayer Identification Number;
    c. Grant Amount requested;
    d. The State(s), area(s), and/or geographic region for which the 
application is being submitted; and
    e. Responding entity's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number 
required for registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) 
prior to submitting an application pursuant to 2 CFR 25.200(b).
    (b) Organizational Expertise and Experience Capabilities Statement. 
Responding entities must provide a capabilities statement describing 
their knowledge, demonstrated ability, practical experience, and 
capacity to develop and package section 515 property transfer 
transactions. They must also describe their ability to provide 
technical assistance to NPs and/or PHAs to facilitate the acquisition, 
repair, and rehabilitation of section 515 MFH properties. In addition, 
respondents must demonstrate the ability to exercise leadership, 
organize work, and prioritize assignments to meet work demands in a 
cost-efficient and timely manner within the 24-month grant term. If the 
respondent intends to have other entities working on its behalf, those 
entities must be identified and their abilities to meet the stated 
eligibility requirements and experience in delivering approved 
technical assistance services must also be addressed.
    (c) Narrative. The responding entity must include a written 
narrative describing its knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical 
experience in completing transfers of section 515 properties and/or 
providing training and technical assistance to NPs and PHAs for the 
transfer and rehabilitation of section 515 properties. If the 
responding entity intends to have other entities working on its behalf, 
the narrative must identify those entities and address their ability to 
meet the stated eligibility requirements and experience in delivering 
approved technical assistance services.
    Respondents must identify section 515 transfer transactions 
completed by the applicant and/or organizations to whom the responding 
entity and/or other entities working on its behalf has provided 
technical assistance on applications for the transfer of section 515 
projects in the last five years. For the projects and applications 
noted above, the respondent must provide the section 515 property name 
and location (city and state), technical assistance recipient 
organizational name and location (city and state), source of technical 
assistance funding, and outcome of the transaction (i.e., no ownership 
change, transaction in process, transfer completed).
    (d) Key Personnel and Staffing Plan. Proposals must include the 
resumes of all staff personnel that will perform key personnel services 
of (1) delivery of technical assistance and (2) administration of the 
grant. (Capital Needs Assessments (CNAs), appraisals, and market 
surveys are not considered to be key personnel services). The staffing 
plan must describe each staff member's ability to perform the proposed 
activities and/or their experience in successfully managing service 
delivery of TA grants. The plan must include a staffing chart complete 
with name, job title, salary, hours, timelines, and descriptions of all 
proposed employee duties that will achieve the objectives of the grant 
program. If respondents intend to contract for any key personnel 
services from outside their organization (not to exceed the 20% limit), 
the qualifications of all entities acting on behalf of respondents must 
also be addressed.
    (e) Statement of Work (SOW)/Work Plan. Responding entities must 
submit a

[[Page 28478]]

detailed SOW that includes the following requirements:
    a. Introduction/overview with a description of the organization's 
proposed plan to provide technical assistance to NPs and PHAs in the 
acquisition of section 515 properties.
    b. The organization's capabilities to execute the proposed plan 
within the prescribed 24-month grant term.
    c. The organization's plan to identify potential sellers of section 
515 properties.
    d. The organization's plan to identify and provide services to NPs 
and PHAs interested in acquiring these properties.
    e. Types of proposed technical assistance and legal and/or 
financial services that will enable NPs and/or PHAs to submit 
successful transfer applications to the Agency within the prescribed 
24-month grant term. Clearly explain the services to be provided 
directly by the respondent's organization and all services that will be 
provided by third parties. The responding entity must specify the 
State(s), area(s), and/or geographic region in which they and any 
proposed third-party subrecipients/contractors/consultants will offer 
technical assistance services. Respondents must also explain why each 
targeted service area and/or property is at risk of loss of affordable 
housing.
    f. The organization's experience in identifying and successfully 
assisting entities in the acquisition, repair, and rehabilitation of 
section 515 MFH properties.
    g. A detailed budget justification that aligns with the key project 
tasks/activities and a grant funds usage projection that corresponds 
with a 24-month timeline for service delivery. The grant funds usage 
projection should illustrate direct and indirect administrative costs 
in dollars, and as a percentage of the technical assistance services 
provided (not to exceed 20%).
    h. Additional strengths, qualifications, or capabilities not 
included above that enhance the respondent's capacity to deliver 
services under this grant.
    i. Current working agreements or contracts between the respondent 
and any entity performing services on its behalf must be submitted as 
part of the application package and any associated costs must be 
included in the responding entity's budget.

E. Application Review Information

    All application packages will be reviewed to determine eligibility 
and completeness. All eligible, complete applications will be evaluated 
and competitively scored using the Application Scoring Criteria 
outlined below. Points will be awarded only for factors that are well-
documented in the application package and, in the opinion of the 
Agency, meet the objectives outlined in each of the evaluation 
criteria. References to external websites, publications and/or other 
information not submitted as part of the application package will not 
be reviewed. Therefore, full documentation and support of all criteria 
is encouraged.
    The review process designed for this notice will evaluate the 
degree to which the application sets forth measurable, realistic 
objectives that are consistent with this notice and can be completed 
within a 24-month grant period consistent with the application and 
processing guidance established by Agency transfer regulations.

Application Scoring Criteria (Points Can Be Earned in All Sections)

1. Respondent Experience (RHS Section 515)
    a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing 
section 515 transfers during the past five years. Experience must be 
demonstrated by submitting a list of past 515 project transfers as 
described in this Notice. To receive points, the respondent must have 
acted as the developer or technical assistance provider for the project 
and the transfers must be completed or there must be a submitted 
transfer application currently pending approval and/or closing with the 
Agency:

 1-2 section 515 project transfers: 10 points
 3-5 section 515 project transfers: 20 points
 6-8 section 515 project transfers: 30 points
 9 or more section 515 project transfers: 40 points

    b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing 
technical assistance that has increased the capacity of NPs and/or PHAs 
to complete section 515 transfers. Experience must be demonstrated by 
submitting a list of past instances providing technical assistance as 
described in this Notice. Points will be awarded according to the 
number of NP and/or PHA clients to whom the respondent has provided 
section 515 technical assistance services during the past five years:

 1-4 section 515 technical assistance clients: 10 points
 5-8 section 515 technical assistance clients: 20 points
 9 or more section 515 technical assistance clients: 30 points
2. Respondent Experience (Other Affordable Multifamily Housing 
Programs)
    a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing 
other affordable MFH project transfers during the past five years. 
Experience must be demonstrated by submitting a list of other 
affordable housing (non 515) past project transfers as described in 
this Notice. To receive points, the respondent must have acted as the 
developer or technical assistance provider for the project and projects 
must have been completed or have at a minimum obtained funding 
approval:

 1-2 affordable housing project transfers: 5 points
 3-5 affordable housing project transfers: 10 points
 6-8 affordable housing project transfers: 15 points
 9 or more affordable housing project transfers: 20 points

    b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing 
technical assistance that has increased the capacity of NPs and/or PHAs 
to complete affordable MFH project transfers. Experience must be 
demonstrated by submitting a list of past instances of providing 
technical assistance as described in this Notice. Points will be 
awarded according to the number of NP and/or PHA clients to whom the 
respondent has provided affordable MFH project technical assistance 
during the past five years:

 1-4 affordable housing project clients: 5 points
 5-8 affordable housing project clients: 10 points
 9 or more affordable housing project clients: 15 points
3. Proposed Outcomes
    a. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to maximize the 
number of section 515 projects assisted with grant funding. Scoring is 
based on the Statement of Work/Work Plan. Points will be awarded 
according to the number of projects to be assisted under the grant:

 1-5 projects: 5 points
 6-10 projects: 10 points
 11 or more projects: 15 points

    b. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to increase the 
capacity of NPs and PHAs to complete transfers of section 515 
properties. Scoring is based on the Statement of Work/Work Plan. Points 
will be awarded according to the number of NPs or PHAs to be served 
under the grant:

 1-3 NPs/PHAs: 5 points

[[Page 28479]]

 4-6 NPs/PHAs: 10 points
 7 or more NPs/PHAs: 15 points
4. Grant Administration
    a. Respondent uses grant resources to maximize the funding 
available for direct program delivery to TA recipients. Points will be 
awarded according to the administrative costs as a percentage of grant 
funds used (not to exceed 20%):

 Administrative costs 10% to 20%: 5 points
 Administrative costs less than 10%: 10 points

    b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience managing 
service delivery or technical assistance through the grant lifecycle 
during the past five years. Experience must be demonstrated by 
submitting a list of past instances of managing service delivery or 
providing technical assistance as described in this Notice. Experience 
considered for scoring purposes includes submitting timely requests for 
funding, meeting reporting requirements, and closing out awards. Points 
will be awarded according to the degree of experience:

 Previous experience as described with 1-4 grants: 5 points
 Previous experience as described with 5 or more grants: 10 
points

    5. Multifamily Housing Program Delivery Goals. All applications 
meeting the minimum scoring requirement of 50 points may be eligible 
for up to 15 additional points for proposals that offer TA services to 
support the MFH program delivery goals outlined in a. and b. below.
    a. Geographic coverage (up to 10 points): The respondent proposes 
to serve a geographic area that is underserved by other technical 
assistance providers or proposes to serve areas with a significant 
number of properties in need of preservation, as identified by the 
respondent and verified by the Agency.
    b. Innovative TA service delivery models (up to 5 points). The 
agency seeks to test a range of TA delivery models to assess the 
methods of TA delivery that are most effective to facilitate 
preservation; therefore, points may be awarded for respondents 
proposing a TA service delivery model that is different from other 
proposed models.
    6. Administrator Discretionary Points: Respondents that meet the 
minimum scoring requirement may be considered for up to 15 
discretionary scoring points (5 points for each category) as determined 
by the Administrator, which advance any or all of the Agency's three 
key funding priorities, provided that all other requirements set forth 
in this notice are otherwise met. The three key priorities are:
    (i) Market Opportunities (up to 5 points): Priority points may be 
awarded if the project is located in or serving one of the top 10% of 
counties or county equivalents based upon county risk score in the 
United States. Information on whether your project qualifies for 
priority points can be found at the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
    (ii) Equity (up to 5 points): Priority points may be awarded if the 
project is located in or serving a community with score 0.75 or above 
on the CDC Social Vulnerability Index. Information on whether your 
project qualifies for priority points can be found at the following 
website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
    (iii) Climate Impacts (up to 5 points): Priority points may be 
awarded if the project is located in or serving coal, oil and gas, and 
power plant communities whose economic well-being ranks in the most 
distressed tier of the Distressed Communities Index. Information on 
whether your project qualifies for priority points can be found at the 
following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
    The minimum score requirement for grants awarded under this funding 
opportunity is 50 points. Final scores are determined by the Agency. 
The Agency reserves the right to withhold the awarding of funds for 
applications that fail to meet the minimum required final score. 
Meeting the minimum scoring requirement and/or receiving priority 
funding points or discretionary points from the Administrator does not 
guarantee a funding award.
    The Agency will notify all responding entities whether their 
application has been accepted or rejected and provide appeal rights 
under 7 CFR part 11, as appropriate.

Program Section B

Off-Farm Labor Housing Technical Assistance Grant Program

Table of Contents

A. Program Description
B. Federal Award Information
C. Eligibility Information
D. Application and Submission Information
E. Application Review Information

A. Program Description

    The technical assistance grants authorized under this funding 
opportunity are for the purpose of encouraging off-farm labor housing 
development under section 516(i) of the Housing Act of 1949, as 
amended; (42 U.S.C. 1486(i)). RHS regulations for section 514 and 
section 516 Off-FLH programs and provisions for FLH technical 
assistance grants are published at 7 CFR part 3560, subpart L. Off-FLH 
grants are authorized under section 516(i) of the Housing Act of 1949, 
as amended, 42 U.S.C. 1486(i), and implemented by 7 CFR part 3560.
    The primary objective of this funding opportunity is to improve the 
overall quality of section 514 Off-FLH loan and section 516 Off-FLH 
grant application packages submitted to the Agency for funding 
consideration in areas determined to have unmet need and unsatisfied 
market demand for new off-farm labor housing development.
    Eligible entities responding to this notice are expected to have 
knowledge, experience, and expertise in farm labor housing development, 
federal grant administration, and technical assistance program 
development, implementation, and delivery. In addition, eligible 
entities must possess the ability to exercise leadership, organize 
work, and prioritize assignments to meet work demands in a timely and 
cost-efficient manner within a 24-month grant performance period.

B. Federal Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year (FY) Funds: 2023.
    Award Amounts: $1 million.

C. Eligibility Information

(1) Respondent Eligibility
    Eligibility for Off-FLH Technical Assistance Grants is limited to 
qualified nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizations must meet 
the definition of nonprofit organization in 7 CFR 3560.11. Potentially 
qualifying nonprofit organizations include tribal housing nonprofits.
(2) Eligible Grant Activities
    The primary work permitted under these Off-FLH TA grant awards will 
focus on eligible nonprofit organizations delivering direct technical 
assistance advisory services to qualified Off-FLH loan/grant applicant 
groups and organizations who lack the knowledge, experience and/or 
capacity to develop, package, and submit their own loan and grant 
dockets to the Agency for funding consideration.
    Qualified applicants for section 514 loans and section 516 grants 
may include broad-based nonprofit organizations, nonprofit 
organizations of farmworkers, federally recognized Indian tribes, 
community organizations, agencies or political subdivisions of State, 
Tribal or local Governments (such

[[Page 28480]]

as housing authorities), and other eligible FLH organizations.
    Off-Farm labor housing may be constructed in either urban or rural 
areas if need and demand for such housing is supported. However, 
respondents should concentrate their proposed grant activities in areas 
identified as having unmet need and unsatisfied market demand for new 
Off-FLH construction projects, as identified by the respondent and 
verified by the Agency.
(3) Eligible Costs
    Costs will be limited to those allowed under 2 CFR part 200. 
Grantees may, with Agency concurrence and approval, utilize Off-FLH TA 
grant funds for the following purposes: Conducting targeted outreach 
efforts to inform and recruit potential Off-FLH applicants; providing 
advisory services to eligible Off-FLH applicants for conducting site 
searches, estimating construction costs, resolving planning, and zoning 
issues, and negotiating and executing property acquisitions; assisting 
applicants during the application development, packaging, submission, 
underwriting and closing processes; and for other transaction details 
that are considered part of the application process, such as financial 
analyses, Capital Needs Assessments (CNAs), appraisals, market surveys/
studies, and other consultation, advisory and non-construction 
services. Grantees may request Agency approval on a case-by-case basis 
for costs not included in the list.
    Grantees may also on a case-by-case basis and, with advance 
approval by the Agency, provide technical assistance to entities 
approved for Off-FLH funding during the construction and rent-up/lease-
up phases of development, and provide training to Agency-funded Off-FLH 
projects to support successful long-term management of Off-FLH 
properties.
(4) Ineligible Purposes/Costs
    In addition to costs identified as unallowable by 2 CFR parts 200 
and 400, grant funds cannot be used for the following: (a) Construction 
(in any form) including building materials, labor, and costs or 
expenditures otherwise typically included as hard costs for actual 
construction.
    (b) To reimburse grantees for technical assistance services 
provided to another nonprofit or public body applicant in the 
development and packaging of its loan/grant docket and project when 
those applicant entities have requested reimbursement for technical 
assistance expenses as part of their total project development cost 
(See 7 CFR 3560.553(c) and 7 CFR part 3560.53(o)(3) (Duplication of 
service costs is not allowed).
    (c) In counties with Agency-financed Off-FLH properties currently 
operating under a ``diminished need'' occupancy waiver (7 CFR 
3560.576(e)), which are listed on RD's website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/multifamily-housing-programs/farm-labor-housing-technical-assistance-grants#to-apply.
    (d) When an identity of interest exists between the technical 
assistance provider (or any third-party entity acting on their behalf) 
and the loan/grant applicant. Identity of interest is defined in 7 CFR 
3560.11.

D. Application and Submission Information

(1) Electronic Application Submissions
    All materials must be submitted via CloudVault. The process for 
submitting electronic application packages to the Agency via CloudVault 
is outlined above in the General Section of this notice.
(2) Content and Format of Application Packages
    In addition to the forms, certifications and assurances required of 
all respondents as outlined in the General Section of this notice, 
complete application packages for the Off-FLH TA Grant must also 
contain a written grant proposal that includes the following required 
information:
    (a) Summary page, which must include the following:
    1. Responding entity's name, address, telephone number, and 
complete contact information for the entity's main point of contact;
    2. Responding entity's Taxpayer Identification Number;
    3. Grant Amount requested;
    4. The State(s), area(s), and/or geographic region for which the 
application is being submitted; and
    5. Responding entity's Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number 
required for registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) 
prior to submitting an application pursuant to 2 CFR 25.200(b).
    (b) Organizational Expertise and Experience Capabilities Statement. 
The responding entity must provide a capabilities statement describing 
overall organizational knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical 
experience in developing, packaging, and submitting section 514/516 
transactions for Agency funding consideration; developing, 
implementing, and delivering farm labor housing technical assistance 
programs; and managing Federal technical assistance grants throughout 
their lifecycle. In addition, respondents must demonstrate the ability 
to exercise leadership, organize work, and prioritize assignments to 
meet work demands in a cost-efficient and timely manner within the 24-
month grant term. If the respondent intends to have other entities 
working on its behalf, those entities must be identified and their 
abilities to meet the stated eligibility requirements and experience in 
delivering approved technical assistance services must also be 
addressed.
    (c) Narrative. The responding entity must include a written 
narrative describing its knowledge, demonstrated ability, and practical 
experience in farm labor housing development, Federal grant 
administration, and technical assistance program development, 
implementation, and delivery. If the respondent intends to have other 
entities working on its behalf, those entities must be identified and 
their abilities to meet the stated eligibility requirements and 
experience in delivering approved technical assistance services must 
also be addressed.
    To demonstrate overall organizational knowledge, experience, and 
expertise in farm labor housing development, respondents must identify 
by property name, type, and location, all FLH projects (both section 
514/516 and non-RHS) their organization has successfully developed in 
the past five (5) years. Please specify developments that continue to 
operate successfully to meet farm labor housing demand in the 
communities where they were developed. Respondents may also include a 
list of any successful, verifiable experience in completing or 
obtaining funding for other affordable Multifamily Housing projects 
during the past five years.
    To demonstrate overall organizational knowledge, experience, and 
expertise in developing, implementing, and delivering farm labor 
housing technical assistance programs, respondents must identify by 
name and location the organizations and communities to which they have 
provided farm labor housing technical assistance services, the types of 
TA services provided to these entities, the sources of the technical 
assistance funding (including any leveraged funding sources), the 
number of section 514/516 loan/grant packages developed and submitted 
for Agency funding consideration on behalf of these entities, and a 
description of how the respondent's technical assistance services 
contributed to the development of off-farm labor housing that continues 
to operate successfully to meet off-farm labor housing demand in

[[Page 28481]]

the community where it was developed. Include the outcomes/success 
ratios of all transactions/projects listed above that were initiated 
within the past five years (e.g., project approved for funding, project 
currently in development, project completed, etc.).
    To demonstrate overall organizational knowledge, experience, and 
expertise in managing Federal technical assistance grants throughout 
their lifecycle (including submitting timely requests for 
reimbursements, meeting reporting requirements, and closing out 
awards), respondents must identify the total number and type(s) of 
Federal technical assistance grants their organization has successfully 
administered within the past five years, including the awarding Federal 
agencies involved.
    (d) Key Personnel and Staffing Plan. Proposals must include the 
resumes of all personnel who will perform key personnel services of (1) 
technical assistance delivery and (2) grant administration (CNAs, 
appraisals, and market surveys are not considered key personnel 
services). The staffing plan must describe each staff member's ability 
to perform the proposed activities and/or their experience in 
successfully managing service delivery of TA grants. The plan must 
include a staffing chart complete with name, job title, salary, hours, 
timelines, and descriptions of all proposed employee duties that will 
achieve the objectives of the grant program. If respondents intend to 
contract for any key personnel services from outside their organization 
(not to exceed the 20% limit), the qualifications of all entities 
acting on behalf of respondents must also be addressed.
    (e) Statement of Work/Work Plan. Responding entities must submit a 
detailed SOW that includes the following requirements:
    1. Introduction/overview with a description of the proposed plan to 
identify and provide advisory services to eligible groups and 
organizations applying for section 514/516 Off-FLH loans and grants in 
underserved market areas.
    2. The organization's capabilities to execute the proposed plan 
within the prescribed 24-month grant period.
    3. The organization's plan to identify and recruit qualified groups 
and organizations who lack the knowledge, experience and/or capacity to 
package and submit section 514/516 applications for Agency funding 
consideration. The SOW must provide a projected number of section 514 
loan and section 516 grant application packages the respondent intends 
to submit for Agency funding consideration during the 24-month grant 
period. The SOW should discuss how the respondent's existing FLH 
knowledge and expertise, in combination with statistical data analysis, 
were utilized in identifying potential loan/grant applicants and how 
those findings provided foundational context to their planning efforts. 
Respondents should also include a discussion of their organizational 
ability to effectively serve the targeted applicants based on key 
personnel, established timeframes, and budget projections. Please 
include the data utilized to support the proposal, all of which must be 
current, relevant, and verifiable.
    4. The organization's plan to identify areas with unmet need and 
unsatisfied market demand for new Off-FLH project development. In 
determining the underserved areas to target for FLH TA services, 
respondents must consider the total number of farmworkers in the area, 
the number and percentage of farmworkers who are without adequate 
housing in the area and projected future housing demand in the area. 
Consultation with major employers of farm laborers and with farmworker 
organizations in each market area under consideration is strongly 
encouraged prior to determining which areas to target for services. The 
SOW should discuss how the respondent's existing FLH knowledge and 
expertise, in combination with statistical data analysis, were utilized 
in identifying underserved market areas and how those findings provided 
foundational context to their planning efforts. Also include a 
discussion of the respondent's organizational ability to effectively 
serve the targeted market areas based on key personnel, established 
timeframes, and budget projections. Respondents should include the data 
utilized to support their proposals, all of which must be current, 
relevant, and verifiable.
    5. Types of proposed technical assistance and legal and/or 
financial services that will enable qualified applicants in underserved 
areas to submit successful section 514/516 applications to the Agency 
within the prescribed 24-month grant period. Respondents must clearly 
explain the services to be provided directly by their organization and 
all services that will be provided by third parties. The responding 
entity must specify the State(s) and/or geographic regions in which 
they and any proposed third-party contractors, consultants or 
subrecipients will offer technical assistance services. Respondents 
must specify why each applicant and targeted service area needs the 
proposed technical assistance services.
    6. A detailed budget justification that aligns with the key project 
tasks/activities and a grant funds usage projection that corresponds 
with a 24-month timeline for service delivery. The grant funds usage 
projection should illustrate direct and indirect administrative costs 
in dollars, and as a percentage of the technical assistance services 
provided (not to exceed 20%).
    7. Additional strengths, qualifications, or capabilities not 
discussed above that may enhance the respondent's capacity to deliver 
services under this grant.

E. Application Review Information

    All application packages will be reviewed to determine eligibility 
and completeness. All eligible, complete applications will be evaluated 
and competitively scored using the Application Scoring Criteria 
outlined below. Points will be awarded only for factors that are well-
documented in the application package and, in the opinion of the 
Agency, meet the objectives outlined in each of the evaluation 
criteria. References to external websites, publications and/or other 
information not submitted as part of the application package will not 
be reviewed. Therefore, full documentation and support of all criteria 
is encouraged.
    The review process designed for this notice will evaluate the 
degree to which the application sets forth measurable realistic 
objectives that are consistent with this notice and can be completed 
within a 24-month grant term consistent with the application and 
processing guidance established by Agency regulations.
Application Scoring Criteria (Points Can Be Earned in All Sections)
1. Respondent Experience (RHS Section 514/516)
    a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing 
section 514/516 transactions during the past five years. Experience 
must be demonstrated by submitting a list of past section 514/516 
transactions as described in this Notice. To receive points, the 
respondent must have acted as the developer or technical assistance 
provider and transactions must have been completed within the past five 
years or there must be a submitted application currently pending 
approval and/or closing with the Agency:

 1-2 completed or pending section 514/516 transactions: 10 
points
 3-5 completed or pending section 514/516 transactions: 20 
points
 6-8 completed or pending section 514/516 transactions: 30 
points

[[Page 28482]]

 9 or more completed or pending section 514/516 transactions: 
40 points

    b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing 
technical assistance to qualified borrowers in completing section 514/
516 transactions. Experience must be demonstrated by submitting a list 
of past instances providing technical assistance as described in this 
Notice. Points will be awarded according to the number of qualified 
borrowers to whom the respondent has provided successful section 514/
516 technical assistance during the past five years:

 1-4 section 514/516 borrowers provided with technical 
assistance: 10 points
 5-8 section 514/516 borrowers provided with technical 
assistance: 20 points
 9 or more section 514/516 borrowers provided with technical 
assistance: 30 points
2. Respondent Experience (Other/Non-RHS Affordable Multifamily Housing 
Programs)
    a. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience completing or 
obtaining funding for non-RHS FLH or other affordable MFH projects 
during the past five years. Experience must be demonstrated by 
submitting a list of past project transactions as described in this 
Notice. To receive points, the respondent must have acted as the 
developer or technical assistance provider and the projects must have 
been completed or have (at a minimum) obtained funding approval during 
the past five years:

 1-3 non-RHS FLH or MFH transactions completed/obtained funding 
approval: 5 points
 4-6 non-RHS FLH or MFH transactions completed/obtained funding 
approval: 10 points
 7-9 non-RHS FLH or MFH transactions completed/obtained funding 
approval: 15 points
 10 or more non-RHS FLH or MFH housing transactions completed/
obtained funding approval: 20 points

    b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience providing 
technical assistance to non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers. Experience must 
be demonstrated by submitting a list of past instances of providing 
technical assistance as described in this Notice. Points will be 
awarded according to the number of non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers to whom 
the respondent has provided technical assistance in the past five 
years:

 1-4 non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers assisted: 5 points
 5-8 non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers assisted: 10 points
 9 or more non-RHS FLH or MFH borrowers assisted: 15 points
3. Proposed Outcomes
    a. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to maximize the 
number of areas assisted (based on the proposed Statement of Work/Work 
Plan). Points will be awarded according to the proposed number of areas 
with unmet need/unsatisfied market demand targeted for services under 
the TA grant:

 1-5 proposed market areas: 5 points
 6-10 proposed market areas: 10 points
 11 or more proposed market areas: 15 points

    b. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to identify and 
assist qualified section 514/516 applicant groups and organizations 
(based on the Statement of Work/Work Plan). Points will be awarded 
according to the proposed number of qualified 514/516 applicant groups/
organizations to be served under the grant:

 1-3 qualified section 514/516 applicants: 5 points
 4-6 qualified section 514/516 applicants: 10 points
 7 or more qualified section 514/516 applicants: 15 points

    c. Respondent uses technical assistance resources to increase the 
number of successful section 514/516 applications submitted for Agency 
funding consideration (based on the Statement of Work/Work Plan). 
Points will be awarded according to the proposed number of section 514/
516 loan/grant application packages to be submitted for Agency funding 
consideration during the 24-month grant period of performance:

 1-5 application packages: 5 points
 6-10 application packages: 10 points
 More than 10 packages: 15 points
4. Grant Administration
    a. Respondent uses grant resources to maximize the funding 
available for direct program delivery to TA recipients. Percentage of 
grant funds used for direct and indirect administrative costs (not to 
exceed 20% of total projected costs):

 Total Administrative costs 10% to 20%: 5 points
 Total Administrative Costs Less than 10%: 10 points

    b. Respondent has successful, verifiable experience managing 
service delivery or technical assistance throughout the grant lifecycle 
during the past five years. Experience must be demonstrated by 
submitting a list of past instances of managing service delivery or 
providing technical assistance as described in this Notice. Experience 
considered for scoring purposes includes submitting timely requests for 
funding, meeting reporting requirements, and closing out awards. Points 
will be awarded according to the degree of experience:

 1-4 grants successfully managed during the past five years: 5 
points
 5 or more grants successfully managed during the past five 
years: 10 points

    5. Off-FLH Program Delivery Goals. All applications meeting the 
minimum scoring requirement of 50 points may be eligible for up to 15 
additional points for proposals that offer TA services to support the 
Off-FLH program delivery goals outlined in a. and b. below.
    a. Geographic coverage (up to 10 points): Respondent proposes to 
serve geographic areas that are underserved by other technical 
assistance providers, as identified by the respondent and verified by 
the Agency.
    b. Innovative TA service delivery models (up to 5 points): The 
agency seeks to test a range of TA delivery models to assess the 
methods of TA delivery that are most effective to facilitate successful 
Off-FLH development. Describe any supporting innovative delivery 
approaches associated with implementation of the outlined key personnel 
tasks, including contingencies for delivering TA services remotely/
virtually in order to avoid service delays and disruptions.
    6. Administrator Discretionary Points: Respondents meeting the 
minimum scoring requirements may be considered for up to 15 
discretionary scoring points (5 points for each category) as determined 
by the Administrator, which advance any or all of the Agency's three 
key funding priorities, provided that all other requirements set forth 
in this notice are otherwise met. The three key priorities are:
    (i) Market Opportunities (up to 5 points): Priority points may be 
awarded if the project is located in or serving one of the top 10% of 
counties or county equivalents based upon county risk score in the 
United States. Information on whether your project qualifies for 
priority points can be found at the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
    (ii) Equity (up to 5 points): Priority points may be awarded if the 
project is located in or serving a community with score 0.75 or above 
on the CDC Social

[[Page 28483]]

Vulnerability Index. Information on whether your project qualifies for 
priority points can be found at the following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
    (iii) Climate Impacts (up to 5 points): Priority points may be 
awarded if the project is located in or serving coal, oil and gas, and 
power plant communities whose economic well-being ranks in the most 
distressed tier of the Distressed Communities Index. Information on 
whether your project qualifies for priority points can be found at the 
following website: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.
    The minimum score requirement for grants awarded under this funding 
opportunity is 50 points. Final scores are determined by the Agency. 
The Agency reserves the right to withhold the awarding of funds for 
applications that fail to meet the minimum required final score. 
Meeting the minimum scoring requirements and/or receiving priority 
funding points or discretionary points from the Administrator does not 
guarantee a funding award.
    The Agency will notify all responding entities whether their 
application has been accepted or rejected and provide appeal rights 
under 7 CFR part 11, as appropriate.

Joaquin Altoro,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-09460 Filed 5-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P