Notice of Request for Information (RFI) Inviting Input About the $50 Million Non-Traditional Shelf-Stable Commodities Pilot Program, 57384-57385 [2024-15474]
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57384
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 89, No. 135
Monday, July 15, 2024
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
the comments publicly available via
https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Molly Kairn, Program and Management
Analyst, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural
Service, email PPDED@usda.gov, Phone
202–713–8673.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Notice of Request for Information (RFI)
Inviting Input About the $50 Million
Non-Traditional Shelf-Stable
Commodities Pilot Program
Foreign Agricultural Service,
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Request for information.
AGENCY:
The Foreign Agricultural
Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture requests comments from the
public to inform an understanding on
non-traditional, shelf-stable
commodities that could be used in food
assistance programming. FAS seeks to
learn what commodities could be
considered outside the traditional food
assistance commodities. This RFI offers
interested parties the opportunity to
provide FAS with information regarding
non-traditional, shelf-stable food aid
commodities.
SUMMARY:
Comments on this notice must be
received by July 30, 2024, to be assured
of consideration.
ADDRESSES: USDA invites submission of
the requested information through one
of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the
online instructions for submitting
comments.
• Email: FAS will accept electronic
submissions emailed to PPDED@
usda.gov. The email should contain the
subject line, ‘‘Response to RFI: $50
million pilot program.’’
Instructions: Response to this RFI is
voluntary. All comments submitted in
response to this RFI will be included in
the record and will be made available to
the public. Please be advised that the
substance of the comments and the
identity of the individuals or entities
submitting the comments will be subject
to public disclosure. USDA will make
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
DATES:
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18:25 Jul 12, 2024
Jkt 262001
In October 2023, USDA announced
with United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) the
use of $1 billion of Credit Commodity
Corporation funding to help fill food
security gaps and supply safe and
nutritious food to the global community
in need.
Of this funding, up to $50 million will
be set aside for use in a pilot program
that will operate to utilize U.S.
commodities that:
1. Have not recently been
substantially included in international
food assistance programming,
2. Are shelf-stable, and
3. Are suitable for use in feeding foodinsecure populations.
These U.S.-grown commodities could
include, but are not limited to, nuts;
dried fruits; grains such as quinoa, farro,
and oats; and canned fish or canned
meats.
Request for Information
FAS requests information from the
public to help identify non-traditional,
shelf-stable commodities that could be
used in food assistance programming
under the proposed $50 million pilot
program. Non-traditional commodities
could include, but are not limited to,
commodities that have never been used
before in food assistance programming,
commodities that have not been used in
food assistance programming in at least
the last 5 years, and/or commodities
that can be made into a new product.
Additionally, FAS requests information
from the public about non-traditional
commodities including:
1. Cost per metric tonnage, or other
customary commercial unit of measure,
including cost to the U.S. Government,
2. Estimated cost of delivery of
commodities to a U.S. port,
3. Packaging details, including
transportation/containerization
requirements and costs,
4. The expected shelf life under
normal storage conditions and adverse
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
conditions that might be expected in
developing countries (i.e., high
humidity and temperatures),
5. Any history/documentation of
successful storage performance for the
commodity,
6. Nutritional benefits for adults and
for children,
7. Essential minerals,
8. Testing requirements for food
safety,
9. Consumer preparation instructions,
if any, including requirements for
potable water, fuel, and cooking time,
10. Whether the commodity meets
current Food and Drug Administration
requirements,
11. The current production capacity
in the United States, and seasonality/
availability of the commodity for export,
12. Known challenges and barriers
around imports, and
13. Intended age range for population
if product is fortified.
Please include any relevant data
sources. The response to this RFI is
voluntary, and the public is welcome to
address any or all the questions and
provide additional information that may
be relevant to seeking information on
non-traditional food aid commodities.
Responses may not exceed ten (10)
pages per respondent and should focus
on addressing the questions described
above. Please do not submit
applications, proposals, resumes or
promotional materials. The submission
shall be written in English and typed on
standard 81⁄2″ x 11″ electronic paper
(216 mm by 297 mm paper), single
spaced, font size 12, with each page
numbered consecutively. Any
information obtained from this RFI is
intended to be used by the Government
on a non-attribution basis for planning
and developing a pilot program for nontraditional, shelf-stable commodities.
This RFI does not constitute a formal
solicitation for proposals or abstracts.
Your response to this notice will be
treated as information only. FAS will
not reimburse any costs incurred in
responding to this RFI. Respondents are
advised that FAS is under no obligation
to acknowledge receipt of the
information received or provide
feedback to respondents with respect to
any information submitted under this
RFI. Responses to this RFI do not bind
FAS to any further actions related to
this topic. Responses will become
government property.
E:\FR\FM\15JYN1.SGM
15JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 135 / Monday, July 15, 2024 / Notices
No confidential information, such as
confidential business information or
proprietary information, should be
submitted in comments for this RFI.
Comments received in response to this
notice will be a matter of public record
and will be made available for public
inspection and posted without change
and as received, including any business
information or personal information
provided in the comments, such as
names and addresses. Please do not
include anything in your comment
submission that you do not wish to
share with the public.
Daniel Whitley,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 2024–15474 Filed 7–11–24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–P
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
[Docket #: RBS–22–BUSINESS–0029]
Notice of Processing Timeline Change
for the Rural Energy for America
Program for Fiscal Year 2024
Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (the Agency) is
issuing a notice of the Agency’s
intention to remove the self-imposed
restriction that all Fiscal Year (FY) 2024
applications that are submitted under
the Rural Energy for America Program
(REAP) prior to June 30, 2024, and were
not funded in the national unrestricted
pooling competitions, must be
withdrawn. The Agency is also updating
its approach for application reviews.
This Notice also outlines the Agency’s
prioritization of Underutilized
Renewable Energy Technologies (UT) in
National Office competitions for FY
2024.
DATES: Applicable July 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You are encouraged to
contact your United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
Development (RD) State Energy
Coordinator well in advance of the
application deadline to discuss your
project and ask any questions about the
application process. Contact
information for State Office Energy
Coordinators can be found at
www.rd.usda.gov/files/RBS_State
EnergyCoordinators.pdf.
Program guidance and application
forms may be obtained at
www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/allprograms/energy-programs. To submit
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:25 Jul 12, 2024
Jkt 262001
57385
an electronic application via grants.gov,
follow the instructions for the REAP
funding announcement located at
www.grants.gov.
procedures effective on the publication
date of this Notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
If an application does not meet the
definition of complete application,
according to 7 CFR 4280.103, the
Agency will send a notification
identifying those parts of the
application that are incomplete and no
further action will be taken on the
application.
The Agency will give 15 business
days for applicants to provide the
missing documentation. The application
will be withdrawn, and the applicant
notified if the required documentation
is not received within the 15 business
days or if the information submitted by
the deadline is insufficient.
Application processing will continue
if all documentation is received timely
and is sufficient to meet the definition
of a complete application.
Jonathan Burns, Program Management
Division, Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, United States Department of
Agriculture, 774–678–7238 or email
CPgrants@usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Extension for REAP FY 2024
Applications
The Agency published two funding
opportunity notices and a correction
notice in the Federal Register for REAP
for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024. The first
funding notice was published December
16, 2022 (87 FR 77059). The second
funding notice was published March 31,
2023 (88 FR 19239), and the correction
notice was published May 31, 2023 (88
FR 34823). The second funding notice
and the correction notice are applicable
to applications received on or after
April 1, 2023 (FY 2024). The two
notices state that obligations will take
place through September 30, 2024, and
complete and eligible applications
which were not funded in the national
unrestricted pooling must be
withdrawn.
Due to the continued overwhelming
response of the funding opportunity, the
Agency continues to experience longer
than anticipated turnaround times. The
Agency recognizes this may negatively
affect applicants and, to provide
equitable treatment, the self-imposed
deadline on the national unrestricted
pooling competitions for FY 2024 will
be extended. The Agency will continue
processing FY 2024 applications, those
received through June 30, 2024, until
December 31, 2024. Unlike many prior
years, National Office pooling of
Unrestricted Funding is estimated to
occur within the first quarter of the 2025
calendar year.
Applications received by June 30,
2024, that remain incomplete on
January 1, 2025, will be withdrawn.
Unfunded applications from the
national competitions will not be moved
into the FY 2025 funding cycle and
must be withdrawn. Those applicants
may submit a new application to
compete in FY 2025 competition(s) if
they have not already started their
project or incurred project costs.
Agency Approach for Application
Reviews
To maximize efficiency and address
the backlog of applications, the Agency
will use the following processing
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Completeness Application Review
Eligibility Review for Complete
Applications
The Agency will review for applicant
and project eligibility and financial and
technical feasibility. If the Agency
requires additional clarification or
documentation, the Agency will send a
notification and give 15 business days
for the applicant to provide the
information.
The application will be withdrawn,
and the applicant notified if the
required information is not received
within the 15 business days or if the
information submitted by the deadline
is insufficient.
Application processing will continue
if all information is received timely and
is sufficient for determining applicant
and project eligibility. The applicant
will then receive a notification of the
eligibility review outcome.
Prioritization of Underutilized
Renewable Energy Technologies (UT)
To carry out the Inflation Reduction
Act’s intention to have set aside
competition for UT, the Agency
anticipates holding National Office
competitions, exclusively for projects
proposing the use of UT. These National
Office competitions are anticipated to be
held through the end of FY 2024, as
needed.
In addition, the FY 2024 National
Office Unrestricted pooled competition
will first consider funding project
proposing the use of UT in accordance
with the March 31, 2023, REAP NOSA
(88 FR 19239). This Unrestricted
National Office pooled competition is
E:\FR\FM\15JYN1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 135 (Monday, July 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57384-57385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15474]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 135 / Monday, July 15, 2024 /
Notices
[[Page 57384]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Foreign Agricultural Service
Notice of Request for Information (RFI) Inviting Input About the
$50 Million Non-Traditional Shelf-Stable Commodities Pilot Program
AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, Department of Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture requests comments from the public to inform an
understanding on non-traditional, shelf-stable commodities that could
be used in food assistance programming. FAS seeks to learn what
commodities could be considered outside the traditional food assistance
commodities. This RFI offers interested parties the opportunity to
provide FAS with information regarding non-traditional, shelf-stable
food aid commodities.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 30, 2024, to be
assured of consideration.
ADDRESSES: USDA invites submission of the requested information through
one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.
Email: FAS will accept electronic submissions emailed to
[email protected]. The email should contain the subject line, ``Response
to RFI: $50 million pilot program.''
Instructions: Response to this RFI is voluntary. All comments
submitted in response to this RFI will be included in the record and
will be made available to the public. Please be advised that the
substance of the comments and the identity of the individuals or
entities submitting the comments will be subject to public disclosure.
USDA will make the comments publicly available via https://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Molly Kairn, Program and Management
Analyst, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service,
email [email protected], Phone 202-713-8673.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In October 2023, USDA announced with United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) the use of $1 billion of Credit
Commodity Corporation funding to help fill food security gaps and
supply safe and nutritious food to the global community in need.
Of this funding, up to $50 million will be set aside for use in a
pilot program that will operate to utilize U.S. commodities that:
1. Have not recently been substantially included in international
food assistance programming,
2. Are shelf-stable, and
3. Are suitable for use in feeding food-insecure populations.
These U.S.-grown commodities could include, but are not limited to,
nuts; dried fruits; grains such as quinoa, farro, and oats; and canned
fish or canned meats.
Request for Information
FAS requests information from the public to help identify non-
traditional, shelf-stable commodities that could be used in food
assistance programming under the proposed $50 million pilot program.
Non-traditional commodities could include, but are not limited to,
commodities that have never been used before in food assistance
programming, commodities that have not been used in food assistance
programming in at least the last 5 years, and/or commodities that can
be made into a new product. Additionally, FAS requests information from
the public about non-traditional commodities including:
1. Cost per metric tonnage, or other customary commercial unit of
measure, including cost to the U.S. Government,
2. Estimated cost of delivery of commodities to a U.S. port,
3. Packaging details, including transportation/containerization
requirements and costs,
4. The expected shelf life under normal storage conditions and
adverse conditions that might be expected in developing countries
(i.e., high humidity and temperatures),
5. Any history/documentation of successful storage performance for
the commodity,
6. Nutritional benefits for adults and for children,
7. Essential minerals,
8. Testing requirements for food safety,
9. Consumer preparation instructions, if any, including
requirements for potable water, fuel, and cooking time,
10. Whether the commodity meets current Food and Drug
Administration requirements,
11. The current production capacity in the United States, and
seasonality/availability of the commodity for export,
12. Known challenges and barriers around imports, and
13. Intended age range for population if product is fortified.
Please include any relevant data sources. The response to this RFI
is voluntary, and the public is welcome to address any or all the
questions and provide additional information that may be relevant to
seeking information on non-traditional food aid commodities.
Responses may not exceed ten (10) pages per respondent and should
focus on addressing the questions described above. Please do not submit
applications, proposals, resumes or promotional materials. The
submission shall be written in English and typed on standard 8\1/2\'' x
11'' electronic paper (216 mm by 297 mm paper), single spaced, font
size 12, with each page numbered consecutively. Any information
obtained from this RFI is intended to be used by the Government on a
non-attribution basis for planning and developing a pilot program for
non-traditional, shelf-stable commodities. This RFI does not constitute
a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. Your response to this
notice will be treated as information only. FAS will not reimburse any
costs incurred in responding to this RFI. Respondents are advised that
FAS is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information
received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any
information submitted under this RFI. Responses to this RFI do not bind
FAS to any further actions related to this topic. Responses will become
government property.
[[Page 57385]]
No confidential information, such as confidential business
information or proprietary information, should be submitted in comments
for this RFI. Comments received in response to this notice will be a
matter of public record and will be made available for public
inspection and posted without change and as received, including any
business information or personal information provided in the comments,
such as names and addresses. Please do not include anything in your
comment submission that you do not wish to share with the public.
Daniel Whitley,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-15474 Filed 7-11-24; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-P
