[Federal Register: May 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 103)]
[Notices]
[Page 29949-29955]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30my07-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Announcement of the Grants to Assist Small, Minority Producer
Program Application Deadlines
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of solicitation of applications.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service announces the
availability of approximately $1.1 million competitive grant funds for
fiscal year (FY) 2007 for cooperatives and association of cooperatives
to assist small, minority agricultural producers. USDA Rural
Development Cooperative Programs hereby requests proposals from
eligible cooperatives and associations of cooperatives interested in a
competitively awarded grant. The cooperatives and associations of
cooperatives will use the grant money to fund technical assistance to
small, minority agricultural producers in rural areas. The maximum
award per grant is $175,000.
DATES: Applications for grants must be submitted on paper or
electronically according to the following deadlines:
Paper copies must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent
overnight no later than July 30, 2007, to be eligible for FY 2007 grant
funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2007 grant funding.
Electronic copies must be received by July 30, 2007, to be eligible
for FY 2007 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY
2007 grant funding.
ADDRESSES: Application materials for the Small, Minority Producers
Grant Program (SMPG) may be obtained at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm
or by contacting the applicant's USDA Rural
Development State Office at (202) 720-4323 and pressing ``1''.
Submit electronic grant applications at http://www.grants.gov,
following the instructions found on this Web site. Submit completed
paper applications for a grant to the applicant's State Office as
follows:
A list of Rural Development State Offices follows:
Alabama
USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Center, Suite 601,
4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3400.
Alaska
USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201,
Palmer, AK 99645-6539, (907) 761-7705.
Arizona
USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 North First Avenue, Suite
206, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706, (602) 280-8701.
Arkansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room
3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3200.
California
USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street, 4169,
Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-5800.
Colorado
USDA Rural Development State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E-100,
Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544-2915.
Delaware-Maryland
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite
200, Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857-3580.
Florida/Virgin Islands
USDA Rural Development State Office, P. O. Box 147010, 4440 NW.
25th Place, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3402.
Georgia
USDA Rural Development State
[[Page 29950]]
Office, Stephens Federal Building 355 E. Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA
30601-2768, (706) 546-2162.
Hawaii
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311,
154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933-8380.
Idaho
USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Suite
A1, Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5600.
Illinois
USDA Rural Development State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A,
Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 403-6200.
Indiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard,
Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100.
Iowa
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873,
210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4663.
Kansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1303 SW First American Place,
Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604, (785) 271-2700.
Kentucky
USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite
200, Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-7300.
Louisiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street,
Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7920.
Maine
USDA Rural Development State Office, P.O. Box 405, 967 Illinois
Avenue, Suite 4, Bangor, ME 04402-0405 (207) 990-9160.
Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut
USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Amherst, MA
01002 (413) 253-4300.
Michigan
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200,
East Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324-5188.
Minnesota
USDA Rural Development State Office, 410 AgriBank Building, 375
Jackson Street St, Paul, MN 55101, (651) 602-7800.
Mississippi
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831,
100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4316.
Missouri
USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West,
Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0976.
Montana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 900 Technology Blvd., Unit 1,
Suite B, Bozeman, MT 59718, (406) 585-2580.
Nebraska
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152,
100 Centennial Mall North Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5551.
Nevada
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street,
Carson City, NV 89703-5146, (775) 887-1222.
New Jersey
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5th Floor North, 8000
Midlantic Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787-7700.
New Mexico
USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE.,
Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-4950.
New York
USDA Rural Development State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441
South Salina Street, Syracuse, NY 13202, (315) 477-6400.
North Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260,
Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2000.
North Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208,
P.O. Box 1737, 220 East Rosser, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737 (701) 530-2037.
Ohio
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507,
200 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2477, (614) 255-2500, Ext. 4.
Oklahoma
USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108,
Stillwater, OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1000.
Oregon
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1201 Northeast Lloyd
Boulevard, Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-3300.
Pennsylvania
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1 Credit Union Place, Suite
330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2262.
Puerto Rico
USDA Rural Development State Office, IBM Building, Suite 601, 654
Munoz Rivera Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-6106, (787) 766-5095.
South Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal
Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803)
765-5163.
South Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210,
200 4th Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1100.
Tennessee
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite
300, Nashville, TN 37203-1084 (615) 783-1300.
Texas
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102,
101 South Main Street , Temple, TX 76501 (254) 742-9700.
Utah
USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal
Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138
(801) 524-4324.
Vermont/New Hampshire
USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89
Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 (802) 828-6080.
Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Culpeper Building, Suite 238,
1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 23229 (804) 287-1552.
Washington
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard,
SW., Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715 (360) 704-7715.
West Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, 75 High Street, Suite 320,
Morgantown, WV 26505 (304) 284-4860.
Wisconsin
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens
Point, WI 54481 (715) 345-7600.
Wyoming
USDA Rural Development State Office, Dick Cheney Federal Building,
P.O. Box 11005, 100 East B Street, Room 1005, Casper, WY 82602-5006
(307) 233-6700.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Visit the program Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm
for application assistance
or contact the USDA Rural Development State Office. Applicants are
encouraged
[[Page 29951]]
to contact their State Offices well in advance of the deadline to
discuss their projects and ask any questions about the application
process.
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS).
Funding Opportunity Title: Small, Minority Producer Grant.
Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.771
Dates: Application Deadline: Completed applications for grants may
be submitted on paper or electronically according to the following
deadlines:
Paper copies must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent
overnight no later than July 30, 2007, to be eligible for FY 2007 grant
funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2007 grant funding.
Complete electronic copies must be received by July 30, 2007, to be
eligible for FY 2007 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible
for FY 2007 grant funding.
Programs Affected
This will not affect other programs in USDA Rural Development.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
This solicitation is issued pursuant to the Revised Continuing
Resolution, 2007, Public Law 110-5 dated February 15, 2007 which
authorizes not to exceed $1,473,000 for cooperatives or associations of
cooperatives whose primary focus is to provide assistance to small,
minority agricultural producers and whose governing board and/or
membership is comprised of at least 75 percent minority members. The
Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the program's administration to
USDA Rural Development Cooperative Programs.
The primary objective of this grant program is to assist small,
minority agricultural producers through cooperatives and associations
of cooperatives. USDA Rural Development Cooperative Programs will
competitively award grants to fund cooperatives and/or associations of
cooperatives to provide technical assistance to small, minority
agricultural producers in rural areas. The maximum award amount per
grant is $175,000.
Definitions
Agency--Rural Business-Cooperative Service, an agency of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development or a
successor agency.
Agricultural Commodity--An unprocessed product of farms, ranches,
nurseries, and forests. Agricultural commodities include: livestock,
poultry, and fish; fruits and vegetables; grains, such as wheat,
barley, oats, rye, triticale, rice, corn, and sorghum; legumes, such as
field beans and peas; animal feed and forage crops; seed crops; fiber
crops, such as cotton; oil crops, such as safflower, sunflower, corn,
and cottonseed; trees grown for lumber and wood products; nursery stock
grown commercially; Christmas trees; ornamentals and cut flowers; and
turf grown commercially for sod. Agricultural commodities do not
include horses or animals raised as pets, such as cats, dogs, and
ferrets.
Cooperative Programs--The office within USDA Rural Development, and
its successor organization, that administers programs authorized by the
Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926 (7 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) and such other
programs identified in USDA regulations.
Economic Development--The economic growth of an area as evidenced
by increase in total income, employment opportunities, decreased out-
migration of population, value of production, increased diversification
of industry, higher labor force participation rates, increased duration
of employment, higher wage levels, or gains in other measurements of
economic activity, such as land values.
Feasibility Study--An analysis of the economic, market, technical,
financial, and management feasibility of a proposed project.
Minority--Individuals who have been subjected to racial, ethnic,
gender prejudice or cultural bias within American society because of
their identities as members of groups and without regard to their
individual qualities. Minority groups are Women, African Americans not
of Hispanic Origin, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian
and Pacific Islanders.
Minority Association of Cooperatives--An association of
cooperatives whose primary focus is to provide assistance to small,
minority agricultural producers and where the governing board and/or
membership is comprised of at least 75 percent minority.
Minority Cooperative--A farmer- or rancher-owned and -controlled
business, organized and chartered as a cooperative, from which benefits
are derived and distributed equitably on the basis of use by each of
the farmer or rancher owners whose primary focus is to provide
assistance to small, minority agricultural producers and where the
governing board and/or membership is comprised of at least 75 percent
minority.
Operating Cost--The day-to-day expenses of running a business; for
example: utilities, rent, salaries, depreciation, product production
costs, marketing and advertising, and other basic overhead items.
Project--Includes all activities to be funded by the Small Minority
Agricultural Producer Grant and any matching funds.
Small, Minority Agricultural Producer--Minority persons or 100
percent minority-owned entities, including farmers, ranchers, loggers,
agricultural harvesters, and fishermen, with gross annual sales of not
more than $250,000 that engage in the production or harvesting of an
agricultural commodity.
Rural and Rural Area--Includes all the territory of a State that is
not within the outer boundary of any city or town having a population
of 50,000 or more and the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to
such city or town, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census using
the latest decennial census of the United States.
Rural Development--A mission area within USDA consisting of the
Office of Under Secretary for Rural Development, Rural Development
Business and Cooperative Programs, Rural Development Housing Programs,
and Rural Development Utilities Programs and their successors.
State--Includes each of the several States, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam, American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and, as may be
determined by the Secretary to be feasible, appropriate and lawful, the
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands
and the Republic of Palau.
Technical Assistance--An advisory service performed for the benefit
of a small, minority agricultural producer such as market research;
product and/or service improvement; legal advice and assistance;
feasibility study, business plan, and marketing plan development; and
training. Technical assistance does not include the operating costs of
a cooperative being assisted.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007
Approximate Total Funding: $1.1 million
Approximate Number of Awards: 6
[[Page 29952]]
Approximate Average Award: $175,000
Floor of Award Range: None
Ceiling of Award Range: $175,000
Anticipated Award Date: September 14, 2007
Budget Period Length: 12 months
Project Period Length: 12 months
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Applicants must be a minority cooperative or a minority association
of cooperatives.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
No matching funds are required.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
Use of Funds: The funds may only be used for technical assistance
projects.
Project Area Eligibility: The Project proposed must take place in a
rural area.
Grant Period Eligibility: If awarded, funds must be expended in 1
year. Applications must have a time frame of no more than 365 days with
the time period beginning no earlier than October 1, 2007 and ending no
later than December 31, 2008. Projects must be completed within the 1-
year time frame. The Agency will not approve requests to extend the
grant period. Applications that request funds for a time period ending
after December 31, 2008, will not be considered for funding.
Completeness Eligibility: Applications lacking sufficient
information to determine eligibility and scoring will be considered
ineligible. Applications that are non-responsive to this notice will be
considered ineligible.
Multiple Grant Eligibility: An applicant may not submit more than
one grant application in any one funding cycle.
Activity Eligibility: Applications must propose technical
assistance, as defined, to benefit their members or other small
minority agricultural producers who are not members or they will not be
considered for funding. Applications that have ineligible costs that
equal more than 10 percent of the total project costs will be
determined ineligible and will not be considered for funding. An
application that has ineligible costs of 10 percent or less of total
project costs and is selected for funding, must remove all ineligible
costs from the budget and replace them with eligible activities or the
amount of the grant award will be reduced accordingly. An applicant may
not submit an application that duplicates current activities or
activities to be paid for by other Federally funded grant programs.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Address To Request Application Package
The application package for applying on paper for this funding
opportunity can be obtained at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm.
Alternatively, applicants may contact their USDA Rural
Development State Office at the above list. For electronic
applications, applicants must visit http://www.grants.gov and follow
the instructions.
B. Content and Form of Submission
Applications must be submitted on paper or electronically. An
application guide may be viewed at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm.
It is recommended that applicants use the template
provided on the Web site. The template can be filled out electronically
and printed out for submission with the required forms for paper
submission or it can be filled out electronically and submitted as an
attachment through http://www.grants.gov.
Applications submitted by paper form, applicants must submit one
signed original of the completed application. The application should be
in the following format:
Font size: 12 point unreduced
Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches
Printed on only one side of each page.
Held together only by rubber bands or metal or plastic clips; not
bound in any other way.
The submission must include all pages of the application. It is
recommended that the application be in black and white, and not color.
If the application is submitted electronically, the applicant must
follow the instructions given at the Internet address: http://www.grants.gov.
Applicants are advised to visit the site well in
advance of the application deadline if they plan to apply
electronically to ensure that they have obtained the proper
authentication and have sufficient computer resources to complete the
application.
Applicants must complete and submit the following elements. The
Agency will screen all applications for eligibility and to determine
whether the application is complete and sufficiently responsive to the
requirements set forth in this notice to allow for an informed review.
Information submitted as part of the application will be protected to
the extent permitted by law.
1. Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.'' The form
must be completed, signed and submitted as part of the application
package.
Please note that applicants are required to have a Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. The DUNS
number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies
business entities. There is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access
http://www.dnb.com/us/ or call 866-705-5711. For more information, see the SMPG Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm
/smpg/smpg.htm
or by contacting the applicant's USDA Rural Development State Office.
In addition to the DUNS number, an applicant must provide a legal
Employment Identification Number.
2. Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs.''
This form must be completed and submitted as part of the application
package.
3. Form SF-424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.'' This
form must be completed, signed, and submitted as part of the
application package.
4. Table of Contents. For ease of locating information, each
application must contain a detailed Table of Contents (TOC) immediately
following the SF-424B. The TOC must include page numbers for each
component of the application. Pagination should begin immediately
following the TOC.
5. Eligibility Discussion: A detailed discussion, not to exceed
four pages, must describe how the applicant meets the following
requirements.
(i) Applicant Eligibility: If the applicant is a cooperative, the
application must reference the business's good standing as a
cooperative in its state of incorporation. If the applicant is an
association of cooperatives, the application must reference the
association's good standing as a legal business structure in its state
of incorporation. If the applicant is selected for a grant, they must
provide their Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws along with the
State's Certificate of Good Standing to verify they are incorporated as
a cooperative or an association of cooperatives in the State they have
applied. The applicant must describe how it meets the definition of a
``minority cooperative'' or ``minority association of cooperatives'' as
defined in the Definitions section of this Notice. The applicant must
apply as only one type of applicant.
(ii) Use of Funds: The applicant must provide a detailed discussion
on how the proposed project activities meet the definition of technical
assistance.
[[Page 29953]]
(iii) Project Area: The applicant must provide information on where
the projects are planned to be located and that the areas meet the
``rural area'' definition.
(iv) Grant Period: The applicant must provide a time frame for the
proposed project and discuss how the project will be completed within
that time frame.
6. Budget/Work Plan: The applicant must describe, in detail not to
exceed four pages, the purpose of the grant, what type of assistance
will be provided, and the total amount of funds needed to assist for
each project. The budget must also present a breakdown of estimated
costs associated with each task/activity for each project. The amount
of grant funds requested will be adjusted if the applicant does not
have justification for all costs.
7. Evaluation Criteria: Each of the evaluation criteria referenced
in this notice must be addressed, specifically and individually on
separate pages, in narrative form, not to exceed a total of one page
for each evaluation criteria. Failure to address the evaluation
criteria by the application deadline will result in the application
being determined ineligible.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Application Deadline Date: July 30, 2007.
Explanation of Deadlines: Paper applications must be postmarked and
mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by the deadline date (see Section
IV.F. for the address). Electronic applications must be received by
http://www.grants.gov by the deadline date. Courier applications must
be delivered by the deadline date. If the Applicant's application does
not meet the deadline, it will not be considered for funding.
Applicants will be notified if their application did not meet the
submission deadline. Applicants will also be notified by mail or by e-
mail if their application is received on time.
D. Intergovernmental Review of Applications
Executive Order (EO) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs, applies to this program. This EO requires that Federal
agencies provide opportunities for consultation on proposed assistance
with State and local governments. Many states have established a Single
Point of Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. A list of
States that maintain an SPOC may be obtained at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.
If your State has an SPOC, you
may submit your application directly for review. Any comments obtained
through the SPOC must be provided to Rural Development for
consideration as part of your application. If your State has not
established an SPOC or you do not want to submit your application,
Rural Development will submit your application to the SPOC or other
appropriate agency or agencies.
You are also encouraged to contact Cooperative Programs at 202-720-
7558 or cpgrants@wdc.usda.gov if you have questions about this process.
E. Funding Restrictions
Grant funds must be used for technical assistance. No funds made
available under this solicitation shall be used to:
1. Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building or
facility, including a processing facility;
2. Purchase, rent, or install fixed equipment, including processing
equipment;
3. Purchase vehicles, including boats;
4. Pay for the preparation of the grant application;
5. Pay expenses not directly related to the funded project;
6. Fund political or lobbying activities;
7. Fund any activities prohibited by 7 CFR parts 3015 and 3019;
8. Fund architectural or engineering design work for a specific
physical facility;
9. Fund any direct expenses for the production of any commodity or
product to which value will be added, including seed, rootstock, labor
for harvesting the crop, and delivery of the commodity to a processing
facility;
10. Fund research and development;
11. Purchase land;
12. Duplicate current services or replace or substitute support
previously provided;
13. Pay costs of the project incurred prior to the date of grant
approval;
14. Pay for assistance to any private business enterprise which
does not have at least 51 percent ownership by those who are either
citizens of the United States or reside in the United States after
being legally admitted for permanent residence;
15. Pay any judgment or debt owed to the United States;
16. Pay the operating costs of cooperative and/or association of
cooperatives; or
17. Pay expenses for applicant employee training.
F. Other Submission Requirements
Applicants may submit their paper application for a grant to their
Rural Development State Office listed under the Addresses section.
Applicants may submit their application electronically at http://www.grants.gov.
Applications may not be submitted by electronic mail,
facsimile, or hand-delivery. Each application submission must contain
all required documents in one envelope, if sent by mail or express
delivery service.
V. Application Scoring Criteria Review Information
A. Criteria:
All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated based upon
the following criteria. Failure to address any one of the following
criteria by the application deadline will result in the application
being determined ineligible and the application will not be considered
for funding. The total points possible for the criteria are 60 and the
maximum number of points for each of the following sections is 15. Any
application receiving less than 40 total points will not be funded.
1. Rural Area: Projects must be in rural areas. Points will be
awarded based upon the rural area where the proposed project is
located. The Agency will determine if the area meets the rural area
definition by using the following Web site: http://maps.ers.usda.gov/loanlookup/viewer.htm
.
(i) If the proposed project is located in a city or town with a
population of at least 15,000 and no more than 25,000 people, 5 points
will be awarded;
(ii) If the proposed project is located in a city or town with a
population of at least 5,000 and less than 15,000 people, 10 points
will be awarded; or
(iii) If the proposed project is located in a city or town with a
population of less than 5,000 people, 15 points will be awarded.
(iv) If the proposed project is located in an unincorporated area,
15 points will be awarded.
If the applicant proposes to provide assistance in multiple areas
or cities, the applicant must list the areas or cities where the
assistance will be provided, the population for each and the amount of
assistance of each area. Points will be calculated by using the above
point scale for each, with the points awarded using a weighted average
of the points for the areas served. The information needed for this
criterion may be obtained using the population finder tool at http://www.census.gov/
.
2. Per capita personal income: Points will be awarded
proportionally based upon a comparison of the per capita personal
income of the county in which a proposed project is located to the
state per capital personal income:
[[Page 29954]]
(i) If the per capita personal income level in the county where the
proposed project will be located is less than 80 percent of the state
per capita personal income level, 15 points will be awarded;
(ii) If the per capita personal income level in the county where
the proposed project will be located is at least 80 percent and less
than 90 percent of the state per capita personal income level, 10
points will be awarded;
(iii) If the per capita personal income level in the county where
the proposed project will be located is at least 90 percent and less
than 100 percent of the state per capita personal income level, 5
points will be awarded; or
(iv) If the per capita personal income level in the county where
the proposed project will be located is equal to or exceeds the state
per capita personal income, no points will be awarded.
If the applicant proposes to provide assistance in multiple rural
counties, the applicant must list the counties where the assistance
will be provided; the percentage of assistance intended to be spent in
each county, and the per capita personal income level for each county.
Points will be calculated by using the above point score for each
county's per capital personal income level, with the total points
awarded in proportion to where the assistance is directed. (For
example, if 50% of the grant money will be spent in a county where the
per capita income is below 80 percent, and 50% will be spent in a
county where the per capita income is between 90 and 100 percent,
points will be calculated as follows: [(.5)*(15) + (.5)*(5) = 10
points]. The information needed for this criterion may be obtained at
http://www.bea.gov.
3. Experience. Points will be awarded based upon the relevant
experience of the staff or the consultants hired to provide the
proposed technical assistance.
(i) If the staff or consultants have no experience in providing
technical assistance, 0 points will be awarded;
(ii) If each of the staff or consultants has 3 years of experience
in providing technical assistance, 5 points will be awarded;
(iii) If each of the staff or consultants have at least 3 years of
experience in providing the same type of technical assistance as
proposed in the project, 10 points will be awarded; or
(iv) If each of the staff or consultants has at least 3 years of
experience in providing the same type of technical assistance as
proposed in the project to small, minority agricultural producers, 15
points will be awarded.
Applicants must describe the specific type of technical assistance
that each staff member or consultant has experience in providing.
Resumes of each individual staff member or consultant must be included
as an attachment listing their experience for the type of technical
assistance, along with a list of small, minority agricultural producers
they've assisted. The attachments will not count toward the maximum
page total. The Agency will compare the described assistance and the
resumes to the work plan to determine point total.
4. Number of small, minority agricultural producers assisted.
Points will be awarded based upon the number of agricultural, minority
producers being assisted.
(i) If the proposed project will benefit 1-10 producers, 5 points
will be awarded;
(ii) If the proposed project will benefit 11-50 producers, 10
points will be awarded; or
(iii) If the proposed project will benefit more than 50 producers,
15 points will be awarded.
Applicants must list the number of small, minority agricultural
producers that will directly benefit from the assistance provided.
B. Review and Selection Process
The Agency will screen all proposals to determine whether the
application is eligible and sufficiently responsive to the requirements
set forth in this notice to allow for an informed review. Applications
will be tentatively scored by the State Offices and submitted to the
National Office for review and selection. The National Office will
review the scores based upon the point allocation specified in this
notice. The applications will be funded in scoring rank order and will
be submitted to the Administrator in rank order, together with funding
level recommendations.
C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Award Date: The announcement of award selections is expected to
occur on or about September 14, 2007.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive a notification of tentative
selection for funding from Rural Development. Applicants must comply
with all applicable statutes, regulations, and this notice before the
grant award will receive final approval.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification, including
mediation procedures and appeal rights, by mail.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
7 CFR parts 3015, 3019, and subparts A and F of part 4284 are
applicable to grants made under this notice. These regulations may be
obtained at http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/page1.
The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected
for this program:
Agency approved Grant Agreement.
Letter of Conditions.
Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of Funds.''
Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.''
Form AD-1047, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters-Primary Covered
Transactions.''
Form AD-1048, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered
Transactions.''
Form AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding a Drug-Free
Workplace Requirements (Grants).''
Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.''
Form 2006-38, ``Civil Rights Impact Analysis.'' Prior to
approval of all grants, a Civil Rights Impact Analysis will be
conducted.
Additional information on these requirements can be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm
.
Fund Disbursement: The Agency will determine, based on 7 CFR 3015,
3016 and 3019, as applicable, whether disbursement of a grant will be
by advance or reimbursement. As needed, but not more frequently than
once every 30 days, an original of SF-270, ``Request for Advance or
Reimbursement,'' may be submitted to Rural Development. Recipient's
request for advance shall not be made in excess of reasonable outlays
for the month covered.
Reporting Requirements: Grantees must provide Rural Development
with an original or an electronic copy that includes all required
signatures of the following reports. The reports should be submitted to
the Agency contact listed on the Grant Agreement and Letter of
Conditions. Failure to submit satisfactory reports on time may result
in suspension or termination of the grant. Grantees will need to
submit:
1. Form SF-269 or SF-269A. A ``Financial Status Report,'' listing
expenditures according to agreed upon budget categories, on a
semiannual basis. Reporting periods end each March 31 and September 30.
Reports are due 30 days after the reporting period ends.
2. Semiannual performance reports that compare accomplishments to
the
[[Page 29955]]
objectives stated in the proposal. Identify all tasks completed to date
and provide documentation supporting the reported results. If the
original schedule provided in the work plan is not being met, the
report should discuss the problems or delays that may affect completion
of the Project. Objectives for the next reporting period should be
listed. Compliance with any special condition on the use of award funds
must be discussed. Reports are due as provided in paragraph (1) of this
section. Supporting documentation must also be submitted for completed
tasks. The supporting documentation for completed tasks include, but
are not limited to, feasibility studies, marketing plans, business
plans, articles of incorporation, and bylaws as they relate to the
assistance provided.
3. Final project performance reports that compare accomplishments
to the objectives stated in the proposal. Identify all tasks completed
and provide documentation supporting the reported results. If the
original schedule provided in the work plan was not met, the report
must discuss the problems or delays that affected completion of the
project. Compliance with any special condition on the use of award
funds must be discussed. Supporting documentation for completed tasks
must also be submitted. The supporting documentation for completed
tasks includes, but is not limited to, feasibility studies, marketing
plans, business plans, articles of incorporation, and bylaws as they
relate to the assistance provided. The final performance report is due
within 90 days of the completion of the project. The report must also
include a summary at the end of the report with the number of small
minority agricultural producers assisted to assist in documenting the
annual performance goals of the SMPG program for Congress.
VII. Agency Contacts
For general questions about this announcement and for program
technical assistance, please contact the appropriate State Office as
indicated in the Addresses section of this notice.
VIII. Non-Discrimination Statement
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination
in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color,
national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, martial
status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation,
genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or
part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance
program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program
information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a
complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil
Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or
call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal
opportunity provider and employer.
Dated: May 22, 2007.
Jackie J. Gleason,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. E7-10301 Filed 5-29-07; 8:45 am]
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