[Federal Register: June 25, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 121)]
[Notices]
[Page 30268-30273]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jn09-26]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for the Small, Socially-
Disadvantaged Producer Grant Program in Fiscal Year 2009
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service announces the
availability of approximately $1.463 million in competitive grant funds
for fiscal year (FY) 2009 for cooperatives or associations of
cooperatives to assist small, socially-disadvantaged agricultural
producers. USDA Rural Development Cooperative Programs hereby requests
proposals from eligible cooperatives and associations of cooperatives
for a competitively awarded grant to fund technical assistance to
small, socially-disadvantaged 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 August 10, 2009, to be eligible for FY 2009
grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2009 grant
funding.
Electronic copies must be received by August 10, 2009, to be
eligible for FY 2009 grant funding. Late applications will not be
eligible for FY 2009 grant funding.
[[Page 30269]]
ADDRESSES: Application materials for the Small, Socially-Disadvantaged
Producers Grant Program (SSDPG) may be obtained at http://
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/ssdg/ssdpg.htm or by contacting the
applicant's USDA Rural Development State Office. Contact information
for State Offices can be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/
rcdg/Contacts.htm.
Paper applications must be submitted to the USDA Rural Development
State Office where the applicant is located. Electronic applications
must be submitted through the Grants.gov Web site at http://
www.grants.gov, following the instructions found on this Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Visit the program Web site at http://
www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/ssdpg/ssdpg.htm for application
assistance or contact a USDA Rural Development State Office. Applicants
are strongly encouraged to contact their State Offices well in advance
of the deadline to discuss their projects and ask any questions about
the application process.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service.
Funding Opportunity Title: Small, Socially-Disadvantaged 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 August 10, 2009, to be eligible for FY 2009
grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2009 grant
funding.
Complete electronic copies must be received by August 10, 2009, to
be eligible for FY 2009 grant funding. Late applications are not
eligible for FY 2009 grant funding.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
This notice is issued pursuant to the Omnibus Appropriations Act
Public Law No. 111-8 (March 11, 2009) that authorizes, not to exceed,
$1.463 million for cooperatives or associations of cooperatives whose
primary focus is to provide assistance to small, socially-disadvantaged
producers and whose governing board and/or membership is comprised of
at least 75 percent small, socially disadvantaged producers. The
Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the program's administration to
USDA Rural Development Cooperative Programs.
Formerly known as the Small, Minority Producer Grant Program, the
primary objective of the SSDPG program is to provide technical
assistance to small, socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers
through eligible cooperatives and associations of cooperatives. Grants
are awarded on a competitive basis. 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.
Association of Cooperatives--An association of cooperatives whose
primary focus is to provide assistance to small, socially-disadvantaged
agricultural producers and where the governing board and/or membership
is comprised of at least 75 percent socially-disadvantaged agricultural
producers.
Conflict of Interest--A situation in which the ability of a person
or entity to act impartially would be questionable due to competing
professional or personal interests. An example of conflict of interest
occurs when the grantee's employees, board of directors, including
their immediate family, have a legal or personal financial interest in
the recipients receiving the benefits or services of the grant.
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, socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers and where the
governing board and/or membership is comprised of at least 75 percent
socially-disadvantaged producers.
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.
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
Socially-Disadvantaged Agricultural Producer Grant and any matching
funds.
Rural and Rural Area--Any area of a State--
(1) Not in a city or town that has a population of more than 50,000
inhabitants, according to the latest decennial census of the United
States; and
(2) The contiguous and adjacent urbanized area,
(3) Urbanized areas that are rural in character as defined by
U.S.C. 1991(a)(13), as amended by section 6018 of the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, Public Law 110-246 (June 18,
2008).
(4) For the purposes of this definition, cities and towns are
incorporated population centers with definite boundaries, local self-
government, and legal powers set forth in a charter granted by the
State. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, within
the areas of the County of Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the Secretary may designate any part of the areas as a
rural area if the Secretary determines that the part is not urban in
character, other than any area included in the Honolulu census
designated place (CDP) or the San Juan CDP.
Rural Development--A mission area within USDA consisting of the
Office of
[[Page 30270]]
Under Secretary for Rural Development, Rural Development Business and
Cooperative Programs, Rural Development Housing Programs, and Rural
Development Utilities Programs and their successors.
Small, Socially-Disadvantaged Agricultural Producer--Socially-
disadvantaged persons or 100 percent socially-disadvantaged producer-
owned entities, including farmers, ranchers, loggers, agricultural
harvesters, and fishermen, that have averaged $250,000 or less in
annual gross sales of agricultural products in the last 3 years.
Socially-Disadvantaged Producer--Individual agricultural producers
who have been subjected to racial, ethnic or gender prejudice because
of their identity as members of a group, without regard for their
individual qualities.
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, socially-disadvantaged 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 2009.
Approximate Total Funding: $1.463 million.
Approximate Number of Awards: 8.
Approximate Average Award: $175,000.
Floor of Award Range: None.
Ceiling of Award Range: $175,000.
Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2009.
Budget Period Length: 12 months.
Project Period Length: 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Applicants must be a cooperative or an association of cooperatives
as defined in this Notice, and must be able to verify their legal
structure as a cooperative in the state in which they are incorporated.
Individuals are not eligible for this program.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
No matching funds are required.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
Use of Funds: Funds may only be used for technical assistance
projects as defined in this notice.
Project Area Eligibility: The Project proposed must take place in a
rural area as defined in this Notice.
Grant Period Eligibility: If awarded, grant 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, 2009, and
ending no later than December 31, 2010. 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, 2010, 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 in this notice, to benefit their members or
other small socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers who are not
members, in order to be considered for funding. Applications having
ineligible costs equaling more than 10 percent of total project costs
will be determined ineligible and will not be considered for funding.
Applications having ineligible costs of 10 percent or less of total
project costs and which are 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. Applicants may not submit applications that duplicate
current activities or activities 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/
ssdpg/ssdpg.htm. Alternatively, applicants may contact their USDA Rural
Development State Office. Contact information for State Offices can be
found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/rcdg/Contacts.htm.
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/ssdpg/ssdpg.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.
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 SSDPG Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/ssdpg/
ssdpg.htm or by contacting the applicant's USDA Rural Development State
Office. In addition to the DUNS number, an applicant must provide their
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
[[Page 30271]]
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. Executive Summary. A summary of the proposal, not to exceed one
page, must briefly describe the project, tasks to be completed and
other relevant information that provides a general overview of the
project.
6. Eligibility Discussion: A detailed discussion, not to exceed
four pages, must describe how the applicant meets the following
requirements.
(i) Applicant Eligibility: Applicants must be cooperatives or
associations of cooperatives comprised of small, socially-disadvantaged
agricultural producers and must describe how they meet the definition
as defined in the Definitions section of this Notice. Applicant must
also verify their incorporation as a cooperative or an association of
cooperatives in the state they have applied by providing the state's
Certificate of Good Standing, and their Articles of Incorporation and
By-Laws. 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.
(iii) Project Area: The applicant must provide specific information
on where the projects are planned to be located and that the areas meet
the definition of ``rural area.''
(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.
7. 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.
8. 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 two pages
for each evaluation criteria. Failure to address each evaluation
criteria will result in the application being determined ineligible.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Application Deadline Date: August 10, 2009.
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.
D. National Environmental Policy Act
All grants made under this NOFA are subject to the requirements of
7 CFR 1940 subpart G. Applications for technical assistance are
generally excluded from the environmental review process by 1940.333,
provided the assistance is not related to the development of a specific
site.
E. 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 a SPOC or you do not want to submit your application to the
SPOC, 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-
8460 or cpgrants@wdc.usda.gov if you have questions about this process.
F. 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;
17. Pay expenses for applicant employee training; or
18. Pay for any goods or services from a person who has a conflict
of interest.
G. 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
[[Page 30272]]
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 50. Any application
receiving less than 30 total points will not be funded.
1. Technical Assistance. (0-15 points) The application will be
evaluated to determine the applicant's ability to assess the needs of
small socially-disadvantaged producers, plan and conduct appropriate
and effective assistance, and identify the expected outcomes of that
assistance.
(i) 0 points will be awarded if the applicant does not
substantively address this criterion.
(ii) 1-4 points will be awarded if the applicant demonstrates
weakness in addressing this criterion.
(iii) 5-10 points will be awarded if the applicant demonstrates
they meet part but not all of the criterion.
(iv) 15 points will be awarded if the applicant identifies specific
needs of the socially-disadvantaged producers to be assisted; clearly
articulates a logical and detailed plan of assistance for addressing
those needs; and discusses realistic outcomes of planned assistance.
2. Experience. (0-15 points) Points will be awarded based upon
length of experience of identified staff or consultants in providing
technical assistance, as defined in this notice. Applicants must
describe the specific type of technical assistance experience for each
identified staff member or consultant, as well as years of experience
in providing that assistance. In addition, r[eacute]sum[eacute]s for
each individual staff member or consultant must be included as an
attachment, listing their experience for the type of technical
assistance proposed. The attachments will not count toward the maximum
page total. The Agency will compare the described experience to the
work plan to determine relevance of experience.
(i) 0 points will be awarded if the staff or consultants
demonstrate no relevant experience in providing technical assistance;
(ii) 5 points will be awarded if at least one of the identified
staff or consultants demonstrates more than two years of experience in
providing relevant technical assistance;
(iii) 10 points will be awarded if at least one of the identified
staff or consultants demonstrates 5 or more years of experience in
providing relevant technical assistance; or
(iv) 15 points will be awarded if all of the identified staff or
consultants demonstrate 5 or more years of experience in providing
relevant technical assistance.
3. Commitment. (0-15 points) The Agency will evaluate the
applicant's commitment to providing technical assistance to socially-
disadvantaged producers in rural areas. Points will be awarded based
upon the number of agricultural, socially-disadvantaged producers being
assisted. Applicants must list the number and location of small,
socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers that will directly
benefit from the assistance provided.
(i) 0 points will be awarded if the applicant does not
substantively address this criterion.
(ii) 5 points will be awarded if the proposed project will benefit
1-10 producers;
(iii) 10 points will be awarded if the proposed project will
benefit 11-50 producers; or
(iv) 15 points will be awarded if the proposed project will benefit
more than 50 producers.
4. Local support. (0-5 points) Applications will be reviewed for
local support for the technical assistance activities of the
cooperative. Applicants that demonstrate strong support from potential
beneficiaries and other developmental organizations will receive more
points than those not evidencing such support.
(i) 0 points will be awarded if the applicant does not
substantively address this criterion.
(ii) 1 point will be awarded if the applicant provides or
references 2-3 support letters that demonstrate substantive support
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
(iii) 2 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or
references 4-5 support letters that demonstrate substantive support
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
(iv) 3 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or
references 6-7 support letters that demonstrate substantive support
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
(v) 4 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or
references 8-9 support letters that demonstrate substantive support
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
(vi) 5 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or
references 10 support letters that demonstrate substantive support from
potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
The applicant may submit a maximum of 10 letters of support. These
letters should be included as an attachment to the application and will
not count against the maximum page total. Additional letters from
industry groups, commodity groups, local and State government, and
similar organizations should be referenced, but not included in the
application package. When referencing these letters, provide the name
of the organization, date of the letter, the nature of the support, and
the name and title of the person signing the letter.
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 screened for eligibility and scored by the State Offices, then
submitted to the National Office for review and ranking. The National
Office will review the scores based upon the point allocation specified
in this notice. Applications will be funded in scoring rank order and
will be submitted to the Administrator in rank order with funding level
recommendations. The Administrator will break scoring ties based on
Agency priorities.
C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
Award Date: The announcement of award selections is expected to
occur on or about September 1, 2009.
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 appeal
rights, by mail.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
7 CFR parts 3015, 3019, and subparts A and F of part 7 CFR 4284 are
applicable to grants made under this notice. These regulations may be
obtained at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html.
The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected
for this program:
Agency approved Grant Agreement.
Letter of Conditions.
[[Page 30273]]
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.''
Additional information on these requirements can be found at http:/
/www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/ssdpg/ssdpg.htm.
Fund Disbursement: The Agency will determine, based on 7 CFR parts
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 submit:
1. Form SF-269 or SF-269A. A ``Financial Status Report,'' listing
expenditures according to agreed upon budget categories, on a semi-
annual basis. Reporting periods end each March 31 and September 30.
Reports are due 30 days after the reporting period ends.
2. Semi-annual performance reports comparing accomplishments to the
objectives stated in the proposal, identifying all tasks completed to
date and providing 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 includes, but
is 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 comparing accomplishments to
the objectives stated in the proposal, identifying all tasks completed,
and providing 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
socially disadvantaged agricultural producers assisted to assist in
documenting the annual performance goals of the SSDPG 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, marital
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 June 19, 2009.
Judith A. Canales,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. E9-14954 Filed 6-24-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P