[Federal Register: June 3, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 106)]
[Notices]
[Page 31413-31418]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03jn10-35]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business--Cooperative Service
Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) Inviting Applications for
the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program
AGENCY: Rural Business--Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Notice announces the availability of $45.1 million in
program level to support rural mircoentrepreneurship in rural America
and solicits applications for funds available under the Rural
Microentrepreneur Assistance Program to provide direct loans, technical
assistance grants, and technical assistance-only grants to
microdevelopment organizations to support the development and ongoing
success of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises. The Agency
will make awards on a quarterly basis. In the event, as expected in the
first quarter, all program funds are not awarded in a quarter, the
remaining funds will be carried over to the subsequent quarter.
DATES: Applications for participating in this Program will be accepted
on an on-going basis, but will be awarded on a quarterly basis. For
Fiscal Year 2010, applications must be received by July 16, 2010 for
consideration for award under Fiscal Year 2010 and September 30, 2010
for consideration for award for funds available in Fiscal Year 2010,
but not obligated.
ADDRESSES: Applications and forms may be obtained from any Rural
Development State Office. Applicants must submit an original complete
application to the USDA Rural Development National Office and provide a
copy of the application package to the USDA Rural Development State
Office in the state where the applicant's project is located. The
National Office address and a list of the USDA Rural Development State
Offices addresses and telephone numbers are listed below.
Note: Telephone numbers listed are not toll-free.
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National Office
Rural Microenterprise Assistance Program, Business Programs,
Specialty Programs Lending Division, USDA Rural Development, Room
6868, South Agricultural Building, Stop 3225, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3225, (202) 720-1400.
Alabama
USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Centre, Suite 601,
4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3400/TDD
(334) 279-3495.
Alaska
USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201,
Palmer, AK 99645-6539, (907) 761-7705/TDD (907) 761-8905.
Arizona
USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 N. 1st Ave., Suite 206,
Phoenix, AZ 85003, (602) 280-8701/TDD (602) 280-8705.
Arkansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room
3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3200/TDD (501) 301-3279.
California
USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street, 4169,
Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-5800/TDD (530) 792-5848.
Colorado
USDA Rural Development State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E-100,
Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544-2903/TDD (720) 544-2976.
Delaware-Maryland
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite
200, Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857-3580/TDD (302) 857-3585.
Florida/Virgin Islands
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 NW 25th Place, P.O. Box
147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3400/TDD (352) 338-
3499.
Georgia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355
E. Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601-2768, (706) 546-2162/TDD (706)
546-2034.
Hawaii
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311, 154
Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933-8380/TDD (808) 933-
8321.
Idaho
USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Suite A1,
Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5600/TDD (208) 378-5644.
Illinois
USDA Rural Development State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A,
Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 403-6200/TDD (217) 403-6240.
Indiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard,
Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100/TDD (317) 290-3343.
Iowa
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873, 210
Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4663/TDD (515) 284-
4858.
Kansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1303 S.W. First American Place,
Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040, (785) 271-2700/TDD (785) 271-2767.
Kentucky
USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200,
Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-7300/TDD (859) 224-7422.
Louisiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street,
Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7921/TDD (318) 473-7655.
Maine
USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4,
P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9160/TDD (207) 942-
7331.
Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut
USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Suite 2,
Amherst, MA 01002-2999, (413) 253-4300/TDD (413) 253-4590.
Michigan
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200,
East Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324-5190/TDD (517) 324-5169.
Minnesota
USDA Rural Development State Office, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 410,
St. Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-7800/TDD (651) 602-3799.
Mississippi
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831,
100 W. Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4316/TDD (601)
965-5850.
Missouri
USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West,
Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0976/TDD
(573) 876-9480.
Montana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 900 Technology Boulevard, Suite
B, P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 59771, (406) 585-2580/TDD (406) 585-
2562.
Nebraska
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100
Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5551/TDD (402)
437-5093.
Nevada
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson
City, NV 89703-5146, (775) 887-1222/TDD (775) 885-0633.
New Jersey
USDA Rural Development State Office, 8000 Midlantic Drive, 5th Floor
North, Suite 500, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787-7700/TDD (856)
787-7784.
New Mexico
USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE, Room
255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-4950/TDD (505) 761-4938.
New York
USDA Rural Development State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441
South Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202-2541, (315) 477-
6400/TDD (315) 477-6447.
North Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260,
Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2000/TDD (919) 873-2003.
North Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220
East Rosser, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737, (701) 530-2037/
TDD (701) 530-2113.
Ohio
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200
North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2418, (614) 255-2400/TDD (614)
255-2554.
Oklahoma
USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108,
Stillwater, OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1000/TDD (405) 742-1007.
Oregon
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801,
Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-3300/TDD (503) 414-3387.
Pennsylvania
USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite
330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2299/TDD (717) 237-2261.
Puerto Rico
USDA Rural Development State Office, IBM Building, Suite 601, 654
Munos Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00918-6106, (787) 766-5095/TDD
(787) 766-5332.
South Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal
Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803)
765-5163/TDD (803) 765-5697.
South Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200
Fourth Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1100/TDD (605) 352-
1147.
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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, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9700/TDD (254) 742-9712.
Utah
USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal
Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT
84138, (801) 524-4320/TDD (801) 524-3309.
Vermont/New Hampshire
USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main
Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6000/TDD (802) 223-6365.
Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite
238, Richmond, VA 23229-5014, (804) 287-1550/TDD (804) 287-1753.
Washington
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard SW.,
Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7740/TDD (360) 704-7760.
West Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, 75 High Street, Room 320,
Morgantown, WV 26505-7500, (304) 284-4860/TDD (304) 284-4836.
Wisconsin
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens
Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7600/TDD (715) 345-7614.
Wyoming
USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B, Federal Building,
Room 1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602-5006, (307) 233-6700/TDD
(307) 233-6733.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this
Notice, please contact the USDA Rural Development State Office for your
respective State, as provided in the Addresses section of this Notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork
burden associated with this Notice has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570-0062.
Overview
Federal Agency Name: Rural Business--Cooperative Service (an agency
of the United States Department of Agriculture in the Rural Development
mission area).
Solicitation Opportunity Title: Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance
Program.
Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number. The CFDA number for
this Notice is 10.870.
DATES: Completed applications must be received in the USDA Rural
Development National Office no later than the quarterly deadlines of
July 16 and September 30, 2010 to be considered for funds available in
FY 2010 and, assuming availability of funds, by December 31, 2010, for
the first quarter in FY 2011.
Availability of Notice and Rule. This Notice and the interim rule
for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP) are available
on the USDA Rural Development Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/
BCP-LoanAndGrants.html and at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/
bprogs.htm.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Purpose of the Program. The purpose of RMAP is to support the
development and ongoing success of rural microentrepreneurs and
microenterprises (businesses generally with ten employees or fewer and
in need of financing in the amount of $50,000 or less as defined in 7
CFR 4280.302).
Assistance provided to rural areas under this program may include
the provision of loans and grants to rural Microenterprise Development
Organizations (MDOs) for the provision of microloans to rural
microenterprises and microentrepreneurs; provision of business-based
training and technical assistance to rural microborrowers and potential
microborrowers; and other such activities as deemed appropriate by the
Secretary to ensure the development and ongoing success of rural
microenterprises.
B. Statutory Authority. The RMAP is authorized by Section 379E of
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 USC 2008s).
Regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart D.
C. Definition of Terms. The definitions applicable to this Notice
are published at 7 CFR 4280.302.
II. Award Information
A. Type of Award: Loan and/or Grant.
B. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2010.
C. Funding Availability: The total amount of available program
level in Fiscal Year 2010 is $45.1 million. Of this total, $36.2
million will be initially available for loans, $7.6 million will be
initially available for Microlender technical assistance grants, and
$1.3 million will be initially available for Technical assistance-only
grants. Exact funding is dependent on the quality of applicants for
each funding type.
Any funds not awarded under this notice will be carried over into
Fiscal Year 2011. Applications received after July 16, 2010, will be
reviewed and evaluated for funding beginning October 1st. Applications
for the first quarter are due September 30th. In the event some of the
program funds allocated for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2011 are
not awarded, the remaining funds will be carried over to the second
quarter.
D. Approximate Number of Awards: 82.
E. Awards: The minimum loan amount an MDO may borrow under this
program is $50,000. The maximum loan any MDO may borrow in any given
year is $500,000.
The maximum amount of a technical assistance-only grant under this
program will not exceed an estimated $130,000.
Microlender Technical Assistance grants will be limited to an
amount equal to not more than 25 percent of the total outstanding
balance of microloans made under this program and active by the
microlender as of the date the grant is awarded for the first $400,000
plus an additional 5 percent of the loan amount owed by the
microborrowers to the lender under this program over $400,000 up to and
including $2.5 million. Funds cannot be used to pay off the loans.
During the first year of a microlender's operation under this program,
the percentage will be determined based on the amount of the loan to
the microlender, but will be disbursed on a quarterly basis based on
the amount of microloans made. Any grant dollars obligated, but not
spent, from the initial grant, will be subtracted from the subsequent
year grant to ensure that obligations cover only microloans made and
active.
F. Anticipated Award Dates:
* August 31, 2010 for applications received by July 16, 2010.
* November 15, 2010 for applications received by September 30,
2010.
* February 15, 2011 for applications received by December 31, 2010.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants. To be eligible for this program, the
applicant must meet the eligibility requirements in 7 CFR 4280.310.
B. Cost share requirements. The Federal share of the eligible
project cost of a microborrower's project funded under this Notice
shall not exceed 75 percent. The cost share requirement shall be met by
the microlender in
[[Page 31416]]
accordance with the requirements specified in 7 CFR 4280.311(d).
C. Matching fund requirements. The MDO is required to provide a
match of not less than 15 percent of the total amount of the grant in
the form of matching funds, indirect costs, or in-kind goods or
services.
D. Other Eligibility Requirements. Applications will only be
accepted from eligible MDOs. Eligible MDOs must score a minimum of 70
points out of 100 points to be considered to receive an award. Awards
will be based on ranking with the highest ranking applications being
funded first, subject to available funding.
E. Completeness Eligibility. All applications must be submitted as
a complete application, in one package. Applications will not be
considered for funding if they do not provide sufficient information to
determine eligibility or are unbound, falling apart, or otherwise not
suitable for evaluation. Such applications will be returned.
IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Application and Submission Information
A. Application Submittal. Applications may be submitted in either
paper or electronic format. If applications are submitted in paper
format, they must be bound in a 3-ring binder and must be organized in
the same order set forth in 7 CFR 4280.315. To ensure timely delivery,
applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications using
an overnight, express, or parcel delivery service.
Applicants are encouraged to submit grant only applications through
the Grants.gov Web site at: http://www.grants.gov. Users of Grants.gov
will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it
off line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov
Web site. USDA Rural Development strongly encourages applicants not to
wait until the application deadline date to begin the application
process through Grants.gov. Applications may not be submitted by
electronic mail.
When applicants enter the Grants.gov Web site, they will find
information about submitting a grant application electronically through
the site as well as the hours of operation. Applicants may submit all
documents electronically through the Web site, including all
information required for a complete application and all necessary
assurances and certifications under 7 CFR 4280.315. After
electronically submitting an application through the Web site, the
applicant will receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov
that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. USDA Rural Development may
request that the applicant provide original signatures on forms at a
later date.
All applicants, whether filing applications through www.Grants.gov
or by paper, must have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number which can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free
request line at 1-866-705-5711.
Please note that applicants can locate the downloadable application
package for this program by the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number, which is 10.870, or FedGrants Funding Opportunity Number, which
can be found at http://www.Grants.gov.
B. Content and Form of Submission. An application must contain all
of the required elements outlined in 7 CFR 4280.315. Each application
must address the applicable scoring criteria presented in 7 CFR
4280.316 for the type of funding being requested.
C. Submission Dates and Times.
The original complete application must be received by the USDA
Rural Development National Office no later than 4:30 p.m. local time by
the application deadline dates listed above, regardless of the postmark
date.
Applications received at the USDA Rural Development National
Office, unless withdrawn by the applicant, will be retained by the
Agency for consideration in subsequent reviews through a total of four
quarterly reviews. Applications unsuccessful after four quarters will
not be considered further for an award.
V. Application Review Information
Awards under this Notice will be made on a competitive basis each
quarter. Each application received in the USDA Rural Development
National Office will be reviewed, scored, and ranked to determine if it
is consistent with the program requirements. Applications will be
scored based on the applicable scoring criteria contained in 7 CFR
4280.316. Failure to address any of the applicable scoring criteria
will result in a zero-point score for that section. Applications must
receive at least 70 points to be considered for funding in the quarter
in which it is scored. Figure 1 illustrates the scoring associated with
7 CFR 4280.316.
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VI. Award Administration Information
Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from
the USDA Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with
all applicable statutes and regulations before the award will be
approved. Unsuccessful applications will receive notification by mail.
VII. Agency Contacts
For general questions about this Notice, please contact your USDA
Rural Development State Office as provided in the Addresses section of
this Notice.
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NONDISCRIMINATION 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 Adjudication and Compliance, 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,
employer, and lender.
Dated: May 28, 2010.
Judith A. Canales,
Administrator, Rural Development, Business and Cooperative Programs,
[OMB1]Section.
[FR Doc. 2010-13380 Filed 6-2-10; 8:45 am]
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