[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 59 (Monday, March 29, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15406-15411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6860]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business--Cooperative Service
Inviting Applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants
AGENCY: Rural Business--Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business--Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency
within the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability
of grants under the Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG) program for
fiscal year (FY) 2010, to be competitively awarded based on the terms
of this notice and RBOG program regulations found at 7 CFR part 4284,
subpart G in the following amounts:
1. Up to $250,000 per application.
These dollar limits do not apply to Federally Recognized Native
American Tribes'' (FRNAT), and Rural Economic Area Partnerships, for
which the RBOG appropriation for FY 2010 provided specific funding.
Grant applications may be submitted for a work period not to exceed
two years.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the regulations prior
to submitting an application.
While not precluding any of the previous uses of these funds, the
Agency is particularly interested in recruiting applications that will
establish ``best practice'' projects in the area of regional economic
and community development using key strategies of the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA). Regions can be either multi-
jurisdictional areas within a State, territory, or Federally-designated
Tribal land or can cross State, territory, or Tribal boundaries, and
are herein referred to as ``Great Regions'' applicants. A Great Region
application focusing on one or more of the key strategies outlined
below may be eligible for additional discretionary points in the
application scoring as outlined in the selection criterion in 7 CFR
4284.639(f). Projects should be
[[Page 15407]]
designed to help rural communities in the region create wealth so they
are self-sustaining, repopulating and thriving economically, especially
using any of the following USDA key strategies in sustainable ways:
1. Local and regional food systems as a strategy for encouraging
production agriculture and related industries in new wealth creation;
2. Renewable energy generation, energy conservation, and/or climate
change adaptation or mitigation as strategies for quality job creation;
3. Use of broadband and other critical infrastructure as a strategy
to facilitate local entrepreneurship and expansion of market
opportunities for small businesses;
4. Access to capital in rural areas as a strategy to ensure
continuous business development and job creation/retention; and
5. Innovative utilization of natural resources as a strategy to
expand business opportunities.
Applicants are encouraged to consider all available resources in
their geographic area that can contribute to supporting their chosen
strategies * * * After selection, grantees may be provided with
targeted technical assistance by USDA or other Federal agencies as
available and appropriate.
DATES: The deadline for the receipt of applications in the respective
Rural Development State Office is 4 p.m. local time on June 28, 2010.
Any applications received after that time will not be considered for FY
2010 funding; however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the
application deadline.
Prospective applicants may submit an application for an informal
eligibility pre-review no later than April 28, 2010. The pre-review is
intended to provide feedback to the prospective applicant, but is not
binding on the Agency.
ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for a grant should contact a Rural
Development State Office for additional information and copies of the
application package. All applications should be submitted to the Rural
Development State Office serving the State or territory where the
project, or a majority of the project, would be 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. Applicants whose projects would serve a multi-State area do not
need to apply to each State Office. Following is the contact
information for Rural Development State Offices:
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.
Connecticut (see Massachusetts)
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 Drive, 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 SW. 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.
Maryland (see Delaware)
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 West 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.
[[Page 15408]]
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 Hampshire (see Vermont)
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.
Rhode Island (see Massachusetts)
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.
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.
Virgin Islands (see Florida)
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.
U.S. Territories
Guam (see Hawaii)
Western Pacific (see Hawaii)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Business--Cooperative Service (RBS).
Funding Opportunity Type: Rural Business Opportunity Grants (RBOG).
Announcement Type: Initial Solicitation Announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.773
Dates: Application Deadline: Unless extended by the Agency,
completed applications for these funds must be received in the
respective Rural Development State Office no later than 4 p.m. on June
28, 2010, to be eligible for FY 2010 grant funding. Any applications
received after that time will not be considered for FY 2010 funding;
however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the application
deadline. Electronic applications must be submitted through the
Grants.gov Web site at: http://www.grants.gov, following the
instructions found on this Web site.
Application pre-review: Prospective applicants may submit an
application for an informal eligibility pre-review no later than April
28, 2010. The pre-review is intended to provide feedback to the
prospective applicant, but is not binding on the Agency.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
While all of the many eligible purposes for Rural Business
Opportunity Grants will continue to be considered, the Agency is
particularly interested in recruiting applications that will establish
``best practice'' projects in the area of regional economic and
community development using key strategies of the USDA as identified
below. To ensure that a broad range of communities have the opportunity
to benefit from the program, no grant will exceed $250,000. These
limits do not apply to funding for rural areas designated as FRNATs or
Rural Economic Area Partnerships.
Multi-County and Multi-State applicants, referred to as ``Great
Regions'' applicants, can be either multi-jurisdictional areas within a
State, territory, or Federally recognized Tribes with land in multiple
States or a consortium of Federally recognized Tribes.
Great Regions applications should focus on the economic integration
and cohesion of their self-defined geographic area. The Great Regions
approach is intended to combine the resources of the Agency with those
of State and local governments, educational institutions, and the
private and nonprofit sectors to implement regional economic and
community development strategies. Accordingly, the Agency will alert
the grantee of other potential assistance both within USDA and across
the Federal government in support of their project including USDA's
various programs and sources of expertise.
The Agency encourages applications that promote substantive
economic growth, including job creation, as well as specifically
addressing the circumstances of those sectors within the region that
have fewer prospects and the greatest need for improved economic
opportunity.
Applications should demonstrate:
[[Page 15409]]
A. Clear leadership in organizing and coordinating a regional
initiative;
B. Evidence that the applicant region has a common economic basis
that supports the likelihood of success in implementing its strategy;
C. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan have the
capacity to assess their circumstance, determine a long term
sustainable vision for the region, and implement a comprehensive
strategic plan, including identifying performance measures and
establishing a system to collect the data to allow assessment of those
performance measures;
D. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan are willing
to work collaboratively with a broad range of institutions (e.g.,
Federal agencies, State, local, and Tribal governments, non-profits,
universities and colleges, private firms, philanthropic organizations);
E. Evidence that the participants in the regional plan will seek
contributions or investments in the regional strategy from a board
range of institutions;
F. Evidence that participants in the regional plan are willing to
assure broad citizen participation in its regional work;
G. Evidence of consideration of the demographic diversity within
the region; and,
H. Evidence of adequate funding support to disadvantaged
communities.
A Great Regions project should be designed to help rural
communities in the region create prosperity so they are self-
sustaining, repopulating and economically thriving. A Great Region
application focusing on one or more of the following key strategies may
be eligible for additional discretionary points in the application
scoring as outlined in the selection criterion in 7 CFR 4284.639(f).:
1. Local and regional food systems that encourage agriculture and
related industries in new wealth creation--Section 6015 of the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) defines ``locally or
regionally produced agricultural food products'' to be any agricultural
food product that is raised, produced, and distributed in:
(I) The locality or region in which the final product is marketed,
so that the total distance that the product is transported is less than
400 miles from the origin of the product; or (II) the State in which
the product is produced.
Local or regional food systems are the infrastructure behind
locally or regionally produced agricultural food products*. This
includes both the land, buildings, equipment, professional services
such as veterinary care or crop consulting, and feed, seed, fertilizer
and other inputs necessary to produce the crops and livestock leading
to these food products and the harvesting, transportation, processing,
storage, handling, distribution, and retail networks required to give
consumers real access to locally or regionally produced food products.
Best practice projects should acknowledge the role of producers and
consumers, individually or collectively, including through the creation
of new or expansion of existing cooperatives.
*(This definition is included for informational purposes only and
Applicants should not be constrained by it in formulating their
geographic boundaries for RBOG application purposes.)
2. Renewable energy generation and energy conservation as
strategies for quality job creation as well as climate change reduction
and mitigation--As America turned from the 19th to the 20th Century,
rural areas provided much of the workforce and natural resources that
powered the Industrial Revolution. While those jobs created prosperity
in rural communities, they often came at the price of worker health and
the quality of water, air, and soil in the region. As new technologies
emerge to create power and fuels from renewable sources, rural
Americans look forward to new opportunities to harness the sun that
shines on the desert Southwest, the wind that sweeps across the
heartland, and to turn agricultural wastes and by-products into power
and fuel sources for generations to come. But, from manufacturing
photovoltaic films to repairing wind turbines to mastering biomass crop
production, harvesting, and storage, realizing those opportunities
requires workforce recruitment and development.
There are similar job opportunities in energy conservation, from
conducting energy audits for farmers and other rural business owners to
jobs in the home improvement business reducing home heating and cooling
costs. As is often the case in rural areas, though, sparse population
can make entrepreneurship difficult to support.
Best practice projects in this area will demonstrate rural/urban
connections and explore the interface of Federal and State level
incentives with permitting and regulatory frameworks.
3. Access to broadband and other critical infrastructure as a
strategy for facilitating local entrepreneurship and attracting people
into rural areas--The Rural Utilities Service, another of the agencies
forming the Rural Development mission area, has been financing
expansion of electricity into rural areas since 1935 and
telecommunications since 1949. In both the Farm Bill and the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Congress modernized USDA's
telecommunications mission by providing Rural Utilities Service with
tools to expand access to broadband in rural areas. Availability of
high-speed Internet access has become one of the factors Americans
consider in choosing where to live, along with the availability of
clean water, sanitary sewer systems, and the quality and availability
of housing, schools, and other essential community facilities. Over its
75-year history, Rural Utilities Service and its predecessor, the Rural
Electrification Administration, have improved the quality of life for
millions of rural Americans and made modern commerce possible. However,
it is not enough to make fiber-optic cable, wireless services, or even
satellite capability available to rural communities. For the economic
promise of broadband technologies to be realized, they must be used.
Buyers and sellers must be able to find each other quickly and easily
anywhere and anytime. Health care and other service providers must use
available technology to improve the quality of the services they offer.
Employers must use available technology to recruit, train, and retain a
modern workforce. As changes in whole sectors of the American economy--
from wood products to automotive parts to the poultry industry--ripple
through supply chains in rural communities, broadband access offers
hope for new markets and new economic opportunities, but only if it is
used.
4. Access to capital in rural areas as a strategy to ensure
continuous business development and job creation/retention--Like all
business owners, rural entrepreneurs need access to capital to start or
expand their businesses. And, like all business owners, rural
entrepreneurs have two basic choices when they need to raise capital:
Debt financing through a loan or equity financing through selling a
stake in the business to investors. But, these tools have not been as
readily available in many rural areas as they have been in more
metropolitan areas, even when the overall economy was very strong.
The Agency offers a variety of tools designed to make debt
financing more available and more affordable, such as capitalizing
locally-controlled revolving loan funds through the Intermediary
Relending Program and reducing lender risk to make more favorable rates
and terms possible for business owners through the Business & Industry
Loan Guarantee Program. However, the Farm Bill authorized only one
equity
[[Page 15410]]
financing program, the Rural Business Investment Program (Section
6027), and no funding has been requested or appropriated. The Agency is
particularly interested in recruiting best practice projects that
identify alternative and replicable equity sources, such as community-
based organizations, private foundations or networks of private
investors willing to focus on rural economic and community development.
5. Innovative utilization of natural resources as a strategy to
expand business opportunities--Creative integration of local natural
resources can result in multiple avenues for new or enhanced economic
activity that will increase rural wealth. For example, forest resources
can be used to encourage eco-tourism resulting in increased demand for
businesses to provide supporting services or private pasture land can
be used for hunting. If a region becomes known for its unique features,
it can create additional sources of income by promoting itself as a
destination. Once there, visitors can support businesses such as art
galleries, spas, etc.
The Agency is particularly interested in recruiting best practice
projects that identify alternative and replicable innovations of
natural resource projects as strategies for long term economic
development. In addition, within the key strategy categories, the
Agency is also interested in applications that integrate economically
and environmentally sustainable methods of growth, in particular in
transportation, housing, and economic development.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2010.
Total Funding: $7.48 million.
Approximate Number of Awards: 30.
Maximum Award: $250,000, except as otherwise specifically provided
herein.
Anticipated Award Date: September 15, 2010.
Specially designated places: Tribal lands, Rural Economic Area
Partnership (REAP) Zones.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Grants may be made to public bodies, nonprofit corporations, Indian
Tribes on Federal or State reservations and other Federally-recognized
Tribal groups, and cooperatives with members who are primarily rural
residents and that conduct activities for the mutual benefit of the
members.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Matching funds are not required; however, regulatory selection
criteria encourage applications that leverage Federal funds.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
The purpose of the RBOG program is to facilitate sustainable
economic development opportunities for rural people.
D. Completeness Eligibility
Applications must be complete to be considered for FY 2010 funding.
The required elements of a complete application are in the RBOG program
regulations at 7 CFR Part 4284, Subpart G. Copies of the regulations
are available from Rural Development State Offices or can be obtained
online from the Rural Development Web site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/regs_toc.html.
IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Application and Submission Information
A. Address To Request Application Package
Applicants should contact the Rural Development State Office
serving the State, territory, or Tribal lands in which the project, or
the majority of the project, would be physically located. Contact
information for Rural Development State Offices is listed above.
Applications may be submitted in paper format; however, applicants
are encouraged to submit applications through the Grants.gov Web site
at http://www.grants.gov. Applications will not be accepted by
electronic mail.
The Grants.gov Web site provides all necessary information about
how to submit an electronic application through the Web site as well as
the hours of operation. Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a
copy of the full application package, complete it offline, and then
upload and submit the application and all necessary assurances and
certifications via the Grants.gov Web site. In addition:
Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the
final day of application acceptance to begin the Grants.gov process;
In the event of technical difficulties on the final day of
application acceptance, an applicant may choose to submit a paper
application instead; however, the application must be received by the
respective Rural Development State Office by 4 p.m. on June 28, 2010;
Applicants must have a Dunn and Bradstreet Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number. A DUNS number can be obtained at no
cost by calling toll-free 1-866-705-5711 or online at: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform;
Applicants submitting through the Grants.gov Web site will
receive an automatic acknowledgement of the submission containing a
Grants.gov tracking number;
The Agency may request that an applicant provide original
signatures on forms at a later date; and
Applicants can locate the downloadable application package
for the RBOG program on the Grants.gov Web site by using the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance Number, which is 10.773, or by searching
the FedGrants Funding Opportunity Number, which can be found at http://www.fedgrants.gov.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
information collection requirement contained in this Notice is approved
by the Office of Management Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number 0570-
0024.
B. Content and Form of Submission
An application must be consistent with the statutory requirements
of the RBOG program, found in 7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(11), as amended. In
addition, an application must contain all of the required elements
articulated in the RBOG regulations, found at 7 CFR part 4284, subpart
G. Each selection criterion outlined in 7 CFR 4284.639 must be
addressed in the application. Failure to address any of the criteria
will result in a zero point score for that criterion and will impact
the overall evaluation of the application. Copies of pertinent
provisions of the regulations can be obtained from a Rural Development
State Office listed above or can be obtained electronically from the
Rural Development Web site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/regs_toc.html.
C. Submission Dates and Times
Application Deadline: Completed applications for these funds must
be received by the respective Rural Development State Office no later
than 4 p.m. on June 28, 2010 for grant funding. Any applications
received after that time will not be considered for FY 2010 funding;
however, the Agency reserves the right to extend the application
deadline.
Application pre-review: Prospective applicants may submit an
application for an informal eligibility pre-review no later than April
28, 2010. The pre-review is intended to provide feedback to the
prospective applicant, but is not binding on the Agency.
V. Application Review Information
The National Office will score applications based on the grant
[[Page 15411]]
selection criteria and point scores contained in 7 CFR part 4284,
subpart G and will select a grantee subject to the grantee's
satisfactory submission of any additional items required by 7 CFR part
4284, subpart G and the RBS Letter of Conditions.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from
the Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with all
applicable statutes and regulations before the grant award will be
approved. Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification, including
mediation procedures and appeal rights, by mail.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this
program can be found in the RBOG regulations, contained in 7 CFR part
4284, subpart G. This regulation may be obtained at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/page1.
VII. Agency Contacts
For general questions about how to apply or to receive an
application package, please contact the Rural Development State Office
serving the State or territory where the project, or a majority of the
project, would be located.
For specific questions about multi-jurisdictional ``Great Region''
applications or information about other programs or agencies in USDA,
please call 202-720-7558.
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 202-720-6382 (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.''
Appeal Process
All adverse determinations regarding applicant eligibility and the
awarding of points as part of the selection process are appealable
pursuant to 7 CFR part 11. Instructions on the appeal process will be
provide at the time an applicant is notified of the adverse decision.
Dated: February 18, 2010.
Judith A. Canales,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-6860 Filed 3-26-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P