83038 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[Docket No. RBS–20–BUSINESS–0045] 

Inviting Applications for Value-Added 

Producer Grants and Solicitation of 

Grant Reviewers 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: This Notice announces that 

the Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

(Agency) is accepting applications for 

the Value-Added Producer Grant 

(VAPG) program. Approximately $19 

million is currently available. The 

Agency may also utilize any funding 

that becomes available through 

enactment of FY 21 appropriations. The 

Agency will publish the program 

funding level on the Rural Development 

website (https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/value-addedproducer-grants). Section VII also 

announces solicitation of non-Federal 

independent grant reviewers to evaluate 

and score applications submitted under 

this Notice. 

DATES: You must submit your 

application by March 22, 2021 or it will 

not be considered for funding. Paper 

applications must be postmarked and 

mailed, shipped or sent overnight by 

this date. You may also hand carry your 

application to one of our field offices, 

but it must be received by close of 

business on the deadline date. 

Electronic applications are permitted 

via http://www.grants.gov only and 

must be received before Midnight 

Eastern time on March 16, 2021. Late 

applications are not eligible for grant 

funding under this Notice. 

ADDRESSES: You should contact your 

USDA Rural Development State Office if 

you have questions about eligibility or 

submission requirements. You are 

encouraged to contact your State Office 

well in advance of the application 

deadline to discuss your project and to 

ask any questions about the application 

process. Application materials are 

available at http://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/value-addedproducer-grants. 

If you want to submit an electronic 

application, follow the instructions for 

the VAPG funding announcement on 

http://www.grants.gov. Please review 

the Grants.gov website at https://

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/ 

registration.html for instructions on the 

process of registering your organization 

as soon as possible to ensure you are 

able to meet the electronic application 

deadline. If you want to submit a paper 

application, send it to the State Office 

located in the state where your project 

will primarily take place. You can find 

State Office Contact information at 

http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/ 

state-offices. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Greg 

York at (202) 281–5289, gregory.york@

usda.gov or Mike Daniels at (715) 345– 

7637, mike.daniels@usda.gov, Program 

Management Division, Rural BusinessCooperative Service, United States 

Department of Agriculture, 1400 

Independence Avenue, SW, Mail Stop 

3226, Room 5801–S, Washington, DC 

20250–3226, Phone (202) 720–1400 or 

email CPgrants@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Preface 

The Agency encourages applications 

that will support recommendations 

made in the Rural Prosperity Task Force 

report to help improve life in rural 

America. The report can be found at 

https://www.usda.gov/topics/rural/ 

rural-prosperity. Applicants are 

encouraged to consider projects that 

provide measurable results in helping 

rural communities build robust and 

sustainable economies through strategic 

investments in infrastructure, 

partnerships and innovation. 

Key strategies include: 

• Achieving e-Connectivity for rural 

America 

• Developing the Rural Economy 

• Harnessing Technological 

Innovation 

• Supporting a Rural Workforce 

• Improving Quality of Life 

Please note the following: 

Hemp projects: The Agriculture 

Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 

115–334, (the 2018 Farm Bill) required 

USDA to promulgate regulations and 

guidelines to establish and administer a 

program for the production of hemp in 

the United States. Prior to the 2018 

Farm Bill, state departments of 

agriculture and institutions of higher 

learning were permitted to produce 

hemp as part of a pilot program for 

research purposes pursuant to the 

Agricultural Act of 2014, Public Law 

113–79, (the 2014 Farm Bill). The 

Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 

and Other Extensions Act, Public Law 

116–159, extends the program until 

September 30, 2021. 

In determining eligibility for the 

applicant, project or use of funds, any 

project applying for funding under the 

VAPG program and proposing to 

produce, procure, supply or market any 

component of the hemp plant or hemp 

related by-products, must have a valid 

license from an approved state, tribal or 

federal plan pursuant to Section 10113 

of the 2018 Farm Bill, be in compliance 

with regulations published by the 

Agricultural Marketing Service at 7 CFR 

part 990, and meet any applicable FDA 

and DEA regulatory requirements. 

Verification of valid hemp licenses will 

occur at the time of award. In addition, 

all projects proposing to use biomass 

feedstock from any part of the hemp 

plant must demonstrate assurance of an 

adequate supply of the feedstock. 

In the absence of Federal oversight or 

regulations governing the 2014 Farm 

Bill pilot program, Rural Development 

will not award funds to any project 

proposing to produce, procure, supply 

or market any component of the hemp 

plant or hemp related by-products, or 

provide technical assistance related to 

such products, produced under the 2014 

Farm Bill authority. 

Local Agriculture Marketing Program 

(LAMP) Food Safety Implementation: 

Until Farm Bill implementation is 

finalized via the Agency rulemaking 

process, there will not be food safety 

reserve funding. Food safety training, 

certifications, and supplies that are 

eligible under the current program 

regulation may continue to be included 

in the work plan/budget. 

Overview 

Federal Agency Name: USDA Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: ValueAdded Producer Grant. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation of Applications and 

Solicitation of Grant Reviewers 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 10.352. 

Dates: Application Deadline. You 

must submit your complete paper 

application by March 22, 2021, or it will 

not be considered for funding. 

Electronic applications must be received 

by http://www.grants.gov no later than 

midnight Eastern time on March 16, 

2021, or it will not be considered for 

funding. 

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 0570–0039. 

A. Program Description 

The VAPG program is authorized 

under section 231 of the Agriculture 

Risk Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 

106–224), as amended by section 10102 

of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 

2018 (Pub. L. 115–334) (see 7 U.S.C. 

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 83039 

1627c). Applicants must adhere to the 

requirements contained in the program 

regulation, 7 CFR 4284, subpart J, which 

is incorporated by reference in this 

Notice. 

The objective of this grant program is 

to assist viable Independent Producers, 

Agricultural Producer Groups, Farmer 

and Rancher Cooperatives, and 

Majority-Controlled Producer-Based 

Businesses in starting or expanding 

value-added activities related to the 

processing and/or marketing of ValueAdded Agricultural Products. Grants 

will be awarded competitively for either 

planning projects or working capital 

projects directly related to the 

processing and/or marketing of valueadded products. Generating new 

products, creating and expanding 

marketing opportunities, and increasing 

producer income are the end goals of 

the program. All proposals must 

demonstrate economic viability and 

sustainability to compete for funding. 

Funding priority will be made 

available to Beginning Farmers and 

Ranchers, Veteran Farmers and 

Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged 

Farmers and Ranchers, Operators of 

Small and Medium-Sized Farms and 

Ranches structured as Family Farms or 

Ranches, Farmer or Rancher 

Cooperatives, and projects proposing to 

develop a Mid-Tier Value Chain. See 7 

CFR 4284.923 for Reserved Funds 

eligibility and 7 CFR 4284.924 for 

Priority Scoring eligibility. 

Definitions 

The following term is incorporated 

from Section 10102 of the Agriculture 

Improvement Act of 2018. Majority 

Controlled Producer-Based Business 

venture means a venture greater than 50 

percent of the ownership and control of 

which is held by— 

‘‘(i) 1 or more producers; or 

‘‘(ii) 1 or more entities, 100 percent of 

the ownership and control of which is 

held by 1 or more producers. The term 

‘entity’ means— 

‘‘(i) a partnership; 

‘‘(ii) a limited liability corporation; 

‘‘(iii) a limited liability partnership; 

and 

‘‘(iv) a corporation 

Also, Market Expansion Project means 

a project in which the Independent 

Producer applicant seeks to expand the 

market for an existing value-added 

product (produced and marketed by the 

applicant for at least 2 years at the time 

of application) through sales to 

demonstrably new markets or to new 

customers in existing markets. 

Additional terms you need to 

understand are defined in 7 CFR 

4284.902. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Type of Instrument: Grant. 

Approximate Number of Awards: To 

be determined. 

Available Total Funding: $25 million. 

Maximum Award Amount: 

Planning—$75,000; Working Capital— 

$250,000. 

Project Period: Up to 36 months 

depending on the complexity of the 

project. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

30, 2021. 

Reservation of Funds: Ten percent of 

available funds for applications will be 

reserved for applicants qualifying as 

Beginning, Veteran, and SociallyDisadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers. An 

additional ten percent of available funds 

for applications from farmers or 

ranchers proposing development of 

Mid-Tier Value Chains will be reserved. 

Funds not obligated from these reserves 

prior to September 30, 2021, will be 

used for the VAPG general competition. 

If this is the case, Beginning, Veteran, 

and Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or 

Ranchers and applicants proposing MidTier Value Chains will compete with 

other eligible VAPG applications. In 

addition, any funds that become 

available for persistent poverty counties 

through enactment of FY 21 

appropriations will be allocated for 

assistance in persistent poverty 

counties. 

C. Eligibility Information 

Applicants must comply with the 

program regulation 7 CFR part 4284 

subpart J to meet all the following 

eligibility requirements. Required 

documentation is included in the 

application package. Applications 

which fail to meet any of these 

requirements by the application 

deadline will be deemed ineligible and 

will not be evaluated further. 

1. Eligible Applicants 

You must demonstrate within the 

application narrative that you meet all 

the applicant eligibility requirements of 

7 CFR 4284.920 and 4284.921. This 

includes meeting the definition 

requirements at 7 CFR 4284.902 by 

demonstrating how you meet the 

definition for Agricultural Producer 

(i.e., how you participate in the ‘‘day to 

day labor, management, and field 

operations’’ of your agricultural 

enterprise); how you qualify for one of 

the following applicant types: 

Independent Producer, Agricultural 

Producer Group, Farmer or Rancher 

Cooperative or Majority-Controlled 

Producer-Based Business; and whether 

you meet the Emerging Market, 

Citizenship, Legal Authority and 

Responsibility, Multiple Grants and 

Active Grants requirements of the 

section. Required documentation to 

support eligibility is contained at 7 CFR 

4284.931 and in the application 

package. 

Federally-recognized tribes and tribal 

entities must demonstrate that they 

meet the definition requirements for one 

of the four eligible applicant types. 

Rural Development State Offices and 

posted application toolkits will provide 

additional information on tribal 

eligibility. 

Per 7 CFR 4284.921, an applicant is 

ineligible if they have been debarred or 

suspended or otherwise excluded from 

or ineligible for participation in Federal 

assistance programs under Executive 

Order 12549, ‘‘Debarment and 

Suspension.’’ The Agency will check 

the System for Award Management 

(SAM) to determine if the applicant has 

been debarred or suspended. In 

addition, an applicant will be 

considered ineligible for a grant due to 

an outstanding judgment obtained by 

the U.S. in a Federal Court (other than 

U.S. Tax Court), is delinquent on the 

payment of Federal income taxes, or is 

delinquent on Federal debt. The 

applicant must certify as part of the 

application that they do not have an 

outstanding judgment against them. The 

Agency will check the Do Not Pay 

System to verify this information. 

Per the Consolidated Appropriations 

Act, 2018 (Pub. L. 116–93) or successor 

appropriations act, any corporation (i) 

that has been convicted of a felony 

criminal violation under any Federal 

law within the past 24 months or (ii) 

that has any unpaid Federal tax liability 

that has been assessed, for which all 

judicial and administrative remedies 

have been exhausted or have lapsed, 

and that is not being paid in a timely 

manner pursuant to an agreement with 

the authority responsible for collecting 

the tax liability, is not eligible for 

financial assistance provided with funds 

appropriated by, unless a Federal 

agency has considered suspension or 

debarment of the corporation and has 

made a determination that this further 

action is not necessary to protect the 

interests of the Government. 

Per 7 CFR 4284.905(a), Applicants 

must comply with other applicable 

Federal laws. Applicants who are 

proposing working capital grants to 

produce and market value-added 

products in the industries of wine, beer, 

distilled spirits or other alcoholic 

merchandise must comply with Alcohol 

and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau 

(TTB) regulations, including but not 

limited to permitting, filing of taxes and 

83040 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 

operational reports. Please visit TTB’s 

website at https://www.ttb.gov/ for more 

information. If you are not in 

compliance with TTB’s requirements, 

the Agency may determine that you are 

not qualified to receive a Federal award 

and use that determination as a basis for 

making an award to another applicant. 

If, at any time after you have already 

received a VAPG award, you are found 

to be in noncompliance with TTB’s 

operational reporting or tax 

requirements, the Agency may 

determine that you are not in 

compliance with your grant terms and 

conditions. 

An Applicant may submit only one 

application in response to a solicitation 

and must explicitly direct that it 

competes in either the general funds 

competition or in one of the named 

reserved funds competitions. Multiple 

applications from separate entities with 

identical or greater than 75 percent 

common ownership, or from a parent, 

subsidiary or affiliated organization 

(with ‘‘affiliation’’ defined by Small 

Business Administration regulation 13 

CFR 121.103, or successor regulation) 

are not permitted. Further, Applicants 

who have already received a Planning 

Grant for the proposed project cannot 

receive another Planning Grant for the 

same project. Applicants who have 

already received a Working Capital 

Grant for the proposed project cannot 

receive any additional grants for that 

project (Proposals from previous award 

recipients should be substantially 

different in terms of products and/or 

markets and should not merely be 

extensions of previously funded 

projects). 

2. Cost-Sharing or Matching 

There is a matching fund (costsharing) requirement of at least $1 for 

every $1 in grant funds provided by the 

Agency (matching funds plus grant 

funds must equal proposed Total Project 

Cost). Matching funds may be in the 

form of cash or eligible in-kind 

contributions. Matching contributions 

and grant funds may be used only for 

eligible project purposes, including any 

contributions exceeding the minimum 

amount required. Applicant matching 

contributions in the form of raw 

commodity, time contributed to the 

project, or goods or services for which 

no out-of-pocket expenditures are made 

during the grant period, must be 

characterized as in-kind contributions. 

Donations of goods and services from 

third-parties must be characterized as 

in-kind contributions. Tribal applicants 

may utilize grants made available under 

Public Law 93–638, the Indian SelfDetermination and Education 

Assistance Act of 1975, as their 

matching contribution, and should 

check with appropriate tribal authorities 

regarding the availability of such 

funding. 

Matching funds must be available at 

the time of application and must be 

certified and verified as described in 7 

CFR 4284.931(b)(3) and (4). Do not 

include projected income as a matching 

contribution because it cannot be 

verified as available. Note that matching 

funds must also be discussed as part of 

the scoring criterion Commitments and 

Support as described in section. E.1.(c) 

3. Project Eligibility 

You must demonstrate within the 

application narrative that you meet all 

the project eligibility requirements of 7 

CFR 4284.922. 

(a) Product eligibility. Applicants for 

both planning and working capital 

grants must meet all requirements at 7 

CFR 4284.922(a), including that your 

value-added product must result from 

one of the five methodologies identified 

in the definition of Value-Added 

Agricultural Product at 7 CFR 4284.902. 

In addition, you must demonstrate that, 

as a result of the project, the customer 

base for the agricultural commodity or 

value-added product will be expanded, 

by including a baseline of current 

customers for the commodity, and an 

estimated target number of customers 

that will result from the project; and 

that, a greater portion of the revenue 

derived from the marketing or 

processing of the value-added product is 

available to the applicant producer(s) of 

the agricultural commodity, by 

including a baseline of current revenues 

from the sale of the agricultural 

commodity and an estimate of increased 

revenues that will result from the 

project. Note that working capital grants 

for market expansion projects per 7 CFR 

4284.922(b) must demonstrate expanded 

customer base and increased revenue 

resulting only from sales of existing 

products to new customers. VAPG 

recognizes that market expansion 

projects may involve marketing and 

promotion activities such as trade 

shows, farmers markets, and various 

media advertising which also result in 

increased sales to existing customers. 

However, market expansion award 

recipients must use grant and matching 

funds only on activities that 

demonstrably focus on marketing 

products they have produced and sold 

for at least two years, to new markets 

and/or to new customers in existing 

markets, such that the producer’s 

customer base (number of customers) is 

expanded, per program requirements. 

Grant and matching funds cannot be 

deliberately expended on sales of 

existing products to existing customers. 

In addition, per the Agriculture 

Improvement Act of 2018, working 

capital applications must include a 

statement describing the direct or 

indirect producer benefits intended to 

result from the proposed project within 

a reasonable period of time after the 

receipt of a grant. 

(b) Purpose eligibility. Applicants for 

both planning and working capital 

grants must meet all requirements at 7 

CFR 4284.922(b) regarding maximum 

grant amounts, verification of matching 

funds, eligible and ineligible uses of 

grant and matching funds, and a 

substantive, detailed work plan and 

budget. 

(1) Planning Grants. A planning grant 

is used to fund development of a 

defined program of economic planning 

activities to determine the viability of a 

potential value-added venture, 

specifically for paying a qualified 

consultant to conduct and develop a 

feasibility study, business plan, and/or 

marketing plan associated with the 

processing and/or marketing of a valueadded agricultural product. Planning 

grant funds may not be used to fund 

working capital activities. 

(2) Working Capital Grants. This type 

of grant provides funds to operate a 

value-added project, specifically to pay 

the eligible project expenses directly 

related to the processing and/or 

marketing of the value-added products 

that are eligible uses of grant funds. 

Working capital funds may not be used 

for planning purposes. 

(c) Reserved Funds Eligibility. To 

qualify for Reserved Funds as a 

Beginning, Veteran, or SociallyDisadvantaged Farmer or Rancher or if 

you propose to develop a Mid-Tier 

Value Chain, you must meet the 

requirements found at 7 CFR 4284.923. 

If your application is eligible, but is not 

awarded under the Reserved Funds, it 

will automatically be considered for 

general funds in that same fiscal year, as 

funding levels permit. 

(d) Priority Points. To qualify for 

Priority Points for projects that 

contribute to increasing opportunities 

for Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, 

Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or 

Ranchers, or if you are an Operator of 

a Small or Medium-sized Farm or Ranch 

structured as a Family Farm, a Veteran 

Farmer or Rancher, propose a Mid-Tier 

Value Chain project, or are a Farmer or 

Rancher Cooperative, you must meet the 

applicable eligibility requirements at 7 

CFR 4284.923 and 4284.924 and must 

address the relevant proposal evaluation 

criterion. 

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 83041 

Priority points will also be awarded 

during the scoring process to eligible 

Agricultural Producer Groups, Farmer 

or Rancher Cooperatives, and MajorityControlled Producer-Based Business 

Ventures that best contribute to creating 

or increasing marketing opportunities 

for Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, 

Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or 

Ranchers, and/or Veteran Farmers or 

Ranchers. You must meet the eligibility 

requirements at 7 CFR 4284.923 and 

4284.924 and must address the relevant 

proposal evaluation criterion. 

4. Eligible Uses of Grant and Matching 

Funds 

Eligible uses of grant and matching 

funds are discussed, along with 

examples, in 7 CFR 4284.925. In 

general, grant and cost-share matching 

funds have the same use restrictions and 

must be used to fund only the costs for 

eligible purposes as defined at 7 CFR 

4284.925 (a) and (b). 

5. Ineligible Uses of Grant and Matching 

Funds 

Federal procurement standards 

prohibit transactions that involve a real 

or apparent conflict of interest for 

owners, employees, officers, agents, or 

their immediate family members having 

a personal, professional, financial or 

other interest in the outcome of the 

project; including organizational 

conflicts, and conflicts that restrict open 

and free competition for unrestrained 

trade. A list (not all-inclusive) of 

ineligible uses of grant and matching 

funds is found in 7 CFR 4284.926. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Applications 

The application toolkit, regulation, 

and official program notification for this 

funding opportunity can be obtained 

online at http://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/value-addedproducer-grants. You may also contact 

your USDA Rural Development State 

Office by visiting http://

www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/stateoffices. The toolkit contains an 

application checklist, templates, 

required grant forms, and instructions. 

Although the Agency highly 

recommends the use of the templates in 

the toolkit, is not mandatory. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

You may submit your application in 

paper form or electronically through 

Grants.gov. Your application must 

contain all required information. 

To apply electronically, you must 

follow the instructions for this funding 

announcement at http://

www.grants.gov. Please note that we 

cannot accept emailed or faxed 

applications. 

You can locate the Grants.gov 

downloadable application package for 

this program by using a keyword, the 

program name, or the Catalog of Federal 

Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 

for this program. 

When you enter the Grants.gov 

website, you will find information about 

applying electronically through the site, 

as well as the hours of operation. 

To use Grants.gov, you must already 

have a DUNS number and you must also 

be registered and maintain registration 

in SAM. We strongly recommend that 

you do not wait until the application 

deadline date to begin the application 

process through Grants.gov. 

You must submit all your application 

documents electronically through 

Grants.gov. 

After electronically applying through 

Grants.gov, you will receive an 

automatic acknowledgement from 

Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov 

tracking number. 

If you want to submit a paper 

application, send it to the State Office 

located in the state where your project 

will primarily take place. You can find 

State Office contact information at 

http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/ 

state-offices . An optional-use Agency 

application template is available online 

at http://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/value-added-producer-grants. 

Your application must contain all the 

required forms and proposal elements 

described in 7 CFR 4284.931, unless 

otherwise clarified in this Notice. You 

are encouraged, but not required to 

utilize the Application Toolkits found at 

http://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/value-added-producer-grants, 

however, you must provide all of the 

information requested by the template. 

You must become familiar with the 

program regulation at 7 CFR part 4284, 

subpart J in order to submit a successful 

application. Basic application contents 

are outlined below: 

• Standard Form (SF)-424, 

‘‘Application for Federal Assistance,’’ to 

include your DUNS number and SAM 

(CAGE) code and expiration date (or 

evidence that you have begun the SAM 

registration process). Because there are 

no specific fields for a CAGE code and 

expiration date, you may identify them 

anywhere on the form. You must 

include your DUNS number in the 

application for it to be considered for 

funding. 

• SF–424A, ‘‘Budget InformationNon-Construction Programs.’’ This form 

must be completed and submitted as 

part of the application package. 

• You must certify that there are no 

current outstanding Federal judgments 

against your property and that you will 

not use grant funds to pay for any 

judgment obtained by the United States. 

You must also certify that you are not 

delinquent on the payment of Federal 

income taxes, or any Federal debt. To 

satisfy the Certification requirement, 

you should include this statement in 

your application: ‘‘[INSERT NAME OF 

APPLICANT] certifies that the United 

States has not obtained an unsatisfied 

judgment against its property, is not 

delinquent on the payment of Federal 

income taxes, or any Federal debt, and 

will not use grant funds to pay any 

judgments obtained by the United 

States.’’ A separate signature is not 

required. 

You must provide a valid permit or 

evidence of having begun the permitting 

process if you are proposing a working 

capital grant to produce and market 

value-added products in the industries 

of wine, beer, distilled spirits or other 

alcoholic merchandise. 

You must provide a valid producer 

license issued by a state, tribe, or USDA, 

as applicable in accordance with 7 CFR 

part 990 if you are proposing to market 

value-added hemp products. 

• Executive Summary and Abstract. A 

one-page Executive Summary 

containing the following information: 

legal name of applicant entity, 

application type (planning or working 

capital), applicant type, amount of grant 

request, a summary of your project, and 

whether you are submitting a simplified 

application, and whether you are 

requesting Reserved Funds. Also 

include a separate abstract of up to 100 

words briefly describing your project. 

• Eligibility discussion. 

• Work plan and budget. 

• Performance evaluation criteria. 

• Proposal evaluation criteria. 

• Certification and verification of 

matching funds. 

• Reserved Funds and Priority Point 

documentation (as applicable). 

• Feasibility studies, business plans, 

and/or marketing plans, as applicable. 

Appendices containing required 

supporting documentation. 

3. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) and System 

for Awards Management (SAM) 

To be eligible (unless you are 

excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c) or 

(d), you are required to: 

(a) Provide a valid DUNS number in 

your application, which can be obtained 

at no cost via a toll-free request line at 

(866) 705–5711; 

83042 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 

(b) Register in SAM before submitting 

your application. You may register in 

SAM at no cost at https://www.sam.gov/ 

SAM/ . You must provide your SAM 

Cage Code and expiration date or 

evidence that you have begun the SAM 

registration process at time of 

application; and 

(c) Continue to maintain an active 

SAM registration with current 

information at all times during which 

you have an active Federal award or an 

application or plan under consideration 

by a Federal awarding agency. 

If you have not fully complied with 

all applicable DUNS and SAM 

requirements, the Agency may 

determine that the applicant is not 

qualified to receive a Federal award and 

the Agency may use that determination 

as a basis for making an award to 

another applicant. Please refer to 

Section F. 2 for additional submission 

requirements that apply to grantees 

selected for this program. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

Application Deadline Date: March 22, 

2021. 

Explanation of Deadlines: Paper 

applications must be postmarked and 

mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by 

March 22, 2021. The Agency will 

determine whether your application is 

late based on the date shown on the 

postmark or shipping invoice. You may 

also hand deliver your application to 

one of our field offices, but it must be 

received by close of business on the 

deadline date. If the due date falls on a 

Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, 

the application is due the next business 

day. Late applications will 

automatically be considered ineligible 

and will not be evaluated further. 

Electronic applications must be 

received at http://www.grants.gov no 

later than Midnight Eastern time, March 

16, 2021 to be eligible for funding. 

Please review the Grants.gov website at 

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/ 

applicants/registration.html for 

instructions on the process of registering 

your organization as soon as possible to 

ensure you are able to meet the 

electronic application deadline. 

Grants.gov will not accept applications 

submitted after the deadline. 

5. Intergovernmental Review 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs, applies to this program. This 

E.O. 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 a SPOC may 

be obtained at https://

www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/ 

uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. If 

your state has a SPOC, you must submit 

your application directly for review. 

Any comments obtained through the 

SPOC must be provided to RD 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, 

RD will submit your application to the 

SPOC or other appropriate agency or 

agencies. Applications from federally 

recognized Indian tribes are not subject 

to Intergovernmental Review. 

6. Funding Restrictions 

Funding limitations and reservations 

found in the program regulation at 7 

CFR 4284.927 will apply, including: 

(a) Use of Funds. Grant funds may be 

used to pay up to 50 percent of the total 

eligible project costs, subject to the 

limitations established for the maximum 

total grant amount. Grant funds may not 

be used to pay any costs of the project 

incurred prior to the date of grant 

approval. Grant and matching funds 

may only be used for eligible purposes. 

(See examples of eligible and ineligible 

uses in 7 CFR 4284.925 and 4284.926, 

respectively). 

(b) Grant Period (project period). Your 

project timeframe or grant period can be 

a maximum of 36 months in length from 

the date of award, depending on the 

complexity of your project. Your 

proposed grant period should begin no 

earlier than the anticipated award 

announcement date in this Notice and 

should end no later than 36 months 

following that date. If you receive an 

award, your grant period will be revised 

to begin on the actual date of award— 

the date the grant agreement is executed 

by the Agency—and your grant period 

end date will be adjusted accordingly. 

Your project activities should begin 

within 90 days of that date of award. 

The length of your grant period should 

be based on your project’s complexity, 

as indicated in your application work 

plan. For example, it is expected that 

most planning grants can be completed 

within 12 months. 

(c) Program Income. If income 

(Program Income) is earned during the 

grant period as a result of the project 

activities, it is subject to the 

requirements in 2 CFR 200.80, and must 

be managed and reported accordingly. 

(d) Majority Controlled ProducerBased Business. The total amount of 

funds awarded to Majority Controlled 

Producer-Based Businesses in response 

to this announcement shall not exceed 

10 percent of the total funds obligated 

for the program during the fiscal year. 

(e) Reserved Funds. Ten percent of all 

funds available will be reserved to fund 

projects that benefit Beginning Farmers 

or Ranchers, Veteran Farmers or 

Ranchers or Socially-Disadvantaged 

Farmers or Ranchers. In addition, 10 

percent of total funding available will be 

used to fund projects that propose 

development of Mid-Tier Value Chains 

as part of a Local or Regional Supply 

Chain Network. See related definitions 

in 7 CFR 4284.902. In addition, any 

funds that become available for 

persistent poverty counties through 

enactment of FY 21 appropriations will 

be allocated for assistance in persistent 

poverty counties. 

(f) Disposition of Reserved Funds Not 

Obligated. For this announcement, any 

reserved funds that have not been 

obligated by September 30, 2021, will be 

available to the Secretary to make VAPG 

grants in accordance with Section 

210A(i)(3(ii) of the Agriculture 

Improvement Act of 2018. 

7. Other Submission Requirements 

(a) National Environmental Policy 

Act. 

This Notice has been reviewed in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, 

‘‘Environmental Policies and 

Procedures,’’ and it has been 

determined that an Environmental 

Impact Statement is not required 

because the issuance of regulations and 

instructions, as well as amendments to 

them, describing administrative and 

financial procedures for processing, 

approving, and implementing the 

Agency’s financial programs is 

categorically excluded in the Agency’s 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) regulation found at 7 CFR 

1970.53(f). We have determined that 

this Notice does not constitute a major 

Federal action significantly affecting the 

quality of the human environment. 

The Agency will review each grant 

application to determine its compliance 

with 7 CFR part 1970 and whether 

proposed financial assistance by the 

Agency would have a 

disproportionately high and adverse 

human health or environmental effect 

on minority or low-income populations. 

The applicant may be asked to provide 

additional information or 

documentation to assist the Agency 

with this determination. 

(b) Civil Rights Compliance 

Requirements. 

All grants made under this Notice are 

subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act 

of 1964 as required by the USDA (7 CFR 

part 15, subpart A) and Section 504 of 

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 83043 

E. Application Review Information 

Applications will be reviewed and 

processed as described at 7 CFR 

4284.940. The Agency will review your 

application to determine if it is 

complete and eligible. If at any time, the 

Agency determines that your 

application is ineligible, you will be 

notified in writing as to the reasons it 

was determined ineligible and you will 

be informed of your review and appeal 

rights. Funding of successfully appealed 

applications will be limited to available 

funds. 

The Agency will only score 

applications in which the applicant and 

project are eligible, which are complete 

and sufficiently responsive to program 

requirements, and in which the Agency 

agrees on the likelihood of financial 

feasibility for working capital requests. 

We will score your application 

according to the procedures and criteria 

specified in 7 CFR 4284.942, and with 

tiered scoring thresholds as specified 

below. 

1. Scoring Criteria 

For each criterion, you must show 

how the project has merit and why it is 

likely to be successful. Your complete 

response to each criterion must be 

included in the body of the application, 

including summarizations of any 

feasibility studies, business and 

marketing plans. If you do not address 

all parts of the criterion, or do not 

sufficiently communicate relevant 

project information, you will receive 

lower scores. VAPG is a competitive 

program, so you will receive scores 

based on the quality of your responses. 

Simply addressing the criteria will not 

guarantee higher scores. The maximum 

number of points that can be awarded 

to your application is 100. For this 

announcement, the minimum score 

requirement for funding is 50 points. 

The Agency application toolkit 

provides additional instructions to help 

you to respond to the criteria below. 

(a) Nature of the Proposed Venture 

(graduated score 0–30 points). 

For both planning and working 

capital grants, you must discuss the 

technological feasibility of the project, 

as well as operational efficiency, 

profitability, and overall economic 

sustainability resulting from the project. 

You must also demonstrate the potential 

for expanding the customer base for the 

agricultural commodity or value-added 

product, and the expected increase in 

revenue returns to the producer-owners 

providing the majority of the raw 

agricultural commodity to the project. 

Working capital applicants must also 

provide the potential number of jobs 

that will result from the project, along 

with a justifiable basis for these 

projections. Please see the application 

template for more information. All 

applicants must reference and 

summarize third-party data and other 

information that specifically supports 

your value-added project; discuss the 

value-added process you are proposing; 

describe the potential markets and 

distribution channels; the value to be 

added to the raw commodity through 

the value-added process; cost and 

availability of inputs, your experience 

in marketing the proposed or similar 

product; business financial statements; 

and any other relevant information that 

supports the viability of your project. 

Working capital applicants should 

demonstrate that these outcomes will 

result from the project and include 

supportable projections of increase in 

customer base, revenue returned to 

producers and jobs resulting from the 

project in order to receive up to the 

maximum number of points. Planning 

grant applicants should describe the 

expected results, and the reasons 

supporting those expectations. 

Points will be awarded as follows: 

(1) 0 points will be awarded if you do 

not address the criterion. 

(2) 1–5 points will be awarded if you 

do not address each of the following: 

technological feasibility, operational 

efficiency, profitability, and overall 

economic sustainability. 

(3) 6–13 points will be awarded if you 

address technological feasibility, 

operational efficiency, profitability, and 

overall economic sustainability, but do 

not reference third-party information 

that supports the success of your 

project. 

(4) 14–22 points will be awarded if 

you address technological feasibility, 

operational efficiency, profitability, and 

overall economic, supported by thirdparty information demonstrating a 

reasonable likelihood of success. 

(5) 23–30 points will be awarded if all 

criterion components are well 

addressed, supported by third-party 

information, and demonstrate a high 

likelihood of success. 

(b) Qualifications of Project Personnel 

(graduated score 0–20 points). 

You must identify all individuals who 

will be responsible for managing and 

completing the proposed tasks in the 

work plan, including the roles and 

activities that owners, staff, contractors, 

consultants or new hires may perform; 

and show that these individuals have 

the necessary qualifications and 

expertise, including those hired to do 

market or feasibility analyses, or to 

develop a business operations plan for 

the value-added venture. You must 

include the qualifications of those 

individuals responsible for leading or 

managing the total project (applicant 

owners or project managers), as well as 

those individuals responsible for 

conducting the various individual tasks 

in the work plan (such as consultants, 

contractors, staff or new hires). You 

must discuss the commitment and the 

availability of any consultants or other 

professionals to be hired for the project; 

especially those who may be consulting 

on multiple VAPG projects. If staff or 

consultants have not been selected at 

the time of application, you must 

provide specific descriptions of the 

qualifications required for the positions 

to be filled. Applications that 

demonstrate the strong credentials, 

education, capabilities, experience and 

availability of project personnel that 

will contribute to a high likelihood of 

project success will receive more points 

than those that demonstrate less 

potential for success in these areas. 

Points will be awarded as follows: 

(1) 0 points will be awarded if you do 

not address the criterion. 

(2) 1–4 points will be awarded if 

qualifications and experience of all staff 

is not addressed and/or if necessary, 

qualifications of unfilled positions are 

not provided. 

(3) 5–9 points will be awarded if all 

project personnel are identified but do 

not demonstrate qualifications or 

experience relevant to the project. 

(4) 10–14 points will be awarded if 

most key personnel demonstrate strong 

credentials and/or experience, and 

availability indicating a reasonable 

likelihood of success. 

(5) 15–20 points will be awarded if all 

personnel demonstrate strong, relevant 

credentials or experience, and 

availability indicating a high likelihood 

of project success. 

(c) Commitments and Support 

(graduated score 0–10 points). 

Producer, end-user, and third-party 

commitments will be evaluated under 

this criterion. Sole proprietors can 

receive a maximum of 9 points. 

Multiple producer applications can 

receive a maximum of 10 points. 

(1) Producer commitments to the 

project will be evaluated based on the 

number of named and documented 

independent producers currently 

involved in the project; and the nature, 

level and quality of their contributions. 

(2) End-user commitments will be 

evaluated based on potential or 

identified markets and the potential 

amount of output to be purchased, as 

indicated by letters of intent or contracts 

(purchase orders) from potential buyers 

referenced within the application. 

Applications that demonstrate 

83044 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 

documented intent to purchase the 

value-added product will receive more 

points. Note: for planning grants, this 

criterion can be addressed by evidence 

of interest or support from identified or 

potential customers. 

(3) Third-party commitments to the 

project will be evaluated based on the 

critical and tangible nature of their 

contribution to the project, such as 

technical assistance, storage, processing, 

marketing, or distribution arrangements 

that are necessary for the project to 

proceed; and the level and quality of 

these contributions. Applications that 

demonstrate strong technical and 

logistical support to successfully 

complete the project will receive more 

points. 

Letters of commitment by producers, 

end-users, and third-parties should be 

summarized as part of your response to 

this criterion, and the letters must be 

included in Appendix B. Please note 

that VAPG does not require 

Congressional letters of support, nor do 

they carry any extra weight during the 

evaluation process. Also, note that 

because applications with cash 

matching contributions are awarded 

more points than those pledging only 

in-kind contributions, applicants will 

not be able to substitute an in-kind 

match for cash after awards are made. 

Points will be awarded as follows: 

(i) 0 points will be awarded if you do 

not address the criterion. 

(ii) Independent Producer Commitment 

(A) Sole Proprietor (one owner/ 

producer): 1 point 

(B) Multiple Independent Producers 

(note: in cases where family members, 

such as husband and wife, are eligible 

Independent Producers, each family 

member will count as one 

Independent Producer): 2 points 

(iii) Level of Commitment 

(A) All matching contributions are inkind: 1 point 

(B) Matching contribution consists of 

both cash and in-kind: 2 points 

(C) All matching contributions are cash: 

4 points 

(iv) End-user commitment: 

(A) No, or insufficiently documented, 

commitment from end-users: 0 points 

(B) Well-documented commitment from 

one end-user: 1 point 

(C) Well-documented commitment from 

more than one end-user: 2 points 

(v) Third-party commitment: 

(A) No, or insufficiently documented, 

commitment from third-parties: 0 

points 

(B) Well-documented commitment from 

one third-party: 1 point 

(C) Well-documented commitment from 

more than one third-party: 2 points 

(d) Work Plan and Budget (graduated 

score 0–20 points). 

You must submit a comprehensive 

work plan and budget (for full details, 

see 7 CFR 4284.922(b)(5)). Your work 

plan must provide specific and detailed 

descriptions of the tasks and the key 

project personnel that will accomplish 

the project’s goals. The budget must 

present a detailed breakdown and 

description of all estimated costs of 

project activities (including source and 

basis for their valuation) and allocate 

those costs among the listed tasks, as 

instructed in the application package. 

You must show the source and use of 

both grant and matching funds for all 

tasks. Matching funds must be spent at 

a rate equal to, or in advance of, grant 

funds. An eligible start and end date for 

the entire project, as well as for each 

individual project task must be clearly 

shown. The project timeframe must not 

exceed 36 months and should be scaled 

to the complexity of the project. 

Working capital applications must 

include an estimate of program income 

expected to be earned during the grant 

period (see 2 CFR 200.307). 

Points will be awarded as follows: 

(1) 0 points will be awarded if you do 

not address the criterion. 

(2) 1–7 points will be awarded if the 

work plan and budget do not account 

for all project goals, tasks, costs, 

timelines, and responsible personnel. 

(3) 8–14 points will be awarded if you 

provide a clear, comprehensive work 

plan detailing all project goals, tasks, 

timelines, costs, and responsible 

personnel in a logical and realistic 

manner that demonstrates a reasonable 

likelihood of success. 

(4) 15–20 points will be awarded if 

you provide a clear, comprehensive 

work plan detailing all project goals, 

tasks, timelines, costs, and responsible 

personnel in a logical and realistic 

manner that demonstrates a high 

likelihood of success. 

(e) Priority Points up to 10 points 

(lump sum 0 or 5 points plus, graduated 

score 0–5 points). 

It is recommended that you use the 

Agency application package when 

applying for priority points and refer to 

the requirements specified in 7 CFR 

4284.924. Priority points may be 

awarded in both the General Funds and 

Reserved Funds competitions. 

(1) 5 points will be awarded if you 

meet the requirements for one of the 

following categories and provide the 

documentation described in 7 CFR 

4284.923 and 4284.924 as applicable: 

Beginning Farmer or Rancher, SociallyDisadvantaged Farmer or Rancher, 

Veteran Farmer or Rancher, or Operator 

of a Small or Medium-sized Farm or 

Ranch that is structured as a Family 

Farm, Farmer or Rancher Cooperative, 

or are proposing a Mid-Tier Value Chain 

project. 

(2) Up to 5 priority points will be 

awarded if you are an Agricultural 

Producer Group, Farmer or Rancher 

Cooperative, or Majority-Controlled 

Producer-Based Business Venture 

(referred to below as ‘‘applicant group’’) 

whose project ‘‘best contributes to 

creating or increasing marketing 

opportunities’’ for Operators of Small 

and Medium-sized Farms and Ranches 

that are structured as Family Farms, 

Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, 

Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers and 

Ranchers, and Veteran Farmers and 

Ranchers (referred to below as ‘‘priority 

groups’’). For each of the priority point 

levels below, applications must 

demonstrate how the proposed project 

will contribute to new or increased 

marketing opportunities for respective 

priority groups. Guidance on relevant 

information required to adequately 

demonstrate this requirement can be 

found in the program application 

package. 

(i) 2 priority points will be awarded 

if the existing membership of the 

applicant group is comprised of either 

more than 50 percent of any one of the 

four priority groups or more than 50 

percent of any combination of the four 

priority groups. 

(ii) 1 priority point will be awarded if 

the existing membership of the 

applicant group is comprised of two or 

more of the priority groups. One point 

is awarded regardless of whether a 

group’s membership is comprised of 

two, three, or all four of the priority 

groups. 

(iii) 2 priority points will be awarded 

if the applicant’s proposed project will 

increase the number of priority groups 

that comprise applicant membership by 

one or more priority groups. However, 

if an applicant group’s membership is 

already comprised of all four priority 

groups, such an applicant would not be 

eligible for points under this criterion 

because there is no opportunity to 

increase the number of priority groups. 

Note also that this criterion does not 

consider either the percentage of the 

existing membership that is comprised 

of the four priority groups or the 

number of priority groups currently 

comprising the applicant group’s 

membership. 

(f) Administrator Priority Categories 

(graduated score 0–10 points). 

The Administrator of the Agency may 

choose to award up to 10 points to an 

application to improve the geographic 

diversity of awardees and/or foster 

persistent poverty counties and/or help 

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 83045 

reduce unemployment through job 

creation in a fiscal year. To ensure that 

funds are more broadly utilized in 

support of recommendations made in 

the Rural Prosperity Task Force report 

to help improve life in rural America, 

the Administrator may also choose to 

award points to eligible applicants who 

have never previously been awarded a 

VAPG grant. Eligible applicants who 

have never previously received VAPG 

funds and who want to be considered 

for discretionary points must 

specifically request consideration for 

these points and certify that neither the 

applicant entity or any of its owner or 

members have ever received a VAPG 

grant. To be considered for these points, 

you must discuss how your workplan 

and budget supports one or more of the 

five following key strategies: 

Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural 

America; 

Improving Quality of Life; 

Supporting a Rural Workforce; 

Harnessing Technological Innovation; 

and 

Economic Development. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

The Agency will select applications 

for award under this Notice in 

accordance with the provisions 

specified in 7 CFR 4284.950(a). 

If your application is eligible and 

complete, it will be qualitatively scored 

by at least two reviewers based on 

criteria specified in section E.1. of this 

Notice. One of these reviewers will be 

an experienced RD employee from your 

servicing State Office and at least one 

additional reviewer will be a nonFederal, independent reviewer, who 

must meet the following qualifications. 

Independent reviewers must have at 

least a bachelor’s degree in one or more 

of the following fields: agri-business, 

agricultural economics, agriculture, 

animal science, business, marketing, 

economics or finance; and a minimum 

of 8 years of experience in an 

agriculture-related field (e.g. farming, 

marketing, consulting, or research; or as 

university faculty, trade association 

official or non-Federal government 

official in an agriculturally-related 

field). Each reviewer will score 

evaluation criteria (a) through (d) and 

the totals for each reviewer will be 

added together and averaged. The RD 

State Office reviewer will also assign 

priority points based on criterion (e) in 

section E.1. of this Notice. These will be 

added to the average score. The sum of 

these scores will be ranked highest to 

lowest and this will comprise the initial 

ranking. 

The Administrator of the Agency may 

choose to award up to 10 Administrator 

priority points based on criterion (f) in 

section E.1. of this Notice. These points 

will be added to the cumulative score 

for a total possible score of 100. 

A final ranking will be obtained based 

solely on the scores received for criteria 

(a) through (e). A minimum score of 50 

points is required for funding. 

Applications for Reserved Funds will be 

funded in rank order until funds are 

depleted. Unfunded reserve 

applications will be returned to the 

general funds where applications will 

be funded in rank order until the funds 

are expended. Funding for Majority 

Controlled Producer-Based Business 

Ventures is limited to 10 percent of total 

grant funds expected to be obligated as 

a result of this Notice. These 

applications will be funded in rank 

order until the funding limitation has 

been reached. Grants to these applicants 

from Reserved Funds will count against 

this funding limitation. In the event of 

tied scores, the Administrator shall have 

discretion in breaking ties. 

If your application is ranked, but not 

funded, it will not be carried forward 

into the next competition. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices 

If you are selected for funding, you 

will receive a signed notice of Federal 

award by postal mail, containing 

instructions on requirements necessary 

to proceed with execution and 

performance of the award. 

If you are not selected for funding, 

you will be notified in writing via postal 

mail and informed of any review and 

appeal rights. Funding of successfully 

appealed applications will be limited to 

available funding. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Additional requirements that apply to 

grantees selected for this program can be 

found in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart J; the 

Grants and Agreements regulations of 

the Department of Agriculture codified 

in 2 CFR parts 180, 400, 415, 417, 418, 

421; 2 CFR parts 25 and 170; and 48 

CFR 31.2, and successor regulations to 

these parts. 

In addition, all recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first-tier subawards and executive compensation 

(see 2 CFR part 170). You will be 

required to have the necessary processes 

and systems in place to comply with the 

Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109– 

282) reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 

170.200(b), unless you are exempt under 

2 CFR 170.110(b)). More information on 

these requirements can be found at 

http://www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/value-added-producer-grants. 

The following additional 

requirements apply to grantees selected 

for this program: 

(a) Agency approved Grant 

Agreement. 

(b) Letter of Conditions. 

(c) Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds.’’ 

(d) Form RD 1942–46, ‘‘Letter of 

Intent to Meet Conditions.’’ 

(e) Form AD–1048, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Debarment, Suspension, 

Ineligibility and Voluntary ExclusionLower Tier Covered Transactions.’’ 

(f) SF LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities,’’ if applicable. 

(g) Use Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement.’’ 

3. Reporting 

After grant approval and through 

grant completion, you will be required 

to provide the following, as indicated in 

the Grant Agreement: 

(a) An SF–425, ‘‘Federal Financial 

Report,’’ and a project performance 

report will be required on a semiannual 

basis (due 30 working days after end of 

the semiannual period). For the 

purposes of this grant, semiannual 

periods end on March 31st and 

September 30th. The project 

performance reports shall include the 

elements prescribed in the grant 

agreement. 

(b) A final project and financial status 

report within 90 days after the 

expiration or termination of the grant. 

(c) Provide outcome project 

performance reports and final 

deliverables. 

G. Solicitation of Non-Federal 

Independent Grant Reviewers 

Rural Development is seeking nonFederal independent grant reviewers 

under this Notice. Reviewers must be 

able to use their professional knowledge 

and experience to evaluate and score 

VAPG program applications against the 

evaluation criteria published in this 

Notice, and effectively communicate 

their findings in writing. 

1. Qualifications. 

All reviewers must meet the following 

qualifications. 

(a) Have at least a bachelor’s degree in 

one or more of the following fields: agribusiness, agricultural economics, 

business, marketing, economics or 

finance, and 

(b) A minimum of 8 years of 

experience in an agriculture-related 

field (e.g. farming, marketing, 

83046 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 245 / Monday, December 21, 2020 / Notices 

consulting, or research; or as university 

faculty, trade association official or nonFederal government official in an 

agriculturally-related field). 

2. Ethical Standards 

Prospective reviewers must be able to 

exercise the highest level of ethical 

standards in avoiding conflict of 

interests and maintaining 

confidentiality. 

(a) Conflict of Interest 

Individuals selected as non-Federal 

independent grant reviewers will be 

required to certify that they do not have 

a conflict of interest or an appearance 

thereof with any VAPG application they 

are assigned to review. This may 

include but is not limited to 

certification that they did not apply for 

a VAPG grant and are not affiliated with 

persons or organizations applying for 

VAPG funds. 

(b) Confidentiality 

Reviewers will also be required to 

sign a certification statement regarding 

the safeguarding of information 

contained in assigned applications. 

Failure to identify a conflict-ofinterest or the unauthorized disclosure 

of information may subject reviewers to 

administrative sanction, i.e., removal 

from the current review and/or 

disqualification from involvement in 

future reviews of grant applications. 

3. Training. 

All reviewers must review and 

understand program requirements and 

must attend a mandatory training 

webinar. 

4. System Requirements. 

(a) Reviewers must have reliable 

internet access using internet Explorer 

and must be able to reliably access 

applications and submit scores 

electronically and. 

(b) All reviewers must be able to 

complete requirements for, obtain, and 

maintain USDA Level 2 e-Authorization 

credentialing. 

To apply, please send a resume 

addressing relevant qualifications and 

experience to CPGrants@wdc.usda.gov 

by February 19, 2021. 

H. Agency Contacts 

If you have questions about this 

Notice, please contact the State Office as 

identified in the ADDRESSES section of 

this Notice. You are also encouraged to 

visit the application website for 

application tools, including an 

application guide and templates. The 

website address is: http://

www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/ 

value-added-producer-grants. You may 

also contact National Office staff at 

CPGrants@wdc.usda.gov or call the 

main line at (202) 720–1400. 

I. Nondiscrimination Statement 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and 

institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication for 

program information (e.g., Braille, large 

print, audiotape, American Sign 

Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and 

TTY) or contact USDA through the 

Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at http://

www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_

cust.html and at any USDA office or 

write a letter addressed to USDA and 

provide in the letter all of the 

information requested in the form. To 

request a copy of the complaint form, 

call (866) 632–9992. Submit your 

completed form or letter to USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; 

(2) Fax: (202) 690–7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

Rebeckah Freeman Adcock, 

Administrator, Rural Business—Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–27986 Filed 12–18–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Solicitation of Applications for the 

Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive 

Program (HBIIP) for Fiscal Year 2021 

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation 

and the Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice; announcement of 

opening date for Higher Blends 

Infrastructure Incentive Program second 

application window. 

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC) and the Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), a 

Rural Development agency of the United 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), announced the general policy 

and application procedures for funding 

under the Higher Blends Infrastructure 

Incentive Program (HBIIP) in a Notice of 

Funding Availability (NOFA) which 

published on May 5, 2020 in the 

Federal Register. HBIIP provides up to 

$100 million in competitive grants to 

eligible entities for activities designed to 

expand the sales and use of renewable 

fuels under the Higher Blends 

Infrastructure Incentive Program 

(HBIIP). This Notice announces the 

opening date for a second HBIIP 

application window for the remaining 

(approximately) $22 million (of the $100 

million) and amends certain provisions 

and requirements of the original 

solicitation and clarifying notices 

published in the Federal Register on 

May 15, 2020 and June 3, 2020. 

DATES: The Agency will begin accepting 

applications through the HBIIP online 

portal as provided on the program 

website, http://www.rd.usda.gov/HBIIP. 

Applications for enrollment in the 

Higher Biofuels Infrastructure Incentive 

Program will be accepted beginning 

December 21, 2020 through January 19, 

2021. Applications received after 5:59 

p.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 

19, 2021 will not be considered. 

ADDRESSES: Application Submission: 

Instructions and additional resources for 

the application system for electronic 

submissions are available at http://

www.rd.usda.gov/HBIIP. 

Electronic submissions: Electronic 

submissions of applications will allow 

for the expeditious review of an 

Applicant’s proposal. All Applicants 

must file their application 

electronically. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: 

For general inquiries regarding the 

HBIIP, contact Anthony Crooks: