Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 6 / Monday, January 11, 2021 / Notices 1923 

VII. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notice. Within the 

limit of funds available for such 

purpose, the awarding official of the 

Agency shall make grants in ranked 

order to eligible applicants under the 

procedures set forth in this Notice and 

the grant regulation 7 CFR 3570, subpart 

F. 

Successful applicants will receive a 

letter in the mail containing instructions 

on requirements necessary to proceed 

with execution and performance of the 

award. This letter is not an 

authorization to begin performance. In 

addition, selected applicants will be 

requested to verify that components of 

the application have not changed at the 

time of selection and on the award date, 

if requested by the Agency. 

The award is not approved until all 

information has been verified, and the 

awarding official of the Agency has 

signed Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds’’ and the grant 

agreement. 

Unsuccessful and ineligible 

applicants will receive written 

notification of their review and appeal 

rights. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. Grantees will be required 

to do the following: 

(a) Execute a Grant Agreement. 

(b) Execute Form RD 1940–1. 

(c) Use Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement’’ to request 

reimbursement. Provide receipts for 

expenditures, timesheets, and any other 

documentation to support the request 

for reimbursement. 

(d) Provide financial status and 

project performance reports as set forth 

at 7 CFR 3570.276. 

(e) Maintain a financial management 

system that is acceptable to the Agency. 

(f) Ensure that records are maintained 

to document all activities and 

expenditures utilizing CF TAT grant 

funds and any matching funds, if 

applicable. Receipts for expenditures 

will be included in this documentation. 

(g) Provide audits or financial 

information as set forth in 7 CFR 

3570.277. 

(h) Collect and maintain data 

provided by ultimate recipients on race, 

sex, and national origin and ensure 

Ultimate Recipients collect and 

maintain this data. Race and ethnicity 

data will be collected in accordance 

with OMB Federal Register notice, 

‘‘Revisions to the Standards for the 

Classification of Federal Data on Race 

and Ethnicity,’’ (62 FR 58782), October 

30, 1997. Sex data will be collected in 

accordance with Title IX of the 

Education Amendments of 1972. These 

items should not be submitted with the 

application but should be available 

upon request by the Agency. 

(i) Provide a final performance report 

as set forth at 7 CFR 3570.276(a)(7). 

(j) Identify and report any association 

or relationship with Rural Development 

employees. 

(k) The applicant and the ultimate 

recipient must comply with Title VI of 

the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of 

the Education Amendments of 1972, 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, 

Executive Order 12250, Executive Order 

13166 Limited English Proficiency 

(LEP), and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E. 

The grantee must comply with policies, 

guidance, and requirements as 

described in the following applicable 

Code of Federal Regulations and any 

successor regulations: 

(1) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards). 

(2) 2 CFR parts 417 and 180 

(Government-wide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement)). 

3. Reporting 

Reporting requirements for this grant 

as set forth at 7 CFR 3570.276. 

VIII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact 

Contact the Rural Development state 

office in the state where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. A list of Rural 

Development State Offices can be found 

at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_

State_Office_Contacts.pdf. For 

Applicants located in Washington, DC, 

please contact Shirley Stevenson at 

(202) 205–9685 or via email at 

Shirley.Stevenson@wdc.usda.gov. 

IX. 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) By 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. 

Elizabeth Green, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00290 Filed 1–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

[Docket No. RHS–21–CF–0002] 

Rural Community Development 

Initiative (RCDI) for Fiscal Year 2021 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, 

Department of Agriculture. 

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of 

applications. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service 

(Agency), an Agency of the United 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), announces the acceptance of 

applications under the Rural 

Community Development Initiative 

(RCDI) program for fiscal year (FY) 

2021. These grants will be made to 

qualified intermediary organizations 

that will provide financial and technical 

assistance to recipients to develop their 

capacity and ability to undertake 

projects related to housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development that will support the 

community. Applicants must provide 

matching funds in an amount at least 

equal to the Federal grant. Successful 

applications will be selected by the 


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Agency for funding and subsequently 

awarded from funds appropriated for 

the RCDI program. The Agency will 

publish the amount of funding on its 

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

newsroom/notices-solicitationapplications-nosas. 

DATES: Completed applications must be 

submitted on paper or electronically 

according to the following deadlines: 

The Agency must receive a paper 

application by 4:00 p.m. local time, 

March 29, 2021. Electronic applications 

must be submitted via Grants.gov by 

Midnight Eastern time on March 22, 

2021. The application dates and times 

are firm. The Agency will not consider 

any application received after the 

deadline. Applicants intending to mail 

applications must provide sufficient 

time to permit delivery on or before the 

closing deadline date and time. 

Acceptance by the United States Postal 

Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), 

electronic mail, and postage due 

applications will not be accepted. 

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance may download the 

application documents and 

requirements delineated in this Notice 

from the RCDI website: http://

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

rural-community-developmentinitiative-grants. 

Application information for electronic 

submissions may be found at http://

www.Grants.gov. 

Applicants may also request paper 

application packages from the Rural 

Development office in their state. A list 

of Rural Development State offices 

contacts can be found via https://

www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_

Contacts.pdf. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Rural Development office for the state in 

which the applicant is located. A list of 

Rural Development State Office contacts 

is provided at the following link: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_

Office_Contacts.pdf. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

The paperwork burden has been 

approved by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control 

Number 0575–0180. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

All recipients under this Notice are 

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970. However, awards for 

financial and technical assistance under 

this Notice are classified as a Categorical 

Exclusion according to 7 CFR 

1970.53(b), and usually do not require 

any additional documentation. The 

Agency will review each grant 

application to determine its compliance 

with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant 

may be asked to provide additional 

information or documentation to assist 

the Agency with this determination. 

The Agency encourages applications 

that will support the Agency’s overall 

goal to reduce the morbidity and 

mortality associated with Substance Use 

Disorder (including opioid misuse) in 

high-risk rural communities by 

strengthening the capacity to address 

one or more of the following focus areas 

at the community, county, state, and/or 

regional levels: 

• Prevention: reducing the occurrence 

of Substance Use Disorder (including 

opioid misuse) among new and at-risk 

users as well as fatal substance-related 

overdoses through community and 

provider education, and harm reduction 

measures including the strategic 

placement of overdose reversing 

devices, such as naloxone; 

• Treatment: implementing or 

expanding access to evidence-based 

practices for Substance Use Disorder 

(including opioid misuse) treatment 

such as medication-assisted treatment 

(MAT); and 

• Recovery: expanding peer recovery 

and treatment options that help people 

start and stay in recovery. 

Administrator discretionary points 

will be awarded to applications that 

address this Agency Goal. 

The Agency encourages applications 

that will help improve life in rural 

America. (See information on the 

Interagency Task Force on Agriculture 

and Rural Prosperity found at 

www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity.) 

Applicants are encouraged to consider 

projects that provide measurable results 

in helping rural communities build 

robust and sustainable economies 

through strategic investments. Key 

strategies include: 

• Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural 

America 

• Developing the Rural Economy 

• Harnessing Technological Innovation 

• Supporting a Rural Workforce 

• Improving Quality of Life 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Housing 

Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Community Development Initiative. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation of Applications. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.446. 

Dates: The deadline for receipt of a 

paper application is 4 p.m. local time, 

March 29, 2021. The deadline for 

receipt of an electronic applications via 

Grants.gov is Midnight Eastern time on 

March 22, 2021. The application dates 

and times are firm. The Agency will not 

consider any application received after 

the deadline. Applicants intending to 

mail applications must provide 

sufficient time to permit delivery on or 

before the closing deadline date and 

time. Acceptance by the United States 

Postal Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), 

electronic mail and postage due 

applications will not be accepted. Prior 

to official submission of applications, 

applicants may request technical 

assistance or other application guidance 

from the Agency, as long as such 

requests are made prior to March 17, 

2021. Technical assistance is not meant 

to be an analysis or assessment of the 

quality of the materials submitted, a 

substitute for agency review of 

completed applications, nor a 

determination of eligibility, if such 

determination requires in-depth 

analysis. The Agency will not solicit or 

consider scoring or eligibility 

information that is submitted after the 

application deadline. The Agency 

reserves the right to contact applicants 

to seek clarification information on 

materials contained in the submitted 

application. 

A. Program Description 

Congress first authorized the RCDI in 

1999 (Pub.L. 106–78, which was 

amended most recently by the Further 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 

(Pub. L. 116–94) to develop the capacity 

and ability of private, nonprofit 

community-based housing and 

community development organizations, 

low-income rural communities, and 

federally recognized Native American 

Tribes to undertake projects related to 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

in rural areas. Strengthening the 

recipient’s capacity in these areas will 

benefit the communities they serve. The 

RCDI structure requires the 

intermediary (grantee) to provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to recipients. The recipients 

will, in turn, provide programs to their 

communities (beneficiaries). 

B. Federal Award Information 

The Agency will publish the amount 

of funding received in the FY 2021 

Appropriations Act on its website at 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/ 

notices-solicitation-applications-nosas. 

Qualified private organizations, 

nonprofit organizations and public 

(including tribal) intermediary 

organizations proposing to carry out 


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financial and technical assistance 

programs will be eligible to receive the 

grant funding. 

The intermediary will be required to 

provide matching funds in an amount at 

least equal to the RCDI grant. 

A grant will be the type of assistance 

instrument awarded to successful 

applications. 

The respective minimum and 

maximum grant amount per 

intermediary is $50,000 and $250,000. 

Grant funds must be utilized within 3 

years from date of the award. 

A grantee that has an outstanding 

RCDI grant over 3 years old, as of the 

application due date in this Notice, is 

not eligible to apply for this round of 

funding. 

The intermediary must provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to one or more of the 

following: a private, nonprofit 

community-based housing and 

development organization, a lowincome rural community or a federally 

recognized tribe. 

C. Eligibility Information 

Applicants must meet all of the 

following eligibility requirements by the 

application deadline. Applications 

which fail to meet any of these 

requirements by the application 

deadline will be deemed ineligible and 

will not be evaluated further and will 

not receive a Federal award. 

1. Eligible Applicants 

(a) Qualified private organizations, 

nonprofit organizations (including faithbased and community organizations and 

philanthropic foundations), in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 16, and 

public (including tribal) intermediary 

organizations are eligible applicants. 

Definitions that describe eligible 

organizations and other key terms are 

listed below. 

(b) The recipient must be a nonprofit 

community-based housing and 

development organization, low-income 

rural community, or federally 

recognized tribe based on the RCDI 

definitions of these groups. 

(c) Private nonprofit, faith or 

community-based organizations must 

provide a certificate of incorporation 

and good standing from the Secretary of 

the State of incorporation, or other 

similar and valid documentation of 

current nonprofit status. For lowincome rural community recipients, the 

Agency requires evidence that the entity 

is a public body and census data 

verifying that the median household 

income of the community where the 

office receiving the financial and 

technical assistance is located is at, or 

below, 80 percent of the State or 

national median household income, 

whichever is higher. For federally 

recognized tribes, the Agency needs the 

page listing their name from the current 

Federal Register list of tribal entities 

recognized and eligible for funding 

services (see the definition of federally 

recognized tribes in this Notice for 

details on this list). 

(d) Any corporation that has been 

convicted of a felony criminal violation 

under any Federal law within the past 

24 months; or 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 

full-year appropriated funds in 

accordance with restrictions 

substantially similar Sections 744 and 

745 outlined in Division C, Title VII, 

‘‘General Provisions—GovernmentWide’’ of the Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116– 

93), 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. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching 

There is a matching requirement of at 

least equal to the amount of the grant. 

If this matching fund requirement is not 

met, the application will be deemed 

ineligible. See section D, Application 

and Submission Information, for 

required pre-award and post award 

matching funds documentation 

submission. 

Matching funds are cash or confirmed 

funding commitments that must be at 

least equal to the grant amount and 

committed for a period of not less than 

the grant performance period. These 

funds can only be used for eligible RCDI 

activities and must be used to support 

the overall purpose of the RCDI 

program. 

In-kind contributions such as salaries, 

donated time and effort, real and 

nonexpendable personal property and 

goods and services cannot be used as 

matching funds. 

Grant funds and matching funds must 

be used in equal proportions. This does 

not mean funds have to be used equally 

by line item. 

The request for advance or 

reimbursement and supporting 

documentation must show that RCDI 

fund usage does not exceed the 

cumulative amount of matching funds 

used. 

Grant funds will be disbursed 

pursuant to relevant provisions of 2 CFR 

parts 200 and 400. See Section D, 

Application and Submission 

Information, for matching funds 

documentation and pre-award 

requirements. 

The intermediary is responsible for 

demonstrating that matching funds are 

available and committed for a period of 

not less than the grant performance 

period to the RCDI proposal. Matching 

funds may be provided by the 

intermediary or a third party. Other 

Federal funds may be used as matching 

funds if authorized by statute and the 

purpose of the funds is an eligible RCDI 

purpose. 

RCDI funds will be disbursed on an 

advance or reimbursement basis. 

Matching funds cannot be expended 

prior to execution of the RCDI Grant 

Agreement. 

3. Other Program Requirements 

(a) The recipient and beneficiary, but 

not the intermediary, must be located in 

an eligible rural area. The physical 

location of the recipient’s office that 

will be receiving the financial and 

technical assistance must be in an 

eligible rural area. If the recipient is a 

low-income community, the median 

household income of the area where the 

office is located must be at or below 80 

percent of the State or national median 

household income, whichever is higher. 

The applicable Rural Development State 

Office can assist in determining the 

eligibility of an area. 

A listing of Rural Development State 

Office contacts can be found at the 

following link: https://

www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_

Contacts.pdf. A map showing eligible 

rural areas can be found at the following 

link: http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/ 

eligibility/welcomeAction.do?

pageAction=RBSmenu&NavKey=

property@13. 

(b) RCDI grantees that have an 

outstanding grant over 3 years old, as of 

the application due date in this Notice, 

will not be eligible to apply for this 

round of funding. Grant and matching 

funds must be utilized in a timely 

manner to ensure that the goals and 

objectives of the program are met. 

(c) Individuals cannot be recipients. 

(d) The intermediary must provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to the recipient. 

(e) The intermediary organization 

must have been legally organized for a 

minimum of 3 years and have at least 

3 years prior experience working with 

private nonprofit community-based 


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housing and development organizations, 

low-income rural communities, or tribal 

organizations in the areas of housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development. 

(f) Proposals must be structured to 

utilize the grant funds within 3 years 

from the date of the award. 

(g) Each applicant, whether singularly 

or jointly, may only submit one 

application for RCDI funds under this 

Notice. This restriction does not 

preclude the applicant from providing 

matching funds for other applications. 

(h) Recipients can benefit from more 

than one RCDI application; however, 

after grant selections are made, the 

recipient can only benefit from multiple 

RCDI grants if the type of financial and 

technical assistance the recipient will 

receive is not duplicative. The services 

described in multiple RCDI grant 

applications must have separate and 

identifiable accounts for compliance 

purposes. 

(i) The intermediary and the recipient 

cannot be the same entity. The recipient 

can be a related entity to the 

intermediary, if it meets the definition 

of a recipient, provided the relationship 

does not create a Conflict of Interest that 

cannot be resolved to Rural 

Development’s satisfaction. 

(j) If the recipient is a low-income 

rural community, identify the unit of 

government to which the financial and 

technical assistance will be provided, 

e.g., town council or village board. The 

financial and technical assistance must 

be provided to the organized unit of 

government representing that 

community, not the community at large. 

4. Eligible Grant Purposes 

Fund uses must be consistent with the 

RCDI purpose. A nonexclusive list of 

eligible grant uses includes the 

following: 

(a) Provide technical assistance to 

develop recipients’ capacity and ability 

to undertake projects related to housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development, e.g., the 

intermediary hires a staff person to 

provide technical assistance to the 

recipient or the recipient hires a staff 

person, under the supervision of the 

intermediary, to carry out the technical 

assistance provided by the intermediary. 

(b) Develop the capacity of recipients 

to conduct community development 

programs, e.g., homeownership 

education or training for business 

entrepreneurs. 

(c) Develop the capacity of recipients 

to conduct development initiatives, e.g., 

programs that support micro-enterprise 

and sustainable development. 

(d) Develop the capacity of recipients 

to increase their leveraging ability and 

access to alternative funding sources by 

providing training and staffing. 

(e) Develop the capacity of recipients 

to provide the technical assistance 

component for essential community 

facilities projects. 

(f) Assist recipients in completing predevelopment requirements for housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development projects by 

providing resources for professional 

services, e.g., architectural, engineering, 

or legal. 

(g) Improve recipient’s organizational 

capacity by providing training and 

resource material on developing 

strategic plans, board operations, 

management, financial systems, and 

information technology. 

(h) Purchase of computers, software, 

and printers, limited to $10,000 per 

award, at the recipient level when 

directly related to the technical 

assistance program being undertaken by 

the intermediary. 

(i) Provide funds to recipients for 

training-related travel costs and training 

expenses related to RCDI. 

5. Ineligible Fund Uses 

The following is a list of ineligible 

grant uses: 

(a) Pass-through grants, and any funds 

provided to the recipient in a lump sum 

that are not reimbursements. 

(b) Funding a revolving loan fund 

(RLF). 

(c) Construction (in any form). 

(d) Salaries for positions involved in 

construction, renovations, 

rehabilitation, and any oversight of 

these types of activities. 

(e) Intermediary preparation of 

strategic plans for recipients. 

(f) Funding prostitution, gambling, or 

any illegal activities. 

(g) Grants to individuals. 

(h) Funding a grant where there may 

be a conflict of interest, or an 

appearance of a conflict of interest, 

involving any action by the Agency. 

(i) Paying obligations incurred before 

the beginning date without prior Agency 

approval or after the ending date of the 

grant agreement. 

(j) Purchasing real estate. 

(k) Improvement or renovation of the 

grantee’s or recipient’s office space or 

for the repair or maintenance of 

privately-owned vehicles. 

(l) Any purpose prohibited in 2 CFR 

part 200 or 400. 

(m) Using funds for recipient’s general 

operating costs. 

(n) Using grant or matching funds for 

Individual Development Accounts. 

(o) Purchasing vehicles. 

6. Program Examples and Restrictions 

The following are examples of eligible 

and ineligible purposes under the RCDI 

program. (These examples are 

illustrative and are not meant to limit 

the activities proposed in the 

application. Activities that meet the 

objectives of the RCDI program and 

meet the criteria outlined in this Notice 

will be considered eligible.) 

(a) The intermediary must work 

directly with the recipient, not the 

ultimate beneficiaries. For example: 

The intermediary provides training 

and technical assistance to the 

recipients on developing and updating 

materials related to the prevention, 

treatment and recovery activities for 

opioid use disorder and ensures that 

high-quality training is provided to 

communities affected by the opioid 

epidemic. 

(b) The intermediary provides training 

to the recipient on how to conduct 

homeownership education classes. The 

recipient then provides ongoing 

homeownership education to the 

residents of the community—the 

ultimate beneficiaries. This ‘‘train the 

trainer’’ concept fully meets the intent 

of this initiative. The intermediary is 

providing technical assistance that will 

build the recipient’s capacity by 

enabling them to conduct 

homeownership education classes for 

the public. 

This is an eligible purpose. However, 

if the intermediary directly provided 

homeownership education classes to 

individuals in the recipient’s service 

area, this would not be an eligible 

purpose because the recipient would be 

bypassed. 

(c) If the intermediary is working with 

a low-income community as the 

recipient, the intermediary must 

provide the technical assistance to the 

entity that represents the low-income 

community and is identified in the 

application. Examples of entities 

representing a low-income community 

are a village board or a town council. 

If the intermediary provides technical 

assistance to the Board of the lowincome community on how to establish 

a cooperative, this would be an eligible 

purpose. However, if the intermediary 

works directly with individuals from 

the community to establish the 

cooperative, this is not an eligible 

purpose. 

The recipient’s capacity is built by 

learning skills that will enable them to 

support sustainable economic 

development in their communities on 

an ongoing basis. 

(d) The intermediary may provide 

technical assistance to the recipient on 


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how to create and operate a revolving 

loan fund. The intermediary may not 

monitor or operate the revolving loan 

fund. RCDI funds, including matching 

funds, cannot be used to fund revolving 

loan funds. 

(e) The intermediary may work with 

recipients in building their capacity to 

provide planning and leadership 

development training. The recipients of 

this training would be expected to 

assume leadership roles in the 

development and execution of regional 

strategic plans. The intermediary would 

work with multiple recipients in 

helping communities recognize their 

connections to the greater regional and 

national economies. 

(f) The intermediary could provide 

training and technical assistance to the 

recipients on developing emergency 

shelter and feeding, short-term housing, 

search and rescue, and environmental 

accident, prevention, and cleanup 

program plans. For longer term disaster 

and economic crisis responses, the 

intermediary could work with the 

recipients to develop job placement and 

training programs and develop 

coordinated transit systems for 

displaced workers. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address To Request Application 

Package 

Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance may download the 

application documents and 

requirements delineated in this Notice 

from the RCDI website: http://

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

rural-community-developmentinitiative-grants. 

Application information for electronic 

submissions may be found at http://

www.Grants.gov. 

Applicants may also request paper 

application packages from the Rural 

Development office in their state. A list 

of Rural Development State office 

contacts can be found via https://

www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_Office_

Contacts.pdf. You may also obtain a 

copy by calling 202–205–9685. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

If the applicant is ineligible or the 

application is incomplete, the Agency 

will inform the applicant in writing of 

the decision, reasons therefore, and its 

appeal rights and no further evaluation 

of the application will occur. 

A complete application for RCDI 

funds must include the following: 

(a) A summary page, double-spaced 

between items, listing the following: 

(This information should not be 

presented in narrative form.) 

(1) Applicant’s name, 

(2) Applicant’s address, 

(3) Applicant’s telephone number, 

(4) Name of applicant’s contact 

person, email address and telephone 

number, 

(5) County where applicant is located, 

(6) Congressional district number 

where applicant is located, 

(7) Amount of grant request, and 

(8) Number of recipients. 

(b) A detailed Table of Contents 

containing page numbers for each 

component of the application. 

(c) A project overview, no longer than 

one page, including the following items, 

which will also be addressed separately 

and in detail under ‘‘Building Capacity 

and Expertise’’ of the ‘‘Evaluation 

Criteria.’’ 

(1) The type of technical assistance to 

be provided to the recipients and how 

it will be implemented. 

(2) How the capacity and ability of the 

recipients will be improved. 

(3) The overall goals to be 

accomplished. 

(4) The benchmarks to be used to 

measure the success of the program. 

Benchmarks should be specific and 

quantifiable. 

(d) Organizational documents, such as 

a certificate of incorporation and a 

current good standing certification from 

the Secretary of State where the 

applicant is incorporated and other 

similar and valid documentation of 

current non-profit status, from the 

intermediary that confirms it has been 

legally organized for a minimum of 3 

years as the applicant entity. 

(e) Verification of source and amount 

of matching funds, e.g., a copy of a bank 

statement if matching funds are in cash 

or a copy of the confirmed funding 

commitment from the funding source. 

The verification must show that 

matching funds are available for the 

duration of the grant performance 

period. The verification of matching 

funds must be submitted with the 

application or the application will be 

considered incomplete. 

The applicant will be contacted by the 

Agency prior to grant award to verify 

that the matching funds provided with 

the application continue to be available. 

The applicant will have 15 days from 

the date contacted to submit verification 

that matching funds continue to be 

available. 

If the applicant is unable to provide 

the verification within that timeframe, 

the application will be considered 

ineligible. The applicant must maintain 

bank statements on file or other 

documentation for a period of at least 3 

years after grant closing except that the 

records shall be retained beyond the 3- 

year period if audit findings have not 

been resolved. 

(f) The following information for each 

recipient: 

(1) Recipient’s entity name, 

(2) Complete address (mailing and 

physical location, if different), 

(3) County where located, 

(4) Number of Congressional district 

where recipient is located, 

(5) Contact person’s name, email 

address and telephone number and, 

(6) Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement.’’ If the Form RD 400–4 is 

not submitted for each recipient, the 

recipient will be considered ineligible. 

No information pertaining to that 

recipient will be included in the income 

or population scoring criteria and the 

requested funding may be adjusted due 

to the deletion of the recipient. 

(g) Submit evidence that each 

recipient entity is eligible. 

Documentation must be submitted to 

verify recipient eligibility. Acceptable 

documentation varies depending on the 

type of recipient: 

(1) Nonprofits—provide a current 

valid letter confirming non-profit status 

from the Secretary of the State of 

incorporation, a current good standing 

certification from the Secretary of the 

State of incorporation, or other valid 

documentation of current nonprofit 

status of each recipient. 

A nonprofit recipient must provide 

evidence that it is a valid nonprofit 

when the intermediary applies for the 

RCDI grant. Organizations with pending 

requests for nonprofit designations are 

not eligible. 

(2) Low-income rural community— 

provide evidence the entity is a public 

body (copy of Charter, relevant Acts of 

Assembly, relevant court orders (if 

created judicially) or other valid 

documentation), a copy of the 2010 

census data to verify the population, 

and 2010 American Community Survey 

(ACS) 5-year estimates (2006—2010 data 

set) data as evidence that the median 

household income is at, or below, 80 

percent of either the State or national 

median household income. We will 

only accept data and printouts from 

https://data.census.gov/cedsci/. 

(3) Federally recognized tribes— 

provide the page listing their name from 

the Federal Register list of tribal entities 

published most recently by the Bureau 

of Indian Affairs. The 2020 list is 

available at 85 FR 5462 pages 5462– 

5467 and https://www.govinfo.gov/ 

content/pkg/FR-2020-01-30/pdf/2020- 

01707.pdf. For Tribes that received 

federal recognition after the most recent 


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publication, statutory citations and 

additional documentation may suffice. 

(h) Each of the ‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ 

must be addressed specifically and 

individually by category. Present these 

criteria in narrative form. Narrative (not 

including attachments) must be limited 

to five pages per criterion. The 

‘‘Population and Income’’ criteria for 

recipient locations can be provided in 

the form of a list; however, the source 

of the data must be included on the 

page(s). 

(i) A timeline identifying specific 

activities and proposed dates for 

completion. 

(j) A detailed project budget that 

includes the RCDI grant amount and 

matching funds. This should be a lineitem budget, by category. Categories 

such as salaries, administrative, other, 

and indirect costs that pertain to the 

proposed project must be clearly 

defined. Supporting documentation 

listing the components of these 

categories must be included. The budget 

should be dated: year 1, year 2, and year 

3, as applicable. 

(k) The indirect cost category in the 

project budget should be used only 

when a grant applicant has a federally 

negotiated indirect cost rate. A copy of 

the current rate agreement must be 

provided with the application. Nonfederal entities that have never received 

a negotiated indirect cost rate, except for 

those non-Federal entities described in 

Appendix VII to Part 200-States and 

Local Government and Indian Tribe 

Indirect Cost Proposals, paragraph 

(d)(1)(B), may use the de minimis rate 

of 10 percent of modified total direct 

costs (MTDC). 

(l) Form SF–424, ‘‘Application for 

Federal Assistance.’’ 

(Do not complete Form SF–424A, 

‘‘Budget Information.’’ A separate lineitem budget should be presented as 

described in Letter (j) of this section.) 

(m) Certification of Non-Lobbying 

Activities. 

(n) Standard Form LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of 

Lobbying Activities,’’ if applicable. 

Applicants must collect and maintain 

data provided by recipients on race, sex, 

and national origin and ensure Ultimate 

Recipients collect and maintain this 

data. Race and ethnicity data will be 

collected in accordance with OMB 

Federal Register notice, ‘‘Revisions to 

the Standards for the Classification of 

Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity’’ (62 

FR 58782), October 30, 1997. Sex data 

will be collected in accordance with 

Title IX of the Education Amendments 

of 1972. These items should not be 

submitted with the application but 

should be available upon request by the 

Agency. 

The applicant and the recipient must 

comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education 

Amendments of 1972, Americans with 

Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of 

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age 

Discrimination Act of 1975, Executive 

Order 12250, Executive Order 13166 

Limited English Proficiency (LEP), and 

7 CFR part 1901, subpart E. 

(o) Identify and report any association 

or relationship with Rural Development 

employees. (A statement acknowledging 

whether or not a relationship exists is 

required.) 

3. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) and System 

for Awards Management (SAM) 

Grant applicants must obtain a Dun 

and Bradstreet Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number and 

register in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) prior to submitting 

an application pursuant to 2 CFR 

25.200(b). In addition, an entity 

applicant must maintain registration in 

SAM at all times during which it has an 

active Federal award or an application 

or plan under consideration by the 

Agency. The applicant must ensure that 

the information in the database is 

current, accurate, and complete. 

Applicants must ensure they complete 

the Financial Assistance General 

Certifications and Representations in 

SAM. Similarly, all recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first-tier 

subawards and executive compensation 

in accordance to 2 CFR part 170. So long 

as an entity applicant does not have an 

exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b), the 

applicant must have the necessary 

processes and systems in place to 

comply with the reporting requirements 

should the applicant receive funding. 

See 2 CFR 170.200(b). 

An applicant, unless excepted under 

2 CFR 25.110(b), (c), or (d), is required 

to: 

(a) Be registered in SAM before 

submitting its application; 

(b) Provide a valid DUNS number in 

its application; and 

(c) Continue to maintain an active 

SAM registration with current 

information at all times during which it 

has an active Federal award or an 

application or plan under consideration 

by a Federal awarding agency. 

The Federal awarding agency (RHS) 

may not make a federal award to an 

applicant until the applicant has 

complied with all applicable DUNS and 

SAM requirements and, if an applicant 

has not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time the Federal 

awarding agency is ready to make a 

Federal award, the Federal awarding 

agency may determine that the 

applicant is not qualified to receive a 

Federal award and use that 

determination as a basis for making a 

Federal award to another applicant. 

As required by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB), all 

grant applications must provide a DUNS 

number when applying for Federal 

grants, on or after October 1, 2003. 

Organizations can receive a DUNS 

number at no cost by calling the 

dedicated toll-free number at 1–866– 

705–5711 or via internet at http://

fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Additional 

information concerning this 

requirement can be obtained on the 

Grants.gov website at http://

www.Grants.gov. Similarly, applicants 

may register for SAM at https://

www.sam.gov or by calling 1–866–606– 

8220. 

The applicant must provide 

documentation that they are registered 

in SAM and their DUNS number. If the 

applicant does not provide 

documentation that they are registered 

in SAM and their DUNS number, the 

application will not be considered for 

funding. The required forms and 

certifications can be downloaded from 

the RCDI website at: http://

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

rural-community-developmentinitiative-grants. 

4. Submission Dates and Times 

The deadline for receipt of a paper 

application is 4 p.m. local time, March 

29, 2021. The deadline for electronic 

applications via Grants.gov is Midnight 

Eastern time on March 22, 2021. The 

application dates and times are firm. 

The Agency will not consider any 

application received after the deadline. 

You may submit your application in 

paper form or electronically through 

Grants.gov. Applicants intending to 

mail applications must provide 

sufficient time to permit delivery on or 

before the closing deadline date and 

time. Acceptance by the United States 

Postal Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), 

electronic mail, and postage due 

applications will not be accepted. 

To submit a paper application, the 

original application package must be 

submitted to the Rural Development 

State Office where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. 

A listing of Rural Development State 

Offices contacts can be found via 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_

Office_Contacts.pdf. 

Applications will not be accepted via 

FAX or electronic mail. 


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Applicants may file an electronic 

application at http://www.Grants.gov. 

Grants.gov contains full instructions on 

all required passwords, credentialing, 

and software. Follow the instructions at 

Grants.gov for registering and 

submitting an electronic application. If 

a system problem or technical difficulty 

occurs with an electronic application, 

please use the customer support 

resources available at the Grants.gov 

website. 

Technical difficulties submitting an 

application through Grants.gov will not 

be a reason to extend the application 

deadline. If an application is unable to 

be submitted through Grants.gov, a 

paper application must be received in 

the appropriate Rural Development 

State Office by the deadline noted 

previously. 

First time Grants.gov users should 

carefully read and follow the 

registration steps listed on the website. 

These steps need to be initiated early in 

the application process to avoid delays 

in submitting your application online. 

In order to register with System for 

Award Management (SAM), your 

organization will need a DUNS number. 

Be sure to complete the Marketing 

Partner ID (MPID) and Electronic 

Business Primary Point of Contact fields 

during the SAM registration process. 

These are mandatory fields that are 

required when submitting grant 

applications through Grants.gov. 

Additional application instructions for 

submitting an electronic application can 

be found by selecting this funding 

opportunity on Grants.gov. 

5. Funding Restrictions 

Meeting expenses. In accordance with 

31 U.S.C. 1345, ‘‘Expenses of Meetings,’’ 

appropriations may not be used for 

travel, transportation, and subsistence 

expenses for a meeting. RCDI grant 

funds cannot be used for these meetingrelated expenses. Matching funds may, 

however, be used to pay for these 

expenses. 

RCDI funds may be used to pay for a 

speaker as part of a program, equipment 

to facilitate the program, and the actual 

room that will house the meeting. 

RCDI funds cannot be used for 

meetings; they can, however, be used for 

travel, transportation, or subsistence 

expenses for program-related training 

and technical assistance purposes. Any 

training not delineated in the 

application must be approved by the 

Agency to verify compliance with 31 

U.S.C. 1345. Travel and per diem 

expenses (including meals and 

incidental expenses) will be allowed in 

accordance with 2 CFR parts 200 and 

400. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Evaluation Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated using 

the following criteria and weights: 

(a) Building Capacity and Expertise— 

Maximum 40 Points 

The applicant must demonstrate how 

they will improve the recipients’ 

capacity, through a program of financial 

and technical assistance, as it relates to 

the RCDI purposes. 

Capacity-building financial and 

technical assistance should provide new 

functions to the recipients or expand 

existing functions that will enable the 

recipients to undertake projects in the 

areas of housing, community facilities, 

or community and economic 

development that will benefit the 

community. Capacity-building financial 

and technical assistance may include, 

but is not limited to: training to conduct 

community development programs, e.g., 

homeownership education, or the 

establishment of minority business 

entrepreneurs, cooperatives, or microenterprises; organizational 

development, e.g., assistance to develop 

or improve board operations, 

management, and financial systems; 

instruction on how to develop and 

implement a strategic plan; instruction 

on how to access alternative funding 

sources to increase leveraging 

opportunities; staffing, e.g., hiring a 

person at intermediary or recipient level 

to provide technical assistance to 

recipients. 

The program of financial and 

technical assistance that is to be 

provided, its delivery, and the 

measurability of the program’s 

effectiveness will determine the merit of 

the application. 

All applications will be competitively 

ranked with the applications providing 

the most improvement in capacity 

development and measurable activities 

being ranked the highest. 

The narrative response must contain 

the following items. This list also 

contains the points for each item. 

(1) Describe the nature of financial 

and technical assistance to be provided 

to the recipients and the activities that 

will be conducted to deliver the 

technical assistance; (10 Points) 

(2) Explain how financial and 

technical assistance will develop or 

increase the recipient’s capacity. 

Indicate whether a new function is 

being developed or if existing functions 

are being expanded or performed more 

effectively; (7 Points) 

(3) Identify which RCDI purpose areas 

will be addressed with this assistance: 

Housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development; 

(3 Points) 

(4) Describe how the results of the 

technical assistance will be measured. 

What benchmarks will be used to 

measure effectiveness? Benchmarks 

should be specific and quantifiable; (5 

Points) 

(5) Demonstrate that the applicant/ 

intermediary has conducted programs of 

financial and technical assistance and 

achieved measurable results in the areas 

of housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

in rural areas. (10 Points) 

(6) Provide in a chart or excel 

spreadsheet, the organization name, 

point of contact, address, phone 

number, email address, and the type 

and amount of the financial and 

technical assistance the applicant 

organization has provided to the 

following for the last 3 years: (5 Points) 

(i) Nonprofit organizations in rural 

areas. 

(ii) Low-income communities in rural 

areas (also include the type of entity, 

e.g., city government, town council, or 

village board). 

(iii) Federally recognized tribes or any 

other culturally diverse organizations. 

(b) Soundness of Approach—Maximum 

15 Points 

The applicant can receive up to 15 

points for soundness of approach. The 

overall proposal will be considered 

under this criterion. 

The maximum 15 points for this 

criterion will be based on the following: 

(1) The proposal fits the objectives for 

which applications were invited, is 

clearly stated, and the applicant has 

defined how this proposal will be 

implemented. (7 Points) 

(2) The ability to provide the 

proposed financial and technical 

assistance based on prior 

accomplishments. (6 Points) 

(3) Cost effectiveness will be 

evaluated based on the budget in the 

application. The proposed grant amount 

and matching funds should be utilized 

to maximize capacity building at the 

recipient level. (2 Points) 

(c) Population and Income—Maximum 

15 Points 

Population is based on the average 

population from the 2010 census data 

for the communities in which the 

recipients are located. The physical 

address, not mailing address, for each 

recipient must be used for this criterion. 

Community is defined for scoring 

purposes as a city, town, village, county, 

parish, borough, Indian reservation or 

census-designated place where the 

recipient’s office is physically located. 


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The applicant must submit the census 

data from the following website in the 

form of a printout to verify the 

population figures used for each 

recipient. The data can be accessed on 

the internet at https://data.census.gov/ 

cedsci/ . Enter location, P1 (i.e. Parma, 

Idaho, P1) and click ‘‘search’’; the name 

and population data for each recipient 

location must be listed in this section. 

The average population of the 

recipient locations will be used and will 

be scored as follows: 

Population Scoring 

(points) 

10,000 or less ............................... 5 

10,001 to 20,000 .......................... 4 

20,001 to 30,000 .......................... 3 

30,001 to 40,000 .......................... 2 

40,001 to 50,000 .......................... 1 

The average of the median household 

income for the communities where the 

recipients are physically located will 

determine the points awarded. The 

physical address, not mailing address, 

for each recipient must be used for this 

criterion. Applicants may compare the 

average recipient median household 

income to the State median household 

income or the national median 

household income, whichever yields the 

most points. The national median 

household income to be used is $51,914. 

The applicant must submit the 

income data in the form of a printout of 

the applicable information from the 

following website to verify the income 

for each recipient. The data being used 

is from the 2010 American Community 

Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (2006— 

2010 data set). The data can be accessed 

on the internet at https://

data.census.gov/cedsci/; enter location, 

S1903 (i.e. Parma, Idaho, S1903),click 

on ‘‘Search, ‘‘click the drop down 

button and select the 2010 ACS–5 year 

estimates table the name and income 

data for each recipient location must be 

listed in this section (use the Household 

and Median Income column). Points 

will be awarded as follows: 

Average recipient median income Scoring 

(points) 

Less than or equal to 70 percent 

of state or national median 

household income ..................... 10 

Greater than 70, but less than or 

equal to 80 percent of state or 

national median household income ......................................... 5 

In excess of 80 percent of state 

or national median household 

income ....................................... 0 

(d) State Director’s Points Based on 

Project Merit—Maximum 10 Points 

(1) This criterion will be addressed by 

the Agency, not the applicant. 

(2) Up to 10 points may be awarded 

by the Rural Development State Director 

to any application(s) that benefits their 

State regardless of whether the 

applicant is headquartered in their 

State. The total points awarded under 

this criterion, to all applications, will 

not exceed 10. 

(3) When an intermediary submits an 

application that will benefit a State that 

is not the same as the State in which the 

intermediary is headquartered, it is the 

intermediary’s responsibility to notify 

the State Director of the State which is 

receiving the benefit of their 

application. In such cases, State 

Directors awarding points to 

applications benefiting their state must 

notify the reviewing State in writing. 

(4) Assignment of any points under 

this criterion requires a written 

justification and must be tied to and 

awarded based on how closely the 

application aligns with the Rural 

Development State Office’s strategic 

goals. 

(e) Administrator Discretionary Points— 

Maximum 20 Points 

The Administrator may award up to 

20 discretionary points for projects to 

address items such as geographic 

distribution of funds, emergency 

conditions caused by economic 

problems, natural disasters and other 

initiatives identified by the Secretary. 

The Administrator will award points 

to any application that supports the 

Agency’s overall goal to reduce the 

morbidity and mortality associated with 

Substance Use Disorder (including 

opioid misuse) in high-risk rural 

communities by strengthening the 

capacity to address one or more of the 

following focus areas at the community, 

county, state, and/or regional levels: 1. 

Prevention: Reducing the occurrence of 

Substance Use Disorder (including 

opioid misuse) among new and at-risk 

users as well as fatal substance-related 

overdoses through community and 

provider education, and harm reduction 

measures including the strategic 

placement of overdose reversing 

devices, such as naloxone; 2. Treatment: 

Implementing or expanding access to 

evidence-based practices for Substance 

Use Disorder (including opioid misuse) 

treatment such as medication-assisted 

treatment (MAT); and 3. Recovery: 

Expanding peer recovery and treatment 

options that help people start and stay 

in recovery. 

2. Review and Selection Process 

(a) Rating and ranking. 

Applications will be rated and ranked 

on a national basis by a review panel 

based on the ‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ 

contained in this Notice. 

If there is a tied score after the 

applications have been rated and 

ranked, the tie will be resolved by 

reviewing the scores for ‘‘Building 

Capacity and Expertise’’ and the 

applicant with the highest score in that 

category will receive a higher ranking. If 

the scores for ‘‘Building Capacity and 

Expertise’’ are the same, the scores will 

be compared for the next criterion, in 

sequential order, until one highest score 

can be determined. 

(b) Initial screening. 

The Agency will screen each 

application to determine eligibility 

during the period immediately 

following the application deadline. 

Listed below are examples of reasons for 

rejection from previous funding rounds. 

The following reasons for rejection are 

not all inclusive; however, they 

represent the majority of the 

applications previously rejected. 

(1) Recipients were not located in 

eligible rural areas based on the 

definition in this Notice. 

(2) Applicants failed to provide 

evidence of recipient’s status, i.e., 

documentation supporting nonprofit 

evidence of organization. 

(3) Applicants failed to provide 

evidence of committed matching funds 

or matching funds were not committed 

for a period at least equal to the grant 

performance period. 

(4) Application did not follow the 

RCDI structure with an intermediary 

and recipients. 

(5) Recipients were not identified in 

the application. 

(6) Intermediary did not provide 

evidence it had been incorporated for at 

least 3 years as the applicant entity. 

(7) Applicants failed to address the 

‘‘Evaluation Criteria.’’ 

(8) The purpose of the proposal did 

not qualify as an eligible RCDI purpose. 

(9) Inappropriate use of funds (e.g., 

construction or renovations). 

(10) The applicant proposed 

providing financial and technical 

assistance directly to individuals. 

(11) The application package was not 

received by closing date and time. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notice 

Within the limit of funds available for 

such purpose, the awarding official of 

the Agency shall make grants in ranked 

order to eligible applicants under the 

procedures set forth in this Notice. 


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Successful applicants will receive a 

selection letter by mail containing 

instructions on requirements necessary 

to proceed with execution and 

performance of the award. 

This letter is not an authorization to 

begin performance. In addition, selected 

applicants will be requested to verify 

that components of the application have 

not changed at the time of selection and 

on the award obligation date, if 

requested by the Agency. 

The award is not approved until all 

information has been verified, and the 

awarding official of the Agency has 

signed Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds’’ and the grant 

agreement. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive 

notification including appeal rights by 

mail. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Grantees will be required to do the 

following: 

(a) Execute a Rural Community 

Development Initiative Grant 

Agreement. 

(b) Execute Form RD 1940–1, 

‘‘Request for Obligation of Funds.’’ 

(c) Use Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement,’’ to request 

reimbursements. Provide receipts for 

expenditures, timesheets and any other 

documentation to support the request 

for reimbursement. 

(d) Provide financial status and 

project performance reports on a 

quarterly basis starting with the first full 

quarter after the grant award. 

(e) Maintain a financial management 

system that is acceptable to the Agency. 

(f) Ensure that records are maintained 

to document all activities and 

expenditures utilizing RCDI grant funds 

and matching funds. Receipts for 

expenditures will be included in this 

documentation. 

(g) Provide annual audits or 

management reports on Form RD 442– 

2, ‘‘Statement of Budget, Income and 

Equity,’’ and Form RD 442–3, ‘‘Balance 

Sheet,’’ depending on the amount of 

Federal funds expended and the 

outstanding balance. 

(h) Collect and maintain data 

provided by recipients on race, sex, and 

national origin and ensure recipients 

collect and maintain the same data on 

beneficiaries. Race and ethnicity data 

will be collected in accordance with 

OMB Federal Register notice, 

‘‘Revisions to the Standards for the 

Classification of Federal Data on Race 

and Ethnicity,’’ (62 FR 58782), October 

30, 1997. Sex data will be collected in 

accordance with Title IX of the 

Education Amendments of 1972. These 

items should not be submitted with the 

application but should be available 

upon request by the Agency. 

(i) Provide a final project performance 

report. 

(j) Identify and report any association 

or relationship with Rural Development 

employees. 

(k) The intermediary and recipient 

must comply with Title VI of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 

Education Amendments of 1972, 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, Executive Order 12250, Age Act of 

1975, Executive Order 13166 Limited 

English Proficiency, and 7 CFR part 

1901, subpart E. 

(l) The grantee must comply with 

policies, guidance, and requirements as 

described in the following applicable 

Code of Federal Regulations, and any 

successor regulations: 

(i) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements For 

Federal Awards). 

(ii) 2 CFR parts 417 and 180 

(Government-wide Debarment and 

Suspension (Nonprocurement)). 

3. Reporting 

After grant approval and through 

grant completion, you will be required 

to provide the following, as indicated in 

the Grant Agreement: 

(a) SF–425, ‘‘Federal Financial 

Report’’ and SF–PPR, ‘‘Performance 

Progress Report’’ will be required on a 

quarterly basis (due 30 working days 

after each calendar quarter). The 

Performance Progress Report shall 

include the elements described in the 

grant agreement. 

(b) Final financial and performance 

reports will be due 90 calendar days 

after the period of performance end 

date. 

(c) A summary at the end of the final 

report with elements as described in the 

grant agreement to assist in 

documenting the annual performance 

goals of the RCDI program for Congress. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact 

Contact the Rural Development office 

in the State where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. A list of Rural 

Development State Offices contacts can 

be found via https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. 

H. Other Information 

Survey on Ensuring Equal 

Opportunity for Applicants, OMB No. 

1894–0010 (applies to nonprofit 

applicants only—submission is 

optional). 

No reimbursement will be made for 

any funds expended prior to execution 

of the RCDI Grant Agreement unless the 

intermediary is a non-profit or 

educational entity and has requested 

and received written Agency approval 

of the costs prior to the actual 

expenditure. 

This exception is applicable for up to 

90 days prior to grant closing and only 

applies to grantees that have received 

written approval but have not executed 

the RCDI Grant Agreement. 

The Agency cannot retroactively 

approve reimbursement for 

expenditures prior to execution of the 

RCDI Grant Agreement. 

Program Definitions 

Agency—The Rural Housing Service 

or its successor. 

Beneficiary—Entities or individuals 

that receive benefits from assistance 

provided by the recipient. 

Capacity—The ability of a recipient to 

implement housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development projects. 

Conflict of interest -– A situation in 

which a person or entity has competing 

personal, professional, or financial 

interests that make it difficult for the 

person or business to act impartially. 

Regarding use of both 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 financial or other 

interest in the outcome of the project; or 

that restrict open and free competition 

for unrestrained trade. Specifically, 

project funds may not be used for 

services or goods going to, or coming 

from, a person or entity with a real or 

apparent conflict of interest, including, 

but not limited to, owner(s) and their 

immediate family members. An example 

of conflict of interest occurs when the 

grantee’s employees, board of directors, 

or the immediate family of either, have 

the appearance of a professional or 

personal financial interest in the 

recipients receiving the benefits or 

services of the grant. 

Federally recognized tribes—Tribal 

entities recognized and eligible for 

funding and services from the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs, based on the most recent 

notice in the Federal Register published 

by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and 

Tribes that received federal recognition 

after the most recent publication. 

Tribally Designated Housing Entities are 

eligible RCDI recipients. 

Financial assistance—Funds, not to 

exceed $10,000 per award, used by the 

intermediary to purchase supplies and 

equipment to build the recipient’s 

capacity. 


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1932 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 6 / Monday, January 11, 2021 / Notices 

Funds—The RCDI grant and matching 

money. 

Intermediary—A qualified private 

organization, nonprofit organization 

(including faith-based and community 

organizations and philanthropic 

organizations), or public (including 

tribal) organization that provides 

financial and technical assistance to 

multiple recipients. 

Low-income rural community—An 

authority, district, economic 

development authority, regional 

council, federally recognized tribe, or 

unit of government representing an 

incorporated city, town, village, county, 

township, parish, Indian reservation or 

borough whose income is at or below 80 

percent of either the state or national 

Median Household Income as measured 

by the 2010 Census. 

Matching funds—Cash or confirmed 

funding commitments. Matching funds 

must be at least equal to the grant 

amount and committed for a period of 

not less than the grant performance 

period. 

Recipient—-The entity that receives 

the financial and technical assistance 

from the Intermediary. The recipient 

must be a nonprofit community-based 

housing and development organization, 

a low-income rural community or a 

federally recognized Tribe. 

Rural and rural area—Any area other 

than (i) a city or town that has a 

population of greater than 50,000 

inhabitants; and (ii) the urbanized area 

contiguous and adjacent to such city or 

town. 

Technical assistance—Skilled help in 

improving the recipient’s abilities in the 

areas of housing, community facilities, 

or community and economic 

development. 

Non-Discrimination 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) By 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. 

Persons with Disabilities 

Individuals who are deaf, hard of 

hearing, or have speech disabilities and 

you wish to file either an EEO or 

program complaint please contact 

USDA through the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877–8339 or (800) 845– 

6136 (in Spanish). 

Persons with disabilities who wish to 

file a program complaint, please see 

information above on how to contact us 

by mail directly or by email. 

If you require alternative means of 

communication for program information 

(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

please contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

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 provided at the time an 

applicant is notified of the adverse 

decision. 

In the event the applicant is awarded 

a grant that is less than the amount 

requested, the applicant will be required 

to modify its application to conform to 

the reduced amount before execution of 

the grant agreement. The Agency 

reserves the right to reduce or withdraw 

the award if acceptable modifications 

are not submitted by the awardee within 

15 working days from the date the 

request for modification is made. Any 

modifications must be within the scope 

of the original application. 

Elizabeth Green, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00289 Filed 1–8–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[Docket No. RUS–20–ELECTRIC–0049] 

Notice of Request for Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the intention of Rural 

Utilities Service (RUS) to request an 

extension to a currently approved 

information collection for which RUS 

intends to request approval from the 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB). 

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by March 12, 2021 to be 

assured of consideration. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Coates, Electric Program, Rural 

Utilities Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. 

SW, Washington, DC 20250, Telephone: 

(202) 260–5415, Email: Robert.Coates@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The OMB 

regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing 

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104–13) requires 

that interested members of the public 

and affected agencies have an 

opportunity to comment on information 

collection and recordkeeping activities 

(see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice 

identifies an existing information 

collection that the Agency is submitting 

to OMB for extension. Comments are 

invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the Agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

Agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed collection of information 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 


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