This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

63050 

Vol. 88, No. 177 

Thursday, September 14, 2023 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[Docket #: RBS–23–BUSINESS–0011] 

Notice of Solicitation of Applications 

for the Intermediary Relending 

Program for Fiscal Year 2024 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), 

an agency of the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

invites applications under the 

Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) 

for fiscal year (FY) 2024, subject to 

availability of funding. This Notice is 

being issued prior to passage of a FY 

2024 Consolidated Appropriations Act 

in order to allow applicants enough 

time to leverage financing, prepare and 

submit their applications, and give the 

Agency time to process program 

applications within FY 2024. Based on 

FY 2023 appropriated funding, the 

Agency estimates that approximately 

$18,889,000 will be available for FY 

2024. Successful applications will be 

selected by the Agency for funding and 

subsequently awarded to the extent that 

funding may ultimately be made 

available through appropriations. The 

Agency advises that all interested 

parties bear the financial burden of 

preparing and submitting an application 

in response to this Notice whether or 

not funding is appropriated for this 

program in FY 2024. 

DATES: The deadlines for completed 

applications to be received in the USDA 

Rural Development (RD) State Office for 

quarterly funding competitions is no 

later than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on: First 

Quarter—September 30, 2023, Second 

Quarter—December 31, 2023, Third 

Quarter—March 31, 2024, and Fourth 

Quarter—June 30, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Applications must be 

submitted to the USDA RD State Office 

for the state where the applicant is 

located. Applications may be submitted 

in paper or electronic format to the 

appropriate RD State Office and must be 

received by 4:30 p.m. local time on the 

deadline date(s) to compete for available 

funds in the fiscal quarter. Applicants 

are encouraged to contact their 

respective RD State Office for an email 

contact to submit an electronic 

application prior to the submission 

deadline date(s). A list of the USDA RD 

State Office contacts can be found at: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/stateoffices. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori 

Pittman, Program Management Division, 

Business Programs, Rural BusinessCooperative Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW, MS 3226, Room 5160–S, 

Washington, DC 20250–3226, 

lori.pittman1@usda.gov, or call (202) 

720–9815. For further information on 

this Notice, please contact the USDA RD 

State Office in the State in which the 

applicant’s headquarters is located. A 

list of RD State Office contacts is 

provided at the following link: https:// 

www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/state-offices. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Awarding Agency Name: 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: 

Intermediary Relending Program. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation of Application (NOSA). 

Assistance Listing Number: 10.767. 

Dates: The deadlines for completed 

applications to be received in the USDA 

RD State Office for quarterly funding 

competitions is no later than 4:30 p.m. 

(local time) on: First Quarter— 

September 30, 2023, Second Quarter— 

December 31, 2023, Third Quarter— 

March 31, 2024, and Fourth Quarter— 

June 30, 2024. 

Rural Development Priorities: The 

Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities (more details 

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

priority-points): 

• Addressing Climate Change and 

Environmental Justice. Reducing climate 

pollution and increasing resilience to 

the impacts of climate change through 

economic support to rural communities; 

• Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity. 

Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to Rural Development 

(RD) programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects; and 

• Creating More and Better Market 

Opportunities. Assisting rural 

communities recover economically 

through more and better market 

opportunities and through improved 

infrastructure. 

A. Program Description 

1. Purpose of the Program. This 

program provides low-interest loans to 

local lenders—‘‘intermediaries’’—who 

then relend to businesses to help 

improve economic conditions and 

create jobs in rural communities. This 

purpose is achieved through the loans 

made to intermediaries that establish a 

revolving loan fund for the purpose of 

providing loans to ultimate recipients to 

promote community development, 

establish new businesses, establish and 

support microlending programs, and 

create or retain employment 

opportunities in rural areas. All 

applicable program requirements in 

their entirety can be found at 7 CFR part 

4274, subpart D. 

2. Statutory and Regulatory Authority. 

This program is authorized under 

section 310H of the Consolidated Farm 

and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

1936b) and is administered through 

regulations at 7 CFR part 4274, subpart 

D. 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2023, authorized set-aside funding to 

projects and intermediaries serving 

Federally Recognized Native American 

Tribes, and for Mississippi Delta Region 

Counties (as determined in accordance 

with Pub. L. 100–460). Eligible 

applicants for the set-aside funds, 

assuming that similar set-aside funds 

are appropriated for fiscal year 2024, 

must demonstrate that at least 75 

percent of the benefits of an approved 

loan in this program will assist ultimate 

recipients in the designated areas. 

Applications for any set-aside funds 

must be submitted to the RD State Office 

where the project is located by 4:30 p.m. 

(local time) on the following deadline 

dates. The deadline to submit 

completed applications for Federally 

Recognized Tribes and Mississippi Delta 

Region Counties’ projects is May 31, 

2024. It is possible that funds may also 

be appropriated by Congress for projects 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2023 / Notices 63051 

located in Rural Empowerment Zone/ 

Enterprise Communities/Rural 

Economic Area Partnership areas. 

Completed applications for these 

projects, subject to available funding, 

must be submitted by July 15, 2024. 

3. Definitions. The definitions 

applicable to this notice are published 

at 7 CFR 4274.302. 

4. Application of Awards. The Agency 

will review, evaluate and score 

applications received in response to this 

Notice based on the provisions found in 

7 CFR 4274.340 and as indicated in this 

Notice. Awards under the IRP will be 

made on a competitive basis using 

specific selection criteria contained in 7 

CFR 4274.341(b). The Agency advises 

all interested parties that the applicant 

bears the full burden in preparing and 

submitting an application in response to 

this notice regardless of whether or not 

funding is appropriated for the IRP in 

FY 2024. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Type of Award: Loan. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2024. 

Available Funds: Funding for the IRP 

program in FY 2024 will be determined 

in an Appropriations Act for FY 2024. 

Award Amounts: The Agency 

anticipates a maximum award of $1 

million for eligible Intermediaries 

submitting a loan request. 

Anticipated Award Dates 

(a) Regular Funding: First Quarter— 

December 1, 2023, Second Quarter— 

March 1, 2024, Third Quarter—June 1, 

2024, Fourth Quarter—September 1, 

2024. 

(b) Federally Recognized Tribes and 

Mississippi Delta Region Counties 

Funding: June 15, 2024. 

(c) Empowerment Zones/Enterprise 

Communities/Rural Economic Area 

Partnership Funding: August 1, 2024. 

Performance Period: None. 

Renewal or Supplemental Awards: 

None. 

Type of Assistance Instrument: Direct 

Loan. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants. IRP loans may 

be made to a private non-profit 

corporation, a public agency, an Indian 

Tribe, or a cooperative entity, identified 

as an eligible intermediary in 

accordance with 7 CFR 4274.310. 

2. Cost Share or Matching. The IRP 

revolving fund share of the eligible 

project cost of an ultimate recipient’s 

project funded under this Notice shall 

not exceed the lesser of (a) $400,000; 

and (b) Fifty percent of the originallyapproved Agency IRP loan amount to an 

intermediary. No more than 75 percent 

of the total cost of an ultimate 

recipient’s project can be funded from 

Agency IRP loan funds. Points awarded 

for leveraging will be considered in 

accordance with the requirements 

specified in 7 CFR 4274.341(b)(4). 

3. Other. Applications will only be 

accepted from eligible intermediaries 

that will establish, or have established, 

revolving loan programs for the purpose 

of providing loans to ultimate recipients 

for business purposes and community 

development in a rural area. 

There are no ‘‘responsiveness’’ or 

‘‘threshold’’ eligibility criteria for these 

loans. However, not more than one loan 

will be approved by the Agency for an 

intermediary in any single fiscal year 

unless the additional request is from 

this program’s set-aside funding. 

Applications will not be considered 

for funding if they do not provide 

enough information to determine 

eligibility, are not suitable for 

evaluation, or are missing required 

elements as stated in 7 CFR 4274.340. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package. For further information, 

entities wishing to apply for assistance 

should contact the USDA RD State 

Office where they are located, provided 

in the ADDRESSES section of this notice, 

to obtain copies of the application 

package. Applicants are also encouraged 

to contact their respective RD State 

Office for an email contact to submit an 

electronic application prior to the 

submission deadline date(s). Please note 

that applicants may locate the 

downloadable application package for 

this program by the Assistance Listing 

Number provided in the Overview 

Section above. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission. An application must 

contain all the required elements 

described in 7 CFR 4274.340, and each 

selection priority criterion outlined in 7 

CFR 4274.341(b) must be addressed in 

the application. An original copy of the 

application must be filed with a RD 

State Office for the state where the 

Intermediary is located. 

The applicant documentation and 

forms needed for a complete application 

are located in 7 CFR 4274.340. There are 

no specific formats or limitations on the 

number of pages required for an 

application narrative, and applicants 

may request any Agency forms and 

addresses from the ADDRESSES section of 

this notice. Any form that requires an 

original signature, but is signed 

electronically in the application 

submission, must be signed in ink by 

the authorized person prior to the 

disbursement of funds. 

3. System for Award Management and 

Unique Entity Identifier. 

(a) At the time of application, each 

applicant must have an active 

registration in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) before submitting 

its application in accordance with 2 

CFR part 25. In order to register in SAM, 

entities will be required to obtain a 

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

Instructions for obtaining the UEI are 

available at https://sam.gov/content/ 

entity-registration. 

(b) Applicants must maintain an 

active SAM registration, with current, 

accurate and complete information, at 

all times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application under 

consideration by a Federal awarding 

agency. 

(c) Each applicant must ensure that it 

completes the Financial Assistance 

General Certifications and 

Representations in SAM. 

(d) Each applicant must provide a 

valid UEI in its application, unless 

determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110. 

(e) The Agency will not make an 

award until the applicant has complied 

with all SAM requirements including 

providing the UEI. If an applicant has 

not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time the Agency is 

ready to make an award, the 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. 

4. Submission Dates and Times. 

Applications, including applications for 

set-aside funding, must be received by 

the specified USDA RD State Office by 

the dates and times as indicated above 

to compete for available funds. If the 

due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or 

federal holiday, the application is due 

the next business day. The Agency will 

determine the application receipt date 

based on the actual date an application 

is received electronically, in person, or 

when a paper application is 

postmarked. The Agency will not solicit 

or consider new scoring or eligibility 

information that is submitted after the 

application deadline. RBCS also 

reserves the right to ask applicants for 

clarifying information and additional 

verification of assertions in the 

application. 

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 


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63052 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2023 / Notices 

local governments. Many states have 

established a Single Point of Contact 

(SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. 

For a list of States that maintain a SPOC, 

please see the White House website: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ 

management/office-federal-financialmanagement/. If your State has a SPOC, 

you may submit a copy of the 

application directly for review. Any 

comments obtained through the SPOC 

must be provided to your State Office 

for consideration as part of your 

application. If your state has not 

established a SPOC, you may submit 

your application directly to the Agency. 

Indian Tribes are exempt from this 

requirement. 

6. Funding Restrictions. The intent of 

the IRP is identified above in section 

A.1 of this notice. There are no funding 

restrictions beyond that the loan 

proceeds be used for eligible type 

purposes stated in 7 CFR 4274.320. 

Building construction is an eligible use 

of funds under the program and all 

projects must be located in a rural area 

of a State. Any administrative costs 

must be approved annually by the 

Agency. 

7. Other Submission Requirements. 

Please note that applicants may locate 

the downloadable application package 

for this program by the Assistance 

Listing Number provided in the 

Application and Submission 

Information, Content and Form of 

Application Submission Section above. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria. All eligible and complete 

applications will be evaluated and 

scored based on the selection criteria 

and weights contained in 7 CFR 

4274.341(b) and in this section of the 

Notice. Failure to address any of the 

application criteria by the application 

deadline will result in the application 

being determined ineligible, and the 

application will not be considered for 

funding. 

(a) Discretionary Points. The 

Administrator may assign up to 10 

discretionary points to an application 

when under their approval authority. 

Permissible justifications in accordance 

with 7 CFR 4274.341(b)(10) are 

geographic distribution of funds or 

special President/Secretary of 

Agriculture initiatives such as local 

foods, regional development, persistent 

poverty, energy-related, etc. The number 

of points to be awarded will be awarded 

for either or both items. Secretary of 

Agriculture initiatives include: 

(1) Assisting rural communities 

recover economically through more and 

better market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure. Applicant 

would receive priority points if the 

project is located in or serving a rural 

community whose economic well-being 

ranks in the most distressed tier 

(distress score of 80 or higher) of the 

Distressed Communities Index using the 

Distressed Communities Look-Up Map 

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

priority-points. 

(2) Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects. Using 

the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) 

Look-Up Map (available at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points), an 

applicant would receive priority points 

if the project is: 

• Located in or serving a community 

with score 0.75 or above on the SVI; 

• Is a Federally recognized tribe, 

including Tribal instrumentalities and 

entities that are wholly owned by 

Tribes; or 

• Is a project where at least 50 

percent of the project beneficiaries are 

members of Federally Recognized Tribes 

and non-Tribal applicants include a 

Tribal Resolution of Consent from the 

Tribe or Tribes that the applicant is 

proposing to serve. 

(3) Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. Using the 

Disadvantaged Community and Energy 

Community Look-Up Map (available at 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/prioritypoints), applicants will receive priority 

in two ways: 

• If the project is located in or serves 

a Disadvantaged Community as defined 

by the Climate and Economic Justice 

Screening Tool (CEJST), from the White 

House Council on Environmental 

Quality (CEQ), or 

• If the project is located in or serves 

an Energy Community as defined by the 

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

See the website, https://

www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points, for 

options. 

2. Review and Selection Process. The 

RD State Office will review applications 

to determine if they are eligible for 

assistance based on the requirements 

contained in 7 CFR part 4274, subpart 

D. If determined eligible, the application 

will be submitted to the National Office 

for funding competition with all eligible 

applications received by the quarterly 

application deadline or the deadline 

indicated for set-aside funding. The 

Agency Administrator reserves the right 

to award up to 10 discretionary points 

as identified under 7 CFR 

4274.341(b)(10). 

In order to distribute funds among the 

greatest number of projects possible 

during the respective funding periods, 

applications will be reviewed, organized 

and ranked in order from highest to 

lowest and funded up to the maximum 

funding available during each quarterly 

funding cycle in FY 24. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices. Successful 

applicants will receive notification for 

funding from the USDA RD State Office. 

Applicants must comply with all 

applicable statutes and regulations 

before the loan award will be obligated. 

An eligible application competing for 

regular IRP funds, but not selected, will 

be reconsidered in the three subsequent 

quarterly funding competitions, for a 

total of four competitions (and may be 

considered in a following fiscal year), 

provided the application and eligibility 

requirements have not changed. After 

competing in four consecutive quarterly 

competitions, any unsuccessful 

application for regular funds will 

receive written notification indicating 

that its application will no longer be 

considered for funding. Applicants 

competing for set-aside funding have 

only one application period per fiscal 

year to apply for set-aside funding. 

Unsuccessful applications for set-aside 

funding will receive written notification 

indicating that their application was not 

successful. An applicant with an 

unsuccessful application for set-aside 

funding may elect, in writing, to submit 

its project for IRP regular fund 

competitions commencing with the next 

quarterly application period. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. Additional requirements 

that apply to intermediaries selected for 

this Program can be found in 7 CFR part 

4274, subpart D. All successful 

applicants will be notified by letter 

which will include a Letter of 

Conditions, and a Letter of Intent to 

Meet Conditions, which are not 

approval determinations. The loan will 

be considered approved when all 

conditions in the Letter of Conditions 

have been met and the Agency obligates 

the funding for the project. 

3. Reporting. In addition, all 

recipients of Federal financial assistance 

are required to report information about 

first-tier sub-awards 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)). 

Intermediaries must collect and 

maintain data provided by Ultimate 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2023 / Notices 63053 

Recipients on race, sex, and national 

origin and also ensure that Ultimate 

Recipients collect and maintain this 

data. Race and ethnicity data will be 

collected in accordance with the Office 

of Management and Budget (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 made available upon request 

by the Agency. 

The applicant and the Ultimate 

Recipients must comply with title VI of 

the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of 

the Education Amendments of 1972, the 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 

section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 

1975, Executive Order 12250, Executive 

Order 13166 Limited English 

Proficiency (LEP), and 7 CFR part 1901, 

subpart E. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For general questions about this 

notice see the point of contact provided 

in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this notice. 

H. Build America, Buy America Act 

Funding to Non-Federal Entities. 

Awardees that are Non-Federal Entities, 

defined pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1 as any 

State, local government, Indian Tribe, 

Institution of Higher Education, or 

nonprofit organization, shall be 

governed by the requirements of section 

70914 of the Build America, Buy 

America Act (BABAA) within the 

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 

(Pub. L. 117–58). Any requests for 

waiver of these requirements must be 

submitted pursuant to USDA’s guidance 

available online at https://

www.usda.gov/ocfo/federal-financialassistance-policy/ 

USDABuyAmericaWaiver. 

I. Other Information 

1. Paperwork Reduction Act. In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), the information collection 

requirements associated with the 

programs, as covered in this notice, 

have been approved by Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

OMB Control Number 0570–0021. 

2. National Environmental Policy Act: 

All recipients under this Notice are 

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970 and must comply in 

accordance with 7 CFR 4274.305(b). 

3. Federal Funding Accountability 

and Transparency Act. All applicants, 

in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must 

be registered in SAM and have a UEI 

number as stated in Section D.3. of this 

notice. All recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first-tier subawards and executive total 

compensation in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 170. 

4. Civil Rights Act. All loans made 

under this notice are subject to title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 

required by USDA (7 CFR part 15, 

subpart A—Nondiscrimination in 

Federally-Assisted Programs of the 

Department of Agriculture—Effectuation 

of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964) and section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, title VIII of 

the Civil Rights Act of 1968, title IX, 

Executive Order 13166 (Limited English 

Proficiency), Executive Order 11246, 

and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 

1974. 

5. Nondiscrimination Statement. In 

accordance with Federal civil rights 

laws and USDA civil rights regulations 

and policies, the USDA, its Mission 

Areas, agencies, staff offices, 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. 

Program information may be made 

available in languages other than 

English. Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means of 

communication to obtain program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language) 

should contact the responsible Mission 

Area, agency, or staff office or the 711 

Relay Service. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which can be obtained online at 

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/ 

files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any 

USDA office, by calling (866) 632–9992, 

or by writing a letter addressed to 

USDA. The letter must contain the 

complainant’s name, address, telephone 

number, and a written description of the 

alleged discriminatory action in 

sufficient detail to inform the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about 

the nature and date of an alleged civil 

rights violation. The completed AD– 

3027 form or letter must be submitted 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; or, 

(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690– 

7442; or 

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

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Karama Neal, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. USDA Rural Development. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19927 Filed 9–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[Docket #: RBS–22–BUSINESS–0029] 

Notice of Processing Timeline Change 

for the Rural Energy for America 

Program for Fiscal Year 2023 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (the Agency) is 

issuing a notice of the Agency’s 

intention to remove the self-imposed 

restriction that all Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 

applications that were submitted under 

the Rural Energy for America Program 

(REAP) prior to June 30, 2023, and were 

not funded in the national unrestricted 

pooling competitions, must be 

withdrawn. 

DATES: This notice is effective 

September 14, 2023. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jonathan Burns, Program Management 

Division, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, United States Department of 

Agriculture, 774–678–7238 or email 

CPgrants@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Agency published two funding 

opportunity notices and a correction 

notice in the Federal Register for REAP 

for FY23. The first notice published 

December 16, 2022 (87 FR 77059), the 

second notice on March 31, 2023 (88 FR 

19239), and the correction notice 

published May 31, 2023 (88 FR 34823). 

The two funding notices state that 

obligations will take place through 


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