28610 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 119 / Wednesday, June 20, 2018 / Notices 

disturbance to areas outside of priority 

habitat management areas. 

(10) Text within the compensatory 

mitigation framework, including the use 

of no net loss or net conservation gain 

elements, will be revised in order to 

promote landscape-scale effectiveness 

by aligning the FS framework with BLM 

and state-based compensatory 

mitigation systems. 

Scoping Process 

The Forest Service is proposing 

amendments to 20 land management 

plans to change some of the plan 

components added to those plans in 

2015. Public involvement is important 

for adding meaningful participation 

from the early phases of planning 

through finalization of the plan 

amendments and subsequent 

monitoring. A public participation 

strategy has been designed to assist with 

communication within the Forest 

Service and between the Forest Service 

and the public. Find the strategy here: 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r4/ 

home/?cid=stelprd3843381. 

Lead and Cooperating Agencies 

If any further analysis and associated 

decision documents for the Forest 

Service plan amendments are 

completed, then the Forest Service will 

be the lead agency. Other federal, State, 

and local agencies, along with tribes and 

other stakeholders that may be 

interested in or affected by the proposed 

action are invited to participate in the 

scoping process. If eligible, they may 

request or be asked by the Forest Service 

to participate in the development of the 

environmental analysis as a cooperating 

agency. The Forest Service will consult 

with Indian tribes on a government-togovernment basis in accordance with 

Executive Order 13175 and other 

policies. 

Responsible Officials 

The responsible officials who would 

approve plan amendments are the 

Regional Foresters for the 

Intermountain, Rocky Mountain, and 

Northern Regions. 

Request for Comment 

The public is encouraged to comment 

on the proposed action in this notice. 

The Forest Service will use an 

interdisciplinary approach as it 

considers the variety of resource issues 

and concerns. 

Comments received in response to 

this solicitation, including names and 

addresses of those who comment, will 

be part of the public record for this 

proposed action. Comments submitted 

anonymously will be accepted and 

considered; however, anonymous 

comments will not provide the Agency 

with the ability to provide the 

respondent with subsequent 

environmental documents. 

Dated: June 12, 2018. 

Glen Casamassa, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. 2018–13260 Filed 6–19–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Announcement of Grant Application 

Deadlines and Funding Levels 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability 

(NOFA). 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) announces its Household Water 

Well System (HWWS) Grant Program 

funds availability and solicitation of 

applications application window for 

fiscal year (FY) 2018. RUS will make 

available $993,000 in grant funds to 

qualified private non-profit 

organizations to establish lending 

programs for homeowners to borrow up 

to $11,000 to construct or repair 

household water wells for an existing 

home. The HWWS Grant Program is 

authorized under 7 U.S.C. 1926e. 

Regulations may be found at 7 CFR part 

1776. The Agency encourages 

applications that will support 

recommendations made in the Rural 

Prosperity Task Force report to help 

improve life in rural America which can 

be 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 in infrastructure, 

partnerships and innovation. Key 

strategies include: 

• Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural 

America 

• Developing the Rural Economy 

• Harnessing Technological Innovation 

• Supporting a Rural Workforce 

• Improving Quality of Life 

DATES: The deadline for completed 

applications for a HWWS grant is July 

20, 2018. Applications in either paper or 

electronic format must be postmarked or 

time-stamped electronically on or before 

the deadline. Late applications will be 

ineligible for grant consideration. 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 July 5, 2018. 

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 applications to seek 

clarification information on materials 

contained in the submitted application. 

ADDRESSES: Submit applications to the 

following addresses: 

1. Electronic applications: http://

www.grants.gov/. Submit electronic 

applications through Grants.gov, 

following the instructions on that 

website. 

2. Paper applications: Water Programs 

Division, United States Department of 

Agriculture, Rural Development, Rural 

Utilities Service, STOP: 1570, Room 

2233–S, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW, Washington, DC 20250–1570. 

Obtain application guides and 

materials for the HWWS Grant Program 

electronically or in paper format from 

the following addresses: 

1. Electronic copies: http://

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

household-water-well-system-grants; 

2. Paper copies: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Rural Development, Rural 

Utilities Service, Water and 

Environmental Programs STOP: 1570, 

Room 2233–S, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

1570 or call (202) 720–9583. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Derek Jones, Community Programs 

Specialist, Water and Environmental 

Programs, Rural Utilities Service, Rural 

Development, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, STOP 1570, Room 2233–S, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–1570; 

Telephone: (202) 720–9640, fax: (202) 

690–0649, email: derek.jones@

wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Utilities 

Service, USDA. 

Funding Opportunity Title: HWWS 

Grant Program. 

Announcement Type: Grant—Notice 

of Funds Availability (NOFA). 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.862. 

Due Date for Applications: July 20, 

2018. See Section D of this notice for 

details. 

Items in Supplementary Information 

A. Funding Opportunity: Description of the 

HWWS Grant Program. 

B. Award Information: Available funds, 

anticipated number of awards, length of 

project periods, assistance instrument. 


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C. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, 

what kinds of projects are eligible, what 

criteria determine basic eligibility. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information: Where to get application 

materials, what constitutes a completed 

application, how and where to submit 

applications, deadlines, items that are 

eligible. 

E. Application Review Information: 

Considerations and preferences, scoring 

criteria, review standards, selection 

information. 

F. Award Administration Information: 

Award notice information, award recipient 

reporting requirements. 

G. Agency Contacts: Website, phone, fax, 

email, contact name. 

H. Non-discrimination Statement: USDA 

non-discrimination statement, how to file a 

complaint, persons with disabilities. 

A. Funding Opportunity 

1. Program Description 

The HWWS Grant Program has been 

established to help individuals with low 

to moderate incomes finance the costs of 

household water wells that they own or 

will own. The HWWS Grant Program is 

authorized under Section 306E of the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (CONACT), 7 U.S.C. 

1926e. The CONACT authorizes RUS to 

make grants to qualified private nonprofit organizations to establish lending 

programs for household water wells. 

As the grant recipients, private nonprofit organizations will receive HWWS 

grants to establish lending programs that 

will provide water well loans to 

individuals. The individuals, as loan 

recipients, may use the loans to 

construct, refurbish, and service their 

household well systems. A loan may not 

exceed $11,000 and will have a term up 

to 20 years at a one percent annual 

interest rate. 

2. Background 

RUS supports the sound development 

of rural communities and the growth of 

our economy without endangering the 

environment. RUS provides financial 

and technical assistance to help 

communities bring safe drinking water 

and sanitary, environmentally sound 

waste disposal facilities to rural 

Americans in greatest need. 

Central water systems may not be the 

only or best solution to drinking water 

problems. Distance or physical barriers 

make public central water systems 

costly to deploy in remote areas. A 

significant number of geographically 

isolated households without water 

service might require individual wells 

rather than connections to new or 

existing community systems. The goal 

of RUS is not only to make funds 

available to those communities most in 

need of potable water but also to ensure 

that facilities used to deliver drinking 

water are safe and affordable. There is 

a role for private wells in reaching this 

goal. 

3. Purpose 

The purpose of the HWWS Grant 

Program is to provide funds to private 

non-profit organizations to assist them 

in establishing loan programs from 

which individuals may borrow money 

for HWWS. Faith-based organizations 

are eligible and encouraged to apply for 

this program. Applicants must show 

that the project will provide technical 

and financial assistance to eligible 

individuals to remedy household well 

problems. 

Due to the limited amount of funds 

typically available under the HWWS 

Grant Program, the RUS anticipates that 

10 applications may be funded from FY 

2018 funds. Applications from existing 

HWWS grant recipients are acceptable 

and will be evaluated as new 

applications. 

B. Award Information 

Funding Instrument Type: Grant. 

Available Funds: $993,000. 

Anticipated Number of Awards: 10. 

Length of Project Periods: 12-month 

project. 

Assistance Instrument: Grant 

Agreement with successful applicants 

before any grant funds are disbursed. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligibile Entities 

a. An organization is eligible to 

receive a HWWS grant if it: 

i. Has an active registration with 

current information in the System for 

Award Management (SAM) and has a 

Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number. 

ii. Is a private, non-profit 

organization. 

iii. Is legally established and located 

within one of the following: 

(1) A state within the United States. 

(2) The District of Columbia. 

(3) The Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico. 

(4) A United States territory. 

b. Has the legal capacity and authority 

to carry out the grant purpose. 

c. Has sufficient expertise and 

experience in lending activities. 

d. Has sufficient expertise and 

experience in promoting the safe and 

productive use of individually-owned 

HWWS and ground water. 

e. Has no delinquent debt to the 

Federal government or no outstanding 

judgments to repay a Federal debt. 

f. Demonstrates that it possesses the 

financial, technical, and managerial 

capability to comply with Federal and 

State laws and requirements, and 

g. Is not a corporation that has been 

convicted of a felony (or had an officer 

or agent acting on behalf of the 

corporation convicted of a felony) 

within the past 24 months. Any 

Corporation that has any unpaid Federal 

tax liability that has been assessed, for 

which all judicial and administrative 

remedies have been exhausted or have 

lapsed, and that is not being paid in a 

timely manner pursuant to an agreement 

with the authority responsible for 

collecting the tax liability is not eligible. 

2. Ineligible Entities 

An individual is ineligible to receive 

a HWWS grant, however, an individual 

may receive a loan from an organization 

receiving a grant award. 

3. Basic Eligibility Requirements for a 

Project 

a. To be eligible for a grant, the project 

must: 

i. Be a revolving loan fund created to 

provide loans to eligible individuals to 

construct, refurbish, and service 

individually-owned HWWS (see 7 CFR 

1776.11 and 1776.12). Loans may not be 

provided for home sewer or septic 

system projects. 

ii. Be established and maintained by 

a private, non-profit organization. 

iii. Be located in a rural area. Rural 

area is defined as locations other than 

cities or towns of more than 50,000 

people and the contiguous and adjacent 

urbanized area of such towns and cities. 

4. Required Matching Contributions 

Grant applicants must provide written 

evidence of a matching contribution of 

at least 10 percent from sources other 

than the proceeds of a HWWS grant. Inkind contributions will not be 

considered for the matching 

requirement. Please see 7 CFR 1776.9 

for the requirement. 

5. Other Requirements 

a. DUNS Number. The applicant for a 

grant must supply a DUNS number as 

part of an application. The Standard 

Form 424 (SF–424) contains a field for 

the DUNS number. The applicant can 

obtain the DUNS number free of charge 

by calling Dun and Bradstreet. Please 

see http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform for 

more information on how to obtain a 

DUNS number or how to verify your 

organization’s number. 

b. Prior to submitting an application, 

the applicant must register in System for 

Award Management (SAM). 


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i. Applicants may register for SAM at 

https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/ 

SAM/. 

ii. The SAM registration must remain 

active with current information at all 

times while RUS is considering an 

application or while a Federal grant 

award or loan is active. To maintain the 

registration in the SAM database the 

applicant must review and update the 

information in the SAM database 

annually from date of initial registration 

or from the date of the last update. The 

applicant must ensure that the 

information in the database is current, 

accurate, and complete. 

c. Eligibility to receive a HWWS loan 

will be based on the following criteria: 

i. An individual must be a member of 

a household of which the combined 

household income of all members does 

not exceed 100 percent of the median 

non-metropolitan household income for 

the State or territory in which the 

individual resides. Household income is 

the total income from all sources 

received by each adult household 

member for the most recent 12-month 

period for which the information is 

available. It does not include income 

earned or received by dependent 

children under 18 years old or other 

benefits that are excluded by Federal 

law. The non-metropolitan household 

income must be based on the 5-year 

income data from the American 

Community Survey (ACS) or, if needed, 

other United States Bureau of the 

Census data. 

RUS publishes a list of income 

exclusions in 7 CFR 3550.54(b). Also, 

the Department of Housing and Urban 

Development published a list of income 

exclusions in the Federal Register on 

May 20, 2014, at 79 FR 28938 (see 

‘‘Federally Mandated Exclusions’’). 

ii. The loan recipient must own and 

occupy the home being improved with 

the proceeds of the Household Water 

Well loan or be purchasing the home to 

occupy under a legally enforceable land 

purchase contract which is not in 

default by either the seller or the 

purchaser. 

iii. The home being improved with 

the water well system must be located 

in a rural area. 

iv. The loan for a water well system 

must not be associated with the 

construction of a new dwelling. 

v. The loan must not be used to 

substitute a water well system for water 

service available from collective water 

systems. (For example, a loan may not 

be used to restore an old well 

abandoned when a dwelling was 

connected to a water district’s water 

line.) 

vi. The loan recipient must not be 

suspended or debarred from 

participation in Federal programs. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Where To Get Application 

Information 

The HWWS Grant Application Guide 

(Application Guide), copies of necessary 

forms and samples, and the HWWS 

Grant Program regulation are available 

from these sources: 

a. Internet for electronic copies: 

http://www.grants.gov/ or http://

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

household-water-well-system-grants; 

b. Water and Environmental Programs 

for paper copies: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Rural Utilities Service, 

Water and Environmental Programs, 

Stop 1570, Room 2233–S, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–1570, Telephone: (202) 720– 

9589, Fax: (202) 690–0649. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

a. Rules and Guidelines 

b. Detailed information on each item 

required can be found in the HWWS 

Grant Program regulation (7 CFR part 

1776) and the Application Guide. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

read and apply both the regulation and 

the Application Guide. This Notice does 

not change the requirements for a 

completed application for any form of 

HWWS financial assistance specified in 

the regulation. The regulation and 

Application Guide provide specific 

guidance on each of the items listed. 

c. Applications should be prepared in 

conformance with the provisions in 7 

CFR part 1776, subpart B, and 

departmental and other applicable 

regulations including 2 CFR parts 180, 

182, 200, 400, and 421, or any successor 

regulations. Applicants should use the 

Application Guide which contains 

instructions and other important 

information in preparing their 

application. Completed applications 

must include the items found in the 

checklist in the next paragraph. 

3. Checklist of Items in Completed 

Application Packages 

a. DUNS Number. The applicant for a 

grant must supply a Dunn and 

Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number as part of an 

application. The Standard Form 424 

(SF–424) contains a field for the DUNS 

number. The applicant can obtain the 

DUNS number free of charge by calling 

Dun and Bradstreet. Please see http://

fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more 

information on how to obtain a DUNS 

number or how to verify your 

organization’s number. 

b. Prior to submitting an application, 

the applicant must register in the 

System for Award Management (SAM). 

i. Applicants may register for the 

SAM at: https://www.sam.gov/portal/ 

public/SAM/. 

ii. The SAM registration must remain 

active with current information at all 

times while RUS is considering an 

application or while a Federal Grant 

Award or loan is active. To maintain the 

registration in the SAM database the 

applicant must review and update the 

information in the SAM database 

annually from date of initial registration 

or from the date of the last update. The 

applicant must ensure that the 

information in the database is current, 

accurate, and complete. 

iii. Your organization must be listed 

in the SAM. If you have not used 

Grants.gov before, you will need to 

register with the SAM and the 

Credential Provider. New registrations 

can take three to five business days to 

process. Updating or renewing an active 

registration has a shorter turnaround, 24 

hours. Registrations in SAM are active 

for one year. The SAM registers your 

organization, housing your 

organizational information and allowing 

Grants.gov to use the information to 

verify your identity. The DUNS number, 

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), 

and name and address of the applicant 

organization must match SAM data 

files. 

c. The electronic and paper 

application process requires forms with 

the prefixes RD and SF as well as 

supporting documents and certifications 

such as the following application items: 

i. SF–424, ‘‘Application for Federal 

Assistance.’’ 

ii. SF–424A, ‘‘Budget Information— 

Non-Construction Programs.’’ 

iii. SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances—NonConstruction Programs.’’ 

iv. SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activity.’’ 

v. Form RD 400–1, ‘‘Equal 

Opportunity Agreement.’’ 

vi. Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement (Under Title VI, Civil Rights 

Act of 1964).’’ 

vii. Project Proposal, Project 

Summary, Needs Assessment, Project 

Goals and Objectives, Project Narrative. 

viii. Work Plan. 

ix. Budget and Budget Justification. 

x. Evidence of Legal Authority and 

Existence. 

xi. Documentation of private nonprofit status and Internal Revenue 

Service (IRS) Tax Exempt Status. 

xii. List of Directors and Officers. 


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xiii. Financial information and 

sustainability (narrative). 

xiv. Assurances and certifications of 

compliance with other Federal Statutes. 

The forms in items i through vi must 

be completed and signed where 

appropriate by an official of your 

organization who has authority to 

obligate the organization legally. RD 

forms are used by programs under the 

RD mission area. Standard forms (SF) 

are used government-wide. In addition 

to the sources listed in section A, the 

forms may be accessed electronically 

through the RD website at http://

www.rd.usda.gov/publications. 

See section V, ‘‘Application Review 

Information,’’ for instructions and 

guidelines on preparing Items vii 

through xiii. 

4. Compliance With Other Federal 

Statutes 

The applicant must provide evidence 

of compliance with other Federal 

statutes and regulations, including, but 

not limited to the following: 

a. 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. 

b. 2 CFR part 417—Governmentwide 

Debarment and Suspension 

(Nonprocurement), or any successor 

regulations. 

c. 7 CFR part 3052—Audits of States, 

Local Governments, and Non-profit 

Organizations, or any successor 

regulations. 

d. Subpart B of 2 CFR part 421, which 

adopts the Governmentwide 

implementation (2 CFR part 182) of the 

Drug-Free Workplace Act. 

e. Executive Order 13166, ‘‘Improving 

Access to Services for Persons with 

Limited English Proficiency.’’ For 

information on limited English 

proficiency and agency-specific 

guidance go to http://www.lep.gov/. 

f. Federal Obligation Certification on 

Delinquent Debt. 

5. Required Number of Application 

Copies 

a. Applications Submitted on Paper. 

Submit one signed original and two 

additional copies. The original and each 

of the two copies must include all 

required forms, certifications, 

assurances, and appendices, be signed 

by an authorized representative, and 

have original signatures. Do not include 

organizational brochures or promotional 

materials. 

b. Applications Submitted 

Electronically. Additional paper copies 

are unnecessary if the application is 

submitted electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov/. 

6. How and Where To Submit an 

Application 

a. For paper applications, mail or 

ensure delivery of an original paper 

application (no stamped, photocopied, 

or initialed signatures) and two copies 

by the deadline date to: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Rural Development, 

Rural Utilities Service, Water and 

Environmental Programs, STOP 1570, 

Room 2233–S, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

1570, Telephone: (202) 720–9583. 

Submit paper applications marked 

‘‘Attention: Water and Environmental 

Programs.’’ Applications must show 

proof of mailing or shipping by one of 

the following: 

i. A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 

(USPS) postmark; 

ii. A legible mail receipt with the date 

of mailing stamped by the USPS; or, 

iii. A dated shipping label, invoice, or 

receipt from a commercial carrier. 

b. If a deadline date falls on a 

weekend, it will be extended to the 

following Monday. If the date falls on a 

Federal holiday, it will be extended to 

the next business day. 

c. Due to screening procedures at the 

Department of Agriculture, packages 

arriving via the USPS are irradiated, 

which can damage the contents and 

delay delivery. RUS encourages 

applicants to consider the impact of this 

procedure in selecting an application 

delivery method. 

d. For submitting electronic 

applications, the following applies: 

i. Applications will not be accepted 

by fax or electronic mail. 

ii. Electronic applications for grants 

will be accepted if submitted through 

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

iii. Applicants must preregister 

successfully with Grants.gov to use the 

electronic applications option. 

Application information may be 

downloaded from Grants.gov without 

preregistration. 

iv. Applicants who apply through 

Grants.gov should submit their 

electronic applications before the 

deadline. 

v. 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. 

vi. Grants.gov has two preregistration 

requirements: a DUNS number and an 

active registration in SAM. See the 

‘‘Checklist of Items in Completed 

Application Packages’’ for instructions 

on obtaining a DUNS number and 

registering in the SAM. 

vii. You must be registered with 

Grants.gov before you can submit an 

electronic grant application by going to 

the Grants.gov website at: http://

www.grants.gov/applicants/get_

registered.jsp. 

viii. Organization registration user 

guides and checklists are also available 

at Grants.gov. 

ix. Grants.gov requires some 

credentialing and online authentication 

procedures. When an applicant 

organization is registered with SAM, the 

organization designates a point of 

contact who receives a password 

authorizing the person to designate staff 

members who are allowed to submit 

applications electronically through 

Grants.gov. These authorized 

organization representatives must be 

registered with Grants.gov to receive a 

username and password to submit 

applications. These procedures may 

take several business days to complete. 

x. Some or all of the SAM and 

Grants.gov registration, credentialing 

and authorizations require updates. If 

you have previously registered at 

Grants.gov to submit applications 

electronically, please ensure that your 

registration, credentialing and 

authorizations are up to date well in 

advance of the grant application 

deadline. 

xi. To use Grants.gov: 

(1) Follow the instructions on the 

website to find grant information. 

(2) Download a copy of an application 

package. 

(3) Complete the package off-line. 

(4) Upload and submit the application 

via the Grants.gov website. 

(5) If a system problem or technical 

difficulty occurs with an electronic 

application, please use the customer 

support resources available at the 

Grants.gov website. 

(6) Again, RUS encourages applicants 

to take early action to complete the signup, credentialing and authorization 

procedures at Grants.gov before 

submitting an application at the 

website. 

7. Deadlines 

The deadline for paper and electronic 

submissions is July 20, 2018. Paper 

applications must be postmarked and 

mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no 

later than the closing date to be 

considered for FY 2018 grant funding. 

Electronic applications must have an 

electronic date and time stamp by 

midnight of July 20, 2018 to be 

considered on time. RUS will not accept 

applications by fax or email. 

Applications that do not meet the 


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criteria above are considered late 

applications and will not be considered. 

RUS will notify each late applicant that 

its application will not be considered. 

8. Funding Restrictions 

a. Eligible Grant Purposes 

i. Grant funds must be used to 

establish and maintain a revolving loan 

fund to provide loans to eligible 

individuals for household water well 

systems. 

ii. Individuals may use the loans to 

construct, refurbish, rehabilitate, or 

replace household water well systems 

up to the point of entry of a home. Point 

of entry for the well system is the 

junction where water enters into a home 

water delivery system after being 

pumped from a well. 

iii. Grant funds may be used to pay 

administrative expenses associated with 

providing HWWS loans. 

b. Ineligible Grant Purposes 

i. Administrative expenses incurred 

in any calendar year that exceed 10 

percent of the household water well 

loans made during the same period do 

not qualify for reimbursement. 

ii. Administrative expenses incurred 

before RUS executes a grant agreement 

with the recipient do not qualify for 

reimbursement. 

iii. Delinquent debt owed to the 

Federal Government does not qualify for 

reimbursement. 

iv. Grant funds may not be used to 

provide loans for household sewer or 

septic systems. 

v. Household Water Well loans may 

not be used to pay the costs of water 

well systems for the construction of a 

new house. 

vi. Household Water Well loans may 

not be used to pay the costs of a home 

plumbing system. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria 

This section contains instructions and 

guidelines on preparing the project 

proposal, work plan, and budget 

sections of the application. Also, 

guidelines are provided on the 

additional information required for RUS 

to determine eligibility and financial 

feasibility. This year RUS will assign 

administrative discretion points to 

applications that: 

a. Direct loans to rural areas where 

according to the American Community 

Survey data by census tracts show that 

at least 20 percent of the population is 

living in poverty. 

b. Direct loans to areas which lack 

running water, flush toilets, and modern 

sewage disposal systems, and areas 

which have open sewers and high rates 

of disease caused by poor sanitation, in 

particular, colonias or Substantially 

Underserved Trust Areas. 

c. Direct loans to rural areas impacted 

by severe drought. 

2. Project Proposal 

The project proposal should outline 

the project in sufficient detail to provide 

a reader with a complete understanding 

of the loan program. Explain what will 

be accomplished by lending funds to 

individual well owners. Demonstrate 

the feasibility of the proposed loan 

program in meeting the objectives of 

this grant program. The proposal should 

include the following elements: 

3. Project Summary 

Present a brief project overview. 

Explain the purpose of the project, how 

it relates to RUS’ purposes, how the 

project will be executed, what the 

project will produce, and who will 

direct it. 

4. Needs Assessment 

To show why the project is necessary, 

clearly identify the economic, social, 

financial, or other problems that require 

solutions. Demonstrate the well owners’ 

need for financial and technical 

assistance. Quantify the number of 

prospective borrowers or provide 

statistical or narrative evidence that a 

sufficient number of borrowers will 

exist to justify the grant award. Describe 

the service area. Provide information on 

the household income of the area and 

other demographical information. 

Address community needs. 

5. Project Goals and Objectives 

Clearly state the project goals. The 

objectives should clearly describe the 

goals and be concrete and specific 

enough to be quantitative or observable. 

They should also be feasible and relate 

to the purpose of the grant and loan 

program. 

6. Project Narrative 

The narrative should cover in more 

detail the items briefly described in the 

Project Summary. Demonstrate the grant 

applicant’s experience and expertise in 

promoting the safe and productive use 

of individually-owned household water 

well systems. The narrative should 

address the following points: 

a. Document the grant applicant’s 

ability to manage and service a 

revolving fund. The narrative may 

describe the systems that are in place for 

the full life cycle of a loan from loan 

origination through servicing. If a 

servicing contractor will service the 

loan portfolio, the arrangement and 

services provided must be discussed. 

b. Show evidence of the availability of 

funds from sources other than the 

HWWS grant. Describe the contributions 

the project will receive from your 

organization, state agencies, local 

government, other Federal agencies, 

non-government organizations, private 

industry, and individuals. The 

documentation should describe how the 

contributions will be used to pay your 

operational costs and provide financial 

assistance for projects. 

c. Demonstrate that the organization 

has secured commitments of significant 

financial support from other funding 

sources. 

d. List the fees and charges that 

borrowers will be assessed. 

7. Work Plan 

The work plan or scope of work must 

describe the tasks and activities that 

will be accomplished with available 

resources during the grant period. It 

must include who will carry out the 

activities and services to be performed 

and specific timeframes for completion. 

Describe any unusual or unique features 

of the project such as innovations, 

reductions in cost or time, or 

extraordinary community involvement. 

8. Budget and Budget Justification 

a. Use the Form SF–424A, Budget 

Information—Non-Construction 

Programs, to show your budget cost 

elements. The form summarizes 

resources as Federal and non-Federal 

funds and costs. ‘‘Federal’’ refers only to 

the HWWS Grant Program for which 

you are applying. ‘‘Non-Federal’’ refers 

to resources from your organization, 

state agencies, local government, other 

Federal agencies, non-government 

organizations, private industry, and 

individuals. Both Federal and nonFederal resources shall be detailed and 

justified in the budget and narrative 

justification. 

i. Provide a budget with line item 

detail and detailed calculations for each 

budget object class identified in section 

B of the Budget Information form (SF– 

424A). Detailed calculations must 

include estimation methods, quantities, 

unit costs, and other similar quantitative 

detail sufficient for the calculation to be 

duplicated. Also include a breakout by 

the funding sources identified in Block 

15 of the SF–424. 

ii. Provide a narrative budget 

justification that describes how the 

categorical costs are derived for all 

capital and administrative expenditures, 

the matching contribution, and other 

sources of funds necessary to complete 

the project. Discuss the necessity, 


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reasonableness, and allocability of the 

proposed costs. 

iii. If the grant applicant will use a 

servicing contractor, the fees may be 

reimbursed as an administrative 

expense as provided in 7 CFR 1776.13. 

These fees must be discussed in the 

budget narrative. If the grant applicant 

will hire a servicing contractor, it must 

demonstrate that all procurement 

transactions will be conducted in a 

manner to provide, to the maximum 

extent practical, open, and free 

competition. Recipients must justify any 

anticipated procurement action that is 

expected to be awarded without 

competition and exceed the simplified 

acquisition threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 

134 (currently set at $100,000). 

iv. The indirect cost category should 

be used only when the grant applicant 

currently has an indirect cost rate 

approved by the Department of 

Agriculture or another cognizant 

Federal agency. A grant applicant that 

will charge indirect costs to the grant 

must enclose a copy of the current rate 

agreement. If the grant applicant is in 

the process of initially developing or 

renegotiating a rate, the grant applicant 

shall submit its indirect cost proposal to 

the cognizant agency immediately after 

the applicant is advised that an award 

will be made. In no event, shall the 

indirect cost proposal be submitted later 

than three months after the effective 

date of the award. 

9. Evidence of Legal Authority and 

Existence 

The applicant must provide 

satisfactory documentation that it is 

legally recognized under state or Tribal 

and Federal law as a private non-profit 

organization. The documentation also 

must show that it has the authority to 

enter into a grant agreement with RUS 

and to perform the activities proposed 

under the grant application. Satisfactory 

documentation includes, but is not 

limited to, certificates from the 

Secretary of State, copies of State/Tribal 

statutes or laws establishing your 

organization, and copies of your 

organization’s articles of incorporation 

and bylaws. Letters from IRS awarding 

tax-exempt status are not considered 

adequate evidence. 

10. List of Directors and Officers 

The applicant must submit a certified 

list of directors and officers with their 

respective terms. 

11. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Tax 

Exempt Status 

The applicant must submit evidence 

of tax exempt status from the IRS. 

12. Financial Information and 

Sustainability 

The applicant must submit pro forma 

balance sheets, income statements, and 

cash flow statements for the last three 

years and projections for three years. 

Additionally, the most recent audit of 

the applicant’s organization must be 

submitted. 

13. Evaluation Criteria 

Grant applications that are complete 

and eligible will be scored 

competitively based on the following 

scoring criteria: 

Scoring criteria Points 

Degree of expertise and experience in promoting the safe and productive use of individually-owned household water well 

systems and ground water.

Up to 30 points. 

Degree of expertise and successful experience in making and servicing loans to individuals ................................................. Up to 20 points. 

Percentage of applicant contributions. Points allowed under this paragraph will be based on written evidence of the availability of funds from sources other than the proceeds of a HWWS grant to pay part of the cost of a loan recipient’s 

project. In-kind contributions will not be considered. Funds from other sources as a percentage of the HWWS grant and 

points corresponding to such percentages are as follows: 

0 to 9 percent ....................................................................................................................................................................... ineligible. 

10 to 25 percent ................................................................................................................................................................... 5 points. 

26 to 30 percent ................................................................................................................................................................... 10 points. 

31 to 50 percent ................................................................................................................................................................... 15 points. 

51 percent or more .............................................................................................................................................................. 20 points. 

Extent to which the work plan demonstrates a well thought out, comprehensive approach to accomplishing the objectives 

of this part, clearly defines who will be served by the project, and appears likely to be sustainable.

Up to 20 points. 

Extent to which the goals and objectives are clearly defined, tied to the work plan, and measurable ..................................... Up to 10 points. 

Lowest ratio of projected administrative expenses to loans advanced ...................................................................................... Up to 10 points. 

Administrator’s discretion, considering such factors as: 

Creative outreach ideas for marketing HWWS loans to rural residents; factors include: Up to 10 points. 

1. Directs loans to rural areas where according to the American Community Survey data by census tracts show 

that at least 20 percent of the population is living in poverty. Directs loans to areas which lack running water, 

flush toilets, and modern sewage disposal systems, and areas which have open sewers and high rates of disease caused by poor sanitation, in particular, Colonias or Substantially Underserved Trust Areas.

2. Areas impacted by severe drought.

13. Review Standards 

a. Incomplete applications as of the 

deadline for submission will not be 

considered. If an application is 

determined to be incomplete, the 

applicant will be notified in writing and 

the application will be returned with no 

further action. 

b. Ineligible applications will be 

returned to the applicant with an 

explanation. 

c. Complete, eligible applications will 

be evaluated competitively by a review 

team, composed of at least two RUS 

employees selected from the Water 

Programs Division. They will make 

overall recommendations based on the 

program elements found in 7 CFR part 

1776 and the review criteria presented 

in this notice. They will award points as 

described in the scoring criteria in 7 

CFR 1776.9 and this notice. Each 

application will receive a score based on 

the averages of the reviewers’ scores and 

discretionary points awarded by the 

RUS Administrator. 

d. Applications will be ranked and 

grants awarded in rank order until all 

grant funds are expended. 

e. Regardless of the score an 

application receives, if RUS determines 

that the project is technically infeasible, 

RUS will notify the applicant, in 

writing, and the application will be 

returned with no further action. 

F. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices 

RUS will notify a successful applicant 

by an award letter accompanied by a 


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28616 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 119 / Wednesday, June 20, 2018 / Notices 

grant agreement. The grant agreement 

will contain the terms and conditions 

for the grant. The applicant must 

execute and return the grant agreement, 

accompanied by any additional items 

required by the award letter or grant 

agreement. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

a. This notice, the 7 CFR part 1776, 

and the application guide implement 

the appropriate administrative and 

national policy requirements. Grant 

recipients are subject to the 

requirements in 7 CFR part 1776. 

b. Direct Federal grants, sub-award 

funds, or contracts under the HWWS 

Grant Program shall not be used to fund 

inherently religious activities, such as 

worship, religious instruction, or 

proselytization. Therefore, organizations 

that receive direct assistance should 

take steps to separate, in time or 

location, their inherently religious 

activities from the services funded 

under the HWWS Grant Program. 

Regulations for the Equal Treatment for 

Faith-based Organizations are contained 

in 7 CFR part 16, which includes the 

prohibition against Federal funding of 

inherently religious activities. 

3. Reporting 

a. Performance Reporting. All 

recipients of HWWS Grant Program 

financial assistance must provide 

quarterly performance activity reports to 

RUS until the project is complete and 

the funds are expended. A final 

performance report is also required. The 

final report may serve as the last annual 

report. The final report must include an 

evaluation of the success of the project. 

b. Financial Reporting. All recipients 

of HWWS Grant Program financial 

assistance must provide an annual 

audit, beginning with the first year a 

portion of the financial assistance is 

expended. The Non-Federal Entity 

(formerly called Grantee) will provide 

an audit report or financial statements 

as follows: 

c. Non-Federal Entities expending 

$750,000 or more Federal funds per 

fiscal year will submit an audit 

conducted in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 200 or successor guidance. The 

audit will be submitted within nine 

months after the Non-Federal Entity’s 

fiscal year ends. Additional audits may 

be required if the project period covers 

more than one fiscal year. 

d. Non-Federal Entities expending 

less than $750,000 will provide annual 

financial statements covering the grant 

period, consisting of the organization’s 

statement of income and expense and 

balance sheet signed by an appropriate 

official of the organization. Financial 

statements will be submitted within 90 

days after the Non-Federal Entity’s fiscal 

year ends. 

e. Recipient and Subrecipient 

Reporting. The applicant must have the 

necessary processes and systems in 

place to comply with the reporting 

requirements for first-tier sub-awards 

and executive compensation under the 

Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 in the event 

the applicant receives funding unless 

such applicant is exempt from such 

reporting requirements pursuant to 2 

CFR 170.110(b). The reporting 

requirements under the Transparency 

Act pursuant to 2 CFR part 170 are as 

follows: 

i. First Tier Sub-Awards of $25,000 or 

more in non-Recovery Act funds (unless 

they are exempt under 2 CFR part 170) 

must be reported by the Recipient to 

http://www.fsrs.gov/ no later than the 

end of the month following the month 

the obligation was made. 

ii. The Total Compensation of the 

Recipient’s Executives (five most highly 

compensated executives) must be 

reported by the Recipient (if the 

Recipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR 

part 170) to https://www.sam.gov/ 

portal/public/SAM/ by the end of the 

month following the month in which 

the award was made. 

iii. The Total Compensation of the 

Subrecipient’s Executives (5 most 

highly compensated executives) must be 

reported by the Subrecipient (if the 

Subrecipient meets the criteria under 2 

CFR part 170) to the Recipient by the 

end of the month following the month 

in which the subaward was made. 

G. Agency Contacts 

1. Website: http://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/household-waterwell-system-grants. 

2. Phone: Derek Jones, 202–720–9640. 

3. Fax: 202–690–0649. 

4. Email: derek.jones@wdc.usda.gov. 

5. Main point of contact: Derek Jones, 

Community Programs Specialist, Water 

and Environmental Programs, Rural 

Utilities Service, Rural Development, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

H. USDA 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) 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. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Dated: June 1, 2018. 

Kenneth L. Johnson, 

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–13237 Filed 6–19–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Announcement of Grant and Loan 

Application Deadlines 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of funds availability and 

solicitation of applications (NOFA). 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) announces its Revolving Fund 

Program (RFP) application window and 

funds availability for Fiscal Year (FY) 

2018. The Agency will make available 

$1,000,000 in grant funds to qualified 

private, non-profit organizations to 

establish a lending program for eligible 

entities. The Agency encourages 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES