41046 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 

Management Plan (GMP) (Amendment 

five of the Forest Plan): 

SMNRA-wide Standards and 

Guidelines: (GMP Standard 0.31) New 

roads, administrative facilities, and 

developed recreation sites other than 

low-impact facilities (trails, trailhead 

parking, signs, restrooms, etc.) will be 

outside a 100-yard buffer zone around 

known Clokey’s eggvetch and rough 

angelica populations or potential 

habitat, and outside biodiversity 

hotspots (defined as areas of particular 

diversity or sensitivity). 

The need for this Forest Plan 

amendment is that in the Lee Canyon 

Proposed Action new service roads, and 

ski area facilities would occur within 

the 100-yard buffer zone established 

around known Clokey’s eggvetch and 

rough angelica populations or potential 

habitat. These areas have been 

thoroughly inventoried for these species 

and none were found within the project 

foot print. This project-specific Forest 

Plan amendment will allow 

development within the 100-yard buffer 

zones for these two-species established 

in the Standard GMP 0.31 (p. 18) to 

allow for construction of service roads 

and ski area facilities. 

Under the Proposed Action and other 

action alternatives, Standard GMP 0.31 

would be amended to allow new service 

roads and developed recreation sites to 

be placed within the 100-yard buffer 

zone around known Clokey’s eggvetch 

and rough angelica populations or 

potential habitat, and within 

biodiversity hotspots in the Lee Canyon 

Special Use Permit Boundary. 

Management Area 11: (11.57) Allow 

limited expansion of ski area in Lee 

Canyon and enhancement of skiing 

opportunities and facilities within the 

scope of an approved master 

development plan and under the 

following constraints: 

1. Expansion occurs within the 

existing sub-basin. 

2. Does not impact any threatened, 

endangered, or sensitive species or 

species of concern or its habitat. 

3. Expansion is commensurate with 

development of additional parking in 

the lower Lee Canyon area and shuttle 

services. 

4. Expansion incorporates defensible 

space design and fire safe facilities. 

5. Where consistent with other 

standards and guidelines. 

The need for this Forest Plan 

amendment is that the Proposed Action 

and other action alternatives include 

development of ski runs, mountain 

coasters, zip lines, mountain bike trails, 

parking areas, and access roads within 

the Lee Canyon Ski Area permitted 

boundary. As the Mount Charleston 

Blue Butterfly was listed as a 

endangered species in 2015 and the 

designated critical habitat for the 

butterfly includes portions of the Lee 

Canyon Ski Area, Constraint #2 from the 

standard cannot be met. The Proposed 

Action and other action alternatives also 

include the addition of a 500 vehicle 

parking lot at the ski area to 

accommodate increased visitor use 

without the development of additional 

parking in lower Lee Canyon or shuttle 

services. The project-specifc Forest Plan 

Amendment would exempt the project 

from the requirements under Constraint 

#2 and Constraint #3. 

The substantive requirements of the 

2012 Planning Rule (36 CFR part 219) 

likely to be directly related and, 

therefore, applicable to the Forest Plan 

amendment for the Lee Canyon Project 

are in 36 CFR 219.9(b) regarding 

threatened and endangered species and 

36 CFR 219.10(a)(1), (3), and (7) 

regarding integrated resource 

management for multiple use. The scope 

and scale to which these substantive 

requirements would apply are the scope 

and scale of the Lee Canyon Project. The 

amendment would not apply to any 

other projects or activities. 

Responsible Official 

The Responsible Official for the Lee 

Canyon Project and the Forest Plan 

amendment is William A. Dunkelberger, 

Forest Supervisor, Humboldt-Toiyabe 

National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 

1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, Nevada 

89431, phone (775) 355–5310. 

Decision To Be Made 

In consideration of the stated purpose 

and need and the analysis of 

environmental effects documented in 

this EIS, the Responsible Official will 

review the proposed action and 

alternatives in order to make the 

following decisions: 

• Whether to authorize the proposed 

action or an alternative, including the 

required no-action alternative, all or in 

part; 

• What design criteria and mitigation 

measures to require as a condition of the 

authorization; 

• What evaluation methods and 

documentation to require for monitoring 

project implementation and mitigation 

effectiveness; and 

• Whether to amend the Forest Plan 

to exempt the project from Standard 

GMP 0.31 and from Constraints #2 and 

#3 of Standard GMP Management Area 

11.57. 

Administrative Review 

The Lee Canyon Project and the 

Forest Plan amendment will be subject 

to objection under 36 CFR part 218. 

Dated: May 7, 2018. 

Chris French, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17730 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Rural Housing Service 

Rural Utilities Service 

Rural Development Cooperative 

Agreement Program 

AGENCY: Rural Development USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Assistant to the Secretary 

for Rural Development (Agency) is 

seeking applications to support regional 

economic development planning efforts 

in rural communities under the Rural 

Economic Development Innovation 

(REDI) initiative. This funding 

opportunity will be administered by the 

Rural Development Innovation Center, 

in partnership with the Rural BusinessCooperative Service. The Agency is 

announcing up to $750,000 in 

competitive cooperative agreement 

funds in fiscal year (FY) 2018. Rural 

Development Agency may select one, 

multiple, or no award recipients. The 

Agency reserves the right to withhold 

the awarding of any funds if no 

application receives a score of at least 

60 points. 

This Notice lists the information 

needed to submit an application for 

these funds. This Notice announces that 

the Agency is accepting FY 2018 

applications to support REDI. 

DATES: The deadline for receipt of a 

complete application is midnight 

Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday, 

September 5, via www.grants.gov. The 

Agency will not consider any 

application received after the deadline. 

After an applicant submits an 

application via grants.gov, all applicants 

must email RD.Innovation@

osec.usda.gov to confirm application 

and receipt of the application package. 

Applicants who have been selected for 

funding will receive a letter of official 

notification and will be awarded a 

cooperative agreement authorized under 

7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4). Pending funding 

availability, all awards will be made no 

later than September 30, 2018. 


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Applicants should plan their projects 

based on a start date of September 30, 

2018 and must be completed within 24 

months. 

ADDRESSES: The deadline for receipt of 

an application is midnight Eastern 

Standard Time on Wednesday, 

September 5, 2018. Applications may be 

submitted electronically through the 

Grants.gov system or through email to 

RD.Innovation@osec.usda.gov. Note that 

there are registration requirements for 

submitting applications using the 

Grants.gov system. We recommend that 

you review the instructions for 

registering as soon as possible, but at 

least two weeks before you plan to 

submit your application. The 

requirements can be viewed at: http://

grants.gov/applicants/organization_

registration.jsp. Your application will be 

rejected by Grants.gov if you miss the 

deadline and the Agency will not 

consider any application received after 

the deadline. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Question about this announcement can 

be directed to Christine Sorensen, 

Regional Coordinator, via 202–568–9832 

or Christine.Sorensen@wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Preface 

The Agency encourages applications 

that will support recommendations 

made in the Rural Prosperity Task Force 

report to help improve life in rural 

America (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. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

It is anticipated that the anticipated 

number of respondents affected by this 

information collection is less than 10 

entities and therefore, this Notice 

contains no reporting or recordkeeping 

provisions requiring Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

approval under the Paperwork 

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

Chapter 35). 

Overview 

Federal Agency Name: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Rural 

Development. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Development Cooperative Agreement 

Program. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Funding Availability (NOFA). 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.890. 

Application Due Date: All required 

application documents must be 

submitted by midnight Eastern Standard 

Time on Wednesday, September 5 

electronically via www.grants.gov. 

Applicants submitting proposals must 

also confirm receipt and email 

RD.Innovation@osec.usda.gov to 

confirm application and receipt of the 

application package. Applicants who 

have been selected for funding will 

receive a letter of official notification. 

Pending funding availability, all awards 

will be made no later than September 

30, 2018. Applicants should plan their 

projects based on a start date of 

September 30, 2018 and must be 

completed within 24 months. 

For More Information: Questions 

about this announcement can be 

directed to Christine Sorensen, Regional 

Coordinator, via 202–568–9832 or 

Christine.Sorensen@wdc.usda.gov. 

A. Program Description 

USDA Rural Development (RD) is 

authorized to administer cooperative 

agreement awards in accordance with 7 

U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4). Rural Economic 

Development Innovation (REDI) aims to 

strengthen the capacity of rural 

communities (50,000 people or less in 

the United States plus Tribes and 

territories) in implementing strategic 

community and economic development 

plans as referenced in Section 379H of 

the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008v). The 

goal of this funding announcement is to 

solicit applications to provide 

cooperative agreement funding to 

eligible applicants to enable them to 

provide technical assistance and 

training and actionable planning of 

implementation of strategic community 

and economic development plans. 

Supporting regional economic 

development plans help rural 

communities overcome multijurisdictional challenges and better 

leverage Federal, state, local or private 

funding. 

For purposes of this proposal, a 

quality regional economic plan will 

include but not be limited to the 

following: 

• Evidence-based understanding of 

community assets, challenges and 

opportunities. 

• Goals are focused, logical, targeted 

and timely with tasks identified and 

with a responsible party assigned. 

• The plan was created through broad 

community participation, public input 

and buy-in. 

• The format must be persuasive in a 

non-technical manner. 

• The plan makes clear how each of 

its strategies is intended to help 

produce, either directly or indirectly, 

improvements in the local and regional 

economy. 

• Regional economic development 

plans developed through REDI 

assistance should identify possible 

projects to be funded through RD 

programs and/or other Federal, state, 

local or private sector resources. 

This funding opportunity expands 

rural communities’ ability to access 

planning resources to convene, identify 

needs, create actionable economic 

development plans, and implement 

project priorities to improve quality of 

life in rural communities. Quality of life 

is a measure of human well-being that 

can be identified though economic and 

social indicators. Modern utilities, 

affordable housing, efficient 

transportation and reliable employment 

are economic indicators that must be 

integrated with social indicators like 

access to medical services, public safety, 

education and community resilience to 

empower rural communities to thrive. 

Economic development plans developed 

through this funding opportunity 

should focus on one or more of these 

economic and/or social indicators. 

Applicants are encouraged to consider 

regional planning projects that provide 

measurable results in helping rural 

communities built robust and 

sustainable economies through strategic 

investments in infrastructure, 

partnerships, and innovation. Such 

projects should also support rural 

communities’ ability to qualify for 

priority funding under Section 379H of 

the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act [7 U.S.C. 2008v]. 

This approach to comprehensive rural 

community development is unique in 

its attempt to improve rural 

communities in a way that is (1) rooted 

in emphasizing partnerships and 

collaboration among multiple public 

agencies and community partners and 

(2) focused on combining state resources 

to make wide-ranging quality-of-life 

impacts as opposed to separate, 

piecemeal, incremental improvements. 


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41048 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 

B. Federal Award Information 

1. Estimated Funding: Interested 

applicants shall only propose 

applications with scope of work/budget 

that does not exceed $750,000 in 

Federal funding. 

2. Start Date and Performance Period: 

Projects may be up to 2 years in 

duration. Applicants should plan their 

projects based on a project start date of 

September 30, 2018 and a project end 

date of no later than September 30, 

2020. 

3. Type of Federal Award: 

Cooperative Agreement. Rural 

Development will be substantially 

involved in the work performed under 

each approved cooperative agreement. 

Substantial involvement may include 

but is not limited to collaboration, 

participation, oversight, and control of 

the following: 

i. Authority to suspend work if 

specification or work statements are not 

met; 

ii. Review and approval of one stage 

of work before another may begin; 

iii. Review and approval of 

substantive provisions of proposed subgrants or contracts; 

iv. Prior review and approval of key 

personnel; and 

v. Agency collaboration and 

coordination with respect to 

deliverables and execution of the work 

plan. At a minimum, applicants should 

anticipate Agency participation in the 

selection of communities to receive 

regional planning assistance; the 

convening of community members, 

partners, and stakeholders; the delivery 

of training on RD programs and/or 

economic development principles; and 

the review/approval of regional 

economic development plans for 

purposes of priority funding under 

Section 379H of the Consolidated Farm 

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

2008v). 

4. Number of Awards: The Agency 

anticipates that it may select one, 

multiple, or no award recipients from 

this notice of funding availability. The 

Agency reserves the right to withhold 

the awarding of any funds if no 

application receives a minimum score of 

at least 60 points. 

5. Eligibility of renewal or 

Supplemental Project Applications: 

Applications for renewal or 

supplementation of any existing Federal 

awards are not eligible for this new 

Federal award. An application for 

renewal means a proposal submitted to 

continue an existing agreement by 

adding components to an existing 

agreement in order to meet the 

objectives of this solicitation. 

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. Applicant Eligibility: Federallyrecognized Tribes, institutions of higher 

education, nonprofit organizations, or 

private organizations with a 

demonstrated national structure and/or 

capacity to deliver and support multiple 

rural planning activities across the 

nation are eligible applicants. Entities 

are not eligible if they have been 

debarred or suspended or otherwise 

excluded from or ineligible for 

participation in Federal assistance 

programs under Executive Order 12549, 

‘‘Debarment and Suspension.’’ In 

addition, an applicant will be 

considered ineligible for a cooperative 

agreement due to an outstanding 

judgment obtained by the U.S. in a 

Federal Court (other than U.S. Tax 

Court), is delinquent on the payment of 

Federal income taxes, or is delinquent 

on Federal debt. 

2. Eligible Project Purposes: The 

Project purpose must be to strengthen 

the capacity of rural communities 

(50,000 people or less in the United 

States plus Tribes and territories) in 

developing and implementing regional 

plans for economic development as 

referenced in Section 379H of the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act. Eligible project 

purposes must include the two facets of 

technical assistance: 

i. Planning Technical Assistance: The 

proposed project should provide 

planning technical assistance to rural 

communities by assisting in the 

development of regional economic 

development plans. Proposals should 

include descriptions on how technical 

assistance will result in actionable steps 

to support implementation of these 

plans. The proposed project should also 

provide technical assistance to expand 

rural communities’ ability to access 

funding and planning resources to 

convene community members. 

ii. Implementation Technical 

Assistance: The proposed project should 

provide technical assistance toward 

implementation of the project priorities 

emerging from the regional economic 

development plans. The technical 

assistance should include strategies for 

enhancing communities’ efforts at 

leveraging Federal, state, local, and/or 

private funding to build resilient 

communities and improve quality of 

life. The applicant will demonstrate 

how their proposal will utilize 

partnerships outside of RD. The 

applicant will identify such 

partnerships and will demonstrate how 

they will provide access to such 

partnerships to support implementation 

of projects identified through 

development of regional economic 

development plans. The proposed 

project should also describe how it will 

support implementation of multijurisdictional and/or multi-sector 

regional economic development plans, 

as described in Section 379H of the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act. 

3. Cost Sharing or Matching 

Requirements: There is a dollar or inkind matching requirement that is at 

least equal to the amount of the 

cooperative agreement award. If this 

matching fund requirement is not met, 

the application will be deemed 

ineligible. Matching requirements are 

cash, confirmed funding commitments 

and/or third party in-kind contributions 

as defined in 2 CFR 200.96. that are at 

least equal to the cooperative agreement 

amount and committed for a period of 

not less than the cooperative agreement 

performance period. Applicants must 

recruit one or more private and/or 

public partner(s) to match one-for-one 

(in cash and/or in-kind contributions) 

the applicant’s proposed funding 

request. Cost sharing/matching must be 

committed at the time of application 

submission. Applications must include 

written verification of commitments of 

cost sharing or matching support 

(including both cash and in-kind 

contributions) from third parties. Cost 

sharing or matching funds must meet 

the criteria stated at 2 CFR 200.306 and 

be valued in accordance with 2 CFR 

200.306(d). 

Additional details about cost sharing 

or matching funds/contributions is 

located at 2 CFR 200.306. Applicant 

matching funds must be included in the 

budget narrative. For matching funds 

offered by project partners, a separate 

commitment letter is required for each 

cash and/or in-kind match contribution. 

Commitment letters must be signed by 

the authorized organizational 

representative of the contributing 

organization and the applicant 

organization, which must include: (i) 

The name, address, and telephone 

number of the contributor; (ii) the name 

of the applicant organization; (iii) the 

title of the project for which the 

contribution is made, (iv) the dollar 

amount of the contribution; and (v) a 

statement that the contributor commits 

to furnish the contribution during the 

cooperative agreement period. 


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Applications without signed written 

commitments are deemed incomplete 

and will be ineligible. The value of 

applicant contributions to the project is 

established according to Federal cost 

principles. Applicants should refer to 2 

CFR 200.306 for additional guidance on 

matching funds, in-kind contributions, 

and allowable costs. 

4. Substantial Involvement: Proposed 

project must include a component that 

allows for active participation by the 

Agency in the majority of tasks. 

Examples of substantial involvement 

include but are not limited to the 

following: Joint-selection of 

communities to receive regional 

planning assistance; joint-convening of 

community members, partners, and 

stakeholders; joint-delivery of training 

on RD programs and/or economic 

development principles; and jointreview/approval of regional economic 

development plans for purposes of 

priority funding under Section 6025 

Strategic Economic and Community 

Development. It is the intent of this 

project to engage Agency and state RD 

staff in the development of regional 

economic development plans and it is 

the responsibility of the applicant to 

identify tasks where RD staff can 

provide substantial involvement in the 

project. If you do not identify those 

tasks, your application is not eligible for 

funding. 

5. Use of Funds: Use of project funds 

(including Federal and matching) must 

be consistent with the project purpose 

to strengthen the capacity of rural 

communities in developing and 

implementing regional plans for 

economic development. A nonexclusive list of eligible fund uses 

include: Costs incurred for the services 

of personnel actually engaged in the 

project, including share of employee 

benefits, travel and per diem expenses, 

costs of expendable supplies, and travel 

and per diem expenses associated with 

travel to USDA Headquarters in 

Washington, DC to coordinate and 

collaborate on project tasks. Use of 

funds must be allowable in adherence 

with 2 CFR part 200. 

If you include funds in your budget 

that are unallowable, RD will consider 

the application for funding only if the 

unallowable costs total 10 percent or 

less of the total project budget, 

including Federal and matching funds. 

However, if the application is 

successful, those unallowable costs 

must be removed from the budget before 

RD will make an award. If RD cannot 

determine the percentage of 

unallowable costs or the amount of 

those costs exceeds 10 percent of the 

total project budget, the application will 

not be considered for funding. 

6. Rural Area: The project must 

directly benefit a rural area. All ultimate 

beneficiaries and/or subrecipients must 

be located in rural areas, and any 

activities or tasks must occur in rural 

areas. The term ‘rural area’ means the 

Rural Business Service’s Rural Area 

definition as out lined in Section 

343(a)(13)(A)(i) of the Consolidated 

Farm and Rural Development Act which 

states: Any area other than: (1) A city or 

town that has a population of greater 

than 50,000 inhabitants; and (2) any 

urbanized area contiguous and adjacent 

to such a city or town. 

7. Number of Applications: You 

cannot submit more than one 

application for this Notice. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Page. All necessary forms can be found 

within the Grants.gov ‘‘Application 

Package.’’ 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission. There is no pre-application 

process for this announcement. All 

checklist, application, and standard 

forms necessary for submission are 

included in the Grants.gov application 

package. Applications that are 

incomplete or fail to comply with the 

required content and formatting 

requirements will not be considered for 

funding. 

i. Content and Format: Each page 

must be on numbered, letter-sized (81⁄2

x 11) paper utilizing a white background 

that has 1′′ margins; and the text of the 

application must be typed, single 

spaced, black, and in a font no smaller 

than 12 point. 

ii. Executive Summary (1-page 

maximum): On a single page, provide 

the applicant entity name, duration of 

project in months, amount of Federal 

funding requested, amount of nonFederal cost-share/match funding 

committed, and project title. Identify 

geographic locations, and describe in 

non-technical language the issue or 

problem rural communities have in 

accessing economic development 

planning resources, the objectives to 

address this issue, the innovative 

approach to be employed (including the 

role of participating partners), how 

impact will be quantified, and the 

predicted benefits or deliverables of the 

project. 

iii. Standard Application Form: 

Standard Form 424, ‘‘Application for 

Federal Assistance’’ is included as part 

of the application package posted on 

Grants.gov. Instructions for completing 

the form are also included. 

iv. Applicant Qualifications (1–2 

pages): Summary of the qualifications of 

the applicant organization is required. 

Interested applicant must have the 

organizational capacity, experience, and 

knowledge of rural planning needs and 

must meet the following minimum 

requirements: 

a. Demonstrate national structure 

and/or capacity to support multiple 

rural planning activities across the 

nation; 

b. Demonstrate knowledge and prior 

experience in regional planning, 

particularly related to rural issues; 

c. Demonstrate capacity to assist rural 

communities to develop regional plans 

such as access to data for needs 

assessment and planners and other 

technical capacity on staff; and 

d. Demonstrate knowledge and prior 

experience of leveraging other 

community-driven plans or projects 

such as Comprehensive Economic 

Development Strategies (CEDS) or other 

Federally-recognized regional economic 

development plans. 

v. Key Personnel Qualifications (1–2 

pages): Summary of the qualifications of 

each key person, including the project 

director, is required. Resumes or CVs 

will not be accepted. The summary 

should include relevant education, 

years of relevant experience, a 

description of skills relevant to the 

person’s work on the proposed project, 

and the person’s key accomplishments. 

If you expect to contract out a portion 

of the proposed work, but have not 

hired the contractor, you must include 

a summary of the qualifications you will 

require from the contractor. 

vi. Project Proposal (15-page 

maximum): The project proposal must 

include a proposed Work Plan, along 

with the following information in order: 

a. Project Background. 

b. Project Objectives. 

c. Project Approach/Methods. 

d. Theory of Change. 

e. Geographic Locations or Project 

Areas. 

f. Project Management (Applicants are 

required to include a Work Plan Chart 

that lists each major Task by Key 

Personnel involved, Time Period of the 

task, Substantial Involvement of Rural 

Development staff, Deliverables, and 

Budget associated with each task). 

g. Performance Metrics. 

h. Graphics, References, Citations (Do 

not count against the 15-page 

maximum). 

A Work Plan Chart template is 

available for applicants as part of this 

funding opportunity on grants.gov. 

vii. Budget Information (10-page 

maximum): The budget portion of the 

application consists of two parts as 

described below: 


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a. Standard Form (SF) 424A, ‘‘Budget 

Information’’: Non-Construction 

Programs. The SF–424A is included as 

part of the application package posted 

on Grants.gov. 

b. Detailed Budget Narrative: Provide 

a detailed narrative in support of the 

budget for the project, broken down by 

task. Discuss how the budget 

specifically supports the proposed 

activities. Justify the project cost 

effectiveness and include justification 

for personnel and consultant salaries 

with a description of duties. 

Statement(s) of work for any 

subcontractors and consultants must be 

included as part of the application. The 

budget narrative should include both 

the Federal funds requested and the 

applicant’s matching funds. The format 

of the budget narrative can be in a chart, 

spreadsheet, table, etc. It should be 

readable on letter-size, printable pages. 

The information needs to be presented 

in such a way that the reviewers can 

readily understand what expenses are 

incurred to support the project. 

viii. Certifications: All proposals must 

include the following signed 

certification forms, which are available 

at Grants.gov: 

a. AD–3030, ‘‘Representations 

Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax 

Delinquent Status for Corporate 

Applicants.’’ The AD–3030 must be 

submitted if entity is a corporate nonprofit or for-profit corporation as 

indicated in the applicants SAM 

registration. 

b. AD–3030, ‘‘Representations 

Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax 

Delinquent Status for Corporate 

Applicants.’’ The AD–3030 must be 

submitted if entity is a corporate nonprofit or for-profit corporation as 

indicated in the applicants SAM 

registration. 

c. SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances for NonConstruction Programs.’’ The SF–242B 

must be completed by all applicants. 

d. SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances for NonConstruction Programs.’’ The SF–242B 

must be completed by all applicants. 

ix. Verification of Matching Funds. 

You must provide verification of all 

matching funds that will be contributed 

to the project. You must include a letter 

signed by the donating organization’s 

authorized representative on the 

organization’s letterhead that identifies 

the amount of matching funds, the time 

period during which matching funds 

will be available, and the source of the 

funds (e.g., cash on hand, etc.). See 

Section Eligibility Information (C 3) for 

more information. 

x. Risk Review: The Agency may 

request additional documentation from 

selected applicants in order to evaluate 

the financial, management, and 

performance risk posed by awardees as 

required by 2 CFR 200.205. Based on 

this risk review, the Agency may apply 

special conditions that correspond to 

the degree of risk assessed. 

xi. National Environmental Policy 

Act: This Notice has been reviewed in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, 

‘‘Environmental Policies and 

Procedures.’’ We have determined that 

an Environmental Impact Statement is 

not required because the issuance of 

regulations and instructions, as well as 

amendments to them, describing 

administrative and financial procedures 

for processing, approving, and 

implementing the Agency’s financial 

programs is categorically excluded in 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA) regulation found at 7 CFR 

1970.53(f). We have determined that 

this Notice does not constitute a major 

Federal action significantly affecting the 

quality of the human environment. 

xii. Civil Rights Compliance 

Requirements: All awards made under 

this Notice are subject to Title VI of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964 as required by 

7 CFR part 15, subpart A and Section 

504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

3. Unique entity identifier and System 

for Award Management (SAM). DUNS 

and SAM Numbers: Each applicant 

(unless the applicant is an individual 

excepted from those requirements under 

2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an 

exception approved by the Federal 

awarding agency under 2 CFR 

25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be 

registered in SAM before submitting its 

application; (ii) provide a valid unique 

entity identifier (Data Universal 

Numbering System (DUNS) number) in 

its application; and (iii) 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 Agency may not make a 

Federal award to an applicant until the 

applicant has complied with all 

applicable unique entity identifier and 

SAM requirements and, if an applicant 

has not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time Agency is 

ready to make a Federal award, 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. Applicants must obtain a 

DUNS and register in SAM prior to 

registering with Grants.gov. Applicants 

are strongly encouraged to apply early 

for their DUNS number and SAM 

registration. 

i. Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) Number: A DUNS number is a 

unique, nine-digit sequence recognized 

as the universal standard for identifying 

and keeping track of over 70 million 

businesses worldwide. Applicants must 

obtain a DUNS number. Information on 

how to obtain a DUNS number can be 

found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/ 

webform or by calling 1–866–705–5711. 

Please note that the registration may 

take up to 14 business days to complete. 

ii. System for Award Management 

(SAM) Registration: SAM is the official 

Federal system that consolidated the 

capabilities of Central Contractor 

Registry, Federal Agency Registration, 

Online Representations and 

Certifications Application, and 

Excluded Parties List System. To 

register, go to: https://www.sam.gov/ 

portal/public/SAM/. Please allow a 

minimum of 5 days to complete the 

SAM registration. 

4. Submission Dates and Times. 

Midnight Eastern Standard Time on 

September 5, 2018. You must submit 

your application using Grants.gov by the 

deadline date and time. Note that there 

are registration requirements for 

submitting applications using the 

Grants.gov system. We recommend that 

you review the instructions for 

registering as soon as possible, but at 

least two weeks before you plan to 

submit your application. The 

requirements can be viewed at: http://

grants.gov/applicants/organization_

registration.jsp. Your application will be 

rejected by Grants.gov if you miss the 

deadline. We will not accept it in a 

different format, and we will not 

consider it for funding. 

i. Acknowledgement of receipt: 

Grants.gov provides receipt of 

application submissions. The Agency 

acknowledges receipt of proposals 

received by the submission deadline via 

email. An applicant who does not 

receive such an email acknowledgement 

within 5 business days of the 

submission deadline, but believes the 

proposal was submitted within the 

submission deadline, must contact the 

Agency at 202–568–9832 or 

Christine.Sorensen@wdc.usda.gov 

within 10 business days of the 

submission deadline. Failure to do so 

may result in the proposal not being 

considered. 

ii. Withdrawal: Proposals may be 

withdrawn by written notice at any time 

before award execution. Written notice 

of withdrawal must be signed by the 

applicant or an authorized 

representative. 

All required application documents 

must be submitted by midnight Eastern 

Standard Time on Wednesday, 


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September 5 via www.grants.gov AND 

by emailing RD.Innovation@

osec.usda.gov. 

Submitting an application through 

www.grants.gov requires completing a 

variety of tasks and steps. There are also 

several preliminary registration steps 

before the applicant can submit the 

application. To register in the 

Grants.gov system, go to 

www.grants.gov, click on ‘‘Applicants’’, 

then click on ‘‘Get Registered.’’ If you 

have completed a prior Grants.gov 

application, you may already have 

completed the registration process. 

Please allow sufficient time to register 

in Grants.gov, and for possible system 

delays. Below are instructions for 

accessing the forms necessary to 

complete an application in Grants.gov: 

i. Go to www.grants.gov. Information 

about submitting an application using 

Grants.gov is located on the Grants.gov 

website, along with supplementary 

materials. 

ii. Select the ‘‘Applicant’’ tab. 

iii. Select the ‘‘Apply for Grants’’ 

heading. 

iv. Click on ‘‘Get Application 

Package.’’ Follow all steps. 

v. Provide the ‘‘Funding Opportunity 

Number’’ or return to the ‘‘Search 

Grants’’ section. 

vi. All necessary forms are included 

within the Grants.gov ‘‘Application 

Package.’’ 

Applications not received through 

Grants.gov by the submission due date 

and time are not accepted for 

consideration. The emailed application 

must be assembled into one pdf file 

document in the order specified in 

section IV, part A. All applications must 

contain all of the elements of a complete 

package and meet the requirements 

described in this announcement. 

Grants.gov provides instructions for 

submitting the required application 

items through the portal. Application 

receipt date and time will be 

determined by the respective systemgenerated documentation of receipt date 

and time (Grants.gov provides date and 

time stamps for all proposals submitted 

through the portal). 

The Agency is not responsible for any 

technical malfunctions or website 

problems related to Grants.gov or 

emailed submissions. If you encounter 

issues with Grants.gov, please contact 

the Grants.gov help desk at (800) 518– 

4726 or support@grants.gov. The 

applicant assumes the risk of any delays 

in application submission through 

Grants.gov. 

5. Intergovernmental Review. 

Intergovernmental Review: Executive 

Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental 

Review of Federal Programs, applies to 

this program. This E.O. requires that 

Federal agencies provide opportunities 

for consultation on proposed assistance 

with State and local governments. Many 

States have established a Single Point of 

Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this 

consultation. A list of States that 

maintain an SPOC may be obtained at: 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ 

grants_spoc. If your State has an SPOC, 

you must submit your application 

directly for review. Any comments 

obtained through the SPOC must be 

provided to us for consideration as part 

of your application. If your State has not 

established an SPOC, we will submit 

your application to the appropriate 

agency or agencies at our discretion. 

Applications from Federally-recognized 

Indian Tribes are not subject to 

Intergovernmental Review. 

6. Funding Restrictions. 

i. Pre-award Costs. Pre-award costs 

are not authorized. 

ii. Use of Funds. Award funds may be 

used to pay up to 50 percent of the 

project costs. 

iii. Period of Performance. The 

maximum Period of Performance is 2 

years. Applicants should anticipate a 

Period of Performance beginning 

September 30, 2018 and ending no later 

September 30, 2020. 

iv. Indirect Cost Rate. The indirect 

cost rate is limited to 10 percent of 

direct charges for all nonprofit 

institutions, including institutions of 

higher education. All other 

organizations must use the rate 

identified in their Negotiated Indirect 

Cost Rate Approval (NICRA). If you do 

not have a NICRA, you may elect to 

charge only direct costs to the award. If 

you have never had a NICRA, you may 

also choose to use a de minimis rate of 

10 percent of modified total direct costs 

in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f). 

Your indirect cost rate must be included 

on Form SF–424A. 

v. Program Income. If you expect to 

earn Program Income during the Period 

of Performance, you must identify the 

amount and how you expect to use it 

(e.g. Matching Funds) in your 

application. If your application is 

funded, unexpected Program Income or 

Program Income earned in excess of the 

amount you identify in your application 

will be deducted from the Federal share 

of the project in accordance with 2 CFR 

200.307(e)(1). 

vi. Prohibited Costs. In addition to 

costs identified as unallowable by 2 CFR 

part 200, the following costs are 

prohibited for this program. Neither 

award funds nor matching funds can be 

used to pay for the following types of 

expenses. 

a. Duplicating services currently 

provided; 

b. Funding a revolving loan fund; 

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. Providing assistance to only one 

individual, organization, or business; 

j. Paying obligations incurred before 

the beginning date without prior Agency 

approval or after the ending date of the 

cooperative agreement; 

k. Purchasing real estate; 

l. Improvement or renovation of the 

recipient’s office space or for the repair 

or maintenance of privately owned 

vehicles; 

m. Any purpose prohibited in 2 CFR 

part 200 or 400; 

n. Using cooperative agreement 

assistance or matching funds for 

Individual Development Accounts; 

o. Purchasing vehicles. 

V. Application Review Information 

Applications will first be reviewed to 

determine if they meet the eligibility 

requirements and comply with the 

funding restrictions in this Notice. If we 

determine that your application is 

ineligible, we will discontinue 

processing it, which means that we will 

not evaluate it further or provide any 

scoring information. We will notify you 

in writing regarding the reason(s) for 

ineligibility, and we will provide a 

description of your options if you 

believe that our determination is 

incorrect. Note that in the event that our 

determination is reversed, either due to 

the discovery of an Agency error or 

through a formal appeal, funding is 

restricted to available fiscal year 2018 

funds. 

If your application is determined to be 

eligible, we will further evaluate it 

based on the following criteria. All 

applications will be competitively 

ranked and the minimum score 

requirements for a cooperative 

agreement award under this Notice is 60 

points. 

1. Evaluation Criteria: We will only 

use the information that you provide in 

your application to evaluate your 

proposed project. We will not review 

references to websites or publications, 

so we encourage you to fully address 

each criterion. 


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i. Soundness of Approach (0–20 

points). The applicant can receive up to 

20 points for soundness of approach. 

The maximum 20 points for this 

criterion will be based on the following: 

a. The objectives must be clearly 

stated in the proposal and the applicant 

must define how this proposal will be 

implemented. The applicant must 

demonstrate how the proposal will 

strengthen the capacity of rural 

communities in developing and 

implementing regional plans for 

economic development. The applicant 

must demonstrate how the proposed 

technical assistance includes both the 

planning and implementation 

components referenced in Section C. 

The applicant must also demonstrate 

how the proposed technical assistance 

will expand rural communities’ ability 

to access funding and planning 

resources to convene community 

members. The applicant must also 

demonstrate how the proposal will 

support implementation of regional 

economic development plans and 

should include descriptions on how 

proposed technical assistance will result 

in actionable steps to support 

implementation of these plans. (10 

points) 

b. The applicant clearly outlines their 

ability to provide the proposed 

technical assistance based on clearly 

stated and well-documented prior 

accomplishments. (5 points) 

c. The proposal clearly outlines how 

it will implement activities to support 

alignment with one or more of the five 

key strategies (achieving e-connectivity, 

developing the rural economy, 

harnessing technological innovation, 

supporting a rural workforce, and 

improving quality of life in Rural 

America) the Agriculture and Rural 

Prosperity Task Force Report. (5 points) 

ii. Partnerships (0–25 points). The 

applicant can receive up to 25 points for 

quality of the applicant’s existing 

partnerships and proposed new 

partnerships for this effort. The 

applicant must recruit one or more 

private and/or public partners to meet 

match requirements and maximize 

leveraging of regional economic 

development plans developed through 

this project. The maximum 25 points for 

this criterion will be based on the 

following: 

a. The applicant demonstrates how 

their proposal will focus on the quantity 

and quality of partnerships, including 

the ability to leverage new partners that 

have previously had limited engagement 

with RD projects or priorities to leverage 

resources, enhance technical assistance, 

and/or increase reach to underserved 

areas. The proposal must demonstrate 

that partners with shared missions and 

goals will be engaged to amplify reach 

in rural areas. (10 points) 

b. The applicant demonstrates how 

their proposal will support the quantity 

and quality of match commitments to 

support this project, and percentage of 

match in cash form versus in-kind 

contributions. (5 points) 

c. The applicant will demonstrate 

how their proposal will support the 

ability of applicant to leverage other 

community-driven plans or projects 

such as Comprehensive Economic 

Development Strategies (CEDS) or other 

Federally-recognized regional economic 

development plans. (5 points) 

d. The applicant will demonstrate 

how their proposal will utilize 

partnerships outside of RD. The 

applicant will identify such 

partnerships and will demonstrate how 

they will provide access to such 

partnerships to support implementation 

of projects identified through 

development of regional economic 

development plans. (10 points) 

iii. Innovation (0–10 points). The 

applicant can receive up to 10 points for 

innovative methods and practices to 

support development of regional 

economic development plans. The 

maximum 10 points for this criterion 

will be based on the following: 

a. The applicant’s proposal should 

demonstrate the ability of the applicant 

to propose methods and practices to 

utilize unique and innovative planning 

methods that are currently not being 

implemented at scale. (5 points) 

b. The applicant’s proposal should 

demonstrate the ability of the applicant 

to demonstrate that the proposed 

innovative methods and practices have 

been field-tested and ready to scale. (5 

points) We are looking for unique and 

innovative ideas that are not currently 

being implemented at scale, so projects 

that propose innovative solutions that 

haven’t been readily deployed before 

will receive higher points. 

iv. Organizational Capacity & 

Qualifications (0–15 points). The 

applicant can receive up to 15 points 

based on organizational capacity and 

qualifications. The maximum 15 points 

for this criterion will be based on the 

following: 

a. The applicant’s proposal should 

demonstrate that the applicant has 

knowledge and prior experience in 

regional planning, particularly related to 

rural issues. The applicant should 

specify years of experience, types of 

communities served, and outcomes 

achieved. (10 points) 

b. The applicant’s proposal should 

demonstrate that the applicant has 

identified appropriate key personnel, 

both in terms of number of personnel 

and qualifications of personnel, to carry 

out the approach identified. Capacity of 

personnel to access data for needs 

assessments and access to planners and 

other technical experts will be 

evaluated. (5 points) 

v. Work Plan (0–15 points). The 

applicant can receive up to 15 points 

based on the quality of the proposed 

work plan and approach. The maximum 

15 points for this criterion will be based 

on the following: 

a. Applicants should use the 

approved work plan template to include 

the following information: Description 

of objective, background approach, 

timeframe for key tasks along with 

substantial involvement, budget and 

deliverables that are necessary to 

implement project to support regional 

economic development planning in 

rural communities. Reasonableness and 

appropriateness of key tasks will be 

evaluated based on proposed project 

approach. (5 points) 

b. The applicant’s proposal should 

include a description of the types and 

general locations of rural communities 

to be served through this project, 

including the ability to support multiple 

rural planning activities across the 

nation and the reasonableness of 

effectively serving these communities 

based on key personnel, established 

timeframes, and budget. (5 points) 

c. The applicant’s proposal should 

include a description and 

appropriateness of the tasks to 

incorporate active participation from RD 

staff. (5 points) 

vi. Performance Outcomes (0–15 

points). The applicant can receive up to 

15 points based on the quality of the 

proposed performance measures to 

evaluate progress and impacts of 

proposed project. The maximum 15 

points for this criterion will be based on 

the following: 

a. The applicant’s proposal should 

include a description for how the results 

of the technical assistance will be 

measured, including the benchmarks to 

be used to measure effectiveness. 

Benchmarks should be specific and 

quantifiable. (10 points) 

b. The applicant’s proposal should 

include a description of benchmarks 

and outcomes achieved during 

previously deployed planning efforts. (5 

points) 

2. Review and Selection Process: All 

eligible applications will be evaluated 

based on the process described below. 

i. Review Process. All eligible 

applications will be evaluated by an 

Application Review Panel using the 

criteria described in Section E.1 of this 

Notice. Panel members will be 


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appointed by the Agency and they will 

be qualified to evaluate the applications, 

based on the type of work proposed by 

the applicant. 

ii. Selection Process. Applications 

will be ranked in descending order, 

according to the scores awarded by the 

Panel. Applications will be funded in 

rank order, until all available funds 

have been expended. Applications at or 

near the funding line may be funded in 

part, if the Agency believes an 

appropriate benefit can result from 

partial funding and if the applicant 

agrees to the amount of partial funding. 

In the event the Agency considers 

partial funding to be appropriate, we 

will contact the applicant and negotiate 

the final work plan and budget prior to 

approving an award. 

iii. Anticipated Announcement and 

Award Dates. All awards must be 

obligated by September 30, 2018. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Federal Award Notices: 

i. Successful applicants. Successful 

applicants will be notified in writing by 

the Agency with a Letter of Conditions 

(LOC). The LOC is a notice of selection 

and does not indicate that an award has 

been approved, nor is it an 

authorization to begin performance on 

the award. While there may be special 

conditions that apply on a case-by-case 

basis, the following conditions are 

standard for all successful applicants. 

a. Complete Form RD 1942–46, 

‘‘Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.’’ 

b. Complete Form RD 1940–1, 

‘‘Request for Obligation of Funds.’’ 

c. Complete FMMI Vendor Code 

Request Form. 

d. Provide a copy of your 

organization’s Negotiated Indirect Cost 

Rate Agreement. 

e. Certify that all work completed for 

the award will benefit a rural area. 

f. Certify that you will comply with 

the Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 and report 

information about subawards and 

executive compensation. 

g. Certify that the U.S. has not 

obtained an outstanding judgement 

against your organization in a Federal 

Court (other than in the United States 

Tax Court). 

h. Execute Form SF–424B, 

‘‘Assurances—Non-Construction 

Programs.’’ 

i. Execute Form SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure 

Form to Report Lobbying,’’ if applicable 

or certify that your organization does 

not lobby. 

j. Execute Form AD–1047, 

‘‘Certification Regarding Debarment, 

Suspension, and Other Responsibility 

Matters-Primary Covered Transactions.’’ 

k. Obtain a certification on Form AD– 

1048, ‘‘Certification Regarding 

Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility 

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier 

Covered Transactions,’’ from anyone 

you do business with as a result of this 

award. 

l. Execute Form AD–1049, 

‘‘Certification Regarding a Drug-Free 

Workplace Requirements (Grants).’’ 

m. Execute Form AD–3031, 

‘‘Assurance Regarding Felony 

Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status for 

Corporate Applicants.’’ 

n. Execute Form RD 400–4, 

‘‘Assurance Agreement.’’ 

Once the conditions described in the 

LOC have been met, the award will be 

approved through the execution of Form 

RD 4280–2 in conjunction with the 

RDCA Program Attachment. If an 

applicant is unable to meet the 

conditions of the award within 90 

calendar days, the award will be 

withdrawn. 

ii. Unsuccessful applicants. 

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified 

in writing no later than October 31, 

2018. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. The terms of the award 

are available at: http://

forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/efcommon/ 

eFileServices/eForms/RD4280-2.PDF. 

3. Reporting Requirements. The 

following reporting requirements apply 

to awards made through this program. 

i. Performance Reports: Form SF– 

PPR, ‘‘Performance Progress Report,’’ 

must be submitted quarterly based on 

the following time periods: January 1– 

March 31, April 1–June 30, July 1– 

September 30, and October 1–December 

31. Quarterly reports are due within 30 

calendar days of the end of the reporting 

period. A final report is due within 90 

calendar days of the completion of the 

project or the end of the period of 

performance, whichever comes first. 

Both quarterly and final performance 

reports must be submitted electronically 

to 202–568–9832 or 

Christine.Sorensen@wdc.usda.gov. 

ii. Financial Report: Form SF–425, 

‘‘Federal Financial Report’’ must be 

submitted quarterly based on the 

following time periods: January 1– 

March 31, April 1–June 30, July 1– 

September 30, October 1–December 31. 

Quarterly reports are due within 30 

calendar days of the end of the reporting 

period. A final report is due within 90 

calendar days of the completion of the 

project or the end of the period of 

performance, whichever is comes first. 

Both quarterly and final reports must be 

submitted electronically to 

Christine.Sorensen@wdc.usda.gov. 

iii. Report Suitable for Public 

Distribution: A report suitable for public 

distribution that describes the 

accomplishments of the project is due 

within 90 calendar days of the 

completion of the project. There is no 

format prescribed for this report, but it 

is expected that it will be 1–2 pages in 

length and describe the project in such 

a way that a member of the public not 

familiar with the project would gain an 

understanding of the impact of the 

project. 

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact 

If you have questions, you may 

contact Christine Sorensen at 202–568– 

9832 or Christine.Sorensen@

wdc.usda.gov. 

VIII. Notice to Applicants 

The Federal Government is not 

obligated to make any Federal award as 

a result of this announcement. Only 

authorized Federal officials can bind the 

Federal Government to the expenditure 

of funds. 

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 TARTET 

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 


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information requested in the form. To 

request a copy of a 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 at: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Dated: August 10, 2018. 

Anne Hazlett, 

Assistant to the Secretary, USDA Rural 

Development. 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P 


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RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION (REDI) 

FY18 COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT 

APPLICATION PACKAGE CHECKLIST 

D Application Forms (in Grants.gov application package). 

D Executive Summary (1-page maximum). 

D Applicant Qualifications (1-2 pages). 

D Key Personnel Qualifications (1-2 pages). 

D Project Proposal (15-page maximum). 

D Project Background. 

D Project Objectives. 

D Project Methods. 

D Geographic Location or Project Areas. 

D Project Management (Applicants are required to include a Work Plan Chart that 

lists each major Task by Key Personnel involved, Time Period of the task, 

Substantial Involvement of Rural Development staff, Deliverables, and Budget 

associated with each task). 

D Performance Measures. 

D Graphics, References, Citations (Do not count against the 15-page maximum) 

D Letters of Support (i.e. match requirement, additional resource commitment from 

partners, etc.). 

D Budget Information (10-page maximum). 
41056 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 

[FR Doc. 2018–17765 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–C 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Establishment of Maximum Interest 

Rate 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service 

(RHS or Agency) seeks public comments 

on updating the provisions of the Single 

Family Housing Guaranteed Loan 

Program (SFHGLP), specifically 

regarding the maximum interest rate, its 

impact on loan making to potential 

SFHGLP borrowers, and possible 

changes to the interest rate cap. RHS is 

soliciting input regarding the maximum 

interest rate to help the Agency 

determine whether the interest rate cap 

should be modified in order to support 

the agency’s mission to offer applicants, 

who are unable to secure the credit 

necessary for such housing from other 

sources under conventional credit 

terms, an opportunity to acquire new or 

existing housing for use as a primary 

residence; finance the repair and 

rehabilitation costs associated with the 

purchase of the home; and refinance an 

existing Section 502 loan to lower the 

interest rate. 

These opportunities are provided to 

applicants under terms and conditions 

which the applicant can reasonably be 

expected to fulfill. 

DATES: Written Comments: Interested 

parties must submit written comments 

on or before October 16, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in either 

paper or electronic format by the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send your comments addressed 

to Kate Jensen, Finance and Loan 

Analyst, Single Family Housing 

Guaranteed Loan Program, USDA Rural 

Development, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, STOP 0784, Room 2250, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate 

Jensen, Finance and Loan Analyst, at 

kate.jensen@wdc.usda.gov or (503) 894– 

2382. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

RHS delivers programs authorized by 

the Housing Act of 1949, as amended 

(42 U.S.C. 1472 et seq.) (Housing Act). 

The preamble to the Housing Act 

declares that every American deserves a 

‘‘decent home and a suitable living 

environment.’’ RHS guarantees a variety 

of housing loans for home purchases, 

repair, and rental housing development 

in rural areas. The SFHGLP provides 

low- and moderate-income borrowers 

access to mortgage credit by 

guaranteeing loans issued by agencyapproved private sector lenders. Loans 

may finance the full construction and 

acquisition cost of a property up to 100 

percent of the appraised value. 

Mortgages have 30-year terms and fixed 

rates negotiated with the lender that 

cannot exceed an interest rate cap that 

is determined by the Agency. Financing 

may also be used to refinance existing 

USDA guaranteed or direct loans. The 

program maintains its neutral or slightly 

negative subsidy status through 

guarantee and annual loan fees. 

Request for Comment 

Stakeholder input is vital to ensure 

that the maximum interest rate 

continues to support the agency’s 

mission and not overly burden SFHGLP 

lenders and their customers. Currently, 

the maximum allowable interest rate is 

defined in Section 7.3.B of the program 

handbook (available at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/files/3555- 

1chapter07.pdf) as the current Fannie 

Mae posted yield for 90-day delivery 

(Actual/Actual), plus one percent for 30- 

year fixed rate conventional loans, 

rounded up to the nearest one quarter of 

one percent. The Agency is considering 

whether to modify the maximum 

interest rate and would like stakeholder 

feedback on the issue. 

The following questions and 

discussion items are posed to guide 

stakeholder comments. Where possible, 

RHS requests that comments include 

specific suggestions regarding ways to 

improve existing programs and delivery 

mechanisms and eliminate or minimize 

the duplication of RHS’s regulation and 

policies with work performed by other 

entities, including federal, state, and 

local agencies. RHS welcomes pertinent 

comments that are beyond the scope of 

these questions. 

1. Should the Agency continue with 

the requirement that the maximum 

allowable interest rate shall not exceed 

the current Federal National Mortgage 

Association posted yield for 90-day 

delivery (Actual/Actual) plus one 

percent for 30-year fixed rate 

conventional loans, rounded up to the 

nearest one quarter of one percent? 

2. Should the Agency consider 

indexing the maximum allowable 

interest rate to a source other than the 

Federal National Mortgage Association? 

3. Should a higher maximum 

allowable interest rate cap be 

established? If so, what maximum rate 

is recommended, and why? 

4. Does the current maximum interest 

rate create any barriers to loan making 

in eligible rural areas? If so, how and 

under what circumstances? 

5. What effect would increasing or 

eliminating the maximum interest rate 

have for loan originators and borrowers 

in underserved populations and rural 

communities? 

6. If the maximum allowable interest 

rate cap were to be increased or 


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