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PROJECT NARRATIVE GUIDE

USDA REGIONAL FOOD BUSINESS CENTERS PROGRAM

PROJECT NARRATIVE GUIDE OVERVIEW

This document is to be used as a guide to help prepare applications for the USDA Regional Food

Business Centers Program. Submission of the project narrative template is MANDATORY. All 

sections in the project narrative template must be completed. Applicants must review the 

Regional Food Business Center Request for Applications (RFA). The Project Narrative must 

comply with the specific instructions, format, and content defined in Section 4.2.4 of the RFA.

The project narrative must be typed and single-spaced in an 11-point font and must not exceed 

fifteen (15) 8.5 x 11 pages (excluding pre-existing form content). For example, if the form is 10 

pages before you begin entering your project narrative information, your form may be up to 25 

pages in length when completed (10 original pages + 15 pages of applicant content). DO NOT 

modify the margins of the Project Narrative form. Narrative forms over the page limit will not 

be considered and may cause the disqualification of your application. Supporting materials, 

such as resumes, letters of commitment from Key Partner organizations, letters of support from 

Collaborators, Key Partner Budget Forms, negotiated indirect cost rate agreements, and

accounting system and financial capability forms can be submitted as attachments and do not 

count towards the 15-page limit.

You must submit the Project Narrative form as a PDF and attach it to the Grants.gov application 

package using the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” found within the application package. 

Handwritten applications or applications submitted in MS Word will not be accepted. Prior to 

submitting the application to Grants.gov, please make sure no tracked changes or mark-up 

edits and comments are visible.

The following definitions apply to this document:

Applicant refers to the Lead Applicant and Key Partners submitting the application.
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Collaborators are organizations that may provide a variety of kinds of training, technical 

assistance, or other services to the Centers. Collaborators do not need to be qualifying eligible 

entities and, in some cases, it is possible that they may not be located in the geographic regions 

that the Centers will serve. They should provide letters of support outlining the services it is 

anticipated that they will provide to the Centers and estimated cost of those services, when 

possible, included as attachments to the Narrative Form. These organizations do not have a 

role in overall planning, management and implementation of the Center. Resumes for staff of 

these groups are not required and their financial role is included in the contractual section of 

the budget. 

Eligible Entities are Non-Federal Entities, which are defined in 2 CFR 200.1 as State, local 

governments, Indian tribes, Institutions of Higher Education (IHE), and nonprofit organizations. 

See Section 3.1.

Key Partners are the other eligible entities that with the Lead Applicant compose the 

partnership (Applicant) applying to operate the Regional Food Business Center. Key Partners 

must be located in and have a history of providing services necessary to the development of 

regional food systems in the region the Center will serve. Key Partners must provide Letters of 

Commitment with the application to operate a Regional Food Center. Key Partners must each 

also provide Budget Forms as attachments to the Narrative Form.

Lead Applicant is the lead eligible entity of the partnership applying to operate the Regional 

Food Business Center. The Lead Applicant is responsible for all financial management and 

reporting and must have demonstrated capacity and experience managing a high value and 

quantity of federal funds. They bear overall responsibility for program management and 

execution. The Lead Applicant must be located within and have a history of providing services 

necessary to regional food system development in the region the Center will serve. See Section 

3.1.

The Partnership is composed of the Lead Applicant and the Key Partners applying to operate a 

Regional Food Business Center. The members of the Partnership must include at least three 

organizations, all of which must be eligible entities, and the Partnership must include 

organizations from at least two different categories of eligible entity. The Key Partners work 

closely with the Lead Applicant to form the Partnership and they share planning, 

implementation and reporting responsibilities. Lead Applicants and their Key Partners must sign 

Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) within 45 days of the signing of a Cooperative 

Agreement.
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Project Team is the key staff from the Lead Applicant and Key Partner organizations who will be 

managing the Regional Food Business Center’s work. Resumes of the members of the Project 

Team should be included with the Narrative Form.

NOTE: There are two appendices to this document “Appendix A: Explanatory Lead Applicant Budget in 

Project Narrative Form” and “Appendix B: Explanatory Key Partner Budget Form.” These include 

examples that provide additional clarity and should not be used as a template for the application. 

PROJECT NARRATIVE FORM INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lead Applicant Organization

This section must be the same as Box 8 of the SF-424. All applications to lead a Regional Food 

Center must come from an eligible entity (“the Lead Applicant”) representing a partnership and 

must be physically based in the region. A partnership is an agreement among three or more 

eligible entities representing at least two of the eligible entity types. The Lead Applicant must 

be the organization in the partnership that is responsible for receiving and managing the 

award. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements as described in Section 3.1 of the RFA

to be awarded a cooperative agreement.

2. Authorized Organization Representative (AOR)

Thissection must match Box 21 of the SF-424. The AOR isthe individual who is authorized to sign

any document on behalf of the organization. This is the member of the organization that 

authorizes the submission of the application to Grants.gov on behalf of an organization or 

institution. It is highly recommended that the AOR be different from the project coordinator or 

person designated by the organization to direct the project or activities being supported under 

the cooperative agreement.

3. Project Coordinator or Director

This person should be a different individual than the Authorized Organization Representative 

(AOR). This is a member of the organization that is dedicated to managing and executing key 

objectives of the proposed business center.

4. Lead Applicant Entity Type

Select the entity type that best represents the Lead Applicant organization. Section 3.1 of the 

RFA describes each entity type.

5. Key Partner Entity Types
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Select the entity type that best represents each of the Key Partner organizations. Please select 

all that apply. The Lead Applicant and the Key Partners that make up the Project Team must 

have a physical presence within, and have a history of serving, the region for which they are 

applying to serve as a Regional Food Center, and must be domestic entities owned and 

operated within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands or Indian tribal lands in the geographic regions of the United States. Section 3.1 

of the RFA describes each entity type. Note: Applicants must provide letters of commitment 

from all Key Partners (Section 4.2.5 of the RFA details letter of commitment requirements) as 

well as Key Partner Budget Forms. There is an explanation of how to fill out the form below, 

Appendix A.

6. Geographic Region and Priority Area(s)

This section must list states within the geographic region your proposal is supporting. For the 

purposes of this program, a geographic region is defined as reaching all, or part, of at least 

three states or territories or a 400-mile radius. While desired, regions do not need to be 

geographically contiguous. For example, multiple states and/or territories with similar needs, 

such as locations outside the lower 48 states, may propose a region serving noncontiguous 

areas of the United States or territories. Section 1.4 of the RFA provides details on regions and 

priority area(s). 

Applicants should be as specific as possible about the geographic region they propose to serve. 

This should include a clear description of the area of a state that will participate if a whole state 

will not be served. Key Partners and Collaborating agencies may include a list of the counties in 

which they will be working in their letters of commitment and letters of support to provide full 

information without adding to the length of the application. The applicants must define priority 

areas that they will serve within their proposed region that would classify as high need, 

underserved communities that were particularly affected by the pandemic.

7. Does the Geographic Region include:

Select the Geographic Region in the High Priority Areas your application plans to serve if 

applicable. 

8. Project Title

This section must match Box 15 of the SF-424. Provide a descriptive title that summarizes the 

main idea(s) of your project. The title should include “Regional Food Business Center” and also

identify the region or states the center will serve. The title should also be concise and clearly

describe the content and purpose of your project. If selected for funding, the title of your 
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project and the executive summary will be made publicly available on our website. The title 

should be limited to 200 characters.

9. Requested USDA Regional Food Business Centers Funds

This section must match Line 18a of the SF-424. This is the total amount of federal funds the

applicant is requesting. The amount of funds requested must not be less than the minimum 

amount ($15 million) or exceed the maximum award amount ($50 million). See section 2.5 on 

the RFA.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The executive summary is the first impression of the project and is the opportunity to capture 

the reviewer’s attention. It must describe the project’s needs, purpose, goals, and expected 

outcomes. The executive summary must: 1) be no more than 250 words 2) be written in plain 

language for the general public to understand 3) use sentences; no bullets 4) briefly describe 

intended beneficiaries 5) briefly describe any subawards and 6) identify Key Partnerships and 

critical Collaborators and (7) briefly describe outreach activities. We recommend writing the 

summary after the rest of the proposal has been completed or is close to being done. The 

executive summary will be published on our website for public view. This summary should be 

the same as the one provided on the Project Abstract Summary form.

GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS

Describes the project’s proposed geographic region and priority area(s), why it is the most

appropriate place and boundary for a Regional Food Center, the impact that the region would 

experience due to the geographic focus, and justification for the priority areas and their 

potential market connections within the region. This section should also include specific data 

showing why the region and priority areas were chosen. Applications should describe the 

degree of historic economic distress experienced in the project region, including the economic 

impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The application should describe the Lead Applicant and

Key Partners’ prior history, collaborative efforts, commitment, and track record demonstrating

why the Lead Applicant, Key Partners, and Collaborators are well-equipped to serve the 

selected region. You must articulate the reason behind the selected geographic region and 

demonstrate how the proposed plan will leverage existing assets and develop new assets to 

support the region’s food systems. Note on Tribal Center: The Tribal Center’s region is 

“national” in focus and should frame Indian Country food systems nationally and how the 

applicant/partnership intends to leverage resources in a culturally appropriate manner.
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ALIGNMENT AND INTENT 

Clearly and concisely describe the project’s proposed work to serve as a cornerstone in the 

development of the local and regional supply chains, including coordination, technical 

assistance, and capacity building support to small and mid-sized food and farm businesses, with 

the goal of creating a more resilient, diverse, and competitive food system. Provide a clear, 

well-conceived, and suitable Work Plan that describes how the Lead Applicant, Key Partners 

and Collaborators will achieve the goals and activities outlined in the RFA. 

This section should align with the goals and activities described in the RFA and the sustainability

section. It should provide a history of collaboration and engagement among partners to ensure 

high levels of participation from the surrounding community or provide a clear and concise plan 

for how such engagement will occur. The Lead Applicant should also describe plans for 

coordination, communication, data sharing, and reporting across the region, and with other

USDA Regional Food Business Centers, USDA, and other stakeholder groups.

SUSTAINABILITY 

Describe how the work, including that of the Lead Applicant, Key Partners and Collaborators, 

will be sustained beyond the cooperative agreement’s period of performance (without federal

funds) and/or how the project will lay the foundation for future resilience in the region after 

the project ends. This could include but is not limited to describing how the Regional Food 

Center plans to leverage and build on existing organizations, assets, and efforts to build 

capacity for this work within the region for future impact. The application should detail plans to 

collaborate with other federal, state, regional, tribal, and local initiatives that support 

complementary efforts, including the all-of-government Rural Partners Network led by USDA, 

to provide sustained support for the region.

PARTNERS AND EXPERTISE 

Your description must include prior activities the Lead Applicant and Key Partners have engaged 

in that demonstrate their experience, expertise, and ability related to project responsibility and 

goals.

Applications must show a substantial, effective, and diverse array of Key Partners and 

Collaborators, including organizations operated by historically underserved groups and 

individuals, to accomplish the agreement’s goals and objectives and meet the needs of the 

intended beneficiaries.
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KEY PARTNER LIST

Individually list the name of the organization, the type of organization and the exact role of 

each organization that is a Key Partner of the Lead Applicant. These organizations must all be 

eligible entities and the Key Partners must include at least two different types of eligible entity. 

Feel free to add additional rows as needed. These organizations must submit Letters of 

Commitment with the application and will sign an MOU within 45 days of the awarding of the 

cooperative agreement.

KEY STAFF (LEAD APPLICANT AND KEY PARTNER 

PERSONNEL)

List all key project staff, including personnel from the Lead Applicant and Key Partner 

organizations (see Section 1.3.5 in the RFA for definitions) that comprise the Project Team, their 

role in the project and a one-page resume or summary of relevant experience and/or 

qualifications for each of the members of the Project Team. Key Staff Resumes should be 

included as attachments to the application. 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 

Applicants must demonstrate experience in food and agriculture business development services 

and an ability to support the wide-ranging needs of stakeholders in the region, including 

providing market development and value chain/supply chain coordination. The application 

should clearly outline past efforts and planned strategies to reach historically underserved 

populations, racial minorities, and women, as well as past experience which demonstrates 

cultural competencies to achieve such objectives within the region. Applicants must 

demonstrate how their project design meaningfully involves and serves historically underserved 

businesses and communities and is committed to engaging potential beneficiaries as active 

participants in Regional Food Business Center activities. Applicants must identify potential 

challenges to partner recruitment and engagement, and achievement of goals or outcomes, 

and describe possible strategies to address the challenges. The application should demonstrate 

evidence of consultation with and involvement of underserved individuals prior to or during the 

creation of the proposal.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Applicants must describe a monitoring and evaluation plan that identifies potential feedback 

mechanisms and metrics that evaluate and quantify the results of project activities and will 
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meet USDA’s evaluation requirements, including submitting the required semi-annual report 

which will collect metrics on the objectives outlined in Section 1.2 of the RFA. The metrics must 

consider equity and diversity for technical assistance providers, businesses served, and 

subrecipients. The applicant must also discuss how they will coordinate with USDA to align 

metrics and reporting with other Federal equity-focused efforts and explain how the proposed 

metrics consider equity and diversity for technical assistance providers, businesses served, and 

subrecipients. In this section, the applicant must explain the methods, systems, and 

infrastructure that will be used to collect and compile data and reports from partners and 

subawards. The applicant must describe plans for coordination, communication, appropriate 

data sharing and necessary systems to monitor and collect evaluation data.

FISCAL PLAN AND FINANCIAL CONTROLS

Applicants must complete the Budget and Justification section described below. Provide a clear 

description for each line item and ensure that the budget is consistent with the size and scope 

of the agreement. In addition, please describe the Lead Applicant’s fiscal management plan 

including the commitment from organizational leadership, the key staff who will be responsible 

for managing the financial systems, the expertise and experience of the Project Team necessary 

to successfully manage the funds and implement the project, and a demonstrated successful 

financial audit history of the Lead Applicant. The Lead Applicant must also demonstrate the 

ability to manage the financial, reporting, and evaluation burdens of a large number of 

subagreements. 

BUDGET AND JUSTIFICATION

The Lead Applicant will submit the Center’s proposed budget and the total should be equal to 

the amount the Lead Applicant is requesting in a cooperative agreement from USDA 

Agricultural Marketing Service. The budget must show the total cost for the project and

describe how category costs listed in the budget are derived. The budget justification must 

provide enough detail for reviewers to easily understand how costs were determined and how 

they relate to the project objectives and expected outcomes. The budget must show a 

relationship between work planned and performed to the costs incurred.

The required Key Partner Budget Forms will allow reviewers to understand in more detail how 

the Center’s work will be allocated among the partners and what each will be doing. The total 

of each Key Partner’s Budget Form should equal the amount listed for them on the Lead 

Applicant’s budget in the Contractual section.
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LEAD APPLICANTS

Remember to include a Key Partner Budget Form for each Key Partner as attachments to the 

Project Narrative.

EXPENSE CATEGORY AND PERCENTAGE OF FUNDS TABLE 

Define the percentage of funds that will be used for administration, coordination, technical 

assistance, and capacity building. Describe how this breakdown best meets the needs of your 

defined region. All four sections should add up to 100%.

On the Lead Applicant Project Narrative Form, the percentages provided in this table should be 

based on the total amount of funds being requested by the Lead Applicant. This includes the

cost for the Lead Applicant plus Key Partners, Collaborators, contracts, etc.

Note on Administration Category: This is the total administrative cost for the Center to provide 

Coordination, Technical Assistance and Capacity Building services. This should include Lead 

Applicant and Key Partner staff providing administrative support to the Centers and the Lead 

Applicant’s indirect costs. It should not include the personnel costs of staff directly engaged in 

Coordination, Technical Assistance and Capacity Building work. 

The section-by-section explanations below apply to the Lead Applicant budget included in the 

Narrative Form AND to the Key Partners’ Budget Forms that are included as attachments to the 

application. Please remember that the Lead Applicant should only include the Personnel, 

Fringe, and Travel costs of its staff on the Narrative form budget and the Equipment, Supplies, 

and Other expenditures that it will be making for its’ use during the term of the project. The 

total costs of each Key Partner, Collaborator, consultant, and other service providers are 

reported in the Lead Applicant’s Contractual section. 

A breakdown of each Key Partner’s Personnel, Fringe, Travel, Contractual, Equipment, Supplies 

and Other costs are reported on their respective Key Partner Budget Forms. Key Partners 

should include the total anticipated costs for each Collaborator, consultant, etc. in the 

Contractual section on its’ budget form. Explanations of what should be included in each 

budget section are provided below and explanatory forms are included in the Appendices at the 

end of this document.

BUDGET SUMMARY TABLE 

The Budget Summary should list how much in federal funds each line item will equal. The total

budget should include both direct and indirect funds. Refer to RFA Section 4.6, the Program 

Specific Terms and Conditions, and the AMS General Terms and Conditions for more 

information on allowable and unallowable expenses.
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The Contractual line on the Lead Applicant budget summary table should include the total 

amount spent by each Key Partner as reflected on its Key Partner Budget Form as well as other 

contractual spending by the Lead Applicant.

PERSONNEL

List each person from the Lead Applicant/Key Partner organization who will have a substantive 

role or will perform work directly for the project and the amount of funding requested. Also list 

anticipated hires (specific people do not need to be identified, just type of position, the anticipated 

role, and estimated salary).

Personnel salaries should be reasonable for the services rendered, conform to the 

organization’s established written policy, and consistently apply to both federal and nonfederal activities. These should include cost of living increases or other increases to ensure that 

the budget is adequate to pay for those staff in later years of the project if the staff are 

anticipated to work throughout the life of the agreement. Personnel salaries are considered 

reasonable to the extent that is consistent with what is paid for similar work within the 

organizations or comparable to the labor market in which the organization competes for the

kind of employees involved. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics contains wage data available by 

area and occupation that can be used as the basis for your personnel salary. Refer to 2 CFR § 

200.430 for more information. Personnel costs only apply to the staff of the Lead Applicant/Key 

Partner and do not include the cost for the services of Collaborators, consultants and 

contractors. Those should be listed as totals in the Contractual section. 

FRINGE BENEFITS

The fringe benefits are allowances and services provided by employers to their employees as

compensation in addition to regular salaries and wages. Fringe benefits include, but are not 

limited to the cost of leave, employee insurance, pension, and unemployment benefits. Provide 

the fringe benefit rates for each of the project’s salaried employees listed above. The costs of 

fringe benefits should be reasonable and in line with the established policies of your

organization. If the fringe is higher than 35% you must provide a justification. Refer to 2 CFR § 

200.431 for more information. Include any anticipated cost increases in fringe benefits over the 

course of the project. 

As with Personnel costs, the Lead Applicant/Key Partner budgets should include only the fringe 

benefits of their staff. 

TRAVEL

Travel costs are the expenses for transportation, lodging, subsistence, and related items 

incurred by employees who are in travel status on official business of the non-federal entities. 

Such costs may be charged on an actual cost basis, on a per diem or mileage basis in lieu of
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actual costs incurred, or on a combination of the two, provided the method used is applied to 

an entire trip and not to selected days of the trip and results in charges consistent with those 

normally allowed in like circumstances in accordance with non-federal entity's written travel 

reimbursement policies. Travel must be integral to the purpose of the project, necessary for the 

individual(s) from the applicant organizations participating in the project and costs must be 

reasonable and consistent with the organizations’ travel policies.

Explain the purpose of each Trip Request and the funds requested. Estimate the costs of all 

trips planned over the course of the 5-year program, even if exact details are unknown. 

Conferences that occur each year can be grouped together on one line. Please note that travel

costs are limited to those allowed by formal organizational policy and for employees working 

directly on the project and in the case of air travel, project participants must use the lowest 

reasonable commercial airfares. For recipient organizations that have no formal travel policy 

and for-profit recipients, allowable travel costs may not exceed those established by the

Federal Travel Regulations, issued by GSA, including the maximum per diem and subsistence 

rates prescribed in those regulations. This information is available at http://www.gsa.gov. Refer

to 2 CFR § 200.475 for more information.

EQUIPMENT

Describe and justify any general or special purpose equipment to be rented or purchased under

the cooperative agreement. Equipment purchases that support producer access to new 

markets and/or benefit local and regional supply chains are generally allowable as special 

purpose equipment, for both Regional Food Business Centers and subrecipients. Special 

purpose equipment in subawards purchases may include transportation, processing, 

aggregation, or storage investments specific to the operation of the Center; value chain/supply 

chain innovation or upgrades, including equipment or technology upgrades or investments to 

support process adaptations; and product development, packaging, and marketing of 

agricultural products. 

Equipment must be necessary for the research, scientific, or other technical activities of the 

cooperative agreement. It may not be otherwise reasonably available and accessible and must 

be acquired in accordance with organizational practices. Purchases over $5,000 should be 

included in this section and must be approved and the purchased equipment monitored by 

AMS, as required by 2 CFR § 200.313. Regional Food Business Center funds may not be used for 

construction and property acquisition, per uniform guidance on federal financial assistance. All 

AMS awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations 

described in the Program Specific and AMS General Terms and Conditions.

If funded, the Lead Applicant and/or Key Partners must maintain records and perform a 

physical inventory every two years of the equipment acquired with grant funds. The equipment 
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also includes accessories necessary to make the equipment operational. These types of items

with a unit cost of less than $5,000 should be categorized as supplies, pursuant to 2 CFR Part 

200. Refer to 2 CFR § 200.313, RFA section 4.6.1, and the Program Specific Terms and 

Conditions for more information.

SUPPLIES

Supplies mean all tangible personal property other than those listed under the equipment 

section. List the materials, supplies, and fabricated parts costing less than $5,000 per unit and

describe concisely how they will support the purpose and goal of the proposal. Refer to 2 CFR § 

200.314 for more information.

CONTRACTUAL

The Contractual section for the Lead Applicant Budget includes the costs of Key Partners and 

Collaborators and any other contractual, consultant, and subaward agreements that are part of 

the completion of the project. The Key Partner Budget Form includes the cost of each 

Collaborator and any other contractual, consultant and subaward agreements. A subaward is 

an award provided by the non-federal entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out 

part of a Federal award received by the non-federal entity. Contractual/consultant costs are 

expenses associated with purchasing goods and/or procuring services performed by an 

individual or organization other than the applicant in the form of a procurement relationship. If 

there is more than one contractor or consultant or subaward, each must be described 

separately. Selecting the “Type” in this section (Contract or Subaward) is optional and it is 

understood that it is subject to change based on the identified needs of the project. 

The Lead Applicant and Key Partners should provide a preference for acquisition of goods, 

products, and services produced in the United States, per 2 CFR § 200.322. The Lead 

Applicant/Key Partners must provide a concise description of the scope of work or services to 

be provided. The organization must award contracts or subawards only to responsible 

contractors or individuals that can perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the 

proposed agreement. The Lead Applicant/Key Partner and NOT AMS is responsible for the 

settlement of all contractual or subaward issues such as disputed, protests, and claims unless it 

is primarily a federal concern. AMS reserves the right to request organization’s procurement 

policies and final executed contracts at any time. Refer to 2 CFR§ 200.317 through 2 CFR §

200.327 for more information.

OTHER

Include any expenses not covered in any of the previous budget categories. All Business Builder 

subawards should be included in this category. Be sure to break down costs into cost/unit.

Other expensesin thissection include but are not limited to, meetings and conferences,
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communications, rental expenses, advertisements, publication costs, participant support costs, 

and data collection. The Lead Applicant (Project Narrative Form) and Key Partners (Key Partner 

Budget) must describe how the items listed fit the project activities. Business Builder 

subawards made by the Lead Applicant should be listed on its’ budget. Business Builder 

subawards made by individual Key Partner organizations should be included in this section of 

each Key Partner’s Budget Form.

INDIRECT (UPDATED FROM ORIGINAL VERSION ON 12/9/22. SEE FAQS FOR ANY 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WILL BE UPDATED AS WE RECEIVE QUESTIONS 

ON THE CHANGE.)

Indirect costs (also known as “facilities and administrative costs”—defined at 2 CFR § 200.1) are those 

costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily 

assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results 

achieved.

As stated in 2 CFR § 200.413 and 414 any non-Federal entity that does not have a current negotiated 

(including provisional) indirect cost rate, except State and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect 

Cost Proposals, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs 

(MTDC) that may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 10% de minimis 

indirect cost rate. As described in 2 CFR § 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect 

or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this 

methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a recipient 

chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the recipient may apply to do at any time.

All applicants who elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent must use the MTDC as the base. 

MTDC are defined in 2 CFR § 200.1 as all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials 

and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of 

performance of the subawards under the award). MTDCs exclude equipment, capital expenditures, 

charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support 

costs, and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may be excluded only when 

necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the 

cognizant agency for indirect costs.

If an applicant has a negotiated indirect cost rate approved by its cognizant agency, the applicant must 

submit a copy of its approved NICRA with its application. Entities that would like to negotiate an indirect 

cost rate must contact their cognizant agency. For assignments of cognizant agencies, see 2 CFR § 200.1. 

Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities.

All AMS awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations 

described in the AMS General Terms and Conditions and the Program Specific Terms and Conditions.

Eligible entities may propose direct costs for outreach, education, application evaluation & processing, 

and system improvements to properly implement the program.
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Applicants that have questions concerning the allowability of costs after reviewing this document should 

contact AMS staff using the contact information listed under Section 7.0 of the RFA.

PROGRAM INCOME

Program income is gross income earned by a recipient (in this case the Lead Applicant) or 

subrecipient (in this case a Key Partner or other subrecipient of funds through subaward or 

contract) under a cooperative agreement—directly generated by award-supported activity or 

earned only because of the cooperative agreement during the period of performance. Program 

income includes, but is not limited to, income from fees for services performed; the sale of 

commodities or items fabricated under an award (this includes items sold at cost if the cost of 

producing the item was funded in whole or partially with grant funds); registration fees for 

conferences, etc. AMS authorizes the use of program income through the additive method as 

described in 2 CFR § 200.307(e)(2). Any program income generated during the period of 

performance must be used to further the objectives of the project. If the project is expected to 

generate income as part of the award activities, you must include the estimated amount and

explain how it will be reinvested in the project. If awarded, you will have to record any program 

income and report to AMS using the Federal Financial Report (SF-425). Refer to 2 CFR § 

200.307 for more information. Applicants are not required or expected to have Program 

Income. Please write Not Applicable in the Program Income Total area if Program Income is not 

expected to be earned throughout the duration of the agreement.
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APPENDIX A: EXPLANATORY LEAD APPLICANT BUDGET IN PROJECT NARRATIVE 

FORM 

(This is meant to be an example to provide additional clarity and should not be used as a template for the application).

BUDGET AND JUSTIFICATION

The budget must show the total cost for the project and describe how category costs listed in the budget are derived. The budget 

justification must provide enough detail for reviewers to easily understand how costs were determined and how they relate to the 

Project Objectives and Expected Outcomes. The budget must show a relationship between work planned and performed to the costs

incurred. Add additional rows to a table as needed.

Refer to RFA Section 4.6, the Program Specific Terms and Conditions, and the AMS General Terms and Conditions for more 

information on allowable and unallowable expenses.

Define what percentage of funds will be used for agreement administration, coordination, technical assistance, and capacity 

building. Describe how this breakdown meets the region’s needs.

Expense category Percentage of funds

Administration % This is the total administrative cost for the Center to provide Coordination, Technical Assistance and 

Capacity Building services. This should include Lead Applicant and Key Partner staff providing administrative 

support to the Centers and the Lead Applicant indirect costs. It should not include the personnel costs of 

staff directly engaged in Coordination, Technical Assistance and Capacity Building work. 

Coordination %

Technical Assistance %
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 16

Expense category Percentage of funds

Capacity Building %

100%

BUDGET SUMMARY (LEAD APPLICANT) 

Expense category Federal funds

Personnel Lead Applicant's personnel

Fringe benefits Lead Applicant’s fringe

Travel Lead Applicant’s travel 

Equipment Lead Applicant’s equipment

Supplies Lead Applicant’s supplies 

Contractual/subawards This is the total amount of funds the Lead Applicant will provide to Key Partners, Collaborators, service 

providers, and others, to carry out activities as part of the Center’s overall activities. This includes 

subawards, contracts, or agreements. This should include the total reported on each Key Partner Budget 

form.

Other (specify) Business Builder subawards and other expenses not previously listed. 
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 17

Expense category Federal funds

Direct costs subtotal

Indirect costs The Lead Applicant should include only their indirect costs here, and not those in contracts or 

subawards. Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.414(c)(1), USDA is required to accept the NICRA from those entities 

that have one. As stated in 2 CFR § 200.413 and 414 any non-Federal entity that does not have a current 

negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate, except State and Local Government and Indian Tribe 

Indirect Cost Proposals, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs 

(MTDC) that may be used indefinitely.

Total budget (direct + 

indirect)

PERSONNEL

List each person at the Lead Applicant organization who has a substantive role in the project and the amount of the request. 

Personnel costs should be reasonable for the services rendered, conform to the established written policy of your organization, and 

consistently applied to both Federal and non-Federal activities. 
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 18

Name, title Justification for requesting funds Level of effort

(# of hours OR % FTE) Annual salary requested

Current staff Activities/Role this staff member will perform for this 

project.

Year 1: $

Year 2: $

Year 3: $

Year 4: $

Year 5: $

Anticipated hire Activities/Role the anticipated hire will perform for 

this project.

Year 1: $

Year 2: $

Year 3: $

Year 4: $

Year 5: $

Anticipated hire Activities/Role the anticipated hire will perform for 

this project.

Year 1: $

Year 2: $

Year 3: $

Year 4: $

Year 5: $
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 19

Add additional rows as needed 

Personnel subtotals: $

FRINGE BENEFITS

Provide the fringe benefit rates for each of the salaried employees listed above. The costs of fringe benefits should be reasonable and 

in line with established policies of your organization. If the fringe is higher than 35% you must provide a justification.

Name, Title Fringe Benefit Rate Funds Requested

$

$

Add additional rows as needed 

Fringe benefits subtotal: $

TRAVEL

Explain the purpose for each Trip Request for Lead Applicant personnel. Please note that travel costs are limited to those allowed by 

formal organizational policy; in the case of air travel, project participants must use the lowest reasonable commercial airfares. For 

recipient organizations that have no formal travel policy and for-profit recipients, allowable travel costs may not exceed those 

established by the Federal Travel Regulations, issued by GSA, including the maximum per diem and subsistence rates prescribed in 

those regulations. This information is available at https://www.gsa.gov/.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 20

Travel Description (Justification)

Expense type 

(airfare, car 

rental, etc.)

Unit of Measure 

(days, miles, etc)

# of Units 

over 5 Years Costs/unit # of Travelers Funds Requested

Ex. Annual conference that is 

important to the work of the 

Center that Lead Applicant staff 

will be attending each year.

Airfare, 

vehicle 

transportatio

n (rental car 

or taxi), hotel, 

per diem

Flights + 

ground 

transport+ 

lodging +

MI&E

Total number 

of trips that 

will be taken 

to/from 

conference 

over 5 years

Estimated 

cost of 

each trip

Total number 

of staff 

attending the 

conference 

over 5 years

Total # of 

trips x # of 

attendees x 

estimated

cost of each 

trip

Ex. Lead Applicant staff doing 

multiple trips within state to 

provide technical assistance to 

Business Builder Grantees

Personal car, 

hotel, and per 

diem 

Daily Mileage 

+ Per Diem + 

Lodging

Total days 

travel per 

year x 5 

years

Average 

total daily 

cost 

# staff 

traveling 

Total # of 

days 

travelled x # 

of staff x

average 

travel cost 

per day

Add additional rows as needed 

Travel subtotal: $

☐ By checking this box, I affirm that my organization’s established travel policies will be adhered to when completing the abovementioned trips in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.475 or 48 CFR subpart 31.2, as applicable.

EQUIPMENT

Describe any special purpose equipment to be purchased or rented by the Lead Applicant under the Cooperative Agreement. ‘‘Special 

purpose equipment’’ is tangible, nonexpendable, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost 
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 21

that equals or exceeds $5,000 per unit and is used only for research, medical, scientific, or other technical activities. Equipment 

purchases up to and including $5000 is allowable. Purchases over $5,000 must be approved and the purchased equipment 

monitored by AMS, as required by 2 CFR § 200.313. Rental of "general purpose equipment’’ must also be described in this section. 

Purchase of general purpose equipment is not allowable under this grant. See RFA Section 4.6.1 and the Program Specific Terms and 

Conditions for more information on equipment. 

Item 

# Description and funds justification Rental or purchase? Quantity Price Per Unit

Date 

acquired?

Funds 

requested

1 Ex. Freezer being rented for the exclusive use of 

Regional Food Center activities. Rental 1

$8,000 

Cost of 

rental for 

period

Date $8,000

2

Add additional rows as needed 

Equipment subtotal: $

SUPPLIES

List the materials, supplies, and fabricated parts costing less than $5,000 per unit and describe how they will support the purpose 

and goal of the proposal.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 22

Description and funds justification Cost/unit # of units Date acquired? Funds requested

Laptop computers for Center staff to use when providing technical assistance $3,000 8 Date $24,000

$

Add additional rows as needed 

Supplies subtotal: $

CONTRACTUAL

The Contractual section includes the costs of Key Partners and Collaborators and any other contractual, consultant, and subaward 

agreements that are part of the completion of the project. A subaward is an award provided by the non –federal entity to a 

subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the non-federal entity. Contractual/consultant 

costs are expenses associated with purchasing goods and/or procuring services performed by an individual or organization other 

than the applicant in the form of a procurement relationship. If there is more than one contractor or consultant or subaward, each 

must be described separately. 

Type Name/organization and funds justification Hourly/flat 

rate Funds requested

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional

Key Partner #1

Partner organization whose staff participates in the Project 

Team and who are actively engaged in planning, 

implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Center’s 

work over the course of 5 years.

$X – 5-year total (this amount 

should match the total on each 

Key Partner’s Budget Form)
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 23

Type Name/organization and funds justification Hourly/flat 

rate Funds requested

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional

Key Partner #2

$X – 5-year total

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional 

Collaborator #1

Organization that provides specific kinds of business training 

regularly across the region over the course of 5 years. $X – 5-year total

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional

Ex. Design of Center website 

$X – 5-year total

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional

Ex. Market Research 

$X – 5-year total

Add additional rows as needed 

Contractual subtotal: $
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 24

☐ By checking this box, I affirm that my organization followed the same policies and procedures used for procurements from non-federal 

sources, which reflect applicable State and local laws and regulations and conform to the Federal laws and standards identified in 2 CFR §§ 

200.317 through 200.327, as applicable. If the contractor(s)/consultant(s) is/are not already selected, I affirm that my organization will follow the 

same requirements.

Remember to include a Key Partner Budget Form for each Key Partner as attachments to this Project Narrative.

OTHER

Include any expenses not covered in any of the previous budget categories. Be sure to break down costs into cost/unit. Expenses in 

this section include, but are not limited to, meetings and conferences, communications, rental expenses, advertisements, 

publication costs, and data collection.

Description and funds justification Cost/unit # Units/pieces 

purchased

Date 

acquired? Funds requested

Business Builder subawards made by Lead Applicant $

Ex. Stipends for Steering Committee $

Ex. Publication costs $

Add additional rows as needed 

Other subtotal: $

INDIRECT

Indirect costs (also known as “facilities and administrative costs”—defined at 2 CFR § 200.1 are those costs incurred for a common 

or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, 
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 25

without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. For the indirect cost formula and additional information, refer to Section 

4.6.3 of the RFA.

Indirect cost rate requested (%) Funds requested

$

PROGRAM INCOME

Program income is gross income—earned by a recipient or subrecipient under a federal award—directly generated by the projectsupported activity or earned only because of the cooperative agreement during the period of performance. Program income 

includes, but is not limited to, income from fees for services performed; the sale of commodities or items fabricated under an award 

(this includes items sold at cost if the cost of producing the item was funded in whole or partially with grant funds); registration fees 

for conferences, etc.

Income source Description of how income is reinvested Funds expected

$

$

Program income total: $

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 26

PAPERWORK BURDEN STATEMENT

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it 

displays a valid OMB Control Number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0240. Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4 hours per response, including the time for reading and utilizing 

this document to prepare an application, reviewing which items are allowable, and understanding the terms and conditions of the 

grant award.

Upon completion, save this form as a PDF and attach it to the application package within Grants.gov using the "Project Narrative 

Attachment Form" on the application package. Ensure that Partner Budget Forms for each Key Partner are included as 

attachments.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 27

APPENDIX B: EXPLANATORY KEY PARTNER BUDGET FORM 

(This is meant to be an example to provide additional clarity and should not be used as a template for the application).

KEY PARTNER BUDGET

A Key Partner Budget Form for each Key Partner must be included as an attachment to the Project Narrative.

Organization Name

Key Contact

Email

Phone

BUDGET AND JUSTIFICATION

The budget must show the total cost for the project and describe how category costs listed in the budget are derived. The budget 

justification must provide enough detail for reviewers to easily understand how costs were determined and how they relate to the 

Project Objectives and Expected Outcomes. The budget must show a relationship between work planned and performed to the costs 

incurred. Add additional rows to a table as needed.

Refer to RFA Section 4.6, the Program Specific Terms and Conditions, and the AMS General Terms and Conditions for more 

information on allowable and unallowable expenses.

Define what percentage of funds will be used for agreement administration, coordination, technical assistance, and capacity 

building. Describe how this breakdown meets the region’s needs.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 28

BUDGET SUMMARY (KEY PARTNER) 

Expense category Federal funds

Personnel Key Partner’s personnel

Fringe benefits Key Partner’s fringe

Travel Key Partner’s travel

Equipment Key Partner’s equipment

Supplies Key Partner’s supplies

Contractual/subawards Total amount of funds the Key Partner will provide to Collaborators, service providers, and others, to carry out 

activities as part of the Center’s overall activities. This includes subawards, contracts, or agreements.

Other (specify) Includes the cost of Business Builder subawards made by the Key Partner and other expenses described below.

Direct costs subtotal

Indirect costs The Key Partner should include only their indirect costs here, and not those in contracts or subawards. Pursuant 

to 2 CFR 200.414(c)(1), USDA is required to accept the NICRA from those entities that have one. If a Key Partner 

has a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), their NICRA is honored and applied to their Key Partner 

budget. If a Key Partner does not have a NICRA in place, they are to use the 10% on MTDC de minimus rate. 

Total budget (direct + 

indirect)
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 29

PERSONNEL

List each person who has a substantive role in the project and the amount of the request. Personnel costs should be reasonable for 

the services rendered, conform to the established written policy of your organization, and consistently applied to both Federal and 

non-Federal activities. 

Name, title Justification for requesting funds Level of effort

(# of hours OR % FTE) Annual salary requested

Current staff Activities/Role this staff member will 

perform for this project. 

Year 1: $

Year 2: $

Year 3: $

Year 4: $

Year 5: $

Anticipated hire Activities/Role the anticipated hire will 

perform in this project.

Year 1: $

Year 2: $

Year 3: $

Year 4: $

Year 5: $
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 30

Name, title Justification for requesting funds Level of effort

(# of hours OR % FTE) Annual salary requested

Anticipated hire Activities/Role the anticipated hire will 

perform in this project.

Year 1: $

Year 2: $

Year 3: $

Year 4: $

Year 5: $

Add additional rows as needed 

Personnel subtotals: $

FRINGE BENEFITS

Provide the fringe benefit rates for each of the salaried employees listed above. The costs of fringe benefits should be reasonable 

and in line with established policies of your organization. If the fringe is higher than 35% you must provide a justification.

Name, title Fringe benefit rate Funds requested

$

$

Add additional rows as needed 

Fringe benefits subtotal: $
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 31

TRAVEL

Explain the purpose for each Trip Request. Please note that travel costs are limited to those allowed by formal organizational policy; 

in the case of air travel, project participants must use the lowest reasonable commercial airfares. For recipient organizations that 

have no formal travel policy and for-profit recipients, allowable travel costs may not exceed those established by the Federal Travel 

Regulations, issued by GSA, including the maximum per diem and subsistence rates prescribed in those regulations. This information 

is available at https://www.gsa.gov/.

Travel description (Justification)

Expense type 

(airfare, car 

rental, etc.)

Unit of measure 

(days, miles, etc)

# of units 

over 5 years Costs/unit # of travelers

Funds 

requested

Ex. Annual conference important to the 

work of the Center that Key Partner 

staff will be attending each year.

Airfare, vehicle 

transportation 

(rental car or 

taxi), hotel, per 

diem

Flights + ground 

transport+ lodging

+ MI&E

Total number 

of trips that 

will be taken 

to/from 

conference 

over 5 years

Estimated 

cost of 

each trip

Total 

number of 

staff 

attending 

the 

conference 

over 5 years

Total # of trips x 

# of attendees x

estimated cost 

of each trip

Ex. Key Partner staff doing multiple 

trips within state to provide technical 

assistance to Business Builder Grantees

Personal car, 

hotel, and per 

diem 

Daily Mileage + 

Per Diem + 

Lodging

Total days 

travel per 

year x 5 

years

Average 

total daily 

cost 

# staff 

traveling 

Total # of days x 

# of staff x

average travel 

cost per day

Add additional rows as needed 

Travel subtotal: $

☐ By checking this box, I affirm that my organization’s established travel policies will be adhered to when completing the above-mentioned trips 

in accordance with 2 CFR § 200.475 or 48 CFR subpart 31.2, as applicable.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 32

EQUIPMENT

Describe any special purpose equipment to be purchased or rented under the Cooperative Agreement. ‘‘Special purpose 

equipment’’ is tangible, nonexpendable, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost that 

equals or exceeds $5,000 per unit and is used only for research, medical, scientific, or other technical activities. Equipment 

purchases up to and including $5000 is allowable. Purchases over $5,000 must be approved and the purchased equipment 

monitored by AMS, as required by 2 CFR § 200.313. Rental of "general purpose equipment’’ must also be described in this section. 

Purchase of general purpose equipment is not allowable under this grant. See RFA Section 4.6.1 and the Program Specific Terms and 

Conditions for more information on equipment. 

Item 

# Description and funds justification Rental or purchase? Quantity Price per unit

Date 

acquired?

Funds 

requested

1 Ex. Freezer being rented for the exclusive use of Regional 

Food Center activities. Rental 1

$8,000 

Cost of 

rental for 

period

Date $8,000

2

Add additional rows as needed 

Equipment subtotal: $
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 33

SUPPLIES

List the materials, supplies, and fabricated parts costing less than $5,000 per unit and describe how they will support the purpose 

and goal of the proposal.

Description and funds justification Cost/unit # of 

units

Date 

acquired? Funds requested

Laptop computers for Key Partner staff to use when providing technical assistance $3,000 8 Date $24,000

$

$

Add additional rows as needed 

Supplies subtotal: $

CONTRACTUAL

The Contractual section includes the costs of Collaborators and any other contractual, consultant, and subaward agreements that 

are part of the completion of the project. A subaward is an award provided by the non –federal entity to a subrecipient for the 

subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the non-federal entity. Contractual/consultant costs are expenses 

associated with purchasing goods and/or procuring services performed by an individual or organization other than the applicant in 

the form of a procurement relationship. If there is more than one contractor or consultant or subaward, each must be described 

separately. 
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 34

Type Name/organization and funds justification Hourly/flat rate Funds requested

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional

Ex. Collaborator #1 Organization that provides specific kinds of business 

training regularly across the region over the course of 5 years.

$X – 5-year total

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional

Ex. Collaborator #2 to provide trainings on developing business feasibility 

studies

$X – 5-year total

Contract ☐

Subaward ☐

This is optional

Ex. Market Research study

$X – 5-year total

Add additional rows as needed 

Contractual subtotal: $

☐ By checking this box, I affirm that my organization followed the same policies and procedures used for procurements from non-federal 

sources, which reflect applicable State and local laws and regulations and conform to the Federal laws and standards identified in 2 CFR §§ 

200.317 through 200.327, as applicable. If the contractor(s)/consultant(s) is/are not already selected, I affirm that my organization will follow the 

same requirements.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 35

OTHER

Include any expenses not covered in any of the previous budget categories. Be sure to break down costs into cost/unit. Expenses in 

this section include, but are not limited to, meetings and conferences, communications, rental expenses, advertisements, 

publication costs, and data collection.

Description and funds justification Cost/unit # Units/pieces purchased Date acquired Funds requested

Business Builder subawards made by Key Partner $

Meeting costs for regional stakeholder gathering if paid 

from Key Partner budget and not Lead Applicant budget $

Publication Costs if paid from Key Partner budget and not 

Lead Applicant budget $

Add additional rows as needed 

Other subtotal: $

INDIRECT

Indirect costs (also known as “facilities and administrative costs”—defined at 2 CFR § 200.1 are those costs incurred for a common 

or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, 

without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. For the indirect cost formula and additional information, refer to Section 

4.6.3 of the RFA.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 36

Indirect cost rate requested (%) Funds requested

$

PROGRAM INCOME

Program income is gross income—earned by a recipient or subrecipient under a federal award—directly generated by the projectsupported activity or earned only because of the cooperative agreement during the period of performance. Program income 

includes, but is not limited to, income from fees for services performed; the sale of commodities or items fabricated under an award 

(this includes items sold at cost if the cost of producing the item was funded in whole or partially with grant funds); registration fees 

for conferences, etc.

Income source Description of how income is reinvested Funds expected

$

$

$

Program income total: $

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Updated December 13, 2022

Page | 37

PAPERWORK BURDEN STATEMENT

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it 

displays a valid OMB Control Number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0240. Public reporting 

burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 4 hours per response, including the time for reading and utilizing 

this document to prepare an application, reviewing which items are allowable, and understanding the terms and conditions of the 

grant award.

Upon completion, save this form as a PDF and attach it to the application package within Grants.gov using the "Project Narrative Attachment 

Form" on the application package. Ensure that Partner Budget Forms for each Key Partner are included as attachments.