7570 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 28 / Wednesday, February 11, 2015 / Notices 

Report and the Financial Status Report 

sections of the SF–425. Quarterly 

financial reports must be submitted to 

the designated OAO official within 30 

calendar days after the end of each 

calendar quarter. 

2. Final progress and financial reports 

will be required upon project 

completion. The final progress report 

should include a summary of the project 

or activity throughout the funding 

period, achievements of the project or 

activity, and a discussion of problems 

experienced in conducting the project or 

activity. The final financial report 

should consist of a complete SF–425 

indicating the total costs of the project. 

Final progress and financial reports 

must be submitted to the designated 

OAO official within 90 calendar days 

after the completion of the award 

period. 

Signed this 5th day of February, 2015. 

Carolyn C. Parker, 

Director, Office of Advocacy and Outreach. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02833 Filed 2–10–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of Advocacy and Outreach 

[FOA No.: OAO–00008] 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.443— 

Outreach and Assistance for Socially 

Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 

and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers 

Program 

AGENCY: Office of Advocacy and 

Outreach, USDA. 

ACTION: Funding opportunity 

announcement (FOA). 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

availability of funds and solicits 

applications from eligible entities to 

compete for financial assistance through 

the Outreach and Assistance for Socially 

Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 

and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers 

Program (hereinafter the ‘‘2501 

Program’’). 

The overall goal of the 2501 Program 

is to assist socially disadvantaged and 

veteran farmers and ranchers in owning 

and operating farms and ranches while 

increasing their participation in 

agricultural programs and services 

provided by the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA). This program will 

assist eligible community-based and 

non-profit organizations, higher 

education institutions, and tribal 

entities in providing outreach and 

technical assistance to socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers. 

DATES: Proposals must be received by 

April 13, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. EST, at 

www.grants.gov. Proposals received 

after this deadline will not be 

considered for funding. 

ADDRESSES: How to File a Complaint of 

Discrimination: To file a complaint of 

discrimination, complete the USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which may be accessed online at: 

http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/

files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_

8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you 

or your authorized representative. 

Send your completed complaint form 

or letter to USDA by mail, fax, or email: 

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410. 

Fax: (202) 690–7442. 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Agency Contact: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, DM—Office of Advocacy 

and Outreach, Attn: Kenya Nicholas, 

Program Director, Whitten Building 

Room 520–A, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, 

Phone: 202–720–6350, Fax: 202–720– 

7136, Email: OASDVFR2015@

osec.usda.gov. 

Persons with Disabilities: Persons who 

require alternative means for 

communication (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.), should contact USDA’s 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TDD). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Funding/Awards: The total funding 

potentially available for this competitive 

opportunity is $9.1 million. The Office 

of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO) will 

award new grants from this 

announcement, subject to availability of 

funds and the quality of applications 

received. All applications will be 

considered new projects and will 

compete based on the applicant’s entity 

type (i.e., community-based 

organization, higher education 

institution, etc.), as described below. 

The maximum amount of requested 

federal funding for projects shall not 

exceed $400,000. The maximum project 

period is one (1) year. 

Funding will be awarded based on 

peer competition within the three (3) 

categories listed below. The amount of 

funding that OAO anticipates awarding 

within each category is identified 

below; however, OAO reserves the 

discretion to make available more or 

less than those anticipated amounts 

depending on the number and quality of 

applications received. There is no 

commitment by OAO to fund any 

particular application or to make a 

specific number of awards within each 

category. 

1. Category #1: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.2, III.A.3, 

and III.A.4 (1890, 1994, and HispanicServing Institutions of higher education, 

American Indian tribal community 

colleges, and Alaska Native cooperative 

colleges). 

Anticipated amount of total funding: 

$4,000,000. 

2. Category #2: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.1 and III.A.6 

(i.e., community-based organizations, 

including a network or a coalition of 

community-based organizations, Indian 

tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 450b), 

and national tribal organizations). 

Anticipated amount of total funding: 

$4,000,000. 

3. Category #3: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.5 and III.A.7 

(i.e., all other institutions of higher 

education and other organizations or 

institutions, including those that 

received funding under this program 

before January 1, 1996). 

Anticipated amount of total funding: 

$1,100,000. 

Contents of This Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

II. Award Information 

III. Eligibility Information 

IV. Proposal and Submission Information 

V. Application Review Information 

VI. Award Administration Information 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

A. Background 

The 2501 Program, administered by 

the OAO, is committed to ensuring 

equitable participation in USDA 

programs. Community-based and nonprofit organizations, higher education 

institutions, and eligible tribal entities 

can play a critical role in addressing the 

unique difficulties socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers face. Differences in 

demographics, culture, economics, and 

other factors preclude a single approach 

to identifying solutions that can benefit 

farmers and ranchers by connecting 

them with resources available from 

USDA. 

1. The 2501 Program was authorized 

by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 

and Trade Act of 1990. The Food, 

Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 

expanded the authority of the Secretary 

of Agriculture (the Secretary) to provide 

awards under the program and 

transferred the administrative authority 

to OAO. The 2014 Farm Bill further 

expanded the program to include 

outreach and assistance to veterans. The 


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2501 Program extends USDA’s capacity 

to work with members of farming and 

ranching communities by funding 

projects that enhance the equitable 

participation of socially disadvantaged 

and veteran farmers and ranchers in 

USDA programs. Projects are intended 

to build lasting relationships between 

USDA and socially disadvantaged and 

veteran farmers and ranchers to improve 

their ability to start and maintain 

successful agricultural businesses. 

2. Form of Submission 

Organizations may only submit one 

proposal for funding. 

B. Scope of Work 

The 2501 Program provides funding 

for outreach and technical assistance 

projects designed to assist socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers in owning and operating viable 

agricultural enterprises. The OAO 

requests applications from eligible 

entities, which will provide outreach 

and technical assistance to socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers. 

Proposed activities must address two 

or more of the following priority areas: 

1. Assist socially disadvantaged or 

veteran farmers and ranchers in owning 

and operating successful farms and 

ranches; 

2. Improve participation among 

socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers and ranchers in USDA 

programs; 

3. Build relationships between current 

and prospective socially disadvantaged 

or veteran farmers and ranchers and 

USDA’s local, state, regional and 

National offices; 

4. Introduce agriculture-related 

information to socially disadvantaged or 

veteran farmers and ranchers through 

innovative outreach and technical 

assistance techniques. 

To encourage information sharing and 

to build capacity among awardees, the 

OAO may require Project Directors to 

attend an annual training conference 

that can be expensed with awarded 

grant funds not to exceed $1,000 for up 

to two authorized grantee personnel. 

The conference will allow awardees to 

share ideas and lessons learned, provide 

training on performance and financial 

reporting requirements, and provide 

information on USDA programs and 

services. In addition, Project Directors 

will have an opportunity to make 

contacts and gather information on best 

practices. 

C. Anticipated Outputs/Outcomes 

1. Outputs. The term ‘‘output’’ means 

an outreach or assistance activity, effort, 

and associated work product related to 

improving the ability of socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers to own and operate farms and 

ranches and to participate equitably in 

USDA programs and related activities. 

Outputs may be quantitative or 

qualitative but must be measurable 

during an assistance agreement funding 

period. 

Examples of outputs from the projects 

to be funded under this announcement 

may include, but are not limited to, the 

following: 

a. Number of socially disadvantaged 

and veteran farmers or ranchers served; 

b. number of completed applications 

submitted for consideration for USDA 

programs; 

c. number of socially disadvantaged 

and veteran farmers and ranchers who 

attended conferences or trainings; 

d. number of conferences or training 

sessions held; 

e. type and topic of educational 

materials distributed at outreach events; 

f. creation of a program to enhance the 

viability of socially disadvantaged and 

veteran farmers and ranchers; or 

g. activity that supports increased 

participation of socially disadvantaged 

farmers and ranchers and veteran 

farmers and ranchers in USDA 

programs. 

Creation of progress and final reports 

will be required, as specified in Section 

VI, Subsection D, ‘‘Reporting 

Requirement.’’ 

2. Outcomes. The term ‘‘outcome’’ 

means the result, effect, or consequence 

that will occur from carrying out an 

outreach or assistance program or 

activity that is related to a programmatic 

goal or objective. Outcomes may be 

agricultural, behavioral, social, 

economic, or programmatic in nature. 

Project Directors will be required to 

document anticipated outcomes that are 

funded under this announcement which 

should include but are not limited to: 

a. Increase in participation in USDA 

programs among socially disadvantaged 

and veteran farmers and ranchers; 

b. increase in receptiveness of socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers to outreach efforts through 

effective communication; 

c. increase in economic stability of 

socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers within a defined 

geographic area; 

d. increase in community marketing 

and sales opportunities for the products 

of socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers; or 

e. increased use of resource 

conservation and sustainability 

practices among socially disadvantaged 

and veteran farmers and ranchers. 

3. Performance Measures. To be 

eligible for consideration for funding, 

the applicant must develop performance 

measures expected to be achieved 

through proposed activities. These 

performance measures will provide 

insight and will be the mechanism to 

track progress. It is expected that the 

description of performance measures 

will include an estimate of the number 

of socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers served by the 

outreach and assistance activities of the 

project, including the assumptions used 

to make those estimates. 

The following are questions to 

consider when developing output and 

outcome measures of quantitative and 

qualitative results: 

• What are the measurable short term 

and longer term results the project will 

achieve? 

• How does the plan measure 

progress in achieving the expected 

results (including outputs and 

outcomes) and how will the approach 

use resources effectively and efficiently? 

II. Award Information 

A. Statutory Authority 

The statutory authority for this action 

is 7 U.S.C. 2279, as amended, which 

authorizes award funding for projects 

designed to provide outreach and 

assistance to socially disadvantaged and 

veteran farmers and ranchers. 

B. Expected Amount of Funding 

The total estimated funding expected 

to be available for awards under this 

competitive opportunity is $9.1 million. 

Funding will be awarded based on peer 

competition within the three (3) 

categories listed below. The amount of 

funding that OAO anticipates awarding 

within each category is identified 

below; however, OAO reserves the 

discretion to make available more or 

less than those anticipated amounts 

depending on the number and quality of 

applications received. There is no 

commitment by OAO to fund any 

particular application or to make a 

specific number of awards within each 

category. 

1. Category #1: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.2, III.A.3, 

and III.A.4 (1890, 1994, and Hispanicserving institutions of higher education, 

American Indian tribal community 

colleges, and Alaska Native cooperative 

colleges). 

Anticipated amount of total funding: 

$4,000,000. 

2. Category #2: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.1 and III.A.6 

(i.e., community-based organizations, 

including a network or a coalition of 


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community-based organizations, Indian 

tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 450b), 

and national tribal organizations). 

Anticipated amount of total funding: 

$4,000,000. 

3. Category #3: Eligible entities 

described in Sections III.A.5 and III.A.7 

(i.e., all other institutions of higher 

education and other organizations or 

institutions that received funding under 

this program before January 1, 1996). 

Anticipated amount of total funding: 

$1,100,000. 

C. Project Period 

The project period for awards 

resulting from this solicitation will not 

begin prior to the effective award date 

and may not exceed one year. 

D. Award Type 

Funding for selected projects will be 

in the form of a grant which must be 

fully executed no later than September 

30, 2015. The anticipated Federal 

involvement will be limited to the 

following activities: 

1. Approval of awardees’ final budget 

and statement of work accompanying 

the grant agreement. 

2. Monitoring of awardees’ 

performance through quarterly and final 

financial and performance reports; and 

3. Evaluation of awardees’ use of 

federal funds through desk audits and 

on-site visits. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Entities 

1. Any community-based 

organization, network, or coalition of 

community-based organizations that: 

• Demonstrates experience in 

providing agricultural education or 

other agricultural-related services to 

socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers; 

• provides documentary evidence of 

work with, and on behalf of socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers during the 3-year period 

preceding the submission of a proposal 

for assistance under this program; and 

• does not or has not engaged in 

activities prohibited under Section 

501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code 

of 1986. 

2. An 1890 or 1994 institution of 

higher education (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 

7601). 

3. An American Indian tribal 

community college or an Alaska Native 

cooperative college. 

4. A Hispanic-Serving Institution of 

higher education (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 

3103). 

5. Any other institution of higher 

education (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1001) 

that has demonstrated experience in 

providing agricultural education or 

other agricultural-related services to 

socially disadvantaged farmers and 

ranchers. 

6. An Indian tribe (as defined in 25 

U.S.C. 450b) or a National tribal 

organization that has demonstrated 

experience in providing agricultural 

education or other agriculturally-related 

services to socially disadvantaged 

farmers and ranchers. 

7. All other organizations or 

institutions that received funding under 

this program before January 1, 1996 but 

only with respect to projects that the 

Secretary considers are similar to 

projects previously carried out by the 

entity under this program. 

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching 

Matching is not required for this 

program. 

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria 

Applications from eligible entities 

that meet all criteria will be evaluated 

as follows: 

1. Proposals must comply with the 

submission instructions and 

requirements set forth in Section IV of 

this announcement. Pages in excess of 

the page limitation will not be 

considered. 

2. Proposals must be received through 

www.grants.gov as specified in Section 

IV of this announcement on or before 

the proposal submission deadline. 

Applicants will receive an electronic 

confirmation receipt of their proposal 

from www.grants.gov. 

3. Proposals received after the 

submission deadline will be considered 

late and will not be considered. 

4. Proposals must address two or 

more of the priority areas that provide 

outreach and assistance to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers and 

ranchers as stated in Section I, 

Subsection B, Scope of Work. 

IV. Proposal and Submission 

Information 

A. Obtain Proposal Package 

Applicants may download individual 

grant proposal forms from 

www.grants.gov. For assistance with 

www.grants.gov, please consult the 

Applicant User Guide at (http://

grants.gov/assets/

ApplicantUserGuide.pdf). 

B. Form of Proposal Submission 

Applicants are required to submit 

proposals through www.grants.gov. 

Applicants will be required to register 

through www.grants.gov in order to 

begin the proposal submission process. 

We strongly suggest you initiate this 

process immediately to avoid processing 

delays due to registration requirements. 

Proposals must be submitted by April 

13, 2015, via www.grants.gov at 5:00 

p.m. EST. Proposals received after this 

deadline will not be considered. 

C. Content of Proposal Package 

Submission 

All submissions must contain 

completed and electronically signed 

original application forms, as well as a 

Narrative Proposal, as described below: 

1. Forms. The forms listed below can 

be found in the proposal package at 

www.grants.gov. 

• Standard Form 424, Application for 

Federal Assistance; 

• Standard Form 424A, Budget 

Information—Non-Construction 

Programs; and 

• Standard Form 424B, NonConstruction Programs. 

2. Attachments. The elements listed 

below are required for all grant 

proposals and are included in the 

proposal package at www.grants.gov as 

fillable PDF templates. Applicants must 

download and complete these 

attachments and save the completed 

PDF files to the application submission 

portal at www.grants.gov. Note: Please 

number each page of each attachment 

and indicate the total number of pages 

per attachment (i.e., 1 of 10, 2 of 10, 

etc.). 

• Attachment 1: Project Summary 

Page. The proposal must contain a 

Program Summary Page, which must 

follow immediately after the budget 

form, and should not be numbered. The 

program summary is limited to 250 

words. The program summary should be 

a self-contained, specific description of 

the activities to be undertaken. The 

summary should focus on the overall 

program goals and supporting objectives 

and plans to accomplish the goals. The 

importance of a concise, informative 

program summary cannot be 

overemphasized. Please do not reiterate 

the objectives of this program, the 

summary should reflect the goals of 

your specific proposal. 

• Attachment 2: Project Narrative. In 

15 double-spaced pages or less (oneinch margins, 12-point font), indicate 

the organization that will conduct the 

project, the geographical area served by 

the project, and the priority areas that 

will be addressed by the project. Please 

be concise. 

Æ Discuss the merits of your proposed 

project. Specifically, it is critical that 

the proposal: (1) Define and establish 

the existence of the needs of socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in 

the defined geographic area; (2) define 

and establish the existence of the needs 


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of veteran farmers and ranchers in the 

defined geographic area; (3) identify the 

experience of the organization(s) taking 

part in the project; (4) identify the 

geographic area of service; and (5) 

discuss the potential impact of the 

project. 

Æ Identify the qualifications, relevant 

experience, education, and publications 

of each Project Director or collaborator. 

Also, specifically discuss the roles and 

responsibilities of key personnel within 

the scope of work to be completed by 

the proposed project. This includes past 

completed projects and financial 

management experiences. 

• In an organized format, map out the 

timeline for each task to be 

accomplished during the proposed 

award period. Identify the relationship 

of each task to a priority area identified 

as one of the four priority areas in 

Section I, Subsection B. 

• Attachment 3: Budget Narrative. 

The budget narrative should identify 

and describe the costs associated with 

the proposed project, including subawards or contracts and indirect costs. 

An eligible entity that has never 

received a negotiated indirect cost rate 

may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 

10% of modified total direct costs in 

accordance with 2 CFR 200.414. Other 

funding sources may also be identified 

in this attachment. Each cost indicated 

must be allocable and fully allowable 

under the Federal Cost Principles in 

order to be funded. The budget narrative 

should not exceed 2 pages. 

• Attachment 4: Appendices. For 

example, any Letters of Commitment, 

Letters of Support and approvals or 

other actions by Tribal Governments are 

encouraged but not required 

documentation for this funding 

opportunity. However, applicants can 

consolidate all supplemental materials 

into one additional attachment. Do not 

include sections from other attachments 

as an Appendix. 

D. Sub-Awards and Partnerships 

Funding may be used to provide subawards, which includes using subawards to fund partnerships; however, 

the awardee must utilize at least 50 

percent of the total funds awarded, and 

no more than three subcontracts will be 

permitted. All sub-awardees must 

comply with applicable requirements 

for sub-awards. Applicants must 

provide documentation of a competitive 

bidding process for services, contracts 

and products, including consultant 

contracts, and conduct cost and price 

analyses to the extent required by 

applicable procurement regulations. 

The OAO awards funds to one eligible 

applicant as the awardee. Please 

indicate a lead applicant as the 

responsible party if other organizations 

are named as partners or co-applicants 

or members of a coalition or consortium. 

The awardee is accountable to the OAO 

for the proper expenditure of all funds. 

E. Submission Dates and Times 

The closing date and time for receipt 

of proposal submissions is April 13, 

2015, at 5:00 p.m., EST via 

www.grants.gov. Proposals received 

after the submission deadline will be 

considered late without further 

consideration. 

F. Confidential Information 

In accordance with 7 CFR 2500.017, 

the names of entities submitting 

proposals, as well as proposal contents 

and evaluations, will be kept 

confidential to the extent permissible by 

law. If an applicant chooses to include 

confidential or proprietary information 

in the proposal, it will be treated in 

accordance with Exemption 4 of the 

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 

Exemption 4 of the FOIA protects trade 

secrets, and commercial and financial 

information obtained from a person that 

is privileged or confidential. 

G. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance 

1. The OAO may not assist individual 

applicants by reviewing draft proposals 

or providing advice on how to respond 

to evaluation criteria. However, the 

OAO will respond to questions from 

individual applicants regarding 

eligibility criteria, administrative issues 

related to the submission of the 

proposal, and requests for clarification 

regarding the announcement. Any 

questions should be submitted to 

OASDVFR2015@osec.usda.gov. 

2. The OAO will post questions and 

answers (Q&A’s) relating to this funding 

opportunity during its open period at 

www.grants.gov on the following Web 

page: http://www.outreach.usda.gov/

grants/. The OAO will update the Q&A’s 

on a weekly basis and conduct webinars 

on an as-needed basis. 

V. Application Review Information 

A. Evaluation Criteria 

Only eligible entities whose proposals 

meet the threshold criteria in Section III 

of this announcement will be reviewed 

according to the evaluation criteria set 

forth below. Applicants should 

explicitly and fully address these 

criteria as part of their proposal 

package. Each proposal will be reviewed 

under the regulations established under 

7 CFR Chapter XXV Part 2500 Subpart 

C. 

The OAO will use a point system to 

rate each proposal, awarding a 

maximum of 100 points (95 points, plus 

an additional 5 discretionary points for 

programmatic priorities). Each proposal 

will be given a numerical score by an 

independent review panel, and will be 

rank-ordered accordingly. Preliminary 

funding recommendations will be 

provided to the designated approving 

official based on this ranking. Final 

funding decisions will be made by the 

designated approving official. 

B. Evaluation Criteria for New Grants 

Proposals 

Criteria Points 

1. Project Narrative: Under this criterion, the OAO will evaluate the extent to which the narrative includes a well-conceived strategy for addressing the requirements and objectives stated in: (i) Section I, Part B, Scope of Work (15 points), identifying two or 

more of the priority areas; (ii) Section I, Part C(1) Anticipated Outputs (15 points), documenting the extent to which the proposal 

seeks to connect socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers with USDA agricultural programs; (iii) Section I, Part

C(2), Anticipated Outcomes (10 points), indicating the final result or effect of your proposed project as it relates to the overall 

goals and objectives of the program; and (iv) Section I, Part C(3) Performance Measures (5 points), documenting the extent to 

which the applicant clearly demonstrates how they will ensure timely and successful completion of the project and whether the 

proposal sets forth a reasonable time schedule for execution of the tasks associated with the projects. In addition, the OAO may 

award up to 5 discretionary points for the following Secretary priorities and initiatives: .................................................................... 45 

• Projects assisting beginning farmers and ranchers (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 3319f); 

• Projects to assist StrikeForce states/communities as identified through the StrikeForce Initiative); 

• Projects that propose to assist with USDA’s commitment to Tribal organizations with successful demonstration on implementation methods encompassing Tribal participation and buy-in; 

• Projects located in rural Promise Zones; 


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Criteria Points 

• Projects with an emphasis on partnering with other USDA government agencies to leverage resources and to promote 

other USDA programs and initiatives (research, small and beginning farmers, and feeding programs, etc.); and 

• Projects that maximize areas of coverage for outreach by leveraging and partnering/collaborating with other Federal, state, 

local resources, etc ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5 

2. Tracking and Measuring: Under this criterion, the OAO will evaluate the effectiveness of the applicant’s detailed plan for tracking and measuring its progress toward achieving the expected project outputs and outcomes ........................................................ 20 

3. Programmatic Capability: Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to successfully complete and 

manage the proposed project taking into account the applicant’s: (i) (5 points) organizational experience and plan for timely and 

successfully achieving the objectives of the proposed project; and (ii) (5 points) staff expertise/qualifications, staff knowledge, 

and resources or the ability to obtain them, to successfully achieve the goals of the proposed project ........................................... 10 

4. Past Funding Performance: Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their demonstrated ability to successfully 

complete and manage the proposed project taking into account the applicants’ past performance in successfully completing and 

managing prior funding agreements identified in Attachment 2 of the proposal as described in Section IV.C of the announcement; .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 

5. Budget: Under this criterion, the OAO will evaluate the proposed project budget to determine whether, (i) (10 points) costs are 

reasonable and allowable to accomplish the proposed goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes; and (ii) (5 points) the proposed budget provides a detailed breakdown of the approximate funding used for each major activity. For a list of unallowable 

costs, please see 2 CFR Part 200 ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 

C. Selection of Reviewers 

Reviewers will be selected based 

upon training and experience in 

relevant fields including, outreach, 

technical assistance, cooperative 

extension services, civil rights, 

education, statistical and ethnographic 

data collection and analysis, and 

agricultural programs. Reviewers will be 

drawn from a diverse group of experts 

to create balanced review panels. More 

information on the selection of 

reviewers can be found in 7 CFR 

2500.023. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

Proposal Notifications and Feedback 

1. The successful applicant will be 

notified by the OAO via telephone, 

email, or postal mail. The notification 

will advise the applicant that its 

proposed project has been evaluated 

and recommended for award. The 

notification will be sent to the original 

signer of the SF–424, Application for 

Federal Assistance. The award notice 

will be forwarded to the grantee for 

execution and returned to the OAO 

grants officer, who is the authorizing 

official. Once grant documents are 

executed by all parties, authorization to 

begin work will be given. At a 

minimum, this process can take up to 30 

days from the date of recommendation. 

2. The OAO will send notification to 

unsuccessful applicants via email or 

postal mail. The notification will be sent 

to the original signer of the SF–424, 

Application for Federal Assistance. 

3. Applicant feedback will be 

provided using the procedures 

established by 7 CFR Chapter XXV Part 

2500.026. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

All awards resulting from this FOA 

will be administered in accordance with 

the OAO assistance regulations codified 

at 7 CFR part 2500. A listing and 

description of general federal 

regulations and cost principles 

applicable to the award of assistance 

agreements under this FOA can be 

found in 7 CFR Chapter XXV Part 

2500.003. 

Applicable Federal statutes, 

regulations, and guidelines include the 

following: (a) OAO Federal Financial 

Assistance Programs—General Award 

Administrative Procedures, guidelines 

to be followed when submitting grant 

proposals and cooperative agreements 

and rules governing the evaluation of 

proposals, 7 CFR part 2500; (b) the 

Uniform Administrative Requirements, 

Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 

CFR part 200, as adopted and 

supplemented by 2 CFR part 400; and 

(c) the USDA General Program 

Administrative Regulations, 2 CFR part 

415. 

C. Data Universal Numbering System, 

System for Award Management, and 

Central Contractor Registry Registration 

In accordance with the Federal 

Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act (FFATA) and the 

USDA implementation, all applicants 

must obtain and provide an identifying 

number from Dun and Bradstreet’s 

(D&B) Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS). Applicants can receive 

a DUNS number, at no cost, by calling 

the toll-free DUNS Number request line 

at 1–866–705–5711, or visiting the D&B 

Web site at www.dnb.com. 

In addition, FFATA requires 

applicants to register with the Central 

Contractor Registry (CCR) and the 

System for Award Management (SAM). 

This registration must be maintained 

and updated annually. Applicants can 

register or update their profile, at no 

cost, by visiting the SAM Web site at 

www.sam.gov which will satisfy both 

the CCR and SAM registration 

requirements. This is a requirement to 

register for www.grants.gov. 

D. Reporting Requirement 

In accordance with 7 CFR Chapter 

XXV Part 2500.045 and 2500.046, the 

following reporting requirements will 

apply to awards provided under this 

FOA. The OAO reserves the right to 

revise the schedule and format of 

reporting requirements as necessary in 

the award agreement. 

1. Quarterly progress reports and 

financial reports will be required. 

• Quarterly Progress Reports. The 

awardee must submit the OMBapproved Performance Progress Report 

form (SF–PPR, Approval Number: 0970– 

0334). For each report, the awardee 

must complete fields 1 through 12 of the 

SF–PPR. To complete field 10, the 

awardee is required to provide a 

detailed narrative of project 

performance and activities as an 

attachment, as described in the award 

agreement. Quarterly progress reports 

must be submitted to the designated 

OAO official within 30 days after the 

end of each calendar quarter. 

• Quarterly Financial Reports. The 

awardee must submit the Standard 

Form 425, Federal Financial Report. For 

each report, the awardee must complete 

both the Federal Cash Transaction 

Report and the Financial Status Report 

sections of the SF–425. Quarterly 

financial reports must be submitted to 

the designated OAO official within 30 

days after the end of each calendar 

quarter. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 28 / Wednesday, February 11, 2015 / Notices 7575 

2. Final progress and financial reports 

will be required upon project 

completion. The final progress report 

should include a summary of the project 

or activity throughout the funding 

period, achievements of the project or 

activity, and a discussion of problems 

experienced in conducting the project or 

activity. The final financial report 

should consist of a complete SF–425 

indicating the total costs of the project. 

Final progress and financial reports 

must be submitted to the designated 

OAO official within 90 days after the 

completion of the award period. 

Signed this 5th day of February, 2015. 

Carolyn C. Parker, 

Director, Office of Advocacy and Outreach. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02834 Filed 2–10–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting 

of the West Virginia Advisory 

Committee 

Date and Time: Friday, February 27, 

2015, at 10:00 a.m. [EST]. 

Place: Via Teleconference. Public 

Dial-in 1–877–446–3914; Listen Line 

Code: 3110313# 

TDD: Dial Federal Relay Service 

1–800–977–8339 give operator the 

following number: 202–376–7533—or 

by email at ero@usccr.gov. 

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to 

the provisions of the rules and 

regulations of the U.S. Commission on 

Civil Rights (Commission), and the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA), that a planning meeting of the 

West Virginia Advisory Committee to 

the Commission will convene via 

conference call. The Committee has 

selected a civil rights project to review 

the treatment of persons in mental 

health crises who find themselves in the 

West Virginia criminal justice system. 

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss 

and approve the project proposal that 

the Committee will submit to the agency 

for approval and to consider next steps 

in the planning of this project. 

The meeting will be conducted via 

conference call. Members of the public, 

including persons with hearing 

impairments, who wish to listen to the 

conference call should contact the 

Eastern Regional Office (ERO), ten days 

in advance of the scheduled meeting, so 

that a sufficient number of lines may be 

reserved. You may contact the Eastern 

Regional Office by phone at 202–376– 

7533. Persons with hearing impairments 

should first call the Eastern Regional 

Office at the Federal Relay Service 

number listed above. After contact ERO 

such persons will be instructed on how 

to listen to the conference call. 

Members of the public who call-in 

can expect to incur charges for calls 

they initiate over wireless lines, and the 

Commission will not refund any 

incurred charges. Callers will incur no 

charge for calls they initiate over landline connections to the toll-free 

telephone number. 

Members of the public are entitled to 

submit written comments. The 

comments must be received in the 

regional office by Monday, March 30, 

2015. Comments may be mailed to the 

Eastern Regional Office, U.S. 

Commission on Civil Rights, 1331 

Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 1150, 

Washington, DC 20425, faxed to (202) 

376–7548, or emailed to Evelyn Bohor at 

ero@usccr.gov. Persons who desire 

additional information may contact the 

Eastern Regional Office at 202–376– 

7533. 

Records generated from this meeting 

may be inspected and reproduced at the 

Eastern Regional Office, as they become 

available, both before and after the 

meeting. Persons interested in the work 

of this advisory committee are advised 

to go to the Commission’s Web site, 

www.usccr.gov, or to contact the Eastern 

Regional Office at the above phone 

number, email or street address. 

The meetings will be conducted 

pursuant to the provisions of the rules 

and regulations of the Commission and 

FACA. 

Dated: February 5, 2015. 

David Mussatt, 

Chief, Regional Programs Unit. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02729 Filed 2–10–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit to the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) for clearance the 

following proposal for collection of 

information under the provisions of the 

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35). 

Agency: U.S. Census Bureau. 

Title: Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, 

and Completions. 

Form Number(s): SOC–QI/SF.1, SOC– 

QI/MF.1. 

OMB Control Number: 0607–0110. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Burden Hours: 13,187. 

Number of Respondents: 20,400. 

Average Hours per Response: 5 

minutes. 

Needs and Uses: The U.S. Census 

Bureau is requesting an extension of the 

Survey of Housing Starts, Sales, and 

Completions, otherwise known as the 

Survey of Construction (SOC). 

Government agencies and private 

companies use statistics from SOC to 

monitor and evaluate the large and 

dynamic housing construction industry. 

Data for two principal economic 

indicators are produced from the SOC: 

New Residential Construction (housing 

starts and housing completions) and 

New Residential Sales. In addition, a 

number of other statistical series are 

produced, including extensive 

information on the physical 

characteristics of new residential 

buildings, and indexes measuring rates 

of inflation in the price of new 

buildings. These statistics are based on 

a sample of residential buildings in 

permit-issuing places and a road 

canvass in a sample of land areas not 

covered by building permit systems. 

The field representatives (FRs) mail 

forms SOC–QI/SF.1 and SOC–QI/MF.1 

to new respondents to complete. A few 

days later, the FRs either call or visit the 

respondents to enter their survey 

responses into a laptop computer using 

the Computer Assisted Personal 

Interviewing (CAPI) software formatted 

for the SOC–QI/SF.1 and SOC–QI/MF.1 

forms. The respondents are home 

builders, real estate agents, rental 

agents, or new homeowners of sampled 

residential buildings. FRs contact 

respondents multiple times based on the 

number of projects in the sample and 

the number of months required to 

complete the project. 

The Census Bureau uses the 

information collected in the SOC to 

publish estimates of the number of new 

residential housing units started, under 

construction, completed, and the 

number of new houses sold and for sale. 

The Census Bureau also publishes many 

financial and physical characteristics of 

new housing units. Government 

agencies use these statistics to evaluate 

economic policy, measure progress 

towards the national housing goal, make 

policy decisions, and formulate 

legislation. For example, the Board of 

Governors of the Federal Reserve 

System uses data from this survey to 

evaluate the effect of interest rates in 

this interest-rate sensitive area of the 

economy. The Bureau of Economic 

Analysis (BEA) uses the data in 

developing the Gross Domestic Product 

(GDP). The private sector uses the 

information for estimating the demand 

for building materials and the many 

products used in new housing and to 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES