Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 47 / Thursday, March 10, 2022 / Notices 13689 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at How to File a 

Program Discrimination Complaint and 

at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the 

letter all of the information requested in 

the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632–9992. 

Submit your completed form or letter 

to USDA by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; (2) fax: (202) 690–7442; 

or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Paul Kiecker, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2022–05039 Filed 3–9–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Office of Partnerships and Public 

Engagement 

[FOA No.: OPPE–017] 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.443— 

Outreach and Assistance for Socially 

Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 

and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers 

AGENCY: Office of Partnerships and 

Public Engagement (OPPE), Agriculture 

(USDA). 

ACTION: Funding Opportunity 

Announcement (FOA) for Fiscal Year 

2022. 

SUMMARY: This notice announces the 

availability of funds for fiscal year (FY) 

2022 and solicits applications from 

community-based and non-profit 

organizations, institutions of higher 

education, and Tribal entities to 

compete for financial assistance through 

the Outreach and Assistance for Socially 

Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers 

and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers 

Program (hereinafter referred to as the 

‘‘2501 Program’’). 

DATES: Only one project proposal may 

be submitted per eligible entity. 

Proposals must be submitted through 

Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) and 

received by June 8, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. 

EDT. Proposals submitted after this 

deadline will not be considered for 

funding. 

The OPPE will host two (2) webinars 

during the open period of this 

announcement as provided below. 

Sessions will be recorded. Additional 

sessions may be necessary to answer 

questions and clarify requirements. 

There is no registration required to 

participate. 

Session 1: March 31, 2022, at 2:00 

p.m. EDT—To join the conference, click: 

https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/ 

register/WN_deGz0uf9TIyNPkkuvR

fxUA. 

Session 2: May 4, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. 

EDT—To register for the conference, 

click: https://www.zoomgov.com/ 

webinar/register/WN_29_

qm0hxTbeYw2I9e2QAfw. 

After registering, you will receive a 

confirmation email containing 

information about joining the webinar, 

including call-in instructions. 

ADDRESSES: 

Filing a Complaint of Discrimination 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, you may obtain a complaint 

form by sending an email to OAC@

usda.gov. You or your authorized 

representative must sign the complaint 

form. You are not required to use the 

complaint form. You may write a letter 

instead. If you write a letter, it must 

contain all the information requested in 

the form and be signed by you or your 

authorized representative. Incomplete 

information will delay the processing of 

your complaint. Employment civil 

rights complaints will not be accepted 

through this email address. 

Send your completed complaint form 

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

Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Director, Center for Civil Rights 

Enforcement, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

9410. 

Fax: (202) 690–7442. 

Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Office of 

Partnerships and Public Engagement, 

Attn: Director, Grant Programs, Jamie L. 

Whitten Building, Room 524–A, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250, Phone: (202) 720–6350, Fax: 

(202) 720–7704, Email: 2501Grants@

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). Additionally, 

alternative means for submissions due 

to disability status will be approved on 

a case-by-case basis. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

overall goal of the 2501 Program is to 

encourage and assist socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, 

veteran farmers and ranchers, and 

beginning farmers and ranchers with 

owning and operating farms and 

ranches and in participating equitably 

in the full range of agricultural, forestry, 

and related programs offered by USDA. 

It also includes projects that develop 

socially disadvantaged youths’ interest 

in agriculture. In partnership with the 

OPPE, eligible entities may compete for 

funding on projects that provide 

education and training in agriculture, 

agribusiness, forestry, agriculturalrelated services, and USDA programs, 

and to conduct outreach initiatives 

designed to accomplish those goals. 

This partnership includes working 

closely with OPPE, attend OPPE-led 

events in your proposed service 

territory, and collaborate with USDA 

Service Centers located in your state 

(Farm Service Agency, Natural 

Resources Conservation Service, and 

Rural Development). 

Funding/Awards: The total funding 

provided for this competitive grant 

program is approximately $35 million. 

This includes approximately $18 

million as provided in the 2018 Farm 

Bill and funding from Section 754 of 

Division N, Additional Coronavirus 

Response and Relief, of the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, 

Public Law 116–260, in the amount of 

$17 million. 

The OPPE will award grants from this 

announcement, subject to availability of 

funds and the quality of applications 

received. All applicants will compete 

based on their organization’s entity type 

(e.g., nonprofit organization, tribal 

entity, or higher education institution), 

as described below. The project period 

must be three (3) years for all proposals. 

The maximum amount of requested 

federal funding for projects shall not 

exceed $750,000 over the 3-year period. 

Additionally, the maximum award per 

year is $250,000. Projects will be funded 

in accordance with the approved 

statement of work and the OPPE 

Guidelines to maximize outreach, 

education and technical assistance 

ensuring geographical distribution of 

funds as required in section 7 U.S.C. 

2279(c)(4)(G). 

Funds will be awarded to eligible 

entities that have at least three (3) years 

of documented experience, preceding 

the submission of an application, in 

working with socially disadvantaged 

farmers and ranchers or veteran farmers 

and ranchers to improve their ability to 

start and maintain successful forestry 

and/or agricultural-related operations. 

The Secretary shall give priority to 

nongovernmental and community-based 

organizations with demonstrated history 


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of serving socially disadvantaged and 

veteran farmers and ranchers (see 

Section V. Application Review 

Information). OPPE will check several 

sources, including the System of Award 

Management (SAM.gov) to help 

determine the minimum of 3 years of 

documented experience in working with 

either socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers and ranchers. Entries in SAM 

take precedence when determining 

experience. 

An applicant MUST be an entity or 

organization. Individuals and for-profit 

organizations do not meet the eligibility 

criteria. 

Unallowable use of 2501 Grant 

Program funds: 

1. Funds may not be used for the 

planning, repair, rehabilitation, 

acquisition, or construction of a 

building or facility. 

2. Funds may not be used to pay 

hourly wages as in a jobs creation 

program for individual farmers or 

ranchers. 

3. Funds may not be used as small 

agricultural loans for individual farmers 

or ranchers or used to incentivize 

individuals to attend events, workshops, 

or training. 

4. Funds may not be used to purchase 

farming supplies for individual farmers 

or ranchers or to enhance individual 

farmers’ or ranchers’ farms or 

production capabilities. 

5. Funds may not be used to reward 

individual farmers or ranchers for 

outstanding effort or achievement in 

training. 

6. Funds may not be used to pay for 

scholarships for individual farmers or 

ranchers to attend college courses, 

certificate courses, or other ‘‘for fee’’ 

based courses. 

7. Funds may not be used for start-up 

or financing costs for businesses or for 

an organization’s capacity building, 

which is defined as the development of 

organizational competencies, strategies, 

or systems and structures in order to 

improve organizational efficiency and 

effectiveness. 

8. Funds may not be used for large 

equipment purchases such as vehicles, 

semi-tractors, or refrigeration systems. 

Eligible entities may receive 

subsequent years funding provided that: 

(a) Activities and associated costs do 

not overlap with projects awarded in 

previous years; and 

(b) Recipients are current and 

compliant with financial and 

performance reporting. The progress of 

existing projects, along with the 

percentage of funds used to date, may 

impact funding decisions. 

Funding will be awarded based on 

ranked scores comprised of the three 

categories described below. The OPPE 

has discretion to allocate funding among 

the three categories based upon the 

number and quality of applications 

received. There is no commitment by 

the OPPE to fund any particular 

application nor is there a minimum 

number of recipients within each 

category. 

Category #1: Eligible entities 

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

and III.A.4 (1890 Land-Grant colleges 

and universities, 1994 Tribal LandGrant, Alaska Native and American 

Indian Tribal colleges and universities, 

and Hispanic-Serving Institutions of 

higher education). 

Category #2: Eligible entities 

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

(i.e., nonprofit organizations, 

community-based organizations, 

including a network or a coalition of 

community-based organizations, 

Federally-recognized Indian Tribes (as 

defined in 25 U.S.C. 5131), and National 

Tribal organizations). 

Category #3: Eligible entities 

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

(i.e., all other institutions of higher 

education including 1862 colleges, 

nonprofit organizations without a 

501(c)(3) status certification from the 

IRS, and an organization or institution 

that received funding under this 

program before January 1, 1996). 

Contents of This Announcement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

A. Background 

B. Scope of Work 

C. Anticipated Outputs (Activities), 

Outcomes (Results), and Performance 

Measures 

II. Award Information 

A. Statutory Authority 

B. Expected Amount of Funding 

C. Project Period 

D. Award Type 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Entities 

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching 

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria 

IV. Proposal and Submission Information 

A. System for Award Management (SAM) 

B. Obtain Proposal Package From 

Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) 

C. Content of Proposal Package Submission 

D. Sub-Awards and Partnerships 

E. Submission Dates and Times 

F. Confidential Information 

G. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance 

V. Application Review Information 

A. Evaluation Criteria 

B. Evaluation Criteria for New Grants 

Proposals 

C. Selection of Reviewers 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

C. Reporting Requirement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

A. Background 

The OPPE is committed to ensuring 

underserved communities can equitably 

participate in USDA programs. 

Differences in demographics, culture, 

economics, language, and other factors 

preclude a single approach to 

identifying solutions that can benefit 

underserved farmers and ranchers. 

Grants are provided to communitybased and non-profit organizations, 

higher education institutions, eligible 

Tribal entities and other eligible entities 

with at least three (3) years of 

documented experience, preceding the 

submission of an application. Eligible 

entities working with socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or 

veteran farmers and ranchers can 

improve their ability to start and 

maintain successful forestry and/or 

agricultural-related operations. With 

2501 Program funding, organizations 

can provide education, training, and 

technical assistance and extend 

outreach and education efforts to 

connect with and assist socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers to provide them with 

information on available USDA 

resources. 

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 the OPPE. The Agricultural Act of 

2014 further expanded the program to 

include outreach and technical 

assistance to veterans. The 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. It is the OPPE’s 

intention to build lasting relationships 

among USDA, recipient organizations, 

and underserved communities to 

maximize the availability of outreach 

and technical assistance in targeted 

communities. 

2. Only one proposal will be accepted 

from each organization. This does not 

apply to applicants in the State of 

Massachusetts. The State fiscal transfer 

agent may submit multiple proposals 

ensuring that only one proposal is 

submitted on behalf of each of its 

individual fiscally sponsored 

organizations. 


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B. Scope of Work 

The 2501 Program provides funding 

to eligible organizations with at least 3 

years of documented experience, 

preceding the submission of an 

application, in working with socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or 

veteran farmers and ranchers to improve 

their ability to start and maintain 

successful forestry and/or agriculturalrelated operations. Proposals must be 

consistent with requirements stated in 7 

U.S.C. 2279(c)(3). Under this statute, the 

outreach and technical assistance 

program funds shall be used 

exclusively: 

1. To enhance coordination of the 

outreach, technical assistance, 

education, and training efforts 

authorized under USDA agriculture 

programs; 

2. To assist the Secretary of 

Agriculture in: 

a. Reaching current and prospective 

socially disadvantaged farmers or 

ranchers, veteran farmers or ranchers, or 

beginning farmers and ranchers in a 

linguistically appropriate manner; and 

b. improving the participation of 

those farmers and ranchers in USDA 

programs. 

There are five programmatic mission 

areas that support the goals of the 2501 

Program. Proposals from eligible entities 

must address at least two of the five 

following programmatic mission areas 

as they develop their goals: 

i. Assist socially disadvantaged, 

veteran farmers and ranchers, including 

beginning farmers and ranchers in 

owning and operating successful farms 

and ranches; 

ii. Improve participation among 

socially disadvantaged or veteran 

farmers and ranchers in USDA 

programs; 

iii. Build relationships between 

current and prospective farmers and 

ranchers who are socially disadvantaged 

or veterans and USDA’s local, state, 

regional, and National offices; 

iv. Assist in reaching current and 

prospective socially disadvantaged 

farmers, ranchers, or forest landowners 

in a linguistically appropriate manner; 

and 

v. Assist with identifying problems 

and barriers socially disadvantaged 

farmers experience and working 

towards minimizing or alleviating those 

issues to enable their equitable 

participation in USDA programs. 

The OPPE shall seek input from 

eligible entities providing technical 

assistance under this subsection not less 

than once each year to ensure that the 

program is responsive to the eligible 

entities providing that technical 

assistance (7 U.S.C. 2279(c)(4)(J)). The 

OPPE may require Project Directors to 

attend an Annual Meeting that can be 

expensed with awarded grant funds not 

to exceed $1,800 per award year. The 

Annual Meeting will allow participants, 

USDA officials, and other agriculturerelated industry participants to network, 

encourage partnerships, share best 

practices (including COVID-related 

strategies used to assist targeted 

communities), discuss programmatic 

requirements, share information on new 

and enhanced USDA programs and 

services, and obtain programmatic 

feedback. Stakeholder input will also be 

accepted by those unable to attend the 

Annual Meeting in person by September 

30th of each fiscal year at: 2501Grants@

usda.gov. 

C. Anticipated Outputs (Activities), 

Performance Measures, and Outcomes 

(Results) 

1. Outputs (Activities). The term 

‘‘output’’ describes the volume 

accomplished, produced, or put into 

action. Outputs indicate the extent of 

project activity and generally address 

the question of ‘‘how much?’’ An 

example of an output is ‘‘number of 

training sessions conducted,’’ ‘‘number 

of individuals receiving training,’’ or 

‘‘number of educational materials 

developed.’’ Other examples may 

include: 

a. Conduct 12 workshops annually, 

either virtually or in-person, on how to 

write a business plan; 

b. Assist 100 new farmers/ranchers 

annually on what is required to be able 

to process and accept SNAP payments; 

c. Within the 3-year period of award, 

create 10 step-by-step videos in 3 

languages on implementing new 

irrigation techniques. 

2. Performance Measures. 

Performance Measures evaluate an 

organization’s progress in meeting their 

objective which should be based on at 

least two of the five programmatic 

mission areas mentioned above; 

compare actual results to expected 

results; and evaluate their project’s 

effectiveness in delivering expected 

results. Organizations should develop 

outcome-based performance measures to 

ensure their project is progressing to 

meet their goals. Applicants must 

develop performance measure targets for 

each of their proposed activities. These 

targets will be used as a mechanism to 

track the progress and success of the 

project. Quantitative data is expressed 

in quantities, amounts, or a range and 

can be used to measure outputs and 

outcomes. Qualitative data is 

information that cannot be measured 

such as a change in perceptions. 

Baselines must be established in order 

to determine whether an organization is 

meeting their goals. An example of a 

Performance Measure is a comparison of 

how many farmers and ranchers know 

about available USDA programs before 

an organization conducts their 

workshops on USDA programs 

compared to the number of farmers and 

ranchers that know about available 

USDA programs after training is 

conducted. 

3. Outcomes (Results). The term 

‘‘outcome’’ means the final impact, 

difference or effect that has occurred as 

a result from carrying out an activity, 

workshop, meeting, or from delivery of 

services related to a 2501 programmatic 

goal or objective. Results may be 

agricultural, behavioral, social, or 

economic in nature. Outcomes may 

reflect an increase in knowledge or 

skills, a greater awareness of available 

resources or programs, or actions taken 

by stakeholders as a result of learning. 

Specifically, outcomes must be 

quantitative as it relates to the project 

goals and objectives. Project Managers 

will be required to document 

anticipated outcomes that are funded 

under this announcement. Some 

examples include, but are not limited to 

the following: 

a. Documenting the actual number of 

new farmers/ranchers as a result of your 

project and the type of assistance (i.e., 

number of new farms or ranches started) 

documenting higher profitability or 

economic stability of existing socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers/ 

ranchers; documenting increased access 

to marketing and sales opportunities for 

their products; 

b. Documenting race, sex, national 

origin, disability (if provided) and 

number of socially disadvantaged and/ 

or veteran farmers or ranchers with an 

increase in awareness in and applying 

for USDA programs; 

c. Documenting race, sex, national 

origin, disability (if provided) and 

number of socially disadvantaged or 

veteran farmers/ranchers that have 

better access to USDA programs and 

have applications approved for funding. 

II. Award Information 

A. Statutory Authority 

The statutory authority for this action 

is 7 U.S.C. 2279(c), which authorizes 

award funding for projects designed to 

provide outreach and technical 

assistance to socially disadvantaged or 

veteran farmers or ranchers. 

B. Expected Amount of Funding 

The total estimated funding expected 

to be available for awards under this 


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competitive opportunity is 

approximately $35 million. The 

maximum amount of requested federal 

funding shall not exceed $750,000. 

C. Project Period 

The performance period for projects 

selected from this solicitation will not 

begin prior to the effective award date 

listed in the grant agreement. The 

project period must be three (3) years. 

D. Award Type 

Funding for selected projects will be 

in the form of a grant agreement which 

must be fully executed no later than 

September 30 annually. The anticipated 

Federal involvement will include, but 

not limited to, the following activities: 

1. Approval of recipients’ final budget 

and Project Narrative or statement of 

work accompanying the grant 

agreement; 

2. Monitoring of recipients’ 

performance through semi-annual and 

final financial and performance reports; 

and 

3. Conducting on-site monitoring 

visits to review compliance, use of 

Federal funds and fidelity in 

implementing the project. 

All award notifications will be 

‘‘conditionally approved’’ pending final 

validation of all selected applicants’ 

submission documentation and/or 

application package. OPPE reserves the 

right not to fund any ‘‘conditionally 

approved’’ application(s) found to be 

ineligible after final validation. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Entities 

1. Any non-profit, community-based 

organizations, tribal entity, networks, or 

a coalition of community-based 

organizations with at least 3 years of 

documented expertise in working with 

socially disadvantaged farmers or 

ranchers or veteran farmers or ranchers 

that: 

• Demonstrates experience in 

providing agricultural education or 

other agriculturally related services on 

USDA programs and services to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

ranchers; 

• provides documentary evidence of 

work with, and on behalf of, socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

ranchers, or beginning farmers and 

ranchers during the 3-year period 

preceding the submission of a proposal 

for assistance under this program (the 

lead applicant and/or any 

organization(s) comprising of a coalition 

or network must meet the 3-year period 

preceding the submission criteria); and 

• does not or has not engaged in 

activities prohibited under Section 

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

of 1986.2. 

2. An 1890 or 1994 land-grant 

institution of higher education (as 

defined in 7 U.S.C. 7601 and in Section 

533 of the Equity in Educational LandGrant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. 301 

note)). 

3. An American Indian Tribal 

community college or university 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 or veteran 

farmers or ranchers. 

6. Any Federally-recognized Indian 

Tribe (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5131) or 

a national tribal organization that has 

demonstrated experience in providing 

agricultural education or other 

agriculturally related services to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

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 similar to projects 

previously carried out by the entity 

under this program. 

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching 

There are no cost-sharing nor 

matching requirements associated with 

this program. Applicants may charge 

their negotiated indirect cost rate or 10 

percent, whichever is lower. Indirect 

cost rates exceeding 10 percent will not 

be permitted. 

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 greater than 

the page limitation will not be 

considered. 

2. Proposals must be received through 

Grants.gov (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 

Grants.gov. 

3. Proposals received after the 

submission deadline will not be 

considered. Note that in order to submit 

proposals, organizations must create an 

account in Grants.gov and in the System 

for Awards Management 

(www.SAM.gov; both of which could 

take several weeks. Therefore, it is 

strongly suggested that organizations 

begin this process immediately. 

Registering early could prevent 

unforeseen delays in submitting your 

proposal. 

4. Proposals must address a minimum 

of two programmatic mission areas 

listed in Section I, Part B, (i–v) to 

provide outreach, education, and/or 

technical assistance to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers or 

ranchers. 

5. Recipients of a 2501 Grant with a 

Period of Performance that extends 

beyond 90 days of the current fiscal year 

are not eligible to apply (this does not 

apply to grantees with a no-cost 

extension). For example, current 2501 

Grant recipients must complete their 

projects by the end of the current 

calendar year to be eligible to apply. 

6. Incomplete or partial applications 

will not be eligible for consideration. 

Any required documents missing from 

an applicant’s application will render 

that applicant ineligible and the 

application will not be forwarded to the 

Review Panel (the Panel) for review. 

Additionally, applications may not be 

accepted for review if they exceed the 

maximum allowable pages for the 

Project Narrative, exceed the maximum 

federal budget request, or propose 

objectives that do not adhere to the 

specific goals of the 2501 Program. See 

Section IV. Content of Proposal Package 

Submission, subparagraph C, for 

required documents. 

IV. Proposal and Submission 

Information 

A. System for Award Management 

(SAM) 

SAM.gov streamlines the application 

process and reduces applicant burden 

by enabling applicants to complete the 

required Financial Assistance 

Representations and Certifications in 

SAM.gov when applying for any Federal 

financial assistance. 

It is a requirement to register for SAM 

(www.sam.gov). There is NO fee to 

register for this site. This registration 

must be maintained and updated 

annually. Applicants can register or 

update their profile, at no cost, by 

visiting the SAM website at 

www.sam.gov. This is a requirement to 

registering for Grants.gov where all 

organizations must submit their 

application. 

The Financial Assistance 

Representations and Certifications 

Report must be completed. Grant 

applicants are essentially applying for 


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Federal financial assistance. Therefore, 

in order to complete the Financial 

Assistance Representations and 

Certifications Report, you must respond 

‘‘yes’’ to the question in SAM.gov that 

asks, ‘‘Does XYZ Organization wish to 

apply for a Federal Financial assistance 

project or program?’’ Completing this 

report certifies that your organization is 

in compliance with all relevant 

provisions of Federal laws, executive 

orders, regulations, and public policies 

governing financial assistance awards. 

Per 2 CFR part 200, applicants are 

required to: (1) Be registered in SAM 

prior to submitting an application; (2) 

provide a valid unique entity identifier 

in the application; and (3) continue to 

maintain an active SAM registration 

with current information at all times 

during which the organization has an 

active Federal award or an application 

or plan under consideration by a 

Federal awarding agency. The OPPE 

may not make a Federal award to an 

applicant until the applicant has 

complied with all applicable unique 

entity identifier and SAM requirements. 

If an applicant has not fully complied 

with the requirements by the time the 

OPPE is ready to make a Federal award, 

the OPPE may determine that the 

applicant is not qualified to receive a 

Federal award and use that 

determination as a basis for making a 

Federal award to another applicant. 

Additionally, organizations found to 

have unresolved key personnel 

exclusions will not be awarded. 

SAM contains the publicly available 

data for all active exclusion records 

entered by the Federal Government 

identifying those parties excluded from 

receiving Federal contracts, certain 

subcontracts, and certain types of 

Federal financial and non-financial 

assistance and benefits. All applicant 

organizations and their key personnel 

will be vetted through SAM to ensure 

compliance with this Federal 

requirement. Organizations identified as 

having delinquent Federal debt may 

contact the Treasury Offset Program for 

instructions on resolution at (800) 304– 

3107. In the meantime, organizations 

will not be awarded a grant prior to 

resolution. 

Should an applicant be awarded a 

grant, ezFedGrants (USDA’s financial 

grants management system) is linked 

with SAM to ensure funding payments 

are directed properly; therefore, entities 

must enter their banking information 

through SAM. Federal agencies cannot 

award funding to any organization not 

properly/fully registered is SAM. 

B. Obtain Proposal Package From 

Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) 

Federal agencies post competitive 

funding opportunities on Grants.gov 

and applicants must submit their 

application or proposal to apply for 

Federal financial assistance through 

Grants.gov. Applicants can learn about 

grants by visiting Grants.gov 

(www.grants.gov), clicking on the Learn 

Grants tab and search for funding 

opportunities by clicking on the Search 

Grants tab on this site. 

All Applicants will be required to 

register with 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. 

There is no cost for registration. This 

website is managed by the Department 

of Health and Human Services, not the 

OPPE. Many Federal agencies use this 

website to post Funding Opportunity 

Announcements (FOA). Click on the 

‘‘Support’’ tab to contact their customer 

support personnel if you need help with 

submitting your application. 

Applicants may download individual 

grant proposal forms from Grants.gov. 

For assistance with Grants.gov, consult 

the Applicant User Guide at http://

grants.gov/assets/ApplicantUserGuide.

pdf. 

Federal funding agencies post funding 

opportunities on Grants.gov. The OPPE 

is not responsible for submission issues 

associated with Grants.gov. If you 

experience submission issues, contact 

Grants.gov support staff for assistance. 

Proposals must be submitted by June 

8, 2022, via Grants.gov at 11:59 p.m. 

EDT. Proposals submitted 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 

Project Narrative and a Budget Narrative 

as described below: 

1. Required forms, documents, and 

attachments. The forms listed below can 

be found in the proposal package at 

Grants.gov and must be submitted with 

all applications. Required forms are 

provided in the package as fillable 

forms. Applicants must download and 

complete these forms and submit them 

in the application submission portal at 

Grants.gov. PDF documents listed below 

are documents the applicant must create 

and submit in PDF format. Use the 

checklist of required documents below 

to submit your application through 

Grants.gov: 

✓ Standard Form (SF) 424, Application 

for Federal Assistance 

✓ Project/Performance Site Location(s) 

✓ Project Abstract Summary 

✓ Project Narrative (in PDF format) 

✓ Standard Form (SF) 424A, Budget 

Information—Non-Construction 

Programs 

✓ Budget Narrative (in PDF format) 

✓ Key Contacts (list names of all key 

personnel) 

✓ Grants.gov Lobbying Form 

✓ Articles of Incorporation for nonprofit organizations & communitybased organizations; attach under 

‘‘Attachments Form’’ —see last bullet) 

✓ 501(c)3 Certificate/letter from the IRS 

(for non-profit organizations; attach 

under ‘‘Attachments Form’’ —see last 

bullet) 

✓ Resumes of all key personnel working 

on your project 

✓ Attachments Form (where you may 

place all your appendices, i.e., Letters 

of Partnership, Letters of Intent, 

Resumes, Articles of Incorporation, 

other supporting documents, etc.) 

Do not include lengthy or 

unnecessary organizational documents 

such as your organization’s business 

plans, Annual Reports, or full course or 

training curriculums in your 

application. Excessively large 

documents in applications are 

cumbersome and increase downloading 

errors from Grants.gov and in 

forwarding to the Review Panel. 

Below is further guidance, where 

needed, for completing the required 

forms, documents, and attachment 

forms listed above. 

SF–424, Application for Federal 

Assistance 

Complete all highlighted areas on this 

form. Pay particular attention to block 

18a of the SF–424. This is the total 

amount of Federal funding you are 

requesting under the 2501 Program. 

This form is the official requesting 

document and the amount that will be 

considered if you should have any 

discrepancies between this form and 

your Budget Information Form, SF– 

424A. Ensure this form is completed 

with accuracy, particularly email 

addresses and phone numbers. The 

OPPE may not be able to reach you if 

your information is incorrect. 

Project/Performance Site Location(s) 

Complete all highlighted areas on this 

form. Add additional locations if your 

project will be carried out at additional 

sites. 

Project Abstract Summary 

A Project Abstract Summary is a 

concise summary about your project. No 


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points will be given or subtracted for the 

Project Summary Page as it will be used 

only for informational purposes. It may 

be used in its entirety or in part for 

media purposes to include in press 

releases, informational emails to 

potential stakeholders or partners, to 

provide upper echelons of government 

with a snapshot of an organization, and 

for demographic purposes. Do not 

restate the objectives of the 2501 

Program (i.e., ‘‘to provide outreach and 

technical assistance for socially 

disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and 

veterans farmers and ranchers’’); the 

Project Abstract Summary should reflect 

the goal of your specific project. Limit 

your Project Abstract Summary to 250 

words and include the following: 

• Your organization’s name; 

• Name of your project; 

• Three or four sentences describing 

your project; 

• The primary populations/ 

communities you serve; 

• The project’s geographic service area 

(counties, state(s), etc.); and 

• Project Director’s name, email 

address, and telephone number. 

Project Narrative (Not To Exceed 30 

Double-Spaced Pages) 

The Project Narrative is a document 

that you create. It must include a 

timeline of proposed activities. 

Formatting requirements for Project 

Narratives are 1-inch margins and 12- 

point font, and double-spaced. Number 

each page of the Project Narrative to 

indicate the total number of pages (i.e., 

1 of 30, 2 of 30, etc.). To ensure fairness 

and uniformity for all applicants, 

Project Narratives not conforming to this 

stipulation may not be considered. 

Project proposals should include a 

well-conceived strategy for addressing 

the programmatic mission areas stated 

in Section I, Part B, Scope of Work. 

Organizations should state which 

programmatic mission areas will be 

addressed. Additionally, proposals 

must: (1) Define and establish the 

existence of the needs of socially 

disadvantaged farmers or ranchers or 

veteran farmers or ranchers, or both; (2) 

identify the geographic area of service; 

and (3) discuss the potential impact of 

the project; (4) clearly state their 3-years 

of experience in delivering agriculture 

related services to socially 

disadvantaged or veteran farmers and 

ranchers and provide documented 

proof; and (5) clearly document how 

you plan to fulfill the requirement to 

coordinate efforts in partnership with 

the OPPE and USDA Service Centers in 

your state to maximize outreach and 

training in your service territory. 

• Programmatic Capability: Project 

proposals must: (1) Identify the 

experience of the organization(s) and 

key personnel taking part in the project 

(past successes); (2) identify the names 

of organizations that will be your 

partners in the project if any; (3) 

identify the qualifications, relevant 

experience, education, and publications 

of each Project Manager or partners; and 

(4) specifically address the work to be 

completed by key personnel and their 

roles and responsibilities within the 

scope of the proposed project. This 

includes partnering scenarios whereas 

each partners’ roles and responsibilities 

must be defined. 

• Financial Management Experience: 

Document a demonstrated ability to 

successfully manage and complete your 

project by including details of 

successfully completed past projects 

and financial management experiences. 

• Tracking and Measuring: Clearly 

document a detailed plan for tracking 

and measuring project progress 

including the results of the project in 

terms of achieving expected project 

outputs and outcomes as stated in 

Section I, Part C, Performance Measures. 

Address both quantitative and 

qualitative data. A mitigation or 

contingency plan should also be 

addressed. 

• Timelines are an integral part of 

your project and must be included in 

your Project Narrative. In an organized 

format, create a timeline for each task to 

be accomplished during the entire 

proposed period of performance. Relate 

each task to one of the five 

programmatic mission areas in Section 

I, Part B. The timeline is part of the 30- 

page limit and should be detailed 

enough to show your activities, start and 

end dates, assigned personnel, 

milestones, and deliverables in a 

chronological order. The timeline may 

be in a table format and does not have 

to be double-spaced. 

Attach your Project Narrative in PDF 

format to the Mandatory Project 

Narrative form in your Grants.gov 

package. 

SF–424A, Budget Information—NonConstruction Programs 

Provide as much information as 

possible on the SF–424A for each year 

of your project. For example, on page 1 

of SF–424A, line 1 across may indicate 

year one of your project, line 2 across 

may indicate year two of your project, 

and line 3 across may indicate year 

three of your project. On page 1A of SF– 

424A, columns 1 through 3 may 

represent each year of your project. All 

cost categories on page 1A of this form 

are considered direct costs. Remember 

that your indirect cost rate may not 

exceed the 10 percent statutory 

limitation based upon modified direct 

costs found in 7 U.S.C. 2279(l)(7). 

Budget Narrative (Not To Exceed 5 

Pages) 

The Budget Narrative is a document 

that you create. It must be no more than 

five pages. It does NOT have to be 

double spaced. You may use tables. 

While the OPPE understands that your 

proposed budget is an estimation of 

costs, your Budget Narrative should be 

based on financial forecasting 

assumptions. The Budget Narrative 

should identify and describe the costs 

associated with the proposed project, 

including sub-awards or contracts and 

indirect costs. These costs should be 

very detailed and descriptive as to their 

purpose. Review 2 CFR part 200 Subpart 

E—Uniform Administrative 

Requirements, Cost Principles, and 

Audit Requirements for Federal Awards 

to ensure your project is not planned 

with unallowable costs. Applicants may 

charge their negotiated indirect cost rate 

or 10 percent, whichever is lower. 

Indirect cost rates exceeding 10 percent 

will not be permitted. Each cost 

indicated must be reasonable, allocable, 

necessary, and allowable under 2 CFR 

part 200, subpart E in order to be 

funded. 

• Cost categories, also called Object 

Class Categories, include costs for 

Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, 

Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, 

Construction, and Other costs. 

D Personnel costs: For each key staff 

person, provide the name (if known), 

title, time commitment to the project as 

a percentage of a full-time equivalent 

(FTE), annual salary, and grant funded 

salary. You may refer to the prevailing 

wage rates established by the 

Department of Labor by occupation and 

geographical area. Compensation for 

personnel services (whether classified 

as personnel, contractual services, or 

any other form) may not exceed the prorated equivalent of Step III of the 

Executive Schedule for Federal 

Employees. 

D Costs of consultants, subgrants, or 

contractors should be included in the 

‘‘Contractual’’ cost category. 

D Fringe Benefits: Provide a breakdown of amounts and percentages that 

comprise fringe benefit costs such as 

health insurance, FICA, retirement, etc. 

D Travel costs: Provide specifics on 

purpose of travel, number of travelers, 

destination, and estimates on costs for 

airfare, lodging, meals, car rentals, and 

incidentals. The Federal Travel 

Regulations should be used as a guide. 


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D Equipment: Any article of 

nonexpendable, tangible personal 

property having a useful life of more 

than one year and an acquisition costs 

which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) 

the capitalization level established by 

the organization for financial statement 

purposes, or (b) $5,000. For each type of 

equipment requested, provide a 

description of the equipment, the cost 

per unit, the number of units, the total 

cost, and a plan for use on the project, 

as well as use or disposal of the 

equipment after the project ends. The 

Recipient shall maintain an annual 

inventory, which will include a brief 

description of the item, serial number, 

and amount of purchase for equipment 

purchased with grant funds, or received 

under a grant, and having a $5,000 or 

more per unit cost. The inventory must 

also identify the sub-award under which 

the equipment was purchased. 

Maintenance and insurance will be the 

responsibility of the Recipient. Title of 

equipment will remain with the 

Recipient until closeout when 

disposition will be provided in writing 

by OPPE within 120 days of submission 

of final reports. 

D Supplies: Specify general categories 

of supplies and their costs (less than 

$5,000). Show computations and 

provide other information which 

supports the amount requested. 

D Contractual costs: Costs should 

entail all contracts for services and 

goods that further the work of the 

project only. 

• Include third party evaluation 

contracts (if applicable) and contracts 

with secondary recipient organizations. 

Demonstrate that all procurement 

transactions will be conducted in a 

manner to provide, to the maximum 

extent practical, free, fair, and open 

competition. Identify proposed subcontractor work and the cost of each 

sub-contractor. Provide a detailed 

budget for each sub-contractor that is 

expected to perform work estimated to 

be $30,000 or more, or 50% of the total 

work effort, whichever is less. 

• Identify each planned subcontractor 

and its total proposed budget. Each 

subcontractor’s budget and supporting 

detail should be included as part of the 

applicant’s budget narrative. 

• Provide the following information 

for each planned subcontract: A brief 

description of the work to be 

subcontracted; the number of quotes 

solicited and received, if applicable; the 

cost or price analysis performed by the 

applicant; names and addresses of the 

subcontractors tentatively selected and 

the basis for their selection; e.g., unique 

capabilities (for sole source 

subcontracts), low bidder, delivery 

schedule, technical competence; type of 

contract and estimated cost and fee or 

profit; and, affiliation with the 

applicant, if any. 

• Include all Subawards under 

Contractual Costs. Per 2 CFR part 200.1, 

Subaward—refers to an award provided 

by a pass-through entity (your 

organization) to a subrecipient for the 

subrecipient to carry out part of a 

Federal award received by the passthrough entity. It does not include 

payments to a contractor or payments to 

an individual that is a beneficiary of a 

Federal program. A subaward may be 

provided through any form of legal 

agreement, including an agreement that 

the pass-through entity considers a 

contract. 

Subaward budgets: Roles and 

responsibilities must be defined to 

determine the level of involvement and 

efforts to increase training and outreach 

to socially disadvantaged farmers and 

ranchers. If applicable, identify each 

planned subaward and its total 

proposed budget. Include a brief 

description of the work to be performed. 

D Other costs: Identify and describe in 

detail any other costs not identified in 

the above cost categories. Costs 

associated with an organization’s dayto-day operations such as custodial 

workers would be an example of 

‘‘Other’’ costs. Provide an itemized list 

with costs and state the basis for each 

proposed item. 

Special notes when creating your 

budget: 

1. Review Unallowable Use of 2501 

Grant Program Funds under the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this announcement. 

2. Costs must be deemed reasonable. 

This includes salaries for key personnel 

which may not exceed the prevailing 

wage rates established by the 

Department of Labor by occupation and 

geographical area (see 2 CFR part 

200.404 and Appendix II(D)). 

3. Food for attendees of conferences 

may not exceed $10 per person per 

meal, not to exceed two meals per day. 

Additionally, animals acquired and 

used for demonstration projects only, 

may not exceed $4,000, which includes 

any transportation costs, feed/feeding 

lot, etc. Grant funds may NOT be used 

to pay attendees as an incentive for 

participation in conferences nor be 

advertised as such. For a list of 

unallowable costs, see 2 CFR part 200, 

subpart E. 

Attach your Budget Narrative in PDF 

format to the Mandatory Budget 

Narrative form in your Grants.gov 

package. 

Key Contacts Form 

All key personnel should be listed on 

your Key Contact Form. At a minimum, 

the names of at least two key personnel 

should be provided to ensure that we 

are able to contact your organization. 

Provide first, middle, and last names of 

all key personnel that will be working 

on the proposed project. All 

organizations should submit at least a 

Project Director or Manager and a 

Financial Representative. Additional 

Key Contacts Forms may be used as 

necessary. Ensure this form is 

completed with accuracy. Individuals 

not listed on an applicants’ Key 

Contacts Form will not receive 

information about or access to data that 

concerns the applicant organization. 

Attachments Form for Appendices 

Non-profit organizations must submit 

abbreviated Articles of Incorporation 

(must have been established at least 3 

years prior to application submission) 

and their 501(c)3 Certificate/Letter from 

the IRS. All applicants should submit 

re ́sume ́s for key personnel and 

subaward key personnel; Letters of 

Commitment; Letters of Intent, 

Partnership Agreements, or Memoranda 

of Understanding with partner 

organizations; Letters of Support; or 

other supporting documentation which 

is encouraged but not required. Using 

this form in your Grants.gov application 

package, applicants can consolidate all 

supplemental materials into one 

attachment or attach appendices 

documents individually. Do not include 

documents from other sections as an 

Appendix. 

DO NOT PASSWORD PROTECT ANY 

OF YOUR SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS 

OR FORMS. Password protected 

documents cannot be viewed by the 

OPPE or the Review Panel. 

D. Sub-Awards and Partnerships 

Funding may be used to provide 

subawards, which includes using 

subawards to fund partnerships; 

however, the lead recipient must utilize 

at least 50 percent of the total funds 

awarded, and no more than three subawards will be permitted. Subawardees 

and partners are generally responsible 

for carrying out grant activities as 

assigned. All subawardees—and 

partners are subject to the requirements 

and responsibilities on the grant and 

must be a nonprofit or institution of 

higher education. This does not apply to 

contractors as they support the grant 

activities by providing goods and 

services. All applicants, including the 

lead or prime applicant if applying as a 

coalition of nonprofits, are responsible 


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for ensuring that all sub-awardees 

comply with applicable requirements 

for subawards and are subject to the 

Terms and Conditions of the Agreement, 

if awarded. Applicants must provide 

documentation of a competitive bidding 

process for services, contracts, and 

products, including consultants and 

contractors, and conduct cost and price 

analyses to the extent required by 

applicable procurement regulations. 

The OPPE awards funds to one 

eligible applicant as the lead or prime 

award recipient. The lead or prime 

applicant must be indicated as the 

responsible party, if other organizations 

are named as partners or co-applicants 

or members of a coalition or consortium. 

The lead or prime award recipient will 

be held accountable to the OPPE for the 

proper administrative requirements and 

expenditure of all funds. 

Per OMB guidance, Federal awarding 

agencies are required to check the SAM 

Exclusions list of persons and entities 

ineligible for Federal awards. This 

requirement flows down to Federal 

Award recipients who are required to 

check SAM Exclusions for all 

subawards and contracts. Lead or prime 

recipients must obtain prior written 

approval from the awarding agency for 

all proposed subawards, regardless of 

size, for all subawards not included in 

the original proposal (see 2 CFR 

200.308(c)(6)). For all subawards, prime 

recipients must confirm that they have 

conducted a risk-assessment of each of 

the proposed subrecipient(s) by name; 

and verify that each subrecipient does 

not have active exclusions in SAM and 

does not appear on the Suspension and 

Debarment List. 

E. Submission Dates and Times 

The closing date and time for receipt 

of proposal submissions is June 8, 2022, 

at 11:59 p.m., EDT, via Grants.gov 

(www.grants.gov). Proposals received 

after the submission deadline will be 

considered late without further 

consideration. Proposals must be 

submitted through Grants.gov without 

exception. Additionally, organizations 

must also be registered in the System of 

Awards Management (SAM) at: 

www.sam.gov. Creating an account for 

both websites can take several weeks to 

receive account verification and/or PIN 

numbers. Allow sufficient time to 

complete access requirements for these 

websites. Grants.gov supports many 

Federal granting agencies and their 

applicants. Delaying the submission of 

your application until the last day could 

be result in your application not being 

received on time due to issues 

pertaining to a high volume of users, 

system maintenance, issues with 

registration, having a pending 

registration because of a backlogged 

system, and expired SAM.gov 

registrations.The proposal submission 

deadline is firm. 

F. Confidential Information 

In accordance with 2 CFR part 200, 

the names of entities submitting 

proposals, as well as proposal contents 

and evaluations, will be kept 

confidential to the extent permissible by 

law. Any information that the applicant 

wishes to have considered as 

confidential, privileged, or proprietary 

should be clearly marked as such in the 

proposal. If an applicant chooses to 

include confidential or proprietary 

information in the proposal, it will be 

kept confidential to the extent permitted 

by law. 

G. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance 

1. The OPPE may not assist individual 

applicants by reviewing draft proposals 

or providing advice on how to respond 

to evaluation criteria. However, the 

OPPE 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 

2501Grants@usda.gov. Additionally, the 

OPPE will host public teleconferences 

to address questions and clarify 

requirements during the open period of 

this solicitation. Dates, time, and phone 

numbers are provided on Page 1 of this 

announcement. 

2. The OPPE will post questions and 

answers relating to this funding 

opportunity during its open period on 

the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

section of our website: 

www.partnerships.usda.gov/sociallydisadvantaged-farmers-and-ranchers. 

Reviewing this section of our website 

will likely save you valuable time. The 

OPPE will update the FAQs on a weekly 

basis and conduct teleconferences on an 

as-needed basis. 

3. Terms and Conditions of the 

Award. Visit our website at: https://

www.usda.gov/partnerships/sociallydisadvantaged-farmers-and-ranchers to 

review the most recent Terms and 

Conditions for administering our grants. 

This version is subject to change upon 

new program requirements. 

4. Applicants selected for funding 

must inform their participants that 

USDA, or any of its third-party 

representatives, may contact them for 

quality assurance. 

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 

evaluated under the regulations 

established under 2 CFR part 200. 

The Panel will use a point system to 

rate each proposal, awarding a 

maximum of 105 points for nonprofit 

and community-based organizations (70 

points, plus an additional 35 priority 

points for secretarial priorities) and 100 

points for all other applicants (70 

points, plus an additional 30 

discretionary points for secretarial 

priorities). Each proposal will be 

reviewed by at least two members of the 

Panel. Panel members will review and 

score all applications that meet the 

initial eligibility review. The Panel will 

numerically score and rank each 

application. Funding decisions will be 

based on the Panel’s rank score. Final 

funding decisions will be made by the 

designated approving official and are 

not appealable. 

Please be patient as processing all 

submitted applications, vetting 

organizations, proposal reviews, 

approval process, and agreement 

creation is a lengthy process. All 

applicants will be notified electronically 

of their application status when final 

selections have been made and will be 

provided an opportunity for application 

feedback as provided within the 

correspondence. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR NEW GRANTS PROPOSALS

Criteria Points 

1. Project Narrative (up to 30 points): Under this criterion, your proposal must address at least two of the five programmatic mission areas identified in Section I, Part B, Scope of Work and will be evaluated to the extent to 

which the narrative includes a well-conceived strategy for addressing those requirements and objectives (see 

Section IV, Part D Project Narrative for additional information). 

Up to 30 points. 


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EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR NEW GRANTS PROPOSALS—Continued 

Criteria Points 

Note: Applicants may assist either socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or veteran farmers and ranchers, 

or both groups. There are no additional points for addressing both of these group. Conversely, there are no 

points deducted if your proposal addresses only one of these groups. 

2. The Secretary of Agriculture shall give priority to nongovernmental and community-based organizations with an 

expertise in working with socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers or veteran farmers or ranchers. If the applicant is a nongovernmental or community-based organization; they will automatically receive five (5) additional 

points (per the 2018 Farm Bill). 

5 points for CBOs and nonprofit organizations. 

3. The Secretary of Agriculture places a priority for funding on projects that present problem-solving strategies that 

help socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers and ranchers in resolving heirs’ property issues/resolutions (including tribal fractionated land, and land title issues); financial literacy and business planning; and how to recoup 

losses resulting from COVID–19. 

5 points. 

Note: Applicants will receive 5 points for addressing any single issue within this bullet. 

4. The Secretary of Agriculture places a priority for funding on projects that align with the implementation of the 

American Rescue Plan including: Increasing access to land and to credit; advancing education and career pathways related to farming/ranching/forestry and agriculture; providing avenues that help producers strengthen the 

food supply chain and building a food system that is fair, resilient, and equitable that helps socially disadvantaged and veteran producers’ ability to make a living; promoting use of multiple USDA programs as well as local, 

state, tribal, and other resources; and generate rural business opportunities and other development efforts to advance the health, economic, and social welfare of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers/ranchers. 

5 points. 

Note: Applicants will receive 5 points for addressing any single issue within this bullet. 

5. The Secretary of Agriculture places a priority for funding on projects that address climate change with climate 

smart ag and forestry solutions including but not limited to: building resilience to climate change and increasing 

agricultural productivity; efficient and renewable energy practices; indigenous regenerative practices, and soil, 

land, and water conservation practices that preserve natural and agricultural ecosystems. 

5 points. 

Note: Applicants will receive 5 points for addressing any single issue within this bullet. 

6. The Secretary of Agriculture places a priority for funding on projects that present problem-solving strategies that 

focus on removing systemic barriers and increasing equitable participation in USDA’s programs and services, 

especially projects located in rural and urban communities in persistent poverty census tracts and/or counties. 

5 points. 

7. The Secretary of Agriculture places a priority for funding on projects that are designed to address at least one of 

the following: 

5 points. 

• Create new and fair market opportunities to assist socially disadvantaged, veteran, and beginning farmers 

or ranchers or youth 

• Provide relief for socially disadvantaged, veteran, and beginning farmers or ranchers or youth that experienced adverse impacts due to the pandemic 

• Assist with climate change and climate-smart agriculture 

• Rural community and economic development impacting socially disadvantaged, veteran, and beginning 

farmers or ranchers or youth 

• Assist socially disadvantaged, veteran, and beginning farmers or ranchers or youth with farm and financial 

planning with a goal to increase sustainability of farming operations. 

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

complete and manage the proposed project considering the applicant’s organizational experience, staff expertise 

and qualifications, and the organization’s resources (see Section IV, Part D Programmatic Capability). The organization must clearly document its historical successes and future plans to continue assisting socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers and ranchers beyond the life of their project. 

Up to 10 points. 

9. Financial Management Experience: Under this criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their demonstrated ability to successfully complete and manage their proposed project considering their past performance 

in successfully completing and managing prior funding agreements (see Section IV, Part D Financial Management Experience). Past performance documentation on successfully completed projects may be at the Federal, 

state, or local community level. Per 2 CFR 200.205, if an applicant is a prior Federal award recipient, their 

record in managing that award will be reviewed, including timeliness in Progress and Financial Reporting and 

compliance with the Terms and Conditions of previous Federal awards. 

Up to 5 points. 

10. Tracking and Measuring: Under this criterion, the applicant’s proposal will be evaluated based upon presenting 

a clear and detailed plan for tracking and measuring their progress toward accomplishing outputs and completing the expected outcomes (see Section I, Part C Outputs, Performance Measures, and Outcomes). Applicants should indicate clear thresholds or benchmarks in relation to stated goals and objectives. Applicants must 

address how they intend to ensure a timely and successful completion of their project. Address both quantitative 

and qualitative data. A mitigation or contingency plan should also be addressed. 

Up to 15 points. 

11. Budget: Under this criterion, your proposed project budget will be evaluated to determine whether costs are 

reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary to accomplish the proposed project goals and objectives (see 2 

CFR part 200.404 and Appendix II–D). The proposed budget must provide a detailed breakdown of the approximate funding used for each major activity (see Section IV, Part D. Budget Narrative). Additionally, indirect costs 

(10 percent maximum) must be appropriately applied. For a list of unallowable costs, see 2 CFR Part 200, subpart E. 

Up to 10 points. 

C. Selection of Panel Members 

All eligible applications will be 

reviewed by the Panel. Panel members 

are selected based upon training and 

experience in assisting socially 

disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 

ranchers. This assistance includes, but 

is not limited to, bringing increased 

awareness of USDA’s programs and 

services in underserved communities, 

outreach, technical assistance, 

cooperative extension services, civil 

rights, education, statistical and 

ethnographic data collection and 

analysis, and agricultural programs, and 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
13698 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 47 / Thursday, March 10, 2022 / Notices 

are drawn from a diverse group of 

experts, including USDA Program 

Managers and/or Grants Specialists and 

applicant peers, to create a balanced 

panel. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

Proposal Notifications and Feedback 

1. Successful applicants will be 

notified by the OPPE via telephone, 

email, and/or postal mail that its 

proposed project has been 

recommended for award. The 

notification will be sent to the Project 

Manager listed on the SF–424, 

Application for Federal Assistance. 

Project Managers should be the 

Authorized Organizational 

Representative (AOR) and authorized to 

sign on behalf of the organization. It is 

imperative that this individual is 

responsive to notifications by the OPPE. 

If the individual is no longer in the 

position, notify the OPPE immediately 

to submit the new contact for the 

application by updating your 

organization’s Key Contacts form and 

forwarding a re ́sume ́ of the new key 

personnel. The grant agreement will be 

forwarded to the recipient for execution 

and must be returned to the OPPE 

Director, 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 notification. 

2. Within 10 days of award status 

notification, unsuccessful applicants 

may request feedback on their 

application. Feedback will be provided 

as expeditiously as possible. Feedback 

sessions will be scheduled contingent 

upon the number of requests and in 

accordance with 7 CFR 2500.026. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

All awards resulting from this 

solicitation will be administered in 

accordance with the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

Uniform Administrative Requirements, 

Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards 

codified at 2 CFR part 200, as 

supplemented by USDA implementing 

regulations at 2 CFR parts 400 and 415, 

and the OPPE Federal Financial 

Assistance Programs—General Award 

Administrative Procedures, 7 CFR part 

2500. In compliance with its obligations 

under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964 and Executive Order 13166, it is 

the policy of the OPPE to provide timely 

and meaningful access for persons with 

Limited English Proficiency (LEP) to 

projects, programs, and activities 

administered by Federal grant 

recipients. Recipient organizations must 

comply with these obligations upon 

acceptance of grant agreements as 

written in the OPPE’s Terms and 

Conditions. Following these guidelines 

is essential to the success of our mission 

to improve access to USDA programs for 

socially disadvantaged and veteran 

farmers and ranchers. 

C. Reporting Requirement 

Your approved statement of work, 

timeline, and budget are your guiding 

documents in carrying out the activities 

of your project and for your reporting 

requirements. Familiarize yourself with 

USDA’s grants management system 

called ezFedGrants: https://

www.nfc.usda.gov/FSS/ClientServices/ 

ezFedGrants/. In accordance with 2 CFR 

part 200, the following reporting 

requirements will apply to awards 

provided under this FOA. The OPPE 

reserves the right to revise the schedule 

and format of reporting requirements as 

necessary in the award agreement. 

1. Semi-annual Progress Reports and 

Financial Reports will be required as 

follows: 

• Semi-annual Progress Reports. The 

recipient is required to provide a 

detailed narrative of project 

performance and activities as described 

in the award agreement. Semi-annual 

progress reports must be submitted to 

the designated OPPE official via 

ezFedGrants within 30 days after the 

end of each reporting period. This 

includes, but is not limited to, activities 

completed, events held, and the release 

of sign-in sheets with participants’ 

contact information. 

• Semi-annual Financial Reports. 

The recipient must submit SF 425, 

Federal Financial Report to the 

designated OPPE official via 

ezFedGrants within 30 days after the 

end of each reporting period. 

Note: OPPE has the discretion to require 

quarterly reports based upon non-federal 

entities’ performance progress and 

administration of grant funds. 

2. Final Progress and Financial 

Reports will be required upon project 

completion. The Final Progress Report 

must include a summary of the project 

or activity throughout the funding 

period, achievements of the project or 

activity, and a discussion of overall 

successes and issues experienced in 

conducting the project or project 

activities. It should convey the impact 

your project had on the communities 

you served and discuss the project’s 

accomplishments in achieving expected 

outcomes. This requirement includes, 

but is not limited to, the number of new 

USDA applicants as a result of your 

award, the number of approved 

applicants for USDA programs and 

services, increased awareness of USDA 

programs and services, etc. 

3. 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 OPPE 

official via ezFedGrants within 120 days 

after the completion of the award period 

as follows: 

Report Performance period Due date Grace period 

Form SF–425, Federal Financial Report & Performance 

Progress Report (Due semi-annually).

1 October thru 31 March, 

1 April thru 30 September

March 31 ...........................

September 30 ....................

30 days until 30 April. 

30 days until 30 October. 

Final Financial and Progress Reports ............................. 120 days after project completion. 

* Dates subject to change at the discretion of OPPE. 

Lisa R. Ramı ́rez, 

Director, Office of Partnerships and Public 

Engagement. 

[FR Doc. 2022–05066 Filed 3–9–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3412–89–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Notice of Public Meeting of the 

Nebraska Advisory Committee to the 

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 

AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil 

Rights. 

ACTION: Announcement of meeting. 

SUMMARY: 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 that 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES