584 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Title: Annual Survey of Farmer 

Cooperatives. 

OMB Control Number: 0570–0007. 

Summary of Collection: The Rural 

Business Cooperative Service (RBS) was 

mandated the responsibility to acquire 

and disseminate information pertaining 

to agricultural cooperatives under the 

Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926: 7 

U.S.C. 451–457 and Public Law 450. 

The primary objective of RBS is to 

promote understanding, use and 

development of the cooperative form of 

business as a viable option for 

enhancing the income of agricultural 

producers and other rural residents. The 

annual survey collects basic statistics on 

cooperative business volume, net 

income, members, financial status, 

employees, and other selected 

information to support RBS’ objective 

and role. RBS will use a variety of forms 

to collect information. 

Need and Use of the Information: RBS 

uses the information collected to 

summarize for program planning, 

evaluation service work and cooperative 

analysis and education. The information 

collected and published in the annual 

report on farmer cooperatives supports 

and enhances most of the major 

functions of RBS. By not collecting this 

information, the RBS would have 

difficulties in carrying out its policy on 

farmer cooperatives. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 1,035. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Annually. 

Total Burden Hours: 806. 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Title: Voluntary Labeling Program for 

Biobased Products. 

OMB Control Number: 0570–0072. 

Summary of Collection: The Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS or 

the Agency), a Rural Development 

agency of the United States Department 

of Agriculture (USDA), announced the 

availability of approximately $450 

million, under section 22003 of the 

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, in 

competitive grants to eligible entities for 

activities designed to expand the sales 

and use of renewable fuels under the 

Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive 

Program (HBIIP). Cost-share grants of up 

to 75 percent of total eligible project 

costs, but not more than $5 million, are 

made available to assist transportation 

fueling facilities and fuel distribution 

facilities with converting to higher 

blend friendly status for ethanol (i.e., 

greater than 10 percent ethanol) and 

biodiesel (greater than 5 percent 

biodiesel) by sharing the costs related to 

the installation, and/or retrofitting, and/ 

or otherwise upgrading of fuel dispenser 

or pumps and related equipment, 

storage tank system components, and 

other required infrastructure. All 

applicants are responsible for expenses 

incurred in developing their 

applications. 

HBIIP is intended to encourage a more 

comprehensive approach to marketing 

higher blends biofuels by sharing the 

costs related to building out biofuelrelated infrastructure. To be eligible for 

this program, a project’s sole purpose 

must be to assist transportation fueling 

and biodiesel distribution facilities with 

converting to higher ethanol and 

biodiesel blend friendly status by 

sharing the costs related to the 

installation, and/or retrofitting, and/or 

otherwise upgrading of fuel storage, 

dispenser/pumps, related equipment, 

and infrastructure. An eligible project 

must conform to all applicable Federal, 

State and local regulatory requirements. 

Need and Use of the Information: 

Pursuant to section 22003 of the 

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 

117–169), RBCS will collect information 

to determine whether participants meet 

the eligibility requirements to be a 

recipient of grant funds, project 

eligibility, conduct the technical 

evaluation, calculate a priority score, 

rank and compete the application, as 

applicable, in order to be considered. 

Lack of adequate information to make 

the determination could result in the 

improper administration and 

appropriation of Federal grant funds. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit. 

Number of Respondents: 641. 

Frequency of Responses: 

Recordkeeping; Reporting: Other (once). 

Total Burden Hours: 84,177. 

Levi S. Harrell, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2024–31627 Filed 1–3–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[DOCKET #: RBS–X24BUSINESS–0016] 

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 

Rural Business Development Grant 

Program To Provide Technical 

Assistance for Rural Transportation 

Systems for Fiscal Year 2025 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), 

a Rural Development (RD) agency of the 

United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), is issuing this notice to invite 

applications for grants to provide 

technical assistance for passenger Rural 

Transportation (RT) systems under the 

Rural Business Development Grant 

(RBDG) program and the terms for such 

funding. Grant funds will provide 

technical assistance for RT systems 

including designated funds to provide 

technical assistance to RT systems 

operating within Tribal lands of 

Federally Recognized Native American 

Tribes (FRNAT) (collectively 

‘‘Programs’’). This notice is being issued 

in order to allow applicants sufficient 

time to leverage financing, prepare and 

submit their applications, and give the 

Agency time to process applications 

within fiscal year (FY) 2025. Based on 

FY 2024 appropriated funding, the 

Agency estimates that approximately 

$750,000 will be made available for FY 

2025. Successful applications will be 

selected by the Agency for funding and 

subsequently awarded to the extent that 

funding may ultimately be made 

available through appropriations. All 

applicants are responsible for any 

expenses incurred in developing their 

applications. 

DATES: Completed applications may be 

submitted in paper or electronic format 

and must be received in the USDA RD 

State Office no later than 4:30 p.m. 

(local time) on April 7, 2025, to be 

eligible for FY 2025 grant funding. 

Applications received after the deadline 

will be ineligible for funding. 

ADDRESSES: This funding announcement 

will also be announced on Grants.gov. 

Applications must be submitted to the 

USDA RD State Office where the Project 

is located. A list of the USDA RD State 

Office contacts can be found at: 

rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Cindy Mason at cindy.mason@usda.gov, 

Business Loan and Grant Analyst, 

Program Management Division, RBCS, 

USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Mail Stop 3226, Room 5160-South, 

Washington, DC 20250–3226, or call 

202–720–1400. 

For further information on submitting 

program applications under this notice, 

please contact the USDA RD office for 

the State in which the applicant is 

located. A list of USDA RD Office 

contacts is provided at the following 

link: rd.usda.gov/contact-us/stateoffices. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 585 

Overview 

Federal Awarding Agency Name: 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Business Development Grants— 

Technical Assistance for Rural 

Transportation Systems. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Funding Opportunity. 

Funding Opportunity Number: 

RDBCP–RBDG–2025. 

Assistance Listing: 10.351. 

Dates: The deadline for completed 

applications to be received in the USDA 

RD State Office is no later than 4:30 

p.m. (local time) on April 7, 2025, to be 

eligible for FY 2025 grant funding. 

Applications received after the deadline 

will be ineligible for funding. 

Rural Development Key Priorities: The 

Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities (more details 

available at rd.usda.gov/priority-points): 

• Creating More and Better Markets: 

Assist rural communities to recover 

economically through more and better 

market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure; 

• Addressing Climate Change and 

Environmental Justice: Reduce climate 

pollution and increase resilience to the 

impacts of climate change through 

economic support for rural 

communities; and 

• Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity: Ensure 

all rural residents have equitable access 

to RD programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects. 

A. Program Description 

1. Purpose of the Program. The 

purpose of this program is to improve 

the economic conditions of rural areas 

by providing technical assistance that 

will enhance the operation of rural 

transportation systems. 

2. Statutory Authority. This program 

is authorized under section 310B(c) of 

the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932(c)) and 

implemented by 7 CFR part 4280, 

subpart E. The program is administered 

on behalf of RBCS by the USDA RD 

State Offices. Assistance provided to 

rural areas under the program has 

historically included the provision of 

on-site technical assistance to Tribal, 

local and regional governments, public 

transit agencies, and related nonprofit 

and for-profit organizations in rural 

areas; the development of training 

materials; and the provision of 

necessary training assistance to local 

officials and agencies in rural areas. 

Section 736 of title VII of division B 

of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2024, designated funding for projects in 

Persistent Poverty counties. Persistent 

Poverty counties is defined in section 

736 as ‘‘any county that has had 20 

percent or more of its population living 

in poverty over the past 30 years, as 

measured by the 1990 and 2000 

decennial censuses, and 2007–2011 

American Community Survey 5-year 

average, or any territory or possession of 

the United States’’. Section 736 

expanded the eligible population in 

Persistent Poverty counties to include 

any county seat of such a persistent 

poverty county that had a population 

that does not exceed the authorized 

population limit by more than 10 

percent, expanding the current 50,000 

population limit to 55,000 for only 

county seats located in Persistent 

Poverty counties. Therefore, 

beneficiaries of technical assistance 

services located in Persistent Poverty 

County seats with populations up to 

55,000 are eligible. Therefore, assuming 

the Appropriations Act for 2025 has 

similar language, applicants and/or 

beneficiaries located in persistent 

poverty county seats with populations 

up to 55,000 (per the 2020 Census) are 

eligible. 

3. Definitions. The definitions 

applicable to this notice are published 

at 7 CFR 4280.403. 

4. Application of Awards. The Agency 

will review, evaluate, and score 

applications received in response to this 

notice based on the provisions in 7 CFR 

part 4280, subpart E, and as indicated in 

this notice. Awards under the RBDG 

Technical Assistance for RT Systems 

program will be made on a competitive 

basis using specific selection criteria 

contained in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart 

E, and in accordance with section 

310B(c) of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

1932(c)). The Agency advises all 

interested parties that the applicant 

bears the burden in preparing and 

submitting an application in response to 

this notice whether or not funding is 

appropriated for this program in FY 

2025. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Type of Award: Grants. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2025. 

Available Funds: $750,000. RBCS may 

at its discretion, increase the total level 

of funding available in this funding 

round, or in any category in this funding 

round, from any available source 

provided the awards meet the 

requirements of the statute which made 

the funding available to the Agency. 

Award Amounts: The Agency will 

award a maximum of $500,000 for RT 

systems and $250,000 for FRNAT RT 

projects. The amounts are determined 

by the specific funding provided for the 

program in the FY 2025 Appropriations 

Act. 

Anticipated Award Date: Prior to 

September 30, 2025. 

Performance Period: October 1, 2025, 

through September 30, 2026. 

Renewal or Supplemental Awards: 

None. 

Type of Assistance Instrument: 

Financial Assistance Agreement. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants. Eligible 

applicants must meet the eligibility 

requirements of 7 CFR 4280.416, 

Applicant Eligibility. The Agency 

requires the information provided in 7 

CFR 4280.427 to make an eligibility 

determination that an applicant is a 

national organization. 

For the funding for Technical 

Assistance for RT systems, applicants 

must be qualified national organizations 

with experience in providing technical 

assistance and training to rural 

communities nationwide for the 

purpose of improving passenger 

transportation services or facilities. To 

be considered ‘‘national,’’ RBCS 

requires a qualified organization to 

provide evidence that it can operate RT 

assistance programming nationwide. An 

entity can qualify if they can work in 

partnership with other entities to fulfill 

the national requirement as long as the 

applicant will have ultimate control of 

the grant administration. For the 

funding for RT systems to FRNATs, an 

entity can qualify if it can work in 

partnership with other entities to 

support all federally recognized Tribes, 

as long as the applicant will have 

ultimate control of the grant 

administration. There is not a 

requirement to use the grant funds in a 

multi-State area. Grants will be made to 

qualified national organizations for the 

provision of technical assistance and 

training to rural communities for the 

purpose of improving passenger 

transportation services or facilities. 

For the FRNAT grant, which must 

benefit FRNATs, at least 75 percent of 

the benefits of the Project must be 

received by members of FRNATs. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching. There are 

no cost sharing or matching 

requirements associated with this grant. 

3. Other. Applications will only be 

accepted from qualified national 

organizations to provide Technical 

Assistance for RT. Applicants proposing 

projects with Tribes must submit 

documentation in support of the 

application from the Tribes they 

propose to serve. This support is best 

documented through a resolution from 


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586 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 

the appropriate Tribal council/ 

government. Alternative documentation 

of support may be considered on a caseby-case basis. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package. Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance should contact the USDA RD 

State Office provided in the ADDRESSES

section of this notice to obtain copies of 

the application package. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission. An application must 

contain all of the required elements 

listed in 7 CFR 4280.427 and the 

following: 

(a) Environmental documentation in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, 

‘‘Environmental Policies and 

Procedures;’’ 

(b) SF LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities;’’ 

(c) RD 400–1, ‘‘Equal Opportunity 

Agreement;’’ 

(d) RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement;’’ and 

(e) Letter providing Board 

authorization to obtain assistance. 

Each application received in a USDA 

RD State Office will be reviewed to 

determine if it is consistent with the 

eligible purposes contained in section 

310B(c) of the Consolidated Farm and 

Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

1932(c)). Each selection scoring 

criterion outlined in 7 CFR 4280.435 

must be addressed in the application. 

Failure to address any of the criteria 

will result in a zero-point score for that 

criterion and will impact the overall 

evaluation of the application. The 

regulation governing this program, 7 

CFR part 4280, subpart E, is available at 

ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/ 

chapter-XLII/part-4280/subpart-E, or 

will be provided to any interested 

applicant making a request to a USDA 

RD State Office. 

All projects to receive technical 

assistance through these passenger 

transportation grant funds are to be 

identified when the applications are 

submitted to the USDA RD State Office. 

Multiple project applications must 

identify each individual project, 

indicate the amount of funding 

requested for each individual project, 

and address the criteria as stated above 

for each individual project. 

3. System for Award Management and 

Unique Entity Identifier. 

(a) At the time of application, each 

applicant must have an active 

registration in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) before submitting 

its application in accordance with 2 

CFR part 25 (ecfr.gov/current/title-2/ 

subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25). To register 

in SAM, entities will be required to 

obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

Instructions for obtaining the UEI are 

available at https://sam.gov/content/ 

entity-registration. 

(b) Applicant must maintain an active 

SAM registration, with current, 

accurate, and complete information, 

while it has an active Federal award or 

an application under consideration by a 

Federal awarding agency. 

(c) Applicants must ensure they 

complete the Financial Assistance 

General Certifications and 

Representations in SAM. 

(d) Applicants must provide a valid 

UEI in its application, unless 

determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110 

(ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/ 

chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section25.110). 

(e) The Agency will not make an 

award until the applicant has complied 

with all SAM requirements including 

providing the UEI. If an applicant has 

not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time the Agency is 

ready to make an award, the Agency 

may determine that the applicant is not 

qualified to receive a Federal award and 

use that determination as a basis for 

making a Federal award to another 

applicant. 

4. Submission Dates and Times. 

(a) Application Technical Assistance 

Deadline Date. Prior to official 

submission of grant applications, 

applicants may request technical 

assistance or other application guidance 

from the Agency. All requests for 

technical assistance or application 

guidance must be made prior to 

February 5, 2025. Technical assistance 

is not meant to be an analysis or 

assessment of the quality of the 

materials submitted, a substitute for 

Agency review of completed 

applications, or a determination of 

eligibility, if such determination 

requires in-depth analysis. 

(b) Application Deadline Date. 

Applications (paper or electronic 

format) must be submitted to the 

appropriate RD State Office no later 

than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on April 7, 

2025. If completed applications are not 

received by the deadline date, the 

application will neither be reviewed nor 

considered for funding under any 

circumstances. 

The Agency will not solicit or 

consider scoring or eligibility 

information that is submitted after the 

application deadline. The Agency 

reserves the right to contact applicants 

to seek clarification information on 

materials contained in the submitted 

application. 

The deadline date means that the 

completed application package must be 

received in the USDA RD State Office by 

the deadline date established above. If 

the due date falls on a Saturday, 

Sunday, or Federal holiday, the 

application is due the next business 

day. All application documents 

identified in this notice and in 7 CFR 

part 4280, subpart E, are required to be 

considered a complete application. 

(c) Applications Received After 

Deadline Date. If a complete application 

is not received by the deadline 

established above, the application will 

neither be reviewed nor considered 

under any circumstances. The Agency 

will not solicit or consider scoring or 

eligibility information that is submitted 

after the application deadline. The 

Agency reserves the right to contact 

applicants to seek clarification 

information on materials contained in 

the submitted application. 

5. Intergovernmental Review. 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs,’’ applies to this program. This 

E.O. requires that Federal agencies 

provide opportunities for consultation 

on proposed assistance with State and 

local governments. Many States have 

established a Single Point of Contact 

(SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. 

For a list of States that maintain a SPOC, 

please see the White House website: 

whitehouse.gov/omb/management/ 

office-federal-financial-management/. If 

your State has a SPOC, you may submit 

a copy of the application directly for 

review. Any comments obtained 

through the SPOC must be provided to 

your State Office for consideration as 

part of your application. If your State 

has not established a SPOC, or if you do 

not want to submit a copy of the 

application, our State Offices will 

submit your application to the SPOC or 

other appropriate agency or agencies. 

6. Funding Restrictions. These grants 

are for RT Technical Assistance grants 

only and no construction or equipment 

purchases are permitted. If the grantee 

has a previously approved indirect cost 

rate, it is permissible, otherwise, the 

applicant may elect to charge the 15 

percent indirect cost permitted under 2 

CFR 200.414(f) or request a 

determination of its Indirect Cost Rate. 

Due to the time required to evaluate 

Indirect Cost Rates, it is likely that all 

funds will be awarded by the time the 

Indirect Cost Rate is determined. No 

foreign travel is permitted. Pre-Federal 

award costs will only be permitted with 

prior written approval by the Agency. 

None of the funds made available may 

be used to enter into a contract, 

memorandum of understanding, or 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 587 

cooperative agreement with, make a 

grant to, or provide a loan or loan 

guarantee to: 

(a) Any corporation that has any 

unpaid Federal tax liability that has 

been assessed, for which all judicial and 

administrative remedies have been 

exhausted or have lapsed, and that is 

not being paid in a timely manner 

pursuant to an agreement with the 

authority responsible for collecting the 

tax liability. 

(b) Any corporation that was 

convicted of a felony criminal violation 

under any Federal law within the 

preceding 24 months where the 

awarding agency is aware of the unpaid 

tax liability and/or conviction, unless a 

Federal agency has considered 

suspension or debarment of the 

corporation and has determined that 

further action is not necessary to protect 

the interests of the Government. 

7. Other Submission Requirements. 

General Submission Requirements. 

The organization submitting the 

application will be considered the lead 

entity. The program manager must be 

associated with the lead entity 

submitting the application. Applications 

will not be considered for funding if 

they do not provide sufficient 

information to determine eligibility or 

are missing required elements. 

There is no limit on the number of 

applications an applicant may submit 

under this announcement. There are no 

specific formats, specific limitations on 

number of pages, font size and type face, 

margins, paper size, number of copies, 

sequence, or assembly requirements. 

The component pieces of this 

application should contain original 

signatures on the original application. 

Electronic Submittals. Applicants 

submitting an electronic application, 

should contact the State Office serving 

the State where the Project will 

primarily take place. A list of State 

Offices may be found at rd.usda.gov/ 

about-rd/state-offices. 

Paper Submittals. Applicants 

submitting a paper application should 

send it to the USDA RD State Office 

located in the State where the Project 

will primarily take place. You can find 

State Office contact information at: 

rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. 

All forms requiring signatures must 

include an original signature. If the 

applicant wishes to hand deliver its 

application, the addresses for these 

deliveries are in the ADDRESSES section 

of this notice. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria. All eligible and complete 

applications will be evaluated and 

scored based on the scoring criteria 

contained in 7 CFR 4280.435. The 

Agency will select grantees subject to 

the grantees’ satisfactory submission of 

the items required by 7 CFR 4280.427, 

and the USDA RD Letter of Conditions. 

Failure to address any criteria in 7 CFR 

4280.427 by the application deadline 

will result in the application being 

determined ineligible, and the 

application will not be considered for 

funding. The amount of an RT grant 

may be adjusted, at the Agency’s 

discretion, to enable the Agency to 

award RT grants to the applications 

with the highest priority scores in each 

category. 

2. Review and Selection Process. 

USDA RD State Offices will review 

applications to determine if they are 

eligible for assistance based on the 

application and project eligibility 

requirements contained in 7 CFR 

4280.416 and 4280.417, respectively, 

and as stated in this notice. If 

determined eligible, the applicable State 

Office will submit your application to 

the National Office. Funding of the 

projects is subject to the applicant’s 

satisfactory submission of the additional 

items required by subpart E and the 

USDA RD Letter of Conditions. The 

Agency reserves the right to offer the 

applicant a grant award in an amount 

less than the amount the applicant 

requested. 

The Agency reserves the right to 

award additional discretionary points 

under 7 CFR 4280.435(k). Discretionary 

points may only be assigned to initial 

grants. Assignment of discretionary 

points must include a written 

justification. Permissible justifications 

include projects that meet special 

Secretary of Agriculture initiatives such 

as projects: 

(a) Assisting rural communities 

recover economically through more and 

better market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure. Applicants 

receive priority points if the project is 

located in or serving a rural community 

whose economic well-being ranks in the 

most distressed tier (distress score of 80 

or higher) of the Distressed 

Communities Index using the Distressed 

Communities Look-Up Map available at 

rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

(b) Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects. Using 

the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) 

Look-Up Map (available at rd.usda.gov/ 

priority-points), an applicant would 

receive priority points if the: 

• The Project is located in or serving 

a community with score 0.75 or above 

on the SVI; 

• The applicant is a federally 

recognized Tribe, including Tribal 

instrumentalities and entities that are 

wholly owned by Tribes; or 

• Is a project where at least 50 

percent of the project beneficiaries are 

members of federally recognized Tribes 

and non-Tribal applicants include a 

Tribal Resolution of Consent from the 

Tribe or Tribes that the applicant is 

proposing to serve. 

• The application is from or 

benefiting a Rural Partner’s Network’s 

(RPN) community network. Currently 

RPN Networks exist in Alaska, Arizona, 

Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, 

New Mexico, North Carolina, Puerto 

Rico, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Use 

the Community Look-Up map (available 

at rd.usda.gov/priority-points) to 

determine if your project qualifies for 

priority points. 

(c) Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. Using the 

Disadvantaged Community and Energy 

Community Look-up Map (available at 

rd.usda.gov/priority-points), applicants 

will receive priority points in three 

ways: 

• If a project is located in or serves a 

Disadvantaged Community as defined 

by the Climate and Economic Justice 

Screening Tool (CEJST), from the White 

House Council on Environmental 

Quality (CEQ), 

• If the project is located in or serves 

an Energy Community as defined by the 

Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 

117–169, ‘‘IRA’’), and 

• If applicants can demonstrate 

through a written narrative how the 

proposed climate-impact projects will 

improve the livelihoods of community 

residents and meet pollution mitigation 

or clean energy goals. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices. Successful 

applicants will receive notification for 

funding from their USDA RD State 

Office. Applicants must comply with all 

applicable statutes and regulations 

before the grant award will be approved. 

Unsuccessful applications will receive 

notification by mail. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. 

(a) Additional Requirements. 

(1) All successful applicants will be 

notified by letter, which will include a 

Letter of Conditions, and a Letter of 

Intent to Meet Conditions. This letter is 

not an authorization to begin 

performance. If the applicant wishes to 

consider beginning performance prior to 

the grant being officially closed, all preaward costs must be approved in 

writing and in advance by the Agency. 


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The grant will be considered officially 

awarded when all conditions in the 

Letter of Conditions have been met and 

the Agency obligates the funding for the 

Project. 

(2) Additional requirements that 

apply to grantees selected for this 

program can be found in 7 CFR part 

4280, subpart E; the Grants and 

Agreements regulations applicable to 

USDA in 2 CFR part 400, which 

incorporates the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) regulations at 2 CFR 

part 200, and successor regulations. In 

addition, all recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first tier 

subawards and executive compensation 

(see 2 CFR part 170). You will be 

required to have the necessary processes 

and systems in place to comply with the 

Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109– 

282) reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 

170.200(b), unless you are exempt under 

2 CFR 170.105). 

(3) Program participants will be 

required to collect and maintain data 

provided by recipients on race, sex, and 

national origin and ensure recipients 

collect and maintain this data. Race and 

ethnicity data will be collected in 

accordance with OMB Federal Register 

notice, ‘‘Revisions to the Standards for 

the Classification of Federal Data on 

Race and Ethnicity,’’ (62 FR 58782), 

October 30, 1997. Data on recipients’ 

sex will be collected in accordance with 

title IX of the Education Amendments 

Act of 1972. These items should not be 

submitted with the application but 

should be available upon request by the 

Agency. 

(4) The following additional 

requirements apply to grantees selected 

for this program: 

(i) Form RD 4280–2 ‘‘Rural BusinessCooperative Service Financial 

Assistance Agreement.’’ 

(ii) Letter of Conditions. 

(iii) Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds.’’ 

(iv) Form RD 1942–46, ‘‘Letter of 

Intent to Meet Conditions.’’ 

(v) SF LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities,’’ if applicable. 

(vi) Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement.’’ 

(b) Geospatial Information. Awardee, 

and any and all contracts entered into 

by the Awardee with respect to the 

Award, shall ensure that geospatial data 

required to be collected and provided to 

the agency, conforms with the 

requirements of USDA Department 

Regulation DR–3465–001 and the 

Geospatial Metadata Standards set forth 

in DM 3465–001, which can be obtained 

online at www.usda.gov/directives/dr3465-001 and www.usda.gov/directives/ 

dm-3465-001. 

3. Reporting. A Financial Status 

Report and a Project Performance 

Activity Report will be required of all 

grantees on a quarterly basis until initial 

funds are expended and yearly 

thereafter, if applicable, based on the 

Federal fiscal year. The grantee will 

complete the Project within the total 

time available to it in accordance with 

the Scope of Work and any necessary 

modifications thereof prepared by the 

grantee and approved by the Agency. A 

final Project Performance Report will be 

required with the final Financial Status 

Report. The final report may serve as the 

last quarterly report. The final report 

must provide complete information 

regarding the jobs created and 

supported as a result of the grant if 

applicable. Grantees must continuously 

monitor performance to ensure that time 

schedules are being met, projected work 

by time periods is being accomplished, 

and other performance objectives are 

being achieved. Grantees must submit 

an original of each report to the Agency 

no later than 30 days after the end of the 

quarter. The Project Performance 

Reports must include, but not be limited 

to, the following: 

(a) A comparison of actual 

accomplishments to the objectives 

established for that period; 

(b) Problems, delays, or adverse 

conditions, if any, which have affected 

or will affect attainment of overall 

Project objectives, prevent meeting time 

schedules or objectives, or preclude the 

attainment of Project work elements 

during established time periods. This 

disclosure shall be accompanied by a 

statement of the action taken or planned 

to resolve the situation; 

(c) Objectives and timetable 

established for the next reporting 

period; 

(d) Any special reporting 

requirements, such as jobs supported 

and created, businesses assisted, or 

Economic Development which results in 

improvements in median household 

incomes, and any other specific 

requirements, should be placed in the 

reporting section in the Letter of 

Conditions; and 

(e) Within 120 days after the 

conclusion of the Project, the grantee 

will provide a final Project Evaluation 

Report. The last quarterly payment will 

be withheld until the final report is 

received and approved by the Agency. 

Even though the grantee may request 

reimbursement monthly, the last three 

months of reimbursements will be 

withheld until a final Project, Project 

Performance, and Financial Status 

Report are received and approved by the 

Agency. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For general questions about this 

announcement, please contact your 

USDA RD State Office provided in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

H. Other Information 

1. Paperwork Reduction Act. In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

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

chapter 35), the information collection 

requirements associated with this 

program, as covered in this notice, have 

been approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

OMB Control Number 0570–0070. 

2. National Environmental Policy Act. 

All recipients under this notice are 

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970. However, awards for 

technical assistance and training under 

this notice are classified as a Categorical 

Exclusion in accordance with 7 CFR 

1970.53(b), and usually do not require 

any additional documentation. RBCS 

will review each grant application to 

determine its compliance with 7 CFR 

part 1970. The applicant may be asked 

to provide additional information or 

documentation to assist RBCS with this 

determination. 

3. Federal Funding Accountability 

and Transparency Act. All applicants, 

in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must 

be registered in SAM and have a UEI 

number as stated in section D.3 of this 

notice. All recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first tier 

subawards and executive total 

compensation in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 170. 

4. Civil Rights Act. All grants made 

under this notice are subject to title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 

required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, 

subpart A—Nondiscrimination in 

Federally-Assisted Programs of the 

Department of Agriculture—Effectuation 

of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964), section 504 of the Rehabilitation 

Act of 1973, title VIII of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1968, title IX, Executive Order 

13166 (Limited English Proficiency), 

Executive Order 11246, and the Equal 

Credit Opportunity Act of 1974. 

5. Equal Opportunity for Religious 

Organizations. 

(a) Faith-based organizations may 

apply for this award on the same basis 

as any other organization, as set forth at, 

and subject to the protections and 

requirements of, this part and any 

applicable constitutional and statutory 

requirements, including 42 U.S.C. 

2000bb et seq. USDA will not, in the 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 589 

selection of recipients, discriminate for 

or against an organization on the basis 

of the organization’s religious character, 

motives, or affiliation, or lack thereof, or 

on the basis of conduct that would not 

be considered grounds to favor or 

disfavor a similarly situated secular 

organization. 

(b) A faith-based organization that 

participates in this program will retain 

its independence from the Government 

and may continue to carry out its 

mission consistent with religious 

freedom and conscience protections in 

Federal law. Religious accommodations 

may also be sought under many of these 

religious freedom and conscience 

protection laws. 

(c) A faith-based organization may not 

use direct Federal financial assistance 

from USDA to support or engage in any 

explicitly religious activities except 

when consistent with the Establishment 

Clause of the First Amendment and any 

other applicable requirements. An 

organization receiving Federal financial 

assistance also may not, in providing 

services funded by USDA, or in their 

outreach activities related to such 

services, discriminate against a program 

beneficiary or prospective program 

beneficiary on the basis of religion, a 

religious belief, a refusal to hold a 

religious belief, or a refusal to attend or 

participate in a religious practice. 

6. Nondiscrimination Statement. In 

accordance with Federal civil rights 

laws and USDA civil rights regulations 

and policies, the USDA, its Mission 

Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, 

and institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Program information may be made 

available in languages other than 

English. Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means of 

communication to obtain program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language) 

should contact the responsible Mission 

Area, agency, or staff office; or the 711 

Relay Service. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which can be obtained online at 

usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ 

ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by 

calling (866) 632–9992, or by writing a 

letter addressed to USDA. The letter 

must contain the complainant’s name, 

address, telephone number, and a 

written description of the alleged 

discriminatory action in sufficient detail 

to inform the Assistant Secretary for 

Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature 

and date of an alleged civil rights 

violation. The completed AD–3027 form 

or letter must be submitted 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; or 

(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690– 

7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Kathryn E. Dirksen Londrigan, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA Rural Development. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28767 Filed 1–3–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[Docket#: RUS–24–TELECOM–0034] 

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the 

Distance Learning and Telemedicine 

Grants for Fiscal Year 2025 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA 

ACTION: Notice 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS or the Agency), a Rural 

Development (RD) agency of the United 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), announces the acceptance of 

applications under the Distance 

Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant 

program for fiscal year (FY) 2025, 

subject to the availability of funding. 

This notice is being issued prior to 

passage of a FY 2025 Appropriations 

Act in order to allow applicants 

sufficient time to leverage financing, 

prepare and submit their applications, 

and give the Agency time to process 

applications within FY 2025. Based on 

FY 2024 appropriated funding, the 

Agency estimates that approximately 

$40 million will be available for FY 

2025. Successful applications will be 

selected by the Agency for funding and 

subsequently awarded to the extent that 

funding may ultimately be made 

available through appropriations. All 

applicants are responsible for any 

expenses incurred in developing their 

applications. 

DATES: Applications must be submitted 

through www.grants.gov/ and received 

no later than March 6, 2024 to be 

eligible for funding under this grant 

opportunity. Late or incomplete 

applications will not be eligible for 

funding under this grant opportunity. 

ADDRESSES: All applications must be 

submitted electronically at 

www.grants.gov. Instructions and 

additional resources, to include an 

Application Guide, are available at 

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

telecommunications-programs/distancelearning-telemedicine-grants, under the 

‘‘To Apply’’ tab. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

inquiries regarding eligibility concerns, 

please contact program staff at 

www.usda.gov/reconnect/contact-us. 

Other inquiries, please contact Randall 

Millhiser, Deputy Assistant 

Administrator, Office of Loan 

Origination and Approval, RUS, USDA, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, Mail 

Stop 1590, Room 4121–S, Washington, 

DC 20250–1590, telephone: (202) 720– 

0800, email: randall.millhiser@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Awarding Agency Name: 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS). 

Funding Opportunity Title: Distance 

Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) 

Grants. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Funding Opportunity (NOFO). 

Funding Opportunity Number: RUS– 

25–01–DLT. 

Assistance Listing Number: 10.855. 

Dates: Applications must be 

submitted through www.grants.gov and 

received no later than March 6, 2024 to 

be eligible for funding under this grant 

opportunity. Late or incomplete 

applications will not be eligible for 

funding under this grant opportunity. 

Rural Development Key Priorities: The 

Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities (more details 

available at www.rd.usda.gov/prioritypoints): 

• Creating More and Better Markets: 

Assist rural communities to recover 

economically through more and better 

market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure. 

• Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity: Ensure 

all rural residents have equitable access 

to RD programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects; and 


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