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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• Addressing Climate Change and 

Environmental Justice: Reduce climate 

pollution and increase resilience to the 

impacts of climate change through 

economic support to rural communities. 

A. Program Description 

1. Purpose of the Program. The DLT 

program provides financial assistance to 

enable and improve distance learning 

and telemedicine services in rural areas. 

DLT grant funds support the use of 

telecommunications-enabled 

information, audio and video 

equipment, and related advanced 

technologies by students, teachers, 

medical professionals, and rural 

residents. These grants are intended to 

increase rural access to education, 

training, and health care resources that 

are otherwise unavailable or limited in 

scope. 

2. Statutory and Regulatory Authority. 

The DLT program is authorized under 7 

U.S.C. 950aaa and implemented by 7 

CFR part 1734. 

3. Definitions. The definitions 

applicable to this notice are published 

at 7 CFR 1734.3. Additional definitions 

applicable to this notice are listed 

below. 

Federally Recognized Tribe is 

classified as any Indian or Alaska Native 

tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village or 

community as defined by the Federally 

Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 

1994 (Pub. L. 103–454). A list of 

Federally Recognized Tribes is available 

at: www.federalregister.gov/documents/ 

2023/01/12/2023-00504/indian-entitiesrecognized-by-and-eligible-to-receiveservices-from-the-united-states-bureauof. 

Opioid or other substance use 

disorder treatment is defined as the 

interactive communication between 

medical or educational professionals 

and opioid users or their families, other 

treatment professionals or those who 

interact with opioid or other substance 

users. 

Rural Area refers to any area, as 

confirmed by the most recent decennial 

Census of the United States, which is 

not located within a city, town, or 

incorporated area that has a population 

of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; or an 

urbanized area contiguous to a city or 

town that has a population of greater 

than 50,000 inhabitants; and which 

excludes certain populations pursuant 

to 7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(H) and (I). For 

purposes of the definition of Rural Area, 

the Agency has determined to recognize 

any census-designated ‘‘urban area’’ in 

place of an ‘‘urbanized area,’’ given that 

the Census Bureau no longer tracks or 

uses the term urbanized area. 

4. Application of Awards. 

(a) The Agency will review, evaluate, 

and score applications received in 

response to this notice based on 7 CFR 

1734.26. Awards under the DLT 

program will be made on a competitive 

basis using specific selection criteria 

provided in 7 CFR 1734.27. The Agency 

advises all interested parties that the 

applicant bears the full burden in 

preparing and submitting an application 

in response to this notice regardless of 

whether or not funding is appropriated 

for the DLT program in FY 2025. 

(b) For this application window, 

applicants may, but are not required to, 

submit an application competing for 

residual Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and 

Economic Security Act funding 

(CARES) funds. An estimated $5 million 

is available to prevent, prepare for, and 

respond to coronavirus, domestically or 

internationally, for telemedicine and 

distance learning services in rural areas. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to 

identify specific ways in which their 

application addresses COVID–19. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Type of Award: Grants. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2025. 

Available Funds: Based on FY 2024 

appropriated funding, the Agency 

estimates that approximately $40 

million will be available for FY 2025. 

To combat a key threat to economic 

prosperity, rural workforce and quality 

of life, the Agency is directed to set 

aside 20 percent of the total available 

funds for FY 2025 for projects that seek 

to reduce the morbidity and mortality 

associated with substance use disorder 

(including opioid misuse) in rural 

communities by strengthening the 

capacity to address prevention, 

treatment and/or recovery at the 

community level. 

For this application window, 

applicants may, but are not required to, 

submit an application competing for 

CARES Act funding as detailed in 

section A(4)(b) of this notice. 

The total appropriated amount minus 

the determined set aside amount will be 

available for all eligible projects. RUS 

may at its discretion, increase the total 

level of funding available 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: Pursuant to 7 CFR 

1734.24, the Administrator has 

established that the minimum grant 

amount of $50,000 and the maximum 

grant amount of $1,000,000 will be 

applied to this grant opportunity, if 

funds are appropriated. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

30, 2025. 

Performance Period: Three-year 

period, beginning the date funds are 

released. 

Renewal or Supplemental Awards: 

Although prior DLT grants cannot be 

renewed, existing DLT awardees can 

submit applications for new projects 

that are distinct (clearly separate and 

different) from previously funded 

projects, either because they are for a 

completely separate purpose and 

technology or because they propose to 

serve a new service area, unassociated 

with prior funded service areas. Grant 

applications must be submitted during 

the application window. 

Type of Assistance Instrument: Grant 

Agreement. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants. Eligible 

applicants must meet the eligibility 

requirements of 7 CFR 1734.4. 

(a) Applicants must have a Unique 

Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active 

registration that includes the Financial 

Assistance Representations and 

Certifications and has current 

information in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) at: www.sam.gov. 

Further information regarding UEI 

acquisition and SAM registration can be 

found in Section D.3 of this document. 

(b) Corporations that have been 

convicted of a federal felony within the 

past 24 months are not eligible. Any 

corporation that has been assessed to 

have any unpaid federal tax liability, for 

which all judicial and administrative 

remedies have been exhausted or have 

lapsed and is not being paid in a timely 

manner pursuant to an agreement with 

the authority responsible for collecting 

the tax liability, is not eligible for 

financial assistance. 

(c) Applicants are required to provide 

evidence of their ability to contract with 

RUS to obtain the grant and comply 

with all applicable requirements, in 

accordance with 7 CFR 1734.4(a). It is 

incumbent on applicants to determine 

the appropriate entity to apply for the 

grant. Entities created by educational or 

medical institutions for the purpose of 

applying for and managing grants, such 

as university or hospital foundations, 

should not be applicants unless they 

can own and manage grant-funded 

equipment as required by the Grant 

Agreement and applicable regulations, 

including 2 CFR part 200. Accordingly, 

RUS will not transfer awards to another 

entity because the applicant has later 

determined that it cannot close the 

award, execute the standard Grant 

Agreement, which is publicly available, 

nor hold the grant assets in its name. 

Similarly, if there will be shared 

ownership of assets, this must be fully 


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addressed in the application, including 

all related co-awardee entity 

information necessary to prepare legal 

documents. The agency will not add coawardees to the grant agreements if the 

information was not clearly presented in 

the application. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching. The DLT 

program requires matching 

contributions for grants as outlined in 7 

CFR 1734.22. The Application Guide 

located on the DLT website at 

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

telecommunications-programs/distancelearning-telemedicine-grants provides 

additional guidance for matching 

contributions. 

(a) Match Documentation. Grant 

applicants must demonstrate matching 

contributions, in cash or in kind (new 

or non-depreciated items), of at least 15 

percent of the grant amount requested. 

Matching contributions must be used for 

approved purposes for grants (see 7 CFR 

1734.21 and Section D.6 of this notice). 

Applications that do not provide 

sufficient documentation of the required 

15 percent match will be deemed 

ineligible. 

(b) Discounts and Donations. A 

review of applications submitted in the 

past determined that vendor-donated 

matches did not have value without a 

required subsequent purchase of vendor 

equipment or licenses with grant funds. 

For example, in many grant 

applications, software licenses were 

donated in satisfaction of the matching 

requirement. However, such licenses 

only worked with, and thus only had 

value with, the same vendor’s 

equipment. Additionally, by side 

agreement, grant applicants were 

required to purchase the vendor’s 

equipment once the grant was made 

with grant funds. The Agency 

determined that such a practice violated 

federal procurement standards found at 

2 CFR 200.317 through 200.327, because 

the grant applicant did not put the 

purchase out for bid, either because no 

other equipment would work with the 

‘‘donated’’ licenses, or because they 

were contractually obligated to buy the 

equipment before the grant was made. 

As such, the Agency has determined 

that vendor matches requiring 

subsequent purchases, either by 

necessity or contract, are not permitted. 

3. Other Eligibility Requirements. 

(a) The Application Guide provides 

additional information regarding 

eligible and ineligible items for 

equipment and facilities. 

(b) Grant applications that are written 

by vendors who are mentioned in the 

application as vendors to be used on the 

project to be funded by the DLT award 

are ineligible as a violation of the 

competition rules in 2 CFR 200.319. 

Such vendors are also prohibited from 

bidding on the project because of 

conflict of interest. Additionally, 

applicants must fully understand the 

procurement requirements of 2 CFR part 

200, subpart D and 7 CFR part 1734 

when compiling an application for 

submission and must avoid the use of 

predetermined equipment as a violation 

of the bidding requirements unless they 

have adequately demonstrated in the 

application that no other equipment is 

available for the intended purpose. 

(c) Projects located in areas covered 

by the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) are not eligible for 

financial assistance from the DLT 

program. See 7 CFR 1734.23(a)(11). 

(d) If a DLT project proposes service 

on or over Tribal Lands and the 

applicant is non-Tribal, then a letter of 

consent is required from each Tribal 

Council with jurisdiction over the Tribal 

Lands included in the project. However, 

if a DLT project proposes infrastructure 

construction or deployment on or over 

Tribal Lands, then a Tribal Resolution is 

required from each Tribal Government 

with jurisdiction over the Tribal Lands 

included in the project. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package. The Application Guide, copies 

of necessary forms, and resources are 

available at www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/telecommunications-programs/ 

distance-learning-telemedicine-grants. 

Application information is also 

available at www.grants.gov. If you 

require alternative means of 

communication of program information 

(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

please contact the 711 Relay Service. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission. 

(a) Application Completion. Carefully 

review 7 CFR part 1734, subparts A and 

B. A list of items for a complete 

application can be found at 7 CFR 

1734.25. The Application Guide 

provides specific, detailed instructions 

for each item of a complete application. 

The Agency emphasizes the importance 

of including every item and strongly 

encourages applicants to follow the 

instructions carefully, using the 

examples and illustrations in the 

Application Guide. 

(b) Description of Project Sites. Most 

DLT grant projects contain several 

project sites. The Agency provides a 

sample worksheet that is located on the 

DLT website (found here: 

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

telecommunications-programs/distancelearning-telemedicine-grants) to help 

applicants clearly identify hub, hub/ 

end-user, and end-user sites. As in prior 

DLT funding windows, site information 

must be consistent throughout the 

application. Applications without 

consistent site information will be 

returned as ineligible. 

(c) Submission of Application Items. 

Given the high volume of program 

interest, applicants should submit the 

application items in the order as 

indicated in the table below. 

Applications that are not assembled in 

the specified order prevent timely 

determination of eligibility. 

Application item Regulation Comments 

SF–424 (Application for Federal Assistance Form) .............. 7 CFR 1734.25(a) Form provided through 

www.grants.gov. 

Executive Summary of the Project ........................................ 7 CFR 1734.25(b) Narrative, including a publicly releasable section that describes the population served. 

Non-Duplication of Services .................................................. 7 CFR 1734.25(b)(8) Guidance provided in the Application Guide. 

Scoring Criteria Documentation ............................................ 7 CFR 1734.25(c) Provide documentation on how applicant meets each of the 

scoring criteria (see 7 CFR 1734.26). 

Scope of Work ....................................................................... 7 CFR 1734.25(d) Narrative and documentation, including the budget. 

Financial Information and Sustainability ................................ 7 CFR 1734.25(e) Narrative. 

Statement of Experience ....................................................... 7 CFR 1734.25(f) Narrative. 

Funding Commitments from All Sources .............................. 7 CFR 1734.25(g) Worksheet and match documentation letters with authorized signatures. 

Telecommunications System Plan ........................................ 7 CFR 1734.25(h) Documentation. 

Compliance with other Federal Statutes ............................... 7 CFR 1734.25(i) Addressed by providing Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications in www.SAM.gov. 


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Application item Regulation Comments 

Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent 

Status for Corporate Applicants.

7 CFR 1734.25(i) Addressed by providing Financial Assistance Representations and Certifications in sam.gov/content/home. 

Environmental Review Requirements ................................... 7 CFR 1734.25(j) Guidance provided in the Application Guide. 

Evidence of Legal Authority and Existence .......................... 7 CFR 1734.25(k) Guidance provided in the Application Guide.

Federal Debt Certification ...................................................... 7 CFR 1734.25(l) SF–424, Application for Federal Assistance. 

Consultation with USDA State Director ................................. 7 CFR 1734.25(m) Documentation. 

Supplemental Information ...................................................... 7 CFR 1734.25(n) Documentation. 

3. System for Award Management and 

Unique Entity Identifier. 

(a) At the time of application, each 

applicant must have an active 

registration in the SAM before 

submitting its application in accordance 

with 2 CFR part 25. To register in the 

SAM, entities will be required to obtain 

a UEI. Instructions for obtaining the UEI 

are available at sam.gov/content/entityregistration. 

(b) Applicants must maintain an 

active SAM registration, with current, 

accurate and complete information, at 

all times during which 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 the SAM. 

(d) Applicants must provide a valid 

UEI in its application, unless 

determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110. 

(e) The Agency will not make an 

award until the applicant has complied 

with all the 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. 

Prior to official submission of 

applications, applicants may request 

technical assistance or other application 

guidance from the Agency, if such 

requests are made prior to February 21, 

2024. Agency contact information can 

be found in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section of this 

notice. 

(b) Application Deadline Date. 

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. 

(c) Applications Received After 

Deadline Date. Late or incomplete 

applications will not be eligible for 

funding under this grant opportunity. 

The Agency will not solicit or 

consider new scoring information that is 

submitted after the application 

deadline. The Agency reserves the right 

to contact applicants to seek 

clarification 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. Applicants should 

use the USDA Office of the Chief 

Financial Officer (OCFO), 

Intergovernmental Review website 

(www.usda.gov/ocfo/federal-financialassistance-policy/intergovernmentalreview) instructions to contact the State 

Points of Contact (SPOC). Any 

comments obtained through the SPOC 

must be provided as part of the 

application process. Applications from 

federally recognized Indian Tribes are 

not subject to this requirement. 

6. Funding Restrictions. 

(a) Ineligible grant purposes are 

outlined in 7 CFR 1734.23. Applicants 

should exclude ineligible items and 

ineligible matching contributions from 

the budget. If an ineligible item or 

matching contribution is included in the 

budget, the item will be removed and 

may result in an application being 

deemed ineligible. See the Application 

Guide for more details on funding 

restrictions, matching contributions, a 

recommended budget format, and 

detailed budget compilation 

instructions. 

(1) If an application includes both 

eligible and ineligible grant purposes on 

a single line of the application budget, 

and the cost of the ineligible item can 

be determined, the ineligible item will 

be removed from the approved budget. 

However, the entire line item will be 

deemed ineligible if the cost of the 

ineligible item cannot be determined. 

(b) Hub sites located in non-rural 

areas are not eligible for grant assistance 

unless they are necessary to provide 

DLT services to rural residents at end 

user sites. See 7 CFR 1734.2(h). 

(c) For the purposes of this NOFO, the 

cost of video conferencing platform 

licenses is considered an eligible cost if: 

(1) The video conferencing platform is 

an integral component in a project 

delivering distance learning or 

telemedicine services to an end user 

through the use of eligible equipment; 

(2) The cost does not exceed ten 

percent of the grant amount; 

(3) The application demonstrates that 

the predominant use (50 percent or 

more) of the video conferencing 

platform will be for the distance 

learning or telemedicine project; 

(4) The license is new and not a 

renewal of an existing license; and 

(5) The number of licenses requested 

does not exceed the number of end-user 

devices requested in the application. 

The duration of funding for video 

conferencing platform licenses is 

limited to three years from the date 

funds are made available. 

(d) If an application includes multiple 

costs on a single line of the application 

budget, one of which is subject to a cost 

limitation, as outlined in 7 CFR 1734.21, 

the items that are not subject to the cost 

limitation will be deducted when 

calculating the cost limitation 

percentage. However, the entire line 

item will be applied against the cost 

limitation if each cost cannot be 

determined. 

(e) Grantees may not subaward any 

part of a DLT grant without the express, 

prior written approval of RUS. 

7. Other Submission Requirements. 

(a) Applications will not be accepted 

via paper, fax or electronic mail. 

(b) Submit the electronic application 

through www.grants.gov. Do not send a 

paper copy to RUS. To increase the 

range of applicants that will be 

successful in FY 2025, only ONE 

application per applicant is eligible for 

approval. 

(c) For duplicate applications 

submitted through www.grants.gov, the 

Agency will base its evaluation on the 

last copy of the application submitted. 

If an applicant submits multiple 

applications for different projects, then 

the Agency will only consider the 

application with the highest score. 

(d) Grants.gov requires some 

credentialing and online authentication 


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procedures. These procedures may take 

several business days to complete. 

Therefore, the applicant should 

complete the registration, credentialing, 

and authorization procedures at 

www.grants.gov before submitting an 

application. Instructions on all required 

passwords, credentialing, and software 

are available on www.grants.gov. If 

system errors or technical difficulties 

occur, use the customer support 

resources available at the Grants.gov 

website. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria. Grant applications are 

scored competitively and are subject to 

the criteria provided in 7 CFR 1734.26 

and this notice, and further guidance on 

these criteria is provided in the 

Application Guide. 

(a) Rurality Category (up to 40 points). 

The rurality score is based on two 

factors: 

(1) The population size of each 

community where an end-user site is 

located, and 

(2) Whether an end-user site lies 

within an urbanized area adjacent to a 

city or town having a population more 

than 50,000 inhabitants. 

For non-fixed site projects and 

projects which contain non-fixed 

components, the rurality score will be 

based on the hub site. 

Applicants should use 2020 census 

data from the census website 

(data.census.gov/cedsci/) as their source 

for population data. To determine if a 

site lies in any incorporated or 

unincorporated city, village, or borough 

having a population in excess of 20,000 

inhabitants or an urbanized area 

contiguous to a city or town having a 

population in excess of 50,000 

inhabitants, applicants should check the 

site address, using the DLT mapping 

tool available at www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/telecommunicationsprograms/distance-learningtelemedicine-grants. The Application 

Guide provides additional guidance for 

this category, including a worksheet to 

assist applicants in the calculation of 

their rurality scores. 

(b) Economic Need Category (up to 30 

points). Economic need is based on the 

county poverty percentage of the enduser sites proposed in the application. 

The percentages must be determined by 

utilizing the United States Census Small 

Area Income and Poverty Estimates 

(SAIPE) program. Applicants can use 

the spreadsheet posted to the DLT 

program website to look up current 

SAIPE county-level data. End-user sites 

located in geographic areas, for which 

no SAIPE data exist, will be determined 

to have an average SAIPE poverty 

percentage of 30 percent. Such 

geographic areas may include territories 

of the United States or other locations 

eligible for funding through the DLT 

program. 

(c) Service Needs and Benefits 

Category (up to 30 points). This category 

measures the extent to which the 

proposed project meets the need for 

distance learning or telemedicine 

services in Rural Areas, the benefits 

derived from the proposed services, and 

the local community involvement in the 

planning, implementation, and financial 

assistance of the project. RUS will also 

consider the extent to which the 

applicant’s documentation identifies the 

local economic, education, or health 

care challenges. The applicant must 

explain how the project proposes to 

address these issues and why the 

applicant cannot complete the project 

without a grant. 

(d) Special Consideration (up to 10 

points). Special consideration points 

will be awarded for projects with at 

least one end-user site in the following 

areas. Applicants may only receive 

special consideration points in one area 

(up to 10 points): 

(1) Creating More and Better Markets 

(10 points). Projects that enable and 

improve distance learning and 

telemedicine services in Rural Areas to 

the most distressed tier of the Distressed 

Communities index are eligible for 10 

points. The most distressed tier of the 

index are those communities with a 

score over 80. A list of Distressed 

Communities can be found at: 

www.rd.usda.gov/media/file/download/ 

fy24distressedcommunityindexlist-.xlsx. 

(2) Projects advancing Racial Justice, 

Place-Based Equity, and Opportunity. 

(10 points). Projects that meet one of the 

criteria below will receive 10 points. 

(i) Projects proposing to serve rural 

communities with a Social Vulnerability 

Index (SVI) with a score of 0.75 or 

higher are eligible. For the purposes of 

this NOFO, Puerto Rico, Guam, America 

Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, 

Palau, the Marshall Islands, the 

Federated States of Micronesia, the U.S. 

Virgin Islands, and Hawaiian Census 

Tribal areas are considered Socially 

Vulnerable Communities. A GIS layer 

identifying the Socially Vulnerable 

Communities can be found using the 

DLT mapping tool available at: 

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

telecommunications-programs/distancelearning-telemedicine-grants. 

(ii) Projects that enable and improve 

distance learning and telemedicine 

services on Tribal Lands. Tribal Lands 

will be identified in GIS layers included 

in the DLT mapping tool available at: 

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

telecommunications-programs/distancelearning-telemedicine-grants. 

(iii) Projects proposed by a federally 

recognized Tribe, including Tribal 

instrumentalities and entities that are 

wholly owned by Tribes. 

2. Review and Selection Process. 

Grant applications are ranked by the 

final score. RUS selects applications 

based on those rankings, subject to the 

availability of funds. As noted in 

Section D.7. of this announcement, RUS 

will approve no more than one 

application per applicant. If an 

applicant submits more than one 

application for different projects, then 

the Agency will only consider the 

application with the highest score. If an 

applicant submits more than one 

application for the same project, then 

the Agency will only consider the latest 

submission. In addition, the Agency has 

the authority to limit the number of 

applications selected in any one state or 

for any one project during a fiscal year. 

See 7 CFR 1734.27 for a description of 

the grant application selection process. 

An application receiving fewer points 

can be selected over a higher scoring 

application if there are insufficient 

funds available to cover the costs of the 

higher scoring application, as stated in 

7 CFR 1734.27(b)(3). 

The Agency evaluates grant 

applications in accordance with 7 CFR 

1734.27(c). The Agency reserves the 

right to offer the applicant less than the 

grant funding requested. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices. The Agency 

notifies applicants whose projects are 

selected for awards by mailing or 

emailing a copy of an award letter. The 

receipt of an award letter does not 

authorize the applicant to commence 

performance under the award. After 

sending the award letter, the Agency 

will send an agreement that contains all 

the terms and conditions for the grant. 

An applicant must execute and return 

the grant agreement, accompanied by 

any additional items required by the 

agreement, within the number of days 

specified in the selection notice letter. 

The standard agreement is available on 

the www.rd.usda.gov/programsservices/telecommunications-programs/ 

distance-learning-telemedicine-grants. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. The items listed in 7 CFR 

part 1734, this announcement, the 

Application Guide, and program 

resources implement the appropriate 

administrative and national policy 

requirements, which include but are not 

limited to: 

(a) Executing a DLT Grant Agreement. 


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(b) Using Form SF 270, Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement, to request 

reimbursements (along with the 

submission of receipts for expenditures 

and any other documentation to support 

the request for reimbursement). 

(c) Submitting an annual Project 

Performance Activity Report, no later 

than January 31st of the year following 

the year in which all or any portion of 

the grant is first advanced and 

continuing in subsequent years until 

completion of the project. 

(d) Ensuring that records are 

maintained to document all activities 

and expenditures utilizing DLT grant 

funds and matching funds (receipts for 

expenditures are to be included in this 

documentation). 

(e) Providing a final project 

performance report, no later than one 

hundred twenty (120) days after the 

expiration date, termination of the grant, 

the project completion, or the final 

disbursement of the grant by the 

grantee, whichever event occurs last. 

(f) Complying with policies, guidance, 

and requirements as described in the 

following applicable Code of Federal 

Regulations, and any successor 

regulations: 

(1) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards). 

(2) 2 CFR parts 417 and 180 

(Government-wide Nonprocurement 

Debarment and Suspension). 

(g) Complying with Executive Order 

13166, Improving Access to Services for 

Persons with Limited English 

Proficiency. For information on limited 

English proficiency and agency-specific 

guidance, go to www.LEP.gov. 

(h) Accountability and Compliance 

with Civil Rights Laws. The regulation 

found at 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E 

contains policies and procedures for 

implementing the regulations of the 

Department of Agriculture issued 

pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1964, Title VIII of the Civil Rights 

Act of 1968, Title IX, Section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Executive 

Order 13166, Executive Order 11246, 

and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 

1974, as they relate to RD. Nothing 

herein shall be interpreted to prohibit 

preference to American Indians on 

Indian Reservations. 

The policies contained in this subpart 

apply to recipients. As recipients of 

federal financial assistance, awardees 

are required to comply with the 

applicable federal, tribal, state, and local 

laws. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964 and Section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act prohibits 

discrimination by recipients of federal 

financial assistance. Recipients are 

required to adhere to specific outreach 

activities. These outreach activities 

include contacting community 

organizations and leaders that include 

minority leaders; advertising in local 

newspapers and other media throughout 

the entire service area; and including 

the nondiscrimination slogan, ‘‘This is 

an Equal Opportunity Program. 

Discrimination is prohibited by Federal 

Law,’’ in methods that may include, but 

not be limited to, advertisements, 

electronic media, public broadcasts, and 

printed materials, such as brochures and 

pamphlets. 

By completing the Financial 

Assistance Representations and 

Certifications on SAM.gov, recipients 

affirm that they will operate the 

program free from discrimination. The 

recipient will maintain the race and 

ethnic data on the board members and 

beneficiaries of the program. The 

recipient will provide alternative forms 

of communication to persons with 

limited English proficiency. The Agency 

will conduct Civil Rights Compliance 

Reviews on recipients to identify the 

collection of racial and ethnic data on 

program beneficiaries. In addition, the 

compliance review will ensure that 

equal access to the program benefits and 

activities are provided for persons with 

disabilities and language barriers. 

(i) Build America, Buy America Act 

(BABAA). With respect to any 

construction under the DLT project, 

Awardees that are Non-Federal Entities, 

defined pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1 as any 

State, local government, Indian tribe, 

Institution of Higher Education, or 

nonprofit organization, shall be 

governed by the requirements of Section 

70914 of the Build America, Buy 

America Act (BABAA) within the 

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 

(Pub. L. 117–58), and its implementing 

regulations at 2 CFR part 184. Any 

requests for waiver of these 

requirements must be submitted 

pursuant to USDA’s guidance available 

online at www.usda.gov/ocfo/federalfinancial-assistance-policy/ 

USDABuyAmericaWaiver. 

(j) Geospatial Data. 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 usda.gov/directives/dr-3465- 

001 and usda.gov/directives/dm-3465- 

001. 

3. Reporting. 

(a) Performance Reporting. All 

recipients of DLT financial assistance 

must provide annual performance 

activity reports to RUS until the project 

is complete and the funds are expended. 

A final performance report is also 

required; the final report may serve as 

the last annual report. The final report 

must include an evaluation of the 

success of the project in meeting the 

DLT program objectives. See 7 CFR 

1734.7 for additional information on 

these reporting requirements. 

(b) Annual Audit. All recipients of 

DLT financial assistance must provide 

an annual audit as follows: 

(1) Non-Federal Entities, which 

include recipients that are states, local 

governments, Indian tribes, institutions 

of higher education, or nonprofit 

organizations, shall provide RUS with 

an audit pursuant to 2 CFR part 200, 

subpart F (Audit Requirements). The 

recipient must follow subsection 2 CFR 

200.502 in determining federal awards 

expended. All RUS loans impose an 

ongoing compliance requirement for the 

purpose of determining federal awards 

expended during a fiscal year. In 

addition, the recipient must include the 

value of new federal loans made along 

with any grant expenditures from all 

federal sources during the recipient’s 

fiscal year. Therefore, the audit 

submission requirement for this 

program begins in the recipient’s fiscal 

year that the loan is made and 

thereafter, based on the balance of 

federal loan(s) at the beginning of the 

audit period. All required audits must 

be submitted within the earlier of: (i) 30 

calendar days after receipt of the 

auditor’s report; or (ii) nine months after 

the end of the recipient’s audit period. 

(2) For all other entities, recipients 

shall provide RUS with an audit within 

120 days after the as of audit date in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 1773. With 

respect to grant funds, the audit is 

required until all grant funds have been 

expended or rescinded. While an audit 

is required, recipients must also submit 

the reports on internal control; 

compliance with provisions of laws, 

regulations, contracts and grant 

agreements; and instances of fraud. 

(c) Recipient and Sub-recipient 

Reporting. The applicant must have the 

necessary processes and systems in 

place to comply with the reporting 

requirements for first-tier sub-awards, if 

approved by the agency, and executive 

compensation under the Federal 

Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 in the event 

the applicant receives funding unless 

such applicant is exempt from such 

reporting requirements pursuant to 2 

CFR 170.105. The reporting 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 2025 / Notices 595 

requirements under the Transparency 

Act pursuant to 2 CFR part 170 are as 

follows: 

(1) If approved by the agency, first 

Tier Sub-Awards of $30,000 or more 

(unless they are exempt under 2 CFR 

part 170) must be reported by the 

recipient to www.fsrs.gov no later than 

the end of the month following the 

month the sub-award was made. Please 

note that currently underway is a 

consolidation of eight federal 

procurement systems, including the 

Federal Sub-award Reporting System 

(FSRS), into one system, SAM. As a 

result, the FSRS will soon be 

consolidated into and accessed through 

www.sam.gov. 

(2) The total compensation of the 

recipient’s executives (the five most 

highly compensated executives) must be 

reported by the recipient (if the 

recipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR 

part 170) to www.sam.gov by the end of 

the month following the month in 

which the award was made. 

(3) If sub-awards are approved by the 

agency, the total compensation of the 

sub-recipient’s executives (the five most 

highly compensated executives) must be 

reported by the sub-recipient (if the subrecipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR 

part 170) to the recipient by the end of 

the month following the month in 

which the sub-award was made. 

(d) Record Keeping and Accounting. 

The agreement will contain provisions 

related to record keeping and 

accounting requirements. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts 

For general questions about this 

announcement, please contact the point 

of contact provided in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT 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 the 

programs, as covered in this notice, 

have been approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

OMB Control Number 0572–0096. 

(2) National Environmental Policy 

Act. All recipients under this notice are 

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970. 

(3) Federal Funding Accountability 

and Transparency Act. All applicants, 

in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must 

be registered in the 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 and 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 

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 

www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ 

documents/ad-3027.pdf, or 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. 

Andrew Berke, 

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA 

Rural Development. 

[FR Doc. 2024–30465 Filed 1–3–25; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[DOCKET #: RUS–24–ELECTRIC–0032] 

Notice of Extension of the Application 

Deadline for Section 313A Guarantees 

for Bonds and Notes Issued for Utility 

Infrastructure Purposes for Fiscal Year 

2025 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 


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