[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 125 (Thursday, June 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39053-39063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14028]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Housing Service

Rural Utilities Service

[Docket No. RBS-22-COOP-0016]


Notice of Funds Availability for the Rural Placemaking Innovation 
Challenge (RPIC) for Fiscal Year 2022

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Utilities 
Service (RUS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funds availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Under Secretary for Rural Development (RD) is seeking 
applications, for the Rural Development Cooperative Agreement Program, 
herein referred to as the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge 
(RPIC), from eligible entities to provide technical assistance and 
training to rural communities for placemaking planning and 
implementation. This funding opportunity will be administered by the 
USDA Rural Development Innovation Center and is authorized by the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, to provide up to $4 million in 
competitive cooperative agreement funds. This announcement lists the 
information needed to submit an application.

DATES: Applications for RPIC cooperative agreement(s) must be submitted 
electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time 
by August 15, 2022. Applications received after 11:59 p.m. Eastern 
Daylight Time on August 15, 2022 will not be considered.

ADDRESSES: Application Submission: The application system for 
electronic submissions will be available at https://www.grants.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USDA Rural Development, Innovation 
Center, via email at: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ecbea8c2bebca5afac999f888dc28b839a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="edbfa9c3bfbda4aead989e898cc38a829b">[email protected]</span></a>, or via phone at: Gregory Dale 
(202) 568-9558 or Sherri McCarter (615) 982-2078. Persons with 
disabilities who require alternative means for communication should 
contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Target Center at 
(202) 720-2600 (voice). The last day for accepting questions on this 
notice will be August 12, 2022. Questions submitted after this deadline 
cannot be guaranteed a timely answer in advance of the closing date of 
this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Authority: This solicitation is authorized pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 
2204b(b)(4); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural 
Utilities Service (RUS), and Rural Housing Service (RHS), (USDA).
    Funding Opportunity Title: Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge 
(RPIC).
    Announcement Type: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA).
    Assistance Listing Number: Rural Development Cooperative Agreement 
Program--10.890.
    Due Date for Applications: Applications for RPIC cooperative 
agreement(s) must be received by 11:59 p.m. on August 15, 2022. 
Applications received after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on August 
15, 2022 will not be considered.

Rural Development: Key Priorities

    The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will 
advance the following key priorities (more details available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points)
    <bullet> Assisting rural communities recover economically from the 
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly disadvantaged 
communities;
    <bullet> Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD 
programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and
    <bullet> Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to 
the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural 
communities.
    For further information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.

Items in Supplementary Information

I. Program Overview
II. Federal Award Information
III. Definitions
IV. Eligibility Information
V. Application and Submission Information
VI. Application Review Information
VII. Federal Award Administration Information
VIII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts
IX. Other Information

I. Program Overview

A. Background

    The Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC) provides planning 
support, technical assistance, and training to communities to foster 
placemaking activities in rural communities. Funds can help enhance 
capacity for broadband access, preserve cultural and historic 
structures, and support the development of transportation, housing, and 
recreational spaces. Applicants must demonstrate existing and proposed 
partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, Tribal and community 
partners to provide assistance in implementing the placemaking plan. 
This funding announcement supports the delivery of technical assistance 
and training in visioning, planning, and assisting communities to 
implement placemaking efforts in rural communities under the Rural 
Placemaking Innovation Challenge.

[[Page 39054]]

B. Program Description

    RD is authorized to administer cooperative agreement awards in 
accordance with 7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4). The intention of RPIC is to 
provide cooperative agreement funding to eligible applicants working to 
promote public-private, philanthropic partnerships in rural and Tribal 
communities that encourage economic and social development. These 
projects are intended to support rural America and align with the 
mission of existing USDA RD programs to increase rural economic growth 
and improve the quality of life in rural America by supporting 
essential services such as housing, economic and community development, 
and required infrastructure.
    For the purpose of this notice, Technical Assistance and Training 
for Placemaking is defined in Part III.
    RPIC operates under the following concepts:
    <bullet> Creating livable communities is important for community 
developers and practitioners who implement these strategies in rural 
communities and areas.
    <bullet> Placemaking practices include both innovative and adaptive 
as well as established technical processes and solutions.
    <bullet> Partnerships are a key element to the RPIC and must be 
developed with public, private, and philanthropic organizations 
creating new collaborative approaches, learning together, and bringing 
those learned strategies into rural and Tribal communities.
    <bullet> Placemaking contributes to long-term investment and 
therefore supports a community's resiliency, social stability, and 
collective identity.
    <bullet> Broadband is an essential component to supporting 
placemaking initiatives.
    Placemaking is a collaborative engagement process that helps 
leaders from rural and Tribal communities create quality places where 
people will want to live, work, play and learn. By bringing together 
partners from public, private, Tribal and philanthropic communities, 
and technology sectors, placemaking is a wrap-around approach to 
community and economic development that incorporates creativity, 
infrastructure initiatives, and vibrant public spaces. Key elements of 
quality places can include a mix of uses; effective public spaces; 
broadband capacity; preservation of historic places; transportation 
options; diverse house options; and a respect of community heritage, 
arts, culture, creativity, recreation and green space.

II. Federal Award Information

A. Assistance Listing Number: 10.890.

    Assistance Listing Title: Rural Development Cooperative Agreement 
Program.

B. Funds Available

    The amount available for RPIC in FY 2022 is up to $4 million. Lead 
applicants may not submit more than one application but may identify 
more than one community with which they are providing placemaking 
assistance. The maximum award amount for any one applicant is $250,000. 
RD reserves the right to withhold the awarding of any funds if no 
application receives a minimum score of at least 60 points. There is no 
commitment by USDA to fund any application that does not achieve the 
minimum score.
    This funding opportunity lists the information needed to apply for 
these funds and announces that RD is accepting FY 2022 applications to 
support RPIC. Rural Development 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.

C. Approximate Number of Awards

    The Agency anticipates that it may select one, multiple, or no 
award recipients from this funding opportunity. Applicants may not 
submit more than one application.

D. Type of Instrument

    RD is authorized to administer cooperative agreement awards in 
accordance with 7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4) for the Rural Placemaking 
Innovation Challenge.

E. Period of Performance

    The maximum Period of Performance is 2 years. Applicants should 
anticipate a Period of Performance beginning October 1, 2022 and ending 
no later than September 30, 2024.

III. Definitions

    The terms and conditions provided in this Notice of Funds 
Availability (NOFA) are applicable to and for the purposes of this NOFA 
only. Unless otherwise provided in the award documents, all financial 
terms not defined herein shall have the meaning as defined by Generally 
Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
    Capacity is defined as previous experience with state or federal 
grant administration and demonstrated experience in economic 
development and placemaking technical assistance.
    Multi-jurisdictional means more than one jurisdiction where 
jurisdiction refers to a unit of government or other entity with 
similar powers, such as a city, county, district, special purpose 
district, township, town, borough, parish, village, state, Tribe, etc.
    Multi-sectoral means intentional collaboration between two or more 
sectors (e.g., utility, health, housing, community services, etc.) to 
accomplish goals and achieve outcomes in communities and regions.
    Placemaking is a collaborative engagement process that helps 
leaders from rural communities create quality places where people will 
want to live, work, play and learn. By bringing together partners from 
public, private, Tribal, philanthropic communities, and technology 
sectors, placemaking is a wrap-around approach to community and 
economic development that incorporates creativity, infrastructure 
initiatives, and vibrant public spaces.
    Placemaking Plan is a written document that describes the strategic 
plan for the community to implement the goals and objectives identified 
through the placemaking planning process.
    Quality of life means a measure of human well-being that can be 
identified though economic and social indicators. Modern utilities, 
affordable housing, efficient transportation, and reliable employment 
are economic indicators that must be integrated with social indicators 
such as access to medical services, public safety, education, and 
community resilience to empower rural communities to thrive.
    Region (Four Regions) means:
    <bullet> The Northeast includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, 
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, 
Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
    <bullet> The Midwest includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, 
Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Nebraska, and Kansas.
    <bullet> The South includes Kentucky, North Carolina, South 
Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, 
Louisiana, Texas, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Oklahoma.
    <bullet> The West includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New 
Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, 
Hawaii, and U.S. Pacific Island Territories.
    RPIC Cooperative Agreement is the instrument used to fund the 
support of

[[Page 39055]]

Rural Development's goals of increasing rural economic growth. In a 
cooperative agreement, federal employees participate more closely in 
project activities, often working side-by-side with the cooperator. 
Cooperators are expected to have expertise in placemaking and 
partnerships that will enable a rural community, area, or region to 
implement a placemaking strategy and improve the quality of life for 
its citizens.
    Rural area is RBCS's Rural Area definition as described in Section 
343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act which 
defines ``rural area'' as any area other than (1) a city or town that 
has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants and (2) any 
urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to such city or town described 
in subparagraph (1) above.
    Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an alliance of federal agencies and 
civic partners working to expand rural prosperity through job creation, 
infrastructure development, and community improvement. More information 
about RPN is available at https://www.rural.gov/.
    Rural Partners Network Community Networks are community networks 
within the Rural Partners Network (RPN) and are identified and 
described on the RPN website, https://www.rural.gov/.
    Sector means stakeholders from areas such as business, health, 
education, and/or workforce; or from organization types such as public, 
Tribal communities, private, non-profit, and/or philanthropy.
    Substantial involvement means when the Recipient and USDA RD 
participate together in the management and/or performance of the 
activity/project during post-award. This collaboration is programmatic 
in nature and may provide benefits (e.g., technical expertise, 
knowledge, etc.) that would otherwise be unavailable to the Recipient.
    Technical Assistance (TA) for Placemaking means the applicant 
participates in the process of providing targeted support for the 
delivery of placemaking planning and implementation in partnership with 
identified rural communities.
    Training for Placemaking means the applicant provides training to 
the community on the components relating to the placemaking planning 
process, and implementation around placemaking and community and 
economic development processes. Training may be in the form of 
information, workshops, and/or mentoring.
    Tribe means the term as defined in the Federally Recognized Indian 
Tribe List Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-454; 108 Stat. 4791, 4792). An 
American Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, 
or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist 
as an Indian Tribe under the Federally Recognized Tribe List Act of 
1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a-1).
    Tribal Entity includes all entities falling into the eligible legal 
structures, including but not limited to: Tribal owned corporations, 
intertribal non-profits and associations, Alaska Native Corporations, 
Native entities within the State of Alaska recognized by and eligible 
to receive services from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau 
of Indian Affairs, Native Hawaiian organizations including Homestead 
Associations, State recognized tribes/non-profits, and individually-
owned Native American entities.
    Commonly used Acronyms:

DCI Distressed Communities Index
FY Fiscal Year
HBCU Historically Black Colleges and Universities
LOC Letter of Conditions
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
RD Rural Development
RDCA Rural Development Cooperative Agreement
RPIC Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge
SAM System for Award Management
SBA Small Business Administration
UEI Unique Entity Identifier
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
CFR Code of Federal Regulation
SPOC Single Point of Contact

IV. Eligibility Information

A. Applicants

    Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements by the 
application deadline. Applications that fail to meet any of these 
requirements by the application deadline will be deemed ineligible and 
will not be evaluated further and will not receive a federal award. 
Applicants may not submit more than one application.
    Applicant Eligibility: Federally recognized Tribes and Tribal 
Entities (See Part III); institutions of higher education (including 
1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-
Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically 
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)); nonprofit organizations with 
501(c)(3) IRS status; public bodies; or small private entities meeting 
the size standards established by the U.S. Small Business 
Administration (SBA).
    Entities are not eligible if they have been debarred or suspended 
or otherwise excluded from, or ineligible for, participation in federal 
assistance programs under 2 CFR parts 180 and 417. In addition, an 
applicant will be considered ineligible for a cooperative agreement due 
to an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a federal court 
(other than U.S. Tax Court) or if the applicant is delinquent on the 
payment of federal income taxes or federal debt.

B. Eligible Project

    The proposed project must include a component that allows for 
active participation by the Cooperator and substantial involvement by 
RD in the specified tasks outlined in the applicant's project proposal. 
Examples of measurable substantial involvement include, but are not 
limited to, the following: joint convenings of community members, 
partners, and stakeholders; joint delivery of training for RD programs; 
and the development of training sessions and outreach materials. It is 
the intent of this project to engage RD staff in the placemaking 
process, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to identify 
specific tasks where RD staff can provide measurable, substantial 
involvement in the project. If tasks are not identified, the 
application will not be eligible for funding.
    The project must also directly benefit a rural area. All ultimate 
beneficiaries and/or subrecipients must be located in rural areas, and 
any activities or tasks must occur in rural areas.
    Duplication of services is not allowed. Applicants must demonstrate 
that they are providing services either to new customers or new 
services to current customers. If the applicant's workplan and budget 
are duplicative of a previous and/or existing RPIC award, the 
application will not be considered for funding. RD will make this 
determination.

C. Cost Sharing and Matching Funds Verification

    (1) A minimum 15 percent match of the federal grant amount 
requested for the cooperative agreement award is required for all 
applications. Matching commitments may be made in cash by the applying 
organization, or a combination of cash and confirmed funding 
commitments with third-party in-kind contributions as defined in 2

[[Page 39056]]

CFR 200.306. This minimum match of at least 15 percent of the federal 
amount requested must be committed for a period of not less than the 
cooperative agreement performance period. Cost sharing/matching must be 
committed at the time of application submission.
    (2) Applicants may recruit one or more private, philanthropic, and/
or eligible public partner(s) to provide the matching 15 percent (in 
cash and/or in-kind contributions) of the applicant's proposed federal 
funding request (i.e., the federal grant amount requested), or the 
applicant can provide the full match as its own cash contribution. It 
is permissible to provide a combination of third-party in-kind 
contribution (as defined in 2 CFR 200.306) from a partner and cash 
contribution from the applicant, but it is not permissible for the 
applicant to provide its own in-kind contribution as part of the match 
combination. If the applicant is going to provide its own match 
contribution, that match must be documented as a cash contribution.
    (3) RPIC Project Verification of Matching Funds: The RPIC Matching 
Funds Letter must be signed by the donating organization's authorized 
representative on the organization's letterhead and must identify the 
amount of matching funds or in-kind services/goods, the time period 
during which matching contribution will be available, and the source of 
the funds, as applicable (e.g., cash on hand, bank statement(s) etc.).
    <bullet> If providing an in-kind match, the third-party contributor 
must provide details on how those in-kind sources will be identified 
and tracked by the contributor.
    <bullet> The contributor must also attach/stipulate the value of 
each of the goods or services (including the indirect/direct costs) 
being offered.
    <bullet> If using calculated hours for estimating any in-kind 
service, the contributor must also provide how the value was arrived at 
for calculating the total cost for the in-kind match and associated 
personnel, as applicable.
    Additional details about cost sharing or matching funds/
contributions are located at 2
    CFR 200.306. Applicant matching funds must be included in the 
budget justification. For matching funds offered by project partners, a 
separate Matching Funds Letter is required for each cash and/or third-
party in-kind match contribution. Matching Funds Letters must be signed 
by the authorized organizational representative of the contributing 
organization and the applicant organization, which must include:
    <bullet> the name, address, and telephone number of the 
contributor,
    <bullet> the name of the applicant organization,
    <bullet> the title of the project for which the contribution is 
made,
    <bullet> the dollar amount of the contribution, and
    <bullet> a statement that the contributor commits to furnish the 
contribution during the cooperative agreement period.
    Applications without signed written commitments are considered 
incomplete and will be ineligible. The value of applicant contributions 
to the project is established according to Federal cost principles. 
Applicants should refer to 2 CFR 200.306 for additional guidance on 
matching funds, in-kind contributions, and allowable costs.
    (4) Optional Seed Grant Matching Funds Contribution and 
Verification: The applicant MUST provide documentation of a third-party 
matching funds contribution if participating in the Optional Seed Grant 
scoring criteria. These matching funds are separate from the verified 
matched funds required for the RPIC application. The Matching Funds 
Letter for the optional seed grants MUST specifically state that the 
funds are being allocated to the Innovation Seed Grant. The letter may 
be conditioned to the applicant receiving the award. (Failing to 
provide verification of match for the optional seed grant disqualifies 
the applicant from this optional scoring criteria).

D. Funding Restrictions

    The following funding restrictions also apply to this program:
    (1) Pre-award costs are not authorized.
    (2) Use of Funds. Award funds should be calculated based on the 
federal amount requested by the applicant. A minimum of 15 percent 
match is required (refer to Part IV, Section C, Cost Sharing and 
Matching Funds Verification).
    (3) The applicant may not use its administrative overhead or 
indirect costs as any part of its matching funds contribution. Using an 
indirect cost rate or administrative overhead for a matching fund 
contribution will be deemed as an ineligible use of funds for the 
cooperative agreement.
    (4) Program Income. If you expect to earn Program Income during the 
Period of Performance, you must identify the amount and how you expect 
to use it (e.g., matching funds) in your application. If your 
application is funded, unexpected Program Income or Program Income 
earned in excess of the amount you identify in your application will be 
deducted from the Federal share of the project in accordance with 2 CFR 
200.307(e)(1).

E. Ineligible Application Information

    (1) In addition to costs identified as unallowable by 2 CFR part 
200 or 400, the following costs are prohibited for this program. 
Neither award funds nor matching funds can be used to pay for the 
following types of expenses (this is not a comprehensive list of 
unallowable costs, see 2 CFR part 200):
    (a) Construction (in any form).
    (b) Intermediary preparation of strategic plans for recipients.
    (c) Grants to individuals.
    (d) Funding a grant where there may be a conflict of interest, or 
an appearance of a conflict of interest, involving any action by the 
Agency.
    (e) Purchasing real estate.
    (f) Using cooperative agreement assistance or matching funds for 
individual development accounts.
    (g) Purchasing vehicles.
    (h) To pay an outstanding judgment obtained by the United States in 
a federal court (other than in the United States Tax court), which has 
been recorded. An applicant will be ineligible to receive an award 
until the judgment is paid in full or otherwise satisfied.
    (2) Applications will first be reviewed to determine if applicants 
meet the eligibility requirements and compliance with the funding 
restrictions in this notice. If we determine that your application is 
ineligible, we will discontinue processing it, which means that we will 
not evaluate it further nor provide any scoring information.

V. Application and Submission Information

A. Electronic Application and Submission

    Applications must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov. No 
other form of application will be accepted. Application and supporting 
materials are available at Grants.gov. Your application must contain 
all required information.
    To apply electronically, you must follow the instructions for this 
funding announcement at Grants.gov. Please note that we will not accept 
applications through mail or courier delivery, in-person delivery, 
email, or fax.
    You can locate the Grants.gov downloadable application package for 
this program by using a keyword, the program name, or the Assistance 
Listing Number for this program.
    When you enter the https://www.grants.gov/ website, you will find

[[Page 39057]]

information about applying electronically through the site as well as 
the hours of operation.
    To use Grants.gov, you must already have a Unique Entity 
Identifier. 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. To 
register in SAM, entities will be required to create a Unique Entity 
Identifier (UEI). Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at 
https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration. We strongly recommend that 
you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the 
application process through Grants.gov.
    RD is not responsible for any technical malfunction or website 
problems related to Grants.gov. If issues are encountered with 
Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov help desk at (800) 518-4726 
or <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b4c7c1c4c4dbc6c0f4d3c6d5dac0c79ad3dbc2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e99a9c9999869b9da98e9b88879d9ac78e869f">[email protected]</span></a>. The applicant assumes the risk of any delays in 
application submission through Grants.gov.
    Submitting an application through Grants.gov requires completing a 
variety of tasks and steps. There are also several preliminary 
registration steps before the applicant can submit the application. It 
is recommended that the instructions for registering be reviewed as 
soon as possible but at least two weeks before the planned application 
submission date.
    You must submit all application documents electronically through 
Grants.gov. Applications must include electronic signatures. Original 
signatures may be required if funds are awarded.
    After applying electronically through Grants.gov you will receive 
an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov 
tracking number.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

    For an application to be considered complete, the applicant must 
complete and submit the forms and supporting documentation contained in 
this section in addition to the written narrative proposal information 
in Part VI.
    Each page must be on numbered, letter-sized (8 \1/2\'' x 11'') 
paper utilizing a white background that has 1'' margins, and the text 
of the application must be typed, single spaced, black, and in a font 
no smaller than 12 point.
    (1) Applicants must complete and submit the following forms to 
apply for an RPIC cooperative agreement:
    (a) Standard Form 424, ``Application for Federal Assistance--Non-
construction.''
    (b) Standard Form 424A, ``Budget Information--Non-Construction 
Programs.''
    (c) Standard Form 424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.''
    (d) Execute Form RD 400-1 ``Equal Opportunity Agreement.''
    (2) All applications shall be accompanied by the following 
supporting documentation in concise written narrative form:
    (a) Civil Rights Compliance Requirements: All awards made under 
this notice are subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 
required by 7 CFR part 15, subpart A, section 504 of the Rehabilitation 
Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the 
Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
    (b) Evidence of applicant's legal existence and authority in the 
form of organizational documents such as: Articles of Incorporation, 
By-Laws, or Charter.
    (c) Evidence of tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service 
(IRS), if applicable.
    (d) List of current principals and consultants, including first and 
last names.
    (e) Applicants applying as a small private entity must provide a 
written self-certification which includes the entity's NAICS code or 
industry, number of employees or average annual revenue, and how the 
applicant meets the U.S. SBA small business size standards for their 
industry (https://www.sba.gov/size-standards).
    (f) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable.
    (g) Written Proposal--The written proposal should be assembled into 
one or more pdf file(s) and should conform to the order in which the 
Evaluation Criteria are presented in Part VI Section B. The completed 
pdf file(s) should be uploaded into Grants.gov as an attachment to the 
application. The maximum limit for the written narrative section is 25 
pages. Information exceeding 25 pages for the written narrative may not 
be considered for evaluation by the scoring panel.

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Unique Entity Identifier

    To be eligible (unless you are excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c) 
or (d)), you are required to do the following:
    (1) 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. To register in SAM, 
entities will be required to create a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 
Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.
    (2) Register in SAM before submitting your application. You may 
register in SAM at no cost at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/. 
You must provide your SAM CAGE Code and expiration date. Entities 
registering for the first time will also be assigned a UEI as part of 
the registration process. When registering in SAM, you must indicate 
you are applying for a federal financial assistance project or program 
or are currently the recipient of funding under any federal financial 
assistance project or program; and
    (3) Maintain active and current SAM registration. The SAM 
registration must remain active with current information at all times 
while the Agency is considering an application or while a federal 
grant/cooperative agreement award or loan is active. To maintain the 
registration in the SAM database, the applicant must review and update 
the information in the SAM database annually from the date of initial 
registration or from the date of the last update. The applicant must 
ensure that the information in the database is current, accurate, and 
complete. Applicants must ensure they complete the Financial Assistance 
General Certifications and Representations in SAM.
    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.

D. Submission Dates and Times

    In order to be considered for funds under this notice, applications 
must be deemed complete and must be received by Grants.gov by the 
deadline specified in the DATES section of this notice.

E. 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

[[Page 39058]]

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: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf
    Submit one copy of the application to the SPOC, if one has been 
designated, at the same time as application submission to the Agency. 
If the project is located in more than one state, submit a copy to each 
applicable SPOC. Any comments obtained through the SPOC must be 
provided to the individuals identified in the ``FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT'' section of this Notice for consideration as part of your 
application. If your state has not established a SPOC you may submit 
your application directly to the Agency. Tribes are exempt from this 
requirement.

F. Compliance with Other Federal Statutes and Other Submission 
Requirements

    (1) Other Federal Statutes. The applicant must certify to 
compliance with other Federal Statutes and regulations by completing 
the Financial Assistance General Certification and Representations in 
SAM, including, but not limited to the following:
    (a) 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. Civil Rights compliance 
includes, but is not limited to the following:
    (i) Collect and maintain data provided by ultimate recipients on 
race, sex, and national origin and ensure that ultimate recipients 
collect and maintain this data.
    (ii) Race and ethnicity data will be collected in accordance with 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Federal Register Notice, 
``Revisions of the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on 
Race and Ethnicity'' (published October 30, 1997, at 62 FR 58782); Sex 
data will be collected in accordance with Title IX of the Education 
Amendments of 1972. These items should not be submitted with the 
application but should be available upon request by RD.
    (b) The applicant and the ultimate recipient must comply with Title 
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education 
Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 
1975, Executive Order 12250, and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E.
    (c) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, 
Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards), or any 
successor regulation.
    (d) 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 https://www.lep.gov/.
    (e) Federal Obligation Certification on Delinquent Debt.
    (2) Risk Review: RD may request additional documentation from 
selected applicants in order to evaluate the financial, management, and 
performance risk posed by awardees as required by 2 CFR 200.206. Based 
on this risk review, RD may apply special conditions that correspond to 
the degree of risk assessed.
    (3) National Environmental Policy Act: This notice has been 
reviewed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, ``Environmental Policies 
and Procedures.'' We have determined that an Environmental Impact 
Statement is not required because the issuance of regulations and 
instructions, as well as amendments to them, describing administrative 
and financial procedures for processing, approving, and implementing 
the Agency's financial programs, is categorically excluded in the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulation found at 7 CFR 
1970.53(f). It has been determined that this Funding opportunity does 
not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the 
quality of the human environment.

G. Indirect Costs

    Organizations that have an active Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate 
Agreement (NICRA) with the Federal Government must use the rate 
identified in the NICRA to determine the indirect costs to be charged 
to this funding. Current NICRAs must be uploaded under Other 
Attachments (listed as an Optional Form) in the Grants.gov Opportunity 
Application Package. Entities without a NICRA may use a de minimis rate 
of up to 10 percent indirect costs rate. (Refer to 2 CFR 200.414 for 
additional information regarding indirect costs).

VI. Application Review Information

A. General

    The projects should address how existing assets can be leveraged in 
support of a placemaking vision and how the projects will be evaluated 
(e.g., how projects are evaluated for funding strategies and sources, 
construction of new assets to be identified in the planning process). 
Awardees will be Cooperators and are required to participate 
substantially in the project alongside RD staff to bring expertise in 
placemaking technical assistance, to bring partnerships that will 
enable a rural community, area, or region to ultimately implement a 
placemaking strategy, and to improve the quality of life for its 
citizens.
    Applicants are expected to provide proposals under this notice that 
include cooperation through substantial and measurable involvement by 
both the Cooperator and USDA RD staff. Proposals will support multi-
sectoral or multi-jurisdictional projects in rural communities and 
demonstrate how placemaking technical assistance will be provided to 
develop implementation plans that can be aligned with the mission of 
USDA RD to improve quality of life and economic growth. The proposal 
must provide a detailed description of (i) the area to be served and 
(ii) how such area fits the definition of a region, multi-sectoral, or 
multi-jurisdictional rural area. Applicants must identify which Region 
or Regions are included in their proposal. If applicants propose to 
serve more than one Region, they must identify a primary Region.
    Applicants for RPIC should be prepared to develop, be in the 
process of developing, or have developed a placemaking plan in 
partnership with public, private, Tribes, or philanthropic partners 
with the focus on local or regional revitalization towards economic 
vitality and quality of life impacts. The plans should identify 
potential projects that can be funded through RD programs and other 
federal, state, local or private sector resources. Placemaking plans 
developed through this funding opportunity should focus on one or more 
of the quality-of-life indicators as defined in Part III.
    Applicants are expected to submit placemaking proposals under this 
notice that include multi-sectoral or multi-jurisdictional planning 
partnerships within at least one Region (as defined in Part III) that 
will provide measurable results in helping rural communities create 
greater social and cultural vitality in rural communities. RPIC 
projects should also support rural communities' ability to qualify for 
priority funding under Section 379H of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act, ``Strategic Economic and Community Development,'' (7 
U.S.C. 2008v).
    For the purpose of RPIC, rural placemaking is: (1) rooted in 
emphasizing partnerships and collaboration among multiple public, 
private, Tribal, philanthropic and

[[Page 39059]]

community partners; (2) focused on combining federal, Tribal, state, 
and local resources to make wide-ranging quality-of-life impacts as 
opposed to separate, piecemeal, incremental improvements; and (3) based 
on placemaking processes to create quality places where people want to 
live, work, play and learn. The goal is to create greater social and 
cultural vitality in rural communities. Key elements of quality places 
may include a mix of uses; effective public spaces; broadband 
capability; transportation options; multiple housing options; 
disposition and rehabilitation of vacant structures; preservation of 
historic properties; and respect of community heritage, arts, culture, 
creativity, recreation, and green space.
    Additionally, the applications will be reviewed for completeness. 
For an application to be considered complete, the applicant must 
complete and submit the written narrative proposal information and the 
required forms contained in Parts V and VI of this NOFA. If we 
determine that your application is not complete, we will discontinue 
processing it, which means that we will not evaluate it further nor 
provide any scoring information.

B. Scoring Process

    If your application is determined to be eligible and complete, we 
will further evaluate it based on the scoring criteria listed in Part 
VI, Section B. All applications will be competitively scored and 
ranked. The minimum score requirement for a cooperative agreement award 
under this funding opportunity is 60 points.
    (1) Number of Awards: The Agency anticipates that it may select 
one, multiple, or no award recipients from this funding opportunity. 
The Agency reserves the right to withhold the awarding of any funds if 
no application receives a minimum score of at least 60 points.
    (2) Evaluation Criteria: (refer to Summary Table of Evaluation 
Criteria) Proposed projects will be evaluated based only on information 
provided in the application. Points will be given only for factors that 
are well documented in the application package and, in the opinion of 
RD, meet the objectives outlined in each of the evaluation criteria. 
References to websites or publications will not be reviewed. Full 
documentation and support of application criteria is encouraged.
    (3) The entire written narrative proposal includes the following 
sections in this order:
    (a) Executive Summary--Provide the applicant entity name, duration 
of project (in months), amount of federal funding requested, amount of 
non-federal cost-share/match funding committed, and project title. 
Identify geographic locations (including the primary region in which 
the applicant determines where the most significant work takes place) 
and describe, in non-technical language, the placemaking approach to be 
used including the objectives and strategies to be utilized; the 
public, private, Tribal and philanthropic partnerships developed or to 
be developed; the approach to be employed (including the role of 
participating partners); how impact will be quantified; and the 
predicted benefits or deliverables of the project(s).
    (b) Work Plan--Soundness of Approach (0-35 points). The applicant 
can receive up to 35 points for soundness of placemaking approach in 
their work plan. The maximum 35 points for this criterion will be based 
on the following:
    (i) Work Plan Approach--project objectives/background/tasks with 
timeline and timeframes
    <bullet> Project Objective(s): Description of objective(s)--clearly 
defined.
    <bullet> Project Background: Description of the types and general 
locations of rural communities to be served through this project--
Geographic Location or Project Areas (include Region description).
    <bullet> Describe project area(s) as multi-sectoral or multi-
jurisdictional. Applicants must include their ability to support rural 
planning activities on a multi-sectoral or multi-jurisdictional basis 
and how they will effectively serve these communities based on key 
personnel, established timeframes, and budget.
    <bullet> Project Key Tasks with Timeline and Timeframes:

--Applicants are required to include Work Plan Chart(s) that lists 
major task(s) by key personnel involved, time period of the task(s), 
substantial involvement of RD staff, expected deliverables, and budget 
associated with tasks.
--Applicants may provide timelines to demonstrate how the technical 
assistance will be delivered to rural communities and describe any 
supporting innovative and/or traditional placemaking approaches 
associated to tasks.

    (ii) Implementation of Workplan--Planning through the 
Implementation Phase
    <bullet> Project Implementation:
    Applicant should include details on how the technical assistance 
will be provided for the placemaking planning process and how it will 
coach/mentor the community to bring the plan to full implementation.
    (iii) Alignment of Budget/Budget Justification to Workplan
    <bullet> Detailed Budget Justification should align with the tasks 
detailed in the workplan. Discuss how the budget specifically supports 
the proposed activities discussed in the Project Key Tasks (as 
described above). Justify project costs including personnel and any 
limited consultant salaries with description of duties. The budget 
justification should include both the federal funds requested and the 
applicant's matching funds. The format of the budget's narrative can be 
in a chart, spreadsheet, table, etc., but it should be readable on 
letter-size, printable pages. The information needs to be presented in 
such a way that the reviewers can readily understand what expenses are 
incurred to support the project. Statement(s) of work for any 
subcontractors and consultants must be included as part of the 
application. (Note: consultants and subcontracts must only be used on a 
limited basis where not more than 49% of the federal grant amount 
requested can be contracted out to provide the proposed assistance. The 
majority of the primary work under the cooperative agreement MUST be 
performed by the applicant).
    (c) Organizational Capacity & Qualifications (0-20 points). The 
applicant can receive up to 20 points based on organizational capacity 
and qualifications. The maximum 20 points for this criterion will be 
based on the following:
    (i) The applicant should specify years of experience in placemaking 
activities, types of communities previously served, and experience in 
performance evaluation.
    (ii) The applicant's proposal should demonstrate that the applicant 
has identified appropriate key personnel, both in terms of number of 
personnel and qualifications of personnel and should provide specific 
detail of qualifications of key personnel relating to placemaking. 
Capacity of personnel to access data for needs assessments and access 
to planners and other technical experts will be evaluated.
    (iii) All eligible applicants must demonstrate the capacity to 
deliver and support rural placemaking planning activities within at 
least one of the four regions found in Part III. Capacity is defined as 
previous experience with federal grant administration and demonstrated 
experience in economic development and placemaking technical 
assistance.

[[Page 39060]]

    (d) Partnerships (0-25 points). The applicant can receive up to 25 
points for quantity and quality of the applicant's existing public, 
private, Tribal, and philanthropic partnerships and proposed new 
partnerships for this effort. The applicant should demonstrate their 
ability to leverage new partners that have had limited engagement with 
RD projects or priorities to leverage resources, enhance technical 
assistance, and/or increase reach to target areas. The maximum 25 
points for this criterion will be based on the following:
    (i) The applicant should provide a list of existing and/or 
potential partners who will commit to the project as well as a 
description of the sectors they represent (i.e., public, private, 
Tribal, philanthropic), and
    (ii) The applicant should describe in detail how they will engage 
with these partners to support the project, including how they will 
leverage partner resources.
    (e) Targeted Impact: Planning for Broadband Infrastructure, 
Deployment, and/or Access. (0-10 points). The applicant can receive up 
to 10 points for focusing on the following Targeted Impact. The 
applicant should propose how the project will plan for broadband 
infrastructure and/or e-connectivity opportunities within targeted 
areas. Please note that construction is not an allowable cost within 
the RPIC program.
    (A) Describe how the applicant's proposal will help one or more of 
the targeted communities plan for broadband infrastructure around the 
USDA-RD ReConnect Program or other RD Broadband programs (provided that 
community is eligible for that program); or
    (B) If one or more of the targeted communities have a USDA-RD 
ReConnect funded project, or other RD Broadband projects, describe how 
the applicant's proposal will provide follow-up and support for future 
broadband development or deployment; or
    (C) If none of the targeted communities are participating in any RD 
Broadband programs, describe how the applicant will work with 
stakeholders to address broadband development and deployment, or 
broadband access or e-connectivity.
    (f) Performance Measures (0-10 points). The applicant can receive 
up to 10 points based on the proposed performance measures to evaluate 
the progress and impact of the proposed project.
    The criterion will be based on the applicant's proposal and should 
include a description for how the results of the technical assistance 
will be measured, including the quality-of-life indicators (set forth 
in Part III) and the benchmarks to be used for measuring effectiveness. 
Indicators to be used should be specific and be quantifiable.
    (g) Optional Innovation Seed Grant (0-5 or 0-10 points) To foster 
public, private, Tribal and philanthropic engagement, not only through 
RPIC but for the community itself, the Innovation Seed Grant must be 
matched by no less than 50% match with additional external funding to 
support the community's project. The external funds can be from public, 
private, Tribal, philanthropic, or other federal, state, and local 
partners. There are two ways to be scored based on how an applicant 
plans to implement the Innovation Seed Grant: the applicant could 
receive either up to 5 points, or up to 10 points. Note that 
Cooperators that implement seed grants as a part of their proposal will 
be subject to the relevant subaward/subrecipient components from 2 CFR 
part 200.
    (i) Scoring the Innovation Seed Grant:
    <bullet> The applicant must specify Option 1 or 2.
    <bullet> The applicant should provide a brief narrative of how the 
Innovation Seed Grant will be developed, administered, and implemented.
    <bullet> It is expected that the Cooperators, in collaboration with 
the communities they are serving, will develop criteria for evaluating 
the Innovation Seed Grant for approval by a Seed Grant Committee. For 
evaluation of these criteria, applicants may provide sample criteria on 
how Seed Grants could be evaluated for:
--Innovation,
--Whether the project has been highlighted in the Placemaking Plan, and
--The probability of success and sustainability with identified 
outcomes to be achieved.

    <bullet> The applicant MUST provide documentation of third-party 
matching funds contributions. These matching funds are separate from 
the verified matched funds required for the RPIC application. The 
Matching Funds Letter for the seed grants MUST specifically state that 
the funds are being allocated to the Innovation Seed Grant. The letter 
may state that the match is contingent on the applicant receiving the 
award. (Failing to provide verification of match disqualifies the 
applicant from this optional scoring criteria).
    (ii) Option 1--0 to 5 points Innovation Seed Grant:
    <bullet> Applicants may receive up to 5 points in scoring if their 
proposal and budget provide for a system of funding an Innovation Seed 
Grant. The seed grants are to be utilized to fund a new and innovative 
project that is highlighted in the placemaking plan. These seed grants 
are considered small financial awards for the purpose of getting a 
specific project implemented in the plan. The applicant can set aside, 
from the applicant's award, funds for an Innovation Seed Grant. The 
maximum RPIC funds that can be set-aside for this purpose is 10 
percent.
    <bullet> Individual Innovation Seed Grants may be no more than 
$5,000 from RPIC funds, to an ultimate recipient in a community or for 
an entity applying for the grant. The seed grant must have matching 
funds (CASH MATCH ONLY) of at least 50 percent from public, private, 
Tribal or philanthropic support; however, the applicant may have 
contributions from partnerships in excess of the minimum 50 percent 
match requirement.

OR

    (iii) Option 2--0 to 10 points Innovation Seed Grant:
    <bullet> Applicants may receive up to 10 points in scoring if their 
proposal and budget provide for a system of funding an Innovation Seed 
Grant that funds a new and innovative project that is highlighted in 
the placemaking plan and focuses on the Targeted Impact listed in Part 
VI, Section B (e) (Targeted Impact). The system should describe how the 
seed grant promotes and connects to the Targeted Impact. These seed 
grants are considered small financial awards for the purpose of getting 
a specific project implemented. The applicant can set aside, from the 
applicant's award, funds for an Innovation Seed Grant. The maximum RPIC 
funds that can be set-aside for this purpose is 10 percent.
    <bullet> Individual Seed Grants may be no more than $5,000 from 
RPIC funds, to an ultimate recipient in a community or for an entity 
applying for the grant. The Seed Grant must have matching funds of at 
least 50 percent from public, private, Tribal or philanthropic support; 
however, the applicant may have contributions from partnerships in 
excess of the minimum 50 percent match requirement.
    (h) Agency Discretionary Points (0-10 points):
    The Agency may choose to award up to 10 points to an application 
that seeks to advance one or more of the USDA Rural Development Key 
Priorities (RD Key Priorities) as the set forth at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points, and described in the SUPPLEMETARY 
INFORMATION, Overview section of this

[[Page 39061]]

notice. These points will be assigned as follows:
    i. The applicant may receive 3 points, if it is determined that the 
applicant plans to advance one of the RD Key Priorities.
    ii. The applicant may receive 6 points if it is determined that the 
applicant plans to advance two of the RD Key Priorities.
    iii. The applicant may receive 10 points if it is determined that 
the applicant plans to advance three of the RD Key Priorities.
    The applicant does not need to provide additional information under 
this category. Information in the applicant's proposal will be used to 
score this category, if applicable.
    The Agency may, in individual cases, make an exception to any 
requirement or provision of this notice, which is determined to be in 
the Government's interest.
    (i) Verification of Matching Funds. The applicant must include 
Matching Commitment Letters signed by the donating organization's 
authorized representative on the organization's letterhead that 
identifies the amount of matching funds or in-kind services, the time 
period during which matching funds will be available, and the source of 
the funds (e.g., cash on hand). See Part IV, Section C (Cost Sharing 
and Matching Funds Verification) for more information. If participating 
in the Optional Innovation Seed Grant, the applicant must submit 
separate Matching Funds Commitment Letters that specifically annotate 
that the funds are allocated to the Innovation Seed Grant. The funds 
are a cash commitment to the seed grant.
    (j) Letters of Support (e.g., additional resource commitment from 
partners);
    (k) Appendix--Graphics, References, Citations, Negotiated Indirect 
Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) if applicable, organizational documents, 
self-certifications, etc. (Note: material added in this section may not 
be evaluated as part of the competitive scoring process).

                  Summary Table of Evaluation Criteria
------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Criteria                              Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Work Plan/Soundness of Approach...  0-35 points
    a. Work Plan Approach-project      .................................
     objectives/background/tasks with
     timelines and timeframes.
    b. Implementation of workplan....  .................................
    c. Alignment of budget/budget      .................................
     justification to workplan.
2. Organizational Capacity/            0-20 points
 Qualifications.
    a. Years of experience and         .................................
     processes employed in
     placemaking activities.
    b. Key personnel/number and        .................................
     qualifications relating to
     placemaking-access to data for
     needs assessments.
    c. Capacity to deliver             .................................
     placemaking planning, grant
     administration experience.
3. Partnerships......................  0-25 points
a. Extent of existing partnerships (#  .................................
 of partners/public, private, Tribal,
 philanthropic partners).
    b. Value that partnerships will    .................................
     bring to placemaking project,
     including existing partners and
     leveraging new partners for the
     proposed project.
4. Targeted Impact...................  0-10 points
    Planning for Broadband             .................................
     Infrastructure/Deployment/Access.
5. Performance Measures..............  0-10 points
    Measures used for evaluating       .................................
     quality of life indicators and
     benchmarks used for measuring
     effectiveness.
Optional Innovation Seed Grant.......  0-10 points
    Option--1 Innovation Seed Grant--  .................................
     offering seed grants for new and
     innovative projects highlighted
     in the Placemaking Plan; or.
    Option--2 Innovation Seed Grant--  .................................
     offering seed grants for new and
     innovative projects highlighted
     in the Placemaking Plan that
     specifically address the
     Targeted Impact priority.
    Agency Discretionary Points        0-10 points
     (Note: Applicant does not need
     to provide additional
     information for this category).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. Review and Selection Process

    (1) Incomplete or ineligible applications. Applications that are 
incomplete or ineligible will not be considered for funding (Reference 
Part V and Part VI).
    (2) The Reviewers. All eligible applications will be evaluated by 
an Application Review Panel using the criteria described in Part VI of 
this notice. Panel members will be appointed by RD and will be 
qualified to evaluate the applications based on the type of work 
proposed by the applicant.
    (3) Selection of Qualifying Applications. Applications will be 
selected in the following order:
    (a) First, the highest scoring application in each of the four 
Regions will be selected.
    (b) Second, the highest scoring Tribe or Tribal Entity Application, 
which has not already been selected as one of the highest scoring 
applications in one of the regions, will be selected.
    (c) Third, up to four of the highest scoring Applications serving 
one or more communities within the Rural Partners Network (RPN) 
Community Networks can be selected. (RPN Community Networks are listed 
on the RPN website: Rural Partners Network [verbar] Rural.gov).
    (d) Fourth, the remaining applications, regardless of Region, 
Tribal status, or RPN community, will be selected starting with the 
highest scoring application, until all available funds are exhausted.
    (e) Applications, at or near the funding line, may be funded in 
part, if RD believes an appropriate benefit can result from partial 
funding and if the applicant agrees to the amount of partial funding. 
In the event RD considers partial funding to be appropriate, the 
applicant will be contacted to negotiate the final work plan and budget 
prior to award approval.
    (4) Appeal Request. The applicant will be notified in writing 
regarding the reason(s) for any adverse decisions and will be provided 
a description of the options for review.
    (5) Cooperative Agreement. Applicants selected for funding will 
complete a Cooperative/Grant agreement suitable to the Agency, which 
outlines the terms and conditions of the Cooperative Agreement award. 
Pursuant to the agreement, funds will be released over the course of 
the Cooperative Agreement period in the form of a reimbursement for the 
performance of eligible, approved activities. The agreement may also 
include reporting requirements which, if not met, may result in a delay 
in reimbursement,

[[Page 39062]]

disallowance of expenses, or a suspension of the Agreement.
    (6) Reimbursement.
    (a) SF-270, ``Request for Advance or Reimbursement,'' will be 
completed by the cooperator and submitted to RD along with supporting 
documentation.
    (b) Upon receipt of a properly completed SF-270, payment will 
ordinarily be made within 30 days.
    (c) Any change in the scope of the project, budget adjustments of 
more than 10 percent of the total budget, or any other significant 
change in the project must be reported to and approved by the approving 
official. Any change not approved may be cause for termination of the 
Cooperative Agreement.

VII. Federal Award Administration Information

A. Federal Award Notices

    (1) Successful applicants will be notified in writing by the Agency 
with a Letter of Conditions (LOC). The LOC is a notice of selection and 
does not indicate that an award has been approved, nor is it an 
authorization to begin performance on the award. While there may be 
special conditions that apply on a case-by-case basis, the conditions 
as stated in Part VII, Section B (Administrative and National Policy 
Requirements) are standard for all successful applicants.
    (2) Once the conditions described in the LOC have been met, the 
award will be approved through the execution of Form RD 4280-2 in 
conjunction with the Rural Development Cooperative Agreement (RDCA) 
Program Attachment. If an applicant is unable to meet the conditions of 
the award within 90 calendar days, the award will be withdrawn.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    (1) The following requirements apply to grantees selected for this 
program:
    (a) Complete Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet 
Conditions.''
    (b) Complete Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligations of Funds.''
    (c) Complete FMMI Vendor Code Request Form.
    (d) Provide a copy of your organization's Negotiated Indirect Cost 
Rate Agreement, if applicable.
    (e) Certify that all work completed for the award will benefit a 
rural area.
    (f) Certify that you will comply with the Federal Funding 
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 and report information 
about subawards and executive compensation.
    (g) Certify that the U.S. has not obtained an outstanding judgement 
against your organization in a Federal Court (other than in the United 
States Tax Court).
    (h) Execute Form SF-424B, ``Assurance--Non-Construction Programs.''
    (i) Execute Form SF-LLL, ``Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,'' if 
applicable, or certify that your organization does not lobby.
    (2) The applicant must provide evidence of compliance with other 
federal statutes, including, but not limited to, the following:
    (a) Debarment and suspension information as required in accordance 
with 2 CFR part 417 (Non-procurement Debarment and Suspension) 
supplemented by 2 CFR part 180, if applicable. The information required 
under section heading: ``What information must I provide before 
entering into a covered transaction with a Federal agency?'' located at 
2 CFR 180.335 is part of OMB's Guidance for Grants and Agreements 
concerning Government-wide Debarment and Suspension.
    (b) All of your organization's known workplaces by including the 
actual addresses of buildings (or parts of buildings) or other sites 
where work under the award takes place. Workplace identification is 
required under the drug-free workplace requirements in Subpart B of 2 
CFR part 421, which adopts the Governmentwide implementation (2 CFR 
part 182) of the Drug-Free Workplace Act.
    (c) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, 
Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards).
    (d) 2 CFR part 182 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Financial Assistance)) and 2 CFR part 421 (Requirements for 
Drug Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)).
    (e) 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 https://www.lep.gov.
    (3) The following forms for acceptance of a federal award are now 
collected through your registration or annual recertification in 
SAM.gov in the Financial Assistance General Certifications and 
Representations section:
    <bullet> Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.''
    <bullet> Form AD-1047, ``Certification Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters-Primary Covered 
Transactions.''
    <bullet> Form AD-1048, ``Certification Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion. Lower Tier Covered 
Transactions.''
    <bullet> Form AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding Drug-Free 
Workplace Requirements (Grants).''
    <bullet> Form AD-3031, ``Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or 
Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.''

C. Reporting

    Grantees shall constantly monitor performance to ensure that time 
schedules are being met, projected work by time periods are being 
accomplished, and other performance objectives are being achieved.
    (1) SF-PPR ``Performance Progress Report,'' must be submitted 
quarterly based on the following time periods: January 1--March 31, 
April 1--June 30, July 1--September 30, and October 1--December 31. 
Quarterly reports are due within 30 calendar days of the end of the 
reporting period. A final report is due within 90 calendar days of the 
completion of the project or the end of the period of performance, 
whichever comes first. Both quarterly and final performance reports 
must be submitted electronically to RD.
    (2) Financial Report: Form SF-425, ``Federal Financial Report'' 
must be submitted quarterly based on the following time periods: 
January 1--March 31, April 1--June 30, July 1--September 30, October 
1--December 31. Quarterly reports are due within 30 calendar days of 
the end of the reporting period. A final report is due within 90 
calendar days of the completion of the project or the end of the period 
of performance, whichever comes first. Both quarterly and final reports 
must be submitted electronically to RD.
    (3) Report Suitable for Public Distribution: A report suitable for 
public distribution that describes the accomplishments of the project 
is due within 90 calendar days of the completion of the project. There 
is no format prescribed for this report, but it is expected that it 
will be 1-2 pages in length and describe the project in such a way that 
a member of the public not familiar with the project would gain an 
understanding of the impact of the project.

VIII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

    For further information, contact: Gregory Dale (202) 568-9558 or 
Sherri McCarter (615) 982-2078, email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8bd9cfa5d9dbc2c8cbfef8efeaa5ece4fd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e3b1a7cdb1b3aaa0a396908782cd848c95">[email protected]</span></a>. Persons with 
disabilities who require alternative means for communication should 
contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice).

[[Page 39063]]

IX. Other Information

A. Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
information collection requirement contained in this notice is approved 
by the Office of Management and Budget under OMB Control Number 0570-
0074.

B. Nondiscrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 
agencies, 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.
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the responsible 
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, 
or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of 
the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the 
complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or 
letter to USDA by:
    (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-9410;
    (2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
    (3) Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bfcfcdd0d8cdded291d6d1cbded4daffcaccdbde91d8d0c9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a5d5d7cac2d7c4c88bcccbd1c4cec0e5d0d6c1c48bc2cad3">[email protected]</span></a>.
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Justin Maxson,
Deputy Under Secretary, Rural Development, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2022-14028 Filed 6-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P


</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>