7514 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 27 / Friday, February 8, 2008 / Notices 

• Number of jobs saved for the Center 

as a result of RCDG funding. 

Reports are due as provided in 

paragraph 1 of this section. Supporting 

documentation must also be submitted 

for completed tasks. The supporting 

documentation for completed tasks 

includes, but is not limited to: 

Feasibility studies, marketing plans, 

business plans, publication quality 

success stories, applied research reports, 

copies of surveys conducted, articles of 

incorporation and bylaws and an 

accounting of how outreach, training, 

and other funds were expended. 

3. Final project performance reports. 

These reports shall include all of the 

requirements of the semi-annual 

performance reports and responses to 

the following: 

i. What have been the most 

challenging or unexpected aspects of 

this program? 

ii. What advice would the Grantee 

give to other organizations planning a 

similar program? These should include 

strengths and limitations of the 

program. If the Grantee had the 

opportunity, what would they have 

done differently? 

iii. If an innovative approach was 

used successfully, the Grantee should 

describe their program in detail so that 

other organizations might consider 

replication in their areas. 

The final performance report is due 

within 90 days of the completion of the 

project. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For general questions about this 

announcement and for program 

technical assistance, applicants should 

contact their USDA Rural Development 

State Office at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/rcdg/ 

Contacts.htm. The State Office can be 

reached by calling (202) 720–4323 and 

pressing ‘‘1’’. If an applicant is unable 

to contact their State Office, please 

contact a nearby State Office or the 

USDA Rural Development National 

Office at 1400 Independence Avenue, 

SW., Mail Stop 3250, Rm. 4016–South, 

Washington, DC 20250–3250, telephone: 

(202) 720–7558, e-mail: 

cpgrants@wdc.usda.gov. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all 

its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, and where applicable, sex, 

marital status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, 

reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all 

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–

2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410, or call 

(866) 632–9992 (voice) or (202) 401–

0216 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer. 

Dated: January 31, 2008. 

Ben Anderson, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–2328 Filed 2–7–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Announcement of Small, Minority 

Producer Grant Program Application 

Deadlines 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of 

applications. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service announces the 

availability of approximately $1.463 

million in competitive grant funds for 

fiscal year (FY) 2008 for cooperatives 

and associations of cooperatives to 

assist small, minority agricultural 

producers. USDA Rural Development 

Cooperative Programs hereby requests 

proposals from eligible cooperatives and 

associations of cooperatives for a 

competitively awarded grant to fund 

technical assistance to small, minority 

agricultural producers in rural areas. 

The maximum award per grant is 

$175,000. 

DATES: Applications for grants must be 

submitted on paper or electronically 

according to the following deadlines: 

Paper copies must be postmarked and 

mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no 

later than April 8, 2008, to be eligible 

for FY 2008 grant funding. Late 

applications are not eligible for FY 2008 

grant funding. 

Electronic copies must be received by 

April 8, 2008, to be eligible for FY 2008 

grant funding. Late applications will not 

be eligible for FY 2008 grant funding. 

ADDRESSES: Application materials for 

the Small, Minority Producers Grant 

Program (SMPG) may be obtained at 

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/ 

smpg/smpg.htm or by contacting the 

applicant’s USDA Rural Development 

State Office at (202) 720–4323 and 

pressing ‘‘1’’. 

Submit electronic grant applications 

at http://www.grants.gov, following the 

instructions found on this Web site. 

Submit completed paper applications 

for a grant to the applicant’s State Office 

as follows: 

A list of Rural Development State 

Offices follows: 

Alabama 

USDA Rural Development, Sterling Centre, 

Suite 601, 4121 Carmichael Road, 

Montgomery, AL 36106–3683, (334) 279–

3623. 

Alaska 

USDA Rural Development, 800 West 

Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645–

6539, (907) 761–7722. 

Arizona 

USDA Rural Development, 230 North First 

Avenue, Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 85003–

1706, (602) 280–8717. 

Arkansas 

USDA Rural Development, 700 West Capitol 

Avenue, Room 3416, Little Rock, AR 

72201–3225, (501) 301–3280. 

California 

USDA Rural Development, 430 G Street, 

AGCY 4169, Davis, CA 95616, (530) 792–

5829. 

Colorado 

USDA Rural Development, 655 Parfet Street, 

Room E–100, Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 

544–2903. 

Delaware/Maryland 

USDA Rural Development, 1221 College Park 

Drive, Suite 200, Dover, DE 19904, (302) 

857–3580. 

Florida/Virgin Islands 

USDA Rural Development, 4440 NW. 25th 

Place, Gainesville, FL 32606, (352) 338–

3482. 

Georgia 

USDA Rural Development, 111 East Spring 

St., Monroe, GA 30655, (770) 267–1413, 

Ext. 113. 

Hawaii 

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, 

Room 311, 154 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, 

HI 96720, (808) 933–8313. 

Idaho 

USDA Rural Development, 9173 West Barnes 

Drive, Suite A1, Boise, ID 83709, (208) 

378–5623. 

Illinois 

USDA Rural Development, 2118 West Park 

Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 

403–6202. 

Indiana 

USDA Rural Development, 5975 Lakeside 

Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290–

3100. 


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Iowa 

USDA Rural Development, 873 Federal 

Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, 

IA 50309, (515) 284–4714. 

Kansas 

USDA Rural Development, 1303 SW First 

American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 

66604–4040, (785) 271–2744. 

Kentucky 

USDA Rural Development, 771 Corporate 

Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 40503, 

(859) 224–7435. 

Louisiana 

USDA Rural Development, 3727 Government 

St., Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473–7960. 

Maine 

USDA Rural Development, 967 Illinois 

Avenue, Suite 4, P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 

04402–0405, (207) 990–9168. 

Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut 

USDA Rural Development, 451 West Street, 

Suite 2, Amherst, MA 01002–2999, (413) 

253–4319. 

Michigan 

USDA Rural Development, 3001 Coolidge 

Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 48823, 

(517) 324–5157. 

Minnesota 

USDA Rural Development, 375 Jackson St., 

Suite 410, St. Paul, MN 55101, (651) 602–

7814. 

Mississippi 

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, 

Suite 831, 100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, 

MS 39269, (601) 965–5457. 

Missouri 

USDA Rural Development, 601 Business 

Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 235, 

Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876–9320. 

Montana 

USDA Rural Development, 900 Technology 

Blvd., Suite B, P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 

59771, (406) 585–2540. 

Nebraska 

USDA Rural Development, 100 Centennial 

Mall North, Room 152 Federal Building, 

Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437–5554. 

Nevada 

USDA Rural Development, 1390 S. Curry St., 

Carson City, NV 89703, (775) 887–1222, 

Ext. 19. 

New Jersey 

USDA Rural Development, 8000 Midlantic 

Drive, Suite 500N, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, 

(856) 787–7753. 

New Mexico 

USDA Rural Development, 6200 Jefferson 

Street, NE, Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 

87109, (505) 761–4952. 

New York 

USDA Rural Development, 441 S. Salina St., 

Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202, (315) 477–

6400. 

North Carolina 

USDA Rural Development, 4405 Bland Road, 

Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873–

2040. 

North Dakota 

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, 

Room 208, 220 East Rosser Avenue, P.O. 

Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502–1737, (701) 

530–2065. 

Ohio 

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, 

Room 507, 200 North High Street, 

Columbus, OH 43215–2418, (614) 255–

2425. 

Oklahoma 

USDA Rural Development, 100 USDA, Suite 

108, Stillwater, OK 74074–2654, (405) 742–

1036. 

Oregon 

USDA Rural Development, 1201 NE Lloyd 

Blvd., Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232–1274, 

(503) 414–3366. 

Pennsylvania 

USDA Rural Development, One Credit Union 

Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, PA 17110–

2996, (717) 237–2182. 

Puerto Rico 

USDA Rural Development, IBM Building, 

654 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 601, Hato 

Rey, PR 00918–6106, (787) 766–5091, Ext. 

251. 

South Carolina 

USDA Rural Development, Strom Thurmond 

Federal Building, 1835 Assembly Street, 

Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 

765–5881. 

South Dakota 

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, 

Room 210, 200 4th Street, SW, Huron, SD 

57350, (605) 352–1142. 

Tennessee 

USDA Rural Development, 3322 West End 

Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37203–

1084, (615) 783–1341. 

Texas 

USDA Rural Development, 101 South Main 

Street, Suite 102, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 

742–9780. 

Utah 

USDA Rural Development, Wallace F. 

Bennett Federal Building, 125 South State 

Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 

84138, (801) 524–4328. 

Vermont/New Hampshire 

USDA Rural Development, City Center, 3rd 

Floor, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 

05602, (802) 828–6069. 

Virginia 

USDA Rural Development, 1606 Santa Rosa 

Road, Suite 238, Richmond, VA 23229, 

(804) 287–1594. 

Washington 

USDA Rural Development, 1835 Black Lake 

Blvd. SW., Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512, 

(360) 704–7729. 

West Virginia 

USDA Rural Development, 75 High Street, 

Room 320, Morgantown, WV 26505–7500, 

(304) 252–8644, Ext. 146. 

Wisconsin 

USDA Rural Development, 4949 Kirschling 

Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 345–

7610. 

Wyoming 

USDA Rural Development, Dick Cheney 

Federal Building, 100 East B Street, Room 

1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602–

5006, (307) 233–6700. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Visit 

the program Web site at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/ 

smpg.htm for application assistance or 

contact a USDA Rural Development 

State Office. Applicants are strongly 

encouraged to contact their State Offices 

well in advance of the deadline to 

discuss their projects and ask any 

questions about the application process. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: USDA Rural Business 

Cooperative Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Small, 

Minority Producer Grant. 

Announcement Type: Initial 

announcement. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance Number: 10.771. 

DATES: Application Deadline: 

Completed applications for grants may 

be submitted on paper or electronically 

according to the following deadlines: 

Paper copies must be postmarked and 

mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no 

later than April 8, 2008, to be eligible 

for FY 2008 grant funding. Late 

applications are not eligible for FY 2008 

grant funding. 

Complete electronic copies must be 

received by April 8, 2008, to be eligible 

for FY 2008 grant funding. Late 

applications are not eligible for FY 2008 

grant funding. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

This notice is issued pursuant to the 

Agriculture, Rural Development, Food 

and Drug and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act 2008 that authorizes 

not to exceed $1.463 million for 

cooperatives or associations of 

cooperatives whose primary focus is to 

provide assistance to small, minority 

producers and whose governing board 

and/or membership is comprised of at 

least 75 percent minority. The Secretary 

of Agriculture has delegated the 


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program’s administration to USDA 

Rural Development Cooperative 

Programs. 

The primary objective of this grant 

program is to provide technical 

assistance to small, minority 

agricultural producers through eligible 

minority cooperatives and minority 

associations of cooperatives. Grants are 

awarded on a competitive basis. The 

maximum award amount per grant is 

$175,000. 

Definitions 

Agency—Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, an agency of the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

Rural Development or a successor 

agency. 

Agricultural Commodity—An 

unprocessed product of farms, ranches, 

nurseries, and forests. Agricultural 

commodities include: livestock, poultry, 

and fish; fruits and vegetables; grains, 

such as wheat, barley, oats, rye, triticale, 

rice, corn, and sorghum; legumes, such 

as field beans and peas; animal feed and 

forage crops; seed crops; fiber crops, 

such as cotton; oil crops, such as 

safflower, sunflower, corn, and 

cottonseed; trees grown for lumber and 

wood products; nursery stock grown 

commercially; Christmas trees; 

ornamentals and cut flowers; and turf 

grown commercially for sod. 

Agricultural commodities do not 

include horses or animals raised as pets, 

such as cats, dogs, and ferrets. 

Cooperative Programs—The office 

within USDA Rural Development, and 

its successor organization, that 

administers programs authorized by the 

Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926 (7 

U.S.C. 451, et seq.) and such other 

programs identified in USDA 

regulations. 

Economic Development—The 

economic growth of an area as 

evidenced by increase in total income, 

employment opportunities, decreased 

out-migration of population, value of 

production, increased diversification of 

industry, higher labor force 

participation rates, increased duration 

of employment, higher wage levels, or 

gains in other measurements of 

economic activity, such as land values. 

Feasibility Study—An analysis of the 

economic, market, technical, financial, 

and management feasibility of a 

proposed Project. 

Minority—Individuals who have been 

subjected to racial, ethnic, gender 

prejudice or cultural bias within 

American society because of their 

identities as members of groups and 

without regard to their individual 

qualities. Minority groups are Women, 

African Americans, American Indians, 

Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian and 

Pacific Islanders. 

Minority Association of 

Cooperatives—An association of 

cooperatives whose primary focus is to 

provide assistance to small, minority 

agricultural producers and where the 

governing board and/or membership is 

comprised of at least 75 percent 

minority. 

Minority Cooperative—A farmer- or 

rancher-owned and -controlled 

business, organized and chartered as a 

cooperative, from which benefits are 

derived and distributed equitably on the 

basis of use by each of the farmer or 

rancher owners whose primary focus is 

to provide assistance to small, minority 

agricultural producers and where the 

governing board and/or membership is 

comprised of at least 75 percent 

minority. 

Operating Cost—The day-to-day 

expenses of running a business; for 

example: utilities, rent, salaries, 

depreciation, product production costs, 

marketing and advertising, and other 

basic overhead items. 

Project—Includes all activities to be 

funded by the Small Minority 

Agricultural Producer Grant and any 

matching funds. 

Small, Minority Agricultural 

Producer—Minority persons or 100 

percent minority-owned entities, 

including farmers, ranchers, loggers, 

agricultural harvesters, and fishermen, 

with gross annual sales of not more than 

$250,000 that engage in the production 

or harvesting of an agricultural 

commodity. 

Rural and Rural Area—Includes all of 

the territory of a State that is not within 

the outer boundary of any city or town 

having a population of 50,000 or more 

and the urbanized area contiguous and 

adjacent to such city or town, as defined 

by the U.S. Bureau of the Census using 

the latest decennial census of the United 

States. 

Rural Development—A mission area 

within USDA consisting of the Office of 

Under Secretary for Rural Development, 

Rural Development Business and 

Cooperative Programs, Rural 

Development Housing Programs, and 

Rural Development Utilities Programs 

and their successors. 

State—Includes each of the several 

States, the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United 

States, Guam, American Samoa, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands, and, as may be determined by 

the Secretary to be feasible, appropriate 

and lawful, the Federated States of 

Micronesia, the Republic of the 

Marshall Islands and the Republic of 

Palau. 

Technical Assistance—An advisory 

service performed for the benefit of a 

small, minority agricultural producer 

such as market research; product and/or 

service improvement; legal advice and 

assistance; feasibility study, business 

plan, and marketing plan development; 

and training. Technical assistance does 

not include the operating costs of a 

cooperative being assisted. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Award: Grant. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2008. 

Approximate Total Funding: $1.463 

million. 

Approximate Number of Awards: 8. 

Approximate Average Award: 

$175,000. 

Floor of Award Range: None. 

Ceiling of Award Range: $175,000. 

Anticipated Award Date: September 

1, 2008. 

Budget Period Length: 12 months. 

Project Period Length: 12 months. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Applicants 

Applicants must be a minority 

cooperative or a minority association of 

cooperatives as defined in this Notice, 

and must be able to verify their legal 

structure as a cooperative in the State in 

which they are incorporated. 

Individuals are not eligible for this 

program. 

B. Cost Sharing or Matching 

No matching funds are required. 

C. Other Eligibility Requirements 

Use of Funds: Funds may only be 

used for technical assistance projects as 

defined in this notice. 

Project Area Eligibility: The Project 

proposed must take place in a rural area. 

Grant Period Eligibility: If awarded, 

funds must be expended in 1 year. 

Applications must have a time frame of 

no more than 365 days with the time 

period beginning no earlier than 

October 1, 2008 and ending no later 

than December 31, 2009. Projects must 

be completed within the 1-year time 

frame. The Agency will not approve 

requests to extend the grant period. 

Applications that request funds for a 

time period ending after December 31, 

2009, will not be considered for 

funding. 

Completeness Eligibility: Applications 

lacking sufficient information to 

determine eligibility and scoring will be 

considered ineligible. Applications that 

are non-responsive to this notice will be 

considered ineligible. 

Multiple Grant Eligibility: An 

applicant may not submit more than one 


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grant application in any one funding 

cycle. 

Activity Eligibility: Applications must 

propose technical assistance, as defined 

in this notice, to benefit their members 

or other small minority agricultural 

producers who are not members, in 

order to be considered for funding. 

Applications having ineligible costs 

equaling more than 10 percent of total 

project costs will be determined 

ineligible and will not be considered for 

funding. Applications having ineligible 

costs of 10 percent or less of total 

project costs and which are selected for 

funding, must remove all ineligible 

costs from the budget and replace them 

with eligible activities or the amount of 

the grant award will be reduced 

accordingly. Applicants may not submit 

applications that duplicate current 

activities or activities paid for by other 

federally funded grant programs. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

A. Address to Request Application 

Package 

The application package for applying 

on paper for this funding opportunity 

can be obtained at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/ 

smpg.htm. Alternatively, applicants 

may contact their USDA Rural 

Development State Office using the 

above list. For electronic applications, 

applicants must visit http:// 

www.grants.gov and follow the 

instructions. 

B. Content and Form of Submission 

Applications must be submitted on 

paper or electronically. An application 

guide may be viewed at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/ 

smpg.htm. It is recommended that 

applicants use the template provided on 

the Web site. The template can be filled 

out electronically and printed out for 

submission with the required forms for 

paper submission or it can be filled out 

electronically and submitted as an 

attachment through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

If the application is submitted 

electronically, the applicant must follow 

the instructions given at the Internet 

address: http://www.grants.gov. 

Applicants are advised to visit the site 

well in advance of the application 

deadline if they plan to apply 

electronically to ensure that they have 

obtained the proper authentication and 

have sufficient computer resources to 

complete the application. 

Applicants must complete and submit 

the following elements. The Agency will 

screen all applications for eligibility and 

to determine whether the application is 

complete and sufficiently responsive to 

the requirements set forth in this notice 

to allow for an informed review. 

Information submitted as part of the 

application will be protected to the 

extent permitted by law. 

1. Form SF–424, ‘‘Application for 

Federal Assistance.’’ The form must be 

completed, signed and submitted as part 

of the application package. 

Please note that applicants are 

required to have a Dun and Bradstreet 

Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number. The DUNS number is 

a nine-digit identification number, 

which uniquely identifies business 

entities. There is no charge. To obtain a 

DUNS number, access http:// 

www.dnb.com/us/ or call 866–705–

5711. For more information, see the 

SMPG Web site at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/ 

smpg.htm or by contacting the 

applicant’s USDA Rural Development 

State Office. In addition to the DUNS 

number, an applicant must provide a 

legal Employment Identification 

Number. 

2. Form SF–424A, ‘‘Budget 

Information-Non-Construction 

Programs.’’ This form must be 

completed and submitted as part of the 

application package. 

3. Form SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances—NonConstruction Programs.’’ This form must 

be completed, signed, and submitted as 

part of the application package. 

4. Table of Contents. For ease of 

locating information, each application 

must contain a detailed Table of 

Contents (TOC) immediately following 

the SF–424B. The TOC must include 

page numbers for each component of the 

application. Pagination should begin 

immediately following the TOC. 

5. Executive Summary: A summary of 

the proposal, not to exceed one page, 

must briefly describe the project, tasks 

to be completed and other relevant 

information that provides a general 

overview of the project. 

6. Eligibility Discussion: A detailed 

discussion, not to exceed four pages, 

must describe how the applicant meets 

the following requirements. 

(i) Applicant Eligibility: Applicants 

must be minority cooperatives or 

minority associations of cooperatives 

and must describe how they meet the 

definition of a ‘‘minority cooperative’’

or ‘‘minority association of cooperative’’

as defined in the Definitions section of 

this Notice. Applicant must also verify 

their incorporation as a cooperative or 

an association of cooperatives in the 

State they have applied by providing the 

State’s Certificate of Good Standing, and 

their Articles of Incorporation and ByLaws. The applicant must apply as only 

one type of applicant. 

(ii) Use of Funds: The applicant must 

provide a detailed discussion on how 

the proposed project activities meet the 

definition of technical assistance. 

(iii) Project Area: The applicant must 

provide specific information on where 

the projects are planned to be located 

and that the areas meet the definition of 

‘‘rural area.’’

(iv) Grant Period: The applicant must 

provide a time frame for the proposed 

project and discuss how the project will 

be completed within that time frame. 

7. Budget/Work plan: The applicant 

must describe, in detail not to exceed 

four pages, the purpose of the grant, 

what type of assistance will be 

provided, and the total amount of funds 

needed to assist for each project. The 

budget must also present a breakdown 

of estimated costs associated with each 

task/activity for each project. The 

amount of grant funds requested will be 

adjusted if the applicant does not have 

justification for all costs. 

8. Evaluation Criteria: Each of the 

evaluation criteria referenced in this 

notice must be addressed, specifically 

and individually on separate pages, in 

narrative form, not to exceed a total of 

two pages for each evaluation criteria. 

Failure to address each evaluation 

criteria will result in the application 

being determined ineligible. 

C. Submission Dates and Times 

Application Deadline Date: April 8, 

2008. 

Explanation of Deadlines: Paper 

applications must be postmarked and 

mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by 

the deadline date (see Section IV.F. for 

the address). Electronic applications 

must be received by http:// 

www.grants.gov by the deadline date. 

Courier applications must be delivered 

by the deadline date. If the Applicant’s 

application does not meet the deadline, 

it will not be considered for funding. 

Applicants will be notified if their 

application did not meet the submission 

deadline. 

D. Intergovernmental Review of 

Applications 

Executive Order (EO) 12372, 

Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs, applies to this program. This 

EO requires that Federal agencies 

provide opportunities for consultation 

on proposed assistance with State and 

local governments. Many states have 

established a Single Point of Contact 

(SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. A 

list of States that maintain an SPOC may 

be obtained at http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/ 


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spoc.html. If your State has an SPOC, 

you may submit your application 

directly for review. Any comments 

obtained through the SPOC must be 

provided to Rural Development for 

consideration as part of your 

application. If your State has not 

established an SPOC or you do not want 

to submit your application, Rural 

Development will submit your 

application to the SPOC or other 

appropriate agency or agencies. 

You are also encouraged to contact 

Cooperative Programs at 202–720–7558 

or cpgrants@wdc.usda.gov if you have 

questions about this process. 

E. Funding Restrictions 

Grant funds must be used for 

technical assistance. No funds made 

available under this solicitation shall be 

used to: 

1. Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or 

construct a building or facility, 

including a processing facility; 

2. Purchase, rent, or install fixed 

equipment, including processing 

equipment; 

3. Purchase vehicles, including boats; 

4. Pay for the preparation of the grant 

application; 

5. Pay expenses not directly related to 

the funded project; 

6. Fund political or lobbying 

activities; 

7. Fund any activities prohibited by 7 

CFR parts 3015 and 3019; 

8. Fund architectural or engineering 

design work for a specific physical 

facility; 

9. Fund any direct expenses for the 

production of any commodity or 

product to which value will be added, 

including seed, rootstock, labor for 

harvesting the crop, and delivery of the 

commodity to a processing facility; 

10. Fund research and development; 

11. Purchase land; 

12. Duplicate current services or 

replace or substitute support previously 

provided; 

13. Pay costs of the project incurred 

prior to the date of grant approval; 

14. Pay for assistance to any private 

business enterprise, which does not 

have at least 51 percent ownership by 

those who are either citizens of the 

United States or reside in the United 

States after being legally admitted for 

permanent residence; 

15. Pay any judgment or debt owed to 

the United States; 

16. Pay the operating costs of 

cooperative and/or association of 

cooperatives; or 

17. Pay expenses for applicant 

employee training. 

F. Other Submission Requirements 

Applicants may submit their paper 

application for a grant to their Rural 

Development State Office listed under 

the ADDRESSES section. Applicants may 

submit their application electronically 

at http://www.grants.gov. Applications 

may not be submitted by electronic 

mail, facsimile, or hand-delivery. Each 

application submission must contain all 

required documents in one envelope, if 

sent by mail or express delivery service. 

V. Application Scoring Criteria Review 

Information 

A. Criteria 

All eligible and complete applications 

will be evaluated based upon the 

following criteria. Failure to address any 

one of the following criteria by the 

application deadline will result in the 

application being determined ineligible 

and the application will not be 

considered for funding. The total points 

possible for the criteria are 50. Any 

application receiving less than 30 total 

points will not be funded. 

1. Technical Assistance. (0–15 points) 

The application will be evaluated to 

determine the applicant’s ability to 

assess the needs of small minority 

producers, plan and conduct 

appropriate and effective assistance, and 

identify the expected outcomes of that 

assistance. 

(i) 0 points will be awarded if the 

applicant does not substantively address 

this criterion. 

(ii) 1–4 points will be awarded if the 

applicant demonstrates weakness in 

addressing this criterion. 

(iii) 5–10 points will be awarded if the 

applicant demonstrates they meet part 

but not all of the criterion. 

(iv) 15 points will be awarded if the 

applicant identifies specific needs of the 

minority producers to be assisted; 

clearly articulates a logical and detailed 

plan of assistance for addressing those 

needs; and discusses realistic outcomes 

of planned assistance. 

2. Experience. (0–15 points) Points 

will be awarded based upon length of 

experience of identified staff or 

consultants in providing technical 

assistance, as defined in this notice. 

Applicants must describe the specific 

type of technical assistance experience 

for each identified staff member or 

consultant, as well as years of 

experience in providing that assistance. 

In addition, resumes for each individual 

staff member or consultant must be 

included as an attachment, listing their 

experience for the type of technical 

assistance proposed. The attachments 

will not count toward the maximum 

page total. The Agency will compare the 

described experience to the work plan 

to determine relevance of experience. 

(i) 0 points will be awarded if the staff 

or consultants demonstrate no relevant 

experience in providing technical 

assistance; 

(ii) 5 points will be awarded if at least 

one of the identified staff or consultants 

demonstrates more than two years of 

experience in providing relevant 

technical assistance; 

(iii) 10 points will be awarded if at 

least one of the identified staff or 

consultants demonstrates 5 or more 

years of experience in providing 

relevant technical assistance; or 

(iv) 15 points will be awarded if all of 

the identified staff or consultants 

demonstrate 5 or more years of 

experience in providing relevant 

technical assistance. 

3. Commitment. (0–15 points) The 

Agency will evaluate the applicant’s 

commitment to providing technical 

assistance to minority producers in rural 

areas. Points will be awarded based 

upon the number of agricultural, 

minority producers being assisted. 

Applicants must list the number and 

location of small, minority agricultural 

producers that will directly benefit from 

the assistance provided. 

(i) 0 points will be awarded if the 

applicant does not substantively address 

this criterion. 

(ii) 5 points will be awarded if the 

proposed project will benefit 1–10 

producers; 

(iii) 10 points will be awarded if the 

proposed project will benefit 11–50 

producers; or 

(iv) 15 points will be awarded if the 

proposed project will benefit more than 

50 producers. 

4. Local support. (0–5 points) 

Applications will be reviewed for local 

support for the technical assistance 

activities of the cooperative. Applicants 

that demonstrate strong support from 

potential beneficiaries and other 

developmental organizations will 

receive more points than those not 

evidencing such support. 

(i) 0 points will be awarded if the 

applicant does not substantively address 

this criterion. 

(ii) 1 point will be awarded if the 

applicant provides or references 2–3 

support letters that demonstrate 

substantive support from potential 

beneficiaries and/or support from local 

organizations. 

(iii) 2 points will be awarded if the 

applicant provides or references 4–5 

support letters that demonstrate 

substantive support from potential 

beneficiaries and/or support from local 

organizations. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 27 / Friday, February 8, 2008 / Notices 7519 

(iv) 3 points will be awarded if the 

applicant provides or references 6–7 

support letters that demonstrate 

substantive support from potential 

beneficiaries and/or support from local 

organizations. 

(v) 4 points will be awarded if the 

applicant provides or references 8–9 

support letters that demonstrate 

substantive support from potential 

beneficiaries and/or support from local 

organizations. 

(vi) 5 points will be awarded if the 

applicant provides or references 10 

support letters that demonstrate 

substantive support from potential 

beneficiaries and/or support from local 

organizations. 

The applicant may submit a 

maximum of 10 letters of support. These 

letters should be included as an 

attachment to the application and will 

not count against the maximum page 

total. Additional letters from industry 

groups, commodity groups, local and 

state government, and similar 

organizations should be referenced, but 

not included in the application package. 

When referencing these letters, provide 

the name of the organization, date of the 

letter, the nature of the support, and the 

name and title of the person signing the 

letter. 

B. Review and Selection Process 

The Agency will screen all proposals 

to determine whether the application is 

eligible and sufficiently responsive to 

the requirements set forth in this notice 

to allow for an informed review. 

Applications will be screened for 

eligibility and scored by the State 

Offices, then submitted to the National 

Office for review and ranking. The 

National Office will review the scores 

based upon the point allocation 

specified in this notice. Applications 

will be funded in scoring rank order and 

will be submitted to the Administrator 

in rank order with funding level 

recommendations. The Administrator 

will break scoring ties based on Agency 

priorities. 

C. Anticipated Announcement and 

Award Dates 

Award Date: The announcement of 

award selections is expected to occur on 

or about September 1, 2008. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

Successful applicants will receive a 

notification of tentative selection for 

funding from Rural Development. 

Applicants must comply with all 

applicable statutes, regulations, and this 

notice before the grant award will 

receive final approval. 

Unsuccessful applicants will receive 

notification, including appeal rights, by 

mail. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

7 CFR parts 3015, 3019, and subparts 

A and F of part 7 CFR 4284 are 

applicable to grants made under this 

notice. These regulations may be 

obtained at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ 

cfr/index.html. 

The following additional 

requirements apply to grantees selected 

for this program: 

• Agency approved Grant Agreement. 

• Letter of Conditions. 

• Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds.’’

• Form RD 1942–46, ‘‘Letter of Intent 

to Meet Conditions.’’

• Form AD–1047, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and 

Other Responsibility Matters—Primary 

Covered Transactions.’’

• Form AD–1048, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Debarment, Suspension, 

Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion—

Lower Tier Covered Transactions.’’

• Form AD–1049, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding a Drug-Free Workplace 

Requirements (Grants).’’

• Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement.’’

Additional information on these 

requirements can be found at http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/ 

smpg.htm. 

Fund Disbursement: The Agency will 

determine, based on 7 CFR Parts 3015, 

3016 and 3019, as applicable, whether 

disbursement of a grant will be by 

advance or reimbursement. As needed, 

but not more frequently than once every 

30 days, an original of SF–270, ‘‘Request 

for Advance or Reimbursement,’’ may 

be submitted to Rural Development. 

Recipient’s request for advance shall not 

be made in excess of reasonable outlays 

for the month covered. 

Reporting Requirements: Grantees 

must provide Rural Development with 

an original or an electronic copy that 

includes all required signatures of the 

following reports. The reports should be 

submitted to the Agency contact listed 

on the Grant Agreement and Letter of 

Conditions. Failure to submit 

satisfactory reports on time may result 

in suspension or termination of the 

grant. Grantees will submit: 

1. Form SF–269 or SF–269A. A 

‘‘Financial Status Report,’’ listing 

expenditures according to agreed upon 

budget categories, on a semi-annual 

basis. Reporting periods end each March 

31 and September 30. Reports are due 

30 days after the reporting period ends. 

2. Semi-annual performance reports 

comparing accomplishments to the 

objectives stated in the proposal, 

identifying all tasks completed to date 

and providing documentation 

supporting the reported results. If the 

original schedule provided in the work 

plan is not being met, the report should 

discuss the problems or delays that may 

affect completion of the Project. 

Objectives for the next reporting period 

should be listed. Compliance with any 

special condition on the use of award 

funds must be discussed. Reports are 

due as provided in paragraph (1) of this 

section. Supporting documentation 

must also be submitted for completed 

tasks. The supporting documentation for 

completed tasks includes, but is not 

limited to, feasibility studies, marketing 

plans, business plans, articles of 

incorporation, and bylaws as they relate 

to the assistance provided. 

3. Final project performance reports 

comparing accomplishments to the 

objectives stated in the proposal, 

identifying all tasks completed, and 

providing documentation supporting 

the reported results. If the original 

schedule provided in the work plan was 

not met, the report must discuss the 

problems or delays that affected 

completion of the project. Compliance 

with any special condition on the use of 

award funds must be discussed. 

Supporting documentation for 

completed tasks must also be submitted. 

The supporting documentation for 

completed tasks includes, but is not 

limited to, feasibility studies, marketing 

plans, business plans, articles of 

incorporation, and bylaws as they relate 

to the assistance provided. The final 

performance report is due within 90 

days of the completion of the project. 

The report must also include a summary 

at the end of the report with the number 

of small minority agricultural producers 

assisted to assist in documenting the 

annual performance goals of the SMPG 

program for Congress. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For general questions about this 

announcement and for program 

technical assistance, please contact the 

appropriate State Office as indicated in 

the ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

VIII. Non-Discrimination Statement 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all 

its programs and activities on the basis 

of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, and where applicable, sex, 

martial status, familial status, parental 

status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, 

reprisal, or because all or part of an 

individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program. (Not all 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
7520 Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 27 / Friday, February 8, 2008 / Notices 

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication of 

program information (Braille, large 

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–

2600 (voice and TDD). To file a 

complaint of discrimination, write to 

USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–9410, or call 

(800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–

6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 

opportunity provider and employer. 

Dated: January 31, 2008. 

Ben Anderson, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service. 

[FR Doc. E8–2327 Filed 2–7–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM 

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR 

SEVERELY DISABLED 

Procurement List; Additions 

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From 

People Who Are Blind or Severely 

Disabled. 

ACTION: Additions to the Procurement 

List. 

SUMMARY: This action adds to the 

Procurement List products and a service 

to be furnished by nonprofit agencies 

employing persons who are blind or 

have other severe disabilities. 

DATES: Effective Date: March 9, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase 

From People Who Are Blind or Severely 

Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800, 

1421 Jefferson Davis Highway, 

Arlington, Virginia 22202–3259. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kimberly M. Zeich, Telephone: (703) 

603–7740, Fax: (703) 603–0655, or 

e-mail CMTEFedReg@jwod.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

December 7 and December 14, 2007, the 

Committee for Purchase From People 

Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled 

published notice (72 FR 69181; 71114) 

of proposed additions to the 

Procurement List. 

After consideration of the material 

presented to it concerning capability of 

qualified nonprofit agencies to provide 

the products and services and impact of 

the additions on the current or most 

recent contractors, the Committee has 

determined that the products and 

services listed below are suitable for 

procurement by the Federal Government 

under 41 U.S.C. 46–48c and 41 CFR 51–

2.4. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification 

I certify that the following action will 

not have a significant impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

The major factors considered for this 

certification were: 

1. The action will not result in any 

additional reporting, recordkeeping or 

other compliance requirements for small 

entities other than the small 

organizations that will furnish the 

products and service to the Government. 

2. The action will result in 

authorizing small entities to furnish the 

products and service to the Government. 

3. There are no known regulatory 

alternatives which would accomplish 

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46–48c) in 

connection with the products and 

service proposed for addition to the 

Procurement List. 

End of Certification 

Accordingly, the following products 

and service are added to the 

Procurement List: 

Products 

Brush, Dish, Ergo, Soap Squirting & Refill 

NSN: M.R. 871 

NSN: M.R. 872 

NPA: Cincinnati Association for the Blind, 

Cincinnati, OH 

Coverage: C-List for the requirements of the 

Defense Commissary Agency, Fort Lee, 

VA 

Contracting Activity: Defense Commissary 

Agency (DeCA), Fort Lee, VA 

Liner, Low Density, Linear 

NSN: 8105–00–NIB–1292 

NPA: Envision, Inc., Wichita, KS 

Coverage: C-List for the requirements of the 

Defense Commissary Agency, Fort Lee, 

VA 

Contracting Activity: Defense Commissary 

Agency (DeCA), Fort Lee, VA 

Folder, Classification, Pressboard 

NSN: 7530–00–NIB–0824—Legal Size—1 

Divider/4 Part—Earth Red. 

NSN: 7530–00–NIB–0825—Legal Size—1 

Divider/4 Part—Light Green. 

NPA: Georgia Industries for the Blind, 

Bainbridge, GA. 

Coverage: A-List for the total Government 

requirements as specified by the General 

Services Administration. 

Contracting Activity: General Services 

Administration, Office Supplies & Paper 

Products Acquisition Ctr, New York, NY. 

Service 

Service Type/Location: Custodial Services, 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology (NIST), Facility-Wide, 

Gaithersburg, MD. 

NPA: Didlake, Inc., Manassas, VA. 

Contracting Activity: National Institutes of 

Standards & Technology, Gaithersburg, 

VA. 

This action does not affect current 

contracts awarded prior to the effective 

date of this addition or options that may 

be exercised under those contracts. 

Kimberly M. Zeich, 

Director, Program Operations. 

[FR Doc. E8–2367 Filed 2–7–08; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P 

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM 

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR 

SEVERELY DISABLED 

Procurement List; Proposed additions 

and deletions 

ACTION: Proposed additions to and 

deletions from the Procurement List. 

SUMMARY: The Committee is proposing 

to add to the Procurement List services 

to be furnished by nonprofit agencies 

employing persons who are blind or 

have other severe disabilities, and to 

delete products and a service previously 

furnished by such agencies. 

Comments Must be Received On or 

Before: March 9, 2008. 

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase 

From People Who Are Blind or Severely 

Disabled, Jefferson Plaza 2, Suite 10800, 

1421 Jefferson Davis Highway, 

Arlington, Virginia, 22202–3259. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Kimberly M. Zeich, Telephone: (703) 

603–7740, Fax: (703) 603–0655, or 

e-mail CMTEFedReg@jwod.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

This notice is published pursuant to 

41 U.S.C. 47(a) (2) and 41 CFR 51–2.3. 

Its purpose is to provide interested 

persons an opportunity to submit 

comments on the proposed actions. 

Additions: 

If the Committee approves the 

proposed additions, the entities of the 

Federal Government identified in this 

notice for each service will be required 

to procure the services listed below 

from nonprofit agencies employing 

persons who are blind or have other 

severe disabilities. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification 

I certify that the following action will 

not have a significant impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

The major factors considered for this 

certification were: 

1. If approved, the action will not 

result in any additional reporting, 

recordkeeping or other compliance 

requirements for small entities other 

than the small organizations that will 

furnish the services to the Government. 

2. If approved, the action will result 

in authorizing small entities to furnish 

the services to the Government. 


pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES