This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

57887 

Vol. 75, No. 184 

Thursday, September 23, 2010 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

September 20, 2010. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments 

regarding (a) whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 

7602. Comments regarding these 

information collections are best assured 

of having their full effect if received 

within 30 days of this notification. 

Copies of the submission(s) may be 

obtained by calling (202) 720–8958. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Economic Research Service 

Title: National Food Survey Field 

Test. 

OMB Control Number: 0536–NEW. 

Summary of collection: The Economic 

Research Service (ERS) will be 

conducting a Field Test for the National 

Household Food Acquisition and 

Purchase Survey (aka National Food 

Study) in preparation for a later fullscale implementation of the survey in 

2012. The mission of ERS is to provide 

timely research and analysis to public 

and private decision makers on topics 

related to agriculture, food, the 

environment, rural America, and the 

impacts of USDA’s food and nutrition 

assistance programs on clients’ wellbeing. To achieve this mission, ERS 

requires a variety of data, including the 

availability and price of food at the 

point of sale, households demand for 

food products, household access to 

healthy food, and quality of household 

food choices. Section 17 (U.S.C. 2026) 

(a)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 

2008 provides legislative authority for 

the planned data collection. This 

section authorizes the Secretary of 

Agriculture to enter into contracts with 

private institutions to undertake 

research that will help to improve the 

administration and effectiveness of the 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 

Program (SNAP) in delivering nutritionrelated benefits. 

Need and use of the information: The 

primary purpose of the Field Test is to 

provide methodological information 

about two different approaches for 

collecting food acquisition data from 

households over a seven day period. 

The information is needed because no 

prior survey has collected similarly 

detailed information about food 

acquisitions in both the ‘‘food-at-home’’ 

and ‘‘food-away-from-home’’ categories. 

The full-scale National Food Study will 

collect information about household 

food acquisitions, including foods 

purchased and food obtained at no cost 

(e.g., home-grown vegetables). 

Information also will be collected about 

household characteristics, including 

demographics, income, assets, major 

categories of nonfood expenditures, 

food security, health status (including 

heights and weights), and dietary 

knowledge. Without the field test ERS 

will not have sufficient information to 

ensure that best procedures are used to 

maximize data quality and minimize 

respondent burden in the full National 

Food Study of 5,000 households. 

Description of respondents: 

Individuals or household. 

Number of respondents: 1,476. 

Frequency of responses: Reporting: 

On occasion. 

Total burden hours: 3,400. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2010–23819 Filed 9–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–18–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) 

Inviting Applications for the Rural 

Community Development Initiative 

(RCDI) for Fiscal Year 2010 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of funds availability. 

SUMMARY: This Notice announces the 

availability of $6,256,000 of competitive 

grant funds for the RCDI program 

through the Rural Housing Service 

(RHS), an agency within the USDA 

Rural Development mission area herein 

referred to as the Agency. Applicants 

must provide matching funds in an 

amount at least equal to the Federal 

grant. These grants will be made to 

qualified intermediary organizations 

that will provide financial and technical 

assistance to recipients to develop their 

capacity and ability to undertake 

projects related to housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development. The RCDI grant program 

also includes an initiative called ‘‘Great 

Regions.’’ This Notice lists the 

information needed to submit an 

application for these funds. 

DATES: The deadline for receipt of an 

application is 4 p.m. local time, 

December 22, 2010. The application 

date and time are firm. The Agency will 

not consider any application received 

after the deadline. Applicants intending 

to mail applications must provide 

sufficient time to permit delivery on or 

before the closing deadline date and 

time. Acceptance by the United States 

Postal Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and 


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postage due applications will not be 

accepted. 

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance may download the 

application documents and 

requirements delineated in this Notice 

from the RCDI Web site: http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi/ 

index.htm. Application information for 

electronic submissions may be found at 

http://www.grants.gov. Applicants may 

also request paper application packages 

from the Rural Development office in 

their state. A list of Rural Development 

offices is included in this Notice. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Rural Development office for the state 

the applicant is located in. A list of 

Rural Development State Office contacts 

is included in this Notice. 

Programs Affected 

This program is listed in the Catalog 

of Federal Domestic Assistance under 

Number 10.446. This program is not 

subject to the provisions of Executive 

Order 12372, which requires 

intergovernmental consultation with 

State and local officials because it is not 

listed by the Secretary of Agriculture, 

pursuant to 7 CFR 3015.302, as a 

covered program. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

The paperwork burden has been 

cleared by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control 

Number 0575–0180. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

This Notice of Funds availability 

(NOFA) has been reviewed in 

accordance with 7 CFR part 1940, 

subpart G, ‘‘Environmental Program.’’ 

Rural Development has 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 Agency’s NEPA regulation found at 

7 CFR 1940.310(e)(3) of Subpart G, 

Environmental Program. Thus, in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 

1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321–4347), Rural 

Development has determined that this 

NOFA does not constitute a major 

Federal action significantly affecting the 

quality of the human environment. 

Furthermore, individual awards under 

this NOFA are hereby classified as 

Categorical Exclusions according to 

1940.310(e), the award of financial 

assistance for planning purposes, 

management and feasibility studies, or 

environmental impact analysis, which 

do not require any additional 

documentation. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Housing 

Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural 

Community Development Initiative. 

Announcement Type: Initial 

Announcement. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.446. 

Part I—Funding Opportunity 

Description 

Congress initially created the RCDI in 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 to develop the 

capacity and ability of nonprofit 

organizations, low-income rural 

communities, or federally recognized 

tribes to undertake projects related to 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

in rural areas. 

Part II—Award Information 

Congress appropriated $6,256,000 in 

FY 2010 for the RCDI. Qualified private, 

nonprofit and public (including tribal) 

intermediary organizations proposing to 

carry out financial and technical 

assistance programs will be eligible to 

receive the funding. The intermediary 

will be required to provide matching 

funds in an amount at least equal to the 

RCDI grant. The respective minimum 

and maximum grant amount per 

intermediary is $50,000 and $300,000. 

The intermediary must provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to a private nonprofit, 

community-based housing and 

development organization, a lowincome rural community or a federally 

recognized tribe. 

Part III—Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Applicants 

1. Qualified private, nonprofit, 

including faith-based and community 

organizations, in accordance with 7 CFR 

part 16, and public (including tribal) 

intermediary organizations. Definitions 

that describe eligible organizations and 

other key terms are listed below. 

2. RCDI grantees that have an 

outstanding grant over 3 years old, as of 

the application due date in this Notice, 

will not be eligible to apply for this 

round of funding. Grant and matching 

funds must be utilized in a timely 

manner to ensure that the goals and 

objectives of the program are met. 

B. Program Definitions 

Agency—The Rural Housing Service 

(RHS) or its successor. 

Beneficiary—Entities or individuals 

that receive benefits from assistance 

provided by the recipient. 

Capacity—The ability of a recipient to 

implement housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development projects. 

Federally recognized tribes—Tribal 

entities recognized and eligible for 

funding and services from the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs, based on the current 

notice in the Federal Register published 

by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Tribally 

Designated Housing Entities are eligible 

RCDI recipients. 

Financial assistance—Funds, not to 

exceed $10,000 per award, used by the 

intermediary to purchase supplies and 

equipment to build the recipient’s 

capacity. 

Funds—The RCDI grant and matching 

money. 

Great Regions—-Multi-jurisdictional 

areas typically within a State, territory, 

or Federally-designated Tribal land but 

which can cross State, territory, or 

Tribal boundaries. The Great Regions 

approach is intended to combine the 

resources of the Agency with those of 

State and local governments, 

educational institutions, and the private 

and nonprofit sectors to implement 

regional economic and community 

development strategies. 

Intermediary—A qualified private, 

nonprofit, or public (including tribal) 

organization that provides financial and 

technical assistance to multiple 

recipients. 

Low-income rural community—An 

authority, district, economic 

development authority, regional 

council, or unit of government 

representing an incorporated city, town, 

village, county, township, parish, or 

borough whose income is at or below 

80% of either the state or national 

Median Household Income as measured 

by the 2000 Census. 

Recipient—The entity that receives 

the financial and technical assistance 

from the Intermediary. The recipient 

must be a private, non-profit 

community-based housing and 

development organization, a lowincome rural community or a Federally 

recognized Tribe. 

Rural and rural area—Any area other 

than (i) a city or town that has a 

population of greater than 50,000 

inhabitants; and (ii) the urbanized area 

contiguous and adjacent to such city or 

town. 

Technical assistance—Skilled help in 

improving the recipient’s abilities in the 


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areas of housing, community facilities, 

or community and economic 

development. 

C. Cost Sharing or Matching 

Matching funds—Cash or confirmed 

funding commitments. Matching funds 

must be at least equal to the grant 

amount and committed for a period of 

not less than the grant performance 

period. These funds can only be used 

for eligible RCDI activities. In-kind 

contributions such as salaries, donated 

time and effort, real and nonexpendable 

personal property and goods and 

services cannot be used as matching 

funds. Grant funds and matching funds 

must be used in equal proportions. This 

does not mean funds have to be used 

equally by line item. The request for 

advance or reimbursement and 

supporting documentation must show 

that RCDI fund usage does not exceed 

the cumulative amount of matching 

funds used. Grant funds will be 

disbursed pursuant to relevant 

provisions of 7 CFR parts 3015, 3016, 

and 3019, as applicable. Verification of 

matching funds must be submitted with 

the application. 

The intermediary is responsible for 

demonstrating that matching funds are 

available, and committed for a period of 

not less than the grant performance 

period to the RCDI proposal. Matching 

funds may be provided by the 

intermediary or a third party. Other 

Federal funds may be used as matching 

funds if authorized by statute and the 

purpose of the funds is an eligible RCDI 

purpose. Matching funds must be used 

to support the overall purpose of the 

RCDI program. RCDI funds will be 

disbursed on an advance or 

reimbursement basis. Matching funds 

cannot be expended prior to execution 

of the RCDI Grant Agreement. No 

reimbursement will be made for any 

funds expended prior to execution of 

the RCDI Grant Agreement unless the 

grantee is a non-profit or educational 

entity and has requested and received 

written Agency approval of the costs 

prior to the actual expenditure. This 

exception is applicable for up to 90 days 

prior to grant closing and only applies 

to grantees that have received written 

approval but have not executed the 

RCDI Grant Agreement. The Agency 

cannot retroactively approve 

reimbursement for expenditures prior to 

execution of the RCDI Grant Agreement. 

D. Other Program Requirements 

1. The recipient and beneficiary, but 

not the intermediary, must be located in 

an eligible rural area. The physical 

location of the recipient’s office that 

will be receiving the financial and 

technical assistance must be in an 

eligible rural area. If the recipient is a 

low-income community, the median 

household income of the area where the 

office is located must be at or below 80 

percent of the State or national median 

household income, whichever is higher. 

The applicable Rural Development State 

Office can assist in determining the 

eligibility of an area. A listing of Rural 

Development State Offices is included 

in this Notice. 

2. The recipients must be private 

nonprofit, including faith-based 

organizations, community-based 

housing and development organizations, 

low-income rural communities, or 

federally recognized tribes based on the 

RCDI definitions of these groups. 

3. Documentation must be submitted 

to verify recipient eligibility. Acceptable 

documentation varies depending on the 

type of recipient. Private nonprofit faith 

or community-based organizations must 

provide a certificate of incorporation 

and good standing from the Secretary of 

the State of incorporation, or other 

similar and valid documentation of 

nonprofit status. For low-income rural 

community recipients, the Agency 

requires evidence that the entity is a 

public body and census data verifying 

that the median household income of 

the community where the office 

receiving the financial and technical 

assistance is located is at, or below, 80 

percent of the State or national median 

household income, whichever is higher. 

For federally recognized tribes, the 

Agency needs the page listing their 

name from the current Federal Register 

list of tribal entities recognized and 

eligible for funding services (see the 

definition of Federally recognized tribes 

in this Notice for details on this list). 

4. Individuals cannot be recipients. 

5. The intermediary must provide 

matching funds at least equal to the 

amount of the grant. Verification of 

matching funds must be submitted with 

the application. Matching funds must be 

committed for a period equal to the 

grant performance period. 

6. The intermediary must provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to the recipient. 

7. The intermediary organization must 

have been legally organized for a 

minimum of 3 years and have at least 

3 years prior experience working with 

private nonprofit community-based 

housing and development organizations, 

low-income rural communities, or tribal 

organizations in the areas of housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development. 

8. Proposals must be structured to 

utilize the grant funds within 3 years 

from the date of the award. 

9. Each applicant, whether singularly 

or jointly, may only submit one 

application for RCDI funds under this 

NOFA. This restriction does not 

preclude the applicant from providing 

matching funds for other applications. 

10. Recipients can benefit from more 

than one RCDI application; however, 

after grant selections are made, the 

recipient can only benefit from multiple 

RCDI grants if the type of financial and 

technical assistance the recipient will 

receive is not duplicative. 

11. The intermediary and the 

recipient cannot be the same entity. The 

recipient can be a related entity to the 

intermediary, if it meets the definition 

of a recipient, provided the relationship 

does not create a conflict of interest that 

cannot be resolved to Rural 

Development’s satisfaction. 

12. A nonprofit recipient must 

provide evidence that it is a valid 

nonprofit when the intermediary 

applies for the RCDI grant. 

Organizations with pending requests for 

nonprofit designations are not eligible. 

13. If the recipient is a low-income 

rural community, identify the unit of 

government to which the financial and 

technical assistance will be provided, 

e.g., town council or village board. The 

financial and technical assistance must 

be provided to the organized unit of 

government representing that 

community, not the community at large. 

14. If a grantee has an outstanding 

RCDI grant over 3 years old, as of the 

application due date in this Notice, it is 

not eligible to apply for this round of 

funding. 

15. The indirect cost category in the 

project budget should be used only 

when a grant applicant has a federally 

negotiated indirect cost rate. A copy of 

the current rate agreement must be 

provided with the application. 

Eligible Fund Uses 

Fund uses must be consistent with the 

RCDI purpose. A nonexclusive list of 

eligible grant uses includes the 

following: 

1. Provide technical assistance to 

develop recipients’ capacity and ability 

to undertake projects related to housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development, i.e., the 

intermediary hires a staff person to 

provide technical assistance to the 

recipient or the recipient hires a staff 

person, under the supervision of the 

intermediary, to carry out the technical 

assistance provided by the intermediary. 

2. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to conduct community development 

programs, e.g., homeownership 

education or training for business 

entrepreneurs. 


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3. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to conduct development initiatives, e.g., 

programs that support micro-enterprise 

and sustainable development. 

4. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to increase their leveraging ability and 

access to alternative funding sources by 

providing training and staffing. 

5. Develop the capacity of recipients 

to provide the technical assistance 

component for essential community 

facilities projects. 

6. Assist recipients in completing predevelopment requirements for housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development projects by 

providing resources for professional 

services, e.g., architectural, engineering, 

or legal. 

7. Improve recipient’s organizational 

capacity by providing training and 

resource material on developing 

strategic plans, board operations, 

management, financial systems, and 

information technology. 

8. Purchase of computers, software, 

and printers, limited to $10,000 per 

award, at the recipient level when 

directly related to the technical 

assistance program being undertaken by 

the intermediary. 

9. Provide funds to recipients for 

training-related travel costs and training 

expenses related to RCDI. 

Ineligible Fund Uses 

1. Pass-through grants, capacity 

grants, and any funds provided to the 

recipient in a lump sum that are not 

reimbursements. 

2. Funding a revolving loan fund 

(RLF). 

3. Construction (in any form). 

4. Salaries for positions involved in 

construction, renovations, 

rehabilitation, and any oversight of 

these types of activities. 

5. Intermediary preparation of 

strategic plans for recipients. 

6. Funding prostitution, gambling, or 

any illegal activities. 

7. Grants to individuals. 

8. 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. 

9. Paying obligations incurred before 

the beginning date without prior Agency 

approval or after the ending date of the 

grant agreement. 

10. Purchasing real estate. 

11. Improvement or renovation of the 

grantee’s, or recipient’s office space or 

for the repair or maintenance of 

privately owned vehicles. 

12. Any other purpose prohibited in 

7 CFR parts 3015, 3016, and 3019, as 

applicable. 

13. Using funds for recipient’s general 

operating costs. 

14. Using grant or matching funds for 

Individual Development Accounts. 

15. Purchasing vehicles. 

Program Examples and Restrictions 

The purpose of this initiative is to 

develop or increase the recipient’s 

capacity through a program of financial 

and technical assistance to perform in 

the areas of housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development. Strengthening the 

recipient’s capacity in these areas will 

benefit the communities they serve. The 

RCDI structure requires the 

intermediary (grantee) to provide a 

program of financial and technical 

assistance to recipients. The recipients 

will, in turn, provide programs to their 

communities (beneficiaries). The 

following are examples of eligible and 

ineligible purposes under the RCDI 

program. (These examples are 

illustrative and are not meant to limit 

the activities proposed in the 

application. Activities that meet the 

objectives of the RCDI program will be 

considered eligible.) 

1. The intermediary must work 

directly with the recipient, not the 

ultimate beneficiaries. As an example: 

The intermediary provides training to 

the recipient on how to conduct 

homeownership education classes. The 

recipient then provides ongoing 

homeownership education to the 

residents of the community—the 

ultimate beneficiaries. This ‘‘train the 

trainer’’ concept fully meets the intent of 

this initiative. The intermediary is 

providing technical assistance that will 

build the recipient’s capacity by 

enabling them to conduct 

homeownership education classes for 

the public. This is an eligible purpose. 

However, if the intermediary directly 

provided homeownership education 

classes to individuals in the recipient’s 

service area, this would not be an 

eligible purpose because the recipient 

would be bypassed. 

2. If the intermediary is working with 

a low-income community as the 

recipient, the intermediary must 

provide the technical assistance to the 

entity that represents the low-income 

community and is identified in the 

application. Examples of entities 

representing a low-income community 

are a village board or a town council. If 

the intermediary provides technical 

assistance to the Board of the lowincome community on how to establish 

a cooperative, this would be an eligible 

purpose. However, if the intermediary 

works directly with individuals from 

the community to establish the 

cooperative, this is not an eligible 

purpose. The recipient’s capacity is 

built by learning skills that will enable 

them to support sustainable economic 

development in their communities on 

an ongoing basis. 

3. The intermediary may provide 

technical assistance to the recipient on 

how to create and operate a revolving 

loan fund. The intermediary may not 

monitor or operate the revolving loan 

fund. RCDI funds, including matching 

funds, cannot be used to fund revolving 

loan funds. 

4. The intermediary may work with 

recipients in building their capacity to 

provide planning and leadership 

development training. The recipients of 

this training would be expected to 

assume leadership roles in the 

development and execution of regional 

strategic plans. The intermediary would 

work with multiple recipients in 

helping communities recognize their 

connections to the greater regional and 

national economies. 

5. The intermediary could provide 

training and technical assistance to the 

recipients on developing emergency 

shelter and feeding, short-term housing, 

search and rescue, and environmental 

accident, prevention, and clean up 

program plans. For longer term disaster 

and economic crisis responses, the 

intermediary could work with the 

recipients to develop job placement and 

training programs, and develop 

coordinated transit systems for 

displaced workers. 

Part IV—Application and Submission 

Information 

A. Address To Request Application 

Package 

Entities wishing to apply for 

assistance may download the 

application documents and 

requirements delineated in this Notice 

from the RCDI Web site: http:// 

www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/rcdi. 

Application information for electronic 

submissions may be found at http:// 

www.grants.gov. Applicants may also 

request paper application packages from 

the Rural Development office in their 

state. A list of Rural Development State 

offices is included in this Notice. 

B. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

If the applicant is ineligible or the 

application is incomplete, the Agency 

will inform the applicant in writing of 

the decision, reasons therefore, and its 

appeal rights and no further evaluation 

of the application will occur. 

A complete application for RCDI 

funds must include the following: 

1. A summary page, double-spaced 

between items, listing the following: 


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(This information should not be 

presented in narrative form.) 

a. Applicant’s name, 

b. Applicant’s address, 

c. Applicant’s telephone number, 

d. Name of applicant’s contact person 

and telephone number, 

e. Applicant’s fax number, 

f. County where applicant is located, 

g. Congressional district number 

where applicant is located, 

h. Amount of grant request, and 

i. Number of recipients 

2. Survey on Ensuring Equal 

Opportunity for Applicants, OMB No. 

1894–0010 Exp. 05/31/2012 (applies 

only to non-profit applicants only— 

submission is optional). 

3. A detailed Table of Contents 

containing page numbers for each 

component of the application. 

4. A project overview, no longer than 

five pages, including the following 

items, which will also be addressed 

separately and in detail under ‘‘Building 

Capacity’’ of the ‘‘Evaluation Criteria.’’ 

a. The type of technical assistance to 

be provided to the recipients and how 

it will be implemented. 

b. How the capacity and ability of the 

recipients will be improved. 

c. The overall goals to be 

accomplished. 

d. The benchmarks to be used to 

measure the success of the program. 

Benchmarks should be specific and 

quantifiable. 

5. Organizational documents, such as 

a certificate of incorporation and a 

current good standing certification from 

the Secretary of State where the 

applicant is incorporated and other 

similar and valid documentation of nonprofit status, from the intermediary that 

confirms it has been legally organized 

for a minimum of 3 years as the 

applicant entity. 

6. Verification of source and amount 

of matching funds, i.e., a copy of a bank 

statement if matching funds are in cash 

or a copy of the confirmed funding 

commitment from the funding source. 

The verification must show that 

matching funds are available for the 

duration of the grant performance 

period. The verification of matching 

funds must be submitted with the 

application or the application will be 

considered incomplete. 

The applicant will be contacted by the 

Agency prior to grant award to verify 

that the matching funds provided with 

the application continue to be available. 

The applicant will have 10 working 

days from the date contacted to submit 

verification that matching funds 

continue to be available. If the applicant 

is unable to provide the verification 

within that timeframe, the application 

will be considered ineligible. The 

applicant must maintain bank 

statements on file or other 

documentation for a period of at least 

three years after grant closing except 

that the records shall be retained 

beyond the three-year period if audit 

findings have not been resolved. 

7. The following information for each 

recipient: 

a. Recipient’s entity name, 

b. Complete address (mailing and 

physical location, if different), 

c. County where located, 

d. Number of Congressional district 

where recipient is located, 

e. Contact person’s name and 

telephone number, and 

f. Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement.’’ If the Form RD 400–4 is not 

submitted for a recipient, the recipient 

will be considered ineligible. No 

information pertaining to that recipient 

will be included in the income or 

population scoring criteria and the 

requested funding may be adjusted due 

to the deletion of the recipient. 

8. Submit evidence that each recipient 

entity is eligible: 

a. Nonprofits—provide a current valid 

letter confirming non-profit status from 

the Secretary of the State of 

incorporation or the IRS, a current good 

standing certification from the Secretary 

of the State of incorporation, or other 

valid documentation of nonprofit status 

of each recipient. 

b. Low-income rural community— 

provide evidence the entity is a public 

body, and a copy of the 2000 census 

data to verify the population, and 

evidence that the median household 

income is at, or below, 80 percent of 

either the State or national median 

household income. We will only accept 

data and printouts from http:// 

www.census.gov. The specific 

instructions to retrieve data from this 

site are detailed under the ‘‘Evaluation 

Criteria’’ for ‘‘Population’’ and ‘‘Income.’’ 

c. Federally recognized tribes— 

provide the page listing their name from 

the Federal Register list of tribal entities 

published by the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs on August 11, 2009 (74 FR 

40218) or a subsequent updated list in 

the Federal Register. 

9. Each of the ‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ 

must be addressed specifically and 

individually by category. Present these 

criteria in narrative form. 

Documentation must be limited to three 

pages per criterion. The ‘‘Population’’ 

and ‘‘Income’’ criterions for recipient 

locations can be provided in the form of 

a list; however, the source of the data 

must be included on the page(s). 

10. A timeline identifying specific 

activities and proposed dates for 

completion. 

11. A detailed project budget that 

includes the RCDI grant amount and 

matching funds. This should be a lineitem budget, by category. Categories 

such as salaries, administrative, other, 

and indirect costs that pertain to the 

proposed project must be clearly 

defined. Supporting documentation 

listing the components of these 

categories must be included. The budget 

should be dated: year 1, year 2, year 3, 

as applicable. 

12. Form SF–424, ‘‘Application for 

Federal Assistance.’’ (Do not complete 

Form SF–424A, ‘‘Budget Information.’’ A 

separate line-item budget should be 

presented as described in No. 13 of this 

section.) 

13. Form SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances— 

Non-Construction Programs.’’ 

14. Form AD–1047, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and 

Other Responsibility Matters—Primary 

Covered Transactions.’’ 

15. Form AD–1048, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Debarment, Suspension, 

Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion— 

Lower Tier Covered Transactions.’’ 

16. Form AD–1049, ‘‘Certification 

Regarding Drug-Free Workplace 

Requirements.’’ 

17. Certification of Non-Lobbying 

Activities. 

18. Standard Form LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of 

Lobbying Activities,’’ if applicable. 

19. Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement,’’ for the applicant. 

20. Identify and report any association 

or relationship with Rural Development 

employees. 

The required forms and certifications 

can be downloaded from the RCDI Web 

site at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/ 

rcdi. 

C. Other Submission Information 

The original application package must 

be submitted to the Rural Development 

State Office where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. A listing of 

Rural Development State Offices is 

included in this Notice. Applications 

will not be accepted via facsimile or 

electronic mail. 

Applicants may file an electronic 

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

Grants.gov contains full instructions on 

all required passwords, credentialing, 

and software. Follow the instructions at 

Grants.gov for registering and 

submitting an electronic application. 

If a system problem or technical 

difficulty occurs with an electronic 

application, please use the customer 

support resources available at the 

Grants.gov Web site. 


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Technical difficulties submitting an 

application through Grants.gov will not 

be a reason to extend the application 

deadline. If an application is unable to 

be submitted through Grants.gov, a 

paper application must be received in 

the appropriate Rural Development 

State Office by the deadline noted 

previously. 

First time Grants.gov users should 

carefully read and follow the 

registration steps listed on the web site. 

These steps need to be initiated early in 

the application process to avoid delays 

in submitting your application online. 

In order to register with the Central 

Contractor Registry (CCR), your 

organization will need a DUNS number. 

Be sure to complete the Marketing 

Partner ID (MPID) and Electronic 

Business Primary Point of Contact fields 

during the CCR registration process. 

These are mandatory fields that are 

required when submitting grant 

applications through Grants.gov. 

Additional application instructions for 

submitting an electronic application can 

be found by selecting this funding 

opportunity on Grants.gov. 

The deadline for receipt of an 

application is 4 p.m. local time 

December 22, 2010. The application 

deadline date and time are firm and 

apply to submission of the original 

application to the Rural Development 

State Office where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. The Agency 

will not consider any application 

received after the deadline. A listing of 

Rural Development State Offices, their 

addresses, telephone numbers, and 

contact person is provided elsewhere in 

this Notice. Applicants intending to 

mail applications must allow sufficient 

time to permit delivery on or before the 

closing deadline date and time. 

Acceptance by the United States Postal 

Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), 

electronic mail or postage due 

applications will not be accepted. 

D. Funding Restrictions 

Meeting expenses. In accordance with 

31 U.S.C. 1345, ‘‘Expenses of Meetings,’’ 

appropriations may not be used for 

travel, transportation, and subsistence 

expenses for a meeting. RCDI grant 

funds cannot be used for these meetingrelated expenses. Matching funds may 

be used to pay for these expenses. RCDI 

funds may be used to pay for a speaker 

as part of a program, equipment to 

facilitate the program, and the actual 

room that will house the meeting. RCDI 

funds can be used for travel, 

transportation, or subsistence expenses 

for program-related training and 

technical assistance purposes. Any 

training not delineated in the 

application must be approved by the 

Agency to verify compliance with 31 

U.S.C. 1345. Travel and per diem 

expenses will be similar to those paid to 

Agency employees. Rates are based 

upon location. Rate information can be 

obtained from the applicable Rural 

Development State Office. 

Grantees and recipients will be 

restricted to traveling coach class on 

common carrier airlines. When lodging 

is not available at the government rate, 

grantees and recipients may exceed the 

Government rate for lodging by a 

maximum of 20 percent. Meals and 

incidental expenses will be reimbursed 

at the same rate used by Agency 

employees. Mileage and gas 

reimbursement will be the same rate 

used by Agency employees. This rate 

may be obtained from the applicable 

Rural Development State Office. 

Part V—Application Review 

Information 

A. Evaluation Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated using 

the following criteria and weights: 

1. Building Capacity—Maximum 60 

Points 

The applicant must demonstrate how 

they will improve the recipients’ 

capacity, through a program of financial 

and technical assistance, as it relates to 

the RCDI purposes. Capacity-building 

financial and technical assistance 

should provide new functions to the 

recipients or expand existing functions 

that will enable the recipients to 

undertake projects in the areas of 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

that will benefit the community. The 

program of financial and technical 

assistance provided, its delivery, and 

the measurability of the program’s 

effectiveness will determine the merit of 

the application. All applications will be 

competitively ranked with the 

applications providing the most 

improvement in capacity development 

and measurable activities being ranked 

the highest. Capacity-building financial 

and technical assistance may include, 

but is not limited to: Training to 

conduct community development 

programs, e.g., homeownership 

education, or the establishment of 

minority business entrepreneurs, 

cooperatives, or micro-enterprises; 

organizational development, e.g., 

assistance to develop or improve board 

operations, management, and financial 

systems; instruction on how to develop 

and implement a strategic plan; 

instruction on how to access alternative 

funding sources to increase leveraging 

opportunities; staffing, e.g., hiring a 

person at intermediary or recipient level 

to provide technical assistance to 

recipients. 

a. The narrative response must: 

i. Describe the nature of financial and 

technical assistance to be provided to 

the recipients and the activities that will 

be conducted to deliver the technical 

assistance; 

ii. Explain how financial and 

technical assistance will develop or 

increase the recipient’s capacity. 

Indicate whether a new function is 

being developed or if existing functions 

are being expanded or performed more 

effectively; 

iii. Identify which RCDI purpose areas 

will be addressed with this assistance: 

Housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development; 

and 

iv. Describe how the results of the 

technical assistance will be measured. 

What benchmarks will be used to 

measure effectiveness? Benchmarks 

should be specific and quantifiable. 

b. The maximum 60 points for this 

criterion will be broken down as 

follows: 

1. Type of financial and technical 

assistance and implementation 

activities. 35 points. 

2. An explanation of how financial 

and technical assistance will develop 

capacity. 10 points. 

3. Identification of the RCDI purpose. 

5 points. 

4. Measurement of outcomes. 10 

points. 

2. Expertise—Maximum 30 Points 

The applicant must demonstrate that 

it has conducted programs of financial 

and technical assistance and achieved 

measurable results in the areas of 

housing, community facilities, or 

community and economic development 

in rural areas. Provide the name, contact 

information, and the type and amount of 

the financial and technical assistance 

the applicant organization has provided 

to the following for the last 3 years: 

a. Nonprofit organizations in rural 

areas. 

b. Low-income communities in rural 

areas, (also include the type of entity, 

e.g., city government, town council, or 

village board). 

c. Federally recognized tribes or any 

other culturally diverse organizations. 

3. Population—Maximum 30 Points 

Population is based on the average 

population from the 2000 census data 

for the communities in which the 

recipients are located. The physical 

address, not mailing address, for each 


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recipient must be used for this criterion. 

Community is defined for scoring 

purposes as a city, town, village, county, 

parish, borough, or census-designated 

place where the recipient’s office is 

physically located. The applicant must 

submit the census data from the 

following Web site in the form of a 

printout of the applicable ‘‘Fact Sheet’’ 

to verify the population figures used for 

each recipient. The data can be accessed 

on the Internet at http:// 

www.census.gov; click on ‘‘American 

FactFinder’’ from the left menu; click on 

‘‘Fact Sheet’’ from the left menu; at the 

right, fill in one or more fields and click 

‘‘Go’’; the name and population data for 

each recipient location must be listed in 

this section. The average population of 

the recipient locations will be used and 

will be scored as follows: 

Population Scoring 

(points) 

5,000 or less ................................. 30 

5,001 to 10,000 ............................ 20 

10,001 to 20,000 .......................... 10 

20,001 to 50,000 .......................... 5 

4. Income—Maximum 30 Points 

The average of the median household 

income for the communities where the 

recipients are physically located will 

determine the points awarded. The 

physical address, not mailing address, 

for each recipient must be used for this 

criterion. Applicants may compare the 

average recipient median household 

income to the State median household 

income or the national median 

household income, whichever yields the 

most points. The national median 

household income to be used is $41,994. 

The applicant must submit the income 

data in the form of a printout of the 

applicable information from the 

following Web site to verify the income 

for each recipient. The data being used 

is from the 2000 census. The data can 

be accessed on the Internet at http:// 

www.census.gov; click on ‘‘American 

FactFinder’’ from the left menu; click on 

‘‘Fact Sheet’’ from the left menu; at the 

right, fill in one or more fields and click 

‘‘Go’’; the name and income data for each 

recipient location must be listed in this 

section. Points will be awarded as 

follows: 

Average Recipient Median Income Is: 

Less than 60 percent of the state or 

national median household income. 30 

points. 

From 60 to 70 percent of the state or 

national median household income. 20 

points. 

From 71 to 80 percent of the state or 

national median household income. 10 

points 

In excess of 80 percent of the state or 

national median household income. 0 

points. 

5. Soundness of Approach—Maximum 

50 Points 

The applicant can receive up to 50 

points for soundness of approach. The 

overall proposal will be considered 

under this criterion. Applicants must 

list the page numbers in the application 

that address these factors. 

a. The ability to provide the proposed 

financial and technical assistance based 

on prior accomplishments has been 

demonstrated. 

b. The proposed financial and 

technical assistance program is clearly 

stated and the applicant has defined 

how this proposal will be implemented. 

The plan for implementation is viable. 

c. Cost effectiveness will be evaluated 

based on the budget in the application. 

The proposed grant amount and 

matching funds should be utilized to 

maximize capacity building at the 

recipient level. 

d. The proposal fits the objectives for 

which applications were invited. 

6. Technical Assistance for the 

Development of Renewable Energy 

Systems and Energy Efficiency 

Improvements—Maximum 20 Points 

The applicant must demonstrate how 

they will improve the recipients’ 

capacity to carry out activities related to 

the development of renewable energy 

systems and energy efficiency 

improvements for housing, community 

facilities, or community and economic 

development. 

7. Great Regions Applications— 

Maximum 20 Points 

The Agency encourages applications 

that promote substantive economic 

growth, including job creation, as well 

as specifically addressing the 

circumstances of those sectors within 

the region that have fewer prospects and 

the greatest need for improved 

economic opportunity. 

A Great Regions project should be 

designed to assist rural communities in 

the region to create prosperity so they 

are self-sustaining, repopulating and 

economically thriving. Applications 

should demonstrate: 

a. Clear leadership at the Intermediary 

level in organizing and coordinating a 

regional initiative; 

b. Evidence that the Recipient’s region 

has a common economic basis that 

supports the likelihood of success in 

implementing its strategy; 

c. Evidence that technical assistance 

will be provided that will increase the 

Recipient’s capacity to assess their 

circumstance, determine a long term 

sustainable vision for the region, and 

implement a comprehensive strategic 

plan, including identifying performance 

measures and establishing a system to 

collect the data to allow assessment of 

those performance measures. 

8. Local Investment Points—Maximum 

20 Points 

Intermediaries must be physically 

located in an eligible rural community 

and must include evidence of 

investment in the community. The 

intent is to ensure that RCDI funds are 

expended in the rural community. 

9. State Director’s Points Based on 

Project Merit—Maximum 20 Points 

This criterion does not have to be 

addressed by the applicant. Up to 20 

points may be awarded by the Rural 

Development State Director. Points may 

be awarded to more than one 

application per state or jurisdiction. The 

total points awarded under this 

criterion, to all applications, will not 

exceed 20. Assignment of points will 

include a written justification and be 

tied to and awarded based on how 

closely they align with the Rural 

Development State Office’s strategic 

plan. 

10. Proportional Distribution Points—20 

Points 

This criterion does not have to be 

addressed by the applicant. After 

applications have been evaluated and 

awarded points under the first 9 criteria, 

the Agency may award 20 points per 

application to promote an even 

distribution of grant awards between the 

ranges of $50,000 to $300,000. 

B. Review and Selection Process 

Rating and ranking. Applications will 

be rated and ranked on a national basis 

by a review panel based on the 

‘‘Evaluation Criteria’’ contained in this 

Notice. If there is a tied score after the 

applications have been rated and 

ranked, the tie will be resolved by 

reviewing the scores for ‘‘Building 

Capacity’’ and the applicant with the 

highest score in that category will 

receive a higher ranking. If the scores for 

‘‘Building Capacity’’ are the same, the 

scores will be compared for the next 

criterion, in sequential order, until one 

highest score can be determined. 

Initial screening. The Agency will 

screen each application to determine 

eligibility during the period 

immediately following the application 

deadline. Listed below are examples of 

reasons for rejection from previous 

funding rounds. The following reasons 

for rejection are not all inclusive; 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
57894 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2010 / Notices 

however, they represent the majority of 

the applications previously rejected. 

1. Recipients were not located in 

eligible rural areas based on the 

definition in this Notice. 

2. Applicants failed to provide 

evidence of recipient’s status, i.e., 

documentation supporting nonprofit 

evidence of organization. 

3. Applicants failed to provide 

evidence of committed matching funds 

or matching funds were not committed 

for a period at least equal to the grant 

performance period. 

4. Application did not follow the 

RCDI structure with an intermediary 

and recipients. 

5. Recipients were not identified in 

the application. 

6. Intermediary did not provide 

evidence it had been incorporated for at 

least 3 years as the applicant entity. 

7. Applicants failed to address the 

‘‘Evaluation Criteria.’’ 

8. The purpose of the proposal did not 

qualify as an eligible RCDI purpose. 

9. Inappropriate use of funds (e.g., 

construction or renovations). 

10. The applicant proposed providing 

financial and technical assistance 

directly to individuals. 

11. The application package not 

received by closing date and time. 

Part VI—Award Administration 

Information 

A. General Information 

Within the limit of funds available for 

such purpose, the awarding official of 

the Agency shall make grants in ranked 

order to eligible applicants under the 

procedures set forth in this Notice. 

B. Award Notice 

Applicants will be notified of 

selection by letter. Unsuccessful 

applicants will receive notification 

including appeal rights by mail. In 

addition, selected applicants will be 

requested to verify that components of 

the application have not changed at the 

time of selection and on the award 

obligation date, if requested by the 

Agency. The award is not approved 

until all information has been verified, 

and the awarding official of the Agency 

has signed Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request 

for Obligation of Funds.’’ 

C. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

Grantees will be required to do the 

following: 

1. Execute a Rural Community 

Development Initiative Grant 

Agreement, which is published at the 

end of this Notice. 

2. Execute Form RD 1940–1. 

3. Use Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement,’’ to request 

reimbursements. Provide receipts for 

expenditures, timesheets and any other 

documentation to support the request 

for reimbursement. 

4. Provide financial status and project 

performance reports on a quarterly basis 

starting with the first full quarter after 

the grant award. 

5. Maintain a financial management 

system that is acceptable to the Agency. 

6. Ensure that records are maintained 

to document all activities and 

expenditures utilizing RCDI grant funds 

and matching funds. Receipts for 

expenditures will be included in this 

documentation. 

7. Provide annual audits or 

management reports on Form RD 442– 

2, ‘‘Statement of Budget, Income and 

Equity,’’ and Form RD 442–3, ‘‘Balance 

Sheet,’’ depending on the amount of 

Federal funds expended and the 

outstanding balance. 

8. Collect and maintain data provided 

by recipients on race, sex, and national 

origin and ensure recipients collect and 

maintain the same data on beneficiaries. 

Race and ethnicity data will be collected 

in accordance with OMB Federal 

Register notice, ‘‘Revisions to the 

Standards for the Classification of 

Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity,’’ (62 

FR 58782), October 30, 1997. 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 the 

Agency. 

For purpose of Civil Rights, recipients 

are considered any State, political 

subdivision of any State, or 

instrumentality of any State or political 

subdivision, any public or private 

agency, institution, or organization, or 

other entity, to whom Federal financial 

assistance is extended, directly or 

through another recipient, including 

any successor, assignee, or transferee 

thereof, but such term does not include 

any ultimate beneficiary. Not all listed 

entities are eligible for all programs. 

Please check with the applicable state 

office for information regarding 

eligibility. 

9. Provide a final project performance 

report. 

10. Identify and report any association 

or relationship with Rural Development 

employees. 

11. The intermediary and recipient 

must comply with Title VI of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 

Education Amendments of 1972, 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 

1973, and Executive Order 12250 and 

RD Instruction 7 CFR 1901–E. 

12. The grantee must comply with 

policies, guidance, and requirements as 

described in the following applicable 

OMB Circulars and Code of Federal 

Regulations: 

a. OMB Circular A–87 (Cost 

Principles for State, Local, and Indian 

Tribal Government); 

b. OMB Circular A–122 (Cost 

Principles for Non-profit Organizations); 

c. OMB Circular A–133 (Audits of 

States, Local Governments, and NonProfit Organizations); 

d. 7 CFR part 3015 (Uniform Federal 

Assistance Regulations); 

e. 7 CFR part 3016 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for Grants 

and Cooperative Agreements to State 

and Local Governments); 

f. 7 CFR part 3017 (Government-wide 

Debarment and Suspension 

(Nonprocurement); 

g. 7 CFR part 3019 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements for Grants 

and Agreements with Institutions of 

Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other 

Non-profit Organizations); and 

h. 7 CFR part 3052 (Audits of States, 

Local Governments, and Non-Profit 

Organizations). 

D. Reporting 

Reporting requirements can be found 

in the Grant Agreement included in this 

Notice. 

Part VII—Agency Contact 

Contact the Rural Development office 

in the state where the applicant’s 

headquarters is located. A list of Rural 

Development State Offices is included 

in this Notice. 

Part VIII—Nondiscrimination 

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, 

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 

(800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720– 

6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2010 / Notices 57895 

opportunity provider, employer, and 

lender. 

Part IX—Appeal Process 

All adverse determinations regarding 

applicant eligibility and the awarding of 

points as part of the selection process 

are appealable pursuant to 7 CFR part 

11. Instructions on the appeal process 

will be provided at the time an 

applicant is notified of the adverse 

decision. 

Grant Amount Determination 

In the event the applicant is awarded 

a grant that is less than the amount 

requested, the applicant will be required 

to modify its application to conform to 

the reduced amount before execution of 

the grant agreement. The Agency 

reserves the right to reduce or withdraw 

the award if acceptable modifications 

are not submitted by the awardee within 

15 working days from the date the 

request for modification is made. Any 

modifications must be within the scope 

of the original application. 

Rural Development State Office 

Contacts 

Note: Telephone numbers listed are not 

toll-free. 

Alabama State Office, Suite 601, 

Sterling Centre, 4121 Carmichael 

Road, Montgomery, AL 36106–3683, 

(334) 279–3400, TDD (334) 279–3495, 

Allen Bowen. 

Alaska State Office, 800 West Evergreen, 

Suite 201, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 

761–7705, TDD (907) 761–8905, 

Merlaine Kruse. 

Arizona State Office, 230 North 1st 

Avenue, Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 

85003, (602) 280–8745, TDD (602) 

280–8705, Leonard Gradillas. 

Arkansas State Office, 700 W. Capitol 

Ave., Rm. 3416, Little Rock, AR 

72201–3225, (501) 301–3250, TDD 

(501) 301–3200, Ricky Carter. 

California State Office, 430 G Street, 

Agency 4169, Davis, CA 95616–4169, 

(530) 792–5810, TDD (530) 792–5848, 

Janice Waddell. 

Colorado State Office, Denver Federal 

Center, Building 56, Room 2300, PO 

Box 25426,* Denver, CO 80225–0426, 

720–544–2927, TDD 720–544–2976, 

Delores Sanchez-Maez. 

Connecticut 

Served by Massachusetts State Office. 

Delaware and Maryland State Office, 

1221 College Park Dr., Suite 200, 

Dover, DE 19904–8713, (302) 857– 

3580, TDD (302) 697–4303, Denise 

MacLeish. 

Florida & Virgin Islands State Office, 

4440 NW. 25th Place, P.O. Box 

147010, Gainesville, FL 32614–7010, 

(352) 338–3485, TDD (352) 338–3499, 

Michael Langston. 

Georgia State Office, Stephens Federal 

Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue, 

Athens, GA 30601–2768, (706) 546– 

2171, TDD (706) 546–2034, Jerry M. 

Thomas. 

Guam 

Served by Hawaii State Office. 

Hawaii, Guam, & Western Pacific 

Territories State Office, Room 311, 

Federal Building, 154 Waianuenue 

Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933– 

8310, TDD (808) 933–8321, Ted 

Matsuo. 

Idaho State Office, 9173 West Barnes 

Dr., Suite A1, Boise, ID 83709, (208) 

378–5617, TDD (208) 378–5600, 

David A. Flesher. 

Illinois State Office, 2118 West Park 

Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 61821, 

(217) 403–6200, TDD (217) 403–6240, 

Michael Wallace. 

Indiana State Office, 5975 Lakeside 

Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46278– 

1996, (317) 290–3100 (ext. 431), TDD 

(317) 290–3343, Gregg Delp. 

Iowa State Office, 873 Federal Building, 

210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 

50309, (515) 284–4663, TDD (515) 

284–4858, Karla Peiffer. 

Kansas State Office, 1303 SW., First 

American Place, Suite 100, Topeka, 

KS 66604–4040, (785) 271–2730, TDD 

(785) 271–2767, Gary L. Smith. 

Kentucky State Office, 771 Corporate 

Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, KY 

40503, (859) 224–7336, TDD (859) 

224–7300, Vernon Brown. 

Louisiana State Office, 3727 

Government Street, Alexandria, LA 

71302, (318) 473–7962, TDD (318) 

473–7920, Richard Hoffpauir. 

Maine State Office, 967 Illinois Ave., 

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

04402–0405, (207) 990–9124, TDD 

(207) 942–7331, Ron Lambert. 

Maryland 

Served by Delaware State Office. 

Massachusetts, Connecticut, & Rhode 

Island State Office, 451 West Street, 

Suite 2, Amherst, MA 01002–2999, 

(413) 253–4300, TDD (413) 253–7068, 

Daniel R. Beaudette. 

Michigan State Office, 3001 Coolidge 

Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, MI 

48823, (517) 324–5208, TDD (517) 

337–6795, Christine M. Maxwell. 

Minnesota State Office, 410 Farm Credit 

Service Building, 375 Jackson Street, 

St. Paul, MN 55101–1853, (651) 602– 

7800, TDD (651) 602–3799, Terry 

Louwagie. 

Mississippi State Office, Federal 

Building, Suite 831, 100 W. Capitol 

Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965– 

4316, TDD (601) 965–5850, Bettye 

Oliver. 

Missouri State Office, 601 Business 

Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, Suite 

235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876– 

0976, TDD (573) 876–9480, Clark 

Thomas. 

Montana State Office, 2229 Boot Hill 

Court, Bozeman, MT 59771, (406) 

585–2545, TDD (406) 585–2545, Bill 

Barr. 

Nebraska State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 152, 100 Centennial Mall N., 

Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437–5559, 

TDD (402) 437–5551, Denise BrosiusMeeks. 

Nevada State Office, 1390 South Curry 

Street, Carson City, NV 89703–9910, 

(775) 887–1222 (ext. 28), TDD (775) 

885–0633, Kay Vernatter. 

New Hampshire 

Served by Vermont State Office. 

New Jersey State Office, 8000 Midlantic 

Drive, 5th Floor North, Suite 500, Mt. 

Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787–7750, 

Kenneth Drewes. 

New Mexico State Office, 6200 Jefferson 

St. NE., Room 255, Albuquerque, NM 

87109, (505) 761–4950, TDD (505) 

761–4938, Martha Torrez. 

New York State Office, The Galleries of 

Syracuse, 441 S. Salina Street, Suite 

357, Syracuse, NY 13202–2541, (315) 

477–6400, TDD (315) 477–6447, Gail 

Giannotta. 

North Carolina State Office, 4405 Bland 

Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 27609, 

(919) 873–2070, TDD (919) 873–2003, 

William A. Hobbs. 

North Dakota State Office, Federal 

Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser 

Ave., P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 

58502–1737, (701) 530–2037, TDD 

(701) 530–2113, Dale Van Eckhout. 

Ohio State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 507, 200 North High Street, 

Columbus, OH 43215–2418, (614) 

255–2400, TDD (614) 255–2554, 

David M. Douglas. 

Oklahoma State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 

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

742–1000, TDD (405) 742–1007, Brian 

Wiles. 

Oregon State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd 

Blvd, Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, 

(503) 414–3300, TDD (503) 414–3387, 

Sam Goldstein. 

Pennsylvania State Office, One Credit 

Union Place, Suite 330, Harrisburg, 

PA 17110–2996, (717) 237–2299, TDD 

(717) 237–2281, Gary Rothrock. 

Puerto Rico State Office, 654 Mun ̃ oz 

Rivera Avenue, Suite 601, Hato Rey, 

PR 00918–6106, (787) 766–5095, TDD 

(787) 766–5332, Nereida Rodriguez. 

Rhode Island 

Served by Massachusetts State Office. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
57896 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2010 / Notices 

South Carolina State Office, Strom 

Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 

Assembly Street, Room 1007, 

Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 253–3656, 

TDD (803) 765–5697, Jesse T. Risher. 

South Dakota State Office, Federal 

Building, Room 210, 200 Fourth 

Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, (605) 

352–1100, TDD (605) 352–1147, Doug 

Roehl. 

Tennessee State Office, Suite 300, 3322 

West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 

37203–1084, (615) 783–1300, TDD 

(615) 783–1397, Keith Head. 

Texas State Office, Federal Building, 

Suite 102, 101 South Main, Temple, 

TX 76501, (254) 742–9789, TDD (254) 

742–9749, Michael B. Canales. 

Utah State Office, Wallace F. Bennett 

Federal Building, 125 South State 

Street, Room 4311, P.O. Box 11350, 

Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524– 

4326, TDD (801) 524–3309, Debra 

Meyer. 

Vermont State Office, City Center, 3rd 

Floor, 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 

05602, (802) 828–6011, TDD (802) 

223–6365, Rhonda Shippee. 

Virgin Islands 

Served by Florida State Office. 

Virginia State Office, Culpeper Building, 

Suite 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, 

Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287– 

1550, TDD (804) 287–1753, Carrie 

Schmidt. 

Washington State Office, 1835 Black 

Lake Boulevard, SW., Suite B, 

Olympia, WA 98501–5715, (360) 704– 

7738, Peter McMillin. 

Western Pacific Territories 

Served by Hawaii State Office. 

West Virginia State Office, 1550 Earl 

Core Road, Suite 101, Morgantown, 

WV 26505, (304) 284–4884, TDD (304) 

284–4836, Randy Plum. 

Wisconsin State Office, 4949 Kirschling 

Court, Stevens Point, WI 54481, (715) 

345–7614, TDD (715) 345–7610, Mark 

Brodziski. 

Wyoming State Office, Federal Building, 

Room 1005, 100 East B Street, P.O. 

Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602–5006, 

(307) 233–6733, TDD (307) 233–6719, 

Alana Cannon. 

Washington, DC, Stop 0787, Room 0183, 

1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–0787, (202) 

720–1506, Susan Woolard. 

Dated: September 17, 2010. 

Tammye Trevin ̃ o, 

Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

United States Department of Agriculture 

Rural Housing Service 

Rural Community Development Initiative 

Grant Agreement 

THIS GRANT AGREEMENT (Agreement), 

effective the date the Agency official signs 

the document, is a contract for receipt of 

grant funds under the Rural Community 

Development Initiative (RCDI). 

BETWEEN 

a private or public or tribal organization, 

(Grantee or Intermediary) and the United 

States of America acting through the Rural 

Housing Service, Department of Agriculture, 

(Agency or Grantor), for the benefit of 

recipients listed in Grantee’s application for 

the grant. 

WITNESSETH: 

The principal amount of the grant is 

$llllll(Grant Funds). Matching funds, 

in an amount equal to the grant funds, will 

be provided by Grantee. The Grantee and 

Grantor will execute Form RD 1940–1, 

‘‘Request for Obligation of Funds.’’ 

WHEREAS, 

Grantee will provide a program of financial 

and technical assistance to develop the 

capacity and ability of nonprofit 

organizations, low-income rural 

communities, or federally recognized tribes 

to undertake projects related to housing, 

community facilities, or community and 

economic development in rural areas; 

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995, no persons are required to respond 

to a collection of information unless it 

displays a valid OMB control number. The 

valid OMB control number for this 

information collection is 0575–0180. The 

time required to complete this information 

collection is estimated to average 30 minutes 

per response, including the time for 

reviewing instructions, searching existing 

data sources, gathering and maintaining the 

data needed, and reviewing the collection of 

information. 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of 

the grant; 

Grantee agrees that Grantee will: 

A. Provide a program of financial and 

technical assistance in accordance with the 

proposal outlined in the application as 

approved by the Agency, (see Attachment A), 

the terms of which are incorporated with this 

Agreement and must be adhered to. Any 

changes to the approved program of financial 

and technical assistance must be approved in 

writing by the Grantor; 

B. Use Grant Funds only for the purposes 

and activities specified in the application 

package approved by the Agency including 

the approved budget. Any uses not provided 

for in the approved budget must be approved 

in writing by the Agency in advance; 

C. Charge expenses for travel and per diem 

that will not exceed the rates paid Agency 

employees for similar expenses. Grantees and 

recipients will be restricted to traveling 

coach class on common carrier airlines. 

When lodging is not available at the 

government rate, rates may exceed the 

Government rate by a maximum of 20 

percent. Meals and incidental expenses will 

be reimbursed at the same rate used by 

Agency employees, which is based upon 

location. Mileage and gas will be reimbursed 

at the existing Government rate. Rates can be 

obtained from the applicable State Office; 

D. Charge meeting expenses in accordance 

with 31 U.S.C. 1345. Grant funds may not be 

used for travel, transportation, and 

subsistence expenses for a meeting. Matching 

funds may be used to pay these expenses. 

Any meeting or training not delineated in the 

application must be approved by the Agency 

to verify compliance with 31 U.S.C. 1345; 

E. Request for advances or reimbursement 

for grant activities. If payment is to be made 

by advance, the Grantee shall request 

advance payment, but not more frequently 

than once every 30 days, of grant funds by 

using Standard Form 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement.’’ Receipts, 

invoices, hourly wage rate, personnel payroll 

records, or other documentation must be 

provided by intermediary. This information 

must be maintained in the intermediary’s 

files. 

If payment is to be made by 

reimbursement, the Grantee shall request 

reimbursement of grant funds, but not more 

frequently than once every 30 days, by using 

Standard Form 270, ‘‘Request for Advance or 

Reimbursement.’’ Receipts, invoices, hourly 

wage rate, personnel payroll records, or other 

documentation, as determined by the 

Agency, must be provided by the 

intermediary to justify the amount. This 

information must be maintained in the 

intermediary’s files. 

All requests for advances or 

reimbursements must include matching fund 

usage. Matching funds must be expended at 

least pro-rata to the grant amount requested. 

F. Provide periodic reports as required by 

the Grantor. A financial status report and a 

project performance report will be required 

on a quarterly basis (due 30 working days 

after each calendar quarter). The financial 

status report must show how grant funds and 

matching funds have been used to date. A 

final report may serve as the last quarterly 

report. Grantees shall constantly monitor 

performance to ensure that time schedules 

are being met and projected goals by time 

periods are being accomplished. The project 

performance reports shall include, but are 

not limited to, the following: 

1. A description of the activities that the 

funds reflected in the financial status report 

were used for; 

2. A comparison of actual 

accomplishments to the objectives for that 

period; 

3. The reasons why established objectives 

were not met, if applicable; 

4. Any problems, delays, or adverse 

conditions which will affect attainment of 

overall program objectives, prevent meeting 

time schedules or objectives, or preclude the 

attainment of particular objectives during 

established time periods. This disclosure 

shall be accomplished by a statement of the 

action taken or planned to resolve the 

situation; 

5. Objectives and timetables established for 

the next reporting period; 

6. A summary of the race, sex, and national 

origin of the recipients and a summary from 

the recipients of the race, sex, and national 

origin of the beneficiaries; and 

7. The final report will also address the 

following: 

a. What have been the most challenging or 

unexpected aspects of this program? 

b. What advice would you give to other 

organizations planning a similar program? 

Please include strengths and limitations of 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 184 / Thursday, September 23, 2010 / Notices 57897 

the program. If you had the opportunity, 

what would you have done differently? 

c. Are there any post-grant plans for this 

project? If yes, how will they be financed? 

G. Consider potential recipients without 

discrimination as to race, color, religion, sex, 

national origin, age, marital status, sexual 

orientation, or physical or mental disability; 

H. Ensure that any services or training 

offered by the recipient, as a result of the 

financial and technical assistance received, 

must be made available to all persons in the 

recipient’s service area without 

discrimination as to race, color, religion, sex, 

national origin, age, marital status, sexual 

orientation, or physical or mental disability, 

or genetic information (not all protected 

bases apply to all programs) at reasonable 

rates, including assessments, taxes, or fees. 

Programs and activities must be delivered 

from accessible locations. The recipient must 

ensure that, where there are non-English 

speaking populations, materials are provided 

in the language that is spoken; 

I. Ensure recipients are required to place 

nondiscrimination statements in 

advertisements, notices, pamphlets and 

brochures making the public aware of their 

services. The Grantee and recipient are 

required to provide widespread outreach and 

public notification in promoting any type of 

training or services that are available through 

grant funds; 

J. The Grantee must collect and maintain 

data on recipients by race, sex, and national 

origin. The grantee must ensure that their 

recipients also collect and maintain data on 

beneficiaries by race, sex, and national origin 

as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act 

of 1964 and must be provided to the Agency 

for compliance review purposes. USDA Rural 

Development will complete a pre-award and 

post-award compliance review. The preaward will be before grant approval or 

disbursement of funds, and a post-award 

compliance review 90 days after the project 

is in full operation; 

K. Upon any default under its 

representations or agreements contained in 

this instrument, Grantee, at the option and 

demand of Grantor, will immediately repay 

to Grantor any legally permitted damages 

together with any legally permitted interest 

from the date of the default. At Grantor’s 

election, any default by the Grantee will 

constitute termination of the grant thereby 

causing cancellation of Federal assistance 

under the grant. The provisions of this 

Agreement may be enforced by Grantor, 

without regard to prior waivers of this 

Agreement, by proceedings in law or equity, 

in either Federal or State courts as may be 

deemed necessary by Grantor to ensure 

compliance with the provisions of this 

Agreement and the laws and regulations 

under which this grant is made; 

L. Provide Financial Management Systems 

that will include: 

1. Accurate, current, and complete 

disclosure of the financial results of each 

grant. Financial reporting will be on an 

accrual basis; 

2. Records that identify adequately the 

source and application of funds for grantsupported activities. Those records shall 

contain information pertaining to grant 

awards and authorizations, obligations, 

unobligated balances, assets, liabilities, 

outlays, and income related to Grant Funds 

and matching funds; 

3. Effective control over and accountability 

for all funds, property, and other assets. 

Grantees shall adequately safeguard all such 

assets and shall ensure that they are used 

solely for authorized purposes; 

4. Accounting records supported by source 

documentation; and 

5. Grantee tracking of fund usage and 

records that show matching funds and grant 

funds are used in equal proportions. The 

grantee will provide verifiable 

documentation regarding matching fund 

usage, i.e., bank statements or copies of 

funding obligations from the matching 

source. 

M. Retain financial records, supporting 

documents, statistical records, and all other 

records pertinent to the grant for a period of 

at least three years after the grant agreement 

expires except that the records shall be 

retained beyond the 3-year period if audit 

findings have not been resolved. Microfilm or 

photocopies or similar methods may be 

substituted in lieu of original records. The 

Grantor and the Comptroller General of the 

United States, or any of their duly authorized 

representatives, shall have access to any 

books, documents, papers, and records of the 

Grantee’s which are pertinent to the specific 

grant program for the purpose of making 

audits, examinations, excerpts, and 

transcripts; 

N. In accordance with 7 CFR 3052, provide 

an A–133 audit report if $500,000 or more of 

Federal funds are expended in a 1-year 

period. If Federal funds expended during a 

1 year period are less than $500,000 and 

there is an outstanding loan balance of 

$500,000 or more, an audit in accordance 

with generally accepted government auditing 

standards is required. If Federal funds 

expended during a 1-year period are less than 

$500,000 including any outstanding loan 

balance in which the Federal government 

imposes continuing compliance 

requirements, a management report may be 

submitted on Forms RD 442–2, ‘‘Statement of 

Budget, Income and Equity,’’ and 442–3, 

‘‘Balance Sheet’’, or similar; 

O. Not encumber, transfer, or dispose of 

the equipment or any part thereof, acquired 

wholly or in part with Grantor funds without 

the written consent of the Grantor; and 

P. Not duplicate other program activities 

for which monies have been received, are 

committed, or are applied to from other 

sources (public or private). 

Grantor agrees that it will make available 

to Grantee for the purpose of this Agreement 

funds in an amount not to exceed the Grant 

Funds. The funds will be disbursed to 

Grantee on a pro rata basis with the Grantee’s 

matching funds. 

Both Parties Agree: 

A. Extensions of this grant agreement may 

be approved by the Agency, in writing, 

provided in the Agency’s sole discretion the 

extension is justified and there is a likelihood 

that the grantee can accomplish the goals set 

out and approved in the application package 

during the extension period. Extensions will 

be limited to one six-month period; 

B. The Grantor must approve any changes 

in recipient or recipient composition; 

C. The Grantor has agreed to give the 

Grantee the Grant Funds, subject to the terms 

and conditions established by the Grantor. 

Any Grant Funds actually disbursed and not 

needed for grant purposes be returned 

immediately to the Grantor. This agreement 

shall terminate 3 years from this date unless 

extended or unless terminated beforehand 

due to default on the part of the Grantee or 

for convenience of the Grantor and Grantee. 

The Grantor may terminate the grant in 

whole, or in part, at any time before the date 

of completion, whenever it is determined 

that the Grantee has failed to comply with 

the conditions of this Agreement or the 

applicable regulations; Termination for 

convenience will occur when both the 

Grantee and Grantor agree that the 

continuation of the program will not produce 

beneficial results commensurate with the 

further expenditure of funds. 

D. As a condition of the Agreement, the 

Grantee certifies that it is in compliance 

with, and will comply in the course of the 

Agreement with, all applicable laws, 

regulations, Executive Orders, and other 

generally applicable requirements, which are 

incorporated into this agreement by 

reference, and such other statutory 

provisions as are specifically contained 

herein. 

E. The Grantee will ensure that the 

recipients comply with Title VI of the Civil 

Rights Act of 1964, section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Executive Order 

12250, and 7 CFR 1901–E. Each recipient 

must sign Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement’’; 

F. The provisions of 7 CFR part 3015, 

‘‘Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations,’’ 

part 3016, ‘‘Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for Grants and Cooperative 

Agreements to State and Local Governments,’’ 

or part 3019, ‘‘Uniform Administrative 

Requirements for Grants and Agreements 

with Institutions of Higher Education, 

Hospitals, and Other Nonprofit 

Organizations,’’ and the fiscal year 2010 

‘‘Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) 

Inviting Applications for the Rural 

Community Development Initiative (RCDI)’’ 

are incorporated herein and made a part 

hereof by reference; 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Grantee has this 

day authorized and caused this Agreement to 

be executed by 

lllllllllllllllllllll

Attest 

lllllllllllllllllllll

By lllllllllllllllllll

(Grantee) 

(Title) lllllllllllllllll

Date llllllllllllllllll

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

RURAL HOUSING SERVICE 

By lllllllllllllllllll

(Grantor) (Name) (Title) 

Date llllllllllllllllll

ATTACHMENT A 

[Application proposal submitted by grantee.] 

[FR Doc. 2010–23764 Filed 9–22–10; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES