Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/12/11/2019-26626/inviting-applications-for-value-added-producer-grants-and-solicitation-of-grant-reviewers
Timestamp: 2020-02-18 04:21:02
Document Index: 620235333

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 990', 'art 4284', 'art 4284', 'art 990', 'art 1970', 'art 1970']

A Notice by the Rural Business-Cooperative Service on 12/11/2019
You must submit your application by March 10, 2020 or it will not be considered for funding. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped or sent overnight by this date. You may also hand carry your application to one of our field offices, but it must be received by close of business on the deadline date. Electronic applications are permitted via http://www.grants.gov only and must be received before Midnight Eastern time on March 5, 2020. Late applications are not eligible for grant funding under this Notice.
Docket No. RBS-19-CO-OP-0018
RBS-19-CO-OP-0018
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-26626 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-26626
This Notice announces that the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (Agency) is accepting applications for the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. Approximately $37 million is currently available. The Agency may also utilize any funding that become available after publishing this notice. The Agency will publish the program funding level on the Rural Development website (https://www.rd.usda.gov/​programs-services/​value-added-producer-grants). Section VII also announces solicitation of non-Federal independent grant reviewers to evaluate and score applications submitted under this Notice.
If you want to submit an electronic application, follow the instructions for the VAPG funding announcement on http://www.grants.gov. Please review the Grants.gov website at http://grants.gov/​applicants/​organization-registration.html for instructions on the process of registering your organization as soon as possible to ensure you are able to meet the electronic application deadline. If you want to submit a paper application, send it to the State Office located in the State where your project will primarily take place. You can find State Office Contact information at http://www.rd.usda.gov/​contact-us/​state-offices.
Grants Division, Cooperative Programs, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, MS 3253, Room 4008-South, Washington, DC 20250-3253, or call 202-690-1374.
The Agency encourages applications that will support recommendations made in the Rural Prosperity Task Force report to help improve life in rural America. www.usda.gov/​ruralprosperity. Applicants are encouraged to consider projects that provide measurable results in helping rural communities build robust and sustainable economies through strategic investments in infrastructure, partnerships and innovation.
Hemp projects: VAPG applications proposing projects related to Hemp as defined in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334, will be considered for funding if the projects meets all program eligibility requirements, including currently producing Hemp with a valid producer license and verifiable compliance with regulations published by the Agricultural Marketing Service at 7 CFR part 990 and the Rural Business-Cooperative Service at 7 CFR 4284, subpart J.
Local Agriculture Marketing Program (LAMP) Food Safety Implementation: Until Farm Bill implementation is finalized via the Agency rulemaking process, there will not be food safety reserve funding. Food safety training, certifications, and supplies that are eligible under the current program regulation may continue to be included in the work plan/budget.
Announcement Type: Notice of Solicitation of Applications and Solicitation of Grant Reviewers.
Dates: Application Deadline. You must submit your complete paper application by March 10, 2020, or it will not be considered for funding. Electronic applications must be received by http://www.grants.gov no later than Midnight Eastern time on March 5, 2020, or it will not be considered for funding.
The VAPG program is authorized under section 231 of the Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-224), as amended by section 10102 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-334) (see 7 U.S.C. 1621 et. seq.). Applicants must adhere to the requirements contained in the program regulation, 7 CFR 4284, subpart J, which is incorporated by reference in this Notice.
The objective of this grant program is to assist viable Independent Producers, Agricultural Producer Groups, Farmer and Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Businesses in starting or expanding Start Printed Page 67704value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of Value-Added Agricultural Products. Grants will be awarded competitively for either planning or working capital projects directly related to the processing and/or marketing of value-added products. Generating new products, creating and expanding marketing opportunities, and increasing producer income are the end goals of the program. All proposals must demonstrate economic viability and sustainability to compete for funding.
The following term is incorporated from Section 10102 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. Majority Controlled Producer-Based Business venture means a venture greater than 50 percent of the ownership and control of which is held by—
“(i) 1 or more producers; or
“(ii) 1 or more entities, 100 percent of the ownership and control of which is held by 1 or more producers. The term `entity' means—
“(iii) a limited liability partnership; and
“(iv) a corporation.
Also, Market Expansion Project means a project in which the Independent Producer applicant seeks to expand the market for an existing value-added product (produced and marketed by the applicant for at least 2 years at time of application) through sales to demonstrably new markets or to new customers in existing markets.
Additional terms you need to understand are defined in 7 CFR 4284.902.
Available Total Funding: $37 million.
Anticipated Award Date: July 31, 2020.
Reservation of Funds: Ten percent of available funds for applications will be reserved for applicants qualifying as Beginning, Veteran, and Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers. An additional ten percent of available funds for applications from farmers or ranchers proposing development of Mid-Tier Value Chains. Funds are not obligated from these reserves prior to September 30, 2019, will be used for the VAPG general competition. If this is the case, Beginning, Veteran, and Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers and applicants proposing Mid-Tier Value Chains will compete with other eligible VAPG applications. In addition, in accordance with Division B, Title VII, Section 752 of Public Law 116-6, 10 percent of FY 2019 funds will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties. Any funds that become available after publication of this notice, that will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties, will be identified by the Agency at a later date, after the applicable appropriations language has been enacted.
Applicants must comply with the program regulation 7 CFR part 4284 subpart J to meet all the following eligibility requirements. Required documentation is included in the application package. Applications which fail to meet any of these requirements by the application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not be evaluated further.
You must demonstrate within the application narrative that you meet all the applicant eligibility requirements of 7 CFR 4284.920 and 4284.921. This includes meeting the definition requirements at 7 CFR 4284.902 by demonstrating how you meet the definition for Agricultural Producer (i.e., how you participate in the “day to day labor, management, and field operations” of your agricultural enterprise; how you qualify for one of the following applicant types: Independent Producer, Agricultural Producer Group, Farmer or Rancher Cooperative or Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business; and whether you meet the Emerging Market, Citizenship, Legal Authority and Responsibility, Multiple Grants and Active Grants requirements of the section. Required documentation to support eligibility is contained at 7 CFR 4284.931 and in the application package.
Per 4284.921, an applicant is ineligible if they have been debarred or suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs under Executive Order 12549, “Debarment and Suspension.” The Agency will check the System for Award Management (SAM) to determine if the applicant has been debarred or suspended. In addition, an applicant will be considered ineligible for a grant due to an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a Federal Court (other than U.S. Tax Court), is delinquent on the payment of Federal income taxes, or is delinquent on Federal debt. The applicant must certify as part of the application that they do not have an outstanding judgment against them. The Agency will check the Credit Alert Interactive Voice Response System (CAIVRS) to verify this.
Per the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Pub. L. 115-141) or successor appropriations act, any corporation (i) that has been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the past 24 months or (ii) that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, is not eligible for financial assistance provided with funds appropriated by, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.
Per 4284.905(a), Applicants must comply with other applicable Federal laws. Applicants who are proposing working capital grants to produce and market value-added products in the industries of wine, beer, distilled spirits or other alcoholic merchandise must comply with Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulations, including but not limited to permitting, filing of taxes and operational reports. Please visit TTB's website at https://www.ttb.gov/​index.shtml for more information. If you are not in compliance with TTB's requirements, Start Printed Page 67705the Agency may determine that you are not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. If, at any time after you have already received a VAPG award, you are found to be in noncompliance with TTB's operational reporting or tax requirements, the Agency may determine that you are not in compliance with your grant terms and conditions.
An Applicant may submit only one application in response to a solicitation and must explicitly direct that it competes in either the general funds competition or in one of the named reserved funds competitions. Multiple applications from separate entities with identical or greater than 75 percent common ownership, or from a parent, subsidiary or affiliated organization (with “affiliation” defined by Small Business Administration regulation 13 CFR 121.103, or successor regulation) are not permitted. Further, Applicants who have already received a Planning Grant for the proposed project cannot receive another Planning Grant for the same project. Applicants who have already received a Working Capital Grant for the proposed project cannot receive any additional grants for that project (Proposals from previous award recipients should be substantially different in terms of products and/or markets and should not merely be extensions of previously funded projects).
There is a matching fund (cost-sharing) requirement of at least $1 for every $1 in grant funds provided by the Agency (matching funds plus grant funds must equal proposed Total Project Cost). Matching funds may be in the form of cash or eligible in-kind contributions. Matching contributions and grant funds may be used only for eligible project purposes, including any contributions exceeding the minimum amount required. Applicant matching contributions in the form of raw commodity, time contributed to the project, or goods or services for which no out-of-pocket expenditure is made during the grant period, must be characterized as in-kind contributions. Donations of goods and service from third-parties must be characterized as in-kind contributions. Tribal applicants may utilize grants made available under Public Law 93-638, the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975, as their matching contribution, and should check with appropriate tribal authorities regarding the availability of such funding.
Matching funds must be available at time of application and must be certified and verified as described in 7 CFR 4284.931(b)(3) and (4). Do not include projected income as a matching contribution because it cannot be verified as available. Note that matching funds must also be discussed as part of the scoring criterion Commitments and Support as described in section. E.1.(c).
(a) Product eligibility. Applicants for both planning and working capital grants must meet all requirements at 7 CFR 4284.922(a), including that your value-added product must result from one of the five methodologies identified in the definition of Value-Added Agricultural Product at 7 CFR 4284.902. In addition, you must demonstrate that, as a result of the project, the customer base for the agricultural commodity or value-added product will be expanded, by including a baseline of current customers for the commodity, and an estimated target number of customers that will result from the project; and that, a greater portion of the revenue derived from the marketing or processing of the value-added product is available to the applicant producer(s) of the agricultural commodity, by including a baseline of current revenues from the sale of the agricultural commodity and an estimate of increased revenues that will result from the project. Note that working capital grants for market expansion projects per 7 CFR 4284.922(b) must demonstrate expanded customer base and increased revenue resulting only from sales of existing products to new customers. VAPG recognizes that market expansion projects may involve in marketing and promotion activities such as trade shows, farmers markets, and various media advertising which also result in increased sales to existing customers. However, market expansion award recipients must use grant and matching funds only on activities that demonstrably focus on marketing products they have produced and sold for at least two years, to new markets and/or to new customers in existing markets, such that the producer's customer base (number of customers) is expanded, per program requirements. Grant and matching funds cannot be deliberately expended on sales of existing products to existing customers.
In addition, per the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, working capital applications must include a statement describing the direct or indirect producer benefits intended to result from the proposed project within a reasonable period of time after the receipt of a grant.
(b) Purpose eligibility. Applicants for both planning and working capital grants must meet all requirements at 7 CFR 4284.922(b) regarding maximum grant amounts, verification of matching funds, eligible and ineligible uses of grant and matching funds, and a substantive, detailed work plan and budget.
(1) Planning Grants. A planning grant is used to fund development of a defined program of economic planning activities to determine the viability of a potential value-added venture, specifically for paying a qualified consultant to conduct and develop a feasibility study, business plan, and/or marketing plan associated with the processing and/or marketing of a value-added agricultural product. Planning grant funds may not be used to fund working capital activities.
(2) Working Capital Grants. This type of grant provides funds to operate a value-added project, specifically to pay the eligible project expenses directly related to the processing and/or marketing of the value-added product that are eligible uses of grant funds. Working capital funds may not be used for planning purposes.
(c) Reserved Funds Eligibility. To qualify for Reserved Funds as a Beginning, Veteran, or Socially-Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher or if you propose to develop a Mid-Tier Value Chain, you must meet the requirements found at 7 CFR 4284.923. If your application is eligible, but is not awarded under the Reserved Funds, it will automatically be considered for general funds in that same fiscal year, as funding levels permit.
Priority points will also be awarded during the scoring process to eligible Agricultural Producer Groups, Farmer Start Printed Page 67706or Rancher Cooperatives, and Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Ventures that best contribute to creating or increasing marketing opportunities for Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers, and/or Veteran Farmers or Ranchers. You must meet the eligibility requirements at 7 CFR 4284.923 and 4284.924 and must address the relevant proposal evaluation criterion.
Eligible uses of grant and matching funds are discussed, along with examples, in 7 CFR 4284.925. In general, grant and cost-share matching funds have the same use restrictions and must be used to fund only the costs for eligible purposes as defined at 7 CFR 4284.925(a) and (b).
The application toolkit, regulation, and official program notification for this funding opportunity can be obtained online at http://www.rd.usda.gov/​programs-services/​value-added-producer-grants. You may also contact your USDA Rural Development State Office by visiting http://www.rd.usda.gov/​contact-us/​state-offices. The toolkit contains an application checklist, templates, required grant forms, and instructions. Although the Agency highly recommends their use, use of the templates in the toolkit is not mandatory.
You must submit all your application documents electronically through Grants.gov.
Your application must contain all the required forms and proposal elements described in 7 CFR 4284.931, unless otherwise clarified in this Notice. You are encouraged, but not required to utilize the Application Toolkits found at http://www.rd.usda.gov/​programs-services/​value-added-producer-grants, however, you must provide all of the information requested by the template. You must become familiar with the program regulation at 7 CFR part 4284, subpart J in order to submit a successful application. Basic application contents are outlined below:
You must provide a valid producer license issued by a State, Tribe, or USDA, as applicable in accordance with 7 CFR part 990 if you are proposing to market value-added hemp products.
Proposal evaluation criteria.Start Printed Page 67707
Feasibility studies, business plans, and/or marketing plans, as applicable.
Application Deadline Date: March 10, 2020.
Explanation of Deadlines: Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by March 10, 2020. The Agency will determine whether your application is late based on the date shown on the postmark or shipping invoice. You may also hand carry your application to one of our field offices, but it must be received by close of business on the deadline date. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, the application is due the next business day. Late applications will automatically be considered ineligible and will not be evaluated further.
Electronic applications must be received at http://www.grants.gov no later than Midnight Eastern time, March 5, 2020 to be eligible for funding. Please review the Grants.gov website at http://grants.gov/​applicants/​organization_​registration.jsp for instructions on the process of registering your organization as soon as possible to ensure you are able to meet the electronic application deadline. Grants.gov will not accept applications submitted after the deadline.
(a) Use of Funds. Grant funds may be used to pay up to 50 percent of the total eligible project costs, subject to the limitations established for maximum total grant amount. Grant funds may not be used to pay any costs of the project incurred prior to the date of grant approval. Grant and matching funds may only be used for eligible purposes. (See examples of eligible and ineligible uses in 7 CFR 4284.925 and 4284.926, respectively).
(b) Grant Period (project period). Your project timeframe or grant period can be a maximum of 36 months in length from the date of award, depending on the complexity of your project. Your proposed grant period should begin no earlier than the anticipated award announcement date in this Notice and should end no later than 36 months following that date. If you receive an award, your grant period will be revised to begin on the actual date of award—the date the grant agreement is executed by the Agency—and your grant period end date will be adjusted accordingly. Your project activities should begin within 90 days of that date of award. The length of your grant period should be based on your project's complexity, as indicated in your application work plan. For example, it is expected that most planning grants can be completed within 12 months.
(d) Majority Controlled Producer-Based Business. The total amount of funds awarded to Majority Controlled Producer-Based Businesses in response to this announcement shall not exceed 10 percent of the total funds obligated for the program during the fiscal year.
(e) Reserved Funds. Ten percent of all funds available will be reserved to fund projects that benefit Beginning Farmers or Ranchers, Veteran Farmers or Ranchers or Socially- Disadvantaged Farmers or Ranchers. In addition, 10 percent of total funding available will be used to fund projects that propose development of Mid-Tier Value Chains as part of a Local or Regional Supply Chain Network. See related definitions in 7 CFR 4284.902. In addition, in accordance with Title VII, Section 750 of Public Law 115-30, 10 percent of FY 2019 funds will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties. Any funds that become available after publishing this notice that will be allocated for assistance in persistent poverty counties will be identified by the Agency at a later date, after the applicable appropriations language has been enacted.
(f) Disposition of Reserved Funds Not Obligated. For this announcement, any reserved funds that have not been obligated by September 30, 2019, will be available to the Secretary to make VAPG grants in accordance with Section 210A(i)(3)(ii) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
(a) National Environmental Policy Act.
This Notice has been reviewed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, “Environmental Policies and Procedures,” and it has been 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 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulation found at 7 CFR Start Printed Page 677081970.53(f). We have determined that this Notice does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
The Agency will review each grant application to determine its compliance with 7 CFR part 1970 and whether proposed financial assistance by the Agency would have a disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effect on minority or low-income populations. The applicant may be asked to provide additional information or documentation to assist the Agency with this determination.
(b) Civil Rights Compliance Requirements.
For each criterion, you must show how the project has merit and why it is likely to be successful. Your complete response to each criterion must be included in the body of the application, including summarizations of any feasibility studies, business and marketing plans. If you do not address all parts of the criterion, or do not sufficiently communicate relevant project information, you will receive lower scores. VAPG is a competitive program, so you will receive scores based on the quality of your responses. Simply addressing the criteria will not guarantee higher scores. The maximum number of points that can be awarded to your application is 100. For this announcement, the minimum score requirement for funding is 50 points.
For both planning and working capital grants, you must discuss the technological feasibility of the project, as well as operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic sustainability resulting from the project. You must also demonstrate the potential for expanding the customer base for the agricultural commodity or value-added product, and the expected increase in revenue returns to the producer-owners providing the majority of the raw agricultural commodity to the project. Working capital applicants must also provide the potential number of jobs that will result from the project, along with a justifiable basis for these projections. Please see the application template for more information. All applicants must reference and summarize third-party data and other information that specifically supports your value-added project; discuss the value-added process you are proposing; potential markets and distribution channels; the value to be added to the raw commodity through the value-added process; cost and availability of inputs, your experience in marketing the proposed or similar product; business financial statements; and any other relevant information that supports the viability of your project. Working capital applicants should demonstrate that these outcomes will result from the project and include supportable projections of increase in customer base, revenue returned to producers and jobs resulting from the project in order to receive up to the maximum number of points. Planning grant applicants should describe the expected results, and the reasons supporting those expectations.
(1) 0 points will be awarded if you do not address the criterion.
(2) 1-5 points will be awarded if you do not address each of the following: technological feasibility, operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic sustainability.
(3) 6-13 points will be awarded if you address technological feasibility, operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic sustainability, but do not reference third-party information that supports the success of your project.
(4) 14-22 points will be awarded if you address technological feasibility, operational efficiency, profitability, and overall economic, supported by third-party information demonstrating a reasonable likelihood of success.
(5) 23-30 points will be awarded if all criterion components are well addressed, supported by third-party information, and demonstrate a high likelihood of success.
You must identify all individuals who will be responsible for managing and completing the proposed tasks in the work plan, including the roles and activities that owners, staff, contractors, consultants or new hires may perform; and show that these individuals have the necessary qualifications and expertise, including those hired to do market or feasibility analyses, or to develop a business operations plan for the value-added venture. You must include the qualifications of those individuals responsible for leading or managing the total project (applicant owners or project managers), as well as those individuals responsible for conducting the various individual tasks in the work plan (such as consultants, contractors, staff or new hires). You must discuss the commitment and the availability of any consultants or other professionals to be hired for the project—especially those who may be consulting on multiple VAPG projects). If staff or consultants have not been selected at the time of application, you must provide specific descriptions of the qualifications required for the positions to be filled. Applications that demonstrate the strong credentials, education, capabilities, experience and availability of project personnel that will contribute to a high likelihood of project success will receive more points than those that demonstrate less potential for success in these areas.
(2) 1-4 points will be awarded if qualifications and experience of all staff is not addressed and/or if necessary, qualifications of unfilled positions are not provided.
(3) 5-9 points will be awarded if all project personnel are identified but do not demonstrate qualifications or experience relevant to the project.
(4) 10-14 will be awarded if most key personnel demonstrate strong credentials and/or experience, and availability indicating a reasonable likelihood of success.
(5) 15-20 points will be awarded if all personnel demonstrate strong, relevant credentials or experience, and availability indicating a high likelihood of project success.Start Printed Page 67709
Producer, end-user, and third-party commitments will be evaluated under this criterion. Sole proprietors can receive a maximum of 9 points. Multiple producer applications can receive a maximum of 10 points.
(1) Producer commitments to the project will be evaluated based on the number of named and documented independent producers currently involved in the project; and the nature, level and quality of their contributions.
(2) End-user commitments will be evaluated based on potential or identified markets and the potential amount of output to be purchased, as indicated by letters of intent or contracts (purchase orders) from potential buyers referenced within the application. Applications that demonstrate documented intent to purchase the value-added product will receive more points. Note: For planning grants, this criterion can be addressed by evidence of interest or support from identified or potential customers.
(3) Third-party commitments to the project will be evaluated based on the critical and tangible nature of their contribution to the project, such as technical assistance, storage, processing, marketing, or distribution arrangements that are necessary for the project to proceed; and the level and quality of these contributions. Applications that demonstrate strong technical and logistical support to successfully complete the project will receive more points.
Letters of commitment by producers, end-users, and third-parties should be summarized as part of your response to this criterion, and the letters must be included in Appendix B. Please note that VAPG does not require Congressional letters of support, nor do they carry any extra weight during the evaluation process. Also, note that because applications with cash matching contributions are awarded more points than those pledging only in-kind contributions, applicants will not be able to substitute an in-kind match for cash after awards are made.
(i) 0 points will be awarded if you do not address the criterion
(ii) Independent Producer Commitment
(A) Sole Proprietor (one owner/producer): 1 point
(B) Multiple Independent Producers (note: in cases where family members, such as husband and wife, are eligible Independent Producers, each family member will count as one Independent Producer): 2 points
(iii) Level of Commitment
(A) All matching contributions are in-kind: 1 point
(B) Matching contribution consists of both cash and in-kind: 2 points
(C) All matching contributions are cash: 4 points
(iv) End-user commitment:
(A) No or insufficiently documented commitment from end-users: 0 points
(B) Well-documented commitment from one end-user: 1 point
(C) Well-documented commitment from more than one end-user: 2 points
(v) Third-party commitment:
(A) No or insufficiently documented commitment from third-parties: 0 points
(B) Well-documented commitment from one third-party: 1 point
(C) Well-documented commitment from more than one third-party: 2 points
You must submit a comprehensive work plan and budget (for full details, see 7 CFR 4284.922(b)(5)). Your work plan must provide specific and detailed descriptions of the tasks and the key project personnel that will accomplish the project's goals. The budget must present a detailed breakdown and description of all estimated costs of project activities (including source and basis for their valuation) and allocate those costs among the listed tasks, as instructed in the application package. You must show the source and use of both grant and matching funds for all tasks. Matching funds must be spent at a rate equal to, or in advance of, grant funds. An eligible start and end date for the entire project, as well as for each individual project task must be clearly shown. The project timeframe must not exceed 36 months and should be scaled to the complexity of the project. Working capital applications must include an estimate of program income expected to be earned during the grant period (see 2 CFR 200.307).
(2) 1-7 points will be awarded if the work plan and budget do not account for all project goals, tasks, costs, timelines, and responsible personnel.
(3) 8-14 points will be awarded if you provide a clear, comprehensive work plan detailing all project goals, tasks, timelines, costs, and responsible personnel in a logical and realistic manner that demonstrates a reasonable likelihood of success.
(4) 15-20 points will be awarded if you provide a clear, comprehensive work plan detailing all project goals, tasks, timelines, costs, and responsible personnel in a logical and realistic manner that demonstrates a high likelihood of success.
(1) 5 points will be awarded if you meet the requirements for one of the following categories and provide the documentation described in 7 CFR 4284.923 and 4284.924 as applicable: Beginning Farmer or Rancher, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmer or Rancher, Veteran Farmer or Rancher, or Operator of a Small or Medium-sized Farm or Ranch that is structured as a Family Farm, Farmer or Rancher Cooperative, or are proposing a Mid-Tier Value Chain project.
(2) Up to 5 priority points will be awarded if you are an Agricultural Producer Group, Farmer or Rancher Cooperative, or Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Venture (referred to below as “applicant group”) whose project “best contributes to creating or increasing marketing opportunities” for Operators of Small- and Medium-sized Farms and Ranches that are structured as Family Farms, Beginning Farmers and Ranchers, Socially-Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers (referred to below as “priority groups”). For each of the priority point levels below, applications must demonstrate how the proposed project will contribute to new or increased marketing opportunities for respective priority groups. Guidance on relevant information required to adequately demonstrate this requirement can be found in program application package.
(i) 2 priority points will be awarded if the existing membership of the applicant group is comprised of either more than 50 percent of any one of the four priority groups or more than 50 percent of any combination of the four priority groups.
(ii) 1 priority point will be awarded if the existing membership of the applicant group is comprised of two or more of the priority groups. One point is awarded regardless of whether a group's membership is comprised of two, three, or all four of the priority groups.
(iii) 2 priority points will be awarded if the applicant's proposed project will increase the number of priority groups that comprise applicant membership by one or more priority groups. However, Start Printed Page 67710if an applicant group's membership is already comprised of all four priority groups, such an applicant would not be eligible for points under this criterion because there is no opportunity to increase the number of priority groups. Note also that this criterion does not consider either the percentage of the existing membership that is comprised of the four priority groups or the number of priority groups currently comprising the applicant group's membership.
(f) Administrator Priority Categories (graduated score 0-10 points).
The Administrator of the Agency may choose to award up to 10 points to an application to improve the geographic diversity of awardees and/or foster persistent poverty counties and/or help reduce unemployment through job creation in a fiscal year. To ensure that funds are more broadly utilized in support of recommendations made in the Rural Prosperity Task Force report to help improve life in rural America, the Administrator may also choose to award points to eligible applicants who have never previously been awarded a VAPG grant. Eligible applicants who have never previously received VAPG funds and who want to be considered for discretionary points must specifically request consideration for these points and certify that neither the applicant entity or any of its owner or members have ever received a VAPG grant. To be considered for these points, you must discuss how your workplan and budget supports one or more of the five following key strategies:
If your application is eligible and complete, it will be qualitatively scored by at least two reviewers based on criteria specified in section E.1. of this Notice. One of these reviewers will be an experienced RD employee from your servicing State Office and at least one additional reviewer will be a non-Federal, independent reviewer, who must meet the following qualifications. Independent reviewers must have at least a bachelor's degree in one or more of the following fields: Agri-business, agricultural economics, agriculture, animal science, business, marketing, economics or finance; and a minimum of 8 years of experience in an agriculture-related field (e.g. farming, marketing, consulting, or research; or as university faculty, trade association official or non-Federal government official in an agriculturally-related field). Each reviewer will score evaluation criteria (a) through (d) and the totals for each reviewer will be added together and averaged. The RD State Office reviewer will also assign priority points based on criterion (e) in section E.1. of this Notice. These will be added to the average score. The sum of these scores will be ranked highest to lowest and this will comprise the initial ranking.
(a) A SF-425, “Federal Financial Report,” and a project performance report will be required on a semiannual Start Printed Page 67711basis (due 30 working days after end of the semiannual period). For the purposes of this grant, semiannual periods end on March 31st and September 30th. The project performance reports shall include the elements prescribed in the grant agreement.
(b) A minimum of 8 years of experience in an agriculture-related field (e.g. farming, marketing, consulting, or research; or as university faculty, trade association official or non-Federal government official in an agriculturally-related field).
Individuals selected as non-Federal independent grant reviewers will be required to certify that they do not have a conflict of interest or an appearance thereof with any VAPG application they are assigned to review. This may include but is not limited to certification that they did not apply for a VAPG grant and are not affiliated with persons or organizations applying for VAPG funds.
(a) Reviewers must have reliable internet access using Internet Explorer and be able to reliably both access applications and submit scores electronically, and
To apply, please send a resume addressing relevant qualifications and experience to CPGrants@wdc.usda.gov by February 10, 2020.
If you have questions about this Notice, please contact the State Office as identified in the ADDRESSES section of this Notice. You are also encouraged to visit the application website for application tools, including an application guide and templates. The website address is: http://www.rd.usda.gov/​programs-services/​value-added-producer-grants. You may also contact National Office staff at CPGrants@wdc.usda.gov or call the main line at 202-720-1400.
[FR Doc. 2019-26626 Filed 12-10-19; 8:45 am]