[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27716-27718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13310]


      
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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 1997 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Fiscal Year 1997 Funding Opportunity for Cooperative Services

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the 
availability of $1,700,000 that was allocated from the Fund for Rural 
America for Fiscal Year 1997 to the Cooperative Services program, which 
is administered by RBS. RBS hereby requests proposals from Federal, 
State, or local agencies or other units of government, institutions of 
higher education, or nonprofit development organizations interested in 
applying for competitively awarded cooperative agreements pursuant to 
section 607(b) of the Rural Development Act of 1972. The intent of the 
program is to assist small and emerging cooperatives.

DATES: Comments regarding the information collection requirements under 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 must be received on or before July 
21, 1997 to be assured of consideration. Completed proposals must be 
received no later than July 31, 1997. Proposals received after July 31, 
1997, will not be considered for funding.

ADDRESSES: Send Proposals and other required materials to Dr. Randall 
E. Torgerson, Deputy Administrator for Cooperative Services, Rural 
Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 3250, Rm 4016-S, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John H. Wells, Director, 
Cooperative Development Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, 
USDA, Stop 3254, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-
3254. Telephone: (202) 720-3350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General Information

    The Fund for Rural America (The Fund), authorized under section 793 
of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (1996 
Act) (7 U.S.C. 2204(f)), is established as an account in the Treasury 
of the United States, to provide funds for rural development programs 
and a competitive grant program to support research, education, and 
extension activities. The Fund will provide $100 million in each of 
fiscal years 1997, 1998, 1999 for rural development programs and a 
competitive grant program for research, education, and extension 
activities. Between one-third and two-thirds will be available for the 
Department's rural development programs, and the remainder will be 
allocated for research, education and extension activities. This notice 
pertains to $1,700,000 designated for Cooperative Services as part of 
the Rural Development programs. Rural Business-Cooperative Service will 
administer the program through the use of cooperative agreements. The 
program is a matching fund program designed to stimulate value-added 
product development by agricultural cooperative organizations located 
in rural communities. Cooperative Agreements are to be awarded on the 
basis of merit, quality, and relevance to advancing the purposes of 
federally supported rural development programs which increase economic 
opportunities in farming and rural communities through expanding 
locally-owned, value-added processing and product development. To 
obtain program materials, please contact the Cooperative Services 
Program; USDA/RBS at (202) 720-3350. When calling the Cooperative 
Services, please indicate you are requesting background information on 
Cooperative Value-Added Program (CVAP). These materials may also be 
requested via Internet by sending a message with your name, mailing 
address (not e-mail) and phone number to [email protected] which 
requests a copy of the materials for Fiscal Year 1997 Cooperative 
Value-Added Program. The materials will be mailed to you (not e-mailed) 
as quickly as possible.

Eligible Applicants

    Federal, State, or local agencies or other units of government, 
non-profit development organizations, or institutions of higher 
education are eligible to apply. Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 
1995, an organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)) which engages in lobbying 
activities, is not eligible to apply.

Use of Funds

    Funds may be used to pay up to 75 percent of the costs for carrying 
out relevant projects. Applicant's contribution may be in cash or in-
kind contribution and must be from nonfederal funds. Use of funds 
should directly benefit proposed or existing cooperative marketing 
organizations by focusing on, but not limited to, technical assistance 
in development of market feasibility analysis or market identification 
opportunities for value-added products.
    Funds may not be used to: (a) Pay more than 75 percent of relevant 
project or administrative costs; (b) pay costs of preparing the 
application package; ( c) fund political activities; or (d) pay costs 
incurred prior to the effective date of the cooperative agreement.

Funding Availability

    $1.7 million in first year funding will be available for Fiscal 
Year 1997. The actual number of cooperative agreements funded will 
depend on the quality of proposals received and the amount of funding 
requested. Out year funding beyond the first year is contingent on the 
approval of future appropriations and satisfactory project performance.

Selection Criteria

    RBS will initially determine whether the organization is eligible 
and whether the application contains the information required in the 
applications materials. After this initial screening, RBS will use the 
following criteria to rate and rank proposals received in response to 
this notice of funding availability. The criteria and maximum points 
for each criteria are provided below. The maximum number of points is 
100. Zero points on any criteria will disqualify the proposal. Each 
proposal will be judged

[[Page 27717]]

on its own merits using the following criteria:
    1. Focuses on an agricultural value-added activity (maximum 25 
points);
    2. Identifies the beneficiary cooperatives or producer groups and 
their level of benefit (maximum 20 points);
    3. Shows capacity for an immediate positive economic impact 
(maximum 15 points);
    4. Documents the need for the project (maximum 10 points);
    5. Outlines an adequate approach to obtaining a practical solution 
(maximum 10 points);
    6. Demonstrates cost effectiveness of the project (maximum 10 
points);
    7. Identifies qualified resources and personnel (maximum 10 
points); and

Selection Process

    Applications for funding will be evaluated competitively and points 
will be awarded as specified in the Evaluation Criteria section 
described above. After assigning points based upon the criteria, all 
applications will be listed in rank order. Applications will then be 
funded in rank order until all available funds have been expended. RBS 
reserves the right to make selections out of rank order to provide for 
a geographic distribution of funded projects.

Proposal Preparation

    All proposals are to be submitted on standard 8\1/2\'' x 11'' paper 
with typing on one side of the page only. In addition, margins must be 
at least 1'', type must be 12 characters per inch (12 pitch or 10 
point) or larger, no more than 6 lines per inch, and there should be no 
page reductions. If applicable, proposals should include original 
illustrations (photographs, color prints, etc.) in all copies to 
prevent loss of meaning through poor quality reproduction.

Content of a Proposal

    A proposal should contain the following:
    1. Form SF-424 ``Application for Federal Assistance.''
    2. Form SF-424A ``Budget Information-Non Construction Programs.''
    3. Form SF-424B ``Assurances-Non Construction Programs.''
    4. Table of Contents: For ease of locating information, each 
proposal must contain a detailed Table of Contents immediately 
following the required forms. The Table of Contents should include page 
numbers for each component of the proposal. Pagination should begin 
immediately following the Table of Contents.
    5. Project Summary: The proposal must contain a project summary of 
250 words or less on a separate page. This page must include the title 
of the project and the names of the primary project contacts and the 
applicant organization, followed by the summary. The summary should be 
self-contained and should describe the overall goals and relevance of 
the project. The summary should also contain a listing of all 
organizations involved in the project. The Project Summary should 
immediately follow the Table of Contents..
    6. Project Narrative: The narrative portion of the Project Proposal 
is limited to 20 pages of text and should contain the following:
    a. Introduction. A clear statement of the goals and objectives of 
the project. The problem should be set in context of the present-day 
situation. Summarize the body of knowledge which substantiates the need 
for the proposed project.
    b. Rationale and Significance. Substantiate the need for the 
proposed project. Describe the impact of the project on the end user. 
Describe the project's specific relationship to the expansion of 
locally-owned valued-added processing and to the problem addressed.
    c. Objectives and Approach. Discuss the specific objectives to be 
accomplished under the project. A detailed description of the approach 
must include: (1) Techniques or procedures used to carry out the 
proposed activities and for accomplishing the objectives;
    (2) The results expected.
    d. Time Table. Tentative schedule for conducting the major steps of 
the project.
    e. Evaluation. Provide a plan for assessing and evaluating the 
accomplishments of the stated objectives during the project and 
describe ways to determine the effectiveness (impact) of the end 
results upon conclusion of the project. Awardees will be required to 
submit written project performance reports on a quarterly basis.
    f. Coordination and Management Plan. Describe how the project will 
be coordinated among various participants and the nature of the 
collaborations. Describe plans for management of the project to ensure 
its proper and efficient administration.

What To Submit

    An original and 1 copy must be submitted. Each copy must be stapled 
in the upper left-hand corner. (DO NOT BIND). All copies of the 
proposal must be submitted in one package.

When and Where To Submit

    Proposals must be received by close of business on July 31, 1997. 
Proposals must be sent to the following address: Dr. Randall E. 
Torgerson, Deputy Administrator for Cooperative Services, Rural 
Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 3250, Rm 4016-S, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3250.

Other Federal Statutes and Regulations That Apply

    Several other Federal statutes and regulations apply to proposals 
considered for review and to cooperative agreements awarded under this 
program. These include but are not limited to:
    7 CFR part 1.1--USDA implementation of the Freedom of Information 
Act.
    7 CFR part 15, subpart A--USDA implementation of Title VI of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
    7 CFR part 3015--USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations.
    7 CFR part 3016--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant 
Agreements and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.
    7 CFR part 3019--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant 
Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other 
Nonprofit Organizations.
    7 CFR part 3051--Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and 
Other Nonprofit Institutions.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Agency 
announces its intention to seek Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approval of new reporting and record keeping requirements. These 
requirements have been approved by emergency clearance by OMB under OMB 
Control Number 0570-0019.
    Section 793 of the 1996 Act established The Fund to provide funds 
for rural development programs and a competitive grant program to 
support research, education, and extension activities. The Fund will 
provide $100 million in each of fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 1999 for 
these purposes. Between one-third and two-thirds will be available for 
the United States Department of Agriculture's rural development 
programs, and one-third will be allocated for research, education, and 
extension activities.
    The Secretary has allocated $1.7 million to the Rural Business-
Cooperative Service's (RBS) Cooperative

[[Page 27718]]

Services Program for the funding of programs that will encourage value-
added activities to enhance the economic sustainability of rural 
communities. Use of the funds should directly benefit proposed or 
existing cooperative marketing organizations by focusing on, but not 
limited to, technical assistance in the development of market 
feasibility analyses or market identification opportunities for value-
added products. A cooperative is a user-owned and controlled business 
from which the benefits are derived and distributed equitably on the 
basis of use. Value-added activities refer to operations in which raw 
products are processed or otherwise modified and then marketed to 
provide a greater return to the cooperative members than if the product 
had been marketed in its raw state.
    The funds will be awarded on a competitive basis using specific 
selection criteria. Funding priority will be given to those applicants 
whose projects demonstrate the ability to produce immediate results and 
which contribute the most to the economic conditions of rural areas.

Public Burden in this Notice

    At this time, the Agency is requesting OMB clearance of the 
following burden:

Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance''

    This form is used by applicants as a required face sheet for 
applications for Federal assistance.

Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information-Non Construction Programs''

    This form must be completed by applicants to show the project's 
budget breakdown, both as to expense categories and the division 
between Federal and non-Federal sources.

Form SF-424B, ``Assurances-Non Construction Programs''

    This form must be completed by the applicant to give the Federal 
government certain assurances that the applicant has the legal 
authority to apply for Federal assistance and the financial capability 
to pay the non-Federal share of project costs. The applicant also gives 
assurance it will comply with various legal and regulatory requirements 
as described in the form.

Project Proposal

    The applicant must submit a project proposal containing the 
elements described in the notice and in the format prescribed. The 
elements of the proposal are: (1) Table of Contents providing page 
numbers for each component of the proposal; (2) A Project Summary of no 
more than 250 words on a separate page that includes the title of the 
project, primary contacts, a description of the goals and relevance of 
the project, and other organizations involved in the project; (3) A 
Project Narrative of no more than 20 pages of text that discusses the 
rationale and significance of the project, its objectives and the 
approach to be used, a time table for the major steps, how the 
project's accomplishments will be evaluated, and how the project will 
be coordinated among various participants.

Reporting Requirements

    Awardees will be required to submit written project performance 
reports on a quarterly basis. The project performance report shall 
include, but need not be limited to: (1) A comparison of actual 
accomplishments to the objectives; (2) Reasons why established 
objectives were not met; (3) Problems, delays, or adverse conditions 
which will materially affect attainment of planned project objectives; 
(4) Objectives established for the next reporting period; and (5) 
Status of compliance with any special conditions on the use of awarded 
funds.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated to range from 15 minutes to 16 hours per response.
    Respondents: Federal Government; State, Local, or Tribal 
Government; and not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1578 hours.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 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 the burden to 
collect the required information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (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.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized, included in the 
request for OMB approval, and will become a matter of public record. 
Comments should be submitted to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and 
Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503, and to Sam Spencer, Regulations and 
Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural 
Housing Service, Stop 0743, Rm. 6345-S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, D.C. 20250-0743. A comment to OMB is best assured of having 
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of 
this Notice.

    Dated: May 14, 1997.
Dayton J. Watkins,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 97-13310 Filed 5-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-O