[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 69 (Tuesday, April 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18588-18592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-8768]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Utilities Service


Inviting Preapplications for Rural Cooperative Development Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the 
availability of approximately $4.5 million in competing Rural 
Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) funds for fiscal year (FY) 2001. 
Of this amount, $1.5 million will be reserved for preapplications which 
focus on assistance to small, minority producers whose governing board 
or membership is comprised of at least 75 percent minorities through 
their cooperative businesses. This action will comply with legislation 
which authorizes grants for establishing and operating centers for 
rural cooperative development. The intended effect of this notice is to 
solicit preapplications for FY 2001 and award grants before September 
1, 2001.

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DATES: The deadline for receipt of a preapplication is May 24, 2001. 
Preapplications received after that date will not be considered. 
Preapplications should be sent to the Rural Development State offices. 
State offices will forward the preapplications to the National office 
by June 7, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact 
their USDA Rural Development State office to receive further 
information and copies of the preapplication package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James E. Haskell, Assistant Deputy 
Administrator, Cooperative Services, Rural Business-Cooperative 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 3250, Room 4016, South 
Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20250-3250. Telephone (202) 720-8460.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
information collection requirements continued in this regulation were 
previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and 
were assigned OMB control number 0570-0006.

General Information

    Rural Cooperative Development Grants (RCDG) are authorized by 
section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 
U.S.C.1932). Regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F. 
The primary objective of the RCDG program is to improve the economic 
condition of rural areas through cooperative development. The program 
is administered through USDA Rural Development State offices acting on 
behalf of RBS.
    Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to nonprofit 
corporations and institutions of higher education based on specific 
selection criteria. The priorities described in this paragraph will be 
used by RBS to rate preapplications. RBS review of preapplications will 
include the complete preapplication package submitted to the Rural 
Development State office. Points will be distributed according to 
ranking compared with other preapplications on hand. Points will be 
awarded to each factor on a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis depending on the 
applicant's ranking compared to other applicants. Each factor will 
receive equal weight. Preference will be given to applications that:
    1. Demonstrate a proven track record in administering a nationally 
coordinated, regionally or Statewide operated project;
    2. Demonstrate previous expertise in providing technical assistance 
to cooperatives in rural areas;
    3. Demonstrate the ability to assist in the retention of 
businesses, facilitate the establishment of cooperatives and new 
cooperative approaches, and generate employment opportunities that will 
improve the economic conditions of rural areas;
    4. Demonstrate the ability to create horizontal linkages among 
cooperative businesses within and among various sectors in rural areas 
of the United States and vertical linkages to domestic and 
international markets;
    5. Commit to providing technical assistance and other services to 
underserved and economically distressed rural areas of the United 
States;
    6. Commit to providing greater than a 25 percent matching 
contribution, with private funds and in-kind contributions;
    7. Demonstrate transferability or demonstration value to assist 
rural areas outside of project area; and
    8. Demonstrate that any cooperative development activity is 
consistent with positive environmental stewardship.

Fiscal Year 2001 Preapplication Submission

    Preapplications must include a clear statement of the goals and 
objectives of the project and a plan which describes the proposed 
project as required by the statute and 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F. Each 
preapplication received in the Rural Development State office will be 
reviewed to determine if the preapplication is consistent with the 
eligible purposes outlined in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F. 
Preapplications without supportive data to address selection criteria 
will not be considered.
    Since the cooperative center concept is to provide technical 
assistance services, including feasibility analysis, preapplications 
that do not propose development or continuation of the cooperative 
center concept will not be considered. Also, preapplications that focus 
on assistance to only one cooperative within the project area will not 
be considered. To enhance the long-term viability of cooperative 
development centers, strengthening of technical assistance capacity 
within new and existing centers is strongly encouraged.
    Copies of 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F, will be provided to any 
interested applicant by making a request to the Rural Development State 
office or RBS National office.
    Preapplications must be completed and submitted to the Rural 
Development State office as soon as possible, but no later than May 24, 
2001. Preapplications received after May 24 will not be considered.
    For ease of locating information, each preapplication should 
contain the following:
    1. A detailed Table of Contents containing page numbers for each 
component of the preapplication.
    2. 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 describe the overall 
goals, relevance of the project, and a listing of all organizations 
involved in the project. The project summary should immediately follow 
the Table of Contents.
    3. A separate one-page information sheet which lists each of the 
eight evaluation criteria followed by the page numbers of all relevant 
material and documentation contained in the preapplication which 
supports that criteria. This page should immediately follow the project 
summary.
    4. An additional requirement for those applicants who have received 
funding under the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program in fiscal 
years 1997 through 2000 is a summation, not to exceed three pages, of 
progress and results for all projects funded fully or partially by the 
RCDG program in those years. This summary should include the status of 
cooperative businesses organized and all eligible grant purpose 
activities listed under 7 CFR, Sec. 4284.515. The summary should 
immediately follow the page described above in (3) documenting the 
location of evaluation criteria supporting material.
    Preapplications requesting Federal funds in excess of $300,000 will 
not be considered.
    The National office will score preapplications based on the grant 
selection criteria contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F, and will 
select awardees subject to the availability of funds and the awardees's 
satisfactory submission of a formal application and related materials 
in accordance with subpart F. Entities submitting preapplications that 
are selected for awards will be invited by the Rural Development State 
office to submit a formal application prior to September 1. It is 
anticipated that grant awardees will be selected by September 1, 2001.
    In the event that the applicant is awarded a grant that is less 
than the amount requested, the applicant will be

[[Page 18590]]

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 de-obligate the award, if acceptable modifications are not 
submitted by the awardees within 15 working days from the date the 
application is returned to the applicant. Any modifications must be 
within the scope of the original application.
    All applicants and grants must be in compliance with the 
requirements of 7 CFR parts 3015 and 3019.

    Dated: April 2, 2001.
William F. Hagy, III,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
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[FR Doc. 01-8768 Filed 4-9-01; 8:45 am]
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