[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 27 (Friday, February 8, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7514-7520]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2327]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Announcement of Small, Minority Producer Grant Program 
Application Deadlines

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of applications.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service announces the 
availability of approximately $1.463 million in competitive grant funds 
for fiscal year (FY) 2008 for cooperatives and associations of 
cooperatives to assist small, minority agricultural producers. USDA 
Rural Development Cooperative Programs hereby requests proposals from 
eligible cooperatives and associations of cooperatives for a 
competitively awarded grant to fund technical assistance to small, 
minority agricultural producers in rural areas. The maximum award per 
grant is $175,000.

DATES: Applications for grants must be submitted on paper or 
electronically according to the following deadlines:
    Paper copies must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent 
overnight no later than April 8, 2008, to be eligible for FY 2008 grant 
funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2008 grant funding.
    Electronic copies must be received by April 8, 2008, to be eligible 
for FY 2008 grant funding. Late applications will not be eligible for 
FY 2008 grant funding.

ADDRESSES: Application materials for the Small, Minority Producers 
Grant Program (SMPG) may be obtained at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm or by contacting the applicant's USDA Rural 
Development State Office at (202) 720-4323 and pressing ``1''.
    Submit electronic grant applications at http://www.grants.gov, 
following the instructions found on this Web site. Submit completed 
paper applications for a grant to the applicant's State Office as 
follows:
    A list of Rural Development State Offices follows:

Alabama

USDA Rural Development, Sterling Centre, Suite 601, 4121 Carmichael 
Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3623.

Alaska

USDA Rural Development, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, Palmer, AK 
99645-6539, (907) 761-7722.

Arizona

USDA Rural Development, 230 North First Avenue, Suite 206, Phoenix, 
AZ 85003-1706, (602) 280-8717.

Arkansas

USDA Rural Development, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room 3416, Little 
Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3280.

California

USDA Rural Development, 430 G Street, AGCY 4169, Davis, CA 95616, 
(530) 792-5829.

Colorado

USDA Rural Development, 655 Parfet Street, Room E-100, Lakewood, CO 
80215, (720) 544-2903.

Delaware/Maryland

USDA Rural Development, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite 200, Dover, 
DE 19904, (302) 857-3580.

Florida/Virgin Islands

USDA Rural Development, 4440 NW. 25th Place, Gainesville, FL 32606, 
(352) 338-3482.

Georgia

USDA Rural Development, 111 East Spring St., Monroe, GA 30655, (770) 
267-1413, Ext. 113.

Hawaii

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Room 311, 154 Waianuenue 
Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933-8313.

Idaho

USDA Rural Development, 9173 West Barnes Drive, Suite A1, Boise, ID 
83709, (208) 378-5623.

Illinois

USDA Rural Development, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A, Champaign, IL 
61821, (217) 403-6202.

Indiana

USDA Rural Development, 5975 Lakeside Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46278, 
(317) 290-3100.

[[Page 7515]]

Iowa

USDA Rural Development, 873 Federal Building, 210 Walnut Street, Des 
Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4714.

Kansas

USDA Rural Development, 1303 SW First American Place, Suite 100, 
Topeka, KS 66604-4040, (785) 271-2744.

Kentucky

USDA Rural Development, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, Lexington, 
KY 40503, (859) 224-7435.

Louisiana

USDA Rural Development, 3727 Government St., Alexandria, LA 71302, 
(318) 473-7960.

Maine

USDA Rural Development, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, P.O. Box 405, 
Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9168.

Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut

USDA Rural Development, 451 West Street, Suite 2, Amherst, MA 01002-
2999, (413) 253-4319.

Michigan

USDA Rural Development, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, East Lansing, 
MI 48823, (517) 324-5157.

Minnesota

USDA Rural Development, 375 Jackson St., Suite 410, St. Paul, MN 
55101, (651) 602-7814.

Mississippi

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 West 
Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-5457.

Missouri

USDA Rural Development, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Center, 
Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-9320.

Montana

USDA Rural Development, 900 Technology Blvd., Suite B, P.O. Box 850, 
Bozeman, MT 59771, (406) 585-2540.

Nebraska

USDA Rural Development, 100 Centennial Mall North, Room 152 Federal 
Building, Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5554.

Nevada

USDA Rural Development, 1390 S. Curry St., Carson City, NV 89703, 
(775) 887-1222, Ext. 19.

New Jersey

USDA Rural Development, 8000 Midlantic Drive, Suite 500N, Mt. 
Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787-7753.

New Mexico

USDA Rural Development, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE, Room 255, 
Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-4952.

New York

USDA Rural Development, 441 S. Salina St., Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 
13202, (315) 477-6400.

North Carolina

USDA Rural Development, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, Raleigh, NC 
27609, (919) 873-2040.

North Dakota

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 East Rosser 
Avenue, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737, (701) 530-2065.

Ohio

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 North High 
Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2418, (614) 255-2425.

Oklahoma

USDA Rural Development, 100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, OK 74074-
2654, (405) 742-1036.

Oregon

USDA Rural Development, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, Portland, OR 
97232-1274, (503) 414-3366.

Pennsylvania

USDA Rural Development, One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, 
Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2182.

Puerto Rico

USDA Rural Development, IBM Building, 654 Munoz Rivera Avenue, Suite 
601, Hato Rey, PR 00918-6106, (787) 766-5091, Ext. 251.

South Carolina

USDA Rural Development, Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 1835 
Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 765-5881.

South Dakota

USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Room 210, 200 4th Street, 
SW, Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1142.

Tennessee

USDA Rural Development, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300, Nashville, 
TN 37203-1084, (615) 783-1341.

Texas

USDA Rural Development, 101 South Main Street, Suite 102, Temple, TX 
76501, (254) 742-9780.

Utah

USDA Rural Development, Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 
South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, (801) 524-
4328.

Vermont/New Hampshire

USDA Rural Development, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main Street, 
Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6069.

Virginia

USDA Rural Development, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 238, Richmond, 
VA 23229, (804) 287-1594.

Washington

USDA Rural Development, 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW., Suite B, Olympia, 
WA 98512, (360) 704-7729.

West Virginia

USDA Rural Development, 75 High Street, Room 320, Morgantown, WV 
26505-7500, (304) 252-8644, Ext. 146.

Wisconsin

USDA Rural Development, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens Point, WI 
54481, (715) 345-7610.

Wyoming

USDA Rural Development, Dick Cheney Federal Building, 100 East B 
Street, Room 1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602-5006, (307) 233-
6700.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Visit the program Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm for application assistance 
or contact a USDA Rural Development State Office. Applicants are 
strongly encouraged to contact their State Offices well in advance of 
the deadline to discuss their projects and ask any questions about the 
application process.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview

    Federal Agency: USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Small, Minority Producer Grant.
    Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.771.

DATES: Application Deadline: Completed applications for grants may be 
submitted on paper or electronically according to the following 
deadlines:
    Paper copies must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent 
overnight no later than April 8, 2008, to be eligible for FY 2008 grant 
funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2008 grant funding.
    Complete electronic copies must be received by April 8, 2008, to be 
eligible for FY 2008 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible 
for FY 2008 grant funding.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This notice is issued pursuant to the Agriculture, Rural 
Development, Food and Drug and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 2008 
that authorizes not to exceed $1.463 million for cooperatives or 
associations of cooperatives whose primary focus is to provide 
assistance to small, minority producers and whose governing board and/
or membership is comprised of at least 75 percent minority. The 
Secretary of Agriculture has delegated the

[[Page 7516]]

program's administration to USDA Rural Development Cooperative 
Programs.
    The primary objective of this grant program is to provide technical 
assistance to small, minority agricultural producers through eligible 
minority cooperatives and minority associations of cooperatives. Grants 
are awarded on a competitive basis. The maximum award amount per grant 
is $175,000.

Definitions

    Agency--Rural Business-Cooperative Service, an agency of the United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development or a 
successor agency.
    Agricultural Commodity--An unprocessed product of farms, ranches, 
nurseries, and forests. Agricultural commodities include: livestock, 
poultry, and fish; fruits and vegetables; grains, such as wheat, 
barley, oats, rye, triticale, rice, corn, and sorghum; legumes, such as 
field beans and peas; animal feed and forage crops; seed crops; fiber 
crops, such as cotton; oil crops, such as safflower, sunflower, corn, 
and cottonseed; trees grown for lumber and wood products; nursery stock 
grown commercially; Christmas trees; ornamentals and cut flowers; and 
turf grown commercially for sod. Agricultural commodities do not 
include horses or animals raised as pets, such as cats, dogs, and 
ferrets.
    Cooperative Programs--The office within USDA Rural Development, and 
its successor organization, that administers programs authorized by the 
Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926 (7 U.S.C. 451, et seq.) and such 
other programs identified in USDA regulations.
    Economic Development--The economic growth of an area as evidenced 
by increase in total income, employment opportunities, decreased out-
migration of population, value of production, increased diversification 
of industry, higher labor force participation rates, increased duration 
of employment, higher wage levels, or gains in other measurements of 
economic activity, such as land values.
    Feasibility Study--An analysis of the economic, market, technical, 
financial, and management feasibility of a proposed Project.
    Minority--Individuals who have been subjected to racial, ethnic, 
gender prejudice or cultural bias within American society because of 
their identities as members of groups and without regard to their 
individual qualities. Minority groups are Women, African Americans, 
American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific 
Islanders.
    Minority Association of Cooperatives--An association of 
cooperatives whose primary focus is to provide assistance to small, 
minority agricultural producers and where the governing board and/or 
membership is comprised of at least 75 percent minority.
    Minority Cooperative--A farmer- or rancher-owned and -controlled 
business, organized and chartered as a cooperative, from which benefits 
are derived and distributed equitably on the basis of use by each of 
the farmer or rancher owners whose primary focus is to provide 
assistance to small, minority agricultural producers and where the 
governing board and/or membership is comprised of at least 75 percent 
minority.
    Operating Cost--The day-to-day expenses of running a business; for 
example: utilities, rent, salaries, depreciation, product production 
costs, marketing and advertising, and other basic overhead items.
    Project--Includes all activities to be funded by the Small Minority 
Agricultural Producer Grant and any matching funds.
    Small, Minority Agricultural Producer--Minority persons or 100 
percent minority-owned entities, including farmers, ranchers, loggers, 
agricultural harvesters, and fishermen, with gross annual sales of not 
more than $250,000 that engage in the production or harvesting of an 
agricultural commodity.
    Rural and Rural Area--Includes all of the territory of a State that 
is not within the outer boundary of any city or town having a 
population of 50,000 or more and the urbanized area contiguous and 
adjacent to such city or town, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of the 
Census using the latest decennial census of the United States.
    Rural Development--A mission area within USDA consisting of the 
Office of Under Secretary for Rural Development, Rural Development 
Business and Cooperative Programs, Rural Development Housing Programs, 
and Rural Development Utilities Programs and their successors.
    State--Includes each of the several States, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam, American 
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and, as may be 
determined by the Secretary to be feasible, appropriate and lawful, the 
Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands 
and the Republic of Palau.
    Technical Assistance--An advisory service performed for the benefit 
of a small, minority agricultural producer such as market research; 
product and/or service improvement; legal advice and assistance; 
feasibility study, business plan, and marketing plan development; and 
training. Technical assistance does not include the operating costs of 
a cooperative being assisted.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2008.
    Approximate Total Funding: $1.463 million.
    Approximate Number of Awards: 8.
    Approximate Average Award: $175,000.
    Floor of Award Range: None.
    Ceiling of Award Range: $175,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 1, 2008.
    Budget Period Length: 12 months.
    Project Period Length: 12 months.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    Applicants must be a minority cooperative or a minority association 
of cooperatives as defined in this Notice, and must be able to verify 
their legal structure as a cooperative in the State in which they are 
incorporated. Individuals are not eligible for this program.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    No matching funds are required.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Use of Funds: Funds may only be used for technical assistance 
projects as defined in this notice.
    Project Area Eligibility: The Project proposed must take place in a 
rural area.
    Grant Period Eligibility: If awarded, funds must be expended in 1 
year. Applications must have a time frame of no more than 365 days with 
the time period beginning no earlier than October 1, 2008 and ending no 
later than December 31, 2009. Projects must be completed within the 1-
year time frame. The Agency will not approve requests to extend the 
grant period. Applications that request funds for a time period ending 
after December 31, 2009, will not be considered for funding.
    Completeness Eligibility: Applications lacking sufficient 
information to determine eligibility and scoring will be considered 
ineligible. Applications that are non-responsive to this notice will be 
considered ineligible.
    Multiple Grant Eligibility: An applicant may not submit more than 
one

[[Page 7517]]

grant application in any one funding cycle.
    Activity Eligibility: Applications must propose technical 
assistance, as defined in this notice, to benefit their members or 
other small minority agricultural producers who are not members, in 
order to be considered for funding. Applications having ineligible 
costs equaling more than 10 percent of total project costs will be 
determined ineligible and will not be considered for funding. 
Applications having ineligible costs of 10 percent or less of total 
project costs and which are selected for funding, must remove all 
ineligible costs from the budget and replace them with eligible 
activities or the amount of the grant award will be reduced 
accordingly. Applicants may not submit applications that duplicate 
current activities or activities paid for by other federally funded 
grant programs.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address to Request Application Package

    The application package for applying on paper for this funding 
opportunity can be obtained at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm. Alternatively, applicants may contact their USDA Rural 
Development State Office using the above list. For electronic 
applications, applicants must visit http://www.grants.gov and follow 
the instructions.

B. Content and Form of Submission

    Applications must be submitted on paper or electronically. An 
application guide may be viewed at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm. It is recommended that applicants use the template 
provided on the Web site. The template can be filled out electronically 
and printed out for submission with the required forms for paper 
submission or it can be filled out electronically and submitted as an 
attachment through http://www.grants.gov.
    If the application is submitted electronically, the applicant must 
follow the instructions given at the Internet address: http://www.grants.gov. Applicants are advised to visit the site well in 
advance of the application deadline if they plan to apply 
electronically to ensure that they have obtained the proper 
authentication and have sufficient computer resources to complete the 
application.
    Applicants must complete and submit the following elements. The 
Agency will screen all applications for eligibility and to determine 
whether the application is complete and sufficiently responsive to the 
requirements set forth in this notice to allow for an informed review. 
Information submitted as part of the application will be protected to 
the extent permitted by law.
    1. Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.'' The form 
must be completed, signed and submitted as part of the application 
package.
    Please note that applicants are required to have a Dun and 
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. The DUNS 
number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies 
business entities. There is no charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access 
http://www.dnb.com/us/ or call 866-705-5711. For more information, see 
the SMPG Web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm 
or by contacting the applicant's USDA Rural Development State Office. 
In addition to the DUNS number, an applicant must provide a legal 
Employment Identification Number.
    2. Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs.'' 
This form must be completed and submitted as part of the application 
package.
    3. Form SF-424B, ``Assurances--Non-Construction Programs.'' This 
form must be completed, signed, and submitted as part of the 
application package.
    4. Table of Contents. For ease of locating information, each 
application must contain a detailed Table of Contents (TOC) immediately 
following the SF-424B. The TOC must include page numbers for each 
component of the application. Pagination should begin immediately 
following the TOC.
    5. Executive Summary: A summary of the proposal, not to exceed one 
page, must briefly describe the project, tasks to be completed and 
other relevant information that provides a general overview of the 
project.
    6. Eligibility Discussion: A detailed discussion, not to exceed 
four pages, must describe how the applicant meets the following 
requirements.
    (i) Applicant Eligibility: Applicants must be minority cooperatives 
or minority associations of cooperatives and must describe how they 
meet the definition of a ``minority cooperative'' or ``minority 
association of cooperative'' as defined in the Definitions section of 
this Notice. Applicant must also verify their incorporation as a 
cooperative or an association of cooperatives in the State they have 
applied by providing the State's Certificate of Good Standing, and 
their Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws. The applicant must apply 
as only one type of applicant.
    (ii) Use of Funds: The applicant must provide a detailed discussion 
on how the proposed project activities meet the definition of technical 
assistance.
    (iii) Project Area: The applicant must provide specific information 
on where the projects are planned to be located and that the areas meet 
the definition of ``rural area.''
    (iv) Grant Period: The applicant must provide a time frame for the 
proposed project and discuss how the project will be completed within 
that time frame.
    7. Budget/Work plan: The applicant must describe, in detail not to 
exceed four pages, the purpose of the grant, what type of assistance 
will be provided, and the total amount of funds needed to assist for 
each project. The budget must also present a breakdown of estimated 
costs associated with each task/activity for each project. The amount 
of grant funds requested will be adjusted if the applicant does not 
have justification for all costs.
    8. Evaluation Criteria: Each of the evaluation criteria referenced 
in this notice must be addressed, specifically and individually on 
separate pages, in narrative form, not to exceed a total of two pages 
for each evaluation criteria. Failure to address each evaluation 
criteria will result in the application being determined ineligible.

C. Submission Dates and Times

    Application Deadline Date: April 8, 2008.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Paper applications must be postmarked and 
mailed, shipped, or sent overnight by the deadline date (see Section 
IV.F. for the address). Electronic applications must be received by 
http://www.grants.gov by the deadline date. Courier applications must 
be delivered by the deadline date. If the Applicant's application does 
not meet the deadline, it will not be considered for funding. 
Applicants will be notified if their application did not meet the 
submission deadline.

D. Intergovernmental Review of Applications

    Executive Order (EO) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs, applies to this program. This EO requires that Federal 
agencies provide opportunities for consultation on proposed assistance 
with State and local governments. Many states have established a Single 
Point of Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. A list of 
States that maintain an SPOC may be obtained at http://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/

[[Page 7518]]

spoc.html. If your State has an SPOC, you may submit your application 
directly for review. Any comments obtained through the SPOC must be 
provided to Rural Development for consideration as part of your 
application. If your State has not established an SPOC or you do not 
want to submit your application, Rural Development will submit your 
application to the SPOC or other appropriate agency or agencies.
    You are also encouraged to contact Cooperative Programs at 202-720-
7558 or [email protected] if you have questions about this process.

E. Funding Restrictions

    Grant funds must be used for technical assistance. No funds made 
available under this solicitation shall be used to:
    1. Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building or 
facility, including a processing facility;
    2. Purchase, rent, or install fixed equipment, including processing 
equipment;
    3. Purchase vehicles, including boats;
    4. Pay for the preparation of the grant application;
    5. Pay expenses not directly related to the funded project;
    6. Fund political or lobbying activities;
    7. Fund any activities prohibited by 7 CFR parts 3015 and 3019;
    8. Fund architectural or engineering design work for a specific 
physical facility;
    9. Fund any direct expenses for the production of any commodity or 
product to which value will be added, including seed, rootstock, labor 
for harvesting the crop, and delivery of the commodity to a processing 
facility;
    10. Fund research and development;
    11. Purchase land;
    12. Duplicate current services or replace or substitute support 
previously provided;
    13. Pay costs of the project incurred prior to the date of grant 
approval;
    14. Pay for assistance to any private business enterprise, which 
does not have at least 51 percent ownership by those who are either 
citizens of the United States or reside in the United States after 
being legally admitted for permanent residence;
    15. Pay any judgment or debt owed to the United States;
    16. Pay the operating costs of cooperative and/or association of 
cooperatives; or
    17. Pay expenses for applicant employee training.

F. Other Submission Requirements

    Applicants may submit their paper application for a grant to their 
Rural Development State Office listed under the Addresses section. 
Applicants may submit their application electronically at http://www.grants.gov. Applications may not be submitted by electronic mail, 
facsimile, or hand-delivery. Each application submission must contain 
all required documents in one envelope, if sent by mail or express 
delivery service.

V. Application Scoring Criteria Review Information

A. Criteria

    All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated based upon 
the following criteria. Failure to address any one of the following 
criteria by the application deadline will result in the application 
being determined ineligible and the application will not be considered 
for funding. The total points possible for the criteria are 50. Any 
application receiving less than 30 total points will not be funded.
    1. Technical Assistance. (0-15 points) The application will be 
evaluated to determine the applicant's ability to assess the needs of 
small minority producers, plan and conduct appropriate and effective 
assistance, and identify the expected outcomes of that assistance.
    (i) 0 points will be awarded if the applicant does not 
substantively address this criterion.
    (ii) 1-4 points will be awarded if the applicant demonstrates 
weakness in addressing this criterion.
    (iii) 5-10 points will be awarded if the applicant demonstrates 
they meet part but not all of the criterion.
    (iv) 15 points will be awarded if the applicant identifies specific 
needs of the minority producers to be assisted; clearly articulates a 
logical and detailed plan of assistance for addressing those needs; and 
discusses realistic outcomes of planned assistance.
    2. Experience. (0-15 points) Points will be awarded based upon 
length of experience of identified staff or consultants in providing 
technical assistance, as defined in this notice. Applicants must 
describe the specific type of technical assistance experience for each 
identified staff member or consultant, as well as years of experience 
in providing that assistance. In addition, resumes for each individual 
staff member or consultant must be included as an attachment, listing 
their experience for the type of technical assistance proposed. The 
attachments will not count toward the maximum page total. The Agency 
will compare the described experience to the work plan to determine 
relevance of experience.
    (i) 0 points will be awarded if the staff or consultants 
demonstrate no relevant experience in providing technical assistance;
    (ii) 5 points will be awarded if at least one of the identified 
staff or consultants demonstrates more than two years of experience in 
providing relevant technical assistance;
    (iii) 10 points will be awarded if at least one of the identified 
staff or consultants demonstrates 5 or more years of experience in 
providing relevant technical assistance; or
    (iv) 15 points will be awarded if all of the identified staff or 
consultants demonstrate 5 or more years of experience in providing 
relevant technical assistance.
    3. Commitment. (0-15 points) The Agency will evaluate the 
applicant's commitment to providing technical assistance to minority 
producers in rural areas. Points will be awarded based upon the number 
of agricultural, minority producers being assisted. Applicants must 
list the number and location of small, minority agricultural producers 
that will directly benefit from the assistance provided.
    (i) 0 points will be awarded if the applicant does not 
substantively address this criterion.
    (ii) 5 points will be awarded if the proposed project will benefit 
1-10 producers;
    (iii) 10 points will be awarded if the proposed project will 
benefit 11-50 producers; or
    (iv) 15 points will be awarded if the proposed project will benefit 
more than 50 producers.
    4. Local support. (0-5 points) Applications will be reviewed for 
local support for the technical assistance activities of the 
cooperative. Applicants that demonstrate strong support from potential 
beneficiaries and other developmental organizations will receive more 
points than those not evidencing such support.
    (i) 0 points will be awarded if the applicant does not 
substantively address this criterion.
    (ii) 1 point will be awarded if the applicant provides or 
references 2-3 support letters that demonstrate substantive support 
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
    (iii) 2 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or 
references 4-5 support letters that demonstrate substantive support 
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.

[[Page 7519]]

    (iv) 3 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or 
references 6-7 support letters that demonstrate substantive support 
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
    (v) 4 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or 
references 8-9 support letters that demonstrate substantive support 
from potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
    (vi) 5 points will be awarded if the applicant provides or 
references 10 support letters that demonstrate substantive support from 
potential beneficiaries and/or support from local organizations.
    The applicant may submit a maximum of 10 letters of support. These 
letters should be included as an attachment to the application and will 
not count against the maximum page total. Additional letters from 
industry groups, commodity groups, local and state government, and 
similar organizations should be referenced, but not included in the 
application package. When referencing these letters, provide the name 
of the organization, date of the letter, the nature of the support, and 
the name and title of the person signing the letter.

B. Review and Selection Process

    The Agency will screen all proposals to determine whether the 
application is eligible and sufficiently responsive to the requirements 
set forth in this notice to allow for an informed review. Applications 
will be screened for eligibility and scored by the State Offices, then 
submitted to the National Office for review and ranking. The National 
Office will review the scores based upon the point allocation specified 
in this notice. Applications will be funded in scoring rank order and 
will be submitted to the Administrator in rank order with funding level 
recommendations. The Administrator will break scoring ties based on 
Agency priorities.

C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    Award Date: The announcement of award selections is expected to 
occur on or about September 1, 2008.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    Successful applicants will receive a notification of tentative 
selection for funding from Rural Development. Applicants must comply 
with all applicable statutes, regulations, and this notice before the 
grant award will receive final approval.
    Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification, including appeal 
rights, by mail.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    7 CFR parts 3015, 3019, and subparts A and F of part 7 CFR 4284 are 
applicable to grants made under this notice. These regulations may be 
obtained at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/cfr/index.html.
    The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected 
for this program:
     Agency approved Grant Agreement.
     Letter of Conditions.
     Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of Funds.''
     Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.''
     Form AD-1047, ``Certification Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters--Primary Covered 
Transactions.''
     Form AD-1048, ``Certification Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered 
Transactions.''
     Form AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding a Drug-Free 
Workplace Requirements (Grants).''
     Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.''
    Additional information on these requirements can be found at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/smpg/smpg.htm.
    Fund Disbursement: The Agency will determine, based on 7 CFR Parts 
3015, 3016 and 3019, as applicable, whether disbursement of a grant 
will be by advance or reimbursement. As needed, but not more frequently 
than once every 30 days, an original of SF-270, ``Request for Advance 
or Reimbursement,'' may be submitted to Rural Development. Recipient's 
request for advance shall not be made in excess of reasonable outlays 
for the month covered.
    Reporting Requirements: Grantees must provide Rural Development 
with an original or an electronic copy that includes all required 
signatures of the following reports. The reports should be submitted to 
the Agency contact listed on the Grant Agreement and Letter of 
Conditions. Failure to submit satisfactory reports on time may result 
in suspension or termination of the grant. Grantees will submit:
    1. Form SF-269 or SF-269A. A ``Financial Status Report,'' listing 
expenditures according to agreed upon budget categories, on a semi-
annual basis. Reporting periods end each March 31 and September 30. 
Reports are due 30 days after the reporting period ends.
    2. Semi-annual performance reports comparing accomplishments to the 
objectives stated in the proposal, identifying all tasks completed to 
date and providing documentation supporting the reported results. If 
the original schedule provided in the work plan is not being met, the 
report should discuss the problems or delays that may affect completion 
of the Project. Objectives for the next reporting period should be 
listed. Compliance with any special condition on the use of award funds 
must be discussed. Reports are due as provided in paragraph (1) of this 
section. Supporting documentation must also be submitted for completed 
tasks. The supporting documentation for completed tasks includes, but 
is not limited to, feasibility studies, marketing plans, business 
plans, articles of incorporation, and bylaws as they relate to the 
assistance provided.
    3. Final project performance reports comparing accomplishments to 
the objectives stated in the proposal, identifying all tasks completed, 
and providing documentation supporting the reported results. If the 
original schedule provided in the work plan was not met, the report 
must discuss the problems or delays that affected completion of the 
project. Compliance with any special condition on the use of award 
funds must be discussed. Supporting documentation for completed tasks 
must also be submitted. The supporting documentation for completed 
tasks includes, but is not limited to, feasibility studies, marketing 
plans, business plans, articles of incorporation, and bylaws as they 
relate to the assistance provided. The final performance report is due 
within 90 days of the completion of the project. The report must also 
include a summary at the end of the report with the number of small 
minority agricultural producers assisted to assist in documenting the 
annual performance goals of the SMPG program for Congress.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For general questions about this announcement and for program 
technical assistance, please contact the appropriate State Office as 
indicated in the ADDRESSES section of this notice.

VIII. Non-Discrimination Statement

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 
in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 
national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, martial 
status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 
genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or 
part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance 
program. (Not all

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prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who 
require alternative means for communication of program information 
(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of 
discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-
3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity 
provider and employer.

    Dated: January 31, 2008.
Ben Anderson,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
 [FR Doc. E8-2327 Filed 2-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P