[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 196 (Tuesday, October 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52444-52448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-24611]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for Inviting Rural 
Business Enterprise Grant Program Preapplications for Technical 
Assistance for Rural Transportation Systems

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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[[Page 52445]]

SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within 
the USDA Rural Development mission area, solicits applications of two 
individual grants: one single grant from the passenger transportation 
funds appropriated for the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) 
program and another grant for Federally Recognized Native American 
Tribes' (FRNAT) from funds appropriated for the RBEG program. USDA 
Rural Development will administer these awards under the RBEG program 
and 7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(2) for fiscal year (FY) 2010. Historically, 
Congress has appropriated funding for these specific programs. This 
Notice is being issued prior to passage of a FY 2010 Appropriations 
Act, which may or may not provide an appropriation for these programs, 
to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, submit 
applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within 
the 2010 fiscal year. A subsequent notice identifying the amount 
received in the appropriations will be published, if any. Each grant is 
to be competitively awarded to a qualified national non-profit 
organization. One grant is for the provision of technical assistance to 
rural transportation projects. The other grant is for the provision of 
technical assistance to rural transportation projects operated by 
FRNAT's only.
    Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the 
applicant's risk.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of preapplications in the USDA Rural 
Development State Office is December 14, 2009. Applications received at 
a USDA Rural Development State Office after that date will not be 
considered for FY 2010 funding.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact the 
appropriate Rural Development State Office to receive copies of the 
application package. A list of the USDA Rural Development State Offices 
addresses and telephone numbers are as follows:

Alabama

USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Centre, Suite 601, 4121 
Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3400/TDD (334) 
279-3495.

Alaska

USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201, 
Palmer, AK 99645-6539, (907) 761-7705/TDD (907) 761-8905.

Arizona

USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 N. 1st Ave., Suite 206, 
Phoenix, AZ 85003, (602) 280-8701/TDD (602) 280-8705.

Arkansas

USDA Rural Development State Office, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room 
3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3200/TDD (501) 301-3279.

California

USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street, 4169, 
Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-5800/TDD (530) 792-5848.

Colorado

USDA Rural Development State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E-100, 
Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544-2903/TDD (720) 544-2976.

Delaware-Maryland

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite 
200, Dover, DE 19904, (302) 857-3580/TDD (302) 857-3585.

Florida/Virgin Islands

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 NW 25th Place, P.O. Box 
147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3400/TDD (352) 338-3499.

Georgia

USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. 
Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA 30601-2768, (706) 546-2162/TDD (706) 546-
2034.

Hawaii

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311, 154 
Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933-8380/TDD (808) 933-8321.

Idaho

USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Dr., Suite A1, 
Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5600/TDD (208) 378-5644.

Illinois

USDA Rural Development State Office 2118 West Park Court, Suite A 
Champaign, IL 61821 (217) 403-6200/TDD (217) 403-6240

Indiana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, 
Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100/TDD (317) 290-3343.

Iowa

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873, 210 
Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-4663/TDD (515) 284-4858.

Kansas

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1303 S.W. First American Place, 
Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040, (785) 271-2700/TDD (785) 271-2767.

Kentucky

USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200, 
Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-7300/TDD (859) 224-7422.

Louisiana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street, 
Alexandria, LA 71302, (318) 473-7921/TDD (318) 473-7655.

Maine

USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, P.O. 
Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9160/TDD (207) 942-7331.

Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut

USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Suite 2, Amherst, 
MA 01002-2999, (413) 253-4300/TDD (413) 253-4590.

Michigan

USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200, 
East Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324-5190/TDD (517) 324-5169.

Minnesota

USDA Rural Development State Office, 375 Jackson Street, Suite 410, St. 
Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-7800/TDD (651) 602-3799.

Mississippi

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831, 100 
W. Capitol Street. Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4316/TDD (601) 965-
5850.

Missouri

USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade 
Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0976/TDD (573) 876-
9480.

Montana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 900 Technology Boulevard, Suite B, 
P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 59771, (406) 585-2580/TDD (406) 585-2562.

Nebraska

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100 
Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE

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68508, (402) 437-5551/TDD (402) 437-5093.

Nevada

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson 
City, NV 89703-5146, (775) 887-1222/TDD (775) 885-0633.

New Jersey

USDA Rural Development State Office, 8000 Midlantic Drive, 5th Floor 
North, Suite 500, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787-7700/TDD (856) 787-
7784.

New Mexico

USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street, NE., Room 
255, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-4950/TDD (505) 761-4938.

New York

USDA Rural Development State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441 
South Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202-2541, (315) 477-
6400/TDD (315) 477-6447.

North Carolina

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, 
Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2000/TDD (919) 873-2003.

North Dakota

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 
East Rosser, P.O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737, (701) 530-2037/TDD 
(701) 530-2113.

Ohio

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200 
North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2418, (614) 255-2400/TDD (614) 
255-2554,

Oklahoma

USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108, Stillwater, 
OK 74074-2654, (405) 742-1000/TDD (405) 742-1007.

Oregon

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 801, 
Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-3300/TDD (503) 414-3387.

Pennsylvania

USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 330, 
Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2299/TDD (717) 237-2261.

Puerto Rico

USDA Rural Development State Office, IBM Building, Suite 601, 654 Munos 
Rivera Avenue, San Juan, PR 00918-6106, (787) 766-5095/TDD (787) 766-
5332.

South Carolina

USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal Building, 
1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (803) 765-5163/TDD 
(803) 765-5697.

South Dakota

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200 
Fourth Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1100/TDD (605) 352-1147.

Tennessee

USDA Rural Development State Office, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300, 
Nashville, TN 37203-1084, (615) 783-1300.

Texas

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102, 101 
South Main, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9700/TDD (254) 742-9712.

Utah

USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal 
Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138, 
(801) 524-4320/TDD (801) 524-3309.

Vermont/New Hampshire

USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main 
Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6000/TDD (802) 223-6365.

Virginia

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 238, 
Richmond, VA 23229-5014, (804) 287-1550/TDD (804) 287-1753.

Washington

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard SW., 
Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7740/TDD (360) 704-7760.

West Virginia

USDA Rural Development State Office, 75 High Street, Room 320, 
Morgantown, WV 26505-7500, (304) 284-4860/TDD (304) 284-4836.

Wisconsin

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens 
Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7600/TDD (715) 345-7614.

Wyoming

USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B, Federal Building, Room 
1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602-5006, (307) 233-6700/TDD (307) 
233-6733.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Rural Development State Office 
identified in this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
    Solicitation Opportunity Title: Rural Business Enterprise Grants.
    Announcement Type: Initial Solicitation Announcement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.769.
    Dates: Application Deadline: Completed applications must be 
received in the USDA Rural Development State Office no later than 
December 14, 2009, to be eligible for FY 2010 grant funding. 
Applications received after this date will not be eligible for FY 2010 
grant funding.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The RBEG program is authorized by section 310B(c) of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) (7 U.S.C. 
1932(c)). Regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G. The 
primary objective of the program is to improve the economic conditions 
of rural areas. The program is administered on behalf of RBS at the 
State level by the USDA Rural Development State Offices. Assistance 
provided to rural areas under this program may include on-site 
technical assistance to local and regional governments, public transit 
agencies, and related non-profit and for-profit organizations in rural 
areas; the development of training materials; and the provision of 
necessary training assistance to local officials and agencies in rural 
areas.
    Awards under the RBEG passenger transportation program will be made 
on a competitive basis using specific selection criteria contained in 7 
CFR part 1942, subpart G, and in accordance with section 310B(c)(2) of 
the CONACT. Information required to be in the application package 
includes Forms SF 424, ``Application for Federal Assistance;'' RD 1940-
20, ``Request for Environmental Information;'' Scope of Work Narrative; 
Income Statement; Balance Sheet or Audit for previous 3 years; AD-1047, 
``Debarment/Suspension Certification;'' AD-1048, ``Certification 
Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary 
Exclusion;'' AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements;'' Restrictions on Lobbying; RD 400-1, ``Equal

[[Page 52447]]

Opportunity Agreement;'' RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement;'' Letter 
stating Board authorization to obtain assistance; and Letter certifying 
citizenship, as referenced in 7 CFR 1942.307(b). For the FRNAT grant, 
which must benefit Federally Recognized Native American Tribes, at 
least 75 percent of the benefits of the project must be received by 
members of Federally Recognized Native American Tribes. The project 
that scores the greatest number of points based on the RBEG selection 
criteria and the discretionary points will be selected for each grant. 
Applications will be tentatively scored by the State Offices and 
submitted to the National Office for review, final scoring, and 
selection.
    Applicants must be qualified national non-profit organizations with 
experience in providing technical assistance and training to rural 
communities for the purpose of improving passenger transportation 
service or facilities. To be considered ``national'' RBS requires a 
qualified organization to provide evidence that it operates rural 
transportation assistance programming in multiple States. There is not 
a requirement to use the grant funds in a multi-State area. Under this 
notice, grants will be made to qualified, private, non-profit 
organizations for the provision of technical assistance and training to 
rural communities for the purpose of improving passenger transportation 
services or facilities.

Definitions

    The definitions are published at 7 CFR 1942.304.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2010.
    Total Funding: To be determined by appropriations bill, if any.
    Approximate Number of Awards: Two
    Average Award: Will be determined by amount received in 
appropriations, if any. This Notice will be amended to provide this 
information once an appropriation has been exacted.
    Anticipated Award Date: January 26, 2010.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    To be considered eligible, an entity must be a private non-profit 
corporation serving rural areas. Grants will be competitively awarded 
to one or more qualified national organizations.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Applications will only be accepted from qualified national 
organizations to provide technical assistance for rural transportation.

D. Completeness Eligibility

    Applications will not be considered for funding if they do not 
provide sufficient information to determine eligibility or are missing 
required elements.

IV. Fiscal Year 2010 Application and Submission Information

A. Address To Request Application Package

    For further information, entities wishing to apply for assistance 
should contact the USDA Rural Development State Office identified in 
this Notice to obtain copies of the application package.
    Applicants are encouraged to submit applications through the 
Grants.gov web site at: http://www.grants.gov. Applications may be 
submitted in either electronic or paper format. Users of Grants.gov 
will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it 
off line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov 
web site. Applications may not be submitted by electronic mail.
     When you enter the Grants.gov web site, you will find 
information about submitting an application electronically through the 
site as well as the hours of operation. USDA Rural Development strongly 
recommends that you do not wait until the application deadline date to 
begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     You may submit all documents electronically through the 
Web site, including all information typically included on the 
application and all necessary assurances and certifications.
     After electronically submitting an application through the 
Web site, the applicant will receive an automatic acknowledgement from 
Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number.
     USDA Rural Development may request that the applicant 
provide original signatures on forms at a later date.
     If applicants experience technical difficulties on the 
closing date and are unable to meet the deadline, you may submit a 
paper copy of your application to your respective Rural Development 
State Office. Paper applications submitted to a Rural Development State 
Office must meet the closing date and local time deadline.
    All applicants, whether filing applications through http://
www.Grants.gov or by paper, must have a Dun and Bradstreet Data 
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number which can be obtained at no 
cost via a toll-free request line at 1-866-705-5711 or at http://www.dnb.com.
    Please note that applicants can locate the downloadable application 
package for this program by the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
Number or FedGrants Funding Opportunity Number, which can be found at 
http://www.Grants.gov.

B. Content and Form of Submission

    An application must contain all of the required elements. Each 
application received in a USDA Rural Development State Office will be 
reviewed to determine if it is consistent with the eligible purposes 
contained in section 310B(c) of the CONACT. Each selection priority 
criterion outlined in 7 CFR 1942.305(b)(3), must be addressed in the 
application. Failure to address any of the criteria will result in a 
zero-point score for that criterion and will impact the overall 
evaluation of the application. Copies of 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G, 
will be provided by any interested applicant making a request to a USDA 
Rural Development State Office listed in this notice.
    All projects to receive technical assistance through these 
passenger transportation grant funds are to be identified when the 
applications are submitted to the USDA Rural Development State Office. 
Multiple project applications must identify each individual project, 
indicate the amount of funding requested for each individual project, 
and address the criteria as stated above for each individual project.
    For multiple-project applications, the average of the individual 
project scores will be the score for that application.

C. Submission Dates and Times

    Application Deadline Date: December 14, 2009.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be in the USDA Rural 
Development State Office by the deadline date.

V. Application Review Information

    The National Office will score applications based on the grant 
selection criteria and weights contained in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G 
and will select a grantee subject to the grantee's satisfactory 
submission of the additional items required by 7 CFR part 1942, subpart 
G and the USDA Rural Development Letter of Conditions.

[[Page 52448]]

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from 
the USDA Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with 
all applicable statutes and regulations before the grant award will be 
approved. Unsuccessful applications will receive notification by mail. 
Grantees must further comply with applicable provisions of 7 CFR parts 
3015, 3016, 3019, and 3052.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For general questions about this announcement, please contact your 
USDA Rural Development State Office identified in this Notice.

VIII. Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act, the paperwork 
burden has been cleared by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under OMB Control Number 0570-0022.
    Nondiscrimination Statement:

    ``The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits 
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of 
race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, 
sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, 
sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, 
reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is 
derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited 
bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require 
alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, 
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 
(202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
    To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, 
Office of Adjudication and Compliance, 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, 
employer, and lender.''

    Dated: September 23, 2009.
Judith A. Canales,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. E9-24611 Filed 10-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P