[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4986-4989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-2099]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Inviting Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program Applications for 
Grants To Provide Technical Assistance for Rural Transportation Systems

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within 
the USDA Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of 
two individual grants: one single $500,000 grant from the rural 
transportation funds appropriated for the Rural Business Enterprise 
Grant (RBEG) program and another single $250,000 grant for Federally 
Recognized Native American Tribes (FRNAT) from funds appropriated for 
the RBEG program. RBS will administer these awards under the Rural 
Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program and 7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(2) for 
fiscal year (FY) 2012. Each grant is to be competitively awarded to an 
eligible applicant which historically has been a qualified national 
non-profit organization. One grant is for the provision of technical 
assistance to rural transportation (RT) projects and that the other 
grant will be for the provision of technical assistance to RT projects 
operated by FRNATs only.
    Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the 
applicant's risk.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of applications in the USDA Rural 
Development State Office is no later than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on 
April 2, 2012. Applications received at a USDA Rural Development State 
Office after that date will not be considered for FY 2012 funding.

ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact the 
appropriate USDA 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) 761-7707/TDD (907) 761-8905.

Arizona

USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 North First Avenue, Suite 
206, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706, (602) 280-8702/TDD (602) 280-8705.

Arkansas

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, 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, Agency 4169, 
Davis, CA 95616-4169, (530) 792-5800/TDD (530) 792-5848.

Colorado

USDA Rural Development State Office, Denver Federal Center, Building 
56, Room 2300, P.O. Box 25426, Denver, CO 80225-0426, (720) 544-
2903/TDD (800) 659-3656.

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 
East Hancock Avenue, Stop 300, 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) 933-8302/TDD (808) 933-
8321.

Idaho

USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Drive, Suite 
A1, Boise, ID 83709, (208) 378-5601/TDD (208) 378-5644.

Illinois

USDA Rural Development State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A, 
Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 403-6201/TDD (217) 403-6240.

Indiana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard, 
Indianapolis, IN 46278, (317) 290-3100 ext. 4/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 SW First American Place, 
Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040, (785) 271-2777/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) 473-7920/TDD (318) 473-7655.

Maine

USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, 
P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405, (207) 990-9161/TDD (207) 942-
7331.

Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut

USDA Rural Development State Office, 451 West Street, Amherst, MA 
01002-2999, (413) 253-4302/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, 410 Farm Credit Service 
Building, 375 Jackson Street, St. Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-
7800/TDD (651) 602-3799.

Mississippi

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831, 
100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4211/TDD (601) 
965-5850.

Missouri

USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, 
Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0987/TDD 
(573) 876-9480.

[[Page 4987]]

Montana

USDA Rural Development State Office, 2229 Boot Hill Court, P.O. Box 
850, Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 585-2580/TDD (406) 585-2562.

Nebraska

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100 
Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508, (308) 632-2195/TDD (402) 
437-5093.

Nevada

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson 
City, NV 89703-9910, (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, 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-
6435/TDD (315) 477-6447.

North Carolina

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260, 
Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2015/TDD (919) 873-2003.

North Dakota

USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220 
East Rosser Avenue, 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) 255-2390/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 Northeast Lloyd Boulevard, 
Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-3305/TDD (503) 414-3387.

Pennsylvania

USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite 
330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996, (717) 237-2262/TDD (717) 237-2261.

Puerto Rico

USDA Rural Development State Office, 654 Plaza Munoz Rivera Avenue, 
Suite 601, San Juan, PR 00936-6106, (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 37203-1071, (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) 524-4321/TDD (801) 524-3309.

Vermont/New Hampshire

USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main 
Street, Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6080/TDD (802) 223-6365.

Virginia

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 
238, Richmond, VA 23229-5014, (804) 287-1552/TDD (804) 287-1753.

Washington

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard SW., 
Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7715/TDD (360) 704-7760.

West Virginia

USDA Rural Development State Office, 1550 Earl Core Road, Suite 101, 
Morgantown, WV 26505, (304) 284-4860/TDD (304) 284-4836.

Wisconsin

USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens 
Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7671/TDD (715) 345-7614.

Wyoming

USDA Rural Development State Office, P.O. Box 11005, 100 East B 
Street, Room 1005, Casper, WY 82601, (307) 233-6703/TDD (307) 233-
6733.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information, please 
contact the appropriate USDA Rural Development State Office as provided 
in the ADDRESSES section of 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 4:30 
p.m. (local time) on April 2, 2012, to be eligible for FY 2012 grant 
funding. Applications received after this date will not be eligible for 
FY 2012 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 the Programs may include the provision of 
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;'' SF LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;'' RD 400-
1, ``Equal Opportunity Agreement;'' RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement;'' 
a letter stating Board authorization to obtain assistance; and a 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

[[Page 4988]]

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.
    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. Grants will 
be made to qualified national 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 2012.
    Total Funding: $750,000.
    Approximate Number of Awards: Two.
    Average Award: One single $500,000 grant and another single 
$250,000 grant for FRNAT's.
    Anticipated Award Date: May 16, 2012.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

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

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Applications will only be accepted from qualified national non-
profit 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. If due to a change made in the appropriation, 
additional information is needed, then applicants that submitted 
complete applications prior to the application deadline will be 
provided additional time in which to provide that information.

IV. Fiscal Year 2012 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 provided in the 
ADDRESSES section of 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 begin the application process through Grants.gov in 
sufficient time to complete the application before the deadline date.
     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.
     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.

All applicants, whether filing applications through 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.

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)(2) 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 provided in the ADDRESSES section of 
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: No later than 4:30 p.m. (local time) 
April 2, 2012.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be in the USDA Rural 
Development State Office by the deadline date.

V. Application Review Information

    RBS 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.

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

[[Page 4989]]

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 provided in the ADDRESSES section 
of 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.

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act

    All applicants, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must have a Dun 
and Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number, which can be 
obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line at 1-(866) 705-5711 or 
online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
    Similarly, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, all applicants must be 
registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) prior to 
submitting an application. Applicants may register for the CCR at 
http://www.ccr.gov or by calling 1-(866) 606-8220 and press ``1'' for 
CCR. All recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to 
report information about first-tier sub-awards and executive total 
compensation in accordance with 2 CFR part 170.

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, Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil 
Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-
9410 or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 
(TTD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 
(Spanish Federal-relay). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and 
employer.

    Dated: January 20, 2012.
Judith A. Canales,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-2099 Filed 1-31-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P