[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28184-28189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11451]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service


Inviting Applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).

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SUMMARY: USDA announces the availability of grants through the Rural 
Business Opportunity Grant Program (RBOG) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. 
Public bodies, nonprofit corporations, institutions of higher 
education, Indian tribes on Federal or State reservations and other 
Federally Recognized Native American Tribes or tribal groups, and rural 
cooperatives may apply. Approximately $2.6 million is available in 
reserved and unreserved funding and will be distributed as follows: 
$919,820 is reserved for projects benefitting Federally Recognized 
Native American Tribes (``Native American'') in rural areas; $919,820 
is reserved until June 30, 2013 for projects benefitting Rural Economic 
Area Partnerships (``Partnerships''); and $790,303 is unreserved. Any 
Partnership funds unobligated after June 30, 2013, will be added to the 
unreserved funds. Applications, including those for multi-state 
projects, are limited to $100,000 or less. See 7 CFR part 4284, subpart 
G.

DATES: Complete applications must be submitted on paper or 
electronically according to the following deadlines:
    Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent 
overnight no later than June 28, 2013, to be eligible for FY 2013 grant 
funding. An applicant may also hand carry their application to Rural 
Development field office, but it must be received by close of business 
on the deadline date. Please note that if you are applying for 
Partnership funds, your application must be received prior to the June 
30, 2013, reservation of funds deadline date. Late applications are not 
eligible for FY 2013 grant funding.
    If you would like to submit an electronic application, you must 
follow the instructions for the RBOG funding announcement on 
www.grants.gov. If you would like to submit an electronic application, 
your application must be received by http://www.grants.gov no later 
than midnight eastern time June 24, 2013, to be eligible for FY 2013 
grant funding. Please note that if you are applying for Partnership 
funds, your application must be received prior to the June 30, 2013, 
reservation of funds deadline date. You should review the Grants.gov 
Web site at http://grants.gov/applicants/organization_registration.jsp 
for instructions on the process of registering your organization as 
soon as possible to ensure that you are able to meet the electronic 
application deadline.
    If you do not meet the deadline for submitting an electronic 
application, you may submit a paper application by the deadline as 
discussed above. Late applications will not be eligible for FY 2013 
grant funding.

ADDRESSES: You should contact a Rural Development State Office if you 
have questions or need a copy of the application forms. Applications 
may be submitted in electronic or paper format. If you submit an 
electronic application, you must follow the instructions for the RBOG 
funding announcement on www.grants.gov. If you want to submit a paper 
application, the application should be sent to the State Office located 
in the State where the project is located. In the case of a multi-state 
project, you must submit your application to the Rural Development 
State Office located in the State where the majority of the work will 
be conducted. You can find the address for your Rural Development State 
Office at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/StateOfficeAddresses.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of the Deputy Administrator, 
Cooperative Programs, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, United States 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., MS-3250, Room 
4016-South, Washington, DC 20250-3250, (202) 720-7558.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview

    Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS).
    Funding Opportunity Type: Rural Business Opportunity Grants.

[[Page 28185]]

    Announcement Type: Funding Announcement.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.773.
    Dates: Application Deadline: To be eligible for FY 2013 funding, 
complete applications must be submitted on paper or electronically 
according to the following deadlines:
    Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent 
overnight no later than June 28, 2013, to be eligible for FY 2013 grant 
funding. An applicant may also hand carry your application to one of 
Rural Development's field offices, but it must be received by close of 
business on the deadline date. Please note that if you are applying for 
Partnership funds, your application must be received prior to the June 
30, 2013, reservation of funds deadline date. Late applications are not 
eligible for FY 2013 grant funding.
    Electronic copies must be received by http://www.grants.gov no 
later than midnight eastern time June 24, 2013, to be eligible for FY 
2013 grant funding. Please note that if you are applying for 
Partnership funds, your application must be received prior to the June 
30, 2013, reservation of funds deadline date. Please review the 
Grants.gov Web site at http://grants.gov/applicants/organization_registration.jsp for instructions on the process of registering the 
applicant's organization as soon as possible to ensure that the 
applicant is able to meet the electronic application deadline.
    If you do not meet the deadline for submitting an electronic 
application, you may submit a paper application by the deadline as 
discussed above. Late applications will not be eligible for FY 2013 
grant funding.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The RBOG program is authorized under section 306(a)(11) of the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) (7 U.S.C. 
1926(a)(11)).
    The primary objective of the program is to improve the economic 
conditions of rural areas. Assistance provided to rural areas under 
this program includes the following:
 Rural business incubators
 Technology-based economic development
 Feasibility studies and business plans
 Long-term business strategic planning
 Leadership and entrepreneur training
    In addition, we are encouraging applications that will support 
regional economic development.

Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership

    Rural Development is participating in the Investing in 
Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP), which is a new 
Administration-wide initiative that will accelerate the resurgence of 
manufacturing and help cultivate an environment for businesses to 
create well-paying manufacturing jobs in regions across the country. 
The IMCP is designed to reward communities that demonstrate best 
practices in attracting and expanding manufacturing by using long-term 
planning that integrates targeted investments in workforce training, 
infrastructure, research, and other key assets.
    The IMCP is being initiated in FY 2013 as EDA, USDA, SBA and EPA 
each provide funding for regional implementation strategy grants. The 
agencies will allocate funding through existing programs to advance 
this critical national priority. Strategies developed by these grants, 
as well as existing strategies and those otherwise under development, 
will enhance regions' efforts to compete for future proposed large 
scale IMCP grants (10 to 100 times the size of the implementation 
strategy grants). These grants will be given to communities with the 
best strategies for attracting private investment. IMCP partner 
agencies will coordinate funding across agencies in order to leverage 
complementary activities while also preventing duplication of efforts. 
Specific information on how applicants can participate in IMCP can be 
found at Section V.10 of this Notice.

Definitions

    The terms you need to know are published at 7 CFR 4284.3 and 
4284.603.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Grant.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2013.
    Total Funding: $2.8 million distributed as follows: $919,820 is 
reserved for projects benefitting Native Americans in rural areas; 
$919,820 is reserved until June 30, 2013, for projects benefitting 
Partnerships; and $790,303 is unreserved. Any Partnership funds 
unobligated after June 30, 2013, will be added to the unreserved funds.
    Maximum Award: $100,000.
    Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2013.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    Grants may be made to public bodies, nonprofit corporations, 
institutions of higher education, Indian tribes on Federal or State 
reservations and other Federally recognized tribal groups, and 
cooperatives with members that are primarily rural residents.
    You must obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) number (see Section IV.B.) and register in the System for 
Awards Management (SAM, formerly managed by the Central Contractor 
Registry (CCR)) prior to submitting an application. (See 2 CFR 
25.200(b).) In addition, you must maintain your registration in SAM 
during the time your application is active. Finally, you must have the 
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting 
requirements in 2 CFR 170.200(b), as long as you are not exempted from 
reporting. Exemptions are identified at 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    For additional information on applicant eligibility, see 7 CFR 
4284.620.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Matching funds are not required.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

    An application must propose to use project funds, including grant 
and other contributions committed under the evaluation criterion 
located at 7 CFR 4284.639(c), for eligible purposes (see 7 CFR 
4284.621). Also, the proposed project must benefit a rural area; thus, 
all ultimate recipients of services provided through the project must 
either reside in a rural area (if an individual) or be located in a 
rural area (if a business).
    Project funds cannot be used for construction, planning a facility, 
engineering work, or revolving loan funds. See 7 CFR 4284.10 and 
4284.629 for more information on ineligible uses of funds. However, if 
you include funds in your budget that are for ineligible purposes, we 
will consider the application for funding if the ineligible purposes 
total 10 percent or less of an applicant's total project budget. 
However, if the application is successful, those ineligible costs must 
be removed before we will make the grant award. If we cannot determine 
the percentage of ineligible costs, the application will not be 
considered for funding.
    Finally, if you have an existing RBOG award, you must be performing 
satisfactorily to be considered eligible for a new award. Satisfactory

[[Page 28186]]

performance includes, but is not limited to, being up-to-date on all 
financial and performance reports and being current on all tasks as 
approved in the work plan.

D. Completeness Eligibility

    An application will not be considered for funding if it does not 
provide sufficient information to determine eligibility or is missing 
required elements. In particular, you must include a project budget 
that identifies each task to be performed, along with the time period 
of performance for each task, and the amounts of grant funds and other 
contributions needed for each task. For more information on application 
requirements, see 7 CFR 4284.638.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Address To Request Application Package

    For further information, you should contact your respective Rural 
Development State Office. Instructions for identifying Rural 
Development State Offices can be found in the ADDRESSES section of this 
Notice. Program information may also be obtained at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/bcp_rbog.html.

B. Form of Submission

    You may submit their application in paper form or electronically. 
If you submit an application in paper form, any forms requiring 
signatures must include an original signature.
    To submit an application electronically, you must use the 
Grants.gov Web site at: http://www.grants.gov. You may not submit an 
application electronically in any way other than through Grants.gov.
     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.
     To use Grants.gov, you 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 (866) 705-5711. We strongly 
recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to 
begin the application process through Grants.gov.
     Before submitting an application, you must also be 
registered and maintain registration in SAM (formerly the CCR 
database). (See 2 CFR part 25.) You may register in SAM at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.
     You must submit all of your application documents 
electronically through Grants.gov.
     After electronically submitting an application through 
Grants.gov, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from 
Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number.
     You may be required to provide original signatures on 
forms at a later date.
     You can locate the Grants.gov downloadable application 
package for this program by using a keyword, the program name, the 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number, or the Funding 
Opportunity Number.

C. Application Contents

    An application must contain all of the required forms and 
application elements described in 7 CFR 4284.638 and as otherwise 
clarified in this Notice. Further clarification of application form 
requirements is as follows:
    1. Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.'' 
Your DUNS number should be identified in the ``Organizational DUNS'' 
field. Additionally, you must provide a Commercial and Government 
Entity (CAGE) code and expiration date. Because there are no specific 
fields for a CAGE code and expiration date, you may identify them 
anywhere you want to on the form. If you do not include the CAGE code 
and expiration date and the DUNS number in your application, it will 
not be considered for funding.
    2. You must complete Form AD-3030, ``Representations Regarding 
Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants,'' 
if you are a corporation. A corporation is any entity that has filed 
articles of incorporation in one of the 50 States, the District of 
Columbia, or the various territories of the United States including 
American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Midway Islands, 
Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Republic of Palau, Republic of 
the Marshall Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Corporations include 
both for profit and non-profit entities.

D. Submission Date and Time

    Application Deadline date: For electronic applications, the 
deadline date is June 24, 2013. For paper applications, the deadline 
date is June 28, 2013. Please note that if you are applying for 
Partnership funds, your application must be received prior to the June 
30, 2013, reservation of funds deadline date.
    Explanation of Deadlines: Complete paper applications must be in 
the Rural Development State Office by the deadline date, close of 
business. Electronic applications submitted through Grants.gov will be 
accepted by the system through midnight eastern time on the deadline 
date.

E. Intergovernmental Review

    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. For a list of 
States that maintain a SPOC, please see the White House Web site: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc. If your State has a SPOC, 
you may submit a copy of the application directly for review. Any 
comments obtained through the SPOC must be provided to your Rural 
Development State Office for consideration as part of your application. 
If your State has not established a SPOC, or if you do not want to 
submit a copy of your application, our State Office will submit your 
application to the SPOC or other appropriate agency or agencies.

F. Environmental Review

    Applications for financial assistance are subject to an 
environmental review. However, if an application is for technical 
assistance or planning purposes, it is generally excluded from the 
environmental review process (See 7 CFR 1940.310(e)(1)). We will ensure 
that any required environmental review is completed prior to approval 
of an application or obligation of funds.

V. Application Review Information

    We will review each application to determine if it is eligible for 
assistance based on the requirements in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G as 
well as other applicable Federal regulations. Eligible applications 
will be initially scored by the USDA Rural Development State Offices 
and submitted to the National Office for final review and selection. 
Applications will be funded in rank order.
    You must address each selection criterion outlined in 7 CFR 
4284.639 in your application. Any criterion not substantively addressed 
will receive zero points.
    To assist you with addressing each criterion, we are providing what 
we consider to be necessary documentation along with an explanation of 
how we will score each criterion below.
    1. Sustainability of Economic Development (7 CFR 4284.639(a)). You

[[Page 28187]]

must identify the economic development (see 7 CFR 4284.603 for a 
definition) that will occur as a result of their project and describe 
how that development will be sustainable without any assistance from 
governments (including local, State, and Federal) or other 
organizations outside the community. Sustainability may include, but is 
not limited to, user fees or a continuing source of funds from a 
community organization. we will score the criterion as follows:
     0 points if you do not identify at least one type of 
economic development.
     1-2 points if you identify at least one type of economic 
development, but are unable to reasonably quantify it or demonstrate 
sustainability.
     3-4 points if you identify at least one type of economic 
development and reasonably quantify it.
     5-6 points if you identify at least one type of economic 
development, reasonably quantify it, and demonstrate that it can be 
sustained for at least 1 year after the completion of the project 
through user fees, community organization support, or other non-
governmental methods.
     7-8 points if you identify at least one type of economic 
development, reasonably quantify it, and demonstrate that it can be 
sustained for at least 3 years after the completion of the project 
through user fees, community organization support, or other non-
governmental methods.
     9-10 points if you identify at least one type of economic 
development, reasonably quantify it, and demonstrate that it can be 
sustained for at least 5 years after the completion of the project 
through user fees, community organization support, or other non-
governmental methods.
    2. Improvements in the Quality of Economic Activity (7 CFR 
4284.639(b)). You must quantitatively describe how your project will 
improve the economic activity in your service area through higher 
wages, improved benefits, greater career potential, and/or the use of 
higher level skills than are currently typical. We will score the 
criterion as follows:
     0 points if you do not quantitatively describe at least 
one way your project will improve the economic activity in your service 
area.
     1-2 points if you quantitatively describe one way your 
project will improve the economic activity in your service area.
     3-4 points if you quantitatively describe two ways your 
project will improve the economic activity in your service area.
     5-6 points if you quantitatively describe three ways your 
project will improve the economic activity in your service area.
     7-8 points if you quantitatively describe four ways your 
project will improve the economic activity in your service area.
     9-10 points if your quantitatively describe five or more 
ways your project will improve the economic activity in your service 
area.
    3. Other Contributions (7 CFR 4284.639(c)). You must provide 
documentation indicating who will be providing the other source of 
funds, the amount of funds, when those funds will be provided, and how 
the funds will be used in the project budget. Examples of acceptable 
documentation include: A signed letter from the source of funds stating 
the amount of funds, when the funds will be provided, and what the 
funds can be used for or a signed resolution from your governing board 
authorizing the use of a specified amount of funds for specific 
components of the project. The other contributions you identify must be 
specifically dedicated to the project and cannot include your 
organization's general operating budget. No credit will be given for 
in-kind donations of time, goods, and/or services from any 
organization, including the applicant organization. If you choose, you 
may use a template to summarize the other contributions. The template 
is available either from your Rural Development State Office or the 
program Web site at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/bcp_rbog.html. We will 
score the criterion as follows:
     0 points if your other contributions total 25 percent or 
less of the total project cost.
     10 points if your other contributions are greater than 25 
and 50 percent of the total project cost.
     20 points if your other contributions are more than 50 
percent and less than or equal to 80 percent of the total project cost.
     30 points if your other contributions are more than 80 
percent of the total project cost.
    4. Major Natural Disaster (7 CFR 4284.639(d)(1)). You must provide 
a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster reference number 
or USDA disaster declaration date and description for any disasters 
that occurred within 3 years of the application deadline in the 
counties in the project service area. We will award 15 points if a FEMA 
disaster reference number or USDA disaster declaration date and 
description is provided for the majority of the counties in an 
applicant's service area; otherwise we will award 0 points.
    5. Fundamental Structural Change (7 CFR 4284.639(d)(2)). You must 
describe a structural change (for example, the loss of major employer 
or closing of a military base) that occurred within or affected one or 
more of the counties in the project service area. The structural change 
must have occurred within the 3 years prior to submitting your 
application. We will award 15 points if the structural change affected 
the majority of the counties in your service area and if it caused the 
loss of at least 100 jobs; otherwise the Agency will award 0 points.
    6. Long-Term Poverty (7 CFR 4284.639(d)(3)). You must provide the 
percentage of residents living below the poverty level from the 1990 
and the 2010 decennial censuses for all counties and all States in the 
service area. If you need assistance locating the census information, 
you should contact your Rural Development State Office. We will award 
10 points if the majority of counties in the service area have a 
percentage of residents living below that poverty level that is above 
the state percentage in both the 1990 and the 2010 censuses; otherwise 
we will award 0 points.
    7. Long-Term Population Decline (7 CFR 4284.639(d)(4)). You must 
provide population statistics from the 1990 and the 2010 decennial 
censuses for all counties in the service area. If you need assistance 
locating the census information, you should contact your Rural 
Development State Office. We will award 10 points if the majority of 
the counties in the service area experienced a net loss of population 
between 1990 and 2010; otherwise we will award 0 points.
    8. Long-Term Job Deterioration (7 CFR 4284.639(d)(5)). You must 
provide the unemployment rate from the 1990 and 2010 decennial censuses 
for all counties in the service area. If you need assistance locating 
the census information, you should contact your Rural Development State 
Office. We will award 10 points if the majority of counties in the 
service area experienced an increase in the unemployment rate between 
1990 and 2010; otherwise we will award 0 points.
    9. Best Practices (7 CFR 4284.639(e)). You must describe how your 
project could be replicated, including any potentially necessary 
modifications, in other communities or service areas. We will score the 
criterion as follows:
     0 points if your project could not be replicated.

[[Page 28188]]

     1-3 points if your project could be replicated in another 
community, but with substantial modifications.
     4-6 points if your project could be replicated in another 
community, but with moderate modifications.
     7-10 points if your project could be replicated in another 
community, with minimal modifications.
    10. Discretionary Points (7 CFR 4284.639(f)). If you wish to be 
considered for discretionary points, your application must include a 
description of the following:
     The project service area, and/or
     The special importance for implementation of a regional 
strategic plan in partnership with other organizations, and/or
     The extraordinary potential for success of the project due 
to superior project plans or qualifications of your organization, 
including the key personnel for the project.
    Applications can receive discretionary points from either the State 
Director or the Administrator, but not both. Because awarding these 
points is completely at the option of the State Director or the 
Administrator, no additional point break down can be provided.

To Be Competitive for IMCP Funded Implementation Strategies

    Successful projects will be regional in scope and focus on 
manufacturing sectors that demonstrate comparative advantages in the 
marketplace. To compete for IMCP, applications should emphasize some 
combination of public-private and higher education collaboration. In 
addition, they will target investments that help stakeholders within a 
region to collaborate and build on existing regional assets to create a 
supportive regional economic ecosystem for business investment and 
innovation, creation of good jobs, and improved quality of life. 
Regions are geographic areas, which need not be contiguous or defined 
by political boundaries, which are capable of undertaking self-
sustained economic development.
    For the first phase of IMCP in FY 2013, applicants should focus on 
identifying targeted industries, and specific public investments that 
will enhance the attractiveness of regions to private investment. 
Competitive applications will demonstrate the following in the project 
narrative:
    (1) A detailed assessment of the local industrial ecosystem as it 
currently exists and a path to development that could make a region 
uniquely competitive. The assessment could address how a strategy will 
capitalize on--intermediaries of various types, industry specialization 
and competitiveness in international investment and trade, workforce 
development programs, site availability, research centers, industrial 
consortia, transportation networks, energy projects to reduce business 
operational costs, and alliances to bolster supply chain networks and 
support small businesses.
    (2) Plans for leveraging the region's existing assets and 
comparative advantages to build on or develop public private 
partnerships and local manufacturing capabilities. These plans should 
include how the strategy will sustain the ecosystem long after the 
federal award. If the region has or is developing an economic 
development strategy or a plan for regional growth and revitalization, 
the plan and the way in which manufacturing will factor into the 
success of that plan should be described.
    (3) How funds from this award would be employed to directly fund 
one or several aspects of the plan described and 2. Allowable 
activities under the grants may include, but are not limited to:
     A regional strategy that expands, strengthens, enhances 
and advances manufacturing in a specific industry, with a particular 
focus on the attraction of significant private sector investment in 
manufacturing communities. This could be based on the manufacturing and 
private sector investment attraction objectives included in a current 
comprehensive economic development strategy, or other regional 
strategy, and further refine the strategy by developing specific action 
plans, partnerships, networks, that are critical to the development of 
a manufacturing ecosystem;
     A regional action/implementation initiative that fulfills 
the manufacturing and private sector investment attraction objectives 
of an already existing regional economic development strategy. This may 
include specific non-construction implementation initiatives that 
benefit the region's manufacturing ecosystem; or,
     A combination of the above.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    If an application is successful, you will receive notification 
regarding funding from the Rural Development State Office where the 
application was submitted. You must comply with all applicable statutes 
and regulations before the grant award will be approved. If your 
application is not successful, you will receive notification by mail.
    All adverse determinations regarding applicant eligibility and the 
awarding of points as part of the selection process are appealable (see 
7 CFR part 11). Instructions on the appeal process will be provided at 
the time an applicant is notified of the adverse decision.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this 
program can be found in 7 CFR part 4284, subparts A and G, parts 3015, 
3016, 3019, 3052, and 2 CFR parts 215 and 417. All recipients of 
Federal financial assistance are required to comply with the Federal 
Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 and must report 
information about sub awards and executive compensation (see 2 CFR part 
170). These recipients must also maintain their registration in SAM as 
long as their grants are active. So long as an applicant does not have 
an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b), the applicant must have the 
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting 
requirements should the applicant receive funding (see 2 CFR 
170.200(b)). 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 Requirement (Grants).''
     Form AD-3031, ``Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or 
Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.''
     Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.''
     SF LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' if 
applicable.

VII. Agency Contacts

    If you have questions about this Notice, please contact the Rural 
Development State Office located in your State as identified in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice.

[[Page 28189]]

VIII. Nondiscrimination Statement

Non-Discrimination Policy

    USDA prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and 
applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, 
age, disability, sex, gender identify, religion, reprisal, and where 
applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental 
status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's income is 
derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic 
information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or 
funded by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all 
programs and/or employment activities.)

To File a Program Complaint

    If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of 
discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form 
(PDF), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complain_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the 
form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information 
requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to 
us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, 
by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at [email protected].

Persons With Disabilities

    Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech 
disabilities and who wish to file either an EEO or program complaint, 
please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 
or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish).
    Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, 
please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or 
by email. If you require alternative means of communication for program 
information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), please 
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Dated: May 9, 2013.
Lillian Salerno,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-11451 Filed 5-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P