[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33445-33447]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13169]


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NATIONAL CREDIT UNION ADMINISTRATION


Office of Small Credit Unions (OSCUI) Grant Program Access For 
Credit Unions

AGENCY: National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity.

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SUMMARY: The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is issuing a 
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to invite eligible credit unions 
to submit applications for participation in the OSCUI Grant Program 
(a.k.a. Community Development Revolving Loan Fund (CDRLF)), subject to 
funding availability. The OSCUI Grant Program serves as a source of 
financial support, in the form of technical assistance grants, for 
credit unions serving predominantly low-income members. It also serves 
as a source of funding to help low-income designated credit unions 
(LICUs) respond to emergencies arising in their communities.

DATES: The application open period for the Multi-Initiative Application 
is June 17, 2013-July 12, 2013. For each initiative funds may be 
exhausted prior to the deadlines, at which time the programs/funds will 
no longer be available.

ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted online at 
www.cybergrants.com/ncua/applications.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Further information can be found at: 
www.ncua.gov/OSCUI/grantsandloans. For questions email: National Credit 
Union Administration, Office of Small Credit Union Initiatives at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Description of Funding Opportunity

    The purpose of the OSCUI Grant Program is to assist specially 
designated credit unions in providing basic financial services to their 
low-income members to stimulate economic activities in their 
communities. Through the OSCUI Grant Program, NCUA provides financial 
support in the form of technical assistance grants to LICUs. These 
funds help improve and expand the availability of financial services to 
these members. The OSCUI Grant Program also serves as a source of 
funding to help LICUs respond to emergencies. The Grant Program 
consists of Congressional appropriations that are administered by 
OSCUI, an office of the NCUA.
    From June 17, 2013 to July 12, 2013, 2013 OSCUI will accept 
applications from credit unions under the 2013 Multi-Initiative 
Application. OSCUI will provide funding up to $24,000 per credit union 
for the following initiatives: Staff & Volunteer Training, 
Collaboration, Computer Modernization, Financial Capability, New Retail 
Location for Home Based CUs, and New Product/Service Development.
    Additional information about the OSCUI Grant Program, including 
more details regarding the other funding initiatives, amount of funds 
available, funding priorities, permissible uses of

[[Page 33446]]

funds, funding limits, deadlines and other pertinent details, are 
periodically published in NCUA Letters to Credit Unions, in the OSCUI 
e-newsletter and on the NCUA Web site at www.ncua.gov/OSCUI/
GrantsandLoans.
    A. Program Regulation: Part 705 of NCUA's regulations implements 
the OSCUI Grant and Loan Program. 12 CFR part 705. A revised Part 705 
was published on November 2, 2011. 76 FR 67583. Additional requirements 
are found at 12 CFR Parts 701 and 741. Applicants should review these 
regulations in addition to this NOFO. Each capitalized term in this 
NOFO is more fully defined in the regulations and grant guidelines. For 
the purposes of this NOFO, an Applicant is a Qualifying Credit Union 
that submits a complete Application to NCUA under the OSCUI Grant 
Program.
    B. Funds Availability: Congress has appropriated approximately $1 
million to the OSCUI Grant Program for Fiscal Years 2013-2014. NCUA 
expects to award the entire amount appropriated under this NOFO. NCUA 
reserves the right to: (i) Award more or less than the amount 
appropriated; (ii) fund, in whole or in part, any, all, or none of the 
applications submitted in response to this NOFO; and (iii) reallocate 
funds from the amount that is anticipated to be available under this 
NOFO to other programs, particularly if NCUA determines that the number 
of awards made under this NOFO is fewer than projected.

II. Description of Grant Program

    OSCUI grants are made to LICUs that meet the requirements in the 
program regulation and this NOFO, subject to funds availability.
    A. Eligibility Requirements: The regulations specify the 
requirements a credit union must meet in order to be eligible to apply 
for assistance under this NOFO. See 12 CFR part 705. A credit union 
must be a LICU, or equivalent in the case of a Qualifying State-
chartered Credit Union, in order to participate in the OSCUI Grant 
Program. Requirements for obtaining the designation are found at 12 CFR 
701.34.
    B. Permissible Uses of Funds: NCUA will consider requests for funds 
consistent with the purpose of the OSCUI Grant Program. 12 CFR 705.1. 
Per Sec.  705.10 of the regulation permissible uses for the grant fund 
include: (i) Development of new products or services for members 
including new or expanded share draft or credit card programs; (ii) 
Partnership arrangements with community based service organizations or 
government agencies; (iii) Enhancement and support credit union 
internal capacity to serve its members and better enable it to provide 
financial services to the community in which the credit union is 
located.
    NCUA will consider other proposed uses of funds that in its sole 
discretion it determines are consistent with the purpose of the OSCUI 
Grant Program, the requirements of the regulations, and this NOFO.
    C. The Initiatives: 1. The Staff & Volunteer Training: This 
initiative will provide funds up to $3,000 to qualifying credit unions 
that need assistance offsetting the cost of training.
    2. The Collaboration: This initiative will provide grant funding up 
to $24,000 for credit unions that partner with other credit union 
participants for a long term cost-saving collaboration that is scalable 
and replicable.
    3. The Computer Modernization: This initiative will fund manually 
operated credit unions that do not have computers to purchase hardware 
and software necessary to convert to computerized operations. The 
maximum award amount for this initiative is $7,500 per credit union.
    4. The Financial Capability: This initiative provides funding up 
$10,000 per credit union for financial education projects that improve 
financial capability in the community. This includes implementing 
programs that result in consumer outcomes that show improvements in how 
consumers make financial decisions.
    5. New Retail Location for Home Based Credit Unions: This 
initiative will fund up to $10,000 for credit unions that wish to 
relocate from a home-based office to a retail location. The funds can 
be used to assist the planning process, acquisition of property/land, 
renovation of an office, equipment purchases, and/or moving expenses.
    6. New Product/Service Development: This initiative will fund 
qualifying credit unions up to $15,000 for projects that develop a new 
product/service to better serve its members. Only products/services 
that are not already offered to the credit union's membership will be 
considered.
    D. Terms: The specific terms and conditions governing a grant will 
be established in the grant guidelines for each initiative.

III. Application Requirements

    A. Application Form: The application and related documents can be 
found on NCUA's Web site at www.ncua.gov/OSCUI/GrantsandLoans.
    B. Minimum Application Content: Each Applicant must complete and 
submit information regarding the applicant and requested funding. In 
addition, applicants will be required to certify applications prior to 
submission.
    1. DUNS Number: Based on an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
policy directive effective October 31, 2003, credit unions must have a 
Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number issued by Dun and 
Bradstreet (D&B) in order to be eligible to receive funding from the 
OSCUI Grant Program. NCUA will not consider an Application that does 
not include a valid DUNS number. Such an Application will be deemed 
incomplete and will be declined. Information on how to obtain a DUNS 
number may be found on D&B's Web site at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform 
or by calling D&B, toll-free, at 1-866-705-5711.
    2. Employer Identification Number: Each Application must include a 
valid and current Employer Identification Number (EIN) issued by the 
U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). NCUA will not consider an 
application that does not include a valid and current EIN. Such an 
Application will be deemed incomplete and will be declined. Information 
on how to obtain an EIN may be found on the IRS's Web site at 
www.irs.gov.
    3. Application: An Applicant requesting a grant must complete an 
online grant application form which includes required responses. The 
required responses will address the proposed use of funds and how the 
credit union will assess the impact of the funding.
    C. Submission of Application: Under this NOFO, Applications must be 
submitted online at www.cybergrants.com/ncua/applications.

IV. Application Review

    A. Review Process: 1. Eligibility and Completeness Review: NCUA 
will review each Application to determine whether it is complete and 
that the Applicant meets the eligibility requirements described in the 
Regulations, Section II of this NOFO, and the grant guidelines. An 
incomplete Application or one that does not meet the eligibility 
requirements will be declined without further consideration.
    2. Substantive Review: After an Applicant is determined eligible 
and its Application is determined complete, NCUA will conduct a 
substantive review in accordance with the criteria and procedures 
described in the Regulations, this NOFO, and the grant guidelines. NCUA 
reserves the right to contact the Applicant during its review for the 
purpose of clarifying or confirming information contained in the

[[Page 33447]]

Application. If so contacted, the Applicant must respond within the 
time specified by NCUA or NCUA, in its sole discretion, may decline the 
application without further consideration.
    3. Evaluation and Scoring: The evaluation criteria for each 
initiative will be more fully described in the grant guidelines.
    4. Input from Examiners: NCUA will not approve an award to a credit 
union for which it's NCUA regional examining office or State 
Supervisory Agency (SSA), if applicable, indicates it has safety and 
soundness concerns. If the NCUA regional office or SSA identifies a 
safety and soundness concern, OSCUI, in conjunction with the regional 
office or SSA, will assess whether the condition of the Applicant is 
adequate to undertake the activities for which funding is requested, 
and the obligations of the loan and its conditions. NCUA, in its sole 
discretion, may defer decision on funding an Application until the 
credit union's safety and soundness conditions improve.

V. Award Process

    A. Award Selection: In general, NCUA will make its award selections 
based on a consistent scoring system where each applicant will receive 
an individual score. NCUA will consider the impact of the funding. When 
grant demand is high applications may be ranked based on the 
aforementioned in addition to factors listed in the grant guidelines.
    B. Notice of Award: NCUA will notify each Applicant of its funding 
decision. Notification will generally be by email. Applicants that are 
approved for funding will also receive instructions on how to proceed 
with the reimbursement request for disbursement of funds.

VI. Post-Award Requirements

    A. Reporting Requirements: Each awarded credit union must submit a 
reimbursement request in order to receive the awarded funds. The 
reimbursement requirements are specific to each initiative. In general, 
the reimbursement request will require an explanation of the impact of 
funding and any success or failure to meet objectives for use of 
proceeds, outcome, or impact. NCUA, in its sole discretion, may modify 
these requirements.

VII. Agency Contacts

    A. Methods of Contact: For further information, contact NCUA by 
email at [email protected].
    B. Information Technology Support: People who have visual or 
mobility impairments that prevent them from using NCUA's Web site 
should call (703) 518-6610 for guidance (this is not a toll free 
number).

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1756, 1757(5)(D), and (7)(I), 1766, 1782, 
1784, 1785 and 1786; 12 CFR part 705.

    By the National Credit Union Administration Board on May 31, 
2013.
Mary F. Rupp,
Secretary of the Board.
[FR Doc. 2013-13169 Filed 6-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7535-01-P