[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2013)] [Notices] [Pages 40092-40095] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2013-16079] [[Page 40092]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of three individual grants: two single grants not to exceed $929,111 together from the rural transportation funds appropriated for the Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program and another single $232,278 grant for Federally Recognized Native American Tribes' (FRNATs) (collectively ``Programs'') from funds appropriated for the RBEG program. RBS will administer these awards under the RBEG program and 7 U.S.C. 1932(c)(2) for fiscal year (FY) 2013. Each grant is to be competitively awarded to an eligible applicant which is a qualified national non-profit organization. Two grants are for the provision of technical assistance to rural transportation (RT) projects and the other grant will be for the provision of technical assistance to RT projects operated by FRNAT's only. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications. 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 September 3, 2013. Applications received at a USDA Rural Development State Office after that date will not be considered for FY 2013 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) 761-7705/TDD (907) 761-8905. Arizona USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 N 1st Ave., Suite 206, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706, (602) 280-8701/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, Agency4169, 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) 338-3402/TDD (352) 338-3499. Georgia USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355 E. Hancock Avenue, Stop 300, Athens, GA 30601-2768, (706) 546-2162/TDD (706) 546-2034. Hawaii/Guam/American Samoa/ Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands/, Republic of Palau/ Federated States of Micronesia/, Republic of the Marshall Islands, 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 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) 271-2700/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, 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, Ste 831, 100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-4316/TDD (601) 965- 5850. Missouri USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West, Parkade Ctr., Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-0976/TDD (573) 876-9480. Montana USDA Rural Development State Office, 2229 Boot Hill Court, P.O. Box 850, [[Page 40093]] Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 585-2530/TDD (406) 585-2562. Nebraska USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Rom 152, 100 Centennial Mall N., Lincoln, NE 68508, (402) 437-5551/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, 5th floor North, Ste 500, 8000 Midlantic Drive, 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) 761-4953/TDD (505) 761-4938. New York USDA Rural Development State Office, 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 N. 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 Boulevard, Suite 801, Portland, OR 97232, (503) 414-3366/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, Ste 601, 654 Munoz Rivera Avenue, 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 4th 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) 524-4324/TDD (801) 524-3309. Vermont/New Hampshire USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 87 Main Street, Suite 324, P.O. Box 249, Montpelier, VT 05601, (802) 828-6031/ TDD (802) 223-6365. Virginia USDA Rural Development State Office, Culpeper Building, Ste 238, 1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287-1551/TDD (804) 287-1753. Washington USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Blacklake Boulevard SW., Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715, (360) 704-7740/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, 5417 Clem's Way, Stevens Point, WI 54482, (715) 345-7671/TDD (715) 345-7614. Wyoming USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B Street, Room 1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82601, (307) 233-6700/TDD (307) 233-6733. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the USDA Rural Development State Office 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 September 3, 2013, to be eligible for FY 2013 grant funding. Applications received after this date will not be eligible for FY 2013 grant funding. I. Funding Opportunity Description A. Purpose of the Program. The purpose of this program is to improve the economic conditions of rural areas. B. Statutory Authority. This programs is authorized under 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 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 [[Page 40094]] Assistance;'' Form 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 FRNATs, at least 75 percent of the benefits of the project must be received by members of FRNATs. 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 Nation-wide 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 RT assistance programming Nation-wide. 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 C. Definition of Terms. The definitions applicable to this Notice are published at 7 CFR 1942.304. D. Application awards. The Agency will review, evaluate, and score applications received in response to this Notice based on the provisions in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G and as indicated in this Notice. However, the Agency advises all interested parties that the applicant bears the burden in preparing and submitting an application in response to this Notice whether or not funding is appropriated for these programs in FY 2013. II. Award Information Type of Award: Grant. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2013. Total Funding: $1,161,389. Approximate Number of Awards: Three. Average Award: Two single grants not to exceed $929,111 together and another single $232,278 grant for FRNAT's. Anticipated Award Date: October 16, 2013, subject to the availability of funding. III. Eligibility Information A. Eligible Applicants To be considered eligible, an entity must be a qualified national non-profit organization serving rural areas as evidenced in its organizational documents and demonstrated experience. Grants will be competitively awarded to qualified national non-profit organizations. As mentioned later in this Notice, regarding corporate felony convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies, applicants that are not delinquent on any Federal debt or otherwise disqualified from participation in this program are eligible to apply. All other restrictions in this Notice will apply. 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 appropriations act for FY 2013, 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 2013 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 [[Page 40095]] 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) September 3, 2013. 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 grantees subject to the grantees satisfactory submission of the additional items required by 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G and the USDA Rural Development Letter of Conditions. The amount of an RT grant may be adjusted, in the RBS's discretion,to enable RBS to award RT grants to the two applications with the highest priority scores. Applicants selected for award who have their grant request adjusted, will have the opportunity to either rescind their request or modify their proposal to reflect the adjusted award. RBS must approve the modified proposal. RBS will select the next highest ranking application(s) for award when any initially selected application is rescinded or when RBS and the initially selected applicant cannot reach an agreement on a modified proposal. 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. B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Additional requirements that apply to grantees selected for this program can be found in 7 CFR part 1942, subpart G. 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 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 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, all applicants must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application. Applicants may register for the SAM at http://www.sam.gov. 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. Corporate Felony Convictions and Corporate Felony Tax Delinquencies Applications from corporate applicants submitted under this Notice must include Form AD 3030, ``Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.'' Corporate applicants who receive an award under this Notice will be required to sign Form AD 3031, ``Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.'' Nondiscrimination Statement: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, 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.) 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/complaint_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]. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities and you 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: June 25, 2013. Lillian E. Salerno, Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service. [FR Doc. 2013-16079 Filed 7-2-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P