[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 104 (Monday, June 1, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31009-31011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-13100]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Housing Service

Rural Utilities Service


Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for the Strategic 
Economic and Community Development Programs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, and 
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Section 6025 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill) 
enables the Secretary of Agriculture to provide priority to projects 
that support Strategic Economic and Community Development plans. This 
Notice invites applicants who have submitted or will be submitting 
applications for the programs (referred to as ``underlying programs'') 
in Fiscal Year 2015.
    For FY 2015, projects eligible for Section 6025 priority points 
will compete one time with all other projects eligible for the 
applicable underlying program's year-end pool of funds. These priority 
points are not eligible to projects competing for FY 2015 funding prior 
to the program's year-end pool of funds competition.
    All applicants are responsible for any additional expenses incurred 
in preparing and submitting Form RD 1980-88.

DATES: To apply for Section 6025 priority points, applicants must 
submit Form RD 1980-88, ``Strategic Economic and Community Development 
(section 6025) Priority,'' by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 31, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit Form RD 1980-88 to the USDA Rural Development Area 
Office servicing the area where the project is located. A list of the 
USDA Rural Development Area Offices can be found listed by state at: 
http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please contact the USDA Rural 
Development Area Office servicing the area where the project will be 
located.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

    Solicitation Title: Strategic Economic and Community Development.
    Announcement Type: Notice.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.351, 10.760, 
10.766 and 10.768.
    All active CFDA programs can be found at www.cfda.gov.
    Dates: For the list of dates please refer back to the summary 
section above.
    Availability of Notice: This Notice is available through the USDA 
Rural Development Web site at http://www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/offices/community-economic-development.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Purpose

    The purpose of Section 6025 of the 2014 Farm Bill is to give 
priority to projects that support strategic economic development or 
community development plans when applying for funds through the 
underlying programs. This Notice provides applicants with eligible 
projects the opportunity to receive additional priority when competing 
for one of the underlying program's year-end pool of funds for Fiscal 
Year 2015.

B. Statutory Authority

    This priority is authorized under Section 6025 of the 2014 Farm 
Bill.

C. Programs

    Based on Section 6025 of the 2014 Farm Bill, the Agency is making 
available additional priority points for projects that support 
strategic economic or community development plans to the following 
Rural Development programs:

 Community Facility Loans
 Fire and Rescue and Other Small Community Facilities Projects
 Community Facilities Grants
 Community Programs Guaranteed Loans
 Water and Waste Disposal Programs Guaranteed Loans
 Water and Waste Loans and Grants
 Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans
 Rural Business Development Grants

II. Award Information

    Type of Awards: Guaranteed loans, direct loans and Grants.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2015; year-end pools of funds only.
    Available Funds: The amount of funds available will depend on the 
amount of funds available at the time of year-end pooling and will vary 
among the underlying programs.
    Award Amounts: Guaranteed loans, direct loans and grants will be 
awarded in amounts consistent with each applicable underlying program.
    Award Dates: Awards will be made on or before September 30, 2015.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Requirements

    In order to be considered for Section 6025 priority points, both 
the applicant and project must meet the eligibility requirements of the 
underlying program. These requirements vary among the underlying 
programs and the applicant is referred to the regulations for those 
programs.
    The regulation implementing the Section 6025 priority does not make 
any changes to any of the applicant eligibility requirements of the 
underlying programs. However, the Section 6025 regulation does include 
three criteria that a project must meet in order to be considered for 
Section 6025 priority points (see 7 CFR 1980.1010).
    The first criterion, as noted above, is that the project meets the 
applicable eligibility requirements of the underlying program for which 
the applicant is applying.
    The second criterion is that the project is ``carried out solely in 
a rural area'' as defined in 7 CFR 1980.1005. As defined, this means 
either the entire project is physically located in a rural area or all 
of the beneficiaries of the service(s) provided through the project 
must either reside in or be located in a rural area. Note that the 
definition of ``rural'' varies among the underlying programs and the 
Section 6025 regulation does not change those definitions.
    The third criterion is that the project support the implementation 
of a strategic economic development or community development plan on a 
multi-jurisdictional basis as defined in 7 CFR 1980.1005.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Any and all cost sharing, matching, and cost participation 
requirements of the applicable underlying program apply to projects 
seeking Section 6025 priority points. The Section 6025 regulation does 
not change such requirements.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Any and all other eligibility requirements (beyond those identified 
in III.A of this Notice) found in the underlying programs apply to 
applicants, their projects, and the beneficiaries of those projects are 
unchanged by either this Notice or the Section 6025 regulation.

IV. Form RD 1980-88

A. Address To Request Form RD 1980-88

    Applicants responding to this Notice should contact the Rural 
Development

[[Page 31010]]

Area Office identified in the ADDRESSES portion of this Notice to 
obtain copies of Form RD 1980-88 and any supplemental information.

B. Content

    To be considered for Section 6025 priority points, applicants must 
submit a complete Form RD 1980-88. This form requests such information 
as (see 7 CFR 1980.1015):
     Identification of whether the applicant includes a State, 
county, municipal, or tribal government;
     Identification by name of the plan being supported by the 
project, the date the plan became effective and is to remain in effect, 
and a detailed description of how the project directly supports one or 
more of the plan's objectives;
     Sufficient information to show that the project will be 
carried out solely in a rural area; and
     Identification of any current or previous applications the 
applicant has submitted for funds from the underlying programs.

C. Submission of Form RD 1980-88

    If an applicant has already submitted an application for one of the 
underlying programs and the applicant wishes to be considered for 
Section 6025 priority points, that applicant must submit Form RD 1980-
88 by close of business on the date listed in the DATES section of this 
Notice for that program.
    If an applicant has not submitted an application for one of the 
underlying programs and that program is still accepting applications 
for FY 2015 funding, the applicant must submit Form RD 1980-88 at the 
same time the applicant submits the application material for the 
underlying program. However, in no case will Section 6025 priority 
points be considered for projects whose applications are received after 
close of business on the date listed in the DATES section of this 
Notice for the applicable program.

D. Completeness Eligibility

    Failure to submit a complete Form RD 1980-88 may result in not 
receiving Section 6025 priority points.

V. Application Evaluation and Selection for Year-End Pool of Funds

    All FY 2015 applications for underlying programs will be reviewed, 
evaluated, and scored based on the underlying program's scoring 
criteria. This Notice does not affect that process. This Notice only 
affects the scoring of applications being competed for an underlying 
program's year-end pool of funds.

A. Scoring of Applications

    All eligible and complete applications competing for an underlying 
program's year-end pool of funds will be evaluated and scored based on 
the criteria of the applicable underlying program, whether or not the 
applicant seeks Section 6025 priority points by submitting Form RD 
1980-88 in accordance with this Notice.
    For applicants wishing to be considered for Section 6025 priority 
points as described in this Notice, the Agency will review, evaluate, 
and score each Form RD 1980-88 based on the criteria specified in 7 CFR 
1980.1020. These criteria address:
     The proposed project's direct support of the objectives 
found in the strategic economic development or community development 
plan that it supports (7 CFR 1980.1020(b)(1)) and
     Certain characteristics (as specified in the authorizing 
statute) of strategic economic development or community plan that the 
proposed project support (7 CFR 1980.1020(b)(2)).
    The scores from these two areas will be summed with the score 
derived from the underlying programs' criteria. Applications for the 
underlying programs that do not submit Form 1980-88 for Section 6025 
priority will be scored based only on the applicable underlying 
program's scoring criteria. Thus, applications supplemented with Form 
RD 1980-88 will be eligible for a higher total score than applications 
without Form RD 1980-88 and will, in general, receive higher priority 
for funding.

B. Selection Process

    The Agency will select the highest scoring applications competing 
for an underlying program's year-end pool of funds based on the award 
process for the underlying program to determine which projects receive 
funds except that:
     An application's total score will be determined in 
accordance with section V.A. of this Notice and
     To the extent provided by the underlying programs in this 
Notice, the Agency will encourage awarding ``Section 6025 priority'' 
applications in as many States and for as many of the underlying 
programs as possible by awarding discretionary points provided for 
diversification or other permissible purposes.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    The Agency will notify applicants who receive funding from the 
year-end pool of funds in a manner consistent with award notifications 
for the underlying program.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Any and all additional requirements of the applicable underlying 
programs apply to projects receiving funding in response to this 
Notice. Please see the regulations for the applicable underlying 
program.

C. Reporting Requirements

    Any and all post-award reporting requirements contained in the 
underlying program apply to all projects receiving funding in response 
to this Notice.
    Applicants who are selected for funding in response to this Notice 
(i.e., those applicants who submit Form RD 1980-88 and receive funding 
from the underlying program's year-end pool of funds) are required to 
submit information in accordance with 7 CFR 1980.1026. This information 
is on the project's measures, metrics, and outcomes that the awardee 
would already be submitting to the appropriate entity(ies) monitoring 
the implementation of the plan.

VII. Agency Contacts

    For general questions about this announcement, please contact your 
USDA Rural Development Area Office provided in the ADDRESSES section of 
this Notice.

VIII. Additional Information

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
information collection requirements contained in 7 CFR part 1980, 
subpart K, have been approved by OMB under OMB Control Number 0570-0068 
via emergency approval.

National Environmental Policy Act

    This Notice of Solicitation of Applications has been reviewed in 
accordance with 7 CFR part 1940, subpart G, ``Environmental Program.'' 
The issuance of regulations and instructions, as well as amendments to 
them, describing administrative and financial procedures for the 
Agency's financial programs is categorically excluded in the Agency's 
NEPA regulation. Thus, in accordance with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), the Agency has 
determined that this notice does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.

[[Page 31011]]

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/webor. Similarly, 
all grant 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 grant 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 
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 wish to file either an EEO or program complaint may 
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 22, 2015.
Lisa Mensah,
Under Secretary, Rural Development.
[FR Doc. 2015-13100 Filed 5-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P