[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 123 (Monday, June 27, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41508-41514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-15124]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 123 / Monday, June 27, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 41508]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of Advocacy and Outreach

[FOA No.: OAO-0010]


Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and 
Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.443.

AGENCY: Office of Advocacy and Outreach, USDA.

ACTION: Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

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

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.443.
SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits 
applications from eligible entities to compete for financial assistance 
through the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers 
and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (hereinafter 
known as the ``2501 Program'').
    The overall goal of the 2501 Program is to assist socially 
disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in owning and operating 
farms and ranches while increasing their participation in agricultural 
programs and services provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA). This program will assist eligible community-based and non-
profit organizations, higher education institutions, and tribal 
entities in providing outreach and technical assistance to socially 
disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers.

DATES: Proposals must be received by July 29, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. EST, 
at www.grants.gov. Proposals received after this deadline will not be 
considered for funding.

ADDRESSES: How to File a Complaint of Discrimination: To file a 
complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination 
Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410, 
Fax: (202) 690-7442, Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Agency Contact

    U.S. Department of Agriculture, DM--Office of Advocacy and 
Outreach, Attn: Kenya Nicholas, Program Director, Whitten Building, 
Room 520-A, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: 
(202) 720-6350, Fax: (202) 720-7704, Email: [email protected].
    Persons with Disabilities: Persons who require alternative means 
for communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should 
contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Funding/Awards: The total funding potentially available for this 
competitive opportunity is $8.4 million. The Office of Advocacy and 
Outreach (OAO) will award new grants from this announcement, subject to 
availability of funds and the quality of applications received. All 
applications will be considered new projects and applicants will 
compete based on their organization's entity type (e.g., nonprofit 
organization, higher education institution), as described below. The 
maximum amount of requested federal funding for projects shall not 
exceed $200,000. Projects that are part of multi-year initiatives will 
only be funded for one year and will be eligible to compete for 
additional funding in subsequent years.
    Funding will be awarded based on peer competition within the three 
categories described below along with the amount of funding OAO 
anticipates awarding to organizations within each category. OAO 
reserves the discretion to allocate funding between the three 
categories based upon the number and quality of applications received. 
There is no commitment by OAO to fund any particular application or to 
select a specific number of awardees within each category.
    1. Category #1: Eligible entities described in Sections III.A.2, 
III.A.3, and III.A.4 (1890 Land Grant colleges and universities, 1994 
Alaska Native and American Indian Tribal colleges and universities, and 
Hispanic-Serving colleges and universities).
    2. Category #2: Eligible entities described in Sections III.A.1 and 
III.A.6 (i.e., nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, 
including a network or a coalition of community-based organizations, 
Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 450b), and national tribal 
organizations).
    3. Category #3: Eligible entities described in Sections III.A.5 and 
III.A.7 (i.e., all other institutions of higher education and other 
organizations or institutions, including those that received funding 
under this program before January 1, 1996).

Contents of This Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description
II. Award Information
III. Eligibility Information
IV. Proposal and Submission Information
V. Application Review Information
VI. Award Administration Information

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Background

    OAO is committed to ensuring that socially disadvantaged and 
veteran farmers and ranchers are able to equitably participate in USDA 
programs. Differences in demographics, culture, economics, and other 
factors preclude a single approach to identifying solutions that can 
benefit our underserved farmers and ranchers. Community-based and non-
profit organizations, higher education institutions, and eligible 
tribal entities can play a critical role in addressing the unique 
difficulties they face and can help improve their ability to start and 
maintain successful agricultural businesses. With 2501 Program funding, 
organizations can extend our outreach efforts to connect with and 
assist socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers and to 
provide them with information on available USDA resources.
    1. The 2501 Program was authorized by the Food, Agriculture, 
Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. The Food, Conservation, and Energy 
Act of 2008

[[Page 41509]]

expanded the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture (the Secretary) 
to provide awards under the program and transferred the administrative 
authority to OAO. The 2014 Farm Bill further expanded the program to 
include outreach and assistance to veterans. The 2501 Program extends 
USDA's capacity to work with members of farming and ranching 
communities by funding projects that enhance the equitable 
participation of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 
ranchers in USDA programs. It is OAO's intention to build lasting 
relationships between USDA, awardee organizations, and socially 
disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers.
    2. Organizations may only submit one proposal for funding.

B. Scope of Work

    The 2501 Program provides funding to eligible organizations for 
training and technical assistance projects designed to assist socially 
disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in owning and operating 
viable agricultural enterprises. Proposals must be consistent with 
requirements stated in 7 U.S.C. 2279(a)(2). Under this statute, 
``outreach and technical assistance shall be used exclusively:
    (A) To enhance coordination of the outreach, technical assistance, 
and education efforts authorized under agriculture programs; and
    (B) To assist the Secretary in:
    (i) Reaching current and prospective socially disadvantaged farmers 
or ranchers and veteran farmers or ranchers in a linguistically 
appropriate manner; and
    (ii) improving the participation of those farmers and ranchers in 
Department programs, as reported under section 2279-1 of this title''.
    Proposal applications from eligible entities must address two or 
more of the following priority areas:
    1. Assist socially disadvantaged or veteran farmers and ranchers in 
owning and operating successful farms and ranches;
    2. Improve participation among socially disadvantaged or veteran 
farmers and ranchers in USDA programs;
    3. Build relationships between current and prospective farmers and 
ranchers who are either socially disadvantaged or veterans and USDA's 
local, state, regional, and National offices;
    4. Introduce agriculture-related information to socially 
disadvantaged or veteran farmers and ranchers through innovative 
training and technical assistance techniques; and
    5. Introduce agricultural education targeting socially 
disadvantaged youth and/or socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and 
workers, including but not limited to StrikeForce and Promise Zone 
areas.
    To encourage information sharing and to build capacity among 
awardees, the OAO may require Project Directors to attend an annual 
training conference that can be expensed with awarded grant funds not 
to exceed $1,000 for up to two authorized grantee personnel. The 
conference will allow awardees to share ideas and lessons learned, 
provide training on performance and financial reporting requirements, 
and provide information on USDA programs and services. In addition, 
Project Directors will have an opportunity to make contacts and gather 
information on best practices.

C. Anticipated Outputs (Activities), Outcomes (Results), and 
Performance Measures

    1. Outputs (Activities). The term ``output'' means an outreach, 
educational component or assistance activity, task, or associated work 
product related to improving the ability of socially disadvantaged and 
veteran farmers and ranchers to own and operate farms and ranches, 
assistance with agriculture related activities, or guidance for 
participation in USDA programs. Outputs may be quantitative or 
qualitative but must be measurable during the period of performance.
    Examples of outputs from the projects to be funded under this 
announcement may describe an organization's activities and their 
participants such as: Number of workshops or meetings held and number 
of participants attending; frequency of services or training delivered, 
and to whom; and/or development of products, curriculum, or resources 
provided. Other examples include but are not limited to, the following:
    a. Number of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers or ranchers 
served;
    b. number of conferences or training sessions held and number of 
socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers who attended;
    c. type and topic of educational materials distributed at outreach 
events;
    d. creation of a program to enhance the operational viability of 
socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers;
    e. number of completed applications submitted for consideration for 
USDA programs; or
    f. activity that supports increased participation of socially 
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and veteran farmers and ranchers in 
USDA programs.
    Creation of progress and final reports will be required, as 
specified in Section VI, Subsection D, ``Reporting Requirement.''
    2. Outcomes (Results). The term ``outcome'' means the difference or 
effect that has occurred as a result from carrying out an activity, 
workshop, meeting, or from delivery of services related to a 
programmatic goal or objective. Outcomes refer to the final impact, 
change, or result that occurs as a direct result of the activities 
performed in accomplishing the objectives and goals of your project. 
Outcomes may refer to results that are agricultural, behavioral, 
social, or economic in nature. Outcomes may reflect an increase in 
knowledge or skills, a greater awareness of available resources or 
programs, or actions taken by stakeholders as a result of learning.
    Project Directors will be required to document anticipated outcomes 
that are funded under this announcement which should include but are 
not limited to:
    a. Increase in participation in USDA programs among socially 
disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers;
    b. increase in receptiveness of socially disadvantaged and veteran 
farmers and ranchers to outreach efforts through effective 
communication;
    c. increase in economic stability of socially disadvantaged and 
veteran farmers and ranchers within a defined geographic area;
    d. increase in community marketing and sales opportunities for the 
products of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers; or
    e. increase use of resource conservation and sustainability 
practices among socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and 
ranchers.
    3. Performance Measures. Performance measures are tied to the goals 
or objectives of each activity and ultimately the overall purpose of 
the project. They provide insight into the effectiveness of proposed 
activities by indicating areas where a project may need adjustments to 
ensure success. Applicants must develop performance measure 
expectations which will occur as a result of their proposed activities. 
These expectations will be used as a mechanism to track the progress 
and success of a project. Project performance measures should include 
statements such as: Whether workshops or technical assistance will meet 
the needs of farmers or ranchers in the service area and why; how much 
time will be spent in group training or individual hands-on training of 
farmers and ranchers in the service area; or whether activities will

[[Page 41510]]

meet the demands of stakeholders. Project performance measures must 
include the assumptions used to make those estimates.
    Consider the following questions when developing performance 
measurement statements:
     What is the measurable short-term and long-term impact the 
project will have on servicing or meeting the needs of stakeholders?
     How will the organization measure the effectiveness and 
efficiency of their proposed activities to meet their overall goals and 
objectives?

II. Award Information

A. Statutory Authority

    The statutory authority for this action is 7 U.S.C. 2279, as 
amended, which authorizes award funding for projects designed to 
provide outreach and assistance to socially disadvantaged and veteran 
farmers and ranchers.

B. Expected Amount of Funding

    The total estimated funding expected to be available for awards 
under this competitive opportunity is $8.4 million. Funding will be 
awarded based on peer competition within the three categories listed 
below. OAO reserves the discretion to allocate funding between the 
categories based upon the number and quality of applications received. 
There is no commitment by OAO to fund any particular application or to 
make a specific number of awards within each category.
    1. Category #1: Eligible entities described in Sections III.A.2, 
III.A.3, and III.A.4 (1890 Land Grant colleges and universities, 1994 
Alaska Native and American Indian Tribal colleges and universities, and 
Hispanic-Serving colleges and universities). OAO anticipates making 
awards totaling at least $2 million for Category #1 applicants.
    2. Category #2: Eligible entities described in Sections III.A.1 and 
III.A.6 (i.e., nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, 
including a network or a coalition of community-based organizations, 
Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 450b), and National tribal 
organizations). OAO anticipates making awards totaling at least $2 
million for Category #2 applicants.
    3. Category #3: Eligible entities described in Sections III.A.5 and 
III.A.7 (i.e., all other institutions of higher education and other 
organizations or institutions, including those that received funding 
under this program before January 1, 1996). OAO anticipates making 
awards totaling at least $1 million for Category #3 applicants.

C. Project Period

    The performance period for projects selected from this solicitation 
will not begin prior to the effective award date and may not exceed one 
(1) year. Projects that are part of multi-year initiatives will only be 
funded for one year and will be eligible to compete for additional 
funding in subsequent years.

D. Award Type

    Funding for selected projects will be in the form of a grant which 
must be fully executed no later than September 30, 2016. The 
anticipated Federal involvement will be limited to the following 
activities:
    1. Approval of awardees' final budget and statement of work 
accompanying the grant agreement;
    2. Monitoring of awardees' performance through quarterly and final 
financial and performance reports; and
    3. Evaluation of awardees' use of federal funds through desk audits 
and on-site visits.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Entities

    1. Any community-based organization, network, or coalition of 
community-based organizations that:
     Demonstrates experience in providing agricultural 
education or other agricultural-related services to socially 
disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers;
     provides documentary evidence of work with, and on behalf 
of, socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers during the 
3-year period preceding the submission of a proposal for assistance 
under this program; and
     does not or has not engaged in activities prohibited under 
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
    2. An 1890 or 1994 institution of higher education (as defined in 7 
U.S.C. 7601).
    3. An American Indian tribal community college or an Alaska Native 
cooperative college.
    4. A Hispanic-Serving Institution of higher education (as defined 
in 7 U.S.C. 3103).
    5. Any other institution of higher education (as defined in 20 
U.S.C. 1001) that has demonstrated experience in providing agricultural 
education or other agricultural-related services to socially 
disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
    6. An Indian tribe (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 450b) or a National 
tribal organization that has demonstrated experience in providing 
agricultural education or other agriculturally-related services to 
socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.
    7. All other organizations or institutions that received funding 
under this program before January 1, 1996, but only with respect to 
projects that the Secretary considers are similar to projects 
previously carried out by the entity under this program.

B. Cost-Sharing or Matching

    Matching is not required for this program.

C. Threshold Eligibility Criteria

    Applications from eligible entities that meet all criteria will be 
evaluated as follows:
    1. Proposals must comply with the submission instructions and 
requirements set forth in Section IV of this announcement. Pages in 
excess of the page limitation will not be considered.
    2. Proposals must be received through www.grants.gov as specified 
in Section IV of this announcement on or before the proposal submission 
deadline. Applicants will receive an electronic confirmation receipt of 
their proposal from www.grants.gov.
    3. Proposals received after the submission deadline will not be 
considered. Please note that in order to submit proposals organizations 
must create accounts in www.grants.gov and in the System for Awards 
Management (SAM.gov); both of which could take up to 3 days or longer. 
Therefore, it is strongly suggested that organizations begin this 
process immediately. Registering early could prevent unforeseen delays 
in submitting your proposal.
    4. Proposals must address a minimum of two or more of the priority 
areas that provide outreach and assistance to socially disadvantaged or 
veteran farmers and ranchers as stated in section I, subsection B, 
Scope of Work.

IV. Proposal and Submission Information

A. System for Award Management (SAM)

    It is a requirement to register for SAM (www.sam.gov). There is NO 
fee to register for this site.
    Per 2 CFR part 200, applicants are required to: (i) Be registered 
in SAM before submitting an application; (ii) provide a valid unique 
entity identifier in the application; and (iii) continue to maintain an 
active SAM registration with current information at all times

[[Page 41511]]

during which the organization has an active Federal award or an 
application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. 
The OAO may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the 
applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and 
SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the 
requirements by the time the OAO is ready to make a Federal award, OAO 
may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal 
award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award 
to another applicant.
    SAM contains the publicly available data for all active exclusion 
records entered by the Federal government identifying those parties 
excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and 
certain types of Federal financial and non-financial assistance and 
benefits. All applicant organizations and their key personnel will be 
vetted through SAM.gov to ensure they are in compliance with this 
requirement and not on the Excluded Parties List.

B. Obtain Proposal Package From www.grants.gov

    Applicants may download individual grant proposal forms from 
www.grants.gov. For assistance with www.grants.gov, please consult the 
Applicant User Guide at (http://grants.gov/assets/ApplicantUserGuide.pdf).
    Applicants are required to submit proposals through www.grants.gov. 
Applicants will be required to register through www.grants.gov in order 
to begin the proposal submission process. We strongly suggest you 
initiate this process immediately to avoid processing delays due to 
registration requirements.
    Federal agencies post funding opportunities on www.grants.gov. The 
OAO is not responsible for submission issues associated with 
www.grants.gov. If you experience submission issues, please contact 
www.grants.gov support staff for assistance.
    Proposals must be submitted by July 29, 2016, via www.grants.gov at 
11:59 p.m. EST. Proposals received after this deadline will not be 
considered.

C. Content of Proposal Package Submission

    All submissions must contain completed and electronically signed 
original application forms, as well as a Narrative Proposal, as 
described below:
    1. Forms. The forms listed below can be found in the proposal 
package at www.grants.gov.
     Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal 
Assistance;
     Standard Form (SF) 424A, Budget Information-Non-
Construction Programs; and
     Standard Form (SF) 424B, Non-Construction Programs.
     Key Contacts Form
     Form AD-1047 Certification Regarding Debarment and 
Suspension
     Certification Regarding Lobbying
     Form AD-1049 Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace
    2. Attachments. The elements listed below are required for all 
grant proposals and are included in the proposal package at 
www.grants.gov as fillable PDF templates. Applicants must download and 
complete these attachments and save the completed PDF files to the 
application submission portal at www.grants.gov. Attachment 1 will 
consist of the Project Summary Page and the Project Narrative. 
Attachment 2 will consist of the Budget Narrative. Attachment 3 will 
consist of Appendices. NOTE: Please number each page of each attachment 
and indicate the total number of pages per attachment (i.e., 1 of 10, 2 
of 10, etc.).
     Attachment 1: Project Summary Page and Project Narrative. 
The proposal must contain a Project Summary Page, which should not be 
numbered and must follow immediately after the SF Form 424, Application 
for Federal Assistance form. The Project Summary Page is limited to 250 
words. It should be a synopsis or summary of the project's goals and 
objectives. It should be written as a CONCISE notice or advertisement 
about your organization, including its name; two or three sentences 
describing your project; the project's geographic service area; and the 
Project Director's name, email address, and telephone number. No points 
will be given or subtracted for the Project Summary Page. This will 
allow OAO to quickly glean pertinent information on the project. 
Organizations can expect that the Project Summary Page may be used in 
its entirety or in part for media purposes to include press releases, 
in informational emails to potential stakeholders or partners, to 
provide upper echelons of government with a snapshot of an 
organization, and for demographic purposes. Please do not restate the 
objectives of the 2501 Program (i.e. ``to provide outreach and 
assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and veterans 
farmers and ranchers''); it should reflect the goal of your specific 
project.
     Attachment 1: Project Narrative. In 15 double-spaced pages 
or less, using one-inch margins and 12-point font, indicate the 
organization that will conduct the project, the geographical area 
served by the project, and the priority areas that will be addressed by 
the project. Please be concise and note, members of the reviewing panel 
will not be required to review proposals of organizations which have 
deviated from these formatting specifications or have used alternative 
font sizes and margins.
    [cir] Discuss the merits of your proposed project. Specifically, 
proposals must: (1) Define and establish the existence of the needs of 
socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, veteran farmers and 
ranchers, or both in the defined geographic area; (2) identify the 
experience of the organization(s) taking part in the project; (3) 
identify the geographic area of service; and (4) discuss the potential 
impact of the project.
    [cir] Identify the qualifications, relevant experience, education, 
and publications of each Project Director or collaborator. Also, 
specifically address the work to be completed by key personnel and the 
roles and responsibilities within the scope of the proposed project. 
This includes past completed projects and financial management 
experiences.
    [cir] In an organized format, create a timeline for each task to be 
accomplished during the period of performance timeframe. Relate each 
task to one of the four priority areas in Section I, Subsection B. The 
timeline is part of the 15 page limit but can be as simple as a one-
page description of tasks.
     Attachment 2: Budget Narrative. The Budget Narrative 
should identify and describe the costs associated with the proposed 
project, including sub-awards or contracts and indirect costs. An 
eligible entity that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate 
may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total 
direct costs in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f). Organizations with 
previously approved indirect cost rates must submit their negotiated 
indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) with this application in 
Attachment 3. Other funding sources may also be identified in this 
attachment. Each cost indicated must be reasonable, allocable, 
necessary and allowable under the Federal Cost Principles (2 CFR part 
200, subpart E-Cost Principles) in order to be funded. The Budget 
Narrative should not exceed two pages and is not part of the Project 
Narrative.
     Attachment 3: Appendices. Organizations may submit Letters 
of Commitment, Letters of Support, or other supporting documentation 
which is encouraged but not required.

[[Page 41512]]

Applicants can consolidate all supplemental materials into one 
additional attachment. Do not include sections from other attachments 
as an Appendix.
    Checklist of documents to submit through www.grants.gov:
    1. SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance
    Note: Ensure this is completed with accuracy; particularly email 
addresses and phone numbers. OAO may not be able to reach you if your 
information is incorrect.
    2. Project Summary Page (no more than 250 words).
    3. Project Narrative including a timeline (no more than 15 pages, 
12 point font, and 1 inch margins only).

    Note:  To ensure fairness and uniformity for all applicants, 
Project Narratives not conforming to this stipulation may not be 
considered.

    4. SF-424A Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs.
    5. Budget Narrative (not to exceed 2 pages).
    6. Key Contacts Form
    Note: Please ensure these are completed with accuracy; individuals 
not on applicants' Key Contact Form will not receive information about 
or access to data that concerns the applicant organization.
    7. Form AD-1047 Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and 
Other Responsibility Matters.
    8. Certification Regarding Lobbying.
    9. Form AD-1049 Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements (Grants).
    10. Letters of Support, Letters of Recommendation, proof of 
501(c)(3) status, r[eacute]sum[eacute]s of key personnel, negotiated 
indirect cost rate agreements, etc.
    Best practice notes:
    * Only submit Adobe pdf file format documents to www.grants.gov.
    * Name your documents with short titles to prevent issues with 
uploading/downloading documents from www.grants.gov. Documents with 
long names may not always upload/download properly.
    * WHERE TO UPLOAD ATTACHMENTS ON YOUR APPLICATION: There are three 
blocks on the application where you may upload attachments: after block 
14, after block 15, and after block 16. All attachments may be uploaded 
after each of these blocks on the tab that states: ``Add Attachments.''

D. Sub-Awards and Partnerships

    Funding may be used to provide sub-awards, which includes using 
sub-awards to fund partnerships; however, the awardee must utilize at 
least 50 percent of the total funds awarded, and no more than three 
subcontracts will be permitted. All sub-awardees must comply with 
applicable requirements for sub-awards. Applicants must provide 
documentation of a competitive bidding process for services, contracts, 
and products, including consultant contracts, and conduct cost and 
price analyses to the extent required by applicable procurement 
regulations.
    The OAO awards funds to one eligible applicant as the awardee. 
Please indicate a lead applicant as the responsible party if other 
organizations are named as partners or co-applicants or members of a 
coalition or consortium. The awardee is accountable to the OAO for the 
proper expenditure of all funds.

E. Submission Dates and Times

    The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions is 
July 29, 2016, at 11:59 p.m., EST via www.grants.gov. Proposals 
received after the submission deadline will be considered late without 
further consideration. Proposals must be submitted through 
www.grants.gov without exception. Additionally, organizations must also 
be registered in the SAM (www.sam.gov). Creating an account for both 
Web sites can take several days to receive account verification and/or 
PIN numbers. Please allow sufficient time to complete access 
requirements for these Web sites. Proposal submission deadline is firm.

F. Confidential Information

    In accordance with 2 CFR part 200, the names of entities submitting 
proposals, as well as proposal contents and evaluations, will be kept 
confidential to the extent permissible by law. If an applicant chooses 
to include confidential or proprietary information in the proposal, it 
will be treated in accordance with Exemption 4 of the Freedom of 
Information Act (FOIA). Exemption 4 of the FOIA protects trade secrets, 
and commercial and financial information obtained from a person that is 
privileged or confidential.

G. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance

    1. The OAO may not assist individual applicants by reviewing draft 
proposals or providing advice on how to respond to evaluation criteria. 
However, the OAO will respond to questions from individual applicants 
regarding eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the 
submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification regarding 
the announcement. Any questions should be submitted to 
[email protected].
    2. The OAO will post questions and answers relating to this funding 
opportunity during its open period on the Frequently Asked Questions 
(FAQs) section of our Web site: http://www.outreach.usda.gov/grants/. 
The OAO will update the FAQs on a weekly basis and conduct webinars on 
an as-needed basis.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

    Only eligible entities whose proposals meet the threshold criteria 
in Section III of this announcement will be reviewed according to the 
evaluation criteria set forth below. Applicants should explicitly and 
fully address these criteria as part of their proposal package. Each 
proposal will be reviewed under the regulations established under 2 CFR 
part 200.
    A review panel that is independent of OAO will use a point system 
to rate each proposal, awarding a maximum of 100 points (95 points, 
plus an additional 5 discretionary points for programmatic priorities). 
Each proposal will be reviewed by at least two members of the 
Independent Review Panel who will review and score all applications 
submitted. The Independent Review Panel will numerically score and rank 
each application within the three categories and funding decisions will 
be based on their recommendations to the designated approving official. 
Final funding decisions will be made by the designated approving 
official.

B. Evaluation Criteria for New Grants Proposals

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Criteria                              Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Project Narrative: Under this criterion, your                      45
 proposal will be evaluated to the extent to which the
 narrative includes a well-conceived strategy for
 addressing the requirements and objectives stated in:
 Section I, Part B, Scope of Work, (see page 4, Project
 Narrative, for further clarification) identifying a
 minimum of two or more of the priority areas...........
In addition, the OAO may award up to five discretionary                5
 points (one point each) for the following Secretary
 priorities and initiatives:............................
     Projects assisting beginning farmers and
     ranchers (as defined in 7 U.S.C. 3319f);

[[Page 41513]]

 
     Projects to assist StrikeForce states/
     communities as identified through the StrikeForce
     Initiative;
     Projects that propose to assist with USDA's
     commitment to Tribal organizations with successful
     demonstration on implementation methods
     encompassing Tribal participation and buy-in;
     Projects located in rural Promise Zones;
     Projects with an emphasis on partnering
     with other USDA agencies, other Federal, state, and
     local entities, to maximize areas of coverage for
     outreach (i.e., research, small and beginning
     farmers, and feeding programs, etc.);
2. Programmatic Capability: Under this criterion,                     10
 applicants will be evaluated based on their ability to
 successfully complete and manage the proposed project
 taking into account the applicant's: Organizational
 experience, its staff's expertise and/or
 qualifications, and the organization's resources. The
 organization must also clearly document its historical
 successes and future plans to continue assisting
 socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers
3. Financial Management Experience: Under this                         5
 criterion, applicants will be evaluated based on their
 demonstrated ability to successfully complete and
 manage the proposed project taking into account the
 applicants' past performance in successfully completing
 and managing prior funding agreements identified,
 Section I, Part C, Performance Measures (see page 6).
 Past performance documentation on successfully
 completed projects may be at the Federal, state, or
 local community level. Per 2 CFR 200.205, if an
 applicant is a prior recipient of Federal awards, their
 record in managing that award will be reviewed,
 including timeliness of compliance with applicable
 reporting requirements and conformance to the terms and
 conditions of previous Federal awards..................
4. Budget: Under this criterion, proposed project budget              15
 will be evaluated to determine whether costs are
 reasonable, allowable, allocable and necessary to
 accomplish the proposed goals and objectives; and
 whether the proposed budget provides a detailed
 breakdown of the approximate funding used for each
 major activity. Additionally, indirect costs must be
 appropriately applied (see page 11). For a list of
 unallowable costs, please see 2 CFR part 200, subpart E
5. Tracking and Measuring: Under this criterion, the                  20
 applicant's proposal will be evaluated based upon
 clearly documenting a detailed plan for tracking and
 measuring their progress toward achieving the expected
 project outputs and outcomes as stated in Section I,
 part C, Performance Measures (see pages 4 and 5).
 Applicants should indicate how they intend to clearly
 document the effectiveness of their project in
 achieving proposed thresholds or benchmarks in relation
 to stated goals and objectives. For example, state how
 your organization plans to connect socially
 disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers with
 USDA agricultural programs. Applicants must clearly
 demonstrate how they will ensure timely and successful
 completion of the project with a reasonable time
 schedule for execution of the tasks associated with the
 projects...............................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

C. Selection of Reviewers

    All applications will be reviewed by members of an Independent 
Review Panel. Panel members are selected based upon training and 
experience in relevant fields including outreach, technical assistance, 
cooperative extension services, civil rights, education, statistical 
and ethnographic data collection and analysis, and agricultural 
programs and are drawn from a diverse group of experts to create a 
balanced panel.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

Proposal Notifications and Feedback
    1. The successful applicant will be notified by the OAO via 
telephone, email, or postal mail. The notification will advise the 
applicant that its proposed project has been evaluated and recommended 
for award. The notification will be sent to the Project Manager listed 
on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. Project Managers 
should be the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) and 
authorized to sign on behalf of the organization. It is imperative that 
this individual is responsive to notifications by the OAO. If the 
individual is no longer in the position, please notify the OAO 
immediately to submit the new contact for the application. The award 
notice will be forwarded to the grantee for execution and must be 
returned to the OAO grants officer, who is the authorizing official. 
Once grant documents are executed by all parties, authorization to 
begin work will be given. At a minimum, this process can take up to 30 
days from the date of notification.
    2. The OAO will also send notification to unsuccessful applicants 
via email or postal mail. The notification will be sent to the Project 
Manager listed on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. 
Project Managers should be the Authorized Organizational Representative 
(AOR).
    3. Within ten days of award status notification, unsuccessful 
applicants may request feedback on their application. Feedback will be 
provided as expeditiously as possible. Feedback sessions will be 
scheduled contingent upon the number of requests. 7 CFR 2500.026.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    All awards resulting from this solicitation will be administered in 
accordance with the Office and Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards codified at 2 CFR part 200, as supplemented by USDA 
implementing regulations at 2 CFR parts 400 and 415, and OAO Federal 
Financial Assistance Programs--General Award Administrative Procedures, 
7 CFR part 2500.
    In compliance with its obligations under Title VI of the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13166, it is the policy of the 
OAO to provide timely and meaningful access for persons with Limited 
English Proficiency (LEP) to projects, programs, and activities 
administered by Federal grant recipients. Recipient organizations must 
comply with these obligations upon acceptance of grant agreements as 
written in OAO's Terms and Conditions. Following these guidelines is 
essential to the success of our mission to improve access to USDA 
programs for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers.

C. Data Universal Numbering System, System for Award Management, and 
Central Contractor Registry Registration

    In accordance with the Federal Funding Accountability and 
Transparency Act (FFATA) and the USDA implementation, all applicants 
must obtain and provide an identifying number from Dun and Bradstreet's 
(D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS). Applicants can receive a 
DUNS number, at no cost, by calling the toll-free DUNS Number request 
line at 1-866-705-5711, or visiting the D&B Web site at www.dnb.com.
    In addition, FFATA requires applicants to register with the Central 
Contractor Registry (CCR) and the

[[Page 41514]]

System for Award Management (SAM). This registration must be maintained 
and updated annually. Applicants can register or update their profile, 
at no cost, by visiting the SAM Web site at www.sam.gov which will 
satisfy both the CCR and SAM registration requirements. This is a 
requirement to register for www.grants.gov.

D. Reporting Requirement

    In accordance with 2 CFR part 200, the following reporting 
requirements will apply to awards provided under this FOA. The OAO 
reserves the right to revise the schedule and format of reporting 
requirements as necessary in the award agreement.
    1. Quarterly Progress Reports and Financial Reports will be 
required.
     Quarterly Progress Reports. The awardee must submit the 
OMB-approved Performance Progress Report form (SF-PPR, Approval Number: 
0970-0334). For each report, the awardee must complete fields 1 through 
12 of the SF-PPR. To complete field 10, the awardee is required to 
provide a detailed narrative of project performance and activities as 
an attachment, as described in the award agreement. Quarterly progress 
reports must be submitted to the designated OAO official within 30 days 
after the end of each calendar quarter.
     Quarterly Financial Reports. The awardee must submit the 
Standard Form 425, Federal Financial Report. For each report, the 
awardee must complete both the Federal Cash Transaction Report and the 
Financial Status Report sections of the SF-425. Quarterly financial 
reports must be submitted to the designated OAO official within 30 days 
after the end of each calendar quarter.
    2. Final progress and financial reports will be required upon 
project completion. The final progress report should include a summary 
of the project or activity throughout the funding period, achievements 
of the project or activity, and a discussion of problems experienced in 
conducting the project or activity. The final financial report should 
consist of a complete SF-425 indicating the total costs of the project. 
Final progress and financial reports must be submitted to the 
designated OAO official within 90 days after the completion of the 
award period.

    Signed this 20th day of June 2016.
Christian Obineme,
Associate Director, Office of Advocacy and Outreach.
[FR Doc. 2016-15124 Filed 6-24-16; 8:45 am]
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