[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 63 (Monday, April 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19714-19727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-06827]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Community Development Financial Institutions Fund


Funding Opportunities: Bank Enterprise Award (BEA) Program; FY 
2023 Funding Round

    Funding Opportunity Title: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) 
inviting Applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Funding Round of 
the Bank Enterprise Award Program (BEA Program).
    Announcement Type: Announcement of funding opportunity.
    Funding Opportunity Number: CDFI-2023-BEA.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 21.021.
    Dates:

                      Table 1--FY 2023 BEA Program Funding Round--Key Dates for Applicants
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Description                      Deadline          Time (eastern time--ET)    Contact information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grant Application Package/SF-424      May 2, 2023............  11:59 p.m                 Contact Grants.gov at
 Mandatory (Application for Federal                                                       800-518-4726 or
 Assistance).                                                                             [email protected].
Submission Method: Electronically
 via Grants.gov.
Last day to register a user and       May 2, 2023............  5 p.m                     CDFI Fund IT Helpdesk:
 organization in AMIS.                                                                    202-653-0422 or IT
                                                                                          Award Management
                                                                                          Information System
                                                                                          (AMIS) Service
                                                                                          Request.\1\
Last day to enter, edit or delete     May 30, 2023...........  5 p.m                     CDFI Fund IT Helpdesk:
 BEA transactions, and verify                                                             202-653-0422 or IT
 addresses/census tracts in AMIS.                                                         AMIS Service
                                                                                          Request.\2\
Last day to contact BEA Program       May 30, 2023...........  5 p.m                     CDFI Fund BEA Helpdesk:
 Staff re: BEA Program Application                                                        202-653-0421 or BEA
 materials.                                                                               AMIS Service
                                                                                          Request.\3\
Last day to contact Certification,    May 30, 2023...........  5 p.m                     CCME Helpdesk: 202-653-
 Compliance Monitoring and                                                                0423 or Compliance and
 Evaluation (CCME) staff.                                                                 Reporting AMIS Service
                                                                                          Request.\4\
Last day to contact IT Help Desk re:  June 1, 2023...........  5 p.m                     CDFI Fund IT Helpdesk:
 AMIS support and submission of the                                                       202-653-0421 or IT
 FY 2023 BEA Program Electronic                                                           AMIS Service
 Application in AMIS.                                                                     Request.\5\
FY 2023 BEA Program Electronic        June 1, 2023...........  5 p.m                     CDFI Fund IT Helpdesk:
 Application.                                                                             202-653-0422 or IT
                                                                                          AMIS Service
                                                                                          Request.\6\
Submission Method: Electronically
 via AMIS.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For Information Technology support, the preferred method of contact is to submit a Service Request (SR)
  within AMIS. For the SR, select ``Technical Issues'' from the Program drop down menu.
\2\ Ibid.

[[Page 19715]]

 
\3\ For questions regarding completion of the BEA Application materials, the preferred electronic method of
  contact with the BEA Program Office is to submit a Service Request (SR) within AMIS. For the SR, select ``BEA
  Program'' from the Program drop down menu of the Service Request.
\4\ For Compliance and Reporting related questions, the preferred electronic method of contact is to submit a
  Service Request (SR) within AMIS. For the SR, select ``Compliance and Reporting'' from the Program drop down
  menu of the Service Request.
\5\ For Information Technology support, the preferred method of contact is to submit a Service Request (SR)
  within AMIS. For the SR, select ``Technical Issues'' from the Program drop down menu of the Service Request.
\6\ Ibid.

    Executive Summary: This NOFA is issued in connection with the 
fiscal year (FY) 2023 funding round of the Bank Enterprise Award 
Program (BEA Program). The BEA Program is administered by the U.S. 
Department of the Treasury's Community Development Financial 
Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund). Through the BEA Program, the CDFI Fund 
awards formula-based grants to depository institutions that are insured 
by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for increasing 
their levels of loans, investments, Service Activities, and technical 
assistance to residents and businesses in the most economically 
Distressed Communities, and financial assistance and technical 
assistance to Certified Community Development Financial Institutions 
(CDFIs) through equity investments, equity-like loans, grants, stock 
purchases, loans, deposits, and other forms of assistance, during a 
specified period.

I. Program Description

    A. History: The CDFI Fund was established by the Riegle Community 
Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994 to promote economic 
revitalization and community development through investment in and 
assistance to CDFIs.
    The BEA Program complements the community development activities of 
banks and thrifts (collectively referred to as banks for purposes of 
this NOFA), by providing financial incentives to expand investments in 
CDFIs and to increase lending, investment, and Service Activities 
within Distressed Communities. Providing monetary awards to banks for 
increasing their community development activities leverages the CDFI 
Fund's dollars and puts more capital to work in Distressed Communities 
throughout the nation.
    B. Authorizing Statutes and Regulations: The BEA Program was 
authorized by the Bank Enterprise Award Act of 1991, as amended. The 
regulations governing the BEA Program can be found at 12 CFR part 1806 
(the Interim Rule). The Interim Rule provides the evaluation criteria 
and other requirements of the BEA Program. Detailed BEA Program 
requirements are also found in the application materials associated 
with this NOFA (the Application). The CDFI Fund encourages interested 
parties and Applicants to review the authorizing statute, Interim Rule, 
this NOFA, the Application, and the Uniform Administrative 
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal 
Awards (Uniform Administrative Requirements) for a complete 
understanding of the BEA Program. Capitalized terms in this NOFA are 
defined in the authorizing statute, the Interim Rule, this NOFA, the 
Application, or the Uniform Administrative Requirements. Details 
regarding Application content requirements are found in the Application 
and related materials. Application materials can be found on Grants.gov 
and the CDFI Fund's website at www.cdfifund.gov/bea.
    C. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit 
Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR part 200): The Uniform 
Administrative Requirements codify financial, administrative, 
procurement, and program management standards that Federal award-making 
agencies and Award Recipients must follow. When evaluating award 
applications, awarding agencies must evaluate the risks to the program 
posed by each Applicant, and each Applicant's merits and eligibility. 
These requirements are designed to ensure that Applicants for Federal 
assistance receive a fair and consistent review prior to an award 
decision. This review will assess items such as the Applicant's 
financial stability, quality of management systems, history of 
performance, and audit findings. In addition, the Uniform Requirements 
include guidance on audit requirements and other award requirements 
with which Award Recipients must comply.
    D. Priorities: Through the BEA Program, the CDFI Fund specifies the 
following priorities:
    1. Estimated Award Amounts: The award percentage used to derive the 
estimated award amount for Applicants that are CDFIs is three times 
greater than the award percentage used to derive the estimated award 
amount for Applicants that are not CDFIs;
    2. Priority Factors: Priority Factors will be assigned based on an 
Applicant's asset size, as described in Section V.A.14 of this NOFA 
(Application Review Information: Priority Factors); and
    3. Priority of Awards: The CDFI Fund will rank Applicants in each 
category of Qualified Activity according to the priorities described in 
Section V.A.16. of this NOFA (Application Review Information: Award 
Percentages, Award Amounts, Application Review Process, Selection 
Process, Programmatic Financial Risk, and Application Rejection), and 
specifically parts V.B.2: Selection Process, V.B.3: Programmatic and 
Financial Risk, and V.B.4: Persistent Poverty Counties.
    E. Baseline Period and Assessment Period Dates: A BEA Program Award 
is based on an Applicant's increase in Qualified Activities from the 
Baseline Period to the Assessment Period, as reported on an individual 
transaction basis in the Application. For the FY 2023 funding round, 
the Baseline Period is (January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021), and the 
Assessment Period is (July 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022).
    F. Funding Limitations: The CDFI Fund reserves the right to fund, 
in whole or in part, any, all, or none of the Applications submitted in 
response to this NOFA. The CDFI Fund also reserves the right to 
reallocate funds from the amount that is available through this NOFA to 
other CDFI Fund programs, or to reallocate remaining funds to a future 
BEA Program funding round, particularly if the CDFI Fund determines 
that the number of awards made through this NOFA is fewer than 
projected.
    G. Persistent Poverty Counties: Pursuant to the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328), Congress mandated that at 
least ten percent of the CDFI Fund's appropriations be directed to 
counties that meet the criteria for ``Persistent Poverty'' designation. 
Persistent Poverty Counties (PPCs) are defined as any county, including 
county equivalent areas in Puerto Rico, that has had 20 percent or more 
of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years, as measured 
by the 1990, 2000, and 2010 decennial censuses, and the 2016-2020 5-
year data series available from the American Community Survey of the 
Census Bureau or any other territory or possession of the United States 
that has had 20 percent or more of its population living in poverty 
over the past 30 years, as measured by the 1990, 2000 and 2010

[[Page 19716]]

Island Areas Decennial Censuses, or equivalent data, of the Bureau of 
the Census and published by the CDFI Fund at: https://www.cdfifund.gov/sites/cdfi/files/2023-03/PPC_2020_ACS_Jan20_2023.xlsx. Applicants that 
apply under this NOFA will be required to indicate the minimum and 
maximum percentage of the BEA Program Award that the Applicant will 
commit to investing in PPCs.

II. Federal Award Information

    A. Funding Availability: The CDFI Fund expects to award up to $70 
million for the FY 2023 BEA Program Award round under this NOFA. The 
CDFI Fund reserves the right to award in excess of said funds under 
this NOFA, provided that the appropriated funds are available. The CDFI 
Fund reserves the right to impose a minimum or maximum award amount; 
however, under no circumstances will an award be higher than $1 million 
for any Award Recipient.
    B. Types of Awards: BEA Program Awards are made in the form of 
grants.
    C. Anticipated Start Date and Period of Performance: The CDFI Fund 
anticipates the period of performance for the FY 2023 funding round 
will begin in the fall of calendar year 2023. Specifically, the Period 
of Performance begins on the Federal Award Date and will conclude at 
least one (1) full year after the Federal Award Date as further 
specified in the BEA Program Award Agreement (Award Agreement), during 
which the Award Recipient must meet the performance goals set forth in 
the Award Agreement.
    D. Eligible Activities: Eligible activities for BEA Program 
Applicants are referred to as Qualified Activities and are defined in 
the Interim Rule to include CDFI Related Activities, Distressed 
Community Financing Activities, and Service Activities (12 CFR 
1806.103).
    CDFI Related Activities (12 CFR 1806.103) means CDFI Equity and 
CDFI Support Activities. CDFI Equity consists of Equity Investments, 
Equity-Like Loans, and Grants. CDFI Support Activities includes Loans, 
Deposits and Technical Assistance.
    Distressed Community Financing Activities (12 CFR 1806.103) means 
Consumer Loans and Commercial Loans and Investments. Consumer Loans 
include Affordable Housing Loans; Education Loans; Home Improvement 
Loans; and Small Dollar Consumer Loans. Commercial Loans and 
Investments includes Affordable Housing Development Loans and related 
Project Investments; Commercial Real Estate Loans and related Project 
Investments; and Small Business Loans and related Project Investments. 
Service Activities (12 CFR 1806.103) include Deposit Liabilities, 
Financial Services, Community Services, Targeted Financial Services, 
and Targeted Retail Savings/Investment Products.
    When calculating BEA Program Award amounts, the CDFI Fund will only 
consider the amount of a Qualified Activity that has been fully 
disbursed, subject to the requirements outlined in Section VI. of this 
NOFA, in the case of Commercial Real Estate Loans and related Project 
Investments, the total principal amount of the transaction must be $10 
million or less to be considered a Qualified Activity. Notwithstanding 
the foregoing, the CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion, may consider 
transactions with a total principal value of over $10 million, subject 
to review.
    An activity funded with prior BEA Program Award dollars, or funded 
to satisfy requirements of an Award Agreement from a prior BEA Program 
award or an agreement under any CDFI Fund program, shall not constitute 
a Qualified Activity for the purposes of calculating or receiving an 
award.
    E. Distressed Community: A Distressed Community must meet certain 
minimum geographic area and eligibility requirements, which are defined 
in the Interim Rule at 12 CFR 1806.103 and more fully described in 12 
CFR 1806.401. Applicants should use the CDFI Information Mapping System 
(CIMS) mapping tool to determine whether a Baseline Period activity or 
Assessment Period activity is located in a qualified Distressed 
Community. The CIMS mapping tool can be accessed through AMIS or the 
CDFI Fund's website at https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/mapping-system.aspx. The CIMS mapping tool contains a step-by-step training 
manual on how to use the tool. In addition, further instructions to 
determine whether an activity is located in a qualified BEA Distressed 
Community can be located at; https://www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/bank-enterprise-award/apply-step:, when selecting the 
BEA Program Application CIMS3 Instructions document in the 
``Application Materials'' section of the BEA web page on the CDFI 
Fund's website. If you have any questions or problems with accessing 
the CIMS mapping tool, please contact the CDFI Fund IT Help Desk by 
telephone at (202) 653-0300, or by IT AMIS Service Request.
    Please note that a Distressed Community as defined by the BEA 
Program is not the same as an Investment Area as defined by the CDFI 
Program, a Low-Income Community as defined by the NMTC Program, or an 
Area of Economic Distress as defined by the Capital Magnet Fund 
Program.
    1. Designation of Distressed Community by a CDFI Partner: CDFI 
Partners that receive CDFI Support Activities in the form of loans, 
Technical Assistance or deposits from an Applicant must be integrally 
involved in a Distressed Community. Applicants must provide evidence 
that each CDFI Partner that is the recipient of CDFI Support Activities 
is integrally involved in a Distressed Community, as noted in the 
Application. CDFI Partners that receive Equity Investments, Equity-Like 
Loans or Grants are not required to demonstrate Integral Involvement. 
Additional information on Integral Involvement can be found in Section 
V. of this NOFA.
    2. Distressed Community Determination by a BEA Applicant: 
Applicants applying for a BEA Program Award for performing Distressed 
Community Financing Activities or Service Activities must verify that 
addresses of both Baseline Period and Assessment Period activities are 
in Distressed Communities when completing their Application.
    A BEA Applicant shall determine an area is a Distressed Community 
by:
    a. selecting a census tract where the Qualified Activity occurred 
that meets the minimum area and eligibility requirements; or
    b. selecting the census tract where the Qualified Activity 
occurred, plus one or more census tracts directly contiguous to where 
the Qualified Activity occurred that when considered in the aggregate, 
meet the minimum area and eligibility requirements set forth in this 
section.
    F. Award Agreement: Each Award Recipient under this NOFA must 
electronically sign an Award Agreement via AMIS prior to payment of the 
award proceeds by the CDFI Fund. The Award Agreement contains the terms 
and conditions of the award. For further information, see Section VI. 
of this NOFA.
    G. Use of Award: It is the policy of the CDFI Fund that BEA Program 
Awards may not be used by Award Recipients to recover overhead or 
Indirect Costs. The Award Recipient may use up to 15 percent of the 
total BEA Program Award amount on Qualified Activities as Direct 
Administrative Expenses. ``Direct Administrative Expenses'' shall mean 
Direct Costs, as described in section 2 CFR 200.413 of the Uniform 
Requirements, which are incurred by the Award Recipient to carry out 
the Qualified Activities. Such costs must be able to be specifically 
identified with

[[Page 19717]]

the Qualified Activities and not also recovered as Indirect Costs. 
``Indirect Costs'' means costs or expenses defined in accordance with 
section 2 CFR 200.1 of the Uniform Requirements. In addition, the Award 
Recipient must comply, as applicable, with the Buy American Act of 
1933, 41 U.S.C. 8301-8303 and section 2 CFR 200.216 of the Uniform 
Requirements,\7\ with respect to any Direct Costs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\Sec.  200.216 Prohibition on certain telecommunications and 
video surveillance services or equipment.
    (a) Recipients and subrecipients are prohibited from obligating 
or expending loan or grant funds to:
    (1) Procure or obtain;
    (2) Extend or renew a contract to procure or obtain; or
    (3) Enter into a contract (or extend or renew a contract) to 
procure or obtain, equipment, services, or systems that uses covered 
telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or 
essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part 
of any system. As described in Public Law 115-232, section 889, 
covered telecommunications equipment is telecommunications equipment 
produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any 
subsidiary or affiliated of such entities).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

III. Eligibility Information

    A. Eligible Applicants: For the purposes of this NOFA, the 
following table sets forth the eligibility criteria to receive a BEA 
Program award from the CDFI Fund.

            Table 2--Eligibility Requirements for Applicants
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Criteria                           Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eligible Applicants..........   The depository institution
                                holding company of an Insured Depository
                                Institution may not apply on behalf of
                                an Insured Depository Institution.
                                Applications received from depository
                                institution holding companies will be
                                disqualified.
                                Eligible Applicants for the BEA
                                Program must be Insured Depository
                                Institutions, as defined in the Interim
                                Rule.
                                For the FY 2023 funding round,
                                an Applicant must have been FDIC-insured
                                as of the first day of the Baseline
                                Period, January 1, 2020, and maintain
                                its FDIC-insured status at the time of
                                Application to be eligible for
                                consideration for a BEA Program Award
                                under this NOFA.
CDFI Applicant...............   For the FY 2023 funding round,
                                an eligible Certified-CDFI Applicant is
                                an Insured Depository Institution that
                                is certified as of the publication date
                                of this NOFA in the Federal Register, or
                                has submitted a Certification
                                Application by September 30, 2022 and
                                maintains or receives its status as a
                                Certified CDFI at the time BEA Program
                                Awards are announced.
                                No Applicant may receive a FY
                                2023 BEA Program Award, either directly
                                or through a community partnership, if
                                it has: (1) an application pending for
                                assistance under the CDFI Program; (2)
                                been awarded assistance from the CDFI
                                Fund under the CDFI Program within the
                                12-month period prior to the Federal
                                Award Date of the FY 2023 BEA Program
                                Award Agreement; (3) ever received
                                assistance under the CDFI Program based
                                on the same activities during the same
                                period for which it is seeking a FY 2023
                                BEA Program Award; or (4) ever received
                                assistance from another CDFI Fund
                                program or federal program based on the
                                same activities during the same period
                                for which it is seeking a FY 2023 BEA
                                Program Award.
Debarment/Do Not Pay            The CDFI Fund will conduct a
 Verification.                  debarment check and will not consider an
                                Application submitted by an Applicant
                                (or Affiliate of an Applicant) if the
                                Applicant is delinquent on any Federal
                                debt.
                                The Do Not Pay Business Center
                                was developed to support Federal
                                agencies in their efforts to reduce the
                                number of improper payments made through
                                programs funded by the Federal
                                government. The Do Not Pay Business
                                Center provides delinquency information
                                to the CDFI Fund to assist with the
                                debarment check.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    B. Prior Award Recipients: The previous success of an Applicant in 
any of the CDFI Fund's programs will not be considered under this NOFA. 
Prior BEA Program Award Recipients and prior Award Recipients of other 
CDFI Fund programs are eligible to apply under this NOFA, except as 
noted in the following table:

 Table 3--Eligibility Requirements for Applicants Which Are Prior Award
                               Recipients
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Criteria                           Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pending resolution of Default   If an Applicant (or Affiliate of
 or Noncompliance.              an Applicant) that is a prior Award
                                Recipient or Allocatee under any CDFI
                                Fund program: (i) has demonstrated it is
                                in noncompliance with or default of a
                                previous assistance agreement, award
                                agreement, allocation agreement, bond
                                loan agreement, or agreement to
                                guarantee and (ii) the CDFI Fund has yet
                                to make a final determination as to
                                whether the entity is in noncompliance
                                with or default of its previous
                                agreement, the CDFI Fund will consider
                                the Applicant's Application under this
                                NOFA pending full resolution, in the
                                sole determination of the CDFI Fund, of
                                the noncompliance or default.
Default or Noncompliance        The CDFI Fund will not consider
 status.                        an Application submitted by an Applicant
                                (or Affiliate of such Applicant) that
                                has a previously executed assistance
                                agreement, award agreement, bond loan
                                agreement, or agreement to guarantee or
                                allocation agreement if, as of the date
                                of the Application, (i) the CDFI Fund
                                has made a determination that such
                                entity is noncompliant with and or in
                                default of such previously executed
                                agreement, and (ii) the CDFI Fund has
                                provided written notification that such
                                entity is ineligible to apply for or
                                receive any future CDFI Fund awards or
                                allocations. Such entities will be
                                ineligible to submit an Application for
                                such time period as specified by the
                                CDFI Fund in writing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    C. Contact the CDFI Fund: Accordingly, Applicants that are prior 
Award Recipients and/or Allocatees under any CDFI Fund program are 
advised to comply with requirements specified in an assistance 
agreement, award agreement, allocation agreement, bond loan agreement, 
or agreement to guarantee. All outstanding reports and compliance 
questions should be directed to the Certification, Compliance 
Monitoring and Evaluation helpdesk by submitting a BEA Compliance and 
Reporting AMIS Service Request or by telephone at (202) 653-0423. The 
CDFI Fund will respond to Applicants' reporting, compliance, or 
disbursement questions between the

[[Page 19718]]

hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, starting on the date of the publication 
of this NOFA. The CDFI Fund will not respond to Applicants' reporting, 
compliance, or disbursement telephone calls or electronic inquiries 
received after 5 p.m. ET on May 30, 2023, until after the Application 
deadline. The CDFI Fund will respond to technical issues related to 
AMIS Accounts through 5 p.m. ET on June 1, 2023, via an IT AMIS Service 
Request, email at [email protected], or by telephone at (202) 653-
0422.
    D. Cost sharing or matching fund requirements: Not applicable.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    A. Address to Request an Application Package: Application materials 
can be found on Grants.gov and the CDFI Fund's website at 
www.cdfifund.gov/bea. Applicants may request a paper version of any 
Application material by contacting the CDFI Fund Help Desk at 
[email protected].
    B. Content and Form of Application Submission: All Application 
materials must be prepared using the English language and calculations 
must be made in U.S. dollars. Applicants must submit all materials 
described in and required by the Application by the applicable 
deadlines. Detailed Application content requirements, including 
instructions related to the submission of the Grant Application Package 
in Grants.gov and the FY 2023 BEA Program Application in AMIS, the CDFI 
Fund's web-based portal, are provided in detail in the Application 
Instructions. Once an Application is submitted, the Applicant will not 
be allowed to change any element of the Application. The CDFI Fund 
reserves the right to request and review other pertinent or public 
information that has not been specifically requested in this NOFA or 
the Application.
    C. Application Submission: The CDFI Fund has a two-step submission 
process for BEA Applications that requires the submission of required 
application information on two separate deadlines and in two separate 
and distinct systems, Grants.gov and the CDFI Fund's AMIS. The first 
step is the submission of the Grant Application, which consists solely 
of the Office of Management and Budget Standard Form--424 Mandatory 
(SF-424 Mandatory) Application for Federal Assistance, in Grants.gov. 
The second step is to submit an FY 2023 BEA Program Application in 
AMIS.
    D. Grants.gov: Applicants must be registered with Grants.gov to 
submit the Grants Application Package. The Grants Application Package 
consists of one item, the SF-424 Mandatory. In order to register with 
Grants.gov, Applicants must have a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) and 
have an active registration with SAM.gov. The CDFI Fund strongly 
encourages Applicants to start the Grants.gov registration process as 
soon as possible (refer to the following link: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html) as it may take several weeks to complete. 
Applicants that have previously registered with Grants.gov must verify 
that their registration is current and active. Applicants should 
contact Grants.gov directly with questions related to the registration 
or submission process as the CDFI Fund does not administer or maintain 
this system.
    Applicants are required to submit a Grant Application Package in 
Grants.gov and have it validated by the Grants.gov submission deadline 
of May 2, 2023. The Grant Application Package is validated by 
Grants.gov after the Applicant's initial submission and it may take 
Grants.gov up to 48 hours to complete the validation process. 
Therefore, the CDFI Fund encourages Applicants to submit the Grant 
Application Package as early as possible. This will help to ensure that 
the Grant Application Package is validated before the Grants.gov 
submission deadline and provide time for Applicants to contact 
Grants.gov directly to resolve any submission issues since the CDFI 
Fund does not administer or maintain that system. For more information 
about Grants.gov, please visit https://www.grants.gov and see Table 8 
for Grants.gov contact information.
    The CDFI Fund electronically retrieves validated Grant Application 
Packages from Grants.gov and therefore only considers the submission of 
the Grant Application Package to be successful when it has been 
validated by Grants.gov before the submission deadline. It is the 
Applicant's sole responsibility to ensure that its Grant Application 
Package is submitted and validated by Grants.gov before the submission 
deadline. Applicants that do not successfully submit their Grant 
Application Package and have it validated by the Grants.gov submission 
deadline will not be able to submit a FY 2023 BEA Program Application 
in AMIS. The CDFI Fund will electronically retrieve validated Grant 
Application Packages from Grants.gov on a daily basis. Applicants are 
advised that it will take up to 48 hours from when the CDFI Fund 
retrieves the validated Grant Application Package for it to be 
available in AMIS to associate with a FY 2023 BEA Program Application.
    Once the CDFI Fund has retrieved the validated Grant Application 
Package from Grants.gov and made it available in AMIS, Applicants must 
associate it with their Application. Applicants can begin working on 
their FY 2023 BEA Program Application in AMIS at any time, however, 
they will not be able to submit the Application until the validated 
Grant Application Package is associated, by the Applicant, with the 
Application.
    Applicants are advised that the CDFI Fund will not notify them when 
the validated Grant Application Package has been retrieved from 
Grants.gov or when it is available in AMIS. It is the Applicant's 
responsibility to ensure that the validated SF-424 Mandatory is 
associated with its FY 2023 BEA Application in AMIS. Applicants will 
not be able to submit their FY 2023 BEA Program Application without 
completing this step.
    Applicants are advised that the lookup function in the FY 2023 BEA 
Application in AMIS, uses the UEI reported on the validated Grant 
Application Package to match it with the correct AMIS Organization 
account. Therefore, Applicants must make sure the UEI included in the 
Grant Application Package submitted in Grants.gov matches the UEI in 
their AMIS Organization account. If, for example, the UEI does not 
match because the Applicant inadvertently used the UEI of their Bank 
Holding Company on the Grant Application Package in Grants.gov and is 
attempting to associate with AMIS Organization account of their FDIC-
Insured Bank Subsidiary, the lookup function will not return any 
results and the Applicant will not be able to submit the FY 2023 BEA 
Application.
    Applicants are also highly encouraged to provide EIN, Authorized 
Representative and/or Contact Person information on the Grant 
Application Package that matches the information included in AMIS 
Organization account.
    E. Unique Entity Identifier: The Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) has 
replaced the Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number. The UEI, generated in the System for Award Management 
(SAM.gov), has become the official identifier for doing business with 
the federal government. This transition allows the federal government 
to streamline the entity identification and validation process, making 
it easier and less burdensome for entities to do business with the 
federal government. If an entity is registered in SAM.gov today, its 
UEI has already been assigned and is

[[Page 19719]]

viewable in SAM.gov, this includes inactive registrations. New 
registrants will be assigned a UEI as part of their SAM registration.
    F. System for Award Management (SAM): An active SAM account is 
required to submit the required Grant Application Package in 
Grants.gov. Any entity applying for Federal grants or other forms of 
Federal financial assistance through Grants.gov must be registered in 
SAM in order to submit its Grant Application Package in Grants.gov or 
FY 2023 BEA Program Application in AMIS. When accessing SAM.gov, users 
will be asked to create a login.gov user account (if they don't already 
have one). Going forward, users will use their login.gov username and 
password every time when logging in to SAM.gov. Applicants must have 
established an active SAM.gov account no later than 30 days after the 
release of this NOFA. The SAM registration process can take four weeks 
or longer to complete so Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin 
the registration process upon release of this NOFA in order to avoid 
potential Application submission problems. Applicants that have 
previously completed the SAM registration process must verify that 
their SAM accounts are current and active. Applicants are advised to 
complete the SAM.gov process at least 48 hours in advance of the Grants 
Application Package deadline. Applicants are required to maintain a 
current and active SAM account at all times during which it has an 
active federal award or an application under consideration for an award 
by a federal awarding agency.
    An original, signed notarized letter identifying the authorized 
entity administrator for the entity associated with the UEI is required 
by SAM and must be mailed to the Federal Service Desk.
    This requirement is applicable to new entities registering in SAM 
or on existing registrations where there is no existing entity 
administrator. Existing entities with registered entity administrators 
do not need to submit an annual notarized letter. Applicants that have 
previously completed the SAM registration process must verify that 
their SAM accounts are current and active. Applicants are required to 
maintain a current and active SAM account at all times during which it 
has an active federal award or an application under consideration for 
an award by a federal awarding agency.
    The CDFI Fund will not consider any Applicant that fails to 
properly register or activate its SAM account and, as a result, is 
unable to submit its Grant Application Package in Grants.gov or FY 2023 
BEA Program Application in AMIS by the respective deadlines. Applicants 
must contact SAM directly with questions related to SAM registration or 
account changes as the CDFI Fund does not administer or maintain this 
system. For more information about SAM, please visit https://www.sam.gov or call 866-606-8220.
    G. AMIS: All Applicants must complete an FY 2023 BEA Program 
Application in AMIS, the CDFI Fund's web-based portal. All Applicants 
must register User and Organization accounts in AMIS by May 2, 2023. In 
addition, all BEA transactions must be finalized in AMIS by May 30, 
2023; this includes address/census tract verification. No transactions 
can be added, edited, or deleted after this deadline. Failure to 
register and complete a FY 2023 BEA Program Application in AMIS in 
accordance with the deadlines noted in Table 1: FY 2023 BEA Program 
Funding Round--Key Dates for Applicants will result in the CDFI Fund 
being unable to accept the Application. As AMIS is the CDFI Fund's 
primary means of communication with Applicants and Award Recipients, 
institutions must make sure that they update their contact information 
in their AMIS accounts. In addition, the Applicant should ensure that 
the institution information (name, EIN, UEI, Authorized Representative, 
contact information, etc.) on the Grant Application Package submitted 
as part of the Grant Application Package in Grants.gov matches the 
information in AMIS. EINs and UEIs in the Applicant's SAM account must 
match those listed in AMIS. For more information on AMIS, please see 
the information available through the AMIS Home page at https://amis.cdfifund.gov. Qualified Activity documentation and other 
attachments as specified in the applicable BEA Program Application must 
also be submitted electronically via AMIS. Detailed instructions 
regarding submission of Qualified Activity documentation is provided in 
the Application Instructions and AMIS Training Manual for the BEA 
Program Application. Applicants will not be allowed to submit missing 
Qualified Activity documentation after the BEA Transactions deadline 
and any Qualified Activity missing the required documentation will be 
disqualified. Qualified Activity documentation delivered by hard copy 
to the CDFI Fund's Washington, DC office address will be rejected, 
unless the Applicant previously requested a paper version of the 
Application as described in Section IV.A.
    H. Submission Dates and Times: The following table provides the 
critical deadlines for the FY 2023 BEA Funding Round. Applications and 
any other required documents or attachments received after the 
applicable deadline will be rejected. The document submission deadlines 
stated in this NOFA and the Application are strictly enforced. The CDFI 
Fund will not grant exceptions or waivers for late submissions except 
where the submission delay was a direct result of a Federal government 
administrative or technological error.

        Table 4--Critical Deadlines for FY 2023 BEA Funding Round
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         Time (eastern
           Description                 Deadline              time)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grant Application Package/SF-424  May 2, 2023 2023..  11:59 p.m. ET.
 Mandatory Submission Method:
 Electronically via Grants.gov.
FY 2023 BEA Program Application   June 1, 2023 2023.  5 p.m. ET.
 Submission Method:
 Electronically via AMIS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    1. Confirmation of Application Submission: Applicants may verify 
that their Grant Application Package was successfully submitted and 
validated in Grants.gov and that their FY 2023 BEA Program Application 
was successfully submitted in AMIS. Applicants should note that the 
Grant Application Package consists solely of the SF-424 Mandatory and 
has a different deadline than the FY 2023 BEA Program Application. 
These deadlines are provided above in Table 4: FY 2023 BEA Program 
Funding Round Critical Deadlines for Applicants. If the Grant 
Application Package is not successfully submitted and subsequently 
validated by Grants.gov by the deadline, the CDFI Fund will not review 
the FY 2023 BEA Program Application or any of the Application related 
material submitted in AMIS and the Application will be deemed 
ineligible.

[[Page 19720]]

    a. Grants.gov Submission Information: In order to determine whether 
the Grant Application Package was submitted properly, each Applicant 
should: (1) receive two separate emails from Grants.gov, and (2) 
perform an independent step in Grants.gov to determine whether the 
Grant Application was validated. Each Applicant will receive the first 
email from Grants.gov immediately after the Grant Application Package 
is submitted confirming that the submission has entered the Grants.gov 
system. This email will contain a tracking number. Within 48 hours, the 
Applicant will receive a second email which will indicate if the 
submitted Grant Application Package was successfully validated or 
rejected with errors. However, Applicants should not rely on the second 
email notification from Grants.gov to confirm that the Grant 
Application Package was validated. Instead, Applicants should then 
perform an independent step in Grants.gov to determine if the Grant 
Application Package status shows as ``Validated'' by clicking on the 
``Applicants'' menu, followed by clicking ``Track my Application,'' and 
then entering the tracking number provided in the first email. The 
Grant Application Package cannot be retrieved by the CDFI Fund until it 
has been validated by Grants.gov.
    b. AMIS Submission Information: AMIS is the web-based portal where 
Applicants will directly enter their Application information and add 
supporting documentation, when applicable. The CDFI Fund strongly 
encourages the Applicant to allow sufficient time to confirm the 
Application content, review the material submitted, and remedy any 
issues prior to the BEA Transactions deadline. Only the Authorized 
Representative or an Application Point of Contact can submit the FY 
2023 BEA Program Application in AMIS.
    Applicants will not receive an email confirming that their FY 2023 
BEA Program Application was successfully submitted in AMIS. Instead, 
Applicants should check their AMIS account to ensure that the status of 
the FY 2023 BEA Program Application shows ``Under Review.'' Step-by-
step instructions for submitting an FY 2023 BEA Program Application in 
AMIS are provided in the Application Instructions, Supplemental 
Guidance, and AMIS Training Manual for the BEA Program Electronic 
Application.
    2. Multiple Application Submissions: If an Applicant submits 
multiple versions of its Grant Application Package in Grants.gov, the 
Applicant can only associate one with its FY 2023 BEA Program 
Application in AMIS.
    Applicants can only submit one FY 2023 BEA Program Application in 
AMIS. Upon submission, the Application will be locked and cannot be 
resubmitted, edited, or modified in any way. The CDFI Fund will not 
unlock a submitted Application or allow multiple Application 
submissions.
    3. Late Submission: The CDFI Fund will not accept an SF-424 
Mandatory in Grants.gov or an FY 2023 BEA Program Application in AMIS 
if it is not signed by an Authorized Representative or submitted after 
the respective deadlines. In either case, the CDFI Fund will not review 
any material submitted, and the Application will be deemed ineligible, 
except where the submission delay was a direct result of a Federal 
government administrative or technological error. This exception 
includes any errors associated with Grants.gov, SAM.gov, AMIS or any 
other applicable government system. In such case, the Applicant must 
submit their request for acceptance of a late Application submission to 
the BEA Program Office via an AMIS Service Request with documentation 
that clearly demonstrates the error by no later than two business days 
after the applicable Application deadline for Grants.gov or AMIS. The 
CDFI Fund will not respond to a request for acceptance of late 
Application submissions after that time period. The AMIS Service 
Request must be directed to the BEA Program with a subject line of ``FY 
2023 BEA Late Application Submission Request.''
    I. Funding Restrictions: BEA Program Awards are limited by the 
following:
    1. The Award Recipient shall use BEA Program Award funds only for 
the eligible activities described in Section II. D. of this NOFA and 
the Authorized BEA Program Activities described in its Award Agreement.
    2. The Award Recipient may not distribute BEA Program Award funds 
to an Affiliate, Subsidiary, or any other entity, without the CDFI 
Fund's prior written approval.
    3. BEA Program Award funds shall only be disbursed to the Award 
Recipient.
    4. The CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion, may disburse BEA Program 
Award funds in amounts, or under terms and conditions, which are 
different from those requested by an Applicant.
    J. Other Submission Requirements: None.

V. Application Review Information

    A. Criteria: If the Applicant submitted a complete and eligible 
Application, the CDFI Fund will conduct a substantive review in 
accordance with the criteria and procedures described in the 
Regulations, this NOFA, the Application guidance, and the Uniform 
Requirements. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to contact the Applicant 
by telephone, email, or mail for the sole purpose of clarifying or 
confirming Application information. If contacted, the Applicant must 
respond within the time period communicated by the CDFI Fund or run the 
risk that its Application will be rejected.
    The CDFI Fund will not collect or accept any Personally 
Identifiable Information (PII) in AMIS or in any of the Application 
submission materials. PII is information, which if lost, compromised, 
or disclosed without authorization, could result in substantial harm, 
embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual. Although 
Applicants are required to enter addresses of individual borrowers/
residents of Distressed Communities in AMIS, Applicants must not 
include the following PII for the individuals who received the 
financial products or services in AMIS or in the supporting 
documentation: name of the individual, Social Security Number, driver's 
license or state identification number, passport number, and Alien 
Registration Number. This information should be redacted from all 
supporting documentation. If the CDFI Fund discovers PII during the 
review of an Application, the transaction will be deleted from the 
application record and deemed ineligible.
    1. CDFI Related Activities: CDFI Related Activities include Equity 
Investments, Equity-Like Loans, and CDFI Support Activities provided to 
eligible CDFI Partners.
    2. Eligible CDFI Partner: CDFI Partner is defined as a Certified 
CDFI that has been provided assistance in the form of CDFI Related 
Activities by an unaffiliated Applicant (12 CFR 1806.103). For the 
purposes of this NOFA, an eligible CDFI Partner must have been 
certified as a CDFI as of the date that the BEA Applicant made its 
investment or provided support, and be Integrally Involved in a 
Distressed Community (if the BEA Applicant provided CDFI Support 
Activities to the CDFI Partner).
    3. Integrally Involved: Integrally Involved is defined at 12 CFR 
1806.103. For purposes of this NOFA, in order for an Applicant to 
report CDFI Support Activities in its Application, the CDFI Partner 
which received the support must be deemed to be Integrally Involved by 
demonstrating it has: (i) provided at least 10 percent of the

[[Page 19721]]

number of its financial transactions or dollars transacted (e.g., loans 
or Equity Investments), or 10 percent of the number of its Development 
Service Activities (as defined in 12 CFR 1805.104) or value of the 
administrative cost of providing such services, in one or more 
Distressed Communities identified by the CDFI Partner, in each of the 
three calendar years preceding the date of this NOFA; (ii) transacted 
at least 25 percent of the number of its financial transactions or 
dollars transacted (e.g., loans or equity investments) in one or more 
Distressed Communities in at least one of the three calendar years 
preceding the date of this NOFA, or 25 percent of the number of its 
Development Service Activities (as defined in 12 CFR 1805.104) or value 
of the administrative cost of providing such services, in one or more 
Distressed Communities identified by the CDFI Partner, in at least one 
of the three calendar years preceding the date of this NOFA; (iii) 
demonstrated that it has attained at least 10 percent of market share 
for a particular financial product in one or more Distressed 
Communities (such as home mortgages originated in one or more 
Distressed Communities) in at least one of the three calendar years 
preceding the date of this NOFA; or (iv) at least 25 percent of the 
CDFI Partner's physical locations (e.g., offices or branches) are 
located in one or more Distressed Communities where it provided 
financial transactions or Development Service Activities during the one 
calendar year preceding the date of the NOFA.
    4. Limitations on eligible Qualified Activities provided to certain 
CDFI Partners: A CDFI Applicant cannot receive credit for any financial 
assistance or Qualified Activities provided to a CDFI Partner that is 
also an FDIC-insured depository institution or depository institution 
holding company.
    5. Certificates of Deposit: Any certificate of deposit (CD) placed 
by an Applicant or its Subsidiary in a CDFI Partner that is a bank, 
thrift, or credit union must be: (i) uninsured and committed for at 
least three years; or (ii) insured, committed for a term of at least 
three years, and provided at an interest rate that is materially below 
market rates, in the determination of the CDFI Fund.
    a. For purposes of this NOFA, ``materially below market interest 
rate'' is defined as an annual percentage rate that does not exceed the 
yields on Treasury securities at constant maturity as interpolated by 
Treasury from the daily yield curve and available on the Treasury 
website at www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/debt-management/interest-rate/yield.shtml. For example, for a three-year CD, Applicants 
should use the three-year rate U.S. Government securities, Treasury 
Yield Curve Rate posted for that business day. The Treasury updates the 
website daily at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET. CDs placed prior to that 
time may use the rate posted for the previous business day. The annual 
percentage rate on a CD should be compounded daily, quarterly, semi-
annually, or annually. If a variable interest rate is used, the CD must 
also have an interest rate that is materially below the market interest 
rate over the life of the CD, in the determination of the CDFI Fund. If 
a variable rate is used, the Applicant must describe its methodology 
for determining that the interest rate over the life of the CD is a 
materially below market interest rate. The CDFI Fund reserves the right 
to follow up with an Applicant regarding variable interest rate CD 
transactions.
    b. For purposes of this NOFA, a deposit placed by an Applicant 
directly with a CDFI Partner that participates in a deposit network or 
service may be treated as eligible under this NOFA if it otherwise 
meets the criteria for deposits specified in this NOFA and the CDFI 
Partner retains the full amount of the initial deposit or an amount 
equivalent to the full amount of the initial deposit through a deposit 
network exchange transaction.
    6. Equity Investment: An Equity Investment means financial 
assistance provided by an Applicant or its Subsidiary to a CDFI, which 
CDFI meets such criteria as set forth in this NOFA, in the form of a 
grant, a stock purchase, a purchase of a partnership interest, a 
purchase of a limited liability company membership interest, or any 
other investment deemed to be an Equity Investment by the CDFI Fund.
    7. Equity-Like Loan: An Equity-Like Loan is a loan provided by an 
Applicant or its Subsidiary to a CDFI, and made on such terms that it 
has characteristics of an Equity Investment, as such characteristics 
may be specified by the CDFI Fund (12 CFR 1806.103). For purposes of 
this NOFA, an Equity-Like Loan must meet the following characteristics:
    a. At the end of the initial term, the loan must have a definite 
rolling maturity date that is automatically extended on an annual basis 
if the CDFI borrower continues to be financially sound and carry out a 
community development mission;
    b. Periodic payments of interest and/or principal may only be made 
out of the CDFI borrower's available cash flow after satisfying all 
other obligations;
    c. Failure to pay principal or interest (except at maturity) will 
not automatically result in a default of the loan agreement; and
    d. The loan must be subordinated to all other debt except for other 
Equity-Like Loans. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the CDFI Fund 
reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion and on a case-
by-case basis, whether an instrument meets the above-stated 
characteristics of an Equity-Like Loan.
    8. CDFI Support Activity: A CDFI Support Activity is defined as 
assistance provided by an Applicant or its Subsidiary to a CDFI that is 
Integrally Involved in a Distressed Community, in the form of a loan, 
Technical Assistance, or deposits.
    9. CDFI Program Matching Funds: Equity Investments, Equity-Like 
Loans, and CDFI Support Activities (except Technical Assistance) 
provided by a BEA Applicant to a CDFI and used by the CDFI for matching 
funds under the CDFI Program are eligible as a Qualified Activity under 
the CDFI Related Activity category.
    10. Commercial Loans and Investments: Commercial Loans and 
Investments is a sub-category of Distressed Community Financing 
Activities and is defined as the following lending activity types: 
Affordable Housing Development Loans and related Project Investments; 
Commercial Real Estate Loans and related Project Investments; and Small 
Business Loans and related Project Investments.
    11. Consumer Loans: Consumer Loans is a sub-category of Distressed 
Community Financing Activities and is defined as the following lending 
activity types: Affordable Housing Loans; Education Loans; Home 
Improvement Loans; and Small Dollar Consumer Loans.
    12. Distressed Community Financing Activities and Service 
Activities: Distressed Community Financing Activities comply with 
consumer protection laws and are defined as (1) Consumer Loans; or (2) 
Commercial Loans and Investments. In addition to the requirements set 
forth in the Interim Rule, this NOFA provides the following additional 
requirements:
    a. Affordable Housing Development Loans and Related Project 
Investments: For purposes of this NOFA, eligible Affordable Housing 
Development Loans and related Project Investments do not include 
housing for students, or school dormitories. In addition, for such 
transactions, Applicants will be required to provide supporting

[[Page 19722]]

documentation that demonstrates that at least 60 percent of the units 
in the property financed are or will be sold or rented to Eligible 
Residents who meet Low-and-Moderate-Income requirements, as noted in 
the Application instructions.
    b. Commercial Real Estate Loans and related Project Investments: 
For purposes of this NOFA, eligible Commercial Real Estate Loans (12 
CFR 1806.103) and related Project Investments are generally limited to 
transactions with a total principal value of $10 million or less. 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion, 
may consider transactions with a total principal value of over $10 
million, subject to review. For such transactions, Applicants must 
provide a separate narrative, or other information, to demonstrate that 
the proposed project offers, or significantly enhances the quality of, 
a facility or service not currently provided to the Distressed 
Community.
    c. Small Dollar Consumer Loan: For purposes of this NOFA, eligible 
Small Dollar Consumer Loans are responsible and affordable loans that 
serve as available alternatives to the marketplace for individuals who 
are Eligible Residents with a total principal value of no less than 
$500 and no greater than $5,000 and have a term of ninety (90) days or 
more. A responsible Small Dollar Loan generally considers the 
borrower's ability to repay and may also reflect repayment terms, 
pricing, and safeguards that minimize adverse customer outcomes, 
including cycles of debt due to rollovers or reborrowing.
    d. Distressed Community Financing Activities--Transactions Less 
Than $250,000: For purposes of this NOFA, Applicants are expected to 
maintain records for any transaction submitted as part of the FY 2023 
BEA Program Application, including supporting documentation for 
transactions in the Distressed Community Financing Activity category of 
less than $250,000. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to request 
supporting documentation from an Applicant during its Application 
Review process for a Distressed Community Financing Activities 
transaction less than $250,000.
    e. Low- and Moderate-Income residents: For the purposes of this 
NOFA, Low-Income means borrower income that does not exceed 80 percent 
of the area median income, and Moderate-Income means borrower income 
may be 81 percent to no more than 120 percent of the area median 
income, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data.
    13. Reporting Certain Financial Services: The CDFI Fund will value 
the administrative cost of providing certain Financial Services using 
the following per unit values:
    a. $100.00 per account for Targeted Financial Services including 
safe transaction accounts, youth transaction accounts, Electronic 
Transfer Accounts and Individual Development Accounts;
    b. $50.00 per account for checking and savings accounts that do not 
meet the definition of Targeted Financial Services;
    c. $5.00 per check cashing transaction;
    d. $50,000 per new ATM installed at a location in a Distressed 
Community;
    e. $500,000 per new retail bank branch office opened in a 
Distressed Community, including school-based bank branches approved by 
the Applicant's Federal bank regulator;
    f. In the case of Applicants engaging in Financial Services 
activities not described above, the CDFI Fund will determine the unit 
value of such services;
    g. When reporting the opening of a new retail bank branch office, 
the Applicant must certify that such new branch is intended to remain 
in operation for at least the next five years;
    h. Financial Service Activities must be provided by the Applicant 
to Eligible Residents or enterprises that are located in a Distressed 
Community. An Applicant may determine the number of Eligible Residents 
who are Award Recipients of Financial Services by either: (i) 
collecting the addresses of its Financial Services customers, or (ii) 
certifying that the Applicant reasonably believes that such customers 
are Eligible Residents or enterprises located in a Distressed Community 
and providing a brief analytical narrative with information describing 
how the Applicant made this determination. Citations must be provided 
for external sources. In addition, if external sources are referenced 
in the narrative, the Applicant must explain how it reached the 
conclusion that the cited references are directly related to the 
Eligible Residents or enterprises to whom it is claiming to have 
provided the Financial Services; and
    i. When reporting changes in the dollar amount of deposit accounts, 
only calculate the net change in the total dollar amount of eligible 
Deposit Liabilities between the Baseline Period and the Assessment 
Period. Do not report each individual deposit. If the net change 
between the Baseline Period and Assessment Period is a negative dollar 
amount, then a negative dollar amount may be recorded for Deposit 
Liabilities only. Instructions for determining the net change is 
available in the FY 2023 BEA Program Application in AMIS.
    14. Priority Factors: Priority Factors are the numeric values 
assigned to individual types of activity within: (i) the Distressed 
Community Financing Activities, and (ii) Services Activities categories 
of Qualified Activities. For the purposes of this NOFA, Priority 
Factors will be based on the Applicant's asset size as of the end of 
the Assessment Period (December 31, 2022) as reported by the Applicant 
in the Application. Asset size classes (i.e., small institutions, 
intermediate-small institutions, and large institutions) will 
correspond to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) asset size classes 
set by the three Federal bank regulatory agencies and that were 
effective as of the end of the Assessment Period. The Priority Factor 
works by multiplying the change in a Qualified Activity by the assigned 
Priority Factor to achieve a ``weighted value.'' This weighted value of 
the change would be multiplied by the applicable Award percentage to 
yield the Award amount for that particular activity. For purposes of 
this NOFA, the CDFI Fund is establishing Priority Factors based on 
Applicant asset size to be applied to all activity types within the 
Distressed Community Financing Activities and Service Activities 
categories only, as follows:

                 Table 5--CRA Asset Size Classification
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Priority
                                                              factor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Small institutions (assets of less than $376 million as              5.0
 of 12/31/2022).........................................
Intermediate--small institutions (assets of at least                 3.0
 $376 million but less than $1.503 billion as of 12/31/
 2022)..................................................
Large institutions (assets of $1.503 billion or greater              1.0
 as of 12/31/2022)......................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 19723]]

    15. Certain Limitations on Qualified Activities:
    a. Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: Financial assistance provided by 
an Applicant for which the Applicant receives benefits through Low-
Income Housing Tax Credits, authorized pursuant to Section 42 of the 
Internal Revenue Code, as amended (26 U.S.C. 42), shall not constitute 
an Equity Investment, Project Investment, or other Qualified Activity, 
for the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA Program Award.
    b. New Markets Tax Credits: Financial assistance provided by an 
Applicant for which the Applicant receives benefits as an investor in a 
Community Development Entity that has received an allocation of New 
Markets Tax Credits, authorized pursuant to Section 45D of the Internal 
Revenue Code, as amended (26 U.S.C. 45D), shall not constitute an 
Equity Investment, Project Investment, or other Qualified Activity, for 
the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA Program Award. Leverage 
loans used in New Markets Tax Credit structured transactions that meet 
the requirements outlined in this NOFA are considered Distressed 
Community Financing Activities. The Application materials will provide 
further guidance on requirements for BEA transactions which were 
leverage loans used in a New Markets Tax Credit structured transaction.
    c. Loan Renewals and Refinances: Financial assistance provided by 
an Applicant shall not constitute a Qualified Activity, as defined in 
this part, for the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA Program 
Award if such financial assistance consists of a loan to a borrower 
that has matured and is then renewed by the Applicant, or consists of a 
loan to a borrower that is retired or restructured using the proceeds 
of a new commitment by the Applicant.
    d. Certain Business Types: Financial assistance provided by an 
Applicant shall not constitute a Qualified Activity for the purposes of 
financing the following business types: adult entertainment providers, 
golf courses, race tracks, gambling facilities, country clubs, 
facilities offering massage services, hot tub facilities, suntan 
facilities, or stores where the principal business is the sale of 
alcoholic beverages for consumption off premises.
    e. Prior BEA Program Awards: Qualified Activities funded with prior 
funding round BEA Program Award dollars or funded to satisfy 
requirements of the BEA Program Award Agreement shall not constitute a 
Qualified Activity for the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA 
Program Award.
    f. Prior CDFI Fund Awards: No Applicant may receive a BEA Program 
Award for the same activities funded by another CDFI Fund program or 
federal program.
    16. Award Percentages, Award Amounts, Application Review Process, 
Selection Process, Programmatic and Financial Risk, and Application 
Rejection: The Interim Rule and this NOFA describe the process for 
selecting Applicants to receive a BEA Program Award and determining 
Award amounts.
    a. Award percentages: In the CDFI Related Activities subcategory of 
CDFI Equity, for all Applicants, the estimated award amount will be 
equal to 18 percent of the increase in Qualified Activities reported in 
this subcategory.
    In the CDFI Related Activities subcategory of CDFI Support 
Activities, for a Certified CDFI Applicant, the estimated award amount 
will be equal to 18 percent of the increase in Qualified Activities in 
this subcategory. If an Applicant is not a Certified CDFI, the 
estimated award amount will be equal to 6 percent of the increase in 
Qualified Activities in this subcategory.
    In the Distressed Community Financing Activities subcategory of 
Consumer Lending, the estimated award amount for Certified CDFI 
Applicants will be 18 percent of the weighted value of the increase in 
Qualified Activities in this subcategory. If an Applicant is not a 
Certified CDFI Applicant, the estimated award amount will be equal to 6 
percent of the weighted value of the increase in Qualified Activities 
in this subcategory.
    In the Distressed Community Financing Activities subcategory of 
Commercial Lending and Investments, for a Certified CDFI Applicant, the 
estimated award amount will be equal to 9 percent of the weighted value 
of the increase in Qualified Activities in this subcategory. If an 
Applicant is not a Certified CDFI, the estimated award amount will be 
equal to 3 percent of the weighted value of the increase in Qualified 
Activity in this subcategory.
    In the Service Activities category, for a Certified CDFI Applicant, 
the estimated award amount will be equal to 9 percent of the weighted 
value of the increase in Qualified Activity for the category. If an 
Applicant is not a Certified CDFI, the estimated award amount will be 
equal to 3 percent of the weighted value of the increase in Qualified 
Activity for the category.
    b. Award Amounts: An Applicant's estimated award amount will be 
calculated according to the procedure outlined in the Interim Rule (at 
12 CFR 1806.403). As outlined in the Interim Rule at 12 CFR 1806.404, 
the CDFI Fund will determine actual award amounts based on the 
availability of funds, increases in Qualified Activities from the 
Baseline Period to the Assessment Period, and the priority ranking of 
each Applicant.
    In calculating the increase in Qualified Activities, the CDFI Fund 
will determine the eligibility of each transaction for which an 
Applicant has applied for a BEA Program Award. In some cases, the 
actual award amount calculated by the CDFI Fund may not be the same as 
the estimated award amount requested by the Applicant.
    For purposes of calculating award payment amounts, the CDFI Fund 
will treat Qualified Activities with a total principal amount less than 
or equal to $250,000 as fully disbursed.
    B. Review and Selection Process:
    1. Application Review Process: All Applications will be initially 
evaluated by external non-federal reviewers. Reviewers are selected 
based on their experience in understanding various financial 
transactions, reading and interpreting financial documentation, strong 
written communication skills, and strong mathematical skills. Reviewers 
must complete the CDFI Fund's conflict of interest process and be 
approved by the CDFI Fund.
    2. Selection Process: If the amount of funds available during the 
funding round is insufficient for all estimated Award amounts, Award 
Recipients will be selected based on the process described in the 
Interim Rule at 12 CFR 1806.404. This process gives funding priority to 
Applicants that undertake activities in the following order: (i) CDFI 
Related Activities, (ii) Distressed Community Financing Activities, and 
(iii) Service Activities, as described in the Interim Rule at 12 CFR 
1806.404(c).
    Within each category, CDFI Applicants will be ranked first 
according to the ratio of the actual award amount calculated by the 
CDFI Fund for the category to the total assets of the Applicant, 
followed by Applicants that are not CDFI Applicants according to the 
ratio of the actual award amount calculated by the CDFI Fund for the 
category to the total assets of the Applicant.
    Selections within each priority category will be based on the 
Applicants' relative rankings within each such category, subject to the 
availability of funds and any established maximum dollar amount of 
total awards that may be awarded for the Distressed Community Financing 
Activities category of Qualified Activities, as determined by the CDFI 
Fund.

[[Page 19724]]

    The CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion: (i) may adjust the estimated 
award amount that an Applicant may receive; (ii) may establish a 
maximum amount that may be awarded to an Applicant; and (iii) reserves 
the right to limit the amount of an award to any Applicant if the CDFI 
Fund deems it appropriate.
    The CDFI Fund reserves the right to contact the Applicant to 
confirm or clarify information. If contacted, the Applicant must 
respond within the CDFI Fund's time parameters or the Application may 
be rejected.
    The CDFI Fund reserves the right to change its eligibility and 
evaluation criteria and procedures. If those changes materially affect 
the CDFI Fund's award decisions, the CDFI Fund will provide information 
regarding the changes through the CDFI Fund's website.
    3. Programmatic and Financial Risk: The CDFI Fund will consider 
safety and soundness information from the appropriate Federal bank 
regulatory agency as defined in Section 3 of the Federal Deposit 
Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(q)). If the appropriate Federal bank 
regulatory agency identifies safety and soundness concerns, the CDFI 
Fund will assess whether the concerns cause or will cause the Applicant 
to be incapable of completing the activities for which funding has been 
requested. The CDFI Fund will not approve a BEA Program Award under any 
circumstances for an Applicant if the appropriate Federal bank 
regulatory agency indicates that the Applicant received a composite 
rating of ``5'' on its most recent examination, performed in accordance 
with the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System.
    Furthermore, the CDFI Fund will not approve a BEA Program Award for 
an Applicant that has:
    (i) a CRA assessment rating of below ``Satisfactory'' on its most 
recent examination; (ii) a financial audit with: a going concern 
paragraph, an adverse opinion, a disclaimer of opinion, or a withdrawal 
of an opinion on its most recent audit; or (iii) a Prompt Corrective 
Action directive from its regulator imposing restrictions on its level 
of lending activities, that was active at the time the Applicant 
submitted its Application to the CDFI Fund or becomes active during the 
CDFI Fund's evaluation of the Application for: activities which funding 
has been requested, activities which meet the BEA Program criteria of 
Qualified Activities, or other circumstances which may impact an 
Applicant's ability to successfully manage, re-invest, and/or report on 
a FY 2023 BEA Program Award.
    Applicants and/or their appropriate Federal bank regulator agency 
may be contacted by the CDFI Fund to provide additional information 
related to Federal bank regulatory or CRA information. The CDFI Fund 
will consider this information and may choose to not approve a FY 2023 
BEA Program Award for an Applicant if the information indicates that 
the Applicant may be unable to responsibly manage, re-invest, and/or 
report on a FY 2023 BEA Program Award during the period of performance.
    4. Persistent Poverty Counties: Should the CDFI Fund determine, 
upon analysis of the initial pool of BEA Program Award Recipients, that 
it has not achieved the 10 percent PPC requirement mandated by 
Congress, Award preference will be given to Applicants that committed 
to deploying a minimum of 10 percent of their FY 2023 BEA Program Award 
in PPCs. Applicants may be required to deploy more than the minimum 
commitment percentage, but the percentage required should not exceed 
the maximum commitment percentage provided in the Application. 
Applicants that committed to serving PPCs and are selected to receive a 
FY 2023 BEA Program award, will have their PPC commitment incorporated 
into their Award Agreement as a Performance Goal which will be subject 
to compliance and reporting requirements. No Applicant, however, will 
be disqualified from consideration for not making a PPC commitment in 
its BEA Program Application.
    5. Application Rejection: The CDFI Fund reserves the right to 
reject an Application if information (including administrative error) 
comes to the CDFI Fund's attention that either: adversely affects an 
Applicant's eligibility for an award; adversely affects the CDFI Fund's 
evaluation or scoring of an Application; or indicates fraud or 
mismanagement on the Applicant's part. If the CDFI Fund determines any 
portion of the Application is incorrect in a material respect, the CDFI 
Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject the 
Application.
    There is no right to appeal the CDFI Fund's award decisions. The 
CDFI Fund's award decisions are final. The CDFI Fund will not discuss 
the specifics of an Applicant's FY 2023 BEA Program Application or 
provide reasons why an Applicant was not selected to receive a FY 2023 
BEA Program Award. The CDFI Fund will only respond to general questions 
regarding the FY 2023 BEA Program Application and award decision 
process until 30 days after the award announcement date.
    C. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates: The CDFI Fund 
anticipates making its FY 2023 BEA Program award announcement in the 
summer of 2023. The Federal Award Date shall be the date that the CDFI 
Fund executes the Award Agreement.

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

    A. Federal Award Notices: The CDFI Fund will notify an Applicant of 
its selection as an Award Recipient by delivering a notification or 
letter. The Award Agreement will contain the general terms and 
conditions governing the CDFI Fund's provision of an Award. The Award 
Recipient will receive a copy of the Award Agreement via AMIS. The 
Award Recipient is required to sign the Award Agreement via an 
electronic signature in AMIS. The CDFI Fund will subsequently execute 
the Award Agreement. Each Award Recipient must also ensure that 
complete and accurate banking information is reflected in its SAM 
account at www.sam.gov in order to receive its award payment.
    B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: If, prior to 
entering into an Award Agreement, information (including an 
administrative error) comes to the CDFI Fund's attention that adversely 
affects: the Award Recipient's eligibility for an award; the CDFI 
Fund's evaluation of the Application; the Award Recipient's compliance 
with any requirement listed in the Uniform Requirements; or indicates 
fraud or mismanagement on the Award Recipient's part, the CDFI Fund 
may, in its discretion and without advance notice to the Award 
Recipient, terminate the award or take other actions as it deems 
appropriate.
    If the Award Recipient's certification status as a CDFI changes, 
the CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to re-
calculate the award, and modify the Award Agreement based on the Award 
Recipient's non-CDFI status.
    By executing an Award Agreement, the Award Recipient agrees that, 
if the CDFI Fund becomes aware of any information (including an 
administrative error) prior to the effective date of the Award 
Agreement that either adversely affects the Award Recipient's 
eligibility for an award, or

[[Page 19725]]

adversely affects the CDFI Fund's evaluation of the Award Recipient's 
Application, or indicates fraud or mismanagement on the part of the 
Award Recipient, the CDFI Fund may, in its discretion and without 
advance notice to the Award Recipient, terminate the Award Agreement or 
take other actions as it deems appropriate.
    The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to 
rescind an award if the Award Recipient fails to return the Award 
Agreement, signed by the authorized representative of the Award 
Recipient, and/or provide the CDFI Fund with any other requested 
documentation, within the CDFI Fund's deadlines.
    In addition, the CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole 
discretion, to terminate and rescind the Award Agreement and the award 
made under this NOFA for any criteria described in the following table:

   Table 6--Criteria That May Result in Award Termination Prior to the
                     Execution of an Award Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Criteria                            Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Failure to maintain FDIC-insured     If prior to entering into
 status.                             an Award Agreement under this NOFA,
                                     the Award Recipient does not
                                     maintain its FDIC-insured status,
                                     the CDFI Fund will terminate and/or
                                     rescind the Award Agreement and the
                                     award made under this NOFA.
Failure to meet reporting            If an Applicant is a prior
 requirements.                       CDFI Fund Award Recipient or
                                     Allocatee under any CDFI Fund
                                     program and is not current on the
                                     reporting requirements set forth in
                                     the previously executed assistance,
                                     award, allocation, bond loan
                                     agreement(s), or agreement to
                                     guarantee, the CDFI Fund reserves
                                     the right, in its sole discretion,
                                     to delay entering into an Award
                                     Agreement and/or to delay making a
                                     disbursement of Award proceeds,
                                     until said prior Award Recipient or
                                     Allocatee is current on the
                                     reporting requirements in the
                                     previously executed assistance,
                                     award, allocation, bond loan
                                     agreement(s), or agreement to
                                     guarantee. Please note that
                                     automated systems employed by the
                                     CDFI Fund for receipt of reports
                                     submitted electronically typically
                                     acknowledge only a report's
                                     receipt; such acknowledgment does
                                     not warrant that the report
                                     received was complete and therefore
                                     met reporting requirements. If said
                                     prior Award Recipient or Allocatee
                                     is unable to meet this requirement
                                     within the timeframe set by the
                                     CDFI Fund, the CDFI Fund reserves
                                     the right, in its sole discretion,
                                     to terminate and rescind the award
                                     made under this NOFA.
Pending resolution of Default or     If, at any time prior to
 Noncompliance.                      entering into an Award Agreement
                                     under this NOFA, an Applicant (or
                                     Affiliate of an Applicant) that is
                                     a prior CDFI Fund Award Recipient
                                     or Allocatee under any CDFI Fund
                                     program: (i) has demonstrated it
                                     has been in noncompliance with or
                                     in default of a previous
                                     assistance, award, allocation
                                     agreement, bond loan agreement, or
                                     agreement to guarantee, but (ii)
                                     the CDFI Fund has yet to make a
                                     final determination regarding
                                     whether or not the entity is in
                                     noncompliance with or in default of
                                     its previous assistance, award,
                                     allocation, bond loan agreement, or
                                     agreement to guarantee, the CDFI
                                     Fund reserves the right, in its
                                     sole discretion, to delay entering
                                     into an Award Agreement and/or to
                                     delay making a payment of award
                                     proceeds, pending full resolution,
                                     in the sole determination of the
                                     CDFI Fund, of the noncompliance or
                                     default.
                                     If said prior Award
                                     Recipient or Allocatee is unable to
                                     meet this requirement, in the sole
                                     determination of the CDFI Fund, the
                                     CDFI Fund reserves the right, in
                                     its sole discretion, to terminate
                                     and rescind the award made under
                                     this NOFA.
Default or Noncompliance status...   If prior to entering into
                                     an Award Agreement under this NOFA:
                                     (i) the CDFI Fund has made a final
                                     determination that an Applicant (or
                                     an Affiliate of an Applicant) that
                                     is a prior CDFI Fund Award
                                     Recipient or Allocatee under any
                                     CDFI Fund program whose award or
                                     allocation terminated in default or
                                     noncompliance of such prior
                                     agreement; (ii) the CDFI Fund has
                                     provided written notification of
                                     such determination to such
                                     organization; and (iii) the
                                     anticipated date for entering into
                                     the Award Agreement under this NOFA
                                     is within a period of time
                                     specified in such notification
                                     throughout which any new award,
                                     allocation, assistance, bond loan
                                     agreement(s), or agreement to
                                     guarantee is prohibited, the CDFI
                                     Fund reserves the right, in its
                                     sole discretion, to terminate and
                                     rescind the Award Agreement and the
                                     award made under this NOFA.
Compliance with Federal civil        If, within the period
 rights requirements.                starting three years prior to this
                                     NOFA and through the date of the
                                     Award Agreement, the Recipient
                                     received a final determination, in
                                     any proceeding instituted against
                                     the Recipient in, by, or before any
                                     court, governmental, or
                                     administrative body or agency,
                                     declaring that the Recipient
                                     violated any federal civil rights
                                     laws or regulations, including:
                                     Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
                                     1964, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2000d
                                     et seq.); Section 504 of the
                                     Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
                                     U.S.C. 794); and the Age
                                     Discrimination Act of 1975 (42
                                     U.S.C. 6101-6107), the CDFI Fund
                                     may terminate and rescind the Award
                                     Agreement and the Award made under
                                     this NOFA.
Do Not Pay........................   The Do Not Pay Business
                                     Center was developed to support
                                     Federal agencies in their efforts
                                     to reduce the number of improper
                                     payments made through programs
                                     funded by the Federal government.
                                     The CDFI Fund reserves the
                                     right, in its sole discretion, to
                                     rescind an award if the Award
                                     Recipient (or Affiliate of a
                                     Recipient) is identified as
                                     ineligible to be an Award Recipient
                                     per the Do Not Pay database.
Safety and Soundness..............   If it is determined the
                                     Award Recipient is or will be
                                     incapable of meeting its award
                                     obligations, the CDFI Fund will
                                     deem the Award Recipient to be
                                     ineligible or require it to improve
                                     safety and soundness conditions
                                     prior to entering into an Award
                                     Agreement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    C. Award Agreement: After the CDFI Fund selects an Award Recipient, 
unless an exception detailed in this NOFA applies, the CDFI Fund and 
the Award Recipient will enter into an Award Agreement. The Award

[[Page 19726]]

Agreement will set forth certain required terms and conditions of the 
award, which will include, but not be limited to: (i) the amount of the 
award; (ii) the approved uses of the award; (iii) the Performance Goals 
and measures; (iv) the period of performance; and (v) the reporting 
requirements. The Award Agreement shall provide that an Award Recipient 
shall: (i) carry out its Qualified Activities in accordance with 
applicable law, the approved Application, and all other applicable 
requirements; (ii) not receive any disbursement of award dollars until 
the CDFI Fund has determined that the Award Recipient has fulfilled all 
applicable requirements; and (iii) use the BEA Program Award amount for 
Qualified Activities. Award Recipients which committed to serving PPCs 
will have their PPC commitment incorporated into their Award Agreement 
as a Performance Goal, which will be subject to compliance and 
reporting requirements.
    D. Reporting: Through this NOFA, the CDFI Fund will require each 
Award Recipient to account for and report to the CDFI Fund on the use 
of the award. This will require Award Recipients to establish 
administrative controls, subject to applicable OMB Circulars. The CDFI 
Fund will collect information from each such Award Recipient on its use 
of the award at least once following the award and more often if deemed 
appropriate by the CDFI Fund in its sole discretion. The CDFI Fund will 
provide guidance to Award Recipients outlining the format and content 
of the information required to be provided to describe how the funds 
were used.
    The CDFI Fund may collect information from each Award Recipient 
including, but not limited to, an Annual Report with the following 
components:

                     Table 7--Reporting Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Criteria                            Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use of BEA Program Award Report--   Award Recipients must submit the Use
 for all Award Recipients.           of Award Report to the CDFI Fund
                                     via AMIS.
Use of BEA Program Award Report--   The CDFI Fund will require each
 Funds Deployed in Persistent        Award Recipient with Persistent
 Poverty Counties--as applicable.    Poverty County commitments to
                                     report data for Award funds
                                     deployed in persistent poverty
                                     counties and maintain proper
                                     supporting documentation and
                                     records which are subject to review
                                     by the CDFI Fund.
Explanation of Noncompliance or     If the Award Recipient fails to meet
 successor report--as applicable.    a Performance Goal or reporting
                                     requirement, it must submit the
                                     Explanation of Noncompliance via
                                     AMIS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Each Award Recipient is responsible for the timely and complete 
submission of the reporting requirements. The CDFI Fund reserves the 
right to contact the Award Recipient to request additional information 
and documentation. The CDFI Fund may consider financial information 
filed with Federal regulators during its compliance review. The CDFI 
Fund will use such information to monitor each Award Recipient's 
compliance with the requirements in the Award Agreement and to assess 
the impact of the BEA Program. The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its 
sole discretion, to modify these reporting requirements if it 
determines it to be appropriate and necessary; however, such reporting 
requirements will be modified only after notice has been provided to 
Award Recipients.
    E. Financial Management and Accounting: The CDFI Fund will require 
Award Recipients to maintain financial management and accounting 
systems that comply with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms 
and conditions of the award. These systems must be sufficient to permit 
the preparation of reports required by general and program specific 
terms and conditions, including the tracing of funds to a level of 
expenditures adequate to establish that such funds have been used 
according to the federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and 
conditions of the award.
    Each of the Qualified Activities categories will be ineligible for 
indirect costs and an associated indirect cost rate. The cost 
principles used by Award Recipients must be consistent with Federal 
cost principles and support the accumulation of costs as required by 
the principles, and must provide for adequate documentation to support 
costs charged to the BEA Program Award. In addition, the CDFI Fund will 
require Award Recipients to: maintain effective internal controls; 
comply with applicable statutes, regulations, and the Award Agreement; 
evaluate and monitor compliance; take action when not in compliance; 
and safeguard personally identifiable information, as described in 
Section V.A. of this NOFA.

VII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

    A. Questions Related to Application and Prior Award Recipient 
Reporting, Compliance and Disbursements: The CDFI Fund will respond to 
questions concerning this NOFA, the Application and reporting, 
compliance, or disbursements between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 
Eastern Time, starting on the date that this NOFA is published through 
the date listed in Table 1. The CDFI Fund will post responses to 
frequently asked questions in a separate document on its website. Other 
information regarding the CDFI Fund and its programs may be obtained 
from the CDFI Fund's website at https://www.cdfifund.gov.
    The following table lists contact information for the CDFI Fund, 
Grants.gov and SAM:

                      Table 8--Contact Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Telephone No.    Electronic contact
         Type of question           (not toll free)         method
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEA Program......................    (202) 653-0421  BEA AMIS Service
                                                      Request.
Certification, Compliance            (202) 653-0423  BEA Compliance and
 Monitoring, and Evaluation.                          Reporting AMIS
                                                      Service Request.
AMIS--IT Help Desk...............    (202) 653-0422  IT AMIS Service
                                                      Request.
Grants.gov Help Desk.............    (800) 518-4726  [email protected].
SAM.gov (Federal Service Desk)...    (866) 606-8220  Web form via https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/login.do.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 19727]]

    B. Information Technology Support: People who have visual or 
mobility impairments that prevent them from using the CDFI Fund's 
website should call (202) 653-0422 for assistance (this is not a toll 
free number).
    C. Communication with the CDFI Fund: The CDFI Fund will use its 
AMIS internet interface to communicate with Applicants and Award 
Recipients under this NOFA. Award Recipients must use AMIS to submit 
required reports. The CDFI Fund will notify Award Recipients by email 
using the addresses maintained in each Award Recipient's AMIS account. 
Therefore, an Award Recipient and any Subsidiaries, signatories, and 
Affiliates must maintain accurate contact information (including 
contact person and authorized representative, email addresses, fax 
numbers, phone numbers, and office addresses) in their AMIS account(s).
    D. Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity: Any person who is eligible 
to receive benefits or services from the CDFI Fund or its Recipients 
under any of its programs is entitled to those benefits or services 
without being subjected to prohibited discrimination. The Department of 
the Treasury's Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity 
enforces various federal statutes and regulations that prohibit 
discrimination in financially assisted and conducted programs and 
activities of the CDFI Fund. If a person believes that they have been 
subjected to discrimination because of their race, color, national 
origin, age, sex, disability and/or reprisal, they may file a complaint 
with: Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment 
Opportunity, 1500 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20220 or by 
email at [email protected].

VIII. Other Information

    A. Reasonable Accommodations: Requests for reasonable 
accommodations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act should be 
directed to Mr. Jay Santiago, Community Development Financial 
Institutions Fund, U.S. Department of the Treasury, at 
[email protected] no later than 72 hours in advance of the 
application deadline.
    B. Paperwork Reduction Act: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35), an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection 
of information, and an individual is not required to respond to a 
collection of information, unless it displays a valid OMB control 
number. Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, the BEA Program 
funding Application has been assigned the following control number: 
1559-0005.
    C. Application Information Sessions: The CDFI Fund may conduct 
webinars or host information sessions for organizations that are 
considering applying to, or are interested in learning about, the CDFI 
Fund's programs. For further information, please visit the CDFI Fund's 
website at https://www.cdfifund.gov.
    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1834a, 4703, 4703 note, 4713; 12 CFR part 
1806.

Jodie L. Harris,
Director, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
[FR Doc. 2023-06827 Filed 3-31-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-70-P