[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 124 (Tuesday, June 30, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39666-39682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-13200]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
Funding Opportunities: Small Dollar Loan Program: FY 2026 Funding
Round
Funding Opportunity Title: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA)
inviting Applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Funding Round of
the Small Dollar Loan Program (SDL Program).
Announcement Type: Notice of Funds Availability.
Funding Opportunity Number: CDFI-2026-SDL.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 21.025.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The CDFI Fund has the discretion to award more or less than
the estimated total amount to be awarded. 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.
\2\ Funds for the FY 2026 Funding Round are based on FY 2025
appropriations (Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions
Act, 2025 (Pub. L. 119-4)).
\3\ Calculated up to 20% of the Applicant's 3-year projected
total on-balance sheet small dollar consumer loans closed.
Table 1--FY 2026 SDL Program Funding Round Anticipated Category Amounts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated FY 2026 award amount \1\ Estimated
total amount ---------------------------------------------- Estimated average amount Average amount
Funding categories to be awarded number of to be awarded awarded in FY
FY 2026 \2\ Minimum Maximum awards FY 2026 FY 2026 2024
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loan Loss Reserves........................ $200,000 $20,000 $350,000 \3\................ 1 $200,000 $201,192
Technical Assistance...................... 230,000 20,000 150,000..................... 2 115,000 114,967
Combination of Loan Loss Reserves (LLR) .............. .............. (LLR) Up to $350,000 \3\.... .............. .............. ..............
and Technical Assistance (TA).
8,570,000 40,000 (TA) Up to $150,000......... 63 136,000 278,871
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total................................. $9,000,000 .............. ............................ 66 .............. ..............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 2--FY 2026 SDL Program Funding Round Critical Deadlines for Applicants
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description Deadline Time (Eastern Time--ET) Submission method
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last day to create an Awards Management 07 23, 2026 11:59 p.m. ET............. Web via AMIS at: https://
Information System (AMIS) Account if amis.cdfifund.gov.
Applicant does not have one (all
Applicants).
Last day to enter or update the Employer 07 23, 2026 11:59 p.m. ET............. Web via AMIS.
Identification Number (EIN) and Unique
Entity Identifier (UEI) numbers in AMIS
(all Applicants).
Last day to submit SF-424 Mandatory Form 07 23, 2026 11:59 p.m. ET............. Web via Grants.gov at:
(Application for Federal Assistance) in https://www.grants.gov.
Grants.gov (all Applicants).
Last day to contact SDL Program staff 07 28, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET.............. Submit Service Request via
with questions about the Application. AMIS using ``Small Dollar
Loan Program'' for the
Program;
call CDFI Fund Helpdesk:
202-653-0421; or email
[email protected].
Last day to contact Office of Compliance 07 28, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET.............. Submit Service Request via
Monitoring and Evaluation (OCME) Help AMIS using ``Compliance
Desk with questions about Compliance. and Reporting'' for the
Program; call OCME
Helpdesk: 202-653-0423;
or email
[email protected].
[[Page 39667]]
Last day to contact Office of 07 28, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET.............. Submit Service Request via
Certification Policy and Evaluation AMIS using
(OCPE) Help Desk with questions about ``Certification'' for the
CDFI Certification. Program; call OCPE
Helpdesk: 202-653-0423;
or email
[email protected].
Last day to contact AMIS-IT Help Desk 07 30, 2026 5:00 p.m. ET.............. Submit Service Request via
(regarding AMIS technical problems AMIS using ``Technical
only). Issues'' for the Program;
call AMIS Helpdesk: 202-
653-0422; or email
[email protected].
Last day to submit SDL Program 07 30, 2026 11:59 p.m. ET............. Web via AMIS.
Application and Required Attachments.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Summary: The CDFI Fund expands access to capital and
related technical assistance across the United States through
investment in and assistance to Community Development Financial
Institutions (CDFIs). The Small Dollar Loan Program (SDL Program) is
administered by the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
(CDFI Fund). Through the SDL Program, the CDFI Fund provides (1) grants
for Loan Loss Reserves (LLR) to enable a Certified Community
Development Financial Institution (CDFI) to establish a loan loss
reserve fund to cover the losses on small dollar consumer loans
associated with starting a new small dollar consumer loan program or
expanding an existing small dollar consumer loan program; and (2)
grants for Technical Assistance (TA) for technology, staff support, and
other eligible activities to enable a Certified CDFI to establish and
maintain a small dollar consumer loan program. Through the SDL Program
Awards, Recipients will serve rural and urban communities across the
nation that lack access to affordable consumer lending products. All
awards provided through this Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) are
subject to funding availability.
I. Agency Contact Information
A. Availability: The CDFI Fund will respond to questions and
provide support concerning this NOFA and the Application between the
hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, starting on the date of the
publication of this NOFA until the close of business on the second
business day preceding the Application deadline. CDFI Fund IT support
will be available until 5:00 p.m. ET on date of the Application
deadline. The CDFI Fund will not respond to questions or provide
support concerning Applications that are received after the stated
deadlines in Table 2. Questions or issues with registration in SAM.gov
(https://www.sam.gov) or registration or submission of the SF-424 in
Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) must be directed to the SAM.gov and
Grants.gov help desks as the CDFI Fund does not manage those systems.
The following table lists contact information for the CDFI Fund,
Grants.gov and SAM.gov:
Table 3--Contact Information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telephone
Type of question Preferred method number (not Email addresses
toll free)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SDL Program............................. Submit a Service Request (202) 653-0421 [email protected].
in AMIS.
Compliance Monitoring and Evaluation.... Submit a Service Request (202) 653-0423 [email protected].
in AMIS.
CDFI Certification...................... Submit a Service Request (202) 653-0423 [email protected].
in AMIS.
AMIS--IT Help Desk...................... Submit a Service Request (202) 653-0422 [email protected].
in AMIS.
Grants.gov Help Desk.................... N/A....................... (800) 518-4726 [email protected].
SAM.gov (Federal Service Desk).......... N/A....................... (866) 606-8220 https://sam.gov/.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The CDFI Fund's preferred method of contact is an AMIS Service
Request. For a SDL Program Application question, select ``SDL Program''
for the program in AMIS. For a CDFI Certification question, select
``Certification.'' For a Compliance question, select ``Compliance &
Reporting.'' For Information Technology, select ``Technical Issues.''
Failure to select the appropriate program for the Service Request could
result in delays in responding to your question.
B. Reasonable Accommodations: Requests for those with visual,
auditory, or mobility impairments that prevent them from using the CDFI
Fund's website, or who require reasonable accommodation under section
504 of the Rehabilitation Act, should contact [email protected]
or 202-653-0326 (this is not a toll-free number) as early as possible,
but no later than one week in advance of the Application deadline.
C. Communication with the CDFI Fund: The CDFI Fund will use AMIS to
communicate with Applicants and Award Recipients under this NOFA. Award
Recipients must also 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
[[Page 39668]]
person and Authorized Representative, email addresses, fax numbers,
phone numbers, and office addresses) in their AMIS account(s). To help
ensure important notifications from the CDFI Fund are not missed,
Applicants and Award Recipients should make sure that their email
service is not marking communications from [email protected],
[email protected], or [email protected] as ``junk'' or
``spam.'' For more information about AMIS please see the Help documents
posted at https://amis.cdfifund.gov/Training.
II. Eligibility
A. Eligible Applicants: For purposes of the Application, the term
``Applicant'' refers to an organization applying on its own as a
Certified CDFI or refers to the designated lead Certified CDFI applying
on behalf of a partnership. Eligible Applicants may submit only one SDL
Program Application and will need to determine if they are applying for
an LLR grant, a TA grant, or both. The Applicant must use the SDL
Program Award to establish or maintain a small dollar consumer loan
program. In the case of a partnership, the designated lead Certified
CDFI must use the SDL Program Award to establish or maintain a small
dollar consumer loan program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ A ``federally insured depository institution'' is any
insured depository institution as that term is defined in section 3
of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813) and any
insured credit union as that term is defined in section 101 of the
Federal Credit Union Act (12 U.S.C. 1752).
\5\ 12 U.S.C. 4702(16), Investment Area--The term ``investment
area'' means a geographic area (or areas) including an Indian
reservation that--(A)(i) meets objective criteria of economic
distress developed by the Fund, which may include the percentage of
low-income families or the extent of poverty, the rate of
unemployment or underemployment, rural population outmigration, lag
in population growth, and extent of blight and disinvestment; and
(ii) has significant unmet needs for loans or equity investments; or
(B) encompasses or is located in an empowerment zone or enterprise
community designated under section 1391 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986.
\6\ This requirement also applies to Applicants' prospective
sub-recipients that are not direct beneficiaries of federal
financial assistance (e.g., Depository Institutions Holding Company
and their Subsidiary Depository Institutions).
\7\ Depository Institution Holding Company refers to a Bank
Holding Company or a Savings and Loan Holding Company.
\8\ Regulated Institutions include Insured Credit Unions,
Insured Depository Institutions, State-Insured Credit Unions and
Depository Institution Holding Companies.
Table 4--Eligibility Requirements for All Applicants
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicant......................... An Applicant must be duly organized
as a legal entity (within the
United States or its territories).
Must be a Certified CDFI as set
forth in 12 CFR 1805.201 and the
CDFI Fund has officially notified
the entity that it meets all CDFI
Certification requirements as of
the publication date of this NOFA.
Only the entity that will carry out
the proposed award activities may
apply for an award (other than
Depository Institution Holding
Companies (DIHC)--see below).
The Applicant must provide all
required information as directed in
the Application Instructions.
The financial information in the
Application (including any uploaded
attachments) should only reflect
the activities of the entity that
will carry out the proposed award
activities. Do not include
financial or portfolio information
from parent companies, Affiliates,
or Subsidiaries in the Application.
Also, do not include financial or
portfolio information from partner
entities if the Applicant is
applying as a partnership.
An Applicant that applies on behalf
of another organization will be
rejected without further
consideration (other than
Depository Institution Holding
Companies (DIHC)--see below).
FIDI \4\ Partner.................. Is not required to be a Certified
CDFI.
Must have a primary mission to serve
targeted Investment Areas.\5\
Employer Identification Number Applicants must have a unique EIN
(EIN). assigned by the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS). For further EIN
requirements, see Section V.
System for Award Management (SAM) Applicants must have an active
and Unique Entity Identifier SAM.gov account (https://
(UEI). www.sam.gov). Applicants that have
an active SAM registration have
been assigned a Unique Entity
Identifier (UEI). For further SAM
and UEI requirements, see Section
V.
Grants.gov Account................ Applicants must have an active
Grants.gov account (https://www.grants.gov) and submit the SF-
424 through Grants.gov. For further
Grants.gov information and the SF-
424 submission requirements, see
Section V.
Awards Management Information Each Applicant must register as an
System (AMIS) Account. organization in the CDFI Fund's
Awards Management Information
System (AMIS) and submit all
required Application materials
through the AMIS portal (https://amis.cdfifund.gov). For further
AMIS account and Application
submission requirements, see
Section V.
In the case where a Certified CDFI
Depository Institution Holding
Company Applicant intends to carry
out the activities of an award
through its Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution, both the Certified
CDFI Depository Institution Holding
Company Applicant and the Certified
CDFI Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution must be registered in
AMIS.
501(c)(4) status.................. Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 1611, any
501(c)(4) organization that engages
in lobbying activities is not
eligible to receive an award under
this NOFA.
Compliance with Other Statutes, An Applicant \6\ may not be eligible
Regulations, and Executive Orders. to receive an Award if proceedings
have been instituted against it in,
by, or before any court,
governmental agency, or
administrative body, and a final
determination was made within the
time period beginning three years
prior to the publication of this
NOFA through the execution of the
Award Agreement, declaring that the
Applicant violated any laws or
regulations, including, but not
limited, to Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, as amended (42
U.S.C. 2000d et seq.); the Fair
Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et
seq.); the Equal Credit Opportunity
Act (15 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.);
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794); the
Age Discrimination Act of 1975, (42
U.S.C. 6101-6107); and Title IX of
the Education Amendments of 1972
(20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.); and the
Personal Responsibility and Work
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
1996, as described in the Executive
Order titled, ``Ending Taxpayer
Subsidization of Open Borders.''
In addition, an Applicant \6\ must
be compliant with Federal Civil
Rights requirements to be eligible
to receive an Award from the CDFI
Fund. The CDFI Fund will consider
an Application submitted by an
Applicant that may have pending
Title VI noncompliance issues;
however, until the CDFI Fund makes
a final determination that the
Applicant is Title VI compliant, it
may not enter into an Assistance
Agreement.
[[Page 39669]]
Depository Institution Holding In the case where a Certified CDFI
Company \7\ Applicant. Depository Institution Holding
Company Applicant intends to carry
out the activities of an Award
through its Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution, the Application must
be submitted by the Certified CDFI
Depository Institution Holding
Company and reflect the activities
and financial performance of the
Certified CDFI Subsidiary Insured
Depository Institution.
If a Depository Institution Holding
Company and its Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution (through which it will
carry out the activities of the
award) both apply for an award
under this NOFA, only the
Depository Institution Holding
Company will receive an Award, not
both. In such instances, the
Certified CDFI Subsidiary Insured
Depository Institution will be
deemed ineligible.
Authorized Representatives of both
the Depository Institution Holding
Company and the Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution must certify that the
information included in the
Application represents that of the
Certified CDFI Subsidiary Insured
Depository Institution, and that
the Award funds will be used to
support the Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution for the eligible
activities outlined in the
Application.
Regulated Institutions \8\........ To be eligible for an Award, each
Regulated Institution Applicant
must have a CAMELS/CAMEL composite
rating (rating for banks
and credit unions, respectively), by
its Federal regulator of at least
``3'' or state regulator
equivalent.
Applicants with CAMELS/CAMEL
composite ratings of ``4'' or ``5''
will not be eligible for an Award.
Bank Applicants must have a
Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)
rating of at least ``Satisfactory''
to be eligible for an Award.
The CDFI Fund will also evaluate
material concerns identified by the
Appropriate Federal Banking Agency
or Appropriate State Agency in
determining eligibility of
Regulated Institution Applicants.
Use of Award...................... All Awards made through this NOFA
must be used to support the
Applicant's activities in at least
one of the Eligible Activity
Categories, see Section III.F.
With the exception of Depository
Institution Holding Company
Applicants, Awards may not be used
to support the activities of, or
otherwise be passed through,
transferred, or co-awarded to third-
party entities, whether Affiliates,
Subsidiaries, or others, unless
done pursuant to a merger or
acquisition or similar transaction,
and with the CDFI Fund's prior
written consent.
The Recipient of any Award made
through this NOFA 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, with respect
to any Direct Costs.
For Applicants applying as a
partnership, only the Designated
Lead Certified CDFI may use the
Award to carry out the activities
of the Award.
SDL Program Recipients must meet
certain performance goals which
will require the Recipient to
expend the SDL Program Award on
eligible activities and close small
dollar consumer loans.
The Period of Performance for each
SDL Program Award begins with the
date that the CDFI Fund announces
the Recipients of the FY 2026 SDL
Program Awards and includes a
Recipient's three full consecutive
fiscal years after the date of the
Award announcement, during which
time the Recipient must meet the
performance goals set forth in the
Assistance Agreement. The Budget
Period for an SDL Program Award is
the same as the Period of
Performance.
Pending resolution of If an Applicant (or Affiliate of an
noncompliance or default. Applicant identified in AMIS 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,
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.
Noncompliance or default status... The CDFI Fund will not consider an
Application submitted by an
Applicant that is a prior CDFI Fund
Award Recipient or Allocatee under
any CDFI Fund program if, as of the
AMIS Application deadline in this
NOFA, (i) the CDFI Fund has made a
final determination in writing that
such Applicant (or Affiliate of an
Applicant identified in AMIS) is in
noncompliance with or default of a
previously executed Assistance
Agreement, Allocation Agreement,
Bond Loan Agreement, or Agreement
to Guarantee, 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.
Additionally, regardless of whether
a sanction or remedy is imposed,
the CDFI Fund will not consider an
Application submitted by an
Applicant if the default on a prior
Allocation Agreement of the
Applicant or an Affiliate occurs
during the time period beginning 12
months prior to the Application
deadline and ending with the FY
2026 award announcement.
The CDFI Fund will not consider any
Applicant that has defaulted on a
loan from the CDFI Fund within five
years of the Application deadline.
Debarment/Do Not Pay Verification. The CDFI Fund will conduct a
debarment check on the Applicant.
The CDFI Fund will not consider any
Applicant that is debarred.
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 and debarment
information to the CDFI Fund.
If the Do Not Pay Business Center
reports that the Applicant has a
pending or delinquent debt to the
Federal government, the Applicant
will be required to demonstrate
that it has resolved such pending
or delinquent debt. Applicants that
fail to demonstrate resolution of
the pending or delinquent Federal
debt in the timeframe specified by
the CDFI Fund will be found
ineligible to receive an award.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 39670]]
III. Program Description
A. The general purpose: The purpose of the SDL Program is to
provide LLR and TA grants to qualified organizations to establish and
maintain small dollar consumer loan programs that are safe, affordable,
and responsible.
B. Program Goals and Objectives: SDL Program funding is intended to
expand consumer access to financial institutions by providing
alternatives to high-cost small dollar lending. The SDL Program funding
is also intended to help unbanked and underbanked populations build
credit, access affordable capital, and allow greater access into the
mainstream financial system.
C. Funding Priorities: To pursue these objectives, the CDFI Fund
will prioritize funding for Applications that propose to offer small
dollar consumer loan programs that include any of the following
characteristics: (1) offer small dollar consumer loan terms that are at
least ninety (90) days; (2) use underwriting that considers the
borrower's ability to repay a loan based on both the borrower's income
and expenses; (3) make loan decisions within one business day after
receipt of required documents; (4) offer a reduction in the borrower's
loan rate if the borrower elects to use automatic debit payments; (5)
offer automatic savings features that are built into the regularly-
scheduled payments on a loan--provided that the resulting payment is
still affordable--or, at a minimum, loans that can be structured so
that, subject to the borrower's consent, payments continue for a period
of time after the loan is repaid with all the payments going into a
savings vehicle; and (6) offer access to financial education, including
credit counseling, particularly if the Applicant offers financial
education programs that are used as substitutes for late fees and
overdraft fees when borrowers are at risk of incurring a late fee or
overdraft fee.
D. A description of how the award will contribute to achieving the
program's goals and objectives: Expected community impacts may include
improved financial strength and stability for low-income and
underserved people and/or improved borrower delinquency rate and/or
improved credit history and credit scores and/or access to mainstream
financial products and expanded activity in other credit facilities
(e.g., borrower received an auto loan) and/or continued access to
financial education, including credit counseling and/or help to create
or preserve savings and/or help borrowers consolidate or reduce debt at
a lower cost.
E. The expected performance goals, indicators, targets, baseline
data, data collection, and other outcomes the Federal agency expects
recipients to achieve: All SDL Program Award Recipients must close
small dollar consumer loans based on the three-year projected loan
total to be closed as proposed in the Application. Final performance
goals may be adjusted based on final award size and will be set forth
in the final SDL Program Assistance Agreement.
1. Persistent Poverty Counties: Pursuant to the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260) and Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-103) Congress mandated that at
least 10% 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% or more of its
population living in poverty over the past 30 years (as measured by the
1990 and 2000 decennial censuses, and the 2016-2020 data series
available from the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census
Bureau), or any other territory or possession of the United States that
has had 20% or more of its population living in poverty over the past
30 years (as measured by the 1990, 2000 and 2010 Island Areas Decennial
Censuses, or equivalent data, of the U.S. Census Bureau). The PPC data
is published by the CDFI Fund at: https://www.cdfifund.gov/sites/cdfi/files/2024-05/PPC_2020_ACS_May_10_2024.xlsx. To comply with this
mandate, the CDFI Fund will prioritize funding to Applicants that have
headquarters (as stated in the Applicant's Application) located in
PPCs.
F. Allowable costs: Eligible Activities: An SDL Program Award must
support or finance activities to establish and maintain small dollar
consumer loan programs that are safe, affordable, and responsible. SDL
Program Awards may only be used as follows:
1. Loan Loss Reserves: LLR Awards must be set aside in the form of
cash reserves, or through accounting-based accrual reserves, to cover
losses on small dollar consumer loans. LLR Awards may be used to
mitigate losses on a new or established small dollar consumer loan
program. LLR Award Recipients must meet performance goals prior to the
end of the Period of Performance. The performance goals are derived
from the Applicant's projections and attestations provided in the
Application.
2. Technical Assistance: TA Awards may be used for technology,
staff support, and other costs associated with establishing and
maintaining a small dollar consumer loan program as listed in Table 5
of this NOFA. Recipients must expend at least 35% of TA Award by the
end of the first year and 100% by the end of the third year of the
Period of Performance. Recipients may choose to receive their TA Award
in either a lump sum or by one Initial Payment and one Subsequent
Payment. If electing to receive a Subsequent Payment, Recipients must
submit a request within 12-months of their Assistance Agreement's
execution date. The initial request amount must, at a minimum, be 35%
of the total TA Award; 90% of this initial request amount must be
disbursed before a Subsequent Payment will be paid. If the Recipient
does not request a subsequent payment for the TA Award within 12-months
of the execution of their Assistance Agreement, the CDFI Fund, in its
sole discretion, may terminate its obligation to pay the balance of the
TA funds.
Table 5--Eligible Technical Assistance Activity Categories
[Subject to the applicable provisions of the uniform requirements]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) Compensation--Personal TA paid to cover all remuneration,
Services. paid currently, or accrued, for
services of Applicant's employees
related to establishing or
maintaining the Applicant's small
dollar consumer loan program
rendered during the Period of
Performance under the TA grant in
accordance with section 200.430 of
the Uniform Requirements.
Any work performed directly, but
unrelated to the purposes of the TA
grant may not be paid as
Compensation through a TA grant.
For example, the salaries for
building maintenance are not
related to the purpose of a TA
grant and would be deemed
unallowable.
[[Page 39671]]
(ii) Professional service costs... TA used to pay for professional and
consultant services (e.g., such as
strategic and marketing plan
development) related to
establishing or maintaining the
Applicant's small dollar consumer
loan program, rendered by persons
who are members of a particular
profession or possess a special
skill (e.g., credit analysis,
portfolio management), and who are
not officers or employees of the
Applicant, in accordance with
section 200.459 of the Uniform
Requirements. Payment for a
consultant's services may not
exceed the current maximum of the
daily equivalent rate paid to an
Executive Schedule Level IV Federal
employee.
(iii) Travel costs................ TA used to pay costs of
transportation, lodging,
subsistence, and related items
incurred by the Applicant's
personnel who are on travel status
on business related to establishing
or maintaining the Applicant's
small dollar consumer loan program,
in accordance with section 200.475
of the Uniform Requirements. Travel
costs do not include costs incurred
by the Applicant's consultants who
are on travel status. Any payments
for travel expenses incurred by the
Applicant's personnel but unrelated
to carrying out the purpose of the
TA grant would be deemed
unallowable. As such, documentation
must be maintained that justifies
the travel as necessary to the TA
grant.
(iv) Training and education costs. TA used to pay the cost of training
and education provided by the
Applicant for employees'
development in accordance with
section 200.473 of the Uniform
Requirements. TA can only be used
to pay for training costs incurred
by the Applicant's employees
related to establishing or
maintaining the Applicant's small
dollar consumer loan program.
Training and education costs may
not be incurred by the Applicant's
consultants.
(v) Equipment..................... TA used to pay for tangible personal
property, having a useful life of
more than one year and a per-unit
acquisition cost of at least
$10,000, as defined in section
200.1 of the Uniform Requirements,
related to establishing or
maintaining the Applicant's small
dollar consumer loan program. For
example, items such as information
technology systems are allowable as
Equipment costs. The Applicant must
comply, as applicable, with the Buy
American Act of 1933, 41 U.S.C.
8301-8303 with respect to the
purchase of Equipment.
(vi) Supplies..................... TA used to pay for tangible personal
property with a per unit
acquisition cost of less than
$10,000, as defined in section
200.1 of the Uniform Requirements,
related to establishing or
maintaining the Applicant's small
dollar consumer loan program. For
example, a desktop computer costing
$1,000 is allowable as a Supply
cost. The Applicant must comply, as
applicable, with the Buy American
Act of 1933, 41 U.S.C. 8301-8303
with respect to the purchase of
Supplies.
(vii) Development Services........ TA used to pay for activities
undertaken by an Applicant that
prepares or assists current or
potential borrowers to use the
Applicant's small dollar consumer
loan program. For example, such
activities include financial
education, including credit
counseling.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
G. Matching Funds: The Matching Funds requirement for SDL Program
Applicants was waived in the enacted FY 2025 Consolidated
Appropriations Act. Therefore, SDL Program Applicants are not required
to submit Matching Funds at the time of Application submission.
H. Required Loan Features: An Applicant will not be eligible to
receive an SDL Program Award if the Applicant fails to demonstrate in
the Application that its SDL Program Award would be used to establish
or maintain a small dollar consumer loan program that offers small
dollar consumer loans that: (1) Are made in amounts that do not exceed
$2,500; (2) must be repaid in installments; (3) have no prepayment
penalty; and (4) have payments that are reported to at least one of the
consumer reporting agencies that compiles and maintains files on
consumers on a nationwide basis.
I. Prohibited Practices: Applicants are not eligible to use SDL
Program Awards to support small dollar consumer loan programs that have
the lending practices and loan characteristics listed in Table 6.
Table 6--SDL Program Prohibited Practices
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prohibited practice Prohibited practice definition
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) High-Rate loans............... Loans that exceed the lower of the
following two rates:
(1) an all-inclusive 36% APR, using
the Military Annual Percentage Rate
(MAPR) methodology; or
(2) the interest rate limit as set
by the state agency that oversees
financial institutions in your
state.
(ii) Coerced automated repayments. Loans that:
(1) have delayed loan disbursements
for borrowers who do not agree to
automatic repayments,
(2) charge fees for borrowers who
select manual payments, or
(3) require borrowers to make
payments using wire transfers or
other means that may result in
additional fees for borrowers.
(iii) Excessive refinancing....... Loans that allow refinancing before
at least 80% of the principal has
been repaid.
(iv) Loan insurance or credit card Loans that offer add-on insurance or
add-ons. credit card products, whether they
are automatic or not, that require
borrowers to opt-in or opt-out to
decline coverage or require the
borrower to accept or opt-out of a
credit card. For example, loans
that automatically include
insurance products such as credit,
life, disability insurance or
involuntary unemployment insurance
coverage, or loans that
automatically open a credit card
for the borrower.
(v) Security interests in Loans that are secured, except for
household goods, vehicles, or loans secured by a savings account
deposit accounts. for loans with a savings component
or credit builder loans.
(vi) Excessive late fees on missed Loans that charge more than one fee
loan payments. per late payment.
(vii) Abusive overdraft practices. Lenders who hold the account from
which repayment is being made may
not collect a loan payment from the
borrower's account that overdraws
the account, triggering overdraft
fees.
[[Page 39672]]
(viii) Aggressive debt collection Loans in which the lender:
practices. Does not offer a workout program or
other accommodations to help
struggling borrowers before
pursuing other debt collection
avenues;
All debt collection activities must
comply with the Fair Debt
Collection Practices Act, whether
conducted by the lender, a contract
debt collector, or sold to third
party debt collectors;
Does not disclose to borrowers the
details of its debt collection
practices or provide notice to a
borrower when its account is placed
with debt collectors.
(ix) Forced arbitration clause, Loan contracts that contain clauses
class action ban, and other bans that prevent borrowers from seeking
on legal remedies. legal remedies in court, such as
mandatory arbitration clauses, or
clauses requiring that the borrower
waive the right to a trial by jury
or the right to participate in a
class action lawsuit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
J. SDL Program Statutory Requirements: 1. SDL Program Awards may
not be used to provide direct loans to consumers. 2. SDL Program Awards
may only be used to support small dollar consumer loan programs that
offer small dollar consumer loans that: are made in amounts that do not
exceed $2,500; (a) must be repaid in installments; (b) have no
prepayment penalty; (c) have payments that are reported to a least one
of the consumer reporting agencies that compiles and maintains files on
consumers on a nationwide basis; and (d) are underwritten with
standards that consider the consumer's ability to repay.
K. Authorizing statutes and regulations: Relevant statutes and
regulations for the SDL Program include: 1. Title XII--Improving Access
to Mainstream Financial Institutions Act of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-203), which
amended the Riegle Community Development Banking and Financial
Institutions Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-325) to include the SDL Program
(12 U.S.C. 4719). 2. Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR part 1000)
(Uniform Requirements or Uniform Administrative Requirements): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-X/part-1000.
The CDFI Fund encourages Applicants to review this NOFA; the SDL
Program Application (the Application); all related materials and
guidance documents found on the CDFI Fund's website (Application
materials); and the Uniform Requirements for a complete understanding
of the SDL Program. Capitalized terms in this NOFA are defined in the
Authorizing Statute, this NOFA, the Application, Application materials,
or the Uniform Requirements. Details regarding Application content
requirements are found in the Application and Application materials.
L. Other Eligibility Criteria: Affiliated Entity Application
Submission: As part of the Application review process, the CDFI Fund
considers whether Applicants are Affiliates, as such term is defined in
12 CFR 1805.104. An Applicant and its Affiliates may not submit
separate Applications. If Affiliates submit multiple or separate
Applications, the CDFI Fund may, at its discretion, reject all such
Applications received or select only one of the submitted Applications
to deem eligible, assuming the Application meets all other eligibility
criteria in Section III of this NOFA. Furthermore, an Applicant that
receives an award in this SDL Program round may not become an Affiliate
of another Applicant that receives an award in this SDL Program round
at any time after the submission of an SDL Program Application under
this NOFA. This requirement will also be a condition of the Assistance
Agreement (see the Small Dollar Loan Program Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) on the CDFI Fund's website at: https://www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/sdlp/apply-step#application-materials for
more details).
IV. Application Contents and Format
The CDFI Fund has a sequential, two-step application process that
requires the submission of Application documents in two separate
systems with two separate deadlines. The required Application documents
are listed in Table 7 below. The Application submission deadlines for
all Application components are listed in Table 2. Additional
information regarding mandatory account access, how to submit all
components of the Application through Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) and AMIS (https://amis.cdfifund.gov), and Authorized
Representative signature requirements for the Application is provided
in Section V of this NOFA. All Application materials can be found on
Grants.gov and the CDFI Fund's website at https://www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/sdlp/apply-step#application-materials. All
Applications should be prepared using the English language, and
calculations must be computed in U.S. dollars. 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. Information submitted by the Applicant that the CDFI Fund
has not specifically requested will not be reviewed or considered as
part of the Application. Financial data, portfolio, and activity
information provided in the Application should only include the
Applicant's activities. Information submitted must accurately reflect
the Applicant's activities (other than Depository Institution Holding
Companies).
Table 7--Required Application Components
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Application components Applicant type Submission format
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Active AMIS Account............. All Applicants.... AMIS.
SF-424.......................... All Applicants.... Fillable PDF in
Grants.gov.
SDLP Program Application........ All Applicants.... AMIS.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 39673]]
Attachments to the Application
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audited Financial Statements for Non-Regulated PDF in AMIS.
the two most recently completed Applicants
fiscal years, completed prior (Required only
to the publication date of this for Loan funds,
NOFA. If not available, non- venture capital
regulated Applicants must funds, and other
submit externally reviewed non-Regulated
statements for the two most Institutions.).
recently completed fiscal years
prior to the publication date
of this NOFA.
Management Letter \9\ for the (Required only for PDF in AMIS.
Applicant's most recently Loan funds,
completed fiscal year. venture capital
funds, and other
non-Regulated
Institutions.).
Year-end Call Reports for Required only for PDF in AMIS.
Applicant's two most recently Regulated
completed fiscal years prior to Institutions.
the publication date of the
NOFA. (see FAQs for additional
guidance).
A Qualified FIDI Partnership Required only for PDF in AMIS.
Attestation Form demonstrating a FIDI that is
the FIDI has a primary mission applying as a
of serving targeted Investment partnership with
Areas. a Certified CDFI
for an LLR Award.
A Partnership Agreement between Required only for: PDF in AMIS.
a Certified CDFI and a FIDI (1) a FIDI and a
that has a primary mission of Certified CDFI
serving targeted Investment applying for an
Areas, applying for an LLR LLR Award; and
Award, or a Partnership (2) two or more
Agreement between or among two Certified CDFIs
or more Certified CDFIs that are applying
applying for a TA Award as a partnership
detailing the terms of their for a TA Award.
partnership to establish or
maintain a small dollar
consumer loan program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Eligible Applicants may submit only one SDL Program Application.
Applicants are responsible for determining the requested SDL Program
Award type.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ The Management Letter is prepared by the Applicant's auditor
and is a communication on internal control over financial reporting,
compliance, and other matters. The Management Letter contains the
auditor's findings regarding the Applicant's accounting policies and
procedures, internal controls, and operating policies, including any
material weaknesses, significant deficiencies, and other matters
identified during auditing. The Management Letter may include
suggestions for improving on identified weaknesses and deficiencies
and/or best practice suggestions for items that may not be deemed
weaknesses or deficiencies. The Management Letter may also include
items that are not required to be disclosed in the annual audited
financial statements. The Management Letter is distinct from the
auditor's Opinion Letter, which is required by Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles (GAAP). Management Letters are not required by
GAAP and are sometimes provided by the auditor as a separate letter
from the audit itself.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. LLR Awards: (a) a Certified CDFI; or (b) a partnership between a
Certified CDFI and a Federally Insured Depository Institution (FIDI)
with a primary mission to serve targeted Investment Areas. 2. TA
Awards: (a) a Certified CDFI; or (b) a partnership between two or more
Certified CDFIs. 3. Combination of LLR and TA Awards: (a) a Certified
CDFI.
B. Additional Guidance on Applicants Applying as Partnerships: A
partnership is a formal arrangement, as evidenced by a written
partnership agreement (e.g., Memorandum of Understanding), between a
Certified CDFI and a FIDI or between two or more Certified CDFIs. The
partnership must be designed to accomplish one or more of the strategic
goals discussed in the Business Strategy section of the SDL Applicant's
Application and be integral to the successful completion of the
Applicant's strategic goal(s). The partnership should be such that the
Applicant's strategic goal(s) would not be achievable without the
direct input and/or assistance of the partner. An Applicant that
collaborates or coordinates with a FIDI or a Certified CDFI to achieve
the strategic goals detailed in the Application is not required to
apply as a partnership. The partnership must designate a lead Certified
CDFI for the partnership that will submit the Application. The
designated lead Certified CDFI will also submit a written partnership
agreement (e.g., Memorandum of Understanding) detailing roles and
responsibilities of the partners, partner replacement or substitution
restrictions, any financial contributions and profit-sharing
arrangements, and performance requirements for the entities in the
partnership. A partner must be a FIDI, if the partnership is applying
for an LLR Award, or a Certified CDFI, if the partnership is applying
for a TA Award. A partner may not apply for its own Award or apply as a
partner for more than one Application submitted for the FY 2026 SDL
Program Funding Round. Applicants that apply as a partnership will be
evaluated based on the same criteria as Applicants that apply without a
partnership. If selected to receive an SDL Program Award, the lead
Certified CDFI Recipient will be solely responsible for carrying out
the activities described in its Application and complying with the
terms and conditions of the Assistance Agreement. The partner(s) will
not be a co-Recipient of the Award. As such, the lead Certified CDFI
Recipient will be prohibited from using the SDL Program Award to fund
any activity carried out directly by the partner or an Affiliate or
Subsidiary thereof. Examples of partnerships include the following:
Example 1: ABC Certified CDFI has a strategic goal of increasing
its small dollar lending by X% over X number of years. ABC Certified
CDFI will request an SDL Program Award for LLR to mitigate losses on
the small dollar loans it provides as it seeks to expand its small
dollar loan program. ABC Certified CDFI has a Partnership Agreement in
place with a local FIDI in which the FIDI will refer all small dollar
loan candidates to ABC Certified CDFI to expand ABC Certified CDFI's
small dollar loan program. ABC Certified CDFI will explain in its
narrative and Partnership Agreement how an SDL Program Award for LLRs
and the referrals from the local FIDI partner will ensure that its
strategic goal of increasing small dollar lending is achieved.
Example 2: XYZ Certified CDFI has a strategic goal to provide a new
small dollar loan product. XYZ Certified CDFI will request an SDL
Program Award for TA to upgrade its technology systems to support a new
small dollar loan product. XYZ Certified CDFI has a Partnership
Agreement in place with a
[[Page 39674]]
Certified CDFI that will provide free financial counseling services to
the XYZ Certified CDFI's small dollar loan Applicants. XYZ Certified
CDFI chooses to apply as a partnership with the Certified CDFI as its
partner. XYZ Certified CDFI will explain in its narrative and
Partnership Agreement how an SDL Program Award for TA and the financial
counseling provided to potential borrowers will support the growth of
the new small dollar loan program.
Note: A Certified CDFI Depository Institution Holding Company
Applicant that intends to carry out the activities of an Award through
its Subsidiary Certified CDFI Insured Depository Institution should not
apply as a partnership. Instead, the Certified CDFI Depository
Institution Holding Company should apply as a sole entity.
V. Submission Requirements and Deadlines
A. How to Find or Request Application Materials: The Application
materials can be found on Grants.gov and the CDFI Fund's website at:
https://www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/sdlp/apply-step#application-materials. The CDFI Fund may update the Application
materials as necessary during the Application round. Applicants are
encouraged to pay attention to the CDFI Fund's website for updated
resources.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission: The CDFI Fund will
post instructions for accessing and submitting an Application at:
https://www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/programs/sdlp/apply-step#application-materials. Detailed Application content requirements
are found in the Application and related guidance documents. If an
Applicant is unable to access Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/or the
CDFI Fund's website, the Applicant may request a paper version of any
Application material by contacting the CDFI Fund Help Desk by email at
[email protected] or by phone at (202) 653-0421. A paper version of
Application materials will only be provided if an Applicant cannot
access Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov) or the CDFI Fund's website.
Additionally, the SF-424 must be submitted through Grants.gov and all
other Application documents must be submitted through the AMIS portal
(https://amis.cdfifund.gov). The CDFI Fund will not accept Applications
via email, mail, facsimile, or other forms of communication, except in
extremely rare circumstances that have been pre-approved by the CDFI
Fund.
C. Submission Dates and Times: Table 2 in Section I lists the
deadlines for submission of the documents related to the FY 2026 SDL
Program funding round.
D. Submission Instructions: The CDFI Fund has a sequential, two-
step process that requires the submission of Application documents in
separate systems with two separate deadlines. The SF-424 must be
submitted through Grants.gov and all other Application documents
through the AMIS portal. The required Application components are
outlined in Section IV. The separate Application deadlines for the SF-
424, and all other Application materials are listed in Table 2.
E. System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Unique Entity
Identifier (UEI): Any entity applying for Federal financial assistance
must first register in SAM.gov (https://www.sam.gov). When accessing
SAM.gov, users will be asked to create a login.gov user account (if
they do not already have one). Going forward, users will use their
login.gov username and password every time when logging into SAM.gov.
The UEI, generated in SAM.gov, is the official identifier for doing
business with the Federal government. If an entity is registered in
SAM.gov today, its UEI has already been assigned and is viewable in
SAM.gov, including inactive registrations. New registrants will be
assigned a UEI as part of their SAM.gov registration. Applicants will
be required to provide a valid UEI in AMIS (see section II). All
entities registered in SAM.gov must have an authorized entity
administrator. SAM.gov requires that new registrants, and existing
registrants that do not have an entity administrator, mail an original,
signed notarized letter identifying the authorized entity administrator
for the entity to the Federal Service Desk. Existing entities with
registered entity administrators do not need to submit an annual
notarized letter. Visit SAM.gov for more information about this
requirement. Applicants that have previously completed the SAM.gov
registration process must verify that their SAM.gov accounts are
current and active. Applicants are required to maintain a current and
active SAM.gov account at all times during which they have an active
Federal award or an Application under consideration for an award by a
Federal agency.
The SAM.gov registration process can take four weeks or longer to
complete, so Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the
registration as soon as possible to avoid potential Application
submission issues. The CDFI Fund will not consider any Applicant that
fails to properly register or activate its SAM.gov account and, as a
result, is unable to submit its Application by the Application
deadline. Additionally, the CDFI Fund reserves the right to deem an
Application ineligible or terminate an award if the Applicant's SAM
account expires during the Application evaluation and post-award
process, and the Applicant does not re-activate or renew (as
applicable) the account by the CDFI Fund's requested deadlines.
Applicants must contact SAM.gov directly with questions related to the
registration process as the CDFI Fund does not maintain this system.
F. Grants.gov Submission Information: The CDFI Fund strongly
encourages Applicants to start the Grants.gov registration process as
soon as possible, as it may take one week or more to complete (refer to
the following link: http://www.grants.gov/register). An Applicant that
has previously registered with Grants.gov must verify that its
registration is current and active. If an Applicant has not previously
registered with Grants.gov, it must first successfully register in
SAM.gov, as described in Section II above.
Table 8--Grants.gov Registration Timeline Summary
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimated minimum
Step Agency time to complete
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obtain an EIN................... Internal Revenue Two (2) Weeks.*
Service (IRS).
Register in SAM.gov............. System for Award Four (4) Weeks.*
Management
(SAM.gov). This
step will include
obtaining a UEI.
Register in Grants.gov.......... Grants.gov........ One (1) Week.**
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Applicants are advised that the stated durations are estimates only
and represent minimum timeframes. Actual timeframes may take longer.
The CDFI Fund will not consider any Applicant that fails to properly
register or activate its SAM account, has not yet received a UEI
number, and/or fails to properly register in Grants.gov.
** This estimate assumes an Applicant has a UEI number, an EIN number,
and is already registered in SAM.gov.
[[Page 39675]]
Once registered, Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the
SF-424 as early as possible through Grants.gov to provide sufficient
time to resolve any potential submission issues. Each Applicant will
receive an initial email from Grants.gov immediately after submitting
the SF-424, confirming that the submission has entered the Grants.gov
system. This email will contain a tracking number for the submitted SF-
424. Within forty-eight (48) hours, the Applicant will receive a second
email which will indicate if the submitted SF-424 was either
successfully validated or rejected with errors. However, Applicants
should not rely on the email notification from Grants.gov to confirm
that their SF-424 was validated. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
use the tracking number provided in the first email to closely monitor
the status of their SF-424 by checking Grants.gov directly. The
Application materials submitted in AMIS are not accepted by the CDFI
Fund until Grants.gov has validated the SF-424. In the Grants.gov
Workspace function, please note that the Application package has not
been submitted if you have not received a tracking number. Applicants
should contact Grants.gov directly with questions related to the
registration or submission process, as the CDFI Fund does not
administer the Grants.gov system.
G. AMIS Registration Information: AMIS is a web-based portal where
Applicants will directly enter their Application information and upload
required attachments listed in Table 7. Each Applicant must register as
an organization in AMIS by the deadline in Table 2 to submit the
required Application materials through this portal. An Applicant that
fails to properly register and/or update its AMIS account may miss
important communications from the CDFI Fund or fail to submit an
Application successfully.
H. Authorized Representative Signature and AMIS Requirements: Prior
to submission, each Application in AMIS must be signed by an Authorized
Representative. An Authorized Representative is an employee or officer
of the Applicant organization and has the authority to legally bind and
make representations on behalf of the Applicant; it cannot be a
consultant. The Authorized Representative must be a ``user'' in AMIS
and included as a ``Contact'' in the Applicant's AMIS account.
I. AMIS Application Point(s) of Contact: AMIS Application point(s)
of contact will be included on any communication from the CDFI Fund
regarding the Application. Application point(s) of contact can submit
the Application but cannot sign the Application. Consultants working on
behalf of the Applicant cannot be designated as Authorized
Representatives but can be designated as Application point(s) of
contact.
J. AMIS Application Submission Requirements: AMIS will verify that
the Applicant provided the minimum information required to submit an
Application. Applicants are responsible for the quality and accuracy of
the information and attachments included in the Application submitted
in AMIS. 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 Application deadline.
Only an Authorized Representative for the organization or an
Application Point of Contact can submit the 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. The following table lists the mandatory accounts
and steps required to successfully submit the FY 2026 Funding Round
Application Documents through Grants.gov and AMIS. The separate
Application deadlines for the SF-424 and the submission of all other
Application materials are listed in Tables 2 and 10. The CDFI Fund
strongly encourages Applicants to complete all Grants.gov and AMIS
Application submission steps as early as possible to provide sufficient
time to resolve any potential submission issues.
Table 9--Account and Application Submission Requirements for All
Applicants
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employer Identification Number Applicants must have a unique EIN
(EIN). assigned by the Internal Revenue
Service (IRS).
Applicants must enter their EIN into
their AMIS profile on or before the
deadline specified in Table 2.
The EIN in the Applicant's AMIS
account must match the EIN in the
Applicant's System for Award
Management (SAM) account. The CDFI
Fund reserves the right to reject
an Application if the EIN in the
Applicant's AMIS account does not
match the EIN in its SAM account.
The CDFI Fund will reject an
Application submitted with the EIN
of a parent or Affiliate
organization.
System for Award Management (SAM). Applicants must complete
registration in SAM.gov to be able
to complete their Grants.gov
registration and submit an SF-424.
Applicants must have an EIN to
register in SAM.gov. Applicants
that have an active SAM
registration have been assigned a
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). See
SAM.gov for more information.
The SAM registration process can
take 30 days or more to complete.
The CDFI Fund strongly encourages
Applicants to register as early as
possible to meet the deadlines in
Table 2 and Table 10.
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).... Applicants must enter their UEI
number into their AMIS profile on
or before the deadline specified in
Tables 2 and 10.
The UEI number in the Applicant's
AMIS account must match the UEI
number in the Applicant's
Grants.gov and SAM accounts. The
CDFI Fund will reject an
Application if the UEI number in
the Applicant's AMIS account does
not match the UEI number in its
Grants.gov and SAM accounts.
For Applicants applying as a
partnership, the UEI number of the
Designated Lead Certified CDFI
Applicant in AMIS must match the
UEI number on the SF-424 submitted
through Grants.gov.
The CDFI Fund will reject an
Application submitted with the UEI
number of a parent or Affiliate
organization.
Grants.gov Account................ Applicants must submit the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB)-
approved Standard Form (SF) 424
Mandatory (Application for Federal
Assistance) form in Grants.gov.
The SF-424 must be submitted under
the FY 2026 SDL Funding Round SDL
Funding Opportunity Number.
Applicants must have an existing
SAM.gov registration to register in
Grants.gov. The Grants.gov
registration process can take one
week or more to complete. The CDFI
Fund strongly encourages Applicants
to register as early as possible to
meet the deadlines in Table 2. See
Grants.gov for more information.
[[Page 39676]]
The SF-424 must be submitted in
Grants.gov before the other
Application materials are submitted
in AMIS. If the SF-424 is not
accepted by Grants.gov by the
applicable deadline, the Applicant
will not be able to submit the AMIS
Application.
The CDFI Fund will not extend the SF-
424 application deadline for any
Applicant that started the
Grants.gov registration process on,
before, or after the date of the
publication of this NOFA, but did
not complete it by the deadline,
except in the case of a Federal
government administrative or
technological error that directly
resulted in preventing an Applicant
from submitting the SF-424 by the
required deadline.
AMIS Account...................... Each Applicant, including each
Consortium Member, must register as
an organization in the CDFI Fund's
Awards Management Information
System (AMIS) and submit all
required Application materials
through the AMIS portal.
In the case where a Certified CDFI
Depository Institution Holding
Company Applicant intends to carry
out the activities of an award
through its Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution, both the Certified
CDFI Depository Institution Holding
Company Applicant and the Certified
CDFI Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution must be registered in
AMIS.
The Applicant's Authorized
Representative and Application
Point of Contact must be included
as ``users'' in the Applicant's
AMIS account.
If the Applicant does not complete
the registration for its
organization in AMIS by the
deadline set forth in Table 2, its
Application will be rejected
without further consideration.
The CDFI Fund will not extend the
AMIS account creation deadline for
any Applicant that failed to
properly register and update its
AMIS account by the deadline except
in the case of a Federal government
administrative or technological
error that directly resulted in
preventing an Applicant from
creating the account.
Application submission through Applicants must submit the Required
Grants.gov and Awards Management Application Documents listed in
Information System. Table 7.
The CDFI Fund will only accept
Applications that use the official
Application templates provided on
the Grants.gov and AMIS websites.
Applications submitted with
alternative or altered templates
will not be considered.
Applicants undergo a two-step
process that requires the
submission of Application documents
by two separate deadlines in two
different locations: (1) the SF-424
in Grants.gov and (2) all other
Required Application Documents in
AMIS.
Grants.gov and the Standard Form 424
(SF-424):
The SF-424 must be submitted in
Grants.gov on or before the
deadline listed in Table 2.
Applicants are strongly encouraged
to submit their SF-424 as early as
possible in the Grants.gov portal.
Because the SF-424 is part of the
Application, if the SF-424 is not
accepted by Grants.gov by the
applicable deadline, the Applicant
will not be able to submit the AMIS
Application. The deadline for the
Grants.gov submission is before the
AMIS submission deadline.
AMIS and all other Required
Application Documents listed in
Table 7.
All Required Application Documents
must be submitted in AMIS on or
before the deadline specified in
Table 2.
Applicants are only allowed one SDL
Program Application submission in
AMIS.
Each Application in AMIS must be
signed by an Authorized
Representative.
Applicants must ensure that the
Authorized Representative is an
employee or officer of the
Applicant, authorized to sign legal
documents on behalf of the
organization. Consultants working
on behalf of the organization may
not be designated as Authorized
Representatives.
Only the Authorized Representative
or Application Point of Contact,
included in the Application, may
submit the Application in AMIS.
The CDFI Fund will not extend the
AMIS Application submission
deadline for any Applicant except
in the case of a Federal government
administrative or Federal
technological error that directly
resulted in preventing the
submission of the Application in
AMIS by the deadline.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
K. Multiple Application Submissions: Each Applicant is only
permitted to submit one complete Application in AMIS. The CDFI Fund
will not allow multiple AMIS Application submissions. However, the CDFI
Fund does not administer Grants.gov, which does allow for multiple
submissions of the SF-424. If an Applicant submits multiple SF-424
Applications in Grants.gov, the CDFI Fund will only review the SF-424
Application submitted in Grants.gov that is attached to the AMIS
Application. Applicants using a Consortium Approach must each
separately submit an SF-424 and Application in AMIS.
L. Late Submission or AMIS Account Creation: The CDFI Fund will not
accept an Application if the SF-424 is not submitted and accepted by
Grants.gov by the SF-424 deadline listed in Table 2. Additionally, the
CDFI Fund will not accept an Application if it is not signed by an
Authorized Representative and submitted in AMIS by the Application
deadline listed in Table 2. The CDFI Fund will also not accept an
Application from an Applicant that failed to create an AMIS account by
the deadline specified in Table 2. In these cases, the CDFI Fund will
not review any material submitted, and the Application will be deemed
ineligible. However, in cases where a Federal government administrative
or technological error directly resulted in preventing an Applicant
from submitting the SF-424, the Application, or creating an AMIS
account by the deadlines stated in this NOFA, the Applicant must submit
a written request for acceptance of late submissions by the deadline
specified in Table 10. Be aware that an unexpected delay in a Federal
government process does not in and of itself constitute a Federal
government administrative or technological error. The CDFI Fund will
only approve the late submission of the SF-424, the Application, or the
late creation of an AMIS account, if the Applicant demonstrates that an
unexpected delay was the direct result of a Federal government
administrative or technological error. The written request must be
submitted to the CDFI Fund as an AMIS Service Request with the subject
line as specified in Table 10, and the request must include
[[Page 39677]]
documentation of the Federal government administrative or technological
error acceptable to the CDFI Fund. Table 10 below outlines the
deadlines and AMIS Service Request requirements for requesting a late
submission:
Table 10--Requests for Late Submission or Account Creation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deadline time for AMIS
Late submission or account creation Deadline to submit AMIS service request AMIS service request
request service request (eastern time--ET) subject line
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Creation of AMIS Account............. 07 24, 2026............ 11:59 p.m. ET.......... SDL Program--AMIS
Account Creation
Deadline Extension
Request.
SF-424............................... 07 24, 2026............ 11:59 p.m. ET.......... SDL Program--Late SF-
424 Submission
Request.
AMIS Application..................... 07 31, 2026............ 11:59 p.m. ET.......... SDL Program--Late
Application Submission
Request.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M. Funding Restrictions: SDL Program Awards are limited by the
following:
1. A Recipient shall use SDL Program Award funds only for the
eligible activities set forth in the Application and as described in
Table 6 and Section III F. of this NOFA and the Award's applicable
Assistance Agreement. 2. A Recipient may not disburse SDL Program Award
funds to an Affiliate, Subsidiary, or any other entity in any manner
that would create a Subrecipient relationship (as defined in the
Uniform Requirements) without the CDFI Fund's prior written approval.
3. SDL Program Award dollars shall only be paid to the Recipient. 4.
The CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion, may pay SDL Program Awards in
amounts, or under terms and conditions, which are different from those
requested by an Applicant. However, the CDFI Fund will not grant an
Award more than the amount requested by the Applicant.
VI. Application Review Information
A. Responsiveness Review: If the Applicant has submitted an
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 purpose of clarifying or
confirming Application information. If contacted, the Applicant must
respond within the time period communicated by the CDFI Fund or risk
that its Application will be rejected. The CDFI Fund will review the
SDL Application in accordance with the process below. All Application
reviewers will complete the CDFI Fund's conflict of interest process.
B. Review and Selection Process: The CDFI Fund will evaluate each
complete and eligible Application using the multi-phase review process
described in this section. Where appropriate, the CDFI Fund will use
different criteria to evaluate the financial health, capacity, and
strategies of the Applications based on the proposed use(s) of the SDL
Program Award. These differences are noted in the following sections
and the Application Instructions. Applicants that meet the minimum
criteria will advance to the next step in the review process.
1. Eligibility Review: The CDFI Fund will evaluate each Application
to determine its eligibility status pursuant to Section II of this
NOFA.
2. Financial Analysis: For Regulated Institutions, the CDFI Fund
will consider financial safety and soundness information from the
Appropriate Federal or State Banking Agency. As detailed in Table 5,
each Regulated Institution SDL Program Applicant must have a CAMEL(S)
rating of a ``1'', ``2'', or ``3'', and no material concerns from its
regulator. In addition, bank Applicants must have a CRA rating of at
least ``Satisfactory''. For non-regulated Applicants, the CDFI Fund
will evaluate the financial health and viability of each non-regulated
Applicant using the Application Assessment Tool and the financial
information provided by the Applicant. For the Financial Analysis, each
non-regulated Applicant will receive a Total Financial Composite Score
on a scale of one (1) to five (5), with one (1) being the assigned the
highest rating. The Total Financial Composite Score is based on the
analysis of twenty-three (23) financial indicators. Applications will
be grouped based on the Total Financial Composite Score. Applicants
must receive a Total Financial Composite Score of one (1), two (2), or
three (3) to advance to the Business Strategy and Community Impact
Review phase. CDFI Fund staff will review and confirm the scores for
Applications that receive an initial Total Financial Composite Score of
four (4) or five (5). If the Total Financial Composite Score remains
four (4) or five (5) after CDFI Fund staff review, the Applicant will
not advance to the Business Strategy Review phase and will not receive
further consideration for an Award.
3. Compliance Risk Evaluation: The CDFI Fund will evaluate the
compliance risk of each Applicant using information provided in the
Application, as well as an Applicant's reporting history, reporting
capacity, and performance risk with respect to the Applicant's
performance goals for all CDFI Fund awards. Each Applicant will receive
a Total Compliance Composite Score on a scale of one (1) to five (5),
with one (1) being assigned the highest rating. CDFI Fund staff will
review and confirm the scores for Applications that receive an initial
Total Compliance Composite Score of four (4) or five (5). If the
Applicant is deemed a high compliance risk after CDFI Fund Staff
review, the Applicant will not advance to the Business Strategy Review
phase and will not receive further consideration for an award. 4.
Business Strategy Review: Applicants that proceed to this phase will be
evaluated on the soundness of their proposed business strategy. The
Business Strategy evaluation consists of four sections, totaling 100
points as follows: Market Analysis and Award Strategy (40 points), Loan
Products and Lending Practices (10 points), Pipeline and Projections
(30 pts), and Organizational Capacity (20 points). Applicants will
receive a Total Business Strategy Review Score equivalent to ``Low
Risk'', ``Medium Risk'' or ``High Risk.'' Applicants must receive a
Total Business Strategy Review Score that is equivalent to a ``Low
Risk'' or ``Medium Risk'' to advance to the Final Award Decision and
Award Amount Determination Stage. Applicants that receive an overall
rating of ``High Risk'' in this part of the evaluation will not advance
to the Final Award Decision and Award Amount Determination Stage and
will not receive further
[[Page 39678]]
consideration for an SDL Program Award. In the Business Strategy
Review, the CDFI Fund will review and evaluate: (a) the needs of
communities and persons in the areas the Applicant proposes to serve
with an SDL Program Award and the extent to which the proposed strategy
addresses these needs; (b) the small dollar lending and financing gaps
addressed by its business strategy; (c) the projected SDL Program
activities and track record; (d) the role the SDL Program Award plays
in its financing strategy and the expected community impact that will
be sought as a result of the proposed program; (e) Applicant's
organizational capacity. Within the Business Strategy Review, an
Applicant will generally be deemed a lower risk to the extent that it:
(i) clearly aligns its proposed SDL Program Award activities and
products with the small dollar consumer needs and financing gaps it
identifies; (ii) demonstrates that its strategy and activities will
result in more favorable financing rates and terms for borrowers; (iii)
demonstrates that its projected activities are achievable based on the
Applicant's strategy and track record and demonstrates an increase in
its small dollar lending; (iv) describes a clear process for selecting
borrowers that have a clear need for its small dollar consumer loan
program financing; and (v) has a credible pipeline of borrowers. An
Applicant will also generally score more favorably to the extent it has
a volume of projected activities supported by its track record. An
Applicant will also score favorably if its small dollar consumer loan
program offers one or more of the following lending practices and loan
characteristics that promote affordable and responsible small dollar
lending and clearly address the identified financing gaps: the loan
term is at least ninety days, and/or it considers the borrower's
ability to repay by assessing both the borrower's income and expenses
(i.e. bases lending on a borrower's ability to repay according to the
terms of the loan, while meeting other expenses, without needing to
refinance/re-borrow, and without relying on collateral), and/or loan
decisions are made within one business day after receipt of required
documents, and/or the borrower receives a reduction in its loan rate if
s/he uses automatic debit payments, and/or the Applicant's small dollar
consumer loan program offers automatic savings features, and/or the
Applicant offers access to financial education, including credit
counseling. An Applicant will also score more favorably if it
demonstrates strong organization capacity, including key staff with
relevant experience to manage a small dollar consumer loan program. An
Applicant will also score more favorably if it is located in a non-
metropolitan area based on the Office of Management and Budget's 2020
Core Based Statistical Areas designations. For Applicants applying for
an LLR Award, the Applicant will discuss how the LLR Award will be used
to launch a small dollar consumer loan program or expand its existing
small dollar program that meets the statutory and other requirements
described in this NOFA. The Applicant will also describe its strategy
and structure of the LLR account. Further, the Applicant will discuss
the anticipated loss rate the LLR will cover and how the loss rate was
estimated.
For Applicants applying for a TA Award, the Applicant will discuss
how the TA Award will be used to launch a small dollar consumer loan
program or expand its existing small dollar program that meets the
statutory and other requirements described in this NOFA. The Applicant
will include information about intended uses of the TA Award which
comply with eligible uses as stated in Section II of this NOFA.
5. Final Award Decision and Award Amount Determination: During this
last phase, the CDFI Fund will review all SDL Program Applications that
make it to this step to ensure adherence with the SDL Program's
policies and procedures, as well as applicable federal regulations. The
CDFI Fund will also review the Applicant's management team and key
staff, compliance status, eligibility, due diligence, and regulatory
matters. This due diligence includes an analysis of programmatic and
financial risk factors including, but not limited to, financial
stability, history of performance in managing federal awards (including
timeliness of reporting and compliance), audit or regulator findings,
and the Applicant's ability to effectively implement federal
requirements. For Applicants applying for awards to establish a small
dollar consumer loan program, the CDFI Fund will also consider the
Applicant's ability to start a new small dollar consumer loan program.
If an Applicant is found to be a significant risk as a result of the
due diligence review, the CDFI Fund may eliminate the Applicant from
consideration for an SDL Program Award. The CDFI Fund will determine
award amounts for Applications based on the due diligence performed,
the Applicant's requested amount, and certain other factors, including
but not limited to, the Applicant's three-year projected total small
dollar consumer loans to be closed, Applicant's use of preferred
lending practices and loan characteristics stated in this NOFA that
promotes affordable and responsible small dollar lending, Applicants
headquartered in PPCs (as stated in the Applicant's Application), an
Applicant's risk rating level, and funding availability. Award amounts
may be reduced from the requested award amount as a result of the above
factors.
(a) Regulated Institutions: The CDFI Fund will consider safety and
soundness information from the Appropriate Federal or State Banking
Agency. If the Applicant is a CDFI Depository Institution Holding
Company, the CDFI Fund will consider information provided by the
Appropriate Federal or State Banking Agencies about both the CDFI
Depository Institution Holding Company and the Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository Institution that will expend and carry
out the award. If the Appropriate Federal or State Banking Agency
identifies safety and soundness concerns, the CDFI Fund will assess
whether such concerns cause or will cause the Applicant to be incapable
of undertaking the activities for which funding has been requested.
(b) Non-Regulated Institutions: The CDFI Fund must ensure, to the
maximum extent practicable, that Applicants which are non-regulated
CDFIs are financially and managerially sound and maintain appropriate
internal controls (12 U.S.C. 4707(f)(1)(A) and 12 CFR 1805.800(b)).
Further, the CDFI Fund must determine that an Applicant's capacity to
operate as a CDFI, and its continued viability will not be dependent
upon assistance from the CDFI Fund (12 U.S.C. 4704(b)(2)(A)). If it is
determined that the Applicant is incapable of meeting these
requirements, the CDFI Fund reserves the right to deem the Applicant
ineligible or terminate the award.
6. Anticipated Award Announcement: The CDFI Fund anticipates making
the SDL Program Award announcement before September 30, 2026. However,
the anticipated award announcement date is subject to change without
notice.
C. Changes in Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria: The CDFI Fund
reserves the right to change its eligibility and evaluation criteria
and procedures, if the CDFI Fund deems it appropriate. If said changes
materially affect the CDFI Fund's Award decisions, the CDFI Fund will
provide information regarding the changes through the CDFI Fund's
website. It is the Applicant's
[[Page 39679]]
responsibility to monitor the CDFI Fund's website for such changes.
D. Application Rejection: The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its
sole discretion, to reject an Application if information (including
administrative errors) comes to the attention of the CDFI Fund that
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, including
mismanagement of another Federal award. If the CDFI Fund determines
that any portion of the Application is incorrect in any 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.
VII. Award Notice
A. Award Notification: The Authorized Representative and Point(s)
of Contact for each successful Applicant will receive an email ``notice
of award'' notification from the CDFI Fund stating that its Application
has been approved for an Award. The email ``notice of award'' is not an
authorization to begin performance.
B. Application Debriefs: The Authorized Representative and Point(s)
of Contact for each Applicant not selected for an award will receive an
email with information on when a debriefing document will be provided
in its AMIS account (https://amis.cdfifund.gov). The CDFI Fund will not
discuss the specifics of an Applicant's FY 2026 SDL Program Application
or provide specific reasons why an Applicant was not selected to
receive a 2026 SDL Program Award beyond any information provided in the
debriefing document.
The CDFI Fund will only respond to general questions regarding the
FY 2026 SDL Program Application and award decision process until 30
days after the Award announcement date.
VIII. Post-Award Requirements and Administration
A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Prior to
entering into an Assistance Agreement, the CDFI Fund may, in its
discretion and without advance notice to the Applicant, terminate the
Award or take other actions as it deems appropriate if information
(including an administrative error) comes to the CDFI Fund's attention
that adversely affects the Recipient's eligibility for an Award;
adversely affects the CDFI Fund's evaluation of the Application;
adversely affects the Recipient's compliance with any requirement
listed in the Uniform Requirements; or indicates fraud or mismanagement
on the Recipient's part, including mismanagement of another Federal
award. The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to
rescind an Award if the Recipient fails to return the Assistance
Agreement, signed by an Authorized Representative of the Recipient,
and/or provide the CDFI Fund with any other requested documentation,
within the CDFI Fund's deadlines.
If the Recipient, through merger or similar transaction, ceases to
exist as a legal entity, the CDFI Fund may terminate and rescind the
Assistance Agreement and the Award made under this NOFA. In addition,
the CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate
and rescind the Assistance Agreement and the Award made under this NOFA
for any criteria described in Table 11:
Table 11--Criteria that may Result in Award Termination Prior to the
Execution of an Assistance Agreement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criteria Description
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Failure to meet reporting If a Recipient received a prior
requirements. Award or Allocation 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 as of the date of the
notice of award, 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 SDL Program
Award, until said prior Recipient
or allocatee is current on the
reporting requirements in the
previously executed Award
Agreement, Assistance Agreement,
Allocation Agreement, Bond Loan
Agreement, or Agreement to
Guarantee.
If such a prior 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 notice of award and the
SDL Program Award made under this
NOFA.
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, nor that it
met reporting requirements.
Pending resolution of Default or If a Recipient has pending
Noncompliance. noncompliance or default issues
with any of its previously executed
CDFI Fund Award Agreement,
Assistance Agreements, Allocation
Agreements, Bond Loan Agreements,
or Agreements to Guarantee the CDFI
Fund will delay entering into an
Assistance Agreement until the CDFI
Fund has made a final compliance
determination.
If said prior Recipient is unable to
satisfactorily resolve the
compliance issues, the CDFI Fund
reserves the right, in its sole
discretion, to terminate and
rescind the notice of award and the
Award made under this NOFA.
Default or Noncompliance status... The CDFI Fund may delay entering
into an Award Agreement with a
Recipient if the CDFI Fund
determines that the Recipient is
noncompliant or in default with any
previously executed Assistance
Agreement, Award Agreement,
Allocation Agreement, Bond Loan
Agreement, or Agreement to
Guarantee, and the CDFI Fund has
provided written notification that
the Recipient is ineligible to
apply for or receive any future
awards or allocations for a
specified timeframe. Additionally,
regardless of whether a sanction or
remedy is imposed, the CDFI Fund
will not consider an Application
submitted by an Applicant if the
default on a prior Allocation
Agreement of the Applicant or an
Affiliate occurs during the time
period beginning 12 months prior to
the Application deadline and
execution of the FY 2026 Assistance
Agreement. In such a circumstance
the CDFI Fund may specify actions
the Recipient must take to cure the
noncompliance or default. If the
Recipient is unable to cure the
noncompliance or default within the
timeframe specified by the CDFI
Fund, the CDFI Fund reserves the
right, in its sole discretion, to
terminate and rescind the
Assistance Agreement and the Award
made under this NOFA.
[[Page 39680]]
Noncompliance with Federal civil If, within the period starting three
rights requirements. 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, but
not limited to: Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as
amended (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.);
the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C.
3601 et seq.); the Equal Credit
Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. 1691 et
seq.); Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29
U.S.C. 794); the Age Discrimination
Act of 1975, (42 U.S.C. 6101-6107),
and Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681
et seq.), the CDFI Fund may
terminate and rescind the
Assistance Agreement and the Award
made under this NOFA.
The CDFI Fund will delay entering
into an Assistance Agreement with a
Recipient that has pending Title VI
noncompliance issues if the CDFI
Fund has not yet made a final
compliance determination.
If the Recipient is unable to
satisfactorily resolve the Title VI
noncompliance issues, the CDFI Fund
reserves the right, in its sole
discretion, to terminate and
rescind the Assistance Agreement
and the Award made under this NOFA.
Safety and Soundness.............. If it is determined the Recipient is
or will be incapable of meeting its
award obligations, the CDFI Fund
will deem the Recipient to be
ineligible or require it to improve
safety and soundness conditions
prior to entering into an Award/
Assistance Agreement.
Failure to maintain CDFI A Recipient must be a Certified CDFI
Certification. as is defined in the SDL Program
Application and this NOFA, prior to
entering into an Assistance
Agreement.
If, at any time prior to entering
into an Assistance Agreement under
this NOFA, a Recipient that is a
Certified CDFI has submitted
reports (or failed to submit an
Annual Certification and Data
Collection Report (ACR) and
Transaction Level Report (TLR) as
instructed by the CDFI Fund) to the
CDFI Fund that demonstrate
noncompliance with the requirements
for CDFI Certification, but the
CDFI Fund has yet to make a final
determination regarding whether or
not the entity is Certified, the
CDFI Fund reserves the right, in
its sole discretion, to delay
entering into an Assistance
Agreement and/or to delay making a
Payment of SDL Program Award,
pending full resolution, in the
sole determination of the CDFI
Fund, of the noncompliance.
If the Recipient is unable to
satisfactorily resolve the
compliance issues, in the sole
determination of the CDFI Fund, the
CDFI Fund reserves the right, in
its sole discretion, to terminate
and rescind the notice of award and
the SDL Program Award made under
this NOFA.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Assistance Agreement: The Authorized Representative and Point(s)
of Contact for each Applicant that is selected to receive an Award
under this NOFA will receive an email notification from the CDFI Fund
stating an Assistance Agreement has been provided in its AMIS account.
The Assistance Agreement must be fully executed by the Applicant's
Authorized Representative and the CDFI Fund for the Applicant to become
a Recipient and receive Payment. Each SDL Program Assistance Agreement
has a 3-year Period of Performance. 1. The Assistance Agreement will
set forth certain required terms and conditions of the SDL Program
Award, which will include, but not be limited to: (a) The amount of the
Award; (b) The approved uses of the Award; (c) performance goals; (d)
Reporting requirements for all Recipients; and (e) The Assistance
Agreement shall provide that the Awardee shall not, to the best of its
knowledge and after reasonable diligence, provide any federal public
benefit in a manner that violates applicable Federal anti-
discrimination laws, including providing employment or financial
preferences or set-asides based on any person's race, ethnicity, or
sex, in a manner that is inconsistent with any applicable Federal anti-
discrimination laws. Additionally, the Awardee must adopt, implement,
and maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure the
Awardee's compliance with applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws.
Annually, the Awardee shall certify the existence and administration of
such policies and procedures and make them available for review upon
request by the CDFI Fund. 2. Prior to executing the Assistance
Agreement, the CDFI Fund may, in its discretion, allow Recipients to
request changes to certain performance goals. The CDFI Fund, in its
sole determination, may approve or reject these requested changes or
propose other modifications, including a reduction in the Award amount.
The CDFI Fund will only approve revised performance goals if it
determines that such requested changes do not undermine the competitive
process upon which the SDL Program Award determination was made. Any
modifications agreed upon prior to the execution of the Assistance
Agreement will become a condition of the Award. 3. If the Recipient
fails to comply with the Assistance Agreement, the CDFI Fund may take
actions including, but not limited to, the following: (a) require
changes in the Recipient's performance goals; (b) revoke approval of
the Recipient's Application; (c) revoke approval of any other
applications submitted to the CDFI Fund by the Recipient under any of
the CDFI Fund's programs, and declare such applications to be
ineligible; (d) reduce or terminate the Award ; (e) require repayment
of any SDL Program Assistance that has been paid to the Recipient
pursuant thereto; (f) render the Recipient ineligible to apply for
additional awards from the CDFI Fund through future funding rounds; (g)
require the Recipient to convene a meeting(s) of its board of directors
at which meeting(s) the CDFI Fund will be given the opportunity to
address the attendees with respect to the CDFI Fund's evaluations and
concerns regarding the performance of the Recipient under the
Assistance Agreement; or (h) take such other actions as the CDFI Fund
deems appropriate including, but not limited to, termination of CDFI
Certification. 4. In addition to entering into an Assistance Agreement,
each Applicant selected to receive an SDL Program Award must furnish to
the CDFI Fund a Certificate of Good Standing from the jurisdiction in
which it was formed. The CDFI Fund may, in its sole discretion, also
require the Applicant to furnish an opinion from its legal counsel, the
content of which may be further
[[Page 39681]]
specified in the Assistance Agreement, and which, among other matters,
opines that: (a) The Recipient is duly formed and in good standing in
the jurisdiction in which it was formed and the jurisdiction(s) in
which it transacts business; (b) The Recipient has the authority to
enter into the Assistance Agreement and undertake the activities that
are specified therein; (c) The Recipient has no pending or threatened
litigation that would materially affect its ability to enter into and
carry out the activities specified in the Assistance Agreement; and (d)
The Recipient is not in default of its articles of incorporation or
formation, bylaws or operating agreements, other organizational or
establishing documents, or any agreements with the federal government.
C. Reporting. The CDFI Fund will require each Recipient that
receives an SDL Program Award through this NOFA to account for and
report to the CDFI Fund on the use of the SDL Program Award. This will
require Recipients to establish administrative controls subject to the
Uniform Requirements and other applicable OMB guidance. Following
payment, the CDFI Fund will collect information from each Recipient on
its use of the SDL Program Award annually, and more often if deemed
appropriate by the CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion. The CDFI Fund
will provide guidance to Recipients outlining the format and content of
the information required to describe how the funds were used.
The CDFI Fund may collect information from each Recipient
including, but not limited to, an annual report with the components
listed in Table 12:
Table 12--Annual Reporting Requirements
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual Certification and Data All Recipients that are Certified
Collection Report (ACR). CDFIs as of the date of the award
announcement must submit the ACR to
the CDFI Fund through AMIS (https://amis.cdfifund.gov) per the ACR
reporting schedule. All Recipients
that received their CDFI
Certification after December 1,
2023, must also submit a TLR in
conjunction with their ACR.
Financial Statement Audit Report A Non-profit Recipient (including
(Non-profit Recipient including Insured Credit Unions and State-
Insured Credit Unions and State- Insured Credit Unions) must submit
Insured Credit Unions). a Financial Statement Audit (FSA)
Report in AMIS, along with the
Recipient's statement of financial
condition audited or reviewed by an
independent certified public
accountant, if any are prepared.
Under no circumstances should this
be construed as the CDFI Fund
requiring the Recipient to conduct
or arrange for additional audits
not otherwise required under
Uniform Requirements, any other
laws, or otherwise prepared at the
request of the Recipient or parties
other than the CDFI Fund.
Financial Statement Audit Report For-profit Recipients must submit an
(For-Profit Recipient). FSA Report in AMIS, along with the
Recipient's statement of financial
condition audited or reviewed by an
independent certified public
accountant.
Financial Statement Audit Report If the Recipient is a Depository
(Depository Institution Holding Institution Holding Company or an
Company and Insured Depository Insured Depository Institution, it
Institution). must submit an FSA Report in AMIS.
Single Audit Report (Non-Profit A non-profit Recipient must complete
Recipients, if applicable). an annual Single Audit pursuant to
the Uniform Requirements (see 2 CFR
Subpart F-Audit Requirements) if it
expends $1,000,000 or in Federal
awards in its fiscal year, or such
other dollar threshold established
by OMB pursuant to 2 CFR 200.501.
If a Single Audit is required, it
must be submitted electronically to
the Federal Audit Clearinghouse
(FAC) (see 2 CFR Subpart F-Audit
Requirements in the Uniform
Requirements at https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-F) and optionally through
AMIS.
Federal Financial Report/OMB The Recipient must annually submit
Standard Form 425 (SF 425). the SF-425 Federal Financial Report
to the CDFI Fund through AMIS to
disclose how much of the SDL
Program award funds were expended
during the Federal government's
fiscal year of October 1 through
September 30.
Uses of Award Report.............. The Recipient must submit the Uses
of Award Report to the CDFI Fund in
AMIS. If the Recipient is a
Depository Institution Holding
Company that deploys all or a
portion of its Financial Assistance
through its Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution, that Certified CDFI
Subsidiary Insured Depository
Institution must also submit a Uses
of Award Report. Furthermore, if
the Depository Institution Holding
Company itself deploys any portion
of the Award, the Depository
Institution Holding Company must
submit a Uses of Award Report.
Performance Progress Report....... Recipient must submit the
Performance Progress Report to the
CDFI Fund. If the Recipient is a
Depository Institution Holding
Company that deploys all or a
portion of its Award through its
Certified CDFI Subsidiary Insured
Depository Institution, all
activity will be submitted in the
Performance Progress Report.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Each Recipient is responsible for the timely and complete
submission of the Annual Reporting Requirements. The CDFI Fund reserves
the right to contact the Recipient and additional entities or
signatories to the Assistance Agreement to request additional
information and/or documentation. The CDFI Fund will use such
information to monitor each Recipient's compliance with the
requirements of the Assistance Agreement and to assess the impact of
the SDL Program. The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole
discretion, to modify these reporting requirements, including
increasing the scope and frequency of reporting, if it determines it to
be appropriate and necessary. The CDFI Fund will notify Recipients
before modifying any reporting requirements.
D. Financial Management and Accounting: The CDFI Fund will require
Recipients to maintain financial management and accounting systems that
comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions
of the Federal Award. These systems must be sufficient to permit the
preparation of reports required by the CDFI Fund to ensure compliance
with the requirements of the SDL Program, including the tracing of
Award funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such
Award funds have been used in accordance with Federal statutes,
regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal Award. The
cost principles used by Recipients must be consistent with Federal cost
principles; must support the accumulation of costs as required by the
principles; and must provide for adequate documentation to support
costs charged to the SDL Program Award. In addition, the CDFI Fund will
require Recipients to: maintain effective internal controls; comply
with applicable statutes and regulations, the
[[Page 39682]]
Award/Assistance Agreement, and related guidance; evaluate and monitor
compliance; take appropriate corrective action when not in compliance;
and safeguard PII.
IX. Other Information
A. Revisions to Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
of 2006. Each Applicant that does not have an exception related to
reporting subaward and executive compensation information under 2 CFR
170 must have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply
with reporting requirements should they receive an Award.
B. Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity. Any person who is eligible
to receive benefits or services from the CDFI Fund or Recipients under
any of its programs is entitled to those benefits or services without
being subject 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 in
the activities of the CDFI Fund. If a person believes that s/he has
been subjected to discrimination and/or reprisal s/he may file a
complaint with: Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment
Opportunity, 1500 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20230 or
[email protected].
C. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Prevention Notice. In accordance with
Executive Order Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud (March
16, 2026), the CDFI Fund affirms that fraud, waste, and abuse is not
tolerated across its programs. The CDFI Fund will work with the U.S.
Department of the Treasury, the Presidential Task Force to Eliminate
Fraud, the Department of Justice, and other applicable federal, state,
and local stakeholders to identify and dismantle fraud, waste, and
abuse.
All applicants, award recipients, and contractors are on notice
that any misuse or fraudulent obtainment of federal funds will result
in the maximum enforcement response available under the law, including
award termination, repayment demands, suspension and debarment, and
referral for civil and criminal prosecution under the False Claims Act
(31 U.S.C. 3730). Suspected fraud, waste, or abuse should be reported
to the Treasury Office of Inspector General at 1-800-359-3898 or
www.oig.treas.gov.
D. Whistleblower Protections. An employee of a recipient or
subrecipient must not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise
discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing to a person or body
described in paragraph (a)(2) of 41 U.S.C. 4712 information that the
employee reasonably believes is evidence of gross mismanagement of a
Federal contract or grant, a gross waste of Federal funds, an abuse of
authority relating to a Federal contract or grant, a substantial and
specific danger to public health or safety, or a violation of law,
rule, or regulation related to a Federal contract (including the
competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant. The recipient
and subrecipient must inform their employees in writing of employee
whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712.
E. Statutory and National Policy Requirements. The CDFI Fund must
manage and administer the Federal award in a manner so as to ensure
that Federal funding is expended and associated programs are
implemented in full accordance with the U.S. Constitution, Federal law,
and public policy requirements.
F. 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. If applicable, the CDFI Fund may inform Applicants that they do
not need to provide certain Application information otherwise required.
Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, the SDL Program Application
has been assigned the following control number: 1559-0036.
G. 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: Pub. L. 111-203. 12 U.S.C. 4719, 12 CFR part 1805, 12
CFR part 1815, 12 U.S.C. 4502.
Dated: June 26, 2026.
Luke J. Pettit,
Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions.
[FR Doc. 2026-13200 Filed 6-29-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-05-P