[Federal Register: April 10, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 69)]
[Notices]
[Page 18588-18592]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10ap01-40]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Rural Utilities Service
Inviting Preapplications for Rural Cooperative Development Grants
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the
availability of approximately $4.5 million in competing Rural
Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) funds for fiscal year (FY) 2001.
Of this amount, $1.5 million will be reserved for preapplications which
focus on assistance to small, minority producers whose governing board
or membership is comprised of at least 75 percent minorities through
their cooperative businesses. This action will comply with legislation
which authorizes grants for establishing and operating centers for
rural cooperative development. The intended effect of this notice is to
solicit preapplications for FY 2001 and award grants before September
1, 2001.
[[Page 18589]]
DATES: The deadline for receipt of a preapplication is May 24, 2001.
Preapplications received after that date will not be considered.
Preapplications should be sent to the Rural Development State offices.
State offices will forward the preapplications to the National office
by June 7, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact
their USDA Rural Development State office to receive further
information and copies of the preapplication package.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James E. Haskell, Assistant Deputy
Administrator, Cooperative Services, Rural Business-Cooperative
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 3250, Room 4016, South
Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20250-3250. Telephone (202) 720-8460.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
information collection requirements continued in this regulation were
previously approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and
were assigned OMB control number 0570-0006.
General Information
Rural Cooperative Development Grants (RCDG) are authorized by
section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7
U.S.C.1932). Regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F.
The primary objective of the RCDG program is to improve the economic
condition of rural areas through cooperative development. The program
is administered through USDA Rural Development State offices acting on
behalf of RBS.
Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to nonprofit
corporations and institutions of higher education based on specific
selection criteria. The priorities described in this paragraph will be
used by RBS to rate preapplications. RBS review of preapplications will
include the complete preapplication package submitted to the Rural
Development State office. Points will be distributed according to
ranking compared with other preapplications on hand. Points will be
awarded to each factor on a 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis depending on the
applicant's ranking compared to other applicants. Each factor will
receive equal weight. Preference will be given to applications that:
1. Demonstrate a proven track record in administering a nationally
coordinated, regionally or Statewide operated project;
2. Demonstrate previous expertise in providing technical assistance
to cooperatives in rural areas;
3. Demonstrate the ability to assist in the retention of
businesses, facilitate the establishment of cooperatives and new
cooperative approaches, and generate employment opportunities that will
improve the economic conditions of rural areas;
4. Demonstrate the ability to create horizontal linkages among
cooperative businesses within and among various sectors in rural areas
of the United States and vertical linkages to domestic and
international markets;
5. Commit to providing technical assistance and other services to
underserved and economically distressed rural areas of the United
States;
6. Commit to providing greater than a 25 percent matching
contribution, with private funds and in-kind contributions;
7. Demonstrate transferability or demonstration value to assist
rural areas outside of project area; and
8. Demonstrate that any cooperative development activity is
consistent with positive environmental stewardship.
Fiscal Year 2001 Preapplication Submission
Preapplications must include a clear statement of the goals and
objectives of the project and a plan which describes the proposed
project as required by the statute and 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F. Each
preapplication received in the Rural Development State office will be
reviewed to determine if the preapplication is consistent with the
eligible purposes outlined in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F.
Preapplications without supportive data to address selection criteria
will not be considered.
Since the cooperative center concept is to provide technical
assistance services, including feasibility analysis, preapplications
that do not propose development or continuation of the cooperative
center concept will not be considered. Also, preapplications that focus
on assistance to only one cooperative within the project area will not
be considered. To enhance the long-term viability of cooperative
development centers, strengthening of technical assistance capacity
within new and existing centers is strongly encouraged.
Copies of 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F, will be provided to any
interested applicant by making a request to the Rural Development State
office or RBS National office.
Preapplications must be completed and submitted to the Rural
Development State office as soon as possible, but no later than May 24,
2001. Preapplications received after May 24 will not be considered.
For ease of locating information, each preapplication should
contain the following:
1. A detailed Table of Contents containing page numbers for each
component of the preapplication.
2. A project summary of 250 words or less on a separate page. This
page must include the title of the project and the names of the primary
project contacts and the applicant organization, followed by the
summary. The summary should be self-contained and describe the overall
goals, relevance of the project, and a listing of all organizations
involved in the project. The project summary should immediately follow
the Table of Contents.
3. A separate one-page information sheet which lists each of the
eight evaluation criteria followed by the page numbers of all relevant
material and documentation contained in the preapplication which
supports that criteria. This page should immediately follow the project
summary.
4. An additional requirement for those applicants who have received
funding under the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program in fiscal
years 1997 through 2000 is a summation, not to exceed three pages, of
progress and results for all projects funded fully or partially by the
RCDG program in those years. This summary should include the status of
cooperative businesses organized and all eligible grant purpose
activities listed under 7 CFR, Sec. 4284.515. The summary should
immediately follow the page described above in (3) documenting the
location of evaluation criteria supporting material.
Preapplications requesting Federal funds in excess of $300,000 will
not be considered.
The National office will score preapplications based on the grant
selection criteria contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F, and will
select awardees subject to the availability of funds and the awardees's
satisfactory submission of a formal application and related materials
in accordance with subpart F. Entities submitting preapplications that
are selected for awards will be invited by the Rural Development State
office to submit a formal application prior to September 1. It is
anticipated that grant awardees will be selected by September 1, 2001.
In the event that the applicant is awarded a grant that is less
than the amount requested, the applicant will be
[[Page 18590]]
required to modify its application to conform to the reduced amount
before execution of the grant agreement. The Agency reserves the right
to reduce or de-obligate the award, if acceptable modifications are not
submitted by the awardees within 15 working days from the date the
application is returned to the applicant. Any modifications must be
within the scope of the original application.
All applicants and grants must be in compliance with the
requirements of 7 CFR parts 3015 and 3019.
Dated: April 2, 2001.
William F. Hagy, III,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P
[[Page 18591]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10AP01.000
[[Page 18592]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN10AP01.001
[FR Doc. 01-8768 Filed 4-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-C
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 2001/04/10 EST