[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 37 (Friday, February 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10349-10350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-4497]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business and Cooperative Development Service
Inviting Applications for Rural Technology Development Grants
AGENCY: Rural Business and Cooperative Development Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business and Cooperative Development Service (RBCDS)
announces the availability of approximately $1.75 million in competing
Rural Technology Development Grant (RTDG) funds for fiscal year (FY)
1995. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications for
FY 1995, notify applicants of RBCD's objectives for FY 1995, and award
grants before May 25, 1995. The purpose of the grant program is to
establish and operate centers for rural technology or cooperative
development.
DATES: The deadlines for receipt of a preapplication is April 10, 1995.
Preapplication received after the date will not be considered for FY
1995 funding.
ADDRESSES: Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact
Rural Economic and Community Development (RECD) State Offices to
receive further information and copies of the preapplication package.
The program will be operated by RECD at the State level.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jennifer Barton, Loan Specialist, Community Facilities Division, Room
6304, South Agriculture Building, 14th and Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20250-0700, Telephone: (202) 720-1504.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Refer to 7 CFR part 4284-F, published in the
Federal Register on August 12, 1994 (59 FR 41429) for the information
collection requirements of the RTDG program. The RTDG program was
previously administered by the former Rural Development Administration.
Under the reorganization of the Department of Agriculture, the
responsibility for administering this program was transferred to RBCDS.
Part 4284-F of title 7 of the Code of Federal
[[Page 10350]] Regulations provides details on what information must be
contained in the preapplication package.
The RTDG program is authorized by section 310B(f) through (h) of
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932). The
primary objective of the program is to improve the economic condition
of rural areas. The RTDG. program will achieve this objective by
supporting the creation or enhancement of institutions capable of
promoting the development and commercialization of new services,
products, processes, and enterprises. RBCDS encourages applications for
projects that emphasize the creation of local capacity to promote
economic development that is sustainable over the long term through
local effort. The economic development should lead to improvements in
the quality as well as the quantity of economic activity in the
community and should be based on the application of new and existing
technologies. Grants may be used to pay up to 75 percent of the cost of
the project and administrative costs; the applicant must contribute at
least 25 percent.
RTDG grants are competitive and will be awarded to nonprofit
institutions and public bodies based on specific selection criteria, as
required by legislation and set forth in 7 CFR part 4284-F. Project
selection will be given to those projects that contribute the most to
the improvement of economic conditions in rural areas.
Preference will be given to those projects that will create
industries or agribusinesses where few exist, increase employment where
unemployment is high, stem the flow of out migration of people,
businesses and industries, and increase the level of per capita income
where such income is low. Applicants must provide data to support these
criteria. The information submitted should provide an accurate picture
of the economic conditions of the rural areas to be served. The Agency
will use the information provided to select the best projects for
funding. Part 4284 of title 7 to the Code of Federal Regulations
contains general information on the selection criteria.
As consistent with the regulatory selection procedures, RBCDS
desires to fund projects from FY 1995 funds that promote one or more of
the following policies:
1. Projects that assist rural communities and businesses that are
experiencing erosion in their economic base. A critical need exists for
actions leading to long-term enhancements in the ability of communities
and businesses to adjust to changed conditions in a smooth manner and
to achieve, over the long term, improvements in the quality of
community life and the competitiveness and profitability of businesses.
The proposed activity should result in economic activity that is
sustainable by the community over the long term through local actions
(without the need for continued subsidies by governments or
nongovernmental organizations). The project should lead to improvements
in the quality of economic activity within the community, as evidenced
by employment leading to higher wages, improved benefits, greater
career potential, and the use of higher levels of skills than currently
are typical within the local economy.
2. Projects that assist rural communities that have remained
persistently poor. A critical need exists for actions to develop and
implement broad strategies to create new sources of economic activity
in these communities, and to promote development of human resources
within the community, including organizational development,
entrepreneurship, and workforce training.
3. Projects that assist rural communities and businesses in areas
that have experienced long-term population decline and job
deterioration. A critical need exists for the broadened application of
new technologies to develop business opportunities in remote rural
locations. This can be accomplished, for example, by creating new
products or services that are related to the traditional industrial
base or that use locally-available natural resources, or by developing
new methods of conducting business from remote locations through the
applications of telecommunications technology or other business
methods.
RBCDS encourages applications for projects that have the following
characteristics:
1. The proposed use of funds should have a catalytic impact on the
local economy by providing support for a critical element of a larger
program of economic development by leveraging major additional
investments from other contributors, or by enhancing the quality of the
design of the project or the capacity of the community to implement it
successfully.
2. The proposed project should use exemplary methods or practices
of rural community and economic development that have potential
applicability in a wide range of areas.
3. The proposed activity should be consistent with local and
areawide strategic plans for community and economic development and be
a part of a broader program of community development activity that
involves partnerships with other local organizations and other
organizations providing support to the community. It must be jointly
assisted by resources from other local, State, Federal or private
resources.
4. The proposed activity should be representative of and serve a
diverse population of economic and social groups within the community,
and the planning and project development should involve active
participation by a diverse range of community residents.
1995 Application Submission
Due to the short application period for FY 1995 funds, qualified
applicants should begin the preapplication process as soon as possible.
Preapplications must include a clear statement of the goal(s) and
objective(s) of the project and a plan which describes the proposed
project as required by the statute and 7 CFR part 4284-F. Each
application received in the State Office will be reviewed for
eligibility.
All eligible applications will be referred to the National Office
for scoring and selection for award. The State Director or his/her
designee will provide comments on each application forwarded to the
National Office documenting whether the proposal promotes any of the
policies set forth in this issuance. Any other comments helpful to the
National Office's review are also welcome. The National Office will
provide funds for projects based on the grant selection criteria set
forth in 7 CFR part 4284-F and the availability of funds. Grants will
be selected for award by May 25, 1995. No grants may be awarded after
July 13, 1995 under the authority of 7 CFR part 4284-F. Successful
applicants will be notified by the RECD State Office or the RBCDS
National Office.
Dated: February 15, 1995.
Dayton J. Watkins,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business and Cooperative Development
Service.
[FR Doc. 95-4497 Filed 2-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-32-M
