[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27716-27718]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-13310]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 1997 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Fiscal Year 1997 Funding Opportunity for Cooperative Services
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the
availability of $1,700,000 that was allocated from the Fund for Rural
America for Fiscal Year 1997 to the Cooperative Services program, which
is administered by RBS. RBS hereby requests proposals from Federal,
State, or local agencies or other units of government, institutions of
higher education, or nonprofit development organizations interested in
applying for competitively awarded cooperative agreements pursuant to
section 607(b) of the Rural Development Act of 1972. The intent of the
program is to assist small and emerging cooperatives.
DATES: Comments regarding the information collection requirements under
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 must be received on or before July
21, 1997 to be assured of consideration. Completed proposals must be
received no later than July 31, 1997. Proposals received after July 31,
1997, will not be considered for funding.
ADDRESSES: Send Proposals and other required materials to Dr. Randall
E. Torgerson, Deputy Administrator for Cooperative Services, Rural
Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 3250, Rm 4016-S, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3250.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John H. Wells, Director,
Cooperative Development Division, Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
USDA, Stop 3254, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-
3254. Telephone: (202) 720-3350.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
General Information
The Fund for Rural America (The Fund), authorized under section 793
of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996 (1996
Act) (7 U.S.C. 2204(f)), is established as an account in the Treasury
of the United States, to provide funds for rural development programs
and a competitive grant program to support research, education, and
extension activities. The Fund will provide $100 million in each of
fiscal years 1997, 1998, 1999 for rural development programs and a
competitive grant program for research, education, and extension
activities. Between one-third and two-thirds will be available for the
Department's rural development programs, and the remainder will be
allocated for research, education and extension activities. This notice
pertains to $1,700,000 designated for Cooperative Services as part of
the Rural Development programs. Rural Business-Cooperative Service will
administer the program through the use of cooperative agreements. The
program is a matching fund program designed to stimulate value-added
product development by agricultural cooperative organizations located
in rural communities. Cooperative Agreements are to be awarded on the
basis of merit, quality, and relevance to advancing the purposes of
federally supported rural development programs which increase economic
opportunities in farming and rural communities through expanding
locally-owned, value-added processing and product development. To
obtain program materials, please contact the Cooperative Services
Program; USDA/RBS at (202) 720-3350. When calling the Cooperative
Services, please indicate you are requesting background information on
Cooperative Value-Added Program (CVAP). These materials may also be
requested via Internet by sending a message with your name, mailing
address (not e-mail) and phone number to jwells@rurdev.usda.gov which
requests a copy of the materials for Fiscal Year 1997 Cooperative
Value-Added Program. The materials will be mailed to you (not e-mailed)
as quickly as possible.
Eligible Applicants
Federal, State, or local agencies or other units of government,
non-profit development organizations, or institutions of higher
education are eligible to apply. Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995, an organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4)) which engages in lobbying
activities, is not eligible to apply.
Use of Funds
Funds may be used to pay up to 75 percent of the costs for carrying
out relevant projects. Applicant's contribution may be in cash or in-
kind contribution and must be from nonfederal funds. Use of funds
should directly benefit proposed or existing cooperative marketing
organizations by focusing on, but not limited to, technical assistance
in development of market feasibility analysis or market identification
opportunities for value-added products.
Funds may not be used to: (a) Pay more than 75 percent of relevant
project or administrative costs; (b) pay costs of preparing the
application package; ( c) fund political activities; or (d) pay costs
incurred prior to the effective date of the cooperative agreement.
Funding Availability
$1.7 million in first year funding will be available for Fiscal
Year 1997. The actual number of cooperative agreements funded will
depend on the quality of proposals received and the amount of funding
requested. Out year funding beyond the first year is contingent on the
approval of future appropriations and satisfactory project performance.
Selection Criteria
RBS will initially determine whether the organization is eligible
and whether the application contains the information required in the
applications materials. After this initial screening, RBS will use the
following criteria to rate and rank proposals received in response to
this notice of funding availability. The criteria and maximum points
for each criteria are provided below. The maximum number of points is
100. Zero points on any criteria will disqualify the proposal. Each
proposal will be judged
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on its own merits using the following criteria:
1. Focuses on an agricultural value-added activity (maximum 25
points);
2. Identifies the beneficiary cooperatives or producer groups and
their level of benefit (maximum 20 points);
3. Shows capacity for an immediate positive economic impact
(maximum 15 points);
4. Documents the need for the project (maximum 10 points);
5. Outlines an adequate approach to obtaining a practical solution
(maximum 10 points);
6. Demonstrates cost effectiveness of the project (maximum 10
points);
7. Identifies qualified resources and personnel (maximum 10
points); and
Selection Process
Applications for funding will be evaluated competitively and points
will be awarded as specified in the Evaluation Criteria section
described above. After assigning points based upon the criteria, all
applications will be listed in rank order. Applications will then be
funded in rank order until all available funds have been expended. RBS
reserves the right to make selections out of rank order to provide for
a geographic distribution of funded projects.
Proposal Preparation
All proposals are to be submitted on standard 8\1/2\'' x 11'' paper
with typing on one side of the page only. In addition, margins must be
at least 1'', type must be 12 characters per inch (12 pitch or 10
point) or larger, no more than 6 lines per inch, and there should be no
page reductions. If applicable, proposals should include original
illustrations (photographs, color prints, etc.) in all copies to
prevent loss of meaning through poor quality reproduction.
Content of a Proposal
A proposal should contain the following:
1. Form SF-424 ``Application for Federal Assistance.''
2. Form SF-424A ``Budget Information-Non Construction Programs.''
3. Form SF-424B ``Assurances-Non Construction Programs.''
4. Table of Contents: For ease of locating information, each
proposal must contain a detailed Table of Contents immediately
following the required forms. The Table of Contents should include page
numbers for each component of the proposal. Pagination should begin
immediately following the Table of Contents.
5. Project Summary: The proposal must contain 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 should describe the overall goals and relevance of
the project. The summary should also contain a listing of all
organizations involved in the project. The Project Summary should
immediately follow the Table of Contents..
6. Project Narrative: The narrative portion of the Project Proposal
is limited to 20 pages of text and should contain the following:
a. Introduction. A clear statement of the goals and objectives of
the project. The problem should be set in context of the present-day
situation. Summarize the body of knowledge which substantiates the need
for the proposed project.
b. Rationale and Significance. Substantiate the need for the
proposed project. Describe the impact of the project on the end user.
Describe the project's specific relationship to the expansion of
locally-owned valued-added processing and to the problem addressed.
c. Objectives and Approach. Discuss the specific objectives to be
accomplished under the project. A detailed description of the approach
must include: (1) Techniques or procedures used to carry out the
proposed activities and for accomplishing the objectives;
(2) The results expected.
d. Time Table. Tentative schedule for conducting the major steps of
the project.
e. Evaluation. Provide a plan for assessing and evaluating the
accomplishments of the stated objectives during the project and
describe ways to determine the effectiveness (impact) of the end
results upon conclusion of the project. Awardees will be required to
submit written project performance reports on a quarterly basis.
f. Coordination and Management Plan. Describe how the project will
be coordinated among various participants and the nature of the
collaborations. Describe plans for management of the project to ensure
its proper and efficient administration.
What To Submit
An original and 1 copy must be submitted. Each copy must be stapled
in the upper left-hand corner. (DO NOT BIND). All copies of the
proposal must be submitted in one package.
When and Where To Submit
Proposals must be received by close of business on July 31, 1997.
Proposals must be sent to the following address: Dr. Randall E.
Torgerson, Deputy Administrator for Cooperative Services, Rural
Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Stop 3250, Rm 4016-S, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3250.
Other Federal Statutes and Regulations That Apply
Several other Federal statutes and regulations apply to proposals
considered for review and to cooperative agreements awarded under this
program. These include but are not limited to:
7 CFR part 1.1--USDA implementation of the Freedom of Information
Act.
7 CFR part 15, subpart A--USDA implementation of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
7 CFR part 3015--USDA Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations.
7 CFR part 3016--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant
Agreements and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments.
7 CFR part 3019--Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant
Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other
Nonprofit Organizations.
7 CFR part 3051--Audits of Institutions of Higher Education and
Other Nonprofit Institutions.
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Agency
announces its intention to seek Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
approval of new reporting and record keeping requirements. These
requirements have been approved by emergency clearance by OMB under OMB
Control Number 0570-0019.
Section 793 of the 1996 Act established The Fund to provide funds
for rural development programs and a competitive grant program to
support research, education, and extension activities. The Fund will
provide $100 million in each of fiscal years 1997, 1998, and 1999 for
these purposes. Between one-third and two-thirds will be available for
the United States Department of Agriculture's rural development
programs, and one-third will be allocated for research, education, and
extension activities.
The Secretary has allocated $1.7 million to the Rural Business-
Cooperative Service's (RBS) Cooperative
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Services Program for the funding of programs that will encourage value-
added activities to enhance the economic sustainability of rural
communities. Use of the funds should directly benefit proposed or
existing cooperative marketing organizations by focusing on, but not
limited to, technical assistance in the development of market
feasibility analyses or market identification opportunities for value-
added products. A cooperative is a user-owned and controlled business
from which the benefits are derived and distributed equitably on the
basis of use. Value-added activities refer to operations in which raw
products are processed or otherwise modified and then marketed to
provide a greater return to the cooperative members than if the product
had been marketed in its raw state.
The funds will be awarded on a competitive basis using specific
selection criteria. Funding priority will be given to those applicants
whose projects demonstrate the ability to produce immediate results and
which contribute the most to the economic conditions of rural areas.
Public Burden in this Notice
At this time, the Agency is requesting OMB clearance of the
following burden:
Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance''
This form is used by applicants as a required face sheet for
applications for Federal assistance.
Form SF-424A, ``Budget Information-Non Construction Programs''
This form must be completed by applicants to show the project's
budget breakdown, both as to expense categories and the division
between Federal and non-Federal sources.
Form SF-424B, ``Assurances-Non Construction Programs''
This form must be completed by the applicant to give the Federal
government certain assurances that the applicant has the legal
authority to apply for Federal assistance and the financial capability
to pay the non-Federal share of project costs. The applicant also gives
assurance it will comply with various legal and regulatory requirements
as described in the form.
Project Proposal
The applicant must submit a project proposal containing the
elements described in the notice and in the format prescribed. The
elements of the proposal are: (1) Table of Contents providing page
numbers for each component of the proposal; (2) A Project Summary of no
more than 250 words on a separate page that includes the title of the
project, primary contacts, a description of the goals and relevance of
the project, and other organizations involved in the project; (3) A
Project Narrative of no more than 20 pages of text that discusses the
rationale and significance of the project, its objectives and the
approach to be used, a time table for the major steps, how the
project's accomplishments will be evaluated, and how the project will
be coordinated among various participants.
Reporting Requirements
Awardees will be required to submit written project performance
reports on a quarterly basis. The project performance report shall
include, but need not be limited to: (1) A comparison of actual
accomplishments to the objectives; (2) Reasons why established
objectives were not met; (3) Problems, delays, or adverse conditions
which will materially affect attainment of planned project objectives;
(4) Objectives established for the next reporting period; and (5)
Status of compliance with any special conditions on the use of awarded
funds.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection is
estimated to range from 15 minutes to 16 hours per response.
Respondents: Federal Government; State, Local, or Tribal
Government; and not-for-profit institutions.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 75.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1578 hours.
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden to
collect the required information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance the quality,
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology.
All responses to this notice will be summarized, included in the
request for OMB approval, and will become a matter of public record.
Comments should be submitted to the Desk Officer for Agriculture,
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and
Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503, and to Sam Spencer, Regulations and
Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural
Housing Service, Stop 0743, Rm. 6345-S, 1400 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-0743. A comment to OMB is best assured of having
its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 days of publication of
this Notice.
Dated: May 14, 1997.
Dayton J. Watkins,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 97-13310 Filed 5-20-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-O
