[Federal Register: June 15, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 114)]
[Notices]
[Page 33348-33360]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business--Cooperative Service
SUBJECT: Announcement of Value-Added Producer Grant Application Deadlines
and Funding Levels
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of solicitation of applications.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the
availability of $13.2 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal
year (FY) 2004 to help independent agricultural producers enter into
value-added activities. RBS hereby requests proposals from eligible
independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher
cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures
interested in a competitively-awarded grant to fund one of the
following two activities:
(1) Planning activities needed to establish a viable value-added marketing
opportunity for an agricultural product (e.g. conduct a feasibility study,
develop a business plan, develop a marketing plan); or
(2) acquire working capital to operate a value- added business venture
that will allow producers to better compete in domestic and international
markets. In order to provide program benefits to as many eligible
applicants as possible, applications can only be for one or the other of
these two activities, but not both. The maximum award per grant is
$500,000 and matching funds are required.
DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants
on paper or electronically by 4 p.m. Eastern time on July 30, 2004.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain application guides and materials for a Value-
Added Producer Grant via the Internet at the following web address:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm
or by contacting the Agency Contact for your state listed in Section VII
of this notice.
Submit completed paper applications for a grant to DynAccSys,
Attention: Bitsy Keko, 101 Donner Drive, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
Submit electronic grant applications to the following e-mail
address: VAPG@duncanltd.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Agency Contact for your state
listed in Section VII of this notice.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS).
Funding Opportunity Title: Value-Added Producer Grants.
Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.352.
Application Deadline: Applications must be received
on or before 4 p.m. Eastern time on July 30, 2004.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
This solicitation is issued pursuant to section 231 of the
Agriculture Risk Protection Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-224) as amended by
section 6401 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002
(Pub. L. 107-171) authorizing the establishment of the Value-Added
Agricultural Product Market Development grants, also known as Value-
Added Producer Grants (VAPG). The Secretary of Agriculture has
delegated the program's administration to USDA's Rural Business-
Cooperative Service.
The primary objective of this grant program is to help eligible
independent producers of agricultural commodities, agricultural
producer groups, farmer and rancher cooperatives, and majority-
controlled producer-based business ventures develop strategies to
create marketing opportunities and to help develop business plans for
viable marketing opportunities. Eligible agricultural producer groups,
farmer and rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based
business ventures must limit their proposals to emerging markets. These
grants will facilitate greater participation in emerging markets and
new markets for value-added products. Grants will only be awarded if
projects or ventures are determined to be economically viable and
sustainable. No more than 10 percent of program funds can go to
applicants that are majority-controlled producer-based business
ventures.
Definitions
Agency--Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an agency of the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), or a successor agency.
Agricultural Producer--Persons or entities, including farmers,
ranchers, loggers, agricultural harvesters and fishermen, that engage
in the production or harvesting of an agricultural product. Producers
may or may not own the land or other production resources, but must
have majority ownership interest in the agricultural product to which
Value-Added is to accrue as a result of the project. Examples of
agricultural producers include: a logger who has a majority interest in
the logs harvested that are then converted to boards, a fisherman that
has a majority interest in the fish caught that are then smoked, a wild
herb gatherer that has a majority interest in the gathered herbs that
are then converted into essential oils, a cattle feeder that has a
majority interest in the cattle that are fed, slaughtered and sold as
boxed beef, and a corn grower that has a majority interest in the
corn produced that is then converted into corn meal.
Agriculture Producer Group--An organization that represents
Independent Producers, whose mission includes working on behalf of
Independent Producers and the majority of whose membership and board of
directors is comprised of Independent Producers.
Agricultural Product--Plant and animal products and their by-
products to include forestry products, fish and other seafood products.
Applicant--An entity or individual applying for a VAPG that has a
unique Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Cooperative Services--The office within RBS, and its successor
organization, that administers programs authorized by the Cooperative
Marketing Act of 1926 (7 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) and such other programs so
identified in USDA regulations.
Economic development--The economic growth of an area as evidenced
by increase in total income, employment opportunities, decreased out-
migration of population, increased value of production, increased
diversification of industry, higher labor force participation rates,
increased duration of employment, higher wage levels, or gains in other
measurements of economic activity, such as land values.
Emerging Market--A new or developing market for the applicant,
which the applicant has not traditionally supplied.
Farm--Any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products
(crops and livestock) were sold or normally would have been sold during
the year under consideration.
Farmer or Rancher Cooperative--A farmer or rancher-owned and
controlled business from which benefits are derived and distributed
equitably on the basis of use by each of the farmer or rancher owners.
Fixed equipment--Tangible personal property used in trade or
business that would ordinarily be subject to depreciation under the
Internal Revenue Code, including processing equipment, but not
including property for equipping and furnishing offices such as
computers, office equipment, desks or file cabinets.
Independent Producers--Agricultural producers, individuals or
entities (including for profit and not for profit corporations, LLCs,
partnerships or LLPs), where the entities are solely owned or
controlled by Agricultural Producers who own a majority ownership
interest in the agricultural product that is produced. An independent
producer can also be a steering committee composed of independent
producers in the process of organizing an association to operate a
Value-Added venture that will be owned and controlled by the
independent producers supplying the agricultural product to the market.
Independent Producers must produce and own the agricultural product to
which value is being added. Producers who produce the agricultural
product under contract for another entity but do not own the product
produced are not independent producers.
Majority-Controlled Producer-Based Business Venture--A venture
where more than 50% of the ownership and control is held by Independent
Producers, or, partnerships, LLCs, LLPs, corporations or cooperatives
that are themselves 100 percent owned and controlled by Independent
Producers.
Matching Funds--Cash or confirmed funding commitments from non-
Federal sources unless otherwise provided by law. Matching funds must
be at least equal to the grant amount. In-kind contributions that
conform to the provisions of 7 CFR 3015.50 and 7 CFR 3019.23, as
applicable, can be used as matching funds. Examples of in-kind
contributions include volunteer services furnished by professional and
technical personnel, donated supplies and equipment, and donated office
space. Matching funds must be provided in advance of grant funding,
such that for every dollar of grant that is advanced, not less than an
equal amount of matching funds shall have been funded prior to
submitting the request for reimbursement. Matching funds are subject to
the same use restrictions as grant funds. Funds used for an ineligible
purpose will not be considered matching funds.
National Office--USDA RBS headquarters in Washington, DC.
Nonprofit institution--Any organization or institution, including
an accredited institution of higher education, where no part of the net
earnings of which may inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder
or individual.
Planning Grants--Grants to facilitate the development of a defined
program of economic activities to determine the viability of a
potential Value-Added venture, including feasibility studies, marketing
strategies, business plans and legal evaluations.
Product segregation--Physical separation of a product or commodity
from similar products. Physical separation requires a barrier to
prevent mixing with the similar product.
Public body--Any state, county, city, township, incorporated town
or village, borough, authority, district, economic development
authority, or Indian tribe on federal or state reservations or other
federally recognized Indian tribe in rural areas.
Rural and rural area--includes all the territory of a state that is
not within the outer boundary of any city or town having a population
of 50,000 or more and the urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to
such city or town, as defined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census using
the latest decennial census of the United States.
Rural Development--A mission area within the USDA consisting of the
Office of Under Secretary for Rural Development, Office of Community
Development, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service
and Rural Utilities Service and their successors.
State--includes each of the several States, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam, American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and, as may be
determined by the Secretary to be feasible, appropriate and lawful, the
Freely Associated States and the Federated States of Micronesia.
State Office--USDA Rural Development offices located in most
states.
Small Farm--A farm that has an average annual gross sales of
$250,000 or less over the last three fiscal years.
Total Project Cost--The sum of the amount of requested VAPG funds
and the proposed matching funds.
Value-Added--The incremental value that is realized by the producer
from an agricultural commodity or product as the result of:
(1) A change in its physical state,
(2) Differentiated production or marketing, as demonstrated in a
business plan, or
(3) Product segregation. Also,
(4) The economic benefit realized from the production of farm or
ranch-based renewable energy.
Incremental value may be realized by the producer as a result of
either an increase in value to buyers or the expansion of the overall
market for the product. Examples include milling wheat into flour,
slaughtering livestock or poultry, making strawberries into jam, the
marketing of organic products, an identity-preserved marketing system,
wind or hydro power produced on land that is farmed and collecting and
converting methane from animal waste to generate energy. Identity-
preserved marketing systems include labeling that
identifies how the product was produced and by whom.
Working Capital Grants--Grants to provide funds to operate ventures
and pay the normal expenses of the venture that are eligible uses of
grant funds.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Grant.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2004.
Approximate Total Funding: $13.2 million.
Approximate Number of Awards: 78.
Approximate Average Award: $170,000.
Floor of Award Range: None.
Ceiling of Award Range: $500,000.
Anticipated Award Date: 1 October 2004.
Budget Period Length: 12 months.
Project Period Length: 12 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Applicants must be an independent producer,
agricultural producer group, farmer or rancher cooperative, or
majority-controlled producer-based business venture as defined in the
``Definitions'' section of this notice. If the applicant is an
unincorporated group (steering committee), it must form a legal entity
before the grant period can begin.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Matching funds are required.
Applicants must verify in their applications that matching funds are
available for the time period of the grant. Matching funds must be at
least equal to the amount of grant funds requested. Unless provided by
other authorizing legislation, other Federal grant funds cannot be used
as matching funds. Matching funds must be spent at a rate equal to or
greater than the rate at which grant funds are expended. Matching funds
must be provided by either the applicant or by a third party in the
form of cash or in-kind contributions. Matching funds must be spent on
eligible expenses and must be from eligible sources if they are in-kind
contributions.
3. Other Eligibility Requirements:
Product Eligibility: The project proposed must involve a
Value-Added product as defined in the ``Definitions'' section of this
notice. Applicants should note that a project falling under the second
definition of Value-Added must already have a business plan in place at
the time of application. The applicant must reference this business
plan in the application. Because of this requirement, it is unlikely
that projects falling under the second definition of Value-Added will
be eligible to apply for a planning grant. In order to be eligible
under the farm or ranch-based renewable energy category, the project
must include energy generated on-farm through the use of agricultural
commodities, wind power, or solar power.
Activity Eligibility: The project proposed must specify
whether grant funds are requested for planning activities or for
working capital. Applicants may not request funds for both types of
activities in one application. Applications requesting funds for both
planning activities and for working capital will not be considered for
funding. Applicants other than independent producers applying for a
working capital grant must demonstrate that the venture is in its first
or second year of operation at the time of application.
Grant Period Eligibility: Applications that have a
timeframe of more than 365 days will be considered ineligible and will
not be considered for funding. Applications that request funds for a
time period beginning more than 90 days after the anticipated award
date will not be considered for funding.
Applications without sufficient information to determine
eligibility will not be considered for funding.
Applications that are non-responsive to the submission
requirements detailed in Section IV of this notice will not be
considered for funding.
Applications that are missing any required elements (in
whole or in part) will not be considered for funding.
Applicants may submit more than one application, but in
the event that more than one application for any applicant scores high
enough to be funded, only the highest ranking application will be
funded.
Applicants who have already received a planning grant for
the proposed project shall not receive another planning grant for the
same project. Applicants who have already received a working capital
grant for a project shall not receive any additional grants for that
project. Applicants may receive a planning grant for a project in one
funding cycle and receive a working capital grant for the same project
in a subsequent funding cycle.
Applicants may also receive one grant in any given funding
year and be eligible to receive another grant in a subsequent funding
year, subject to the above restrictions.
If an applicant currently has a VAPG, the grant period for
that grant must be scheduled to expire within 90 days of the expected
award announcement date.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain the
application package for this funding opportunity at the following
internet address:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm.
If you do not have access to the Internet, or if you have difficulty
accessing the forms online, you may contact the representative listed for
your state from the list in the ``Agency Contacts'' section. Application
forms can be mailed to you.
2. Content and Form of Submission: You may submit your application
in paper or in an electronic format. If you submit your application in
paper form, you must submit a signed original and one copy of your
complete application. The application must be in the following format:
Font size: 12 point unreduced.
Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
Page margin size: 1 inch on the top, bottom, left, and
right.
Printed on only one side of each page.
Held together only by rubber bands or metal or plastic
clips; not bound in any other way.
Language: English, avoid jargon.
The submission must include all pages of the application.
It is recommended that the application is in black and
white, and not color. All paper applications will be scanned
electronically for further review upon receipt by the Agency and the
scanned images will all be in black and white. Those evaluating the
application will only receive black and white images.
If you submit your application electronically, you only need to
submit one copy. The application must be in the following format:
File format: pdf format, using Adobe Acrobat version 5.0
or higher.
Font size: 12 point unreduced.
Paper size: 8.5 by 11 inches.
Page margin size: 1 inch on the top, bottom, left, and
right.
Language: English, avoid jargon.
The submission must contain all application pages
(including the signed forms) in one file.
It is recommended that the application is in black and
white, and not color. Those evaluating the application will only
receive black and white images.
Multiple submissions or electronic files for the same application
will be accepted at the discretion of the Agency. All applicants will
receive a notice, either electronically or by mail that their
application has been received. This
notice will only indicate that the application has been received; it
does not convey any determination on the part of the Agency that the
application is eligible or has been evaluated. Applicants will not be
notified of their eligibility or ranking until all applications have
been completely evaluated and the Agency has announced the award
determinations.
An application must contain all of the following elements. Any
application that is missing any element or contains an incomplete
element will not be considered for funding:
1. Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance.'' In order
for this form to be considered complete, it must contain the legal name
of the applicant, the applicant's DUNS number, the applicant's complete
mailing address, the name and telephone number of a contact person, the
employer identification number, the start and end dates of the project,
the federal funds requested, other funds that will be used as matching
funds, an answer to the question, ``Is applicant delinquent on any
federal debt?'', the name and signature of an authorized representative
(if the signature is of anyone other than a stated owner of the
proposed venture, the application should include a signed statement by
either the owner(s) of the entity or the governing board stating that
the signature is made by an authorized person), the telephone number of
the authorized representative, and the date the form was signed. Other
information requested on the form may be applicable, but the above-
listed information is required for an application to be considered
complete. Failure to submit any of the above information by the
application deadline will result in a determination of incomplete and
the application will not be considered for funding.
You are required to have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant from RBS. The DUNS
number is a nine-digit identification number, which uniquely identifies
business entities. Obtaining a DUNS number is easy and there is no
charge. To obtain a DUNS number, access
http://www.dunandbradstreet.com
or call (866) 705-5711. For more information, see the VAPG website at:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm
or contact the program representative in your state from the list in
Section IV.1.
2. Form SF-424A, "Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs."
In order for this form to be considered complete, the applicant must
fill out Sections A, B, C, and D. The applicant must include both
federal and matching funds. Applications lacking information in any of
the above-listed sections or applications failing to include both
federal and matching funds by the application deadline will be
determined to be incomplete and will not be considered for funding.
3. Form SF-424B, "Assurances--Non-Construction Programs." In
order for this form to be considered complete, the form must be signed
by an authorized official (if the signature is of anyone other than a
stated owner of the proposed venture, the application should include a
signed statement by either the owner(s) of the entity or the governing
body stating that the signature is made by an authorized person) and
include the title, name of applicant, and date submitted. Applications
lacking the above-listed information by the application deadline will
be determined to be incomplete and will not be considered for funding.
4. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants. This form
must be submitted by all non-profit applicants. Completion of the form
is voluntary, but those applicants choosing not to complete the form
should submit a blank form with a statement that they choose not to
complete the form.
5. Title Page. The Title Page should include the title of the
project as well as any other relevant identifying information. The
length should not exceed one page.
6. Table of Contents. For ease of locating information, each
proposal must contain a detailed Table of Contents (TOC) immediately
following the required SF-424 forms. The TOC should include page
numbers for each component of the proposal. Pagination should begin
immediately following the TOC. In order for this element to be
considered complete, the TOC should include page numbers for the
Proposal Summary, an Eligibility Discussion, the Proposal Narrative and
its subcomponents (Project Title, Information Sheet, Goals of the
Project, Work Plan, Performance Evaluation Criteria and Proposal
Evaluation Criteria), Verification of Matching Funds and Certification
of Matching Funds. Failure to include a listing for any of these
elements by the application deadline will result in a determination of
incomplete and the application will not be considered for funding.
7. Executive Summary. A summary of the proposal, not to exceed one
page, should briefly describe the project, including goals, tasks to be
completed and other relevant information that provides a general
overview of the project. In this section the applicant must clearly
state whether the proposal is for a planning grant or a working capital
grant and the amount requested. Failure to include any of the requested
information by the application deadline will result in a determination
of incomplete and the proposal will not be considered for funding. In
the event an applicant submits more than one page for this element,
only the first page submitted will be considered.
8. Eligibility Discussion. A detailed discussion, not to exceed
four (4) pages, describing how the applicant, project, and purpose meet
the eligibility requirements. In the event that more than four (4)
pages are submitted, only the first four (4) pages will be considered.
The applicant must first describe how it meets the definition of an
independent producer, agricultural producer group, farmer or rancher
cooperative, or a majority-controlled producer-based business venture
as defined in the "Definitions" section of this funding announcement.
The applicant must apply as only one type of applicant.
If the applicant is an independent producer, the proposal must
demonstrate that the owners of the business applying own and produce
more than 50 percent of the raw commodity that will be used for the
value-added product. The applicant must also demonstrate that the
product is owned by the producers from its raw commodity state through
the production of the value-added product. Failure to demonstrate
either or both of these requirements will result in a determination of
ineligible and the proposal will not be considered for funding.
If the applicant is an agricultural producer group, it must
specifically identify the independent producers on whose behalf the
work will be done. These producers must own and produce the commodity
to which value will be added. Failure to identify by name these
independent producers will result in a determination of ineligible and
the proposal will not be considered for funding.
If the applicant is a farmer or rancher cooperative, the applicant
must reference the business' standing as a cooperative in its state of
incorporation. The applicant must also explain how the cooperative is
100 percent owned and controlled by producers who produce the commodity
to which value will be added. Failure to demonstrate standing as a
cooperative and/or 100 percent producer ownership and control by the
application deadline will result
in the determination of ineligible and the proposal will not be
considered for funding.
If the applicant is a majority-controlled producer-based business
venture, the proposal must state the percentage of the venture owned by
independent producers, or partnerships, LLCs, LLPs, corporations or
cooperatives that are themselves 100 percent owned and controlled by
Independent Producers (eligible producers). The percentage must be
calculated by dividing the ownership interest of the eligible producers
by the ownership interest of all owners. These eligible producers must
own and produce the commodity to which value will be added. The
applicant must also demonstrate that eligible producers have majority
control over the business. Majority control must be demonstrated
through voting rights on the governing body of the business venture.
The majority of voting rights must belong to eligible producers who own
and produce the commodity to which value will be added. Failure to
demonstrate both majority-ownership and majority-control by eligible
producers by the application deadline will result in the determination
of ineligible and the proposal will not be considered for funding.
In addition, the applicant must describe all organizations that are
involved in the project.
The applicant must next describe how the value-added product to be
produced meets the definition of ``Value-Added Product'' as defined in
the ``Definitions'' section of this funding announcement.
If the product meets the first definition, the application must
explain the change in physical state or form of the product.
If the product meets the second definition, the proposal must
explain how the production or marketing of the commodity enhances the
value-added product's value. The enhancement of value should be
quantified by using a comparison with value-added products produced or
marketed in the standard manner. Also, a business plan that has been
developed for the applicant for the project must be referenced. Failure
to demonstrate that a business plan has been developed and/or failure
to quantify the enhancement of value by the application deadline will
result in the determination of ineligible and the proposal will not be
considered for funding.
If the product meets the third definition, the proposal must
explain how the physical segregation of a commodity or product enhances
its value. The enhancement of value should be quantified, if possible,
by using a comparison with commodities marketed without segregation.
If the product meets the fourth definition, the proposal must
explain how the renewable energy will be generated and used on a farm
or ranch. If the proposal fails to demonstrate these requirements by
the application deadline, it will be determined to be incomplete and
the proposal will not be considered for funding.
Finally, the applicant must describe how the project purpose is
eligible for funding. The project purpose is comprised of two
components. First, the project activities must be planning activities
or working capital activities, but not both. Second, the activities
must be directly related to the processing and/or marketing of a value-
added product. Agricultural production activities are not eligible for
funding.
If the grant request is for planning activities, working capital
expenses are not eligible for funding. If more than 20 percent of the
total project cost (both grant and matching funds) for a planning
activities application is for working capital expenses, the entire
application will be determined to be ineligible and will not be
considered for funding. If 20 percent or less of the total project cost
for a planning activities application is for working capital expenses,
the application may still be considered for funding, but any subsequent
award will only be for eligible project expenses.
If the grant request is for working capital, planning activities
are not eligible for funding. If more than 20 percent of the total
project cost (both grant and matching funds) for a working capital
application is for planning activities, the entire application will be
determined to be ineligible and will not be considered for funding. If
20 percent or less of the total project cost for a working capital
application is for planning activities, the application may still be
considered for funding, but any subsequent award will only be for
eligible project expenses.
If the applicant has already received a planning grant for a
project, it is only eligible to apply for a working capital grant. If
an applicant has already received a working capital grant for a
project, it is not eligible to apply for any further grants for that
project.
An applicant may not receive more than one grant in any one funding
cycle. An applicant may submit multiple applications, but if more than
one application scores high enough to be funded, only the highest
ranked application will be funded.
9. Proposal Narrative. The narrative, not to exceed 35 pages (Times
New Roman, 12 point font, 1 inch margins) must include the following
information. In the event that more than 35 pages are submitted, only
the first 35 pages submitted will be considered.
i. Project Title. The title of the proposed project must be brief,
not to exceed 75 characters, yet describe the essentials of the
project. It should match the project title submitted on the SF-424.
Failure to submit a project title by the application deadline will
result in a determination of incomplete and the proposal will not be
considered for funding.
ii. Information Sheet. A separate one page information sheet
listing each of the evaluation criteria referenced in this funding
announcement followed by the page numbers of all relevant material
contained in the proposal that address or support each criterion.
Failure to submit an information sheet referencing all evaluation
criteria by the application deadline will result in a determination of
incomplete and the proposal will not be considered for funding.
iii. Goals of the Project. A clear statement of the ultimate goals
of the project. There must be an explanation of how a market will be
expanded and the degree to which incremental revenue will accrue to the
benefit of the agricultural producer(s). Failure to submit a statement
of the goals of the project by the application deadline will result in
a determination of incomplete and the proposal will not be considered
for funding.
iv. Work Plan. The narrative must contain a description of the
project and set forth the tasks involved in reasonable detail. The
description should specify the activity, who will perform the activity,
during what time frame the activity will take place, and the cost of
the activity. Failure to submit a work plan by the application deadline
will result in a determination of incomplete, and the proposal will not
be considered for funding.
v. Working capital applications must also include three (3) years
of pro forma financial statements, including an explanation of all
assumptions, such as input prices, finished product prices, and other
economic factors used to generate the financial statements. The
financial statements must include cash flow statements, income
statements, and balance sheets. Income statements and cash flow
statements must be monthly for the first year, then annual for the next
two years. The balance sheet should be annual for all three years. The
financial statements will not count as part of the 35 page limit for
the narrative
section of the proposal. Applications that are missing any of the
required financial statements and/or the assumptions by the application
deadline will be determined to be incomplete and will not be considered
for funding.
vi. Performance Evaluation Criteria. The applicant must suggest
criteria by which the project should be evaluated in the event that a
grant is awarded. These suggested criteria are not binding on USDA.
Failure to submit at least one performance criterion by the application
deadline will result in a determination of incomplete and the proposal
will not be considered for funding.
vii. Proposal Evaluation Criteria. Each of the proposal evaluation
criteria referenced in this funding announcement must be addressed,
specifically and individually, in narrative form. Failure to address
all evaluation criteria by the application deadline will result in a
determination of incomplete and the proposal will not be considered for
funding. Failure to address the appropriate evaluation criteria
(planning grant proposals must address planning grant evaluation
criteria and working capital grant proposals must address working
capital grant evaluation criteria) by the application deadline will
result in a determination of incomplete and the proposal will not be
considered for funding.
10. Verification of Matching Funds. Applicants must provide a
budget to support the work plan showing all sources and uses of funds
during the project period. Applicants will be required to verify
matching funds, both cash and in-kind. All proposed matching funds must
be specifically documented in the application. If matching funds are to
be provided by the applicant in cash, a copy of a bank statement with
an ending date within 30 days of the application deadline is required.
The bank statement must show an ending balance equal to or greater than
the amount of cash matching funds proposed. If the matching funds are
to be provided by an in-kind contribution from the applicant, the
application must include a signed letter from an authorized
representative of the applicant verifying the goods or services to be
donated, when the goods and services will be donated, and the value of
the goods or services. Applicants should note that only goods or
services for which no expenditure is made can be considered in-kind. If
the applicant is paying for goods and services as part of the matching
funds contribution, the expenditure is considered a cash match, and
should be verified as such. If matching funds are inappropriately
verified by the application deadline, the application will be
considered to be incomplete, and the application will not be considered
for funding. If the matching funds are to be provided by a third party
in cash, the application must include a signed letter from that third
party verifying how much cash will be donated and when it will be
donated. Verification for funds donated outside the proposed time
period of the grant will not be accepted. If the matching funds are to
be provided by a third party in-kind donation, the application must
include a signed letter from the third party verifying the goods or
services to be donated, when the goods and services will be donated,
and the value of the goods or services. Verification for in-kind
contributions donated outside the proposed time period of the grant
will not be accepted. Verification for in-kind contributions that are
over-valued will not be accepted. The valuation process for the in-kind
funds does not need to be included in the application, especially if it
is lengthy, but the applicant must be able to demonstrate how the
valuation was achieved at the time of notification of tentative
selection for the grant award. If the applicant cannot satisfactorily
demonstrate how the valuation was determined, the grant award may be
withdrawn or the amount of the grant may be reduced.
If matching funds are in cash, they must be spent on goods and
services that are eligible expenditures for this grant program. If
matching funds are in-kind contributions, the donated goods or services
must be considered eligible expenditures for this grant program. The
matching funds must be spent or donated during the grant period and the
funds must be expended at a rate equal to or greater than the rate
grant funds are expended. Some examples of acceptable uses for matching
funds are: skilled labor performing work required for the proposed
project, office supplies, and purchasing inventory. Some examples of
unacceptable uses of matching funds are: land, fixed equipment,
buildings, and vehicles.
Expected program income may not be used to fulfill the matching
funds requirement at the time of application. If program income is
earned during the time period of the grant, it may be used to replace
other sources of matching funds if prior approval is received from the
Agency. Any program income earned during the grant period is subject to
the requirements of 7 CFR 3019.24.
If acceptable verification for all proposed matching funds is
missing from the application by the application deadline, the
application will be determined to be incomplete and will not be
considered for funding.
11. Certification of Matching Funds. Applicants must certify that
matching funds will be available at the same time grant funds are
anticipated to be spent and that matching funds will be spent in
advance of grant funding, such that for every dollar of grant funds
advanced, not less than an equal amount of matching funds will have
been expended prior to submitting the request for reimbursement. If
this certification is missing from the application by the application
deadline, the application will be determined to be incomplete and will
not be considered for funding.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Application Deadline Date: July 30, 2004.
Explanation of Deadlines: Applications must be received by 4 p.m.
Eastern Time on the deadline date (see section IV.6. for the address).
If you send your application by the United States Postal Service or
commercial delivery service, you must ensure that the carrier will be
able to guarantee delivery of the application by the closing date and
time. If your application does not meet the deadline above, it will not
be considered for funding. You will be notified that your application
did not meet the submission deadline. You will also be notified by mail
or by e-mail if your application is received on time. If you e-mail
your application, you may call the following number for technical
assistance: (800) 991-4911.
4. Intergovernmental Review of Applications: Executive Order 12372
does apply to this program.
5. Funding Restrictions: Funding restrictions apply to both grant
funds and matching funds. They include, but are not limited to, the
following:
Funds may only be used for planning activities or working
capital for projects focusing on marketing a value-added product.
Examples of acceptable planning activities include to:
1. Obtain legal advice and assistance related to the proposed
venture;
2. Conduct a feasibility analysis of a proposed value-added venture
to help determine the potential marketing success of the venture;
3. Develop a business plan that provides comprehensive details on
the management, planning, and other operational aspects of a proposed
venture; and
4. Develop a marketing plan for the proposed value-added product,
including the identification of a market window, the identification of
potential
buyers, a description of the distribution system, and possible
promotional campaigns.
Examples of acceptable working capital uses include to:
1. Design or purchase an accounting system for the proposed
venture;
2. Pay for salaries, utilities, and rental of office space;
3. Purchase inventory, office equipment (e.g. computers, printers,
copiers, scanners), and office supplies (e.g. paper, pens, file
folders); and
4. Conduct a marketing campaign for the proposed value-added
product.
No funds made available under this solicitation shall be
used to:
1. Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building or
facility, including a processing facility;
2. Purchase, rent, or install fixed equipment, including processing
equipment;
3. Purchase vehicles, including boats;
4. Pay for the preparation of the grant application;
5. Pay expenses not directly related to the funded venture;
6. Fund political or lobbying activities;
7. Fund any activities prohibited by 7 CFR parts 3015 and 3019;
8. Fund architectural or engineering design work for a specific
physical facility;
9. Fund any expenses related to the production of any commodity or
product to which value will be added, including seed, rootstock, labor
for harvesting the crop, and delivery of the commodity to a processing
facility; or
10. Purchase land.
6. Other Submission Requirements: You may submit your application
by mail or express delivery service to: DynAccSys, Attention: Bitsy
Keko, 101 Donner Drive, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Or you may submit your
application by e-mail to: VAPG@duncanltd.com. Applications may not be
submitted by facsimile or by hand-delivery. Each application submission
must contain all required documents in one envelope, if by mail or
express delivery service, or all required documents must be in one
electronic pdf file if the submission is by e-mail.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria: All eligible and complete applications will be
evaluated based on the following criteria. Failure to address any one
of the following criteria (even if you believe the criteria is not
applicable) by the application deadline will result in a determination
of incomplete and the application will not be considered for funding.
Applications for planning grants have different criteria to address
than applications for working capital grants. Addressing the incorrect
set of criteria will result in a determination of incomplete and the
application will not be considered for funding.
Criteria for applications for Planning Grants are:
1. Nature of the proposed venture (0-25 points). Projects will be
evaluated for technological feasibility, operational efficiency,
profitability, sustainability and the likely improvement to the local
rural economy. The discussion for this criterion must include the
agricultural commodity to which value will be added, the process by
which value will be added, and a description of the value-added product
produced. If the applicant has the information available, the
discussion for this criterion should include references to independent,
third-party information that the applicant has reviewed, a discussion
of similar projects, cost and availability of inputs, the type of
market where the value-added product will be marketed (e.g. local,
regional, national, international) and the potential number of
customers, the cost of processing the commodity, how much value will be
added to the raw commodity through the production of the value-added
product, how the added value will be distributed among the producers,
processors, and any other intermediaries, and any additional non-
monetary value that could be obtained by end-users of the product.
Points will be awarded based on the greatest expansion of markets and
increased returns to producers. Applications that do not discuss a
specific commodity, process, and value-added product will receive the
minimum points allowed. Two teams of technical experts will be
appointed to evaluate this criterion: a team of three independent
reviewers and the servicing state office (see section V.2 for more
details). The independent reviewers will evaluate this criterion from a
national and/or regional perspective, and the servicing state office
will evaluate this criterion from a state perspective.
2. Qualifications of those doing work (0-10 points). Proposals will
be reviewed for whether the personnel who are responsible for doing
proposed tasks, including those hired to do the studies, have the
necessary qualifications. If a consultant or others are to be hired,
more points may be awarded if the proposal includes evidence of their
availability and commitment as well. If staff or consultants have not
been selected at the time of application, the application should
include specific descriptions of the qualifications required for the
positions to be filled. Also, rather than attaching resumes at the end
of the application, it is preferred that the qualifications of the
personnel and consultants are discussed directly within the response to
this criterion. If resumes are included, they should be contained
within the narrative section of the application within the response to
this criterion. If resumes are attached at the end of the application,
those pages will be counted toward the page limit for the narrative.
3. Project leadership (0-10 points). The leadership abilities of
individuals who are proposing the venture will be evaluated as to
whether they are sufficient to support a conclusion of likely project
success. Credit may be given for leadership evidenced in community or
volunteer efforts. Also, rather than attaching resumes at the end of
the application, it is preferred that the leadership abilities are
discussed directly within the response to this criterion. If resumes
are included, they should be contained within the narrative section of
the application within the response to this criterion. If resumes are
attached at the end of the application, those pages will be counted
toward the page limit for the narrative.
4. Commitments and support (0-10 points). Producer commitments will
be evaluated on the basis of the number of Independent Producers
currently involved as well as how many may potentially be involved, and
the nature, level and quality of their contributions. End user
commitments will be evaluated on the basis of potential markets and the
potential amount of output to be purchased. Proposals will be reviewed
for evidence that the project enjoys third party support and
endorsement, with emphasis placed on financial and in kind support as
well as technical assistance. Letters of support should not be included
with the application. If they are submitted, they will not be
considered for the purpose of evaluating this criterion. Also, letters
demonstrating end-user commitments should not be submitted. If they are
submitted, they will not be considered for the purpose of evaluating
this criterion. The applicant should reference all support groups and
commitments in the discussion of this criterion, and have the support
letters and commitment letters available upon request. These support
and commitment letters are not the same as the documentation required
as part of the verification of matching funds requirement. All
documentation needed to properly verify matching funds must
be submitted with the application in a separate section.
5. Work plan/Budget (0-10 points). The work plan will be reviewed
to determine whether it provides specific and detailed planning task
descriptions that will accomplish the project's goals and the budget
will be reviewed for a detailed breakdown of estimated costs associated
with the planning activities. The budget must present a detailed
breakdown of all estimated costs associated with the planning
activities and allocate these costs among the listed tasks. Points may
not be awarded unless sufficient detail is provided to determine
whether or not funds are being used for qualified purposes. Matching
funds as well as grant funds must be accounted for in the budget to
receive points. Budgets that include more than 10% of total project
costs that are ineligible will result in a determination of ineligible
and the application will not be considered for funding. However, if an
application with ineligible costs is selected for funding, all
ineligible costs must be removed from the project and replaced with
eligible activities or the amount of the grant award will be reduced
accordingly. Applications without a work plan and detailed budget
submitted by the application deadline will be determined to be
incomplete and will not be considered for funding. Logical, realistic,
and economically efficient work plans and budgets will result in higher
scores.
6. Amount requested (0-5 points). One (1) point will be awarded for
grant requests between $450,000 and $350,001, two (2) points will be
awarded for grant requests between $350,000 and $250,001, three (3)
points will be awarded for grant requests between $250,000 and
$150,001, four (4) points will be awarded for grant requests between
$150,000 and 50,001, and five (5) points will be awarded for grant
requests of $50,000 or less. In addressing this criterion, the
applicant should simply state the amount requested.
7. Project cost per owner-producer (0-5 points). This is calculated
by dividing the amount of Federal funds requested by the total number
of producers that are owners of the venture. The allocation of points
for this criterion shall be as follows: $1-$10,000 equals 5 points,
$10,001-$25,000 equals 4 points, $25,001-$50,000 equals 3 points,
$50,001-$125,000 equals 2 points, $125,001-$250,000 equals 1 point, and
$250,001-$500,000 equals 0 points. The applicant must state the number
of owner-producers that are part of the venture. For independent
producers, farmer- and rancher-cooperatives, and majority-controlled
producer-based business ventures, the applicant must state the number
of owners of the venture that are independent producers and are also
owners of the venture. An owner cannot be considered an independent
producer unless he/she is a producer of the agricultural commodity to
which value will be added as part of this project. For agricultural
producer groups, the number used should be the number of producers
represented who produce the commodity to which value will be added. In
cases where family members (including husband and wife) are owners and
producers in a venture, each family member shall count as one owner-
producer. The applicant must provide a list of names of the producers
who are considered owner-producers for this criterion. This list will
not count toward the page limit for this section of the application.
Applications without enough information to determine the number of
producer-owners or without a list of the producer-owners will be
determined to be incomplete and will not be considered for funding.
Applicants must be prepared to prove that the numbers and individuals
identified meet the requirements specified upon notification of a grant
award. Failure to do so shall result in withdrawal of the grant award.
8. Small farm (0 points if application does not meet the criterion
or 5 points if application does meet the criterion). Applicants who
meet the definition of a small farm are awarded an additional 5 points.
Applicants must report a historical average of the last three fiscal
years of gross sales. Applicants must be able to verify this number at
the time of grant award by showing income tax returns for the farm.
Failure to do so shall result in withdrawal of the grant award.
9. Community and industry support (0-10 points). Applicants must
submit a description of the local business associations, industry
associations, and any political institutions that support their
projects. Letters of support should not be submitted, but a description
of each letter of support should be included. The description must
include the following: the name of the supporting organization, the
date of the letter of support, and the name of the person signing the
letter. The applicant should also include a brief description of why
the support of each group is valuable to the project. State and
national Congressional support will not be considered for the purpose
of evaluating this criterion. Applicants must be able to present a
letter of support for each group listed at the time of award. Failure
to demonstrate the support claimed in the application shall result in
withdrawal of the grant award. Ventures that only demonstrate one type
of support will not score as high for this criterion as ventures that
demonstrate multiple types of support.
10. Presidential initiative of bio-energy (0 points if application
does not meet the criterion or 5 points if application does meet the
criterion). Applicants must indicate whether they believe their project
has a bio-energy component. Those applications that have at least 51%
of project costs dedicated to planning activities for a bio-energy
project will receive five (5) points. Partial credit will not be given.
Applicants should note that the energy must be produced primarily (i.e.
more than 50 percent) for on-farm use, unless the energy produced
qualifies as a value-added product in its own right (e.g. ethanol, bio-
diesel). Also, the energy must be produced from a bio-based source.
Examples of qualifying bio-energy projects include ethanol, bio-diesel,
and energy produced from a manure digester. On-farm wind energy, on-
farm solar energy, and on-farm hydro energy do not qualify for points
under this criterion, even though they are eligible projects for this
program. Bio-mass projects such as producing compost from manure and
producing mulch from trees also do not qualify for points under this
criterion, although they are eligible projects for this program.
11. Administrator points (up to 5 points, but not to exceed 10
percent of the total points awarded for the other 10 criteria). The
Administrator of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service may award
additional points to recognize innovative technologies, insure
geographic distribution of grants, or encourage value-added projects in
under-served areas. If an Applicant wishes to be considered for these
points, he/she must submit an explanation of how the technology
proposed is innovative and/or specific information verifying that the
project is in an under-served area.
Criteria for working capital applications are:
1. Business viability (0-25 points). Proposals will be evaluated on
the basis of the technical and economic feasibility and sustainability
of the venture and the efficiency of operations. The discussion for
this criterion must include the agricultural commodity to which value
will be added, the process by which value will be added, and a
description of the value-added product produced. The application should
also include
references to independent, third-party information that the applicant
has reviewed, a discussion of similar projects, cost and availability
of inputs, the type of market where the value-added product will be
marketed (e.g. local, regional, national, international) and the
potential number of customers, the cost of processing the commodity,
how much value will be added to the raw commodity through the
production of the value-added product, how the added value will be
distributed among the producers, processors, and any other
intermediaries, and any additional non-monetary value that could be
obtained by end-users of the product. The application must also
reference the feasibility study and business plan that has been
developed for the project. The feasibility study must have been
completed by an independent third party. The business plan may have
been completed by the applicant, but should have included third party
consultation in its development. The applicant should also discuss the
financial statements submitted to assist in the demonstration of
economic feasibility and sustainability. Points will be awarded based
on how well the project is described, the feasibility of the project,
the greatest expansion of markets, and increased returns to producers.
Applications that do not discuss a specific commodity, process, and
value-added product will receive the minimum points allowed. Failure to
reference both a third-party feasibility study and a business plan by
the application deadline will result in a determination that the
application is incomplete and it will not be considered for funding.
Applicants are reminded that they must produce the feasibility study
and business plan referenced at the time of notification of grant
award. Failure to produce both documents will result in withdrawal of
the grant award. Also, the feasibility study and business plan are
subject to Agency approval. If the feasibility study and business plan
do not meet the Agency's approval, the grant award will be withdrawn.
Two teams of technical experts will be appointed to evaluate this
criterion: a team of three independent reviewers and the servicing
state office (see section V.2 for more details). The independent
reviewers will evaluate this criterion from a national and/or regional
perspective, and the servicing state office will evaluate this
criterion from a state perspective.
2. Customer base/increased returns (0-10 points by three
independent reviewers). Proposals that demonstrate strong growth in a
market or customer base and greater Value-Added revenue accruing to
producer-owners will receive more points than those that demonstrate
less growth in markets and realized Value-Added returns. Describe in
detail how the customer base for the product being produced will expand
because of the value-added venture. Provide documented estimates of
this expansion. Describe in detail how a greater portion of the revenue
derived from the venture will be returned to the producers that are
owners of the venture. Applicants should also reference the financial
statements submitted. More points will be awarded to those applications
that demonstrate the greatest expansion of the customer base and
increased returns to producers.
3. Commitments and support (0-10 points). Producer commitments will
be evaluated on the basis of the number of Independent Producers
currently involved as well as how many may potentially be involved, and
the nature and level and quality of their contributions. End user
commitments will be evaluated on the basis of identified markets,
letters of intent or contracts from potential buyers and the amount of
output to be purchased. Proposals will be reviewed for evidence that
the project enjoys third party support and endorsement, with emphasis
placed on financial and in-kind support as well as technical
assistance. Do not submit specific contracts, letters of intent, or
other supporting documents at this time. However, be sure to cite their
existence when addressing this criterion. These documents will be
requested at the time of grant award. Failure to produce them shall
result in the withdrawal of the grant award. Points will be awarded
based on the greatest level of documented commitment.
4. Management team/work force (0-10 points). The education and
capabilities of project managers and those who will operate the venture
must reflect the skills and experience necessary to effect project
success. The availability and quality of the labor force needed to
operate the venture will also be evaluated. Applicants must provide the
information necessary to make these determinations. Proposals that
reflect successful track records managing similar projects will receive
higher points for this criterion than those that do not reflect
successful track records.
5. Work plan/Budget (0-10 points). The work plan will be reviewed
to determine whether it provides specific and detailed task
descriptions that will accomplish the project's goals and the budget
will be reviewed for a detailed breakdown of estimated costs associated
with the proposed activities. The budget must present a detailed
breakdown of all estimated costs associated with the venture's
operations and allocate these costs among the listed tasks. Points may
not be awarded unless sufficient detail is provided to determine
whether or not funds are being used for qualified purposes. Matching
funds as well as grant funds must be accounted for in the budget to
receive points. Budgets that include more than 10% of total project
costs that are ineligible will result in a determination of ineligible
and the application will not be considered for funding. However, if an
application with ineligible costs is selected for funding, all
ineligible costs must be removed from the project and replaced with
eligible activities or the amount of the grant award will be reduced
accordingly. Applications without a work plan and detailed budget
submitted by the application deadline will be determined to be
incomplete and will not be considered for funding. Logical, realistic,
and economically efficient work plans and budgets will result in higher
scores.
6. Amount requested (0-5 points). One (1) point will be awarded for
grant requests between $450,000 and $350,001, two (2) points will be
awarded for grant requests between $350,000 and $250,001, three (3)
points will be awarded for grant requests between $250,000 and
$150,001, four (4) points will be awarded for grant requests between
$150,000 and 50,001, and five (5) points will be awarded for grant
requests of $50,000 or less. In addressing this criterion, the
applicant should simply state the amount requested.
7. Project cost per owner-producer (0-5 points). This ratio is
calculated by dividing the amount of VAPG funds requested by the total
number of producers that are owners of the venture. The allocation of
points for this criterion shall be as follows: $1-$10,000 equals 5
points, $10,001-$25,000 equals 4 points, $25,001-$50,000 equals 3
points, $50,001-$125,000 equals 2 points, $125,001-$250,000 equals 1
point, and $250,001-$500,000 equals 0 points. The applicant must state
the number of owner-producers that are part of the venture. For
independent producers, farmer- and rancher-cooperatives, and majority-
controlled producer-based business ventures, the applicant must state
the number of owners of the venture that are independent producers and
are also owners of the venture. An owner cannot be considered an
independent producer unless he/she is a producer of the agricultural
commodity to which value
will be added as part of this project. For agricultural producer
groups, the number used should be the number of producers represented
who produce the commodity to which value will be added. In cases where
family members (including husband and wife) are owners and producers in
a venture, each family member shall count as one owner-producer. The
applicant must provide a list of names of the producers who are
considered owner-producers for this criterion. This list will not count
toward the page limit for this section of the application. Applications
without enough information to determine the number of producer-owners
or without a list of the producer-owners will be determined to be
incomplete and will not be considered for funding. Applicants must be
prepared to prove that the numbers and individuals identified meet the
requirements specified upon notification of a grant award. Failure to
do so shall result in withdrawal of the grant award.
8. Small farm (0 points if application does not meet the criterion
or 5 points if application does meet the criterion). Applicants who
meet the definition of a small farm are awarded an additional 5 points.
Applicants must report a historical average of the last three fiscal
years of gross sales. Applicants must be able to verify this number at
the time of grant award by showing income tax returns for the farm.
Failure to do so shall result in withdrawal of the grant award.
9. Community and industry support (0-10 points). Applicants must
submit a description of the local business associations, industry
associations, and any political institutions that support their
projects. Letters of support should not be submitted, but a description
of each letter of support should be included. The description must
include the following: the name of the supporting organization, the
date of the letter of support, and the name of the person signing the
letter. The applicant should also include a brief description of why
the support of each group is valuable to the project. State and
national Congressional support will not be considered for the purpose
of evaluating this criterion. Applicants must be able to present a
letter of support for each group listed at the time of award. Failure
to demonstrate the support claimed in the application shall result in
withdrawal of the grant award. Ventures that only demonstrate one type
of support will not score as high for this criterion as ventures that
demonstrate multiple types of support.
10. Presidential initiative of bio-energy (0 points if application
does not meet the criterion or 5 points if application does meet the
criterion). Applicants must indicate whether they believe their project
has a bio-energy component. Those applications that have at least 51%
of project costs dedicated to working capital for a bio-energy project
will receive five (5) points. Partial credit will not be given.
Applicants should note that the energy must be produced primarily (i.e.
more than 50 percent) for on-farm use, unless the energy produced
qualifies as a value-added product in its own right (e.g. ethanol, bio-
diesel). Also, the energy must be produced from a bio-based source.
Examples of qualifying bio-energy projects include ethanol, bio-diesel,
and energy produced from a manure digester. On-farm wind energy, on-
farm solar energy, and on-farm hydro energy do not qualify for points
under this criterion, even though they are eligible projects for this
program. Bio-mass projects such as producing compost from manure and
producing mulch from trees also do not qualify for points under this
criterion, although they are eligible projects for this program.
11. Administrator points (up to 5 points, but not to exceed 10
percent of the total points awarded for the other 10 criteria). The
Administrator of RBS may award additional points to recognize
innovative technologies, insure geographic distribution of grants, or
encourage value-added projects in under-served areas. If an applicant
wishes to be considered for these points, he/she must submit an
explanation of how the technology proposed is innovative and/or
specific information verifying that the project is in an under-served
area.
2. Review and Selection Process: Each application will be assigned
to a particular Rural Development State Office, based on the address of
the applicant or the location of the project. This state will be known
as the servicing State Office. For example, if an applicant has an
address in Kansas, the application will be assigned to the Rural
Development State Office in Kansas and the Kansas State Office will be
the servicing State Office. Applications will then be initially
reviewed by Rural Development field office personnel from the servicing
State Office for completeness and eligibility. Ineligible and
incomplete applications will not be further evaluated and will not be
considered for funding.
All eligible and complete proposals will be evaluated by three
reviewers based on criteria one through five described in section V.1.
(with criteria one receiving 0-10 points for this portion of the review
process). One of these reviewers will be a Rural Development employee
not from the servicing State Office and the other two reviewers will be
non-Federal persons. All reviewers must meet the following
qualifications. Reviewers must have obtained at least a bachelors
degree in one or more of the following fields: agri-business, business,
economics, finance, or marketing. They must also have a minimum of
three years of experience in an agriculture-related field (e.g.
farming, marketing, consulting, university professor, research, officer
for trade association, government employee for an agricultural
program). If the reviewer does not have a degree in one of those
fields, he/she must possess at least five years of working experience
in an agriculture-related field.
Once the scores for criteria one through five have been completed
by the three reviewers, the scores will be normalized, using an
accepted statistical procedure. This procedure corrects for any
reviewer tendencies to score applications "high" or "low." After
the normalization is complete, the three scores will be averaged to
obtain an initial ranking. Then, the high and low scores for each
application will be analyzed for statistically significant deviation.
For those applications with significant deviation, the ranking of that
application with respect to all other scored applications will be
considered. In cases where the ranking indicates that the application
could either move out of funding range or into funding range, two
supplemental reviews will be conducted by Rural Development employees
not from the state where the application was assigned. These reviews
will be normalized and compared with the initial three scores. The high
and low scores from all five reviews will then be discarded. Each
application will then be assigned a score that is the normalized
average of three scores based on criteria one through five.
Concurrent to the evaluation based on criteria one through five,
the application will also receive one score from the Rural Development
servicing State Office based on criteria one and six through ten (with
criteria one receiving 0-15 points for this portion of the review
process). The State Office may enlist the support of qualified
technical experts, approved by the State Director, to assist the State
Office scoring process. The score will be added to the average
normalized score obtained from criteria one through five.
Finally, the Administrator of RBS will award any Administrator
points based on criteria eleven. These points will be added to the
cumulative score for
criteria one through ten. A final ranking will be obtained based solely
on the scores received for criteria one through eleven. Applications
will be funded in rank order until appropriated funds are expended.
After the award selections are made, all applicants will be notified of
the status of their applications by mail. No information regarding the
status of an application will be released until after the award
selections are made. Awardees must meet all statutory and regulatory
program requirements in order to receive their award. Applicants for
working capital grants must submit complete, independent third-party
feasibility studies and business plans before the grant award can be
finalized. In the event that an awardee cannot meet the requirements,
the award will be withdrawn.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates:
Award Date: The announcement of award selections is expected to
occur on or about October 1, 2004.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: Successful applicants will receive a notification
of tentative selection for funding from Rural Development. Applicants
must comply with all applicable statutes, regulations, and this notice
before the grant award will be approved.
Unsuccessful applicants will receive notification, including
mediation procedures and appeal rights, by mail.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: 7 CFR parts
3015, 3019, and 4284.
To view these regulations, please see the following internet
address: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html#page1.
The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected
for this program:
Grant Agreement.
Letter of Conditions.
Form RD 1940-1, ``Request for Obligation of Funds.''
Form RD 1942-46, ``Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.''
Certification of Ownership and Uniform Federal Assistance
Regulations.
Resolution Authorizing Execution of Letter of Intent to
Meet Conditions and Resolution Authorizing Execution of Request for
Obligation of Funds.
Form AD-1047, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters-Primary Covered
Transactions.''
Form AD-1048, ``Certification Regarding Debarment,
Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered
Transactions.''
Form AD-1049, ``Certification Regarding a Drug-Free
Workplace Requirements (Grants).''
Form RD 400-1, ``Equal Opportunity Agreement.''
Form RD 400-4, ``Assurance Agreement.''
RD Instruction 1940-Q, Exhibit A-1, ``Certification for
Contracts, Grants and Loans.''
Additional information on these requirements can be found on the
RBS Web site at the following Internet address:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/
Reporting Requirements: You must provide Rural Development with a
hard copy original of the following reports. The hard copies of your
reports should be submitted to the Agency contact listed for your
assigned state in the ``Agency Contacts'' section of this announcement.
Failure to submit satisfactory reports on time may result in suspension
or termination of your grant. RBS is currently developing an online
reporting system. Once the system is developed, you may be required to
submit some or all of your reports online instead of in hard copy.
1. Form SF-269 or SF-269A. A ``Financial Status Report'' listing
expenditures according to agreed upon budget categories, on a semi-
annual basis. Reporting periods end each March 31 and September 30.
Reports are due 30 days after the reporting period ends.
2. Semi-annual performance reports that compare accomplishments to
the objectives stated in the proposal. Identify all tasks completed to
date and provide documentation supporting the reported results. If the
original schedule provided in the work plan is not being met, the
report should discuss the problems or delays that may affect completion
of the project. Objectives for the next reporting period should be
listed. Compliance with any special condition on the use of award funds
should be discussed. Reports are due as provided in paragraph (1) of
this section. The supporting documentation for completed tasks include,
but are not limited to, feasibility studies, marketing plans, business
plans, articles of incorporation and bylaws and an accounting of how
working capital funds were spent. Planning grant projects must also
report the estimated increase in revenue, increase in customer base,
number of jobs created, and any other relevant economic indicators
generated by continuing the project into its operational phase. Working
capital grants must report the increase in revenue, increase in
customer base, number of jobs created, and any other relevant economic
indicators generated by the project during the grant period. Projects
with significant energy components must also report expected or actual
capacity (e.g. gallons of ethanol produced annually, megawatt hours
produced annually) and any emissions reductions incurred during the
project.
3. Final project performance reports, inclusive of supporting
documentation. The final performance report is due within 90 days of
the completion of the project.
VII. Agency Contacts
For general questions about this announcement and for program
technical assistance, please contact the Representative listed for the
state in which the applicant is based. If you are unable to contact the
Representative for your state, please contact a Representative from a
nearby state or you may contact the RBS National Office at Mail Stop
3250, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3250,
Telephone: (202) 720-7558, e-mail: cpgrants@usda.gov.
Alabama
Mickie Cantey, USDA Rural Development, Sterling Center, Ste. 601, 4121
Carmichael Rd., Montgomery, AL 36106-3683, (334) 279-3617,
mickie.cantey@al.usda.gov
Alaska
Dean Stewart, USDA Rural Development, 800 West Evergreen, Ste. 201,
Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 761-7722, dean.stewart@ak.usda.gov
Arizona
Gary Mack, USDA Rural Development, 3003 North Central Ave., Ste. 900,
Phoenix, AZ 85012, (602) 280-8717, gary.mack@az.usda.gov
Arkansas
Tim Smith, USDA Rural Development, 700 West Capitol Ave., Rm. 3416,
Little Rock, AR 72201-3225, (501) 301-3280,tim.smith@ar.usda.gov
California
Karen Spatz, USDA Rural Development, 430 G St., Agency 4169, Davis, CA
95616, (530) 792-5829, karen.spatz@ca.usda.gov
Colorado
Dolores Sanchez-Maes, USDA Rural Development, 655 Parfet St., Rm. E-
100, Lakewood, CO 80215, (720) 544-2927,
dolores.sanchez-maes@co.usda.gov
Connecticut
Richard J. Burke, USDA Rural Development, 451 West St., Ste. 2,
Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4319, dick.burke@ma.usda.gov
Delaware
Signe Hippert, USDA Rural Development, 4607 S. DuPont Hwy., Camden, DE
19934, (302) 697-4327, signe.hippert@de.usda.gov
Florida
Joe Mueller, USDA Rural Development, 4440 NW. 25th Pl., Gainesville, FL
32606, (352) 338-3482, joe.mueller@fl.usda.gov
Georgia
J. Craig Scroggs, USDA Rural Development, 333 Phillips Dr., McDonough,
GA 30253, (678) 583-0866, craig.scroggs@ga.usda.gov
Hawaii
Timothy O'Connell, USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Rm. 311,
154 Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720, (808) 933-8313,
tim.oconnell@hi.usda.gov
Idaho
Dale Lish, USDA Rural Development, 725 Jensen Grove Dr., Ste. 1,
Blackfood, ID 83221, (208) 785-5840, ext. 118, dale.lish@id.usda.gov
Illinois
Patrick Lydic, USDA Rural Development, 2118 West Park Ct., Ste. A,
Champaign, IL 61821, (217) 403-6211, patrick.lydic@il.usda.gov
Indiana
Jerry Hay, USDA Rural Development, 2600 Hwy. 7 N, North Vernon, IN
47265, (812) 346-3411, ext. 4, jerry.hay@in.usda.gov
Iowa
Jeff Jobe, USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Rm. 873, 210
Walnut St., Des Moines, IA 50309, (515) 284-5192, jeff.jobe@ia.usda.gov
Kansas
Larry D. Carnahan, USDA Rural Development, 115 W 4th St., P.O. Box 437,
Altamont, KS 67330, (620) 784-5431, larry.carnahan@ks.usda.gov
Kentucky
Jeff Jones, USDA Rural Development, 771 Corporate Dr., Ste. 200,
Lexington, KY 40503, (859) 224-7435, jeff.jones@ky.usda.gov
Louisiana
Judy Meche, USDA Rural Development, 3727 Government St., Alexandria, LA
71302, (318) 473-7960, judy.meche@la.usda.gov
Maine
Michael Grondin, USDA Rural Development, P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME
04402-0405, (207) 990-9168, mike.grondin@me.usda.gov
Maryland
Signe Hippert, USDA Rural Development, 4607 S. DuPont Hwy., Camden, DE
19934, (302) 697-4327, signe.hippert@de.usda.gov
Massachusetts
Richard J. Burke, USDA Rural Development, 451 West St., Ste. 2,
Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4319, dick.burke@ma.usda.gov
Michigan
Bobbie Morrison, USDA Rural Development, 3001 Coolidge Rd., Ste. 200,
East Lansing, MI 48823, (517) 324-5222, bobbie.morrison@mi.usda.gov
Minnesota
Robyn J. Holdorf, USDA Rural Development, 375 Jackson St., Ste. 410,
St. Paul, MN 55101-1853, (651) 602-7812, robyn.holdorf@mn.usda.gov
Mississippi
Charlie Joiner, USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Ste. 831, 100
W Capitol St., Jackson, MS 39269, (601) 965-5457,
charlie.joiner@ms.usda.gov
Missouri
Nathan Chitwood, USDA Rural Development, 601 Business Loop 70 W,
Parkade Center, Ste. 235, Columbia, MO 65203, (573) 876-
9320,nathan.chitwood@mo.usda.gov
Montana
William W. Barr, USDA Rural Development, 900 Technology Blvd., Ste. B,
Bozeman, MT 59771, (406) 585-2545, bill.barr@mt.usda.gov
Nebraska
Deb Yocum, USDA Rural Development, 201 N 25th St., Beatrice, NE 68310,
(402) 223-3125, ext. 4, debra.yocum@ne.usda.gov
Nevada
Dan Johnson, USDA Rural Development, 555 W Silver St., Ste. 101, Elko,
NV 89801, (775) 738-8468, ext. 112, dan.johnson@nv.usda.gov
New Hampshire
Lyn Millhiser, USDA Rural Development, Third Floor City Center, 89 Main
St., Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6069, lyn.millhiser@vt.usda.gov
New Jersey
Michael P. Kelsey, USDA Rural Development, 5th Floor North Tower, Ste.
500, 8000 Midlantic Dr., Mount Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 787-7751,
michael.kelsey@nj.usda.gov
New Mexico
Eric Vigil,
USDA Rural Development, 6200 Jefferson St. NE, Rm. 255, Albuquerque, NM
87109, (505) 761-4952, eric.vigil@nm.usda.gov
New York
Scott Collins, USDA Rural Development, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441
South Salina St., Ste. 357, Syracuse, NY 13202, (315) 477-6409,
scott.collins@ny.usda.gov
North Carolina
Bruce Pleasant, USDA Rural Development, 4405 Bland Rd., Ste. 260,
Raleigh, NC 27609, (919) 873-2031, bruce.pleasant@nc.usda.gov
North Dakota
Dennis Rodin, USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Rm. 211, 220 E
Rosser Ave., Bismarck, ND 58502-1737, (701) 530-2065,
dennis.rodin@nd.usda.gov
Ohio
Deborah E. Rausch, USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Rm. 507,
200 North High St., Columbus, OH 43215, (614) 255-2425,
deborah.rausch@oh.usda.gov
Oklahoma
Sally Vielma, USDA Rural Development, 100 USDA, Ste. 108, Stillwater,
OK 74074, (405) 742-1039, sally.vielma@ok.usda.gov
Oregon
Robert K. Haase, USDA Rural Development, 625 SE Salmon, Ste. 5,
Redmond, Oregon 97756, (541) 923-4358, ext. 124, bob.haase@or.usda.gov
Pennsylvania
Gerald Ely, USDA Rural Development, One Hollowcrest Complex,
Tunkhannock, PA 18657, (570) 836-5111, ext. 119, gerald.ely@pa.usda.gov
Puerto Rico
Luis Garcia, USDA Rural Development, Munoz Rivera, Number 654, IBM
Plaza, Ste. 601, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918, (787) 766-5095, ext. 239,
luis.garcia@pr.usda.gov
Rhode Island
Richard J. Burke, USDA Rural Development, 451 West St., Ste. 2,
Amherst, MA 01002, (413) 253-4319, dick.burke@ma.usda.gov
South Carolina
Debbie Turbeville, USDA Rural Development, Strom Thurmond Federal
Building, 1835 Assembly St., Ste. 1007, Columbia, SC 29201, (843) 354-
9613, debbie.turberville@sc.usda.gov
South Dakota
Gary L. Korzan, USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, Rm. 210, 200
4th St. SW, Huron, SD 57350, (605) 352-1142, gary.korzan@sd.usda.gov
Tennessee
Dan Beasley, USDA Rural Development, 3322 West End Ave., Ste. 300,
Nashville, TN 37203, (615) 783-1341, dan.beasley@tn.usda.gov
Texas
Billy Curb, USDA Rural Development, Federal Building, 101 South Main,
Ste. 102, Temple, TX 76501, (254) 742-9775, billy.curb@tx.usda.gov
Utah
Richard Carrig, USDA Rural Development, Wallace F. Bennett Federal
Building, 125 South State St., Rm. 4311, Salt Lake City, UT 84138,
(801) 524-4328, richard.carring@ut.usda.gov
Vermont
Lyn Millhiser, USDA Rural Development, Third Floor City Center, 89 Main
St., Montpelier, VT 05602, (802) 828-6069, lyn.millhiser@vt.usda.gov
Virgin Islands
Joe Mueller, USDA Rural Development, 4440 NW. 25th Pl., Gainesville, FL
32606, (352) 338-3482, joe.mueller@fl.usda.gov
Virginia
Laurette Tucker, USDA Rural Development, Culpeper Building, Ste. 238,
1606 Santa Rosa Rd., Richmond, VA 23229, (804) 287-1594,
laurette.tucker@va.usda.gov
Washington
John Brugger, USDA Rural Development, 1908 N Dale Ln., Spokane Valley,
WA 99212-2445, (509) 924-7350, ext. 114, john.brugger@wa.usda.gov
West Virginia
John M. Comerci, USDA Rural Development, 481 Ragland Rd., Beckley, WV
25801, (304) 252-8644, ext. 146, john.comerci@wv.usda.gov
Wisconsin
Barbara Brewster, USDA Rural Development, 4949 Kirschling Ct., Stevens
Point, WI 54481, (715) 345-7610, barbara.brewster@wi.usda.gov
Wyoming
Janice Stroud, USDA Rural Development, 100 East B St., Rm. 1005,
Casper, WY 82601, (207) 233-6710, janice.stroud@wy.usda.gov
VIII. Other Information
It is suggested that applicants visit the Agricultural Resource
Marketing Center (AgMRC) Web site http://www.agmrc.org) for
additional information on value-added agriculture. AgMRC brings together
experts from three of the nation's leading agricultural universities--Iowa
State University, Kansas State University and the University of
California--into a dynamic, electronically based center to create and
present information about value-added agriculture. The center draws on the
abilities, skills and knowledge of leading economists, business
strategists and outreach specialists to provide reliable information
needed by independent producers to achieve success and profitability in
value-added agriculture. Partial support for the center is derived from a
grant administered by RBS.
Dated: May 25, 2004.
John Rosso,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 04-13392 Filed 6-14-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P
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