15-BFRDP final to post.pdf

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program

FY 2015 Request for Applications (RFA)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 13, 2015

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE; U.S. DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE

BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.311.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 13, 2015.

Applications received after this deadline will normally not be considered for funding (see Part IV, C. of this RFA). Comments regarding this request for applications (RFA) are requested within 6 months from the issuance of this notice. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

STAKEHOLDER INPUT: The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks your comments about this RFA. We will consider the comments when we develop the next RFA for the program, if applicable, and we’ll use them to meet the requirements of section 103(c)(2) of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7613(c)(2)).

Submit written stakeholder comments by the deadline set forth in the DATES portion of this Notice via e-mail to: Policy@nifa.usda.gov. (This e-mail address is intended only for receiving comments regarding this RFA and not requesting information or forms.) In your comments, please state that you are responding to the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program RFA.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) for fiscal year (FY) 2015 to support the development of educational outreach curricula, workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance programs to assist beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States and its territories with entering, establishing, building and managing successful farm and ranch enterprises. The amount available for support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $18.54 million.

This notice identifies the objectives for BFRDP projects, the eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a BFRDP grant.

mailto:Policy@nifa.usda.gov

Table of Contents

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background B. Purpose and Priorities C. Program Area Description

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Applications C. Project Types

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing or Matching

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package B. Content and Form of Application Submission C. Submission Dates and Times D. Funding Restrictions E. Other Submission Requirements

PART V—APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. General B. Evaluation Criteria C. Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality D. Organizational Management Information E. Application Disposition

PART VI—AWARD ADMINISTRATION

A. General B. Award Notice C. Administrative and National Policy Requirements D. Expected Program Outputs and Reporting Requirements

PART VII—AGENCY CONTACTS

PART VIII—OTHER INFORMATION

A. Access to Review Information B. Use of Funds; Changes C. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards D. Regulatory Information E. Definitions F. Materials Available on the Internet

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background

Section 7405(c) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) (7 U.S.C. 3319f(c)), as amended by section 7410 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) (Pub. L. 110-246) and section 7409 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113- 333), requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a competitive grants program for the purpose of providing education, outreach, training and technical assistance to benefit beginning farmers and ranchers in the United States, including programs and services (as appropriate) relating to:

A. Basic livestock, forest management, and crop farming practices;

B. Innovative farm, ranch, and private, nonindustrial forest land transfer strategies;

C. Entrepreneurship and business training;

D. Financial and risk management training (including the acquisition and management of agricultural credit);

E. Natural resource management and planning;

F. Diversification and marketing strategies;

G. Curriculum development;

H. Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships;

I. Resources and referral;

J. Farm financial benchmarking;

K. Assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in acquiring land from retiring farmers and ranchers;

L. Agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training for veterans;

M. Farm safety and awareness; and N. Other similar subject areas of use to beginning farmers or ranchers.

Section 7405(d) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f(d)) requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish beginning farmer and rancher education teams to develop curricula and conduct educational programs and workshops for beginning farmers or ranchers in diverse geographical areas of the United States.

Section 7405(e) of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3319f(e)) requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an online clearinghouse that makes available to beginning farmers or ranchers education curricula, training materials and programs, which may include online courses for direct use by beginning farmers or ranchers.

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is aligned with the USDA Research, Education, and Economics Action Plan (http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_2014_REE_Action_Plan_08-2014_Final.pdf), and specifically addresses Goal 6 – Education and Science Literacy, by providing educational and training opportunities to beginning farmers and ranchers. BFRDP is aligned with the NIFA Strategic plan (http://nifa.usda.gov/about/pdfs/strat_plan_2014.pdf), and specifically addresses Strategic Goal 1 (Science), by advancing our ability to fight hunger and ensure global food security (Subgoal 1.1).

http://www.ree.usda.gov/ree/news/USDA_2014_REE_Action_Plan_08-2014_Final.pdf http://nifa.usda.gov/about/pdfs/strat_plan_2014.pdf

NIFA has invited stakeholder input on BFRDP via webinars, conference calls, and written means every year since the program began in FY 2009. For the FY 2015 RFA, stakeholder input was solicited until July 3, 2014. Stakeholder input was received by emails, comments during a stakeholder conference call on June 26, 2014, and at a meeting with the USDA Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers on June 24, 2014. The written input is posted at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/bfrdp/bfrdp.html.

B. Purpose and Priorities

The primary goal of BFRDP is to enhance food security, community development and sustainability by providing beginning farmer and ranchers (includes beginning managers of private, nonindustrial forest land, hereafter) and their families in the United States and its territories with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to make informed decisions for their operations, and enhance their sustainability. The term “farmer” is used in the broadest sense and should be interpreted to include agricultural farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial private forest owners and managers. Applications from partnerships and collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and school-based agricultural educational organizations (SAEOs) with expertise in new agricultural producer training and outreach will be given priority in funding.

The expected short-term (five year) outcomes of BFRDP are the training and development of more than 60,000 beginning farmers and ranchers through the evaluation, development and use of beginning farmer and rancher education curricula and support for programs that address the various needs of different audiences and geographical areas (“educational enhancement” projects); and projects that support new and established local and regional training, education, outreach, and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers on topics described further in this RFA (“standard” projects).

1. Target Audience:

The target audience for BFRDP is farmers and ranchers who have not operated a farm or ranch, or have operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 years. In addition, a portion of BFRDP funding is set aside for projects that address the needs of two subsets of beginning farmers and ranchers:

• At least 5 percent (5%) of the program funds available for standard BFRDP projects will be allocated to address the needs of limited resource beginning farmers and ranchers;

socially disadvantaged beginning farmers or ranchers; immigrant farm workers planning to become beginning farmers or ranchers; and/or other farm workers desiring to become beginning farmers or ranchers.

• At least 5 percent (5%) of the program funds available for standard BFRDP projects will be allocated to address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers who are military veterans. A recipient of such a grant may coordinate with a recipient of a grant from the AgrAbility program (http://www.agrability.org/ ) in addressing the needs of veteran farmers and ranchers with disabilities.

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/bfrdp/bfrdp.html http://www.agrability.org/

Please note: Not all applications need to address the needs of these two set-aside categories.

For your application to be considered under either set-aside audience category, you must:

a. Identify the target audience of any of the groups identified above and state what percentage of your project will be allocated to serving these group(s);

b. Explain how the beginning farmers and ranchers in the identified target audience will be recruited and provided with appropriate training, education, outreach and/or mentoring;

and

c. Provide evidence of your ability to serve the needs of the identified audience, e.g., a strong track record of having previously done so.

2. Priority Topics for FY 2015:

To achieve program goals, BFRDP projects will be expected to conduct training and assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers on one or more of the topics listed below, making use of existing curriculum (whether USDA funded or not) or developing new curriculum where needed.

Applicants should carefully consider the topics that will be addressed by the proposed project and clearly identify the topics that will be addressed in the project narrative, and why those topics are the most appropriate for the project’s audience. The priority topics are:

A. Basic livestock, forest management, and crop farming practices;

B. Innovative farm, ranch, and private, nonindustrial forest land transfer strategies;

C. Entrepreneurship and business training;

D. Financial and risk management training (including the acquisition and management of agricultural credit);

E. Natural resource management and planning;

F. Diversification and marketing strategies;

G. Curriculum development;

H. Mentoring, apprenticeships, and internships;

I. Resources and referral;

J. Farm financial benchmarking;

K. Assisting beginning farmers or ranchers in acquiring land from retiring farmers and ranchers;

L. Agricultural rehabilitation and vocational training for veterans;

M. Farm safety and awareness; and N. Other similar subject areas of use to beginning farmers or ranchers.

NIFA is soliciting applications for the BFRDP under the following areas:

(1) Standard Grants and

(2) Educational Enhancement Teams (EETs)

C. Program Area Description

(1) Standard Grant

Program Code: BFRDA

Program Code Name: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Standard Maximum Award: $250,000 per year for up to three (3) years

Standard BFRDP projects support new and established local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance initiatives for beginning farmers and ranchers, on the priority topics listed above. Most of the funding in the BFRDP goes to Standard Grants. The primary goal of Standard Grants is to increase the number of beginning farmers and ranchers and enhance their sustainability by providing them and their families the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to make informed decisions. Priority is given to partnerships and collaborations that are led by or include nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), or school-based agricultural educational organizations (SAEOs) with expertise in beginning agricultural producer training and outreach. Standard Grant applications are expected to identify the audience of beginning farmers and ranchers that they aim to serve, describe their characteristics and needs, demonstrate knowledge and experience in educational and assistance methods that are appropriate and effective in engaging the audience and meeting their needs, and propose an ambitious yet achievable plan of work that will accomplish meaningful and measurable success in enhancing the number and success of beginning farmers and ranchers. Most successful standard grants provide training and assistance on a range of topics, including financial, production and marketing topics from the priority list above.

(2) Educational Enhancement Team (EET)

Program Code: BFRDB Program Code Name: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, Enhancement Maximum Award: $200,000 per year for up to four (4) years

The purpose of an Educational Enhancement Team (EET) grant is to assemble a team of experts to review beginning farmer and rancher curricula and programs (including review and evaluation of previously-funded BFRDP projects), identify gaps, and develop, disseminate and facilitate the use of materials and tools to address these gaps. Educational Enhancement Teams are not designed to train beginning farmers and ranchers directly, but rather to train-the-trainers and help enhance funded and non-funded beginning farmer and rancher education programs in the nation. Applicants interested in applying for an EET grant are strongly encouraged to contact the programmatic contacts listed in Part VII to discuss the suitability of the topic prior to submitting an application. Priority will be given to EET proposals that:

• Evaluate clusters of related projects previously funded by BFRDP, in order to determine lessons learned and best practices, along with curriculum and tools for future use. Clusters may be identified by topic, region, or audience.

• Enhance coordination and collaboration among all BFRDP grants in a given Region (where Region is defined as in the Definitions section, below), and facilitate their interaction with other Regional programs (e.g., Regional Rural Development

Centers, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, Risk Management Education) and the national BFRDP Clearinghouse.

• Address topics that complement or leverage rather than duplicate work completed by previously-funded EETs, which have addressed environmental management and leadership, regional networks, farmer-to-farmer curricula, financial management, individual development accounts, and farm safety. See Results and Impacts at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/bfrdp/bfrdp.html for more information on these projects.

To achieve program goals, EET proposals will be expected to demonstrate the ability to complete all of the following:

1) Assess and Identify Existing Curricula and Gaps in the Education, Training and Mentoring of Beginning Farmers and Ranchers:

a) Establish educational teams that encompass broad geographic, product, topic and/or other appropriate scale. Educational teams should include, if possible, specialists (including Extension, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO), Community-based Organizations (CBO), School-based Agricultural Education organizations (SAEO), and Federal and State Government employees and other eligible partners) with knowledge and expertise in relevant subjects and programs serving beginning farmers or ranchers. The team should, if possible, use the expertise of officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture (excluding NIFA) with direct experience in programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that may be taught as part of the curriculum for the program or workshop, including (but not limited to) Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Employees of other federal agencies may also be appropriate for inclusion on Educational Enhancement Teams. Applicants are also encouraged to coordinate with their StrikeForce area coordinators and/or partnering entities. USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative is part of our commitment to growing economies, increasing investments and creating opportunities in poverty-stricken rural communities. See www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE for more information.

b) Collect and synthesize information about the available beginning farmer and rancher education, training, outreach and mentoring curricula (including but not exclusive of curricula funded by USDA) and different audiences of beginning farmers and ranchers based on crop/livestock/product or regional diversity; including access to and suitability of programs to veterans and to limited resource and/or socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers, and farm workers desiring to become farmers or ranchers. Identify gaps in the existing education, training, outreach and mentoring curricula to address the needs of the different audiences.

c) Evaluate the beginning farmer and rancher education, training, outreach and mentoring programs (including but not exclusively USDA funded) nationwide to identify what is and what is not successful regarding programs and services offered. Depending on the project, success can be measured in different ways, including numbers of participants http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=STRIKE_FORCE who completed training, began to farm, continued to farm, adopted different production, marketing and/or business practices, etc. Incorporate these findings to guide curriculum and program development in future years.

2) Develop Curricula and Train-the-Trainer Programs to Fill Identified Gaps:

a) Develop curriculum to address the gaps in existing education, training, outreach and mentoring programs. The Educational Enhancement Teams should ensure that the new curriculum includes modules designed for specific audiences of beginning farmers or ranchers based on their crop/livestock/product (or potential crop/livestock/product/market), regional diversity, or other characteristics (e.g., military veterans, limited-resource or socially-disadvantaged, or farmworkers).

b) Develop and implement train-the-trainer meetings and workshops, both in-person and online, based on the EET-identified and EET-developed curricula, for education, training, outreach and mentoring programs.

Note: The development of both curriculum and train-the-trainer programs should include collaboration with intended audiences (including education/training programs and the ultimate audiences for those programs, that is, beginning farmers and ranchers), pilot testing and formative evaluation, and refinement based on the results of the evaluation.

3) Assist Beginning Farmer and Rancher Training Programs by Collaborating with the Clearinghouse and Beginning Farmer and Rancher Education Providers:

a) Collaborate with the Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse to incorporate curricula identified and/or developed by the EET into the Clearinghouse and to facilitate its sharing with education, training, outreach and mentoring programs.

b) Facilitate communication and collaboration among all of the beginning farmer and rancher training, education, mentoring and outreach programs, and with the Curriculum and Training Clearinghouse, to enhance successful use of the EET curricula and training in education, training, outreach and mentoring programs.

Educational Enhancement Teams should identify the Project Director (PD) or Co-PD who will be responsible for coordination with the Clearinghouse and with the other funded programs. The submitted budget should reflect the required time and resources (e.g., monthly conference calls, annual in-person meetings) for this coordination.

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The amount available for NIFA support of this program in FY 2015 is approximately $18.54 million.

The funds for Standard Projects will be awarded through a grant. The funds for an Educational Enhancement Team may be awarded through a grant, or through a cooperative agreement that includes substantial involvement of NIFA staff. There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

Awards issued as a result of this RFA will have designated the Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury’s Financial Management Service, as the payment system for funds. For more information see http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/method_of_payment.html.

B. Types of Applications

In FY 2015, you may submit applications to the BFRDP Program as one of the following types of requests:

New application. This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to the BFRDP Program. We will review all new applications competitively using the selection process and evaluation criteria described in Part V—Application Review Requirements.

Renewal application. This is a project application that requests funding for a project from a PD or co-PD who has received a prior BFRDP award. Applications for renewed funding must contain the same information as required for new applications; they also must contain a Progress Report and an additional one-page “Accomplishment-Based Renewal” narrative (see Project Narrative, Part IV). Renewal applications must be received by the relevant due date, will be evaluated in competition with other pending applications in the area to which they are assigned, and will be reviewed according to the same evaluation criteria as new applications, plus based on performance during the previous BFRDP grant(s) and adequacy of plans for continuous improvement. Evaluation of performance during the previous BFRDP grant(s) will include the outcomes achieved and (where appropriate) contributions to the BFRDP Clearinghouse.

Resubmitted application. This is an application that had previously been submitted to the BFRDP Program but not funded. Project Directors (PDs) must respond to the previous review panel summary (see Response to Previous Review, Part IV). Resubmitted applications must be received by the relevant due date, will be evaluated in competition with other pending applications in appropriate area to which they are assigned, and will be reviewed according to the same evaluation criteria as new applications.

Resubmitted renewal application. This is a project application that had previously been submitted for renewal to the BFRDP Program but not funded. Therefore, PDs must provide a Progress Report and “Accomplishment-Based Renewal” narrative as required under the Project http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/method_of_payment.html

Narrative, Part IV, and must respond to the previous review panel summary as required under Response to Previous Review, Part IV. Resubmitted renewal applications must be received by the relevant due date, will be evaluated in competition with other pending applications in the areas to which they are assigned, and will be reviewed according to the same evaluation criteria as Renewal applications.

C. Project Types

Applications will be accepted for two (2) project types: (1) Standard BFRDP Projects; (2) Educational Enhancement Team Projects.

1. Standard BFRDP Projects:

(a) Standard Grants:

The long-term goals of the Standard BFRDP projects are to enhance the sustainability of beginning farmers and ranchers through education, training, mentoring and outreach programs that enhance self-employment in farming, ranching and forestry opportunities. Applications that seek to develop coursework for credit at Colleges and Universities offering four-year degree programs are not appropriate for this program and will not be accepted for review. Applications that seek to educate students for careers in agriculture other than as farmers or ranchers will not be accepted for review. Priority topics are the fourteen topics listed as A. through N. in the Legislative Background (Part I.A of this RFA) and again under Priority Topics for Standard BFRDP Projects (Part I.B.2.a of this RFA).

All work must be completed within three (3) years. The Statutory time limitation for this project is three (3) years from the project start date on the Award Face Sheet (Form NIFA-2009).

Extensions of time beyond the three (3) years will not be permitted.

(b) Development Grants:

Development Grants are intended to assist organizations: (1) to sustain and enhance important collaborations and innovative activities relevant to beginning farmer and rancher programs; and

(2) to initiate and develop beginning farmer and rancher project ideas to lead to future program success or success in obtaining other grants for beginning farmer and rancher education.

Development grants are only available to organizations that submit an application for a Standard Grant, and have not previously been successful in obtaining a competitive grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture [or its predecessor the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)].

A Standard BFRDP Project application that is considered meritorious but ranks below the funding line during the peer review process may be considered for a Development Grant, if the applicant is eligible. Applicants should indicate in the first line of the abstract of a Standard Grant proposal whether the organization would want the application to also be considered for a Development Grant, and if so, include a letter from the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) stating that the organization has never received a competitive award from NIFA (or its predecessor CSREES). A limited number of Development Grants will be awarded.

Development Grants are generally awarded for one (1) year, however in the case of any no-cost extension(s) of time, all work must be completed within three (3) years. The Statutory time limitation for this project is three (3) years from the project start date on the Award Face Sheet (Form NIFA-2009). Extensions of time beyond the three (3) years will not be permitted.

2. Educational Enhancement Team Projects:

The long-term goals of the Educational Enhancement Team (EET) projects are to identify gaps in beginning farmer and rancher training by evaluating all existing programs, and to develop and conduct train-the-trainer projects to address these gaps. The Educational Enhancement Teams will periodically collect and analyze information on the impacts of the beginning farmer and rancher programs on specific audiences of beginning farmers and ranchers based on crop or regional diversity, including access and suitability of programs to veteran farmers and ranchers and to limited resource and/or socially disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers and farm workers desiring to become farmers or ranchers. The Team also may support special projects for training, coordination, and communication networks, including outreach and assistance to socially disadvantaged and/or underserved customers and other clientele groups with particular beginning farmer and rancher education and training needs. To maintain regional balance, priority will be given to applications serving beginning farmer and rancher audiences not served by previously funded Educational Enhancement Teams.

EETs are awarded for up to four years, and may continue into a fifth year with a no-cost extension of time. All work must be completed within five (5) years. The Statutory time limitation for this project is five (5) years from the project start date on the Award Face Sheet (Form NIFA-2009). Extensions of time beyond the five (5) years will not be permitted.

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Applications may only be submitted by a collaborative state, tribal, local, or regionally-based network or partnership of qualified public and/or private entities. These collaborations may include the following entities: State Cooperative Extension Services; Federal, State, or tribal agencies; community based organizations; nongovernmental organizations; junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university; private for-profit organizations; and other appropriate partners. Inclusion of beginning and/or non-beginning farmers and ranchers as part of the collaborative group is strongly encouraged.

Applications submitted by individuals, or by organizations that do not involve other entities in a network or partnership, are not eligible for consideration under any category applicable to the

BFRDP.

Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project. Failure to meet an eligibility criterion by the time of application deadline may result in the application being excluded from consideration or, even though an application may be reviewed, will preclude NIFA from making an award.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Pursuant to the authorizing legislation for the BFRDP, NIFA requires that in order to receive an award under this program, the recipient must provide a match in the form of cash or in-kind contributions in an amount at least equal to 25 percent (25%) of the federal funds provided by the award. The matching funds must be from non-Federal sources except when authorized by statute. An award will not be issued unless all matching funds over the life of the grant are secured with letters of commitment. For third party cash or in-kind support, letters of commitment must be submitted on donor organization letterhead, must include the signature of the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR), must identify the project, by name and purpose, what the funds will support, and must state the exact amount of the matching funds or value of the in-kind support that will be contributed.

There can be no stipulations on the matching amount.

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package Only electronic applications may be submitted via Grants.gov to NIFA in response to this RFA.

We urge you to submit early to the Grants.gov system. For an overview of the Grants.gov application process see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html.

New Users of Grants.gov

Prior to preparing an application, we recommend that the Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) first contact an Authorized Representative (AR, also referred to as Authorized Organizational Representative or AOR) to determine if the organization is prepared to submit electronic applications through Grants.gov. If not (e.g., the institution/organization is new to the electronic grant application process through Grants.gov), then the one-time registration process must be completed PRIOR to submitting an application. It can take as long as 2 weeks to complete the registration process so it is critical to begin as soon as possible. In such situations, the AR should go to “Register” in the top right corner of the Grants.gov web page (or go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html) for information on registering the institution/organization with Grants.gov. Part II.1. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the registration process. Refer to item 2. below to locate the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide”.

Steps to Obtain Application Package Materials

To receive application materials:

1. You must download and install a version of Adobe Reader compatible with Grants.gov to access, complete, and submit applications. For basic system requirements and download instructions, see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html. Grants.gov has a test package that will help you determine whether your current version of Adobe Reader is compatible.

2. To obtain the application package from Grants.gov, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. Under Step 1 click on “Download a Grant Application Package,” and enter the funding opportunity number

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-BFR-004835 in the appropriate box and click “Download Package.” From the search results, click “Download” to access the application package.

Contained within the application package is the “NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.”

This guide contains an introduction and general Grants.gov instructions, information about how to use a Grant Application Package in Grants.gov, and instructions on how to complete the application forms.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/adobe-reader-compatibility.html

If you require assistance to access the application package (e.g., downloading or navigating Adobe forms) or submitting the application, refer to resources available on the Grants.gov website (http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html). Grants.gov assistance is also available at:

Grants.gov customer support 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035

Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Closed on federal holidays.

Email: support@grants.gov

Grants.gov iPortal (see https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants):

Top 10 requested help topics (FAQs), Searchable knowledge base, self-service ticketing and ticket status, and live web chat (available 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. ET). Get help now!

Have the following information available when contacting Grants.gov:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Name of agency you are applying to

• Specific area of concern

See http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/electronic.html for additional resources for applying electronically.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

You should prepare electronic applications following Parts V and VI of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. This guide is part of the corresponding application package (see Section A.

of this Part). It contains important requirements such as minimum font and margin size, and key instructions and tips for preparing and submitting your application. The following is additional information needed to prepare an application in response to this RFA. If there is discrepancy between the two documents, the information contained in this RFA is overriding.

Note the attachment requirements (e.g., PDF) in Part III section 3. of the guide. ANY PROPOSALS THAT ARE NON-COMPLIANT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS (e.g., content format, PDF file format, file name restrictions, and no password protected files) WILL BE AT RISK OF BEING EXCLUDED FROM NIFA REVIEW. Grants.gov does not check for NIFA required attachments or that attachments are in PDF format; see Part III section 6.1 of the guide for how to check the manifest of submitted files. Partial applications will be excluded from NIFA review. We will accept subsequent submissions of an application until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date in the RFA (see Part V, 2.1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further information).

Grants.gov provides online tools to assist if you do not own PDF-generating software. You will find PDF conversion software at http://test.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/%23url=2014 mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/electronic.html http://test.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html http://test.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/pdf-conversion-software.html

For any questions related to the preparation of an application, review the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide and the applicable RFA. If assistance is still needed for preparing application forms content, contact:

• Email: electronic@nifa.usda.gov

• Phone: 202-401-5048

• Business hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, excluding federal holidays.

1. SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 2. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

2. SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s) Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 3. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

3. R&R Other Project Information Form Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 4. of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

a. Field 7. Project Summary/Abstract. The summary should include the title, a list of PDs and Co-PDs and their institutions, and concise (250 words or less) description of the project goals, plans to accomplish the goals and relevance of the project to the goals of BFRDP. See Part V. 4.7 of NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further instructions and a link to a suggested template.

b. Field 8. Project Narrative.

NOTE: The Project Narrative shall not exceed 16 pages of written text regardless of whether it is single- or double-spaced. This total includes pages for figures and tables. We have established this maximum (16 pages) to ensure fair and equitable competition. The Project Narrative must include all of the following, in the sequence as specified below. Organizing your proposal in this way, and clearly labeling each section as indicated below, will help reviewers find the information to evaluate your proposal.

1) Introduction. The introduction should include a clear statement of the long-term goal(s) of the proposed project. Justify the need for the program by identifying the target audience and explaining their needs (size, region, value of sales, structure of the industry (the number of small, medium and large farms), critical barriers, etc.); and by briefly summarizing all the other similar beginning farmer and rancher education and training programs that are available for the identified target audience. If you want the application to be considered under either of the set-aside target audiences (military veterans or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers), state what percentage of your budget will be allocated to serving the target group(s). If necessary, provide a map of the region. Show evidence that beginning farmers and ranchers were involved in conceptualizing the project and designing the activities. If the project type is Educational Enhancement Team, present mailto:electronic@nifa.usda.gov the rationale for the geographic, topic or other appropriate focus of the Team and the Team’s composition. All works cited should be referenced (see 7(i) Bibliography & References Cited in this section). Applicants are encouraged to use approximately 2 of the 16 pages for this section.

2) Objectives and Outcomes. Concisely present the goals, associated objectives and expected outputs and outcomes of the project in relation to the audience and needs identified in the introduction. Provide numbers of beginning farmers and ranchers that will be served.

Estimate how many of them will attain specific, anticipated knowledge gains or actions (e.g., starting farming; improving production practices; entering new markets) and project the expected resulting impacts of those gains and actions on the success of their operations.

Discuss whether and how this program can be adapted to other regions, communities and/or agricultural systems. Applicants are encouraged to use approximately 2 of the 16 pages for this section.

3) Approach. The activities proposed to achieve each objective must be clearly stated and the approaches being applied clearly described. Applicants are encouraged to use approximately 6 of the 16 pages for this section. Specifically, this section must include:

a) A description of the activities proposed for each objective;

b) A timeline of the proposed project. The timeline should include activities and major outputs and associated outcomes for each year of the project;

c) Discuss how and where the activities will be provided and the appropriateness of the approach for the target audience;

d) For Standard BFRDP Projects: how will the beginning farmers and ranchers be recruited for this training?;

e) For Education Enhancement Team Projects, how will Beginning Farmer And

Rancher Curricula and Programs be identified and evaluated? How will you help guide curriculum and program development and delivery in future years?;

f) How will the project, and its partnerships and collaborations, be sustained beyond the life of the grant?

g) Any novel ideas or contributions of the proposed project;

h) Pitfalls that may be encountered and limitations to proposed procedures. For

Standard BFRDP Projects, please identify possible challenges to your proposed strategy for participant recruitment and how you plan to address those challenges.

4) Personnel and Resources: Describe in detail the key project personnel’s experience in serving the identified or other audiences of beginning farmers and ranchers and ability to provide the appropriate (e.g., effective, socio-economically and culturally sensitive, etc.)

education, training, outreach and mentoring programs for the target audience. Describe ongoing or recently completed significant activities related to the proposed project, and their impacts. This information may include the years and locations of prior activities, number of training assistance or education activities previously carried out, number of participants and graduates from the program, success rate in completing the program, percentage of graduates who are still in farming, percentages of those who improved their operations, etc. Applicants are encouraged to use approximately 2 of the 16 pages for this section.

5) Plan for Outcome Based Reporting. Clearly identify a minimum of two expected outcomes of the project within the life of the project, and how you plan to document and evaluate them. Third-party evaluators are encouraged but not required. All projects should describe methods and resources for documenting and evaluating their outcomes and impacts. Because of the diversity in the types of BFRDP projects funded, it is not possible to require all applicants to report on two identical measurable outcomes. However, all Standard BFRDP applicants are strongly recommended to consider using the expected number of new farm startups that would result from their project as one of the outcomes, and the expected number of new farmers (i.e., those are already farming but in their first 10 years of operation) who will make beneficial changes as a result of the project. All projects are also encouraged to have measures of the degree of change or strength of impact or benefit to participants. The identified outcomes and impacts must be measurable as a total number, percentage of participation, or percentage change (e.g., percentage increase in the value of sales of beginning farmers and ranchers, or percentage of participants who improve their business or production practices). Taking baseline measurements before the work of a project or each measured event is recommended. Additionally, total numbers used to develop percentage should be captured for each measurement. All Educational Enhancement Team applicants are strongly recommended to consider using the anticipated reach (number of users) of information products created as a result of their Educational Enhancement Team activities as one of their metrics. Because many expected outcomes occur only beyond the grant period, also identify measurable outputs for each of the expected outcomes. Outputs for Standard BFRDP Projects may include: (a) Number of beginning farmers and ranchers to receive significant training or assistance, (b) number of courses developed, etc. Outputs for Educational Enhancement Teams may include: (a) number of trainers trained; (b) number of training programs offered; (c) number of BFRDP organizations assisted; etc. See the “Outcomes Guide for BFRDP Grants” and “Webinar #3 – Outcomes Reporting” at www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/bfrdp/bfrdp.html for more information. An applicant’s failure to provide the requested information in the Plan for Outcome Based Reporting would impact the peer review process; applicants are encouraged to use approximately 2 of the 16 pages for this section.

6) Management and Collaboration Plan. Because of the complexity of the BFRDP projects, it is important to have a clearly articulated management plan that describes the roles and functions of all partners (e.g., Project Directors and Co-Project Directors) and collaborators and their organizations as they relate to the proposed project. Include time allocated by each partner for attainment of objectives; key roles of each partner and collaborator; and plan for administration of the proposed project and its maintenance and partnerships.

Describe your plans for coordination, communication, data sharing and reporting among members of the project team and stakeholder groups. Describe the commitment of your organization and your partners to this project and how the project will be sustained beyond the period of the award. An applicant’s failure to provide the requested information in the Management and Collaboration Plan may preclude NIFA from making an award.

Applicants are encouraged to use approximately 2 of the 16 pages for this section. In addition, letters of commitment signed by the AR of the partnering organization demonstrating that the partners involved have agreed to abide by the Management Plan should be provided (see “Other Attachments” below).

7) Additional Pages. In addition to the 16-page Narrative, proposals may use additional pages to provide the sections specified below if their proposals are of certain types:

i. Response to Previous Review – Required for “Resubmitted Applications” as described under Part II, B of this RFA, “Types of Applications”. PDs must respond to the previous review panel summary on no more than one page, under a subheading “Response to Previous Review”.

ii. Accomplishment-Based Renewal – Required for “Renewal Applications” as described under Part II, B of this RFA, “Types of Applications”. It should include a description of what was learned from the past project, what can be improved upon, and how those lessons and improvements are being incorporated into the renewal application to make the ongoing project more effective and successful at meeting program goals. This information should be added at the end of the narrative, in no more than one page, under a subheading “Accomplishment-Based Renewal”.

c. Field 9. Bibliography & References Cited – PDF attachment. No page limit. if any references were cited in the Narrative, include their citations in this attachment. Title the attachment “Bibliography and References” in the document header and save the file as ‘Bibliography’.

d. Field 12. Other Attachments

1) Commitment Letters – PDF attachment(s). No page limit. Letters of commitment from all partners (signed by the AR of the partnering organization) stating that the partners involved have agreed to abide by the Management Plan, and signed letters from each source of matching funds indicating the amount of funds committed to this project in the content of the letter, are required. See section 6. R&R Budget Federal and Non- Federal, subsection f.-Matching for details on how to document matching funds. Letters from other collaborators whose participation is important to the success of the project, committing those collaborators to specific roles, are also encouraged. Title the attachment(s) as ‘Letter of Commitment – Organization Name’ in the document header and save file as ‘LetterofCommitment_OrganizationName’. Other more general letters of support (i.e., from those who are not committing to a specific role in the project) are not needed and should not be included.

2) Past Performance (Progress Report) – PDF attachment. No page limit. Title the attachment as ‘Past Performance’ in the document and save the file as ‘PastPerformance’.

This requirement applies only to “Renewal Applications” as described under Part II, B of this RFA, “Types of Applications,” and should include the most current report submitted to NIFA’s web-based reporting system with the annual or final outcomes and impacts for each objective of the previous BFRDP grant.

3) Appendices to Project Narrative –PDF Attachment. This attachment is optional, and may be included in any proposal. Title the attachment as ‘Appendices’ in the document header and save file as ‘Appendices’.

Appendices are strictly limited to two (2) examples of materials from previous projects similar to those proposed in this project, no more than ten (10) pages total. These may include:

o Reprints (papers that have been published in journals or periodicals);

o Preprints (manuscripts in press for journals or periodicals);

o Examples of curricula or training products (limited to 5 pages each, truncate if necessary); or o Media articles describing…