2022_RPIC_NOFA_FederalRegister.pdf

39053 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 125 / Thursday, June 30, 2022 / Notices priorities; the USDA’s Equity Commission Designated Federal Officer will share an overview of the Equity Commission’s priorities; and

• The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will give an operational overview of the 17 Urban County Committees; and OUAIP’s staff will give an overview of new urban conservation practices.

Please check the UAIPAC website for the agenda 24 to 48 hours prior to Friday, August 5, 2022, via http:// www.farmers.gov/urban.

Submitting Written Comments Comments should focus on specific topics pertaining to urban agriculture, innovative production, and associated USDA programs and services. Written public comments will be accepted on or before 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, July 29, 2022, via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: go to https://www.regulation.gov and follow the instructions for submitting comments. UAIPAC will not have adequate time to consider any comments submitted after Friday, July 29, 2022, prior to the meeting.

In addition, outside of this meeting we welcome your comments to the UAIPAC email box at UrbanAgriculture FederalAdvisoryCommittee@usda.gov at any time.

Meeting Accommodation Request Instructions for registering for this meeting can be obtained by contacting Ms. Willis by or before the deadline.

If you are a person requiring reasonable accommodation, please make requests in advance for sign language interpretation, assistive listening devices, or other reasonable accommodation, to Ms. Willis as identified above. Determinations for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Date: June 27, 2022.

Cikena Reid, Committee Management Officer, USDA.

[FR Doc. 2022–14039 Filed 6–29–22; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–16–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Housing Service

Rural Utilities Service

[Docket No. RBS–22–COOP–0016]

Notice of Funds Availability for the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC) for Fiscal Year 2022

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Utilities Service

(RUS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice of funds availability.

SUMMARY: The Under Secretary for Rural Development (RD) is seeking applications, for the Rural Development Cooperative Agreement Program, herein referred to as the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC), from eligible entities to provide technical assistance and training to rural communities for placemaking planning and implementation. This funding opportunity will be administered by the USDA Rural Development Innovation Center and is authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, to provide up to $4 million in competitive cooperative agreement funds. This announcement lists the information needed to submit an application.

DATES: Applications for RPIC cooperative agreement(s) must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time by August 15, 2022.

Applications received after 11:59 p.m.

Eastern Daylight Time on August 15, 2022 will not be considered.

ADDRESSES: Application Submission:

The application system for electronic submissions will be available at https:// www.grants.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

USDA Rural Development, Innovation Center, via email at: RD.RPIC@usda.gov, or via phone at: Gregory Dale (202) 568– 9558 or Sherri McCarter (615) 982–2078.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication should contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Target Center at

(202) 720–2600 (voice). The last day for accepting questions on this notice will be August 12, 2022. Questions submitted after this deadline cannot be guaranteed a timely answer in advance of the closing date of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: This solicitation is authorized pursuant to 7 U.S.C.

2204b(b)(4); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022.

Overview

Federal Agency: Rural Business- Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Utilities Service (RUS), and Rural Housing Service (RHS), (USDA).

Funding Opportunity Title: Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge

(RPIC).

Announcement Type: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA).

Assistance Listing Number: Rural Development Cooperative Agreement Program—10.890.

Due Date for Applications:

Applications for RPIC cooperative agreement(s) must be received by 11:59 p.m. on August 15, 2022. Applications received after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on August 15, 2022 will not be considered.

Rural Development: Key Priorities

The Agency encourages applicants to consider projects that will advance the following key priorities (more details available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ priority-points)

• Assisting rural communities recover economically from the impacts of the COVID–19 pandemic, particularly disadvantaged communities;

• Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects; and

• Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.

For further information, visit https:// www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points.

Items in Supplementary Information

I. Program Overview II. Federal Award Information III. Definitions IV. Eligibility Information V. Application and Submission Information VI. Application Review Information VII. Federal Award Administration

Information VIII. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts IX. Other Information

I. Program Overview

A. Background

The Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge (RPIC) provides planning support, technical assistance, and training to communities to foster placemaking activities in rural communities. Funds can help enhance capacity for broadband access, preserve cultural and historic structures, and support the development of transportation, housing, and recreational spaces. Applicants must demonstrate existing and proposed partnerships with public, private, philanthropic, Tribal and community partners to provide assistance in implementing the placemaking plan.

This funding announcement supports the delivery of technical assistance and training in visioning, planning, and assisting communities to implement placemaking efforts in rural communities under the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge.

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39054 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 125 / Thursday, June 30, 2022 / Notices

B. Program Description

RD is authorized to administer cooperative agreement awards in accordance with 7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4).

The intention of RPIC is to provide cooperative agreement funding to eligible applicants working to promote public-private, philanthropic partnerships in rural and Tribal communities that encourage economic and social development. These projects are intended to support rural America and align with the mission of existing USDA RD programs to increase rural economic growth and improve the quality of life in rural America by supporting essential services such as housing, economic and community development, and required infrastructure.

For the purpose of this notice, Technical Assistance and Training for Placemaking is defined in Part III.

RPIC operates under the following concepts:

• Creating livable communities is important for community developers and practitioners who implement these strategies in rural communities and areas.

• Placemaking practices include both innovative and adaptive as well as established technical processes and solutions.

• Partnerships are a key element to the RPIC and must be developed with public, private, and philanthropic organizations creating new collaborative approaches, learning together, and bringing those learned strategies into rural and Tribal communities.

• Placemaking contributes to long-term investment and therefore supports a community’s resiliency, social stability, and collective identity.

• Broadband is an essential component to supporting placemaking initiatives.

Placemaking is a collaborative engagement process that helps leaders from rural and Tribal communities create quality places where people will want to live, work, play and learn. By bringing together partners from public, private, Tribal and philanthropic communities, and technology sectors, placemaking is a wrap-around approach to community and economic development that incorporates creativity, infrastructure initiatives, and vibrant public spaces. Key elements of quality places can include a mix of uses;

effective public spaces; broadband capacity; preservation of historic places;

transportation options; diverse house options; and a respect of community heritage, arts, culture, creativity, recreation and green space.

II. Federal Award Information

A. Assistance Listing Number: 10.890.

Assistance Listing Title: Rural Development Cooperative Agreement Program.

B. Funds Available

The amount available for RPIC in FY 2022 is up to $4 million. Lead applicants may not submit more than one application but may identify more than one community with which they are providing placemaking assistance.

The maximum award amount for any one applicant is $250,000. RD reserves the right to withhold the awarding of any funds if no application receives a minimum score of at least 60 points.

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any application that does not achieve the minimum score.

This funding opportunity lists the information needed to apply for these funds and announces that RD is accepting FY 2022 applications to support RPIC. Rural Development may at its discretion, increase the total level of funding available in this funding round or in any category in this funding round from any available source provided the awards meet the requirements of the statute which made the funding available to the agency.

C. Approximate Number of Awards

The Agency anticipates that it may select one, multiple, or no award recipients from this funding opportunity. Applicants may not submit more than one application.

D. Type of Instrument

RD is authorized to administer cooperative agreement awards in accordance with 7 U.S.C. 2204b(b)(4) for the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge.

E. Period of Performance

The maximum Period of Performance is 2 years. Applicants should anticipate a Period of Performance beginning October 1, 2022 and ending no later than September 30, 2024.

III. Definitions

The terms and conditions provided in this Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) are applicable to and for the purposes of this NOFA only. Unless otherwise provided in the award documents, all financial terms not defined herein shall have the meaning as defined by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Capacity is defined as previous experience with state or federal grant administration and demonstrated experience in economic development and placemaking technical assistance.

Multi-jurisdictional means more than one jurisdiction where jurisdiction refers to a unit of government or other entity with similar powers, such as a city, county, district, special purpose district, township, town, borough, parish, village, state, Tribe, etc.

Multi-sectoral means intentional collaboration between two or more sectors (e.g., utility, health, housing, community services, etc.) to accomplish goals and achieve outcomes in communities and regions.

Placemaking is a collaborative engagement process that helps leaders from rural communities create quality places where people will want to live, work, play and learn. By bringing together partners from public, private, Tribal, philanthropic communities, and technology sectors, placemaking is a wrap-around approach to community and economic development that incorporates creativity, infrastructure initiatives, and vibrant public spaces.

Placemaking Plan is a written document that describes the strategic plan for the community to implement the goals and objectives identified through the placemaking planning process.

Quality of life means a measure of human well-being that can be identified though economic and social indicators.

Modern utilities, affordable housing, efficient transportation, and reliable employment are economic indicators that must be integrated with social indicators such as access to medical services, public safety, education, and community resilience to empower rural communities to thrive.

Region (Four Regions) means:

• The Northeast includes Maine, New

Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

• The Midwest includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.

• The South includes Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Oklahoma.

• The West includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Pacific Island Territories.

RPIC Cooperative Agreement is the instrument used to fund the support of

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39055 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 125 / Thursday, June 30, 2022 / Notices

Rural Development’s goals of increasing rural economic growth. In a cooperative agreement, federal employees participate more closely in project activities, often working side-by-side with the cooperator. Cooperators are expected to have expertise in placemaking and partnerships that will enable a rural community, area, or region to implement a placemaking strategy and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Rural area is RBCS’s Rural Area definition as described in Section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act which defines ‘‘rural area’’ as any area other than (1) a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants and (2) any urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to such city or town described in subparagraph (1) above.

Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an alliance of federal agencies and civic partners working to expand rural prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, and community improvement. More information about RPN is available at https://www.rural.gov/.

Rural Partners Network Community Networks are community networks within the Rural Partners Network (RPN) and are identified and described on the RPN website, https:// www.rural.gov/.

Sector means stakeholders from areas such as business, health, education, and/or workforce; or from organization types such as public, Tribal communities, private, non-profit, and/or philanthropy.

Substantial involvement means when the Recipient and USDA RD participate together in the management and/or performance of the activity/project during post-award. This collaboration is programmatic in nature and may provide benefits (e.g., technical expertise, knowledge, etc.) that would otherwise be unavailable to the Recipient.

Technical Assistance (TA) for Placemaking means the applicant participates in the process of providing targeted support for the delivery of placemaking planning and implementation in partnership with identified rural communities.

Training for Placemaking means the applicant provides training to the community on the components relating to the placemaking planning process, and implementation around placemaking and community and economic development processes.

Training may be in the form of information, workshops, and/or mentoring.

Tribe means the term as defined in the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103–454; 108 Stat.

4791, 4792). An American Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian Tribe under the Federally Recognized Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a–1).

Tribal Entity includes all entities falling into the eligible legal structures, including but not limited to: Tribal owned corporations, intertribal non-profits and associations, Alaska Native Corporations, Native entities within the State of Alaska recognized by and eligible to receive services from the U.S.

Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, Native Hawaiian organizations including Homestead Associations, State recognized tribes/ non-profits, and individually-owned Native American entities.

Commonly used Acronyms:

DCI Distressed Communities Index FY Fiscal Year HBCU Historically Black Colleges and

Universities LOC Letter of Conditions NEPA National Environmental Policy

Act NICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate

Agreement RD Rural Development RDCA Rural Development Cooperative

Agreement RPIC Rural Placemaking Innovation

Challenge SAM System for Award Management SBA Small Business Administration UEI Unique Entity Identifier USDA United States Department of

Agriculture CFR Code of Federal Regulation SPOC Single Point of Contact

IV. Eligibility Information

A. Applicants

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements by the application deadline. Applications that fail to meet any of these requirements by the application deadline will be deemed ineligible and will not be evaluated further and will not receive a federal award. Applicants may not submit more than one application.

Applicant Eligibility: Federally recognized Tribes and Tribal Entities (See Part III); institutions of higher education (including 1862 Land-Grant Institutions, 1890 Land-Grant Institutions, 1994 Land-Grant Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, and Historically Black

Colleges and Universities (HBCU));

nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) IRS status; public bodies; or small private entities meeting the size standards established by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Entities are not eligible if they have been debarred or suspended or otherwise excluded from, or ineligible for, participation in federal assistance programs under 2 CFR parts 180 and

417. In addition, an applicant will be considered ineligible for a cooperative agreement due to an outstanding judgment obtained by the U.S. in a federal court (other than U.S. Tax Court) or if the applicant is delinquent on the payment of federal income taxes or federal debt.

B. Eligible Project The proposed project must include a component that allows for active participation by the Cooperator and substantial involvement by RD in the specified tasks outlined in the applicant’s project proposal. Examples of measurable substantial involvement include, but are not limited to, the following: joint convenings of community members, partners, and stakeholders; joint delivery of training for RD programs; and the development of training sessions and outreach materials. It is the intent of this project to engage RD staff in the placemaking process, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to identify specific tasks where RD staff can provide measurable, substantial involvement in the project. If tasks are not identified, the application will not be eligible for funding.

The project must also directly benefit a rural area. All ultimate beneficiaries and/or subrecipients must be located in rural areas, and any activities or tasks must occur in rural areas.

Duplication of services is not allowed.

Applicants must demonstrate that they are providing services either to new customers or new services to current customers. If the applicant’s workplan and budget are duplicative of a previous and/or existing RPIC award, the application will not be considered for funding. RD will make this determination.

C. Cost Sharing and Matching Funds Verification

(1) A minimum 15 percent match of the federal grant amount requested for the cooperative agreement award is required for all applications. Matching commitments may be made in cash by the applying organization, or a combination of cash and confirmed funding commitments with third-party in-kind contributions as defined in 2

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CFR 200.306. This minimum match of at least 15 percent of the federal amount requested must be committed for a period of not less than the cooperative agreement performance period. Cost sharing/matching must be committed at the time of application submission.

(2) Applicants may recruit one or more private, philanthropic, and/or eligible public partner(s) to provide the matching 15 percent (in cash and/or in-kind contributions) of the applicant’s proposed federal funding request (i.e., the federal grant amount requested), or the applicant can provide the full match as its own cash contribution. It is permissible to provide a combination of third-party in-kind contribution (as defined in 2 CFR 200.306) from a partner and cash contribution from the applicant, but it is not permissible for the applicant to provide its own in-kind contribution as part of the match combination. If the applicant is going to provide its own match contribution, that match must be documented as a cash contribution.

(3) RPIC Project Verification of Matching Funds: The RPIC Matching Funds Letter must be signed by the donating organization’s authorized representative on the organization’s letterhead and must identify the amount of matching funds or in-kind services/ goods, the time period during which matching contribution will be available, and the source of the funds, as applicable (e.g., cash on hand, bank statement(s) etc.).

• If providing an in-kind match, the third-party contributor must provide details on how those in-kind sources will be identified and tracked by the contributor.

• The contributor must also attach/ stipulate the value of each of the goods or services (including the indirect/direct costs) being offered.

• If using calculated hours for estimating any in-kind service, the contributor must also provide how the value was arrived at for calculating the total cost for the in-kind match and associated personnel, as applicable.

Additional details about cost sharing or matching funds/contributions are located at 2

CFR 200.306. Applicant matching funds must be included in the budget justification. For matching funds offered by project partners, a separate Matching Funds Letter is required for each cash and/or third-party in-kind match contribution. Matching Funds Letters must be signed by the authorized organizational representative of the contributing organization and the applicant organization, which must include:

• the name, address, and telephone number of the contributor,

• the name of the applicant organization,

• the title of the project for which the contribution is made,

• the dollar amount of the contribution, and

• a statement that the contributor commits to furnish the contribution during the cooperative agreement period.

Applications without signed written commitments are considered incomplete and will be ineligible. The value of applicant contributions to the project is established according to Federal cost principles. Applicants should refer to 2 CFR 200.306 for additional guidance on matching funds, in-kind contributions, and allowable costs.

(4) Optional Seed Grant Matching Funds Contribution and Verification:

The applicant MUST provide documentation of a third-party matching funds contribution if participating in the Optional Seed Grant scoring criteria. These matching funds are separate from the verified matched funds required for the RPIC application.

The Matching Funds Letter for the optional seed grants MUST specifically state that the funds are being allocated to the Innovation Seed Grant. The letter may be conditioned to the applicant receiving the award. (Failing to provide verification of match for the optional seed grant disqualifies the applicant from this optional scoring criteria).

D. Funding Restrictions

The following funding restrictions also apply to this program:

(1) Pre-award costs are not authorized.

(2) Use of Funds. Award funds should be calculated based on the federal amount requested by the applicant. A minimum of 15 percent match is required (refer to Part IV, Section C, Cost Sharing and Matching Funds Verification).

(3) The applicant may not use its administrative overhead or indirect costs as any part of its matching funds contribution. Using an indirect cost rate or administrative overhead for a matching fund contribution will be deemed as an ineligible use of funds for the cooperative agreement.

(4) Program Income. If you expect to earn Program Income during the Period of Performance, you must identify the amount and how you expect to use it (e.g., matching funds) in your application. If your application is funded, unexpected Program Income or Program Income earned in excess of the amount you identify in your application will be deducted from the Federal share of the project in accordance with 2 CFR 200.307(e)(1).

E. Ineligible Application Information

(1) In addition to costs identified as unallowable by 2 CFR part 200 or 400, the following costs are prohibited for this program. Neither award funds nor matching funds can be used to pay for the following types of expenses (this is not a comprehensive list of unallowable costs, see 2 CFR part 200):

(a) Construction (in any form).

(b) Intermediary preparation of strategic plans for recipients.

(c) Grants to individuals.

(d) Funding a grant where there may be a conflict of interest, or an appearance of a conflict of interest, involving any action by the Agency.

(e) Purchasing real estate.

(f) Using cooperative agreement assistance or matching funds for individual development accounts.

(g) Purchasing vehicles.

(h) To pay an outstanding judgment obtained by the United States in a federal court (other than in the United States Tax court), which has been recorded. An applicant will be ineligible to receive an award until the judgment is paid in full or otherwise satisfied.

(2) Applications will first be reviewed to determine if applicants meet the eligibility requirements and compliance with the funding restrictions in this notice. If we determine that your application is ineligible, we will discontinue processing it, which means that we will not evaluate it further nor provide any scoring information.

V. Application and Submission Information

A. Electronic Application and Submission

Applications must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov. No other form of application will be accepted. Application and supporting materials are available at Grants.gov.

Your application must contain all required information.

To apply electronically, you must follow the instructions for this funding announcement at Grants.gov. Please note that we will not accept applications through mail or courier delivery, in-person delivery, email, or fax.

You can locate the Grants.gov downloadable application package for this program by using a keyword, the program name, or the Assistance Listing Number for this program.

When you enter the https:// www.grants.gov/ website, you will find

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39057 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 125 / Thursday, June 30, 2022 / Notices information about applying electronically through the site as well as the hours of operation.

To use Grants.gov, you must already have a Unique Entity Identifier. At the time of application, each applicant must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting its application in accordance with 2 CFR part 25. To register in SAM, entities will be required to create a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at https://sam.gov/content/ entity-registration. We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov.

RD is not responsible for any technical malfunction or website problems related to Grants.gov. If issues are encountered with Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov help desk at (800) 518–4726 or support@grants.gov. The applicant assumes the risk of any delays in application submission through Grants.gov.

Submitting an application through Grants.gov requires completing a variety of tasks and steps. There are also several preliminary registration steps before the applicant can submit the application. It is recommended that the instructions for registering be reviewed as soon as possible but at least two weeks before the planned application submission date.

You must submit all application documents electronically through Grants.gov. Applications must include electronic signatures. Original signatures may be required if funds are awarded.

After applying electronically through Grants.gov you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

For an application to be considered complete, the applicant must complete and submit the forms and supporting documentation contained in this section in addition to the written narrative proposal information in Part VI.

Each page must be on numbered, letter-sized (8 1⁄2″ × 11″) paper utilizing a white background that has 1″ margins, and the text of the application must be typed, single spaced, black, and in a font no smaller than 12 point.

(1) Applicants must complete and submit the following forms to apply for an RPIC cooperative agreement:

(a) Standard Form 424, ‘‘Application for Federal Assistance—Non-construction.’’

(b) Standard Form 424A, ‘‘Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs.’’

(c) Standard Form 424B, ‘‘Assurances—Non-Construction Programs.’’

(d) Execute Form RD 400–1 ‘‘Equal Opportunity Agreement.’’

(2) All applications shall be accompanied by the following supporting documentation in concise written narrative form:

(a) Civil Rights Compliance Requirements: All awards made under this notice are subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as required by 7 CFR part 15, subpart A, section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.

(b) Evidence of applicant’s legal existence and authority in the form of organizational documents such as:

Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, or Charter.

(c) Evidence of tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), if applicable.

(d) List of current principals and consultants, including first and last names.

(e) Applicants applying as a small private entity must provide a written self-certification which includes the entity’s NAICS code or industry, number of employees or average annual revenue, and how the applicant meets the U.S. SBA small business size standards for their industry (https:// www.sba.gov/size-standards).

(f) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable.

(g) Written Proposal—The written proposal should be assembled into one or more pdf file(s) and should conform to the order in which the Evaluation Criteria are presented in Part VI Section B. The completed pdf file(s) should be uploaded into Grants.gov as an attachment to the application. The maximum limit for the written narrative section is 25 pages. Information exceeding 25 pages for the written narrative may not be considered for evaluation by the scoring panel.

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Unique Entity Identifier

To be eligible (unless you are excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c) or (d)), you are required to do the following:

(1) At the time of application, each applicant must have an active registration in the System for Award

Management (SAM) before submitting its application in accordance with 2 CFR part 25. To register in SAM, entities will be required to create a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

(2) Register in SAM before submitting your application. You may register in SAM at no cost at https://www.sam.gov/ portal/public/SAM/. You must provide your SAM CAGE Code and expiration date. Entities registering for the first time will also be assigned a UEI as part of the registration process. When registering in SAM, you must indicate you are applying for a federal financial assistance project or program or are currently the recipient of funding under any federal financial assistance project or program; and

(3) Maintain active and current SAM registration. The SAM registration must remain active with current information at all times while the Agency is considering an application or while a federal grant/cooperative agreement award or loan is active. To maintain the registration in the SAM database, the applicant must review and update the information in the SAM database annually from the date of initial registration or from the date of the last update. The applicant must ensure that the information in the database is current, accurate, and complete.

Applicants must ensure they complete the Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations in

SAM.

The Agency will not make an award until the applicant has complied with all SAM requirements including providing the UEI. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Agency is ready to make an award, the Agency may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

D. Submission Dates and Times In order to be considered for funds under this notice, applications must be deemed complete and must be received by Grants.gov by the deadline specified in the DATES section of this notice.

E. Intergovernmental Review Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, applies to this program. This E.O. requires that federal agencies provide opportunities for consultation on proposed assistance with state and local governments. Many states have

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39058 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 125 / Thursday, June 30, 2022 / Notices established a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to facilitate this consultation.

For a list of states that maintain a SPOC, please see the White House website:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13- 20.pdf

Submit one copy of the application to the SPOC, if one has been designated, at the same time as application submission to the Agency. If the project is located in more than one state, submit a copy to each applicable SPOC. Any comments obtained through the SPOC must be provided to the individuals identified in the ‘‘FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT’’ section of this Notice for consideration as part of your application. If your state has not established a SPOC you may submit your application directly to the Agency.

Tribes are exempt from this requirement.

F. Compliance with Other Federal Statutes and Other Submission Requirements

(1) Other Federal Statutes. The applicant must certify to compliance with other Federal Statutes and regulations by completing the Financial Assistance General Certification and Representations in SAM, including, but not limited to the following:

(a) 7 CFR part 15, subpart A— Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Agriculture—Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Civil Rights compliance includes, but is not limited to the following:

(i) Collect and maintain data provided by ultimate recipients on race, sex, and national origin and ensure that ultimate recipients collect and maintain this data.

(ii) Race and ethnicity data will be collected in accordance with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Federal Register Notice, ‘‘Revisions of the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity’’ (published October 30, 1997, at 62 FR 58782); Sex data will be collected in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. These items should not be submitted with the application but should be available upon request by RD.

(b) The applicant and the ultimate recipient must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Executive Order 12250, and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E.

(c) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards), or any successor regulation.

(d) Executive Order 13166, ‘‘Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.’’ For information on limited English proficiency and agency-specific guidance, go to https://www.lep.gov/.

(e) Federal Obligation Certification on Delinquent Debt.

(2) Risk Review: RD may request additional documentation from selected applicants in order to evaluate the financial, management, and performance risk posed by awardees as required by 2 CFR 200.206. Based on this risk review, RD may apply special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed.

(3) National Environmental Policy Act: This notice has been reviewed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, ‘‘Environmental Policies and Procedures.’’ We have determined that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required because the issuance of regulations and instructions, as well as amendments to them, describing administrative and financial procedures for processing, approving, and implementing the Agency’s financial programs, is categorically excluded in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulation found at 7 CFR 1970.53(f). It has been determined that this Funding opportunity does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.

G. Indirect Costs

Organizations that have an active Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) with the Federal Government must use the rate identified in the NICRA to determine the indirect costs to be charged to this funding. Current NICRAs must be uploaded under Other Attachments (listed as an Optional Form) in the Grants.gov Opportunity Application Package. Entities without a NICRA may use a de minimis rate of up to 10 percent indirect costs rate. (Refer to 2 CFR 200.414 for additional information regarding indirect costs).

VI. Application Review Information

A. General

The projects should address how existing assets can be leveraged in support of a placemaking vision and how the projects will be evaluated (e.g., how projects are evaluated for funding strategies and sources, construction of new assets to be identified in the planning process). Awardees will be Cooperators and are required to participate substantially in the project alongside RD staff to bring expertise in placemaking technical assistance, to bring partnerships that will enable a rural community, area, or region to ultimately implement a placemaking strategy, and to improve the quality of life for its citizens.

Applicants are expected to provide proposals under this notice that include cooperation through substantial and measurable involvement by both the Cooperator and USDA RD staff.

Proposals will support multi-sectoral or multi-jurisdictional projects in rural communities and demonstrate how placemaking technical assistance will be provided to develop implementation plans that can be aligned with the mission of USDA RD to improve quality of life and economic growth. The proposal must provide a detailed description of (i) the area to be served and (ii) how such area fits the definition of a region, multi-sectoral, or multi-jurisdictional rural area. Applicants must identify which Region or Regions are included in their proposal. If applicants propose to serve more than one Region, they must identify a primary Region.

Applicants for RPIC should be prepared to develop, be in the process of developing, or have developed a placemaking plan in partnership with public, private, Tribes, or philanthropic partners with the focus on local or regional revitalization towards economic vitality and quality of life impacts. The plans should identify potential projects that can be funded through RD programs and other federal, state, local or private sector resources.

Placemaking plans developed through this funding opportunity should focus on one or more of the quality-of-life indicators as defined in Part III.

Applicants are expected to submit placemaking proposals under this notice that include multi-sectoral or multi-jurisdictional planning partnerships within at least one Region (as defined in Part III) that will provide measurable results in helping rural communities create greater social and cultural vitality in rural communities. RPIC projects should also support rural communities’ ability to qualify for priority funding under Section 379H of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, ‘‘Strategic Economic and Community Development,’’ (7 U.S.C. 2008v).

For the purpose of RPIC, rural placemaking is: (1) rooted in emphasizing partnerships and collaboration among multiple public, private, Tribal, philanthropic and

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39059 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 125 / Thursday, June 30, 2022 / Notices community partners; (2) focused on combining federal, Tribal, state, and local resources to make wide-ranging quality-of-life impacts as opposed to separate, piecemeal, incremental improvements; and (3) based on placemaking processes to create quality places where people want to live, work, play and learn. The goal is to create greater social and cultural vitality in rural communities. Key elements of quality places may include a mix of uses; effective public spaces; broadband capability; transportation options;

multiple housing options; disposition and rehabilitation of vacant structures;

preservation of historic properties; and respect of community heritage, arts, culture, creativity, recreation, and green space.

Additionally, the applications will be reviewed for completeness. For an application to be considered complete, the applicant must complete and submit the written narrative proposal information and the required forms contained in Parts V and VI of this NOFA. If we determine that your application is not complete, we will discontinue processing it, which means that we will not evaluate it further nor provide any scoring information.

B. Scoring Process

If your application is determined to be eligible and complete, we will further evaluate it based on the scoring criteria listed in Part VI, Section B. All applications will be competitively scored and ranked. The minimum score requirement for a cooperative agreement award under this funding opportunity is 60 points.

(1) Number of Awards: The Agency anticipates that it may select one, multiple, or no award recipients from this funding opportunity. The Agency reserves the right to withhold the awarding of any funds if no application receives a minimum score of at least 60 points.

(2) Evaluation Criteria: (refer to Summary Table of Evaluation Criteria) Proposed projects will be evaluated based only on information provided in the application. Points will be given only for factors that are well documented in the application package and, in the opinion of RD, meet the objectives outlined in each of the evaluation criteria. References to websites or publications will not be reviewed. Full documentation and support of application criteria is encouraged.

(3) The entire written narrative proposal includes the following sections in this order:

(a) Executive Summary—Provide the applicant entity name, duration of project (in months), amount of federal funding requested, amount of non-federal cost-share/match funding committed, and project title. Identify geographic locations (including the primary region in which the applicant determines where the most significant work takes place) and describe, in non-technical language, the placemaking approach to be used including the objectives and strategies to be utilized;

the public, private, Tribal and philanthropic partnerships developed or to be developed; the approach to be employed (including the role of participating partners); how impact will be quantified; and the predicted benefits or deliverables of the project(s).

(b) Work Plan—Soundness of Approach (0–35 points). The applicant can receive up to 35 points for soundness of placemaking approach in their work plan. The maximum 35 points for this criterion will be based on the following:

(i) Work Plan Approach—project objectives/background/tasks with timeline and timeframes

• Project Objective(s): Description of objective(s)—clearly defined.

• Project Background: Description of the types and general locations of rural communities to be served through this project—Geographic Location or Project Areas (include Region description).

• Describe project area(s) as multi-sectoral or multi-jurisdictional.

Applicants must include their ability to support rural planning activities on a multi-sectoral or multi-jurisdictional basis and how they will effectively serve these communities based on key personnel, established timeframes, and budget.

• Project Key Tasks with Timeline and Timeframes:

—Applicants are required to include

Work Plan Chart(s) that lists major task(s) by key personnel involved, time period of the task(s), substantial involvement of RD staff, expected deliverables, and budget associated with tasks.

—Applicants may provide timelines to demonstrate how the technical assistance will be delivered to rural communities and describe any supporting innovative and/or traditional placemaking approaches associated to tasks.

(ii) Implementation of Workplan—

Planning through the Implementation Phase

• Project Implementation:

Applicant should include details on how the technical assistance will be provided for the placemaking planning process and how it will coach/mentor the community to bring the plan to full implementation.

(iii) Alignment of Budget/Budget Justification to Workplan

• Detailed Budget Justification should align with the tasks detailed in the workplan. Discuss how the budget specifically supports the proposed activities discussed in the Project Key Tasks (as described above). Justify project costs including personnel and any limited consultant salaries with description of duties. The budget justification should include both the federal funds requested and the applicant’s matching funds. The format of the budget’s narrative can be in a chart, spreadsheet, table, etc., but it should be readable on letter-size, printable pages. The information needs to be presented in such a way that the reviewers can readily understand what expenses are incurred to support the project. Statement(s) of work for any subcontractors and consultants must be included as part of the application.

(Note: consultants and subcontracts must only be used on a limited basis where not more than 49% of the federal grant amount requested can be contracted out to provide the proposed assistance. The majority of the primary work under the cooperative agreement MUST be performed by the applicant).

(c) Organizational Capacity & Qualifications (0–20 points). The applicant can receive up to 20 points based on organizational capacity and qualifications. The maximum 20 points for this criterion will be based on the following:

(i) The applicant should specify years of experience in placemaking activities, types of communities previously served, and experience in performance evaluation.

(ii) The applicant’s proposal should demonstrate that the applicant has identified appropriate key personnel, both in terms of number of personnel and qualifications of personnel and should provide specific detail of qualifications of key personnel relating to placemaking. Capacity of personnel to access data for needs assessments and access to planners and other technical experts will be evaluated.

(iii) All eligible applicants must demonstrate the capacity to deliver and support rural placemaking planning activities within at least one of the four regions found in Part III. Capacity is defined as previous experience with federal grant administration and demonstrated experience in economic development and placemaking technical assistance.

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