FY21 WEP-TAT FOA 10072020.docx

FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY NAME: United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service (RUS).

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY TITLE: Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program.

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Solicitation of Applications.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: TAT FY21.

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 10.761.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), herein referred to as RUS or the Agency, announces its Technical Assistance and Training Grant (TATG) Program application window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: December 31, 2020.

SUBMISSIONS: Submit completed paper or electronic applications for grants according to the following deadlines:

• Paper submissions: Paper submissions must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no later than December 31, 2020, to be eligible for FY 2021 grant funding. Late or incomplete applications will not be eligible for FY 2021 grant funding.

• Electronic submissions: Electronic submissions must be received no later than December 31, 2020, to be eligible for FY 2021 grant funding. Late or incomplete applications will not be eligible for FY 2021 grant funding.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Questions about this announcement can be directed to Lorrie A. Davis, Community Programs Specialist, Water and Environmental Programs, Water Programs Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, telephone: (202) 720-1938.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Program Description

TAT grants are designed to help qualified, private nonprofit organizations provide technical assistance and training to identify and evaluate solutions to water and waste problems, help applicants prepare applications for water and waste disposal loans/grants, and help associations improve the operation and maintenance of water and waste facilities in eligible rural areas. The grants are awarded through a competitive process. The regulation for the TATG Program can be found at 7 CFR part 1775.

Applicants should use the appropriate Fiscal Year Application Guide to aid in developing a complete application. All applicants should carefully review and prepare their applications according to instructions in the Application Guide and sample materials. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant’s own risk. The Application Guide can be found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-disposal-technical-assistance-training-grants.

B. Federal Award Information

The Agency will make awards and the successful applicants will be required to execute documents appropriate to the project before funding will be advanced. Award documents specify the term of each award. Prior TAT grants cannot be renewed; however, existing TATG awardees can submit applications for new projects which will be evaluated as new applications. Grant applications must be submitted during the application window.

C. Eligibility Information

(a) Entities eligible for grants must be private nonprofit organizations with tax exempt status, designated by the Internal Revenue Service. A nonprofit organization is defined as any corporation, trust, association, cooperative, or other organization that:

(1) Is operated primarily for scientific, education, service, charitable, or similar purposes in the public interest.

(2) Is not organized primarily for profit.

(3) Uses its net proceeds to maintain, improve, and/or expand its operations.

(b) Entities must be legally established and located within a state as defined in §1775.2.

(c) Organizations must be incorporated by December 31 of the year the application period occurs to be eligible for funds.

(d) Private businesses, Federal agencies, public bodies, and individuals are ineligible for these grants.

(e) Applicants must also have the proven ability, background, experience (as evidenced by the organization's satisfactory completion of project(s) similar to those proposed), legal authority, and actual capacity to provide technical assistance and/or training on a regional basis to associations as provided in §1775.33. To meet the requirement of actual capacity, an applicant must either:

(1) Have the necessary resources to provide technical assistance and/or training to associations in rural areas through its staff, or

(2) Be assisted by an affiliate or member organization which has such background and experience, and which agrees, in writing, that it will provide the assistance, or

(3) Contract with a nonaffiliated organization for not more than 49 percent of the grant to provide the proposed assistance.

f. Corporations that have been convicted of a federal felony within the past 24 months are not eligible. Any corporation that has been assessed to have any unpaid federal tax liability, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed and is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, is not eligible for financial assistance.

2. Eligible Projects. Grants may be made to organizations as defined in §1775.35 to enable such organizations to assist associations to:

a. Identify and evaluate solutions to water problems of associations in rural areas relating to source, storage, treatment, and/or distribution.

b. Identify and evaluate solutions to waste problems of associations in rural areas relating to collection, treatment, and/or disposal.

c. Prepare water and/or waste disposal loan/grant applications.

d. Provide technical assistance/training to association personnel that will improve the management, operation, and maintenance of water and waste facilities.

e. Pay the expenses associated with providing the technical assistance and/or training authorized in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section.

D. Application and Submission Information

The FY 2021 Application Guide provides specific, detailed instructions for each item of a complete application. The Agency emphasizes the importance of including every required item and strongly encourages applicants to follow the instructions carefully, using the examples and illustrations in the FY 2021 Application Guide. Agency contact information can be found in Section G of this document. The Agency will not solicit or consider new scoring or eligibility information that is submitted after the application deadline; however, the Agency reserves the right to contact applicants to seek clarification on materials contained in the submitted application. See the FY 2021 Application Guide for a full discussion of each required item. For requirements of completed grant applications, refer to 7 CFR 1775.10. The application and any materials sent with it become federal records by law and cannot be returned to you.

1. Location of TATG Program Information. The FY 2021 Application Guide, copies of necessary forms and samples, and the TATG Program regulation are available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-disposal-technical-assistance-training-grants. Application information is also available at https://www.grants.gov/.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission. Carefully review the FY 2021 TATG Application Guide and 7 CFR part 1775, which detail all necessary forms and worksheets. A complete application consists of:

a. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and System for Awards Management (SAM). Grant applicants must obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and register in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application pursuant to 2 CFR part 25.200. In addition, an entity applicant must maintain registration in SAM at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by the Agency. Similarly, all recipients of federal financial assistance are required to report information about first tier subawards and executive compensation in accordance to 2 CFR part 170. So long as an entity applicant does not have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b), the applicant must have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements should the applicant receive funding. An applicant, unless excepted under 2 CFR 25.110(b), (c), or (d), is required to:

(i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application,

(ii) Provide a valid DUNS number in its application, and

(iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency.

The federal awarding agency may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the federal awarding agency is ready to make a federal award, the federal awarding 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. As required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), all grant applications must provide a DUNS number when applying for federal grants, on or after October 1, 2003. Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free number at 1–866–705–5711 or via internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Additional information concerning this requirement can be obtained on the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov. Similarly, applicants may register for SAM at www.sam.gov/SAM or by calling 1–866–606–8220. The applicant must provide documentation that they are registered in SAM and their DUNS number. If the applicant does not provide documentation that they are registered in SAM and their DUNS number, the application will not be considered for funding. You will need the following information when requesting a DUNS number:

(i) Legal name of the applicant

(ii) Headquarters name and address of the applicant

(iii) The names under which the applicant is doing business as (dba) or other name by which the organization is commonly recognized

(iv) Physical address of the applicant

(v) Mailing address (if separate from headquarters and/or physical address) of the applicant

(vi) Telephone number

(vii) Contact name and title

(viii) Number of employees at the physical location

b. Standard Form 424, “Application for Federal Assistance (For Non-Construction).”

c. Standard Form 424A, “Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs.”

d. Attachment regarding assistance provided to Rural Development Employees as required by RD Instruction 1900-D.

e. Form RD 400-1, “Equal Opportunity Agreement.”

f. Indirect cost documentation such as cost rate proposals, cost allocation plans, or other election for indirect costs and appropriate certification of indirect costs in accordance with Cost Principles in 2 CFR 200, subpart E, as adopted by USDA through 2 CFR part 400.

g. Statement of Compliance for Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

h. SF LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” (include only if grant is over $100,000).

i. Certification regarding Forest Service grant. In accordance with 7 CFR 1775, subpart A §1775.5 (j), applicants must certify there is no duplication with the National Forest-Dependent Rural Communities Economic Diversification Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 6613).

j. Supporting information. All applications shall be accompanied by:

(i) Evidence of applicant's legal existence and authority.

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

(iii) Narrative of applicant's experience in providing services similar to those proposed. Provide brief description of successfully completed projects including the need that was identified and objectives accomplished.

(iv) Latest financial information to show the applicant's financial capacity to carry out the proposed work. A current audit report is preferred; however, applicants can submit a balance sheet and an income statement in lieu of an audit report.

(v) List of proposed services to be provided.

(vi) Estimated breakdown of costs (direct and indirect) including those to be funded by grantee as well as other sources. Sufficient detail should be provided to permit the approval official to determine reasonableness, applicability, and allowability.

(vii) Evidence that a Financial Management System is in place or proposed.

(viii) List of the associations to be served and the state or states where assistance will be provided. Identify associations by name, or other characteristics such as size, income, location, and provide MHI and population.

(ix) Description of the type of technical assistance and/or training to be provided and the tasks to be contracted.

(x) Description of how the project will be evaluated and provide clearly stated goals and the method proposed to measure the results that will be obtained.

(xi) Documentation of need for proposed service. Provide detailed explanation of how the proposed services differ from other similar services being provided in the same area.

(xii) Personnel on staff or to be contracted to provide the service and their experience with similar projects.

(xiii) Statement indicating the number of months it takes to complete the project or service.

(xiv) Documentation on cost effectiveness of project. Provide the cost per association to be served or proposed cost of personnel to provide assistance.

(xv) Other factors for consideration, such as emergency situation, training need identified, health or safety problems, geographic distribution, Rural Development Office recommendations, etc.

k. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable, applicant must include approved cost agreement rate schedule).

l. Applicants must also submit a work plan/project proposal that will outline the project in sufficient detail to provide the reader with a complete understanding of how the proposed project will be carried out, including goals and objectives.

m. The applicant must provide evidence of compliance with other federal statutes, including but not limited to the following:

(i) Debarment and suspension information in accordance with 2 CFR part 417 (Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension) supplemented by 2 CFR part 180, if it applies. The section heading is ‘‘What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with the Federal Government?’’ located at 2 CFR 180.335. It is part of OMB’s Guidance for Grants and Agreements concerning Government-wide Debarment and Suspension.

(ii) All of the organization’s known workplaces by including the actual address of buildings (or parts of buildings) or other sites where work under the award will take place. Workplace identification is required under the drug-free workplace requirements in Subpart B of 2 CFR part 421, which adopts the Government-wide Drug-Free Workplace Act.

(iii) 2 CFR Parts 200 and 400 (Uniform Assistance Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards).

(iv) 2 CFR part 182 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)) and 2 CFR part 421 (Requirements for Drug Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)).

(v) 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/.

3. Number of copies of submitted applications.

a. Paper submissions. Submit the original application and two copies by the deadline date of December 31, 2020.

b. Electronic submissions. File electronic applications at https://www.grants.gov by the deadline date of December 31, 2020.

You must be registered with Grants.gov before you can submit a grant application. If you have not used Grants.gov before, you will need to register with the System for Award Management (SAM). You will need a DUNS number to access or register at any of the services. The registration processes may take several business days to complete. Follow the instructions at Grants.gov for registering and submitting an electronic application. RUS may request original signatures on electronically submitted documents later.

SAM registers your organization and stores your organizational information, which allows Grants.gov to use it to verify your identity. You may register online at www.sam.gov/SAM. The SAM registration must remain active with current information at all times while RUS is considering an application or while a Federal grant 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 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. If system errors or technical difficulties occur, use the customer support resources available at the Grants.gov website.

Submit all electronic documents using one of the following formats:

· Excel

· Word

· PDF

5. Submission Dates and Times.

a. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no later than December 31, 2020, to be eligible for FY 2021 grant funding. Late applications, applications which do not include proof of mailing or shipping, and incomplete applications are not eligible for FY 2021 grant funding.

(i) If your grant application will service only one state, please forward your application to the USDA Rural Development State Office, attention Community Programs Director. The address and contact information for each state’s USDA Rural Development Office can be accessed at https://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices.

If the grant application will service more than one state, please forward the application to:

Assistant Administrator Water and Environmental Programs Rural Development, Rural Utilities Service United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, SW STOP 1548, Room 4002 South Washington, DC 20250-1548

(ii) Paper applications must show proof of mailing or shipping by the deadline, consisting of one of the following:

· A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark,

· A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the USPS, or

· A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier

(iii) Due to screening procedures at the USDA, packages arriving via regular mail through the USPS are irradiated, which can damage the contents and delay delivery to RUS. RUS encourages applicants to consider the impact of this procedure when selecting application delivery method.

b. Electronic grant applications must be received no later than December 31, 2020, to be eligible for FY 2021 funding. Late or incomplete applications will not be eligible for FY 2021 grant funding.

c. Applications will not be accepted via fax or electronic mail.

d. If the submission deadline falls on Saturday, Sunday, or a federal holiday, the application is due the next business day.

E. Application Review Information

1. RUS will acknowledge the application’s receipt by email to the applicant. The application will be reviewed for completeness to determine if it contains all the items required. If the application is incomplete or ineligible, RUS will return it to the applicant with an explanation. RUS reserves the right to request additional information once an application is determined to be complete in order to minimize the risk of duplication of other federal efforts. The RUS grant offer to a successful applicant will be based on the submitted application and may be more narrowly tailored than the submitted application to meet rural community needs at the time of the offer or over the course of the grant period.

2. A review team, composed of at least two members, will evaluate all applications and proposals. They will make overall recommendations based on factors such as eligibility, application completeness, and conformity to application requirements. They will score the applications based on criteria in item 3 of this section.

3. All applications that are complete and eligible will be scored and ranked competitively. The categories for scoring criteria used are the following:

and/or

and/or

and/or

* 7 CFR 1775. 35 Eligibility - (e) (3) Applicants may contract with a nonaffiliated organization for not more than 49 percent of the grant to provide the proposed assistance. The Water and Environmental Program’s definition of an affiliated organization is as follows:

1) In corporate law and taxes, an affiliate is a company that is related to another company, usually by being in the position of a member or a subordinate role (must be verified by organizational documentation). Two companies may be affiliated if one company has control over the other or if both are controlled by a third company, and

2) One corporation can be affiliated with another corporation by shareholdings, by holding a minority interest, or one corporation might be a subsidiary of another.

**Administrative Points – In order to be considered for Administrative Points the applicant’s work plan must include a separate section titled: “Administrative Points.” In this section the TATG applicant will address one or more of the following factors:

· Direct technical assistance to Priority 1 or 2 Colonia communities. (4 points)

· Priority 1: Colonia communities NOT served by a public water and/or wastewater facility and a health hazard is present.

· Priority 2: Colonia residents NOT served by a public water system or wastewater disposal system; or Colonia residents with an existing onsite wastewater treatment system that is not adequate.

· Direct technical assistance to areas which lack running water, flush toilets, and modern sewage disposal systems, and areas which have open sewers and high rates of disease caused by poor sanitation. (4 points)

· Direct technical assistance to projects located in Substantially Underserved Trust Areas. (4 points)

· Direct technical assistance to projects located in Opportunity Zones. Assistance should be described be in detail, list opportunity zones that will be affected, and how projects will provide measurable results in helping rural communities build robust and sustainable economies. (4 points)

· Direct technical assistance to rural water/wastewater utilities’ efforts to develop the existing operator workforce and/or plan for and develop new operators to enter the workforce. (4 points)

· Direct technical assistance to project development for rural water/wastewater utilities that have developed action plans using the Workshop in a Box - Sustainable Management of Rural and Small System tools: The Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility Management and Workshop in a Box. Tools and resources can be found at www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/services/sustainable-management-tools. (4 points)

· To qualify for the administrative points in this category, applicants must meet the minimum requirements:

· National Applicant – develop at least 25 projects for the grant period.

· Multistate Applicant – develop at least 5 projects for the grant period.

· Single State Applicant – develop at least 1 project for the grant period.

The administrative points will be awarded solely on the aforementioned factors, up to a total of 24 points.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. RUS will rank all qualifying applications by their final score. Applications will be selected for funding, based on the highest scores. The Agency expects to award several grants under this notice. The Agency reserves the right to make no grant awards if all applications are incomplete and/or score below 65 points. Each applicant will be notified via email of the Agency’s funding decision.

2. In making our decision about the application, RUS may determine that the application is:

a. Eligible and selected for funding,

b. Eligible but offered fewer funds than requested,

c. Eligible but not selected for funding, or

d. Ineligible for the grant

3. Applicants selected for funding will complete a grant agreement suitable to RUS, which outlines the terms and conditions of the grant award. Pursuant to the grant agreement, grant funds may be released over the course of the grant period in reimbursement for the performance of eligible, approved activities which do not duplicate similar federal efforts or tasks. The grant agreement may also include reporting and pre-approval requirements consistent with 7 CFR part 1775 which if not met, may result in a delay in reimbursement, disallowance of expense, or a suspension of the grant.

4. Grantees will be reimbursed as follows:

a. SF–270, ‘‘Request for Advance or Reimbursement,’’ will be completed by the grantee and submitted to either the State or National Office not more frequently than monthly.

b. Upon receipt of a properly completed SF–270, payment will ordinarily be made within 30 days.

5. Any change in the scope of the project, budget adjustments of more than 10 percent of the total budget, or any other significant change in the project must be reported to and approved by the approval official by written amendment to the grant agreement. Any change not approved may be cause for termination of the grant.

6. All laborers, apprentices and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors on projects funded directly by or assisted in whole or in part by and through the Federal Government pursuant to this Act shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on projects of a character similar in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code. Further details on eligible applicants and projects may be found in the relevant regulations listed in Section C.

7. Reporting.

a. Grantees shall constantly monitor performance to ensure that time schedules are being met, projected work by time periods is being accomplished, and other performance objectives are being achieved.

b. SF–425, ‘‘Federal Financial Report,’’ and a project performance activity report will be required of all grantees on a quarterly basis, due 30 days after the end of each quarter.

c. A final project performance report will be required with the last SF–425, due 90 days after the end of the last quarter in which the project is completed. The final report may serve as the last quarterly report.

d. All grantees are to submit an original of each report to the National Office. The project performance reports should detail, in a narrative format, activities that have transpired for the specific time period.

e. The grantee will provide an audit report or financial statements in accordance with Uniform Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 CFR part 200, subpart F.

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

1. Web site: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-waste-disposal-technical-assistance-training-grants. The RUS Web site maintains up-to-date resources and contact information for the Technical Assistance and Training Grant Program.

2. Telephone: 202-720-1938

3. Email: lorrie.davis@usda.gov

4. Main point of contact: Lorrie Davis, Community Programs Specialist, Water and Environmental Programs, Water Programs Division, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

H. Other Information

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

2. E-mail: program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

National Environmental Policy Act

All recipients under this Notice are subject to the requirements of 7 CFR part 1970. However, awards for technical assistance and training under this Notice are classified as a Categorical Exclusion according to 7 CFR 1970.53(b), and usually do not require any additional documentation. The Agency will review each grant application to determine its compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The applicant may be asked to provide additional information or documentation to assist the Agency with this determination.