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FARM LABOR STABALIZATION AND PROTECTION PILOT

Narrative Application Form This template form is mandatory for all Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot (FLSP) program applications.

You can email FLSPgrants@usda.gov with any questions. All applicants must thoroughly read the FLSP Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO), which can be found www.ams.usda.gov/flsp, which also contains FAQs and additional FLSP information. You may also visit the FLSP Technical Assistance provider website (www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/flsp/assistance). DO NOT modify this FLSP Narrative Application Form. Evaluation points will be deducted if the form is modified.

1. Employer Information (Applicant) Must match box 8 of the SF-424.

Mailing Address

2. Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) If not the applicant employer themself, this person must be authorized to act on behalf of the employer(s) and is responsible for signing any documentation should the grant be awarded and is the primary point of contact throughout the grant process and performance period. Must match box 21 of the SF-424.

Mailing Address

3. Indicate How You Will File Your H-2A Application (or how your agent will file on your behalf) and Your Related Status as a FLSP Grant Applicant:

4. Indicate Your Desired Award Level (Baseline, Silver, or Platinum) (See Section 1.3 Project Types and Award Levels in the NFO)

5. Indicate the Number of Full-time Equivalence Agriculture Employees (See section 9.0 definitions in the NFO) Your Operation Expects to Employ During the Initial Year of the Grant Performance Period (i.e. year one production season).

To get FTE for the year, divide the total annual non-supervisory worker hours worked by 2080 (which assumes a 40-hour workweek for 52 weeks of the year). Please provide cumulative annual totals of H-2A and domestic worker FTEs for all sub-awardee partners/worksites.

Worker Type FTEs H-2A Workers U.S. Workers Total FTEs

a. FTE Estimate. Does the calculated total FTEs above closely align with your operation’s FTEs for agricultural workers in the previous three production seasons?

b. Total Award Amount. Based on the Total FTEs calculated above and your indicated desired award level (See Table 1 in Section 1.3 Project Types and Award Levels of the NFO, and copied below for reference) please indicate your award amount.

Please NOTE: This amount must match the total amount requested on Line 18a of the SF-424 (“Estimated Federal Funding”). Grant payments must match award levels associated with actual FTE-associated contracts during the initial year of the grant performance period; otherwise, award amount may be adjusted.

Table 1 from Section 1.3 Project Types and Award Levels of NFO Award Amount 1-10 FTEs 11-25 FTEs 26-75 FTEs 76-200 FTEs 201-500 FTEs 501-2000 FTEs 2001+ FTEs Baseline $25,000 $50,000 $100,000 $150,000 $180,000 $215,000 $250,000 Silver $100,000 $200,000 $400,000 $600,000 $720,000 $860,000 $1,000,000 Platinum $200,000 $400,000 $800,000 $1,200,000 $1,440,000 $1,720,000 $2,000,000

6. Indicate a Rough Monthly Estimate of the Number of Agricultural Workers Your Operation Expects to Employ (regardless of part-time/full-time employment or total hours worked per day/week) Please give your best guess estimate for the initial production season (year one) of the grant performance period. Please estimate cumulative monthly totals for all worksites/subawardee partners.

Worker Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec H-2A Worker U.S. Worker Total Monthly

7. List All Sub-awardees and Total Financial Allocation to Each Entity.

Name Address Sub-award Amount

8. List All Work-site Detail List complete addresses for each work-site farm location, even if they are under the same ownership, plus farm owner/business name, type of agricultural product(s) produced, the production season (with hired agricultural workers on site), and a description of the activities the employees will perform.

Location (Address) Farm Owner/Business Agriculture Product Season (Date Range of Work) Employee Activities

9. Project Title (Provide a descriptive title. You may use your legal business name for this purpose. Must match box 15 of the SF-424.)

10. Executive Summary In 250 words or less, briefly describe your FLSP activities, including key Employer Plans and Practices, and—if applicable—Supplemental Employee Commitments, and key partners or collaborators. Provide a clear and concise description of the potential impact and/or challenges addressed by your proposal. This summary will be made available to the public. **USDA recommends completing this summary at the end of completing the entire application.

11. Baseline Requirements Commitments to Baseline Requirements. All applicants must meet or exceed the baseline requirements in Table 2 in Section 1.3 Project Types and Award Levels to be eligible for an award and will indicate their commitment by initialing each box in the “Agree” column below:

Requirements Initial to Agree Universal protections and benefits Applicant attests that all commitments as applicable will be applied universally to all agricultural employees, H-2A or otherwise, whether hired directly, jointly, or via a contractor, and at each and every work site within their operation throughout the entirety of the grant performance period. If awarded, all commitments in this application will be included in the Applicant's H-2A Job Order.

Participation in FLSP research and reporting If awarded, applicant commits to participation in FLSP research throughout the grant performance period, as requested by USDA or its cooperative research partner. Employer research participation (for all primary applicants and sub-awardees) may involve survey or interview on their premises. Applicant commits to granting access to supervisory or field management staff/contractors for research by USDA's cooperative partner, and access to any or all farmworkers (without management presence) for research purposes, as well as a reasonable period of on-site observation. [Note that data will be used for research purposes only and research outputs will ensure the confidentiality of participants. Note that applicants who are not awarded grants may be contacted for voluntary research].

Participation in Know Your Rights and Resources (KYRR) access and training Applicant agrees to participation in the Know Your Rights and Resources (KYRR) component of the FLSP program. If awarded, the applicant commits to contacting USDA (or its cooperative partner, as applicable) to schedule a KYRR training session no later than two weeks from workers’ start date. Applicant agrees to allow access to all hired workers, without accompaniment of supervisors or management staff, for a minimum of 2 hour in-person training session, on-site in a conducive training environment, and pay workers for training time.

Responsible Recruitment Applicant attests to utilizing responsible recruitment methods, including: first, recruitment of U.S.-based workers; responsible foreign recruitment either via government Ministries OR via private recruiters that are registered in the country where they operate (where required) and attest to responsible recruitment practices [including submission of Recruiter Partnership Letter, with described commitments to all questions in in the letter template (and copied in the Responsible Recruitment section of this application)].

12. Recruitment Please describe your recruitment practices for U.S.-based and foreign workers, including:

a) Previous H-2A Experience. Has your operation previously used the H-2A program?

b) Domestic Recruitment. How do you recruit for workers in the U.S.? Please include information about any digital, printed, word of mouth, and other tools or labor subcontractors used to announce job opportunities, as well as policies under which workers are able to return the following production season.

c) H-2A Recruitment i.During the first year of FLSP grant activities, how many seasonal workers will you recruit from El Salvador, Guatemala, and/or Honduras?

ii. During the first year of FLSP grant activities, how many seasonal workers will you recruit via the Ministries of Labor in Guatemala and Honduras and/or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in El Salvador?

iii. If you expect to expand your H-2A recruitment compared to the previous 3 years, do you intend to recruit all (100% of) new H-2A recruits via the government Ministries in El Salvador, Guatemala and/or Honduras? What percentage (0-100%) of new H-2A recruits do you intend to recruit via the government Ministries in El Salvador, Guatemala and/or Honduras?

d) Technical Assistance for NCA Recruitment If you will be newly recruiting from El Salvador, Guatemala, and/or Honduras, please identify any technical assistance needs or concerns you anticipate. [These details will help guide USDA technical assistance support to employers.]

13. Private Recruitment and Recruitment Letter(s) of Commitment Do you intend to use a staffing, recruiting or similar placement service to locate the workers you will hire?

If checked yes, please list the name and address of each recruiting agent that will be used during the recruitment process in the table below. [Note: this is the same information required in the H-2A process on form I-129].

Recruiter Address Recruiter Country Notes (Optional)

14. Supplemental Employee Commitments Please indicate which Supplemental Employee Commitments you already implement in your operation, or will commit to implementing, throughout the grant performance period. Each unique commitment below has unique narrative questions that will appear below once the commitment has been selected.

Selections can include existing practices/commitments or new adoptions, both of which are highly competitive. Each commitment has unique reporting requirements, per Section 7.3 Reporting in the NFO. All practices must exceed Federal and state law to qualify for Silver or Platinum level bundles.

Strong commitments to Supplemental Employee Commitments will result in a more competitive application at any award level but are only required for Silver and Platinum award level eligibility, per Table 3, Section 1.3 Project Types and Award Levels in the NFO.

Silver level applicants must meet at least two options from the Pay, Benefits and Working Conditions section; for the Silver level it is also recommended, but not required, to select one option from the Recruitment and Partnership Agreements sections. Platinum level applicants must commit to at least three options from the Pay, Benefits and Working Conditions section and at least one option from the Recruitment and Partnership Agreements sections.

Responsible Recruitment [Recommended for Silver; Required for Platinum] Pay, Benefits and Working Conditions [Choose at least two for Silver; Choose at least 3 for Platinum] Partnership Agreements [Recommended for Silver; Required for Platinum]

15. Description of Employer Practices and Plans In alignment with the stated program goals outlined in Section 1.2 of the NFO, USDA is interested in directing funding to employers actively attentive to creating a healthy, safe and supportive work environment for employees, and employers that seek continual improvement. Employers should describe both existing practices and new practices that will be adopted during the grant performance period. USDA recognizes the value of continual improvement during the grant period, and thus encourages applicants to articulate and differentiate between existing (prior) practices and upcoming plans (which the FLSP grant might help facilitate).

Applicants should also articulate existing challenges for their operation (e.g., supplying shade structures across all work sites, medical access in rural areas, communication challenges, etc.). Applicants should articulate any workplace conditions—whether existing or future plans—that enhance the baseline and supplemental commitments articulated above in this form, as well as challenges faced by their operation.

Essential examples include, but are not limited to:

Describe weather and heat-related protections in place for employees, including access to shade, cool/potable water, rest break policies, and heat/weather safety trainings. Consider including information regarding how your plan/practices align with any existing state standards or OSHA’s General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Describe the timekeeping and payroll processes that provide transparency for employees or provide employee clock-in/clock-out control to ensure records and pay accuracy. Describe scheduling policies or processes that provide flexibility for employees or advanced notification when there are changes. Describe protocols that facilitate prompt medical access or transportation for employees in case of both work-related and non-work-related injury and illness. Describe any mechanism for retaliation prevention and a complaint system that enables employees to offer feedback, suggested improvement, or otherwise communicate about working conditions or other issues pursuant to the terms and conditions of their employment. Describe trainings regarding conflict resolution or retaliation prevention, including description of any trainings for managers or supervisors on resolving issues. Provide examples of workplace language accessibility and communication, such as how you share essential information with workers about workplace health and safety, corrective or disciplinary action, productivity expectations, hours and scheduling, workplace benefits, etc., and how your operation will communicate across anticipated language differences (potentially including indigenous languages). See Section 6.0 Application Review Information in the NFO for more details on evaluation criteria related to this section.

a. Supporting Documents. The applicant’s operation has supporting documents that are given to workers (e.g., employee handbooks or policies) that support any or all of the practices described in Q15 above; if the operation has supporting documents, these can be provided to USDA upon request.

b. Description of Employer Practices, Plans, and Challenges. Please describe both existing practices and new plans that will be adopted during the grant performance period, as well as existing challenges for your operation.

16. Program Outcomes

17. Project Personnel List all project personnel, including any crew leaders, field supervisors (e.g., dumpers, field walkers), management staff, drivers, or any employees or contractor/subcontractors who are directing the conditions, timing and structure of work, and/or other personnel involved in the implementation of your FLSP project. If the individual for each role/title has not yet been hired, please indicate “TBD” under the name of Key Staff and list the title and role. USDA may request Awardees to update their personnel list during the course of the grant performance period.

Key Staff (Name) Title Role Equal Opportunity Statement USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Paperwork Burden Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0240.The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 9.75 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

11.0.9.20201112.2.940716.934558 FARM LABOR STABALIZATION AND PROTECTION PILOT Narrative Application Form