FY '17 FBMB.pdf

Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program (FBMB)

Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Request for Applications (RFA)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 17, 2017

ELIGIBILITY: See Part III, A of RFA

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

AGRICULTURE

FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND BENCHMARKING COMPETITIVE GRANTS

PROGRAM (FBMB)

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE: This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under 10.319.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 17, 2017.

Applications received after this deadline will normally not be considered for funding (see Part IV, C of this RFA). Comments regarding this request for applications (RFA) are requested within six

(6) months from the issuance of this notice. Comments received after that date will be considered to the extent practicable.

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

Submit your written stakeholder comments by the deadline set forth in the DATES portion of this notice via email to Policy@nifa.usda.gov. (This email address is only for receiving comments regarding this RFA and not for requesting information or forms.) In your comments, please state that you are responding to the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program RFA.

Visit the NIFA website to access a factsheet on the Center of Excellence (COE) designation process, including COE criteria, and a list of programs that offered COE opportunities in FY 2017.

You may also review a recording of COE outreach webinars held in February and March of 2015 from the site. We will update COE webpages as appropriate.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: NIFA requests applications for the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program (FBMB) for fiscal year (FY) 2017 to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers, and maintain the national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management.

The anticipated amount available for grants in FY 2017 is approximately $1.35 million. This RFA is being released prior to the passage of an appropriations act for FY 2017. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

This notice identifies the objectives for FBMB projects, deadline dates, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a FBMB grant.

mailto:Policy@nifa.usda.gov http://nifa.usda.gov/centers-excellence

Table of Contents

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

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

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Applications C. Project Types D. Grant Types E. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants B. Cost Sharing or Matching C. Centers of Excellence (COE)

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

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

PART V—APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

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

PART VI—AWARD ADMINISTRATION

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

PART VII—AGENCY CONTACTS

PART VIII—1OTHER INFORMATION

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

PART I—FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority and Background

The authority for this program is under section 1672D of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, 7 U.S.C. 5925f, as amended by section 7208 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L 110 – 246), which authorizes the Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to establish a competitive research and extension grants program to improve farm management.

B. Purpose and Priorities

The FBMB Program leads to improved farm management knowledge and skills of individuals directly involved in production agriculture and thus directly aligns with:

• USDA’s Strategic Plan for FY2014-2018: Goal 1, Objective 1.2;

• USDA’s Research, Education and Economics (REE) Action Plan: Goal 7, Strategies 1 and 4;

• NIFA’s Strategic Plan 2014-2018, Goal 1: Science: Catalyze exemplary and relevant research, education, and extension programs (http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA%20Strategic%20Plan%20FY2014- FY2018.pdf);

• Enhances USDA/NIFA science priorities in plant health and production and plant products;

animal health and production and animal products; food safety, nutrition, and health;

renewable energy, natural resources, and environment; agriculture systems and technology;

and agriculture economics and rural communities; and

• NIFA’s Family & Consumer Sciences Portfolio priorities in the area of community vitality.

As specified in 7 U.S.C. 5925f, NIFA is soliciting applications for the FBMB under the following areas:

(1) Improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers; and

(2) Maintain and enhance a national, publicly available farm financial management database.

The assistance provided by these programs, to the extent practicable, shall be coordinated with and delivered in cooperation with similar services or assistance by other Federal Agencies or programs supporting improved farm management.

The Secretary may give priority to applicants that:

(1) Demonstrate an ability to work directly with agricultural producers;

(2) Collaborate with farm management and producer associations;

(3) Address the farm management needs of a variety of crops and regions of the United

States; AND http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA%20Strategic%20Plan%20FY2014-FY2018.pdf http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA%20Strategic%20Plan%20FY2014-FY2018.pdf http://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA%20Strategic%20Plan%20FY2014-FY2018.pdf

(4) Use and support the national farm financial management database https://finbin.umn.edu/

The goal of the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grant Program (FBMB) is to strongly support the intellectual talent and collaborative efforts to maintain the national, publicly available farm financial management database needed to meet the challenges facing the nation’s agriculture and food systems. Meeting these challenges will require innovative approaches that foster multi-disciplinary projects. This means that farm management producers must be educated and prepared to work effectively across disciplines in order to work to solve agricultural and educational challenges. The FBMB program engages producers in improving the United States farm management knowledge and skills by encompassing the USDA/NIFA’s food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences.

FBMB supports social and behavioral science disciplines, as well as leadership skills development opportunities. Incorporation of social/behavioral sciences and leadership development is important for addressing many of the challenges facing agriculture and farm communities, such as increasing global demand for food production in the face of limited natural resources; improving health and reducing obesity by engaging in heathy diets; and alleviating poverty by fostering economic opportunity.

C. Program Area Description

The FBMB Program outlined in this RFA seeks to expand upon work begun in FY 2010 to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of individuals directly involved in production agriculture. Specifically, FY 2017 applications are being solicited to address one (1) or more of the following objectives:

(1) Maintain and expand the already established national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management for producers of a variety of crops and livestock throughout multiple regions of the United States.

(2) Establish or expand collaborative farm management and producer association partnerships with the existing national farm financial management and benchmarking database to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers.

In addition, the FBMB program anticipates funding projects that demonstrate one (1) or more of the following measures:

(1) Advancing data gathering and conducting research on cost of production, farm profitability factors, and farm policy.

(2) Developing or expanding cooperation and data sharing among existing farm management associations and business management education programs across the nation to convert their financial analysis activities to a uniform system.

https://finbin.umn.edu/

(3) Providing training, assistance, and software to states with farm management associations to facilitate uniform financial procedures and software.

(4) Improving the profitability and competitiveness of small and medium-sized farms and ranches by providing access to high quality, uniform farm business management benchmarking information.

(5) Improving producers’ abilities to successfully manage their agricultural operations through periods of high risk, volatility, and financial stress.

FBMB encourages (but does not require) projects that develop content suitable for delivery through eXtension (https://extension.org/).

https://extension.org/

PART II—AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding

The anticipated amount available for FBMB grants in FY 2017 is approximately $1.35 million.

Proposed project budgets may not exceed $500,000. Projects may be up to three (3) years in duration. This RFA is being released prior to the passage of an appropriations act for FY 2017.

Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

The Automated Standard Applications for Payment System (ASAP), operated by the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this RFA. For more information see https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm.

B. Types of Applications

In FY 2017, you may only submit a new application to the FBMB Program as one (1) of the following types of requests:

(1) New application. This is a project application that has not been previously submitted to the FBMB Program. We will review all new applications competitively using the screening for administrative requirements, review panel evaluation of proposals using evaluation criteria and selection process described in Part V—Application Review Requirements.

(2) Renewal application. This is a project application that requests additional funding for a project beyond the period that was approved in an original or amended award.

Applications for renewed funding must contain the same information as required for new applications; they also must contain a Progress Report (see Project Narrative, Part IV).

We must receive renewal applications by the relevant due dates. We will evaluate renewal applications in competition with other pending applications in the area to which they are assigned and review them according to the same evaluation criteria (Part V, B) as new applications.

C. Project Types

In FY 2017, the FBMB program will continue to support two (2) types of extension projects – FBMB Regional or State Projects and an FBMB National Database. Regional or State projects feed into the National Database. The anticipated amount available for FBMB grants in FY 2017 is approximately $1.35 million. Proposed project budgets may not exceed $500,000 for the length of the project. Total project periods for either type may not exceed three (3) years.

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/asap/asap_home.htm

Number of New Awards Anticipated for FY 2017

Estimated Minimum Award Estimated Maximum Award

4-6 $100,000 $500,000

Extension Projects Single-function Extension Projects conduct programs and activities that deliver science-based knowledge and informal educational programs to people, enabling them to make practical decisions. Program delivery may range from community-based to national audiences and use communication methods from face-to-face to electronic or combinations thereof. Extension Projects may also include related matters such as certification programs, in-service training, client recruitment and services, curriculum development, instructional materials and equipment, and innovative instructional methodologies appropriate to informal educational programs.

Extension Projects address one (1) or more of the following key strategic actions:

(1) Support informal education to increase food and agricultural literacy of youth and adults;

(2) Promote science-based agricultural literacy by increasing understanding and use of food and agricultural science data, information, and programs;

(3) Build science-based capability in people to engage audiences and enable informed decision making;

(4) Develop new applications of instructional tools and curriculum structures that increase technical competency and ensure global competitiveness;

(5) Offer non-formal learning programs that increase accessibility to new audiences at the rate at which new ideas and technologies are tested and/or developed at the community-scale;

and

(6) Develop programs that increase public knowledge and citizen engagement leading to actions that protect or enhance the nations’ food supply, agricultural productivity, environmental quality, community vitality, and/or public health and well-being.

These projects should lead to measurable, documented changes in learning, actions, or conditions in an identified audience or stakeholder group. These projects should synthesize and incorporate a wide range of the latest relevant research results.

D. Grant Types

In FY 2017, the FBMB program will continue to accept standard grant applications for review.

Standard Grant Standard Grants support targeted original scientific Research, Education/Teaching, Extension, or Integrated Projects. An eligible, individual institution, independent branch campus, or branch institution of a State system may submit a grant application for project activities to be undertaken principally on behalf of its own students or faculty, and to be managed primarily by its own personnel. The applicant executes the project without the requirement of sharing grant funds with other project partners.

E. Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research

In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduce USDA-funded extramural research must foster an atmosphere conducive to research integrity, bear primary responsibility for prevention and detection of research misconduct, and maintain and effectively communicate and train their staff regarding policies and procedures. In the event an application to NIFA results in an award, the Authorized Representative (AR) assures, through accordance of the award that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients shall, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training.

For more information about the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research, see http://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research.

http://nifa.usda.gov/responsible-and-ethical-conduct-research

PART III—ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Applications may be submitted by numerous entities. Pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 450i (b) (7), eligible applicants means:

(A) State agricultural experiment stations;

(B) Colleges and universities;

(C) University research foundations;

(D) Other research institutions and organizations;

(E) Federal agencies;

(F) National laboratories;

(G) Private organizations or corporations:

(H) Individuals; or

(I) Any group consisting of two (2) or more of the entities described in subparagraphs (A) through (H).

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

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

When a grant provides a particular benefit to a specific agricultural commodity, the grant recipient must match awarded USDA funds with cash and in-kind contributions on a dollar-for-dollar basis from non-federal sources (see Part IV, B, 6 for details).

The 2014 Farm Bill contains a matching requirement:

In accordance with section 1492 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3371), as added by section 7128 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), for grants awarded after Oct. 1, 2014, the recipient of an award from the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants (FBMB) program must provide funds, in-kind contributions, or a combination of both, from sources other than funds provided through such grant in an amount that is at least equal to the amount awarded by NIFA unless one

(1) of the exemptions described herein is applicable. Note that NIFA included information at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/awards/matching_require.html to further assist you in determining if you must meet the new matching requirement.

The matching funds requirement does not apply to grants awarded:

(1) To a research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); or

(2) To an entity eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program (as defined in section 251(f)(1)(C) of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, 7 U.S.C. 6971(f)(1)(C)), including a partner (see Part VIII, E. Definitions for definition of partnership) of such an entity.

Entities eligible to receive funds under a capacity and infrastructure program and exempt for the matching funds requirement include:

(a) 1862 land-grant Institutions, including State Agricultural Experiment Stations receiving funding under the Hatch Act of 1887;

(b) 1890 land-grant institutions;

(c) 1994 land-grant institutions;

(d) Entities eligible to receive funds under the of Continuing Animal Health and Disease, Food Security, and Stewardship Research, Education, and Extension Program Funds — Capacity and Infrastructure Program (CIP);

(e) Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACU);

(f) Insular area schools eligible to receive funds from the Distance Education/Resident

Instruction Grant Programs;

(g) Entities eligible to receive funds under the of McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry

Program Funds;

(h) Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) – (for exemption from the new matching requirement, these applications must include NLGCA certification, see instructions for requesting certifications at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html and for attaching the certification, in Part IV, B of this RFA);

(i) Entities eligible to receive funds under a program established under Section 1417(b) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C.

3152(b)), including: (1) 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants Program; (2) Higher Education Challenge Grants Program; (3) Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program; and (4) Food and Agricultural Sciences National Needs Graduate and Postgraduate Fellowship Grants Program; and

(j) Individual public or private, nonprofit Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian- Serving Institutions of higher education (see 20 U.S.C. 1059d).

Proposal submissions to this RFA may indicate that multiple entities will complete work as a collaborative partnership. All partners must have a substantial involvement in the project throughout the life of the project. Proposals for partnerships among multiple entities must clearly identify the following:

(1) A narrative of each entity’s clearly established role in the project;

http://www.nifa.usda.gov/business/awards/matching_require.html

(2) How each project partner will contribute to execution of project objectives; determine experimental design, develop the project work plan and time table; and submit collaborative, timely reports; and

(3) A comprehensive project budget that reflects each entity’s financial or third party in-kind contribution (see 7 CFR § 3430.2 or 2 CFR § 200. 96) to the total project budget costs.

If a proposal indicates that multiple entities, as partners, complete work on the project, and at least one (1) entity is exempt from the matching requirement under #2 above, the entire project will be exempt from the matching requirement. Any partner entity may serve as the lead entity on the project. All partners must be significantly involved in the project.

NIFA will examine proposals recommended for award to determine if the proposed division of work reflects substantial involvement of all entities involved. If a proposal is recommended for award to a lead entity that is not otherwise exempt from the matching requirement, and the proposal does not reflect substantial involvement of at least one partner that is exempt under #2 above, then the matching requirement will apply. Exemption from the matching requirement for an entity not otherwise exempt is limited to the project for which it is a partner.

Waiver of Match: NIFA may waive the matching funds requirement for a recipient for one (1) year for a competitive grant that involves research or extension activities that are consistent with the priorities established by the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension and Economics Advisory Board (NAREEEAB) for the year involved. Refer to the 2014 Research, Education and Economics Action Plan to determine whether proposed activities are consistent with the priorities of the NAREEEAB. See R&R Budget under Part IV, B, of this RFA.

Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture (NLGCA) Certification. If you claim exemption from the new matching requirements as a NLGCA, then you must attach the NLGCA certification letter you requested and received from NIFA. Title the attachment ‘NLGCA Certification’ and save the file as ‘NLGCA Certification.’ To request certification as an NLGCA, complete the form at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html. Note that certification can take up to 30 days from submission of request form. See Part III Section 3.1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for NIFA attachment specifications.

If you conclude that matching funds are not required as specified under Part III, B Cost-Sharing or Matching, you must include a justification in the Budget Narrative. We will consider this justification when determining final matching requirements or if required matching can be waived.

NIFA retains the right to make final determinations regarding matching requirements.

For grants that require matching funds as specified under Part III, B, the Budget Narrative should include written verification of commitments of matching support (including both cash and in-kind contributions) from third parties. Written verification means:

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/ree-action-plan https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/ree-action-plan http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html

(a) For any third party cash contributions, a separate pledge agreement for each donation, signed by the authorized representatives of the donor organization (and the applicant organization ONLY if provided after submission of the application), must include:

• Donor’s name, address, and telephone number;

• Name of the applicant organization;

• Title of the project;

• Dollar amount of the cash donation (the budget narrative must describe how the cash donation will be used);

• Statement that the donor will pay the cash contribution during the grant period;

and

• Whether the applicant can designate cash as the applicant deems necessary or the cash contribution has been designated to a particular budget item.

(b) For any third party in-kind contributions, a separate pledge agreement for each contribution, signed by the authorized representatives of the donor organization (and the applicant organization ONLY if provided after submission of the application), must include:

• Title of the project;

• A good faith estimate of the current fair market value of the third party in-kind contribution and a description of how the fair market value was determined; and

• A statement that the donor will make the contribution during the grant period.

Summarize on a separate page the sources and amount of all matching support from outside the applicant institution and place that information in the proposal as part of the Budget Narrative.

You must place all pledge agreements in the proposal immediately following the summary of matching support.

Establish the value of applicant contributions in accordance with applicable cost principles. Refer to 2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” for further guidance and other requirements relating to matching and allowable costs.

For further information and instructions regarding indirect costs, refer to Part V, section 7.9 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. For indirect cost funding restrictions, refer to Part IV, D. of this RFA.

C. Centers of Excellence (COE)

Pursuant to Section 7214 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, for applicable competitive research and extension programs, NIFA will recognize and provide priority in the receipt of funding to applications from “centers of excellence” that carry out research, extension, and education activities that relate to the food and agricultural sciences. NIFA held listening sessions in July 2014 and accepted written comments from stakeholders to inform NIFA’s implementation of the COE provision. Information from the webinars and a summary of the input are available on NIFA’s website at http://nifa.usda.gov/centers-excellence.

A Center of Excellence (COE) is composed of one or more of the following entities that provide financial or in-kind support to the COE:

(A) State agricultural experiment stations;

(B) Colleges and universities;

(C) University research foundations;

(D) Other research institutions and organizations;

(E) Federal agencies;

(F) National laboratories;

(G) Private organizations, foundations, or corporations;

(H) Individuals; or

(I) Any group consisting of two (2) or more of the entities described in (A) through (H).

COE designation is available only to Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) and standard grant applicants. Part IV, B., 3. of this RFA contains additional requirements for COE consideration.

http://nifa.usda.gov/centers-excellence

PART IV—APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Electronic Application Package

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

We urge you to submit early to the Grants.gov system. For information about the pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle see http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html.

New Users of Grants.gov

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

Steps to Obtain Application Package Materials

To receive application materials:

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

To obtain the application package from Grants.gov, go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/download-application-package.html and enter the Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NIFA-FBMB-006247.

From the search result, click “Select Package” to access the application package. A Grant Application Package is tied to a particular funding opportunity. You may submit an application ONLY to the particular funding opportunity to which the Grant Application Package is associated.

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

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

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html https://get.adobe.com/reader/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/download-application-package.html

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

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

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

Email: support@grants.gov

Grants.gov iPortal (see https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants): Top 10 requested help topics (FAQs), Searchable knowledge base, self-service ticketing and ticket status, and live web chat (available 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. EST).

Have the following information available when contacting Grants.gov:

• Funding Opportunity Number (FON)

• Name of agency you are applying to

• Specific area of concern

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

You should prepare electronic applications following Parts V and VI of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. This guide is part of the corresponding application package (see Section A of this part). The following is additional information you need to prepare an application in response to this RFA. If there is discrepancy between the two documents, the information contained in this RFA is overriding.

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

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

• Email: electronic@nifa.usda.gov

• Phone: 202-401-5048

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

1. SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet Information related to the questions on this form is dealt with in detail in Part V, 2 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. See Part V, Section 2.18 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants mailto:electronic@nifa.usda.gov https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/snow-dismissal-procedures/federal-holidays/

Guide for the required certifications and assurances (e.g., Prohibition Against Entities Requiring Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements).

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

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

a. Field 7. Project Summary/Abstract.

The summary should also include the relevance of the project to the goals of FBMB. See Part V.

4.7 of NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further instructions and a link to a suggested template.

b. Field 8. Project Narrative.

NOTE: The Project Narrative shall not exceed 12 pages of written text, regardless of whether it is single- or double-spaced, and up to five (5) additional pages for figures and tables. We have established this maximum (17 pages) to ensure fair and equitable competition. The Project Narrative must include all of the following:

• A Summary Statement of the applicant’s Intentions in submitting a proposal that addresses the purpose and priorities of the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Grants Program based on one (1) of the five (5) objectives listed under Part I, C. of this RFA.

• A clear Statement of Purpose, along with Goals and Objectives for the proposal enhancing the already established Farm Business Management and Benchmarking National Database, hereafter referred to as “FBMB National Database”.

• A Discussion of the relevant Body of Knowledge sufficient to demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the needs of agricultural producers for farm financial management and benchmarking capabilities. The discussion should include estimates of the relative importance of the issues to stakeholders and to ongoing State-Federal food and agricultural research, education and extension programs.

• A Description of Planned Data Management and Coordination Efforts and Mechanisms to achieve them, sufficient to demonstrate the applicant’s proficiency administering a database. This description should include discussion of any relevant past activities.

• A Plan of Work, including Methods and Procedures for establishing the FBMB National Database, and Action Steps for establishment and implementation of a farm financial management database, collaboration with farm management and producer associations, and direct work with agricultural producers. This plan of work should provide a description of the Facilities in which the FBMB National Database will operates, along with the Personnel Needs, Assignments, and the Division of Labor anticipated for implementation of the proposed plan. The methods and procedures section of the plan of work should include but not necessarily be limited to:

(a) A description of the proposed project activities in the sequence in which it is planned to carry them out;

(b) Techniques to be employed, including their feasibility and rationale for their uses in program implementation;

(c) Kinds of results expected;

(d) Means by which data will be collected, analyzed, interpreted, and used;

(e) Details of plans to communicate programming and results to stakeholders and the public;

(f) Pitfalls that might be encountered and how they might be overcome;

(g) Limitations of the proposed project; and

(h) A project timetable outlining all important phases as a function of time, year by year, for the entire project, including, if appropriate, periods beyond the grant funding period.

• A Description of Prospective Partners for collaboration and the role of each will play in the FBMB National Database’s efforts. The description should include the role of stakeholders in problem identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation, as appropriate.

• A Description of Performance Measurement to assess the effectiveness of the FBMB National Database’s coordination efforts and database management and benchmarking outcomes.

• Evidence and Discussion of Past Experience and Compliance with Federal Reporting Requirements.

• Bibliography & References Cited – PDF Attachment. No Page Limit. Title the attachment as ‘Bibliography & References Cited’ in the document header and save file as ‘Bibliography’.

Center of Excellence Justification

Only standard grant and Coordinated Agricultural Projects (CAP) applicants may be considered for COE designation. Standard grants will be awarded in response to this RFA.

For consideration as a Center of Excellence (COE), you must provide a brief justification statement, as part of your Project Narrative and within the page limits provided, which describes how you meet the standards of a COE, based on the following criteria:

(A) The ability of the COE to ensure coordination and cost effectiveness by reducing unnecessarily duplicative efforts in the research, teaching, and extension activities outlined in this application;

(B) In addition to any applicable matching requirements, the ability of the COE to leverage available resources by using public-private partnerships among agricultural industry groups, institutions of higher education, and the federal government in the proposed research and/or extension activities outlined in this application. Resources leveraged should be commensurate with the size of the award;

(C) The planned scope and capability of the COE to implement teaching initiatives that increase awareness and effectively disseminate solutions to target audiences through extension activities of the proposed research and/or extension activity outlined in this application; and

(D) The ability or capacity of the COE to increase the economic returns to rural communities by identifying, attracting, and directing funds to high-priority agricultural issues in support of and as a result of the implementation of the proposed research and/or extension activity outlined in this application.

Additionally, where practicable (not required), COE applicants should describe proposed efforts to improve teaching capacity and infrastructure at colleges and universities (including land-grant colleges and universities, cooperating forestry schools, certified Non-Land Grant Colleges of Agriculture (NLGCA) (list of certified NLGCA is available at https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nlgca-list), and schools of veterinary medicine).

c. Field 12. Add Other Attachments See Part V. Section 4.12 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide (Field 12 on the form) for instructions regarding mandatory Felony Convictions or Tax Delinquent Status.

Non-Land Grant College of Agriculture (NLGCA) Certification. If you claim exemption from the new matching requirements as a NLGCA, then you must attach the NLGCA certification letter you requested and received from NIFA. Title the attachment ‘NLGCA Certification’ and save the file as ‘NLGCACertification.’ To request certification as an NLGCA, complete the form at http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html. Note that certification can take up to 30 days from submission of request form. See Part III Section 3.1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for NIFA attachment specifications.

4. R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded) Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 5 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. This section of the guide includes instructions about senior/key person profile requirements, and details about the biographical sketch and the current and pending support, including a link to a suggested template for the current and pending support.

5. R&R Personal Data As noted in Part V, 6 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide, the submission of this information is voluntary and is not a precondition of award. Part V.6 also notes the importance and use of the information.

6. R&R Budget Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part V, 7 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nlgca-list http://www.nifa.usda.gov/form/form.html

The 2014 Farm Bill contains a new matching requirement.

Applicants must complete one SF 424 (R&R) Budget (Total Federal and Non-federal form) for each 12 month period, plus a cumulative budget form for the entire project.

Matching funds.

If you conclude that matching funds are not required as specified under Part III, B Cost-Sharing or Matching, you must include a justification in the Budget Narrative. We will consider this justification when determining final matching requirements or if required matching can be waived.

NIFA retains the right to make final determinations regarding matching requirements.

For grants that require matching funds as specified under Part III, B, the Budget Narrative should include written verification of commitments of matching support (including both cash and in-kind contributions) from third parties. Written verification means:

(a) For any third party cash contributions, a separate pledge agreement for each donation, signed by the authorized representatives of the donor organization (and the applicant organization ONLY if provided after submission of the application), must include:

• Title of the project;

• Dollar amount of the cash donation (the budget narrative must describe how the cash donation will be used);

• Statement that the donor will pay the cash contribution during the grant period; and

• Whether the applicant can designate cash as the applicant deems necessary or the cash contribution has been designated to a particular budget item.

(b) For any third party in-kind contributions, a separate pledge agreement for each contribution, signed by the authorized representatives of the donor organization (and the applicant organization ONLY if provided after submission of the application), must include:

• Title of the project;

• A good faith estimate of the current fair market value of the third party in-kind contribution and a description of how the fair market value was determined; and

• A statement that the donor will make the contribution during the grant period.

Summarize on a separate page the sources and amount of all matching support from outside the applicant institution and place that information in the proposal as part of the Budget Narrative.

You must place all pledge agreements in the proposal immediately following the summary of matching support.

Establish the value of applicant contributions in accordance with applicable cost principles. Refer to 2 CFR Part 200, “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” for further guidance and other requirements relating to matching and allowable costs.

Indirect Costs.

For further information and instructions regarding indirect costs, refer to Part V, section 7.9 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide. For indirect cost funding restrictions, refer to Part IV, D. of this RFA.

7. Supplemental Information Form Detailed information related to the questions on this form is available in Part VI, 1 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

a. Field 2. Program to which you are applying. Enter the program code name (i.e., enter “Farm

Business Management and Benchmarking”) and the program code (i.e., enter “FBMB”).

Note that accurate entry of the program code is very important for proper and timely processing of an application.

b. Field 8. Conflict of Interest List. See Part VI, 1.8 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further instructions and a link to a suggested template.

C. Submission Dates and Times

We recommend that you conduct an administrative review of the application before submission of it via Grants.gov to ensure that it complies with all preparation instructions. An application checklist is included in Part VII of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide to assist with this review.

While you should use the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide’s overall checklist to check the application for completeness, the application should be checked for the following required item(s).

The list includes:

• Current and Pending Support

• Conflict of Interest

• Felony Tax Certification

This is not an exhaustive list of required items; it only serves to highlight items that may be overlooked and frequently omitted.

Instructions for submitting an application are included in Part IV, Section 1.9 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide.

Applications must be received by Grants.gov by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 17, 2017.

Applications received after this deadline will normally not be considered for funding.

If you have trouble submitting an application to Grants.gov, you should FIRST contact the Grants.gov Help Desk to resolve any problems. Keep a record of any such correspondence.

See Part IV. A for Grants.gov contact information.

We send email correspondence to the AR regarding the status of submitted applications. We strongly encourage you to provide accurate email addresses, where designated, on the SF-424 R&R Application for Federal Assistance.

If the AR has not received correspondence from NIFA regarding a submitted application within 30 days of the established deadline, contact the Agency Contact identified in Part VII of the RFA and request the proposal number assigned to the application. Failure to do so may result in the application not being considered for funding by the peer review panel. Once the application has been assigned a proposal number, you should cite this number on all future correspondence.

D. Funding Restrictions

Section 713 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (Pub. L. 114-113) limits indirect costs to 30 percent of the total federal funds provided (or 42.857 percent of total direct costs) under each award. Similar language may be included in the FY 2017 appropriation, therefore, when preparing budgets, you should limit your request for the recovery of indirect costs to the lesser of your institution’s official negotiated indirect cost rate or the equivalent of 30 percent of total Federal funds awarded. See Part V section 7.9 of the NIFA Grants.gov Application Guide for further indirect cost information.

When NIFA is not the cognizant Federal agency. The applicant should use the current negotiated indirect cost rate established by its cognizant Federal agency (the agency that provides the most funds). If awarded, the applicant will be required to produce a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement from the cognizant agency in order to recover indirect costs. Applicants may request (i.e., budget) indirect costs using the lesser of: (a) the negotiated rate; or (b) the maximum statutory rate stated in the Request for Application, if any. If unable to obtain a negotiated rate from its cognizant agency, the applicant is not permitted indirect cost reimbursement. Rather, the applicant may only be reimbursed for allowable direct costs. Violation of Cost Accounting Standards is not permitted when re-budgeting or charging costs to awards.

Effective 12/26/2014, applicants new to Federal awards, and applicants who have never received a federally negotiated indirect cost rate, may request a 10% de minimus indirect cost rate. If awarded, and the cognizant agency has not provided a negotiated rate, the awardee may opt for the 10% de minimus indirect cost rate. The 10% de minimus rate is applied to modified total direct costs (MTDC). MTDC means total direct costs related to the award, such as direct labor, fringe benefits, materials and supplies, publications, consultant services and travel costs. MTDC excludes the following costs: equipment, capital expenditures, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward and subcontract in excess of $25,000. The 10% de minimus rate is only available to awards made on or after 12/26/2014. Violation of cost accounting principles is not permitted when charging costs to awards. Rather, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs. . Additional information on indirect cost rates may be found on NIFA’s website at:

http://nifa.usda.gov/business/indirect_cost_process.html.

If the cognizant agency issues a negotiated rate subsequent to award, the negotiated rate may not be retroactively applied.

When NIFA is the cognizant Federal agency. If the applicant does not have a negotiated rate,…