FY24-FBMB-RFA-P.pdf

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

Farm Business Management and Benchmarking

Competitive Grants Program

FUNDING YEAR: Fiscal Year (FY) 2024

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 7, 2024

ANTICIPATED FUNDING: $2,350,000

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: USDA-NIFA-FBMB-010313

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 10.319

LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE: Not Applicable

INITIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

National Institute of Food and Agriculture United States Department of Agriculture

Assistance Listing: The Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) program is listed in the Assistance Listings under the number 10.319.

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines

Task Description Deadline

Application: Fiscal Year 2024: February 7 , 2024 5:00 P.M. Eastern Letter of Intent: Not Required

Applicants Comments: Within six months from the issuance of this notice (NIFA may not consider comments received after the sixth month)

Advancing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) recognizes research, education, and extension efforts will have the greatest impacts when programs are grounded in DEIA. NIFA is committed to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility of programs and encourages individuals, institutions, and organizations from underserved communities to apply to funding opportunities as lead, co-lead, or subaward recipient(s), and to engage as leaders in the peer panel review process to support the development of strong networks and collaborations. NIFA encourages applications that engage diverse communities and have broad impacts through research, education, extension, and integrated activities to address current and future challenges.

Stakeholder Input. NIFA seeks comments on all Request for Applications (RFA) so it can deliver programs efficiently, effectively, with integrity, and with a focus on customer service.

NIFA considers comments to the extent possible when developing RFAs, and uses comments to help 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)). Applicants may submit written comments to Policy@usda.gov. Please use the following subject line: Response to the FBMB RFA.

Centers of Excellence. Applicants are encouraged to visit the NIFA’s Centers of Excellence (COE) for information on COE designation process, including COE criteria, and a list of programs offering COE opportunities. A recording of COE outreach and COE implementation webinars are also available.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This RFA is being released prior to the passage of a full appropriations act for FY 2024.

Enactment of additional continuing resolutions, appropriations act, or other authorizing legislation may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

NIFA will use this solicitation to request applications for the FBMB program for FY 2024 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. At this time, NIFA requests applications for the FY 2024 funding cycle. The anticipated amount available for grants in FY 2024 is approximately $2,350,000.

This notice identifies the objectives for FBMB projects, deadlines, funding information, eligibility criteria for projects and applicants, and application forms and associated instructions.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

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

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding B. Types of Applications C. Project and Grant Types D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects

PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements B. Cost Sharing or Matching C. Centers of Excellence

PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application B. Content and Form of the Application C. Funding Restrictions

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process B. Evaluation Criteria C. Centers of Excellence D. Organizational Management Information E. Application Disposition

PART VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

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

PART VII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. Use of Funds and Changes in Budget B. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards C. Regulatory Information D. Limited English Proficiency

APPENDIX I: AGENCY CONTACT

APPENDIX II: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

APPENDIX III: DEFINITIONS

TABLE OF TABLES

Table 1: Key Dates and Deadlines Table 2: Program Key Information Table 3. Steps to Obtain Application Materials Table 4. Help and Resources Table 5. Key Application Instructions

PART I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Legislative Authority The program is authorized under Section 1672D of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990, 7 U.S.C. 5925f, as amended, which authorizes the Secretary, acting through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), to make competitive research and extension grants to improve farm management.

B. Purpose and Priorities Consistent with 7 U.S.C. 5925f, NIFA is soliciting applications for the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) program to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers by maintaining and expanding a national, publicly available farm financial management database to support improved farm management. Additionally traditional ecological knowledge is an acceptable topic of research, education, and extension for projects funded by this RFA, in pursuit of the aforementioned priorities, goals, and objectives.

The FBMB program aims to strongly support 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 supports all producers to develop farm management knowledge that is consistent with the food and agricultural priorities of USDA/NIFA.

The assistance provided by these programs, to the extent practicable, shall be coordinated 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 associations and financial management education programs.

3. Address the farm management needs of a variety of crops and regions of the United States;

and

4. Contribute data to support the national farm financial management database.

The FBMB program supports social and behavioral science disciplines, leadership skills development, as well as encompasses the management of money at the personal, firm and public levels. 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.

The FBMB program is meant to improve farm management knowledge and skills of individuals directly involved in the production of agriculture, and therefore is aligned with the following USDA Strategic Plan FY 2022-2026 goals:

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1. Strategic Goal 2: Maximize the Ability of American Agricultural Producers to Prosper by Feeding and Clothing the World

2. Strategic Goal 4: Facilitate Rural Prosperity and Economic Development

3. Strategic Goal 5: Strengthen the Stewardship of Private Lands Through Technology and

Research

The FBMB is aligned with the following USDA Science and Research Strategy, 2023–2026 p:

1. Priority 5: Translating Research Into Action

Global Engagement. NIFA supports global engagement that advances U.S. agricultural goals.

NIFA recognizes that collaboration with international partners may be necessary to attain the agency's goals for U.S. agriculture, promote global competence of our nation’s future agricultural workforce, and promote safe and nutritious food security in a growing world.

Therefore, although application to this RFA is limited to eligible U.S. institutions, applicants may collaborate with international partners, to include subcontracts to international partners or other institutions. Applications must clearly demonstrate benefits to the United States.

For a program informational webinar please visit the NIFA calendar for dates, event registration, and link. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of the informational webinars listed, please contact the event host listed no later than 10 days prior to the event.

Table 2: Program Key Information Title Description

Program Code: FBMB Program Code Name: Farm Business Management and

Benchmarking Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.319

Project Type: Extension Projects Grant Type: Standard Grants

Application Deadline February 7, 2024 Grant Duration: Generally, up to 36 Months

Anticipated # of Awards: Approximately 4-6 Maximum Award Amount: $500,000

C. Program Area Description The FBMB program outlined in this RFA seeks to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of individuals directly involved in production agriculture. Specifically, applications are being solicited to address one or both of the following objectives:

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

2. Establish or expand collaborative farm management educational programs with farm organizations or associations that will contribute data to the existing national farm financial management and benchmarking database to improve the farm management knowledge and https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-science-research-strategy.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/calendar skills of all agricultural producers.

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

1. Advancing data collection and conducting research on financial ratios related to farm production cost, farm profitability management effectiveness and the effects farm policy.

2. Developing or expanding cooperation and data sharing among existing farm management associations and business management education programs across the nation to structure farm financial analyses into a uniform information system.

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; or

5. Improving producers’ abilities to successfully manage their agricultural operations through periods of high degrees of uncertainty including supply and demand risk, price volatility, and financial stress.

At a minimum, applicants should provide evidence that they:

1. Will expand or establish a farm management program that works directly with agricultural producers to contribute data to the national farm management and benchmarking database.

2. Address the farm management needs of a variety of crops and regions of the United States.

3. Establish and collaborate with more than five farm management education programs or associations that are representative of agricultural diversity in multiple regions of the United States.

4. Maintain farm financial analysis software applicable to the production and management of a wide range of crop and livestock agricultural commodities (including organic and specialty crop commodities).

5. Establish procedures that enable producers to (i) benchmark their farms against peer groups; and (ii) to query the benchmarking database by location, farm type, farm size, and commodity at all overall business and individual enterprise levels.

6. Increase the numbers producers whose benchmarking activities identified an improvement financial performance.

7. Contribute data to the national farm financial management database; and

8. Provide public online access to farm and ranch financial benchmarking databases.

PART II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Available Funding This RFA is being released prior to the passage of a full appropriations act for FY 2024.

Enactment of additional continuing resolutions, appropriations act, or other authorizing legislation act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program. The amount available for Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) program in FY 2024 is approximately $2,350,000. USDA is not committed to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards.

The Automated Standard Application for Payments, operated by the Department of Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, is the designated payment system for awards resulting from this RFA.

B. Types of Applications NIFA will evaluate applications using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA. Applications for FY 2024 are limited to the following application types:

1. New application: New applications will be evaluated using the criteria described in Part V of this RFA and are subject to the due dates herein (see Appendix III of this RFA for definition).

2. Resubmitted application: Resubmitted applications must include the response to the previous review panel summary and are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein.

Resubmitted applicants must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously submitted application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see Appendix III for definition).

3. Renewal application. Renewal applications must contain the same information as required for new applications and must contain a progress report. The progress report must include the implementation of the data management plan (DMP) of the previously funded project.

Renewal applications are subject to the same criteria and due dates herein. Applicants submitting a renewal application must enter the NIFA-assigned proposal number of the previously approved application in the Federal Field (Field 4) on the application form (see Appendix III for definition).

C. Project and Grant Types The following describes the types of projects or grants that are eligible for funding:

1. Project Types. Applicants must propose 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 or more of the following key strategic actions:

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a. Support informal education to increase food and agricultural literacy of youth and adults.

b. Promote science-based agricultural literacy by increasing understanding and use of food and agricultural science data, information, and programs.

c. Build science-based capability in people to engage audiences and enable informed decision making.

d. Develop new applications of instructional tools and curriculum structures that increase technical competency and ensure global competitiveness.

e. 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

f. 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.

2. Grant Types. Applicants must select Standard Grant applications.

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.

D. Ethical Conduct of Funded Projects In accordance with sections 2, 3, and 8 of 2 CFR Part 422, institutions that conduct 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 acceptance of the award that the institution will comply with the above requirements. Award recipients must, upon request, make available to NIFA the policies, procedures, and documentation to support the conduct of the training. See Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research for further information.

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PART III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligibility Requirements Applicants for the Farm Business Management and Benchmarking (FBMB) program must meet all the requirements discussed in this RFA. Failure to meet the eligibility criteria by the application deadline may result in exclusion from consideration or, preclude NIFA from making an award. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process. Applications may be submitted by numerous entities. Pursuant to 7 U.S.C.

3157(b)(7), eligible applicant means:

1. State agricultural experiment station;

2. College and universities;

3. University research foundation;

4. Other research institutions and organizations;

5. Federal agencies;

6. National laboratories;

7. Private organizations or corporations;

8. Individuals; or

9. 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.

Duplicate or Multiple Submissions – duplicate or multiple submissions are not allowed. NIFA will disqualify both applications if an applicant submits duplicate or multiple submissions. For those new to Federal financial assistance, NIFA’s Grants Overview provides highly recommended information about grants and other resources to help understand the Federal awards process.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching No Match Required – The FBMB program has NO matching requirement. NIFA will not factor matching resources into the review process as an evaluation criterion.

C. Centers of Excellence Pursuant to Section 7214 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Pub. L. 113-79), NIFA will recognize and prioritize COE applicants that carry out research, extension, and education activities that relate to the food and agricultural sciences. A COE is composed of one or more of the following entities codified in (7 U.S.C. 3157(b)(7)) that provide financial or in-kind support to the COE:

1. State agricultural experiment stations;

2. Colleges and universities;

3. University research foundations;

4. Other research institutions and organizations;

5. Federal agencies;

6. National laboratories;

7. Private organizations, foundations, or corporations;

8. Individuals; or

9. Any group consisting of two or more of the entities described in (1) through (8).

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PART IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION

A. Method of Application Applicants must apply to this RFA electronically; no other method or response is accepted. The electronic application for this RFA and additional resources are available on Grants.gov and Grants 101. Table 3 provides instructions on how to obtain an electronic application. Part III of the NIFA Grants Application Guide contains detailed information regarding the Grants.gov registration process. The NIFA Grants Application Guide is contained in the specific funding opportunity package or a sample of the guide can be found here. When applying for a NIFA award, it is important to reference the version of the guide that is included in the specific funding opportunity application package.

Table 3. Steps to Obtain Application Materials

Steps Action

Step One: Register New Users to Grants.gov must register early with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application (Register Here).

Step Two:

Download Adobe

Download and Install Adobe Reader (see Adobe Software Compatibility for basic system requirements).

Step Three: Find Application

Using this funding opportunity USDA-NIFA-FBMB-010313, search for application here: Opportunity Package.

Step Four: Assess Readiness

Contact an AR prior to starting an application to assess the organization’s readiness to submit an electronic application.

Table 4. Help and Resources

Grants.gov Support NIFA Support Grants.gov Online Support Telephone support: 800-518-4726 Toll-Free or 606-545-5035 Email support: support@grants.gov Self-service customer-based support:

Grants.gov iPortal Key Information: Customer service business Hours 24/7, except federal holidays

Email: grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov Key Information: Business hours: Monday thru Friday, 7a.m. – 5p.m. ET, except federal holidays

B. Content and Form of the Application The NIFA Grants Application Guide is part of the corresponding application package for this RFA. The RFA overrides the NIFA Grants Application Guide if there is a discrepancy between the two documents. Applicants that do not meet the application requirements, to include partial applications, risk being excluded from NIFA’s review. NIFA will assign a proposal number to all applications that meet the requirements of this RFA. Applicants must refer to the proposal number when corresponding with NIFA. Table 5 outlines other key instructions for applicants.

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Table 5. Key Application Instructions Instruction References

(All references are to the NIFA Grants Application Guide)

Attachments must be in a portable document format (PDF) format.

Part IV

Check the manifest of submitted files to verify attachments are in the correct format.

Part IV

Conduct an administrative review of the application before submission.

Part IV

Follow the submission instructions. Part IV

Provide an accurate email address, where designated, on the SF-424 R&R.

Part V

Contact the Grants.gov helpdesk for technical support and keep a record of the correspondence.

N/A

Contact NIFA if applicant does not receive correspondence from NIFA regarding an application within 30 days of the application deadline.

N/A

SF 424 R&R Cover Sheet. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for the required certifications and assurances.

SF 424 R&R Project/Performance Site Location(s). See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

R&R Other Project Information Form. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

1. Field 7. Project Summary (PS)/Abstract. The PS must show how the project goals align with the project goals of the FBMB program. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for instructions and suggested templates. Limit the abstract to 250 words.

The Abstract should include the following:

a. Proposal Title;

b. Names of PD, Co-PDs, and key project personnel;

c. Names of partnering institutions (if applicable);

d. A brief description of the proposed project that addresses the purpose and priorities of the FBMB program based on one of the two objectives and at least one of the five measures listed under Part I, C of this RFA; and

e. Funding amount requested

2. Field 8. Project Narrative (PN). The PN must not exceed 18 double-spaced pages with one-inch margins of written text in 12 pt. Times New Roman font and up to 6 additional pages for figures and tables (the font size for tables should be no smaller than 12 points, Times New Roman). The page limits outlined here ensure fair and equitable competition.

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Appendices to the PN are allowed if they are directly germane to the proposed project. Do not add appendices to circumvent the page limit.

Your application will be reviewed and scored according to the quality of your responses to the requirements in Sections A-G detailed below. In developing the Project Narrative section of your application, use the sections headings listed below. Indicate the Section letter and number in your response, e.g., type “A.1”, “A.2”, etc., before your response to each question. Please do not combine two or more questions or refer to another section of the Project Narrative in your response, such as indicating that the response for B.2 is in C.7.

The PN must include all the following:

Response to Previous Review (if applicable) This requirement only applies to Resubmitted Applications or Resubmitted Renewal Applications as described in Part II, B of this RFA. The two-page response to the previous review (containing the previous proposal number in the first line) titled “Response to Previous Review Proposal XXXX-XXXXX”. The response to previous review must not exceed 2 pages and does not count towards the 18-page limit for the

PN.

A. Introduction.

1. Provide a statement of purpose of the project that addresses the purpose and priorities of the FBMB program based on one (1) of the two (2) objectives and at least one (1) of the five (5) measures listed under Part I, C of this RFA.

2. Provided goals and objectives for the proposal enhancing the already established Farm Business Management and Benchmarking National Database, hereafter referred to as “FBMB National Database”.

3. 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.

B. Plan of Work. Provide methods and procedures for maintaining a FBMB National

Database, and Action Steps for implementation and management 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 operate, 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:

1. A description of the proposed project activities in the sequence in which it is planned to carry them out.

2. Techniques to be employed including their feasibility and rationale for their uses in program implementation.

3. Expected program outputs that will generate short, medium, and long-term outcomes that effective change or expand the National database

4. Means by which data will be collected, analyzed, interpreted, and used.

5. Details of plans to communicate programming and results to stakeholders and the public.

6. Pitfalls that might be encountered and how they might be overcome.

7. Limitations of the proposed project; and

8. 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.

C. Institutional Capacity, Division of Labor and Project Management.

It is critical to have a clearly articulated management plane which describes the roles and functions of all partners, collaborators, and organizations as it relates to the proposed project.

1. A Description of Planned Data Management and Coordination of 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.

2. Describe prospective collaborators and the role 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.

3. Provide a description of performance measurement to assess the effectiveness of the FBMB National Database’s coordination efforts and database management and benchmarking outcomes.

4. Provide evidence and discussion of past experience and compliance with Federal Reporting Requirements.

D. Sustainability.

1. Describe steps you will take toward project’s sustainability beyond the life of the NIFA FBMB grant. For example, identify opportunities (such as resources, trainings, partnerships, collaborations, funding streams) you plan to explore/develop/enhance during the life of the proposed project to help you sustain project operations after NIFA funding has expired. If planning to sustain only certain aspects of the project beyond NIFA funding, please clearly identify them. Include your main project sustainability activities in the proposal timeline.

E. Centers of Excellence Justification. For consideration as a 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:

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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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 NLGCA list, and schools of veterinary medicine).

Please indicate in this section if you are not pursuing status as a Center of Excellence.

F. Progress Report (if applicable). This requirement only applies to the Renewal application or Resubmitted Renewal Applications (see Part II, B of this RFA). These applications must include a progress report and does not count toward the maximum page limitation for the Project Narrative stated in Part IV, B of this RFA.

G. Budget and Budget Narrative

1. There should be a direct relationship between the items in the budget and budget narrative, as well as between budget narrative and the objectives/activities contained in the Project Narrative.

2. Every item in the budget must be justified in the proposal. The amount of detail depends on the nature of the project and the breakdown of costs.

3. Proposed budgets must not exceed $500,000 total or request funding for more than three years.

4. Budget breakdown and budget narrative should be provided for each project year (Year 1, and Year 2 and Year 3 as applicable). For FY24 applications with a one-year period of performance, the project start date must be September 1, 2024 and the end date must be August 31, 2025. For a two-year period of performance, the project start date must be September 1, 2024 and the end date must be August 31, 2026. For a three-year period of https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nlgca-list performance, the project start date must be September 1, 2024 and the end date must be August 31, 2027.

5. In budget narrative, costs (e.g., personnel, materials, travel, etc.) are to be broken down and itemized rather than shown as lump sums.

6. NOTE: The budget narrative does not have to count toward the maximum page count stated in Part IV, B of this RFA.

H. Applications will not be accepted for review if they do any of the following

1. Exceed the maximum federal budget request for the type of application proposed.

2. Propose objectives or an approach that does not fit with the purpose and scope of the FBMB program

3. Exceed the maximum pages allowed for Project Narrative;

4. Failure to submit documents in portable document format (pdf); and

5. Failure to include any of the following:

a. Introduction;

b. Plan of Work;

c. Institutional Capability, Division of Labor and Project Management;

d. Center of Excellence;

e. Progress Report (if applicable); and

f. Budget and Budget Narrative

3. Field 9. Attach Bibliography& References Cited. See Part V of the NIFA Grants

Application Guide. Title the attachment as ‘Bibliography& References Cited’ in the document header and save file as ‘Bibliography’.

4. Field 12, Add Other Attachments. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

R&R Senior/Key Person Profile (Expanded). See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for profile requirements, details about the biographical sketch, and suggested support templates.

R&R Personal Data. This information is voluntary and is not a precondition of award (see Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide).

R&R Budget. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

1. Indirect costs (IDC) – See Part IV, C of this RFA for funding restrictions regarding indirect cost, and Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide for additional information.

2. While budgets should account for this travel, virtual or hybrid meetings may be considered based on local and national pandemic conditions.

Data Management Plan. A DMP is required for this program. Applicants should clearly articulate how the project director (PD) and co-PDs plan to manage and disseminate the data generated by the project. The DMP will be considered during the merit review process (see Part V, B of this RFA, NIFA’s Data Management Plan). If you need help in preparing a data management plan or have questions about what constitutes a data management plan for this role (including questions about data privacy, etc), please contact the NIFA program contacts listed at the end of this RFA.

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/data-management-plan-nifa-funded-research-projects

Supplemental Information Form. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

1. Field 2. Program to which the applicant is applying. Enter the program name Farm

Business Management and Benchmarking and the program code FBMB. Accurate entry is critical.

2. Field 8. Conflict of Interest List. See Part V of the NIFA Grants Application Guide.

C. Funding Restrictions Indirect Costs (IDC) not to exceed 30 percent of total Federal funds awarded (TFFA). Section 1462(a) and (c) of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (NARETPA) limits IDC for the overall award to 30 percent of TFFA under a research, education, or extension grant. The maximum IDC rate allowed under the award is determined by calculating the amount of IDC using:

1. The sum of an institution’s negotiated IDC rate and the IDC rate charged by sub-awardees, if any; or

2. Thirty percent of TFFA.

The maximum allowable IDC rate under the award, including the IDC charged by the sub-awardee(s), if any, is the lesser of the two rates above.

If the result of number one above is the lesser of the two rates, the grant recipient is allowed to charge the negotiated IDC rate on the prime award and the sub-award(s), if any. Any sub-awards would be subject to the sub-awardee’s negotiated IDC rate. The sub-awardee may charge its negotiated IDC rate on its portion of the award, provided the sum of the IDC rate charged under the award by the prime awardee and the sub-awardee(s) does not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA.

If number two above is the lesser of the two rates, then the maximum IDC rate allowed for the overall award, including any sub-award(s), is limited to 30 percent of the TFFA. That is, the IDC of the prime awardee plus the sum of the IDC charged by the sub-awardee(s), if any, may not exceed 30 percent of the TFFA.

In the event of an award, the prime awardee is responsible for ensuring the maximum IDC allowed for the award is not exceeded when combining IDC for the Federal portion (i.e., prime, and sub-awardee(s)) and any applicable cost-sharing. Amounts exceeding the maximum allowable IDC are considered unallowable. See sections 408 and 410 of 2 CFR 200.

If the applicant does not have a negotiated rate and NIFA is the cognizant agency, the applicant may request an IDC rate. Applicants are not required to complete the IDC package during the application process and need only to calculate a rate to serve as a basis for requesting IDC. If awarded, the applicant will be required to submit a complete IDC proposal package to obtain a negotiated rate.

Organizations that do not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, may elect the De Minimis rate (2 CFR 200.414). The Uniform Guidance offers the option of electing to charge a de Minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total indirect costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. As described above and in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be charged consistently as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://www.nifa.usda.gov/nifa-22-001-nifa-grants-application-guide https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/nar77.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.408 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.403 elected, this methodology must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which it may do at any time.

See NIFA Indirect Costs for information including additional resources and NIFA Indirect Cost Guidance Chart.

Funds made available for grants under this subsection shall not be used for the construction of a new building or facility or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building or facility (including site grading and improvement, and architect fees).

https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs/indirect-cost-additional-resources https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs/nifa-19-009-indirect-cost-chart https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/regulations-and-guidelines/indirect-costs/nifa-19-009-indirect-cost-chart

PART V. APPLICATION REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. NIFA’s Evaluation Process NIFA evaluates each application in a two-part process. First, we screen each application to ensure that it meets the administrative requirements set forth in this RFA. All administrative requirements must be met for the application to proceed to the next level of review. Second, a scientific peer-review process will be used to technically evaluate applications that have met the administrative requirements using a review panel (see NIFA Peer Review Process).

Scientific Peer Review Process:

NIFA selects reviewers for the review panel based upon their training and experience in relevant scientific, extension, or education fields, taking into account the following factors:

1. the level of relevant formal scientific, technical education, or extension experience of the individual, as well as the extent to which an individual is engaged in relevant research, education, or extension activities.

2. the need to include experts from various areas of specialization within relevant scientific, education, or extension fields.

3. the need to include other experts (e.g., producers, range or forest managers/operators, and consumers) who can assess relevance of the applications to targeted audiences and to program needs.

4. the need to include experts from a variety of organizational types (e.g., colleges, universities, industry, state and Federal agencies, and private profit and non-profit organizations) and geographic locations.

5. the need to maintain a balanced composition with regard to minority and female representation and an equitable age distribution; and

6. the need to include reviewers who can judge the effective usefulness of each application to producers and the general public.

After each peer review panel has completed its deliberations, the responsible program staff of NIFA will recommend that the project is either approved for support from currently available funds or declined due to insufficient funds or unfavorable review.

NIFA reserves the right to negotiate with the PD/PI and/or the submitting organization or institution regarding project revisions (e.g., reductions in the scope of work, funding level, period, or method of support) prior to recommending any project for funding.

After the review process has been completed, NIFA sends copies of reviews, not including the identity of reviewers, and a summary (if applicable) of the review panel comments to the PD.

Conflicts of interest. NIFA takes extreme care to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may influence the review or evaluation (see NIFA Peer Review Process for Competitive Grant Applications).

https://nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/NIFA-Peer-Review-Process-for-Competitive-Grant-Applications_0.pdf https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-peer-review-process-competitive-grant-applications https://nifa.usda.gov/resource/nifa-peer-review-process-competitive-grant-applications

B. Evaluation Criteria NIFA will use the following criteria to evaluate this RFA. The first two evaluation criterion will be given additional emphasis and the other criterion will have equal weight:

1. Maintain and expand the already established FBMB National Database to support improved farm management knowledge and skills for producers of a variety of crops and livestock throughout multiple regions of the United States. This criterion is used to assess how the project will support, expand, and improve the national farm financial database and enhance its usefulness to help producers improve their farm management skills. Elements considered include expansion of the database; methodologies that will help producers better use or access the database; improvements to database technology;

increasing research opportunities; increasing enterprise diversity represented in the database; or expanding the geographic range of the database.

2. Establish or expand collaborative farm management educational programs and association with organizations that will contribute data to the existing national farm financial management and benchmarking database to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers. This criterion is used to assess the contributions farm management education programs or associations will make to expand the quantity and diversity of data in the national farm financial database. Elements considered include how the project will increase or initiate data contributions; increase the number or diversity of farms and ranches represented in the database, including farm types, commodities produced, or increase farm numbers from additional states or regions.

3. Advance data gathering and conduct research on cost of production, farm profitability factors, and farm policy. This criterion is used to assess the contributions farm management education programs or associations will make to expand the quantity and diversity of data in the national farm financial database. Elements considered include how the project will increase or initiate data contributions; increasing the number or diversity of farms and ranches represented in the database, including farm types, commodities produced, or increasing farm numbers from additional states or regions. This criterion is used to assess the likelihood that the project will have an impact upon and advance the knowledge and skills of agricultural producers and establishment or maintenance of the national publicly available farm financial management database.