oppOAO-012-cfda10.443-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Office of Advocacy and Outreach

FOA No.: OA0-012

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 10.443 - Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program

AGENCY: Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO), USDA

ACTION: Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from community-based and non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and Tribal entities to compete for financial assistance through the Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (hereinafter known as the "2501 Program"). Individual applicants do not meet the eligibility criteria.

Funding is being provided to eligible entities who, in partnership with the Office of Advocacy and Outreach (OAO), will conduct outreach initiatives and training to achieve the overall goal of the 2501 Program-to assist socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in owning and operating farms and ranches while increasing their participation in agricultural programs and services provided by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

DATES: Only one project proposal may be submitted per eligible entity. Proposals must be submitted through www.grants.gov and received by May 15, 2018, at 11 :59 p.m. EST.

Proposals submitted after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

Two (2) teleconferences will be held during the open period of this announcement to answer any clarifying questions on the following dates:

March 28, 2018 at 2:00pm EST April 25, 2018 at 2:00pm EST

To join each session, please use the following information:

Telephone Number: 1-888-455-1685 Passcode: 7087935

Applicants are required to submit proposals through www.grants.gov. Applicants will be required to register through www.grants.gov in order to begin the proposal submission process. We strongly suggest you initiate this process immediately to avoid processing delays due to registration requirements.

Federal agencies post funding opportunities on www.grants.gov. The OAO is not responsible for submission issues associated with www.grants.gov. If you experience submission issues, please contact www.grants.gov support staff for assistance.

Proposals must be submitted by May 15, 2018, via www.grants.gov at 11 :59 p.m. EST.

Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.

C. Content of Proposal Package Submission

All submissions must contain completed and electronically signed original application forms, as well as a Project Summary, Project Narrative, and a Budget Narrative as described below:

1. Forms and documents. The forms listed below can be found in the proposal package at www.grants.gov and must be submitted with all applications. Required forms are provided as fillable PDF templates. Applicants must download and complete these forms and submit them in the application submission portal at www.grants.gov. PDF documents listed below are documents the applicant must create in Word format and then submit in PDF format.

• Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance

• Standard Form (SF) 424A, Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs

• Standard Form (SF) 424B, Assurances - Non-Construction Programs

• Key Contacts Form (please provide first, middle, and last names)

• PDF document of I-Page Project Summary

• PDF document of Project Narrative

• PDF document of Budget Narrative

• Form AD-3031, Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent

Status for Corporate Applicants

Please note, additional forms will be required from organizations being awarded the 2501 Grant.

2. Attachments. The attachments listed below are required for all proposals and must be included in the proposal package at www.grants.gov. Attachment 1 will consist of the Project Summary Page and the Project Narrative. Attachment 2 will consist of the Budget Narrative. Please submit the summary and narratives in PDF format to preserve the content and formatting. Attachment 3 will consist of Appendices.

NOTE: Number each page of each attachment and indicate the total number of pages per attachment (i.e., 1 of 15, 2 of 15, etc.). DO NOT PASSWORD

PROTECT ANY OF YOUR SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS. Documents that are

D. Sub-awards and Partnerships

Funding may be used to provide sub-awards, which includes using sub-awards to fund partnerships; however, the recipient must utilize at least 50 percent of the total funds awarded, and no more than three subcontracts will be permitted. All sub-awardees must comply with applicable requirements for sub-awards. Applicants must provide documentation of a competitive bidding process for services, contracts, and products, including consultant contracts, and conduct cost and price analyses to the extent required by applicable procurement regulations.

The OAO awards funds to one eligible applicant as the recipient. Please indicate a lead applicant as the responsible party if other organizations are named as partners or co applicants or members of a coalition or consortium. The recipient will be held accountable to the OAO for the proper administrative requirements and expenditure of all funds.

E. Submission Dates and Times

The closing date and time for receipt of proposal submissions is May 15, 2018, at 11 :59 p.m., EST, via www.grants.gov. Proposals received after the submission deadline will be considered late without further consideration. Proposals must be submitted through www.grants.gov without exception. Additionally, organizations must also be registered in the SAM (www.sam.gov). Creating an account for both websites can take several days to receive account verification and/or PIN numbers. Please allow sufficient time to complete access requirements for these websites. The proposal submission deadline is firm.

F. Confidential Information

In accordance with 2 CFR part 200, the names of entities submitting proposals, as well as proposal contents and evaluations, will be kept confidential to the extent permissible by law. Any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked as such in the proposal. If an applicant chooses to include confidential or proprietary information in the proposal, it will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law.

G. Pre-Submission Proposal Assistance

1. The OAO may not assist individual applicants by reviewing draft proposals or providing advice on how to respond to evaluation criteria. However, the OAO will respond to questions from individual applicants regarding eligibility criteria, administrative issues related to the submission of the proposal, and requests for clarification regarding the announcement. Any questions should be submitted to 250 I GRANTS@osec.usda.gov.