Funding Opportunity: Plant Protection Act Section 7721 Program Fiscal Year 2027 Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the availability of funds to carry out the Plant Protection Act Section 7721 (PPA 7721) program. Through the PPA 7721 Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program (PPDMDPP), APHIS provides funds to support projects that protect American agriculture and natural resources from plant pests and diseases through early detection, rapid response, and innovation. The APHIS website https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp has additional details about the PPDMDPP and this funding opportunity, including information for suggesters and how to submit suggestions.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp

Plant Protection Act Section 7721 Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program Fiscal Year 2027 Cooperative/Interagency Agreements and Internal Projects

Fiscal Year 2027 Notice of Funding Opportunity Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10031-PPQ-PPDMDPP-2027

Publication Date: July 27, 2026

Application Due Date: September 21, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. BASIC INFORMATION

A.1 FUNDING DETAILS

A.2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A.3 ELIGIBLE SUGGESTERS

A.4 THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

A.5 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

A.6 COST SHARING

A.7 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

B. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

B.1 OBTAINING AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

B.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

B.3 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

B.4 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

B.5 OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

C. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

C.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA

C.2 SELECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS

D. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

D.1 AWARD NOTICES

D.2 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

D.3 REPORTING

D.4 PROJECT EVALUATION

E. OTHER INFORMATION

E.1 DEFINITIONS

A. BASIC INFORMATION

Federal Agency Name: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)

Funding Opportunity Title: Plant Protection Act Section 7721 Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program (PPDMDPP).

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-APHIS-10031-PPQ-PPDMDPP-2027.

Announcement Type: Initial Announcement

Assistance Listing Number: 10.031

Key Dates: Suggestions submitted for PPDMDPP must be received through the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal by September 21, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

□ If applicable, States that are required to comply with Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, will need to include a waiver or approval response letter from the State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC). Check the Intergovernmental Review (SPOC List) (usda.gov) for the most current list of required States for APHIS CFDA 10.

Anticipated Period of Performance: The agreement performance period for cooperative and interagency agreements is estimated to begin between May 1, 2027, and September 30, 2027, and end no later than 12 months after the start date. The performance period for internal projects is estimated to begin between March 1, 2027, and June 1, 2027, and end no later than September 30, 2027.

A.1 FUNDING DETAILS

This funding opportunity is provided to carry out the provisions described in Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act. Through the PPA 7721 program, APHIS provides funds to support projects that protect specialty crops, nursery systems, forestry, other agricultural production systems, and natural resources from harmful and invasive plant pests and pathogens. Additional details about the program are available on the PPDMDPP and NCPN websites. APHIS will make available up to $90,000,000 in funds to support PPA 7721 projects in Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027), with at least $73 million anticipated to be available for PPA 7721 PPDMDPP. In this funding opportunity, the PPA 7721 PPDMDPP is seeking suggestions from eligible entities described in Section A.3 for projects that address the funding priority topics described in Section A.7. PPA 7721 funding for the National Clean Plant Network is addressed in a separate Notice of Funding Opportunity.

A.2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

APHIS will consider suggestions that clearly and directly support the objectives and strategies within the six PPDMDPP goal areas. Suggesters should refer to the FY 2027 PPA 7721 Implementation Plan, for details about the strategies and objectives for each goal area.

Agency Contact Information: For questions about the PPA 7721 PPDMDPP program and this funding opportunity, required documents, or the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission process, please contact ppa-projects@usda.gov.

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mrpbs/fmd/downloads/spoc_list.pdf https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section7721&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section7721&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ncpn https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ppa7721-fy27-implementation-plan_0.pdf mailto:ppa-projects@usda.gov

Anticipated Awards: APHIS anticipates funding between 325 and 350 suggestions, with the funding level depending on the scope and objectives of each suggestion. It is anticipated that most agreements awarded will not exceed $400,000. The average PPA 7721 award in FY 2026 was about $130,000.

A.3 ELIGIBLE SUGGESTERS

PPA 7721 PPDMDPP eligible suggesters are:

1. State Departments of Agriculture

2. Other State and Federal agencies

3. Tribal nations

4. Non-profit organizations

5. Industry

6. Colleges and Universities

Each application package must contain a suggestion focused on one goal area only. Applicants can submit more than one suggestion. While an individual staff person’s time may be utilized on multiple PPA 7721 projects, the total of an individual’s time across all awarded suggestions may not exceed 100 percent.

A.4 THRESHOLD ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Suggestion packages must meet these initial screening criteria to be considered for further review.

Suggestions that do not meet these initial screening criteria will not be considered. Any suggestion package with missing or incomplete documents or forms, or that fails to address the criteria below or funding priorities and program requirements as listed in Attachment 1, will not be eligible to receive further review.

1. Suggestions must be submitted by eligible entities.

2. Suggestions must address the funding priorities available in the FY 2027 Implementation Plan.

3. All required documents and forms listed in Section B.2 must (a) be included in the suggestion package, and (b) comply with the submission requirements described in Section B of this announcement. Suggestion packages with missing or incomplete documents or forms will not be considered for review.

4. Suggestions, including all associated documents and forms, must be received on or before the suggestion submission deadline. Suggestions received after the submission deadline will not be considered.

A.5 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

Funding restrictions, including unallowable costs, indirect cost cap, and cost restrictions, are provided in the FY 2027 Implementation Plan under Appendix D: PPA 7721 Use of Funds. Generally unallowable costs are described in 2 CFR Subpart E, Cost Principles – General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost.

Funds may not be used in any way as prohibited by applicable law or regulations, including 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 400. Awards issued pursuant to this notice of funding opportunity may only be used for the purpose set forth in the award, consistent with the statutory authority for the award.

Suggestion Limit: Suggesters may submit as many suggestions as they wish. If submitting more than one suggestion, each suggestion must be submitted individually.

A.6 COST SHARING

Cost sharing, matching, or cost participation is not required for PPA 7721 projects. If a suggester includes voluntary committed cost sharing as part of a suggestion in their budget proposal and it is accepted by https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ppa7721-fy27-implementation-plan_0.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ppa7721-fy27-implementation-plan_0.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=36bff1b1599bd122d722fcb83c76da10&mc=true&node=sp2.1.200.e&rgn=div6 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR36520e4111dce32/section-200.329 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400

APHIS, the commitment of funds becomes legally binding. The cost share must be included in the Work and Financial Plan, reported on the SF-424 and quarterly updates on Form SF-425, and is subject to audit.

The Secretary shall not take the ability to provide non-Federal costs to carry out a cooperative agreement into consideration when deciding whether to enter into a cooperative agreement with a State department of agriculture.

A.7 PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Program Goals: This funding opportunity supports APHIS PPQ’s mission to safeguard U.S. agriculture and natural resources against the entry, establishment, and spread of economically and environmentally significant pests, and facilitates the safe trade of agricultural products.

Program Objectives: PPDMDPP funds projects focused on critical needs and opportunities to prevent against, detect, and mitigate invasive plant pests and diseases. PPDMDPP projects are organized around six goal areas:

• Plant Pest and Disease Survey and Analysis

• Domestic Inspection

• Pest Identification and Diagnostic Technology

• Protecting Nursery Production

• Public Outreach and Education

• Pest Mitigation and Rapid Response

Expected Outcomes: Projects funded under this announcement are expected to support activities that will protect U.S. specialty crops, nursery systems, forestry, and other agricultural production and natural resources from harmful and exotic plant pests and pathogens by improving early plant pest detection, threat identification, and mitigation capabilities.

Performance Goals: Performance goals and data collection will be tailored to the specific project. Upon selection for funding, APHIS will consult with recipients to ensure they identify appropriate performance goals, indicators, targets, and data collection to successfully implement the project as outlined in the Work Plan.

Funding Priorities: PPA 7721’s PPDMDPP funds projects focused on critical needs and opportunities to prevent against, detect, and mitigate invasive plant pests and diseases organized around six goal areas. These six goal areas represent the Program’s funding priorities and include: enhancing plant pest and disease survey and analysis; targeting domestic inspection; enhancing and strengthening pest identification and technology;

safeguarding nursery production; conducting targeted outreach and education; and enhancing mitigation and rapid response capabilities (see FY 2027 Implementation Plan).

Type of Assistance Instrument: Suggestions approved for funding with non-Federal partners will be funded via cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements are expected to include substantial involvement by APHIS to assist in the completion of the goals and objectives of the work. Interagency agreements will be used if the recipient is a non-APHIS Federal agency. Awards to APHIS Federal agencies will be funded as an internal project.

Cost Guidance: All APHIS awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, allowable and unallowable costs, direct and indirect costs, cost share and matching, and other considerations as described and defined in:

• PPA 7721 Use of Funds document, found in Appendix D of the FY 2027 Implementation Plan.

• 2CFR 200

• APHIS General Terms and Conditions

• USDA General Terms and Conditions for Federal Awards https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ppa7721-fy27-implementation-plan_0.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/ppa7721-fy27-implementation-plan_0.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200?toc=1 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/tcs-for-award-oct26-2024-until-amended.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-general-terms-conditions-2025.pdf

All suggesters must submit a detailed budget using the goal specific PPA 7721 PPDMDPP template available on the USDA APHIS PPDMDPP website.

Legislative Authority: The PPA 7721 program is authorized under Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act.

B. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

We strongly urge suggesters to complete the following activities as soon as possible: (1) create an eAuthentication or Login.gov account, and (2) ensure access to the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal. Instructions are available on APHIS’ How to Apply for APHIS Funding: Getting Started web page.

Suggesters may submit more than one suggestion to the PPDMDPP funding opportunity. Suggesters who submit more than one suggestion must do so as a separate application package per suggestion.

B.1 OBTAINING AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

Suggesters can find all application materials on the ezFedGrants (eFG) website or the Grants.gov website by searching Assistance Listing Number 10.031. Application materials and additional information are also available on the USDA APHIS PPDMDPP website. All application packages for funding consideration, which are referred to as suggestions within the PPDMDPP, must be submitted through the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal available through the USDA APHIS PPDMDPP website.

B.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

For Federal and Non-Federal suggesters, the suggestions must include the documents listed below. Note that suggestions must utilize the most current fiscal year templates and provide documents in Excel and/or Word or PDF format before they can be uploaded in the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal. All template documents and the ServiceNow portal are compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for accessibility.

The total size of any single attachment cannot exceed 20mb.

□ Filled PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission form. See below.

□ Completed Budget, Survey, or Diagnostic Laboratory template. See below.

□ Narrative Report (if applicable). See below.

Suggesters should refer to Guidance for Completing and Submitting a PPA 7721 PPDMDPP Suggestion when preparing an application package for submission. Any suggestion with missing or incomplete documents will result in a rejected suggestion.

PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission Suggesters must complete a single PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission form per suggestion that provides details on all aspects of the project. The PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission form is available through the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal. Suggesters must include a completed Budget, Survey, or Diagnostic Laboratory template, and Narrative Report (if applicable) as an uploaded document with the form. Refer to the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission Guidance for more information about submitting suggestions to the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal.

Budget, Survey, or Diagnostic Laboratory Template Suggesters must submit a Budget, Survey, or Diagnostic Laboratory template that includes details about the project budget and survey plan (if applicable). When preparing one of the templates, suggesters must comply with the guidance and funding restrictions described in Section A.5. The PPDMDPP Budget, Survey, or Diagnostic Laboratory templates are available on the USDA APHIS PPDMDPP website. Suggesters who do not https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section7721&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.aphis.usda.gov/apply-for-funding https://www.usda.gov/ocfo/ezfedgrants https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fy27-guidance-completing-submitting-ppa7721-suggestion.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fy27-guidance-completing-submitting-ppa7721-suggestion.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fy-2027-ppa7721-ppdmdpp-application-package-rev.zip https://www.aphis.usda.gov/funding/ppdmdpp utilize and upload one of the templates will be removed from further funding consideration. The PPDMDPP Budget, Survey, or Diagnostic Laboratory templates must be the most current year templates and submitted in Excel format. Information in the template must match the cooperator budget information provided in the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission form.

Narrative Report Suggesters must provide a Narrative Report that provides details on project progress to date if they have received funding from the PPA 7721 PPDMDPP in any prior year for a similar or continuing project. Suggesters must include the Narrative Report (if applicable) as an uploaded document in either PDF or Word format.

Refer to the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission Guidance for more information regarding submitting a Narrative Report to the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal.

B.3 SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

The closing date and time for receipt of suggestion submissions is September 21, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Suggestions received after the submission deadline will not be considered.

All suggesters must submit all suggestion materials electronically using the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal. No email or hard copy suggestions will be accepted by the PPA 7721 PPDMDPP.

• To submit a suggestion in the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal, suggesters must have an eAuthentication or Login.gov Account. Suggesters who do not already have an account are encouraged to create an account as soon as possible. Additional instructions on these activities are available in the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission Guidance and on APHIS’ How to Apply for APHIS Funding: Getting Started web page.

• Suggesters who encounter problems with the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal or the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission form may contact ppa-projects@usda.gov – at least 48 hours before the deadline – for additional assistance.

All suggestions must be complete and submitted by the deadline without exception. The PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission portal is scheduled to become inaccessible on September 21, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Suggesters are strongly advised to start the suggestion process early.

B.4 UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

System for Award Management (SAM)

All suggesters (except those from Federal agencies) whose suggestions are selected for funding are required to register in the SAM (before time of application) and must continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information throughout the award period of performance (2 CFR 200.205). To register, go to the SAM website. When creating a SAM account, it may take up to two weeks before the account appears in Federal systems. Suggesters should verify their SAM registration, and suggesters who are not already registered in SAM are encouraged to complete this task as soon as possible. Suggesters should also register for a Unique Entity ID within SAM; signing up for a SAM account and registering for a Unique Entity ID are separate processes. Entity registration is the process of providing information about yourself or your organization so the government can verify you are a legitimate entity that can apply for government contracts or assistance. To learn more and apply for a Unique Entity ID visit the SAM website.

Additional instructions for SAM registration are available on APHIS’ How to Apply for APHIS Funding: Getting Started web page.

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fy-2027-ppa7721-ppdmdpp-application-package-rev.zip https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fy-2027-ppa7721-ppdmdpp-application-package-rev.zip https://www.aphis.usda.gov/apply-for-funding https://www.aphis.usda.gov/apply-for-funding mailto:ppa-projects@usda.gov https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.205 https://sam.gov/entity-registration https://sam.gov/entity-registration https://www.aphis.usda.gov/apply-for-funding https://www.aphis.usda.gov/apply-for-funding

B.5 OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Letters of support are not required but may be included. Concise letters of support from State / Tribal plant health officials or specialty crop organizations may be helpful. If included, letters of support should be uploaded in PDF format as attachments to the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission form.

• Suggesters should not request letters of support from APHIS PPQ employees; PPDMDPP will solicit input from APHIS PPQ experts during the review process.

• Curriculum vitae (CV’s) are not required. Suggesters should instead briefly summarize the relevant professional experience of the project leader(s) in the relevant field within the PPA 7721 ServiceNow Suggestion Submission form instead of attaching CVs.

• Suggesters must describe support needed from APHIS PPQ Plant Protection and Quarantine personnel to accomplish their project such as participation by APHIS personnel in events associated with the project (e.g., workshops, planning meetings) or services to be provided by PPQ subject matter experts (e.g., data, information, analyses) to complete the project.

• APHIS complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

C. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

The USDA is responsible for selecting and approving PPA 7721 PDDMDPP funded suggestions. Suggestions that meet the threshold eligibility criteria in Section A will be considered for available funds with all other eligible suggestions submitted in response to this funding opportunity announcement.

Criteria that make a suggestion ineligible are:

• Missing the suggestion submission deadline

• Failure to focus on a plant pest issue

• Failure to align with the selected goal area

• Failure to submit all required information and forms

Award Process: Funds will be awarded to the highest quality suggestions through an internal review and award process. The review process is described below. The number of awards is contingent on the submission of high-quality suggestions and available funding. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of USDA.

Proposals must be clearly written and logically describe planned activities (methods) to achieve each project objective. Project objectives must be measurable, lead to specific results, and be attainable during the period of performance. Sufficient details must be provided to demonstrate how the requested resources are essential and reasonable to accomplish the proposed tasks.

Based on reviewer recommendations, APHIS may award less than the requested amount of funds for a suggestion. In these cases, suggesters may accept or decline the award that is offered. APHIS will provide additional guidance to suggesters that accept a reduced funding level.

C.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Suggestions will be evaluated based on the criteria listed below. Suggesters should explicitly address these criteria in their suggestion submission.

1. Alignment with PPDMDPP goal area, objectives, and strategies;

2. Benefits for pest surveillance and management efforts;

3. Impacts on/benefits to specialty crops and agricultural industries;

4. Alignment with PPQ priorities;

https://www.fcc.gov/general/section-508-rehabilitation-act

5. Likelihood of project success;

6. Prior/relevant experience of the cooperators;

7. Validity of scientific and technological merit; benefits compared to existing technology;

8. Appropriate project timeline for intended deliverables; and

9. Reasonable budget with adequate detail/description and justification to ensure appropriate use of funds.

Suggestions submitted to goals 1A, 1S, or 2 will also be evaluated based on the special funding considerations outlined in PPA Section 7721 sub-section b(6).

Suggestions submitted to goals 3, 4, 5, and 6 will also be evaluated for alignment with operational needs, including clear operational deliverables and timelines, end user applications, and transferability of outcomes to State departments of agriculture and/or operational partners.

C.2 SELECTION AND REVIEW PROCESS

Reviewers will utilize Decision Lens, a data analysis application, to evaluate eligible suggestions utilizing a fixed ranking system with assigned values of 0 to 1 for criteria. All reviewer ratings and feedback are captured in Decision Lens to develop final funding recommendations, thus leading to strategic and transparent decision making regarding the effective use and distribution of PPA 7721 PPDMDPP funds.

In the event of a real or perceived conflict of interest, a reviewer shall recuse themselves or be recused. The review team may consult with additional subject-matter experts as appropriate. USDA will consider the review team’s recommendations in making final funding determinations.

In addition to the evaluation criteria described in Section D.1, the review team and USDA may consider the distribution of suggestions across geographic areas, plant industry sectors, and critical aspects of the funding priorities described in Section A.

The selecting official may select applications out of rank order in consideration of strategic program priorities.

Selection determinations are final and cannot be appealed.

RISK REVIEW

Prior to making a Federal award, the Federal awarding agency is required by 2 CFR 200.206, 31 USC 3321 and 41 USC 2313 to review information available through any OMB designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information. Therefore, application evaluation criteria may include the following risk-based considerations of the applicant: (1) financial stability; (2) quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards; (3) history of performance in managing a Federal award; (4) reports and findings from audits; and (5) ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.

Prior to making a federal award with a total amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, currently $350,000, the Federal agency must review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the responsibility/qualification records available in SAM.gov (41 USC 2313).

• An applicant can review and comment on any information in the responsibility/qualification records available at SAM.gov.

Before making decisions in the risk review required by 2 CFR 200.206, the Federal awarding agency will consider any comments by the applicant along with information available in the responsibility/qualification records in SAM.gov.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title7-section7721&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title31-section3321&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section2313&num=0&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title41-section2313&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206

D. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

APHIS will administer the agreements and collaborate with funded suggestion recipients to provide advice, receive and review project documents, offer comments and suggestions, track project performance, and communicate with recipients as necessary to ensure progress in accomplishing the project, identifying obstacles, and resolving concerns.

Recipients will track performance and expenditures, provide progress reports and project deliverables in accordance with an approved work plan, and communicate with PPQ staff to assess and evaluate progress in accordance with the terms and conditions of 2 CFR Chapter IV, 2 CFR Part 200, USDA General Terms and Conditions, and APHIS General Terms and Conditions.

D.1 AWARD NOTICES

Period of Performance: Suggestions funded as cooperative or interagency agreements must be completed within 12 months. The period of performance for a cooperative or interagency agreement is typically one year from the date of award. Funding will not be allowed, nor activities approved to occur, either before or after the designated period of performance. A pre-award must be established if activities need to occur before the period of performance.

Suggestions funded as internal projects with APHIS partners must be completed by the end of FY 2027, which is September 30, 2027. Funding will not be allowed, nor activities approved to occur, either before the spending plan is released or after the end of FY 2027.

APHIS will announce the funding decisions by releasing the FY 2027 Spending Plan through a Stakeholder Registry Notice, anticipated to occur in February 2027. Suggesters are encouraged to sign up for PPA 7721 Stakeholder Registry Notices, to receive the funding announcement. Suggesters whose projects are not funded may request feedback on their suggestion by sending an email to the PPA 7721 Team at ppa-projects@usda.gov. Awards will be executed as soon as possible after the awarded projects are announced.

Pre-awards may be requested if there is urgency to begin work before the award can be executed. If pre-award costs are allowed, beginning performance is at the applicant’s own risk.

Suggesters selected for funding will receive instruction on next steps to process a Notice of Award (NOA) via ezFedGrants. The Notice of Award will provide pertinent instructions and information including but not limited to the information described in 2 CFR 200.210 and a reference to the APHIS General Terms and Conditions.

Non-Federal suggesters whose suggestions are selected for funding may be required to submit the following forms:

□ Certification Regarding Lobbying. Required if the Federal Assistance portion of the project’s financial plan is greater than $100,000.

□ SF-LLL “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”. Required if the Federal Assistance portion of the project’s financial plan is greater than $100,000.

□ A signed copy of the current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. Required if indirect costs are assessed (2 CFR Part 200.414).

□ If applicable, States that are required to comply with Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs, will need to include a waiver or approval response letter from the SPOC).

Check the Intergovernmental Review (SPOC List) (usda.gov) for the most current list of required States for APHIS CFDA 10.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206 https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-general-terms-conditions-2025.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-general-terms-conditions-2025.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/tcs-for-award-oct26-2024-until-amended.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=70b44cfc44976f4a7742464f7cfbb37e&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1210&rgn=div8 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/business-services/financial-management-division/Financial_Services_Branch/Agreements_Service_Center/Terms-Conditions-for-APHIS-Awards https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/business-services/financial-management-division/Financial_Services_Branch/Agreements_Service_Center/Terms-Conditions-for-APHIS-Awards https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414 https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.aphis.usda.gov/mrpbs/fmd/downloads/spoc_list.pdf

Federal suggesters selected for funding will receive further communication from APHIS regarding requirements and processes for Interagency Agreements.

D.2 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Suggesters receiving funding must comply with the requirements contained in the 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. They must also comply with the APHIS General Terms and Conditions, USDA General Terms and Conditions, the approved work plan, and the approved financial plan.

Prior to obligating funds, APHIS will conduct a risk assessment of suggesters. Suggesters will be verified in the SAM to ensure they have not been disbarred or suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency. APHIS may not issue a federal award to a suggester until the suggester has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. If a suggester has not fully complied with the requirements, APHIS may determine that the suggester is not eligible to receive a federal award.

When anticipated total federal share exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold, APHIS is required to review and consider information about the suggester included in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM. A suggester, if desired, may review and comment on any information about their organization previously entered and currently in the system. When completing the risk assessment, APHIS will consider suggester comments in addition to other information in the designated integrity and performance system to assess a suggester's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under federal awards.

Successful applicants, and any and all contracts entered into by the awardee with respect to the award, shall ensure that geospatial data required to be collected and provided to the agency conforms with the requirements of USDA Department Regulation DR-3465-001 and the Geospatial Metadata Standards set forth in DM 3465-001.

Before accepting an award, the applicant should carefully read all award documents for instructions on administering the award and the terms and conditions associated with responsibilities of Federal Awards. By signing a Notice of Award, the Recipient accepts all conditions in this NOFO as well as any Special Terms and Conditions in the Notice of Award to receive an award under this program.

D.3 REPORTING

The funded suggesters shall provide reports to the PPQ Authorized Departmental Officer’s Designated Representative (ADODR) through the ezFedGrants system, when applicable, and in compliance with the APHIS General Terms and Conditions and USDA General Terms and Conditions. Performance and financial reports are required and must be submitted in ezFedGrants, when applicable. The reports will be used to verify compliance with provisions of the Cooperative or Interagency Agreement.

The performance report should include:

• A comparison of actual accomplishments to the established goals for the period.

• The reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and

• Additional pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs.

Subaward and Executive Compensation Reporting Applicants must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the subaward and executive total compensation reporting requirements established at 2 CFR Part 170, should they be selected for funding.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200 https://www.aphis.usda.gov/organization/business-services/asc/terms-conditions https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-general-terms-conditions-2025.pdf https://www.usda.gov/directives/dr-3465-001 https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/dm-3465-001.pdf https://www.aphis.usda.gov/organization/business-services/asc/terms-conditions https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/usda-general-terms-conditions-2025.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-170

Closeout No later than 120 calendar days after the end date of the period of performance or after an amendment has been issued to closeout a USDA/APHIS financial assistance agreement, whichever comes first, recipients must submit a final financial report and final progress report detailing all accomplishments and a qualitative summary of the impact of those accomplishments throughout the period of performance.

After final reports have been reviewed and approved by the Agency, and any residual amount due to the recipient or due to be returned to the Agency is disbursed, the award is subject to closeout. Acceptance of final reports by USDA/APHIS constitutes a closeout of the award with no further notice or obligation to either party. This acceptance will indicate the period of performance has expired, and any remaining funds will be deobligated. Records must be retained for a minimum of three years after the final financial report is submitted.

D.4 PROJECT EVALUATION

The project will be monitored in compliance with 2 CFR 200.329 and evaluated through the review of performance and financial reports, as well as periodic discussions of project progress with the PPQ ADODR.

Performance is evaluated based on the following criteria to determine if project standards included in the work and financial plans and expected results and benefits were achieved:

1. Adherence to the project objectives.

2. Adherence to project schedule.

3. Adherence to project budget.

4. Delivery of results that meet the agreement performance standards and achieve stated outcomes.

E. OTHER INFORMATION

The USDA is not obligated to make any awards from this announcement nor to make any changes to future announcements. Only the APHIS Authorized Departmental Officer can bind the Government to an expenditure of funds, and this obligation of funds shall only occur in writing by authorized officials and under the approved USDA, APHIS Cooperative Agreement format.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control numbers for this information collection are 0053-0028. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average .753 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden statement or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to APHIS.PRA@usda.gov.

E.1 DEFINITIONS

This announcement uses definitions as described in Section 7721 of the Plant Protection Act. Per the Plant Protection Act 7 (USC Ch. 104), the term “specialty crop” has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 and includes fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops, including floriculture.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR36520e4111dce32/section-200.329 mailto:APHIS.PRA@usda.gov https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title7-section7721&num=0&edition=prelim

C.2 Selection and Review Process