Risk Management Education Partnership Program - RFA.pdf

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Crop Insurance Corporation

Funding Opportunity Title:

Risk Management Education Partnership Program

Fiscal Year 2018 Request for Applications

Funding Opportunity Number USDA-PP-RMED-2018

Announcement Type: Announcement of Availability of Initial Funds and Request for Applications (RFA) for Competitive Cooperative Partnership Agreements.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.460.

Publication Date: May 29, 2018

Application Due Date: July 30, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Highlights and Changes for 2018

It is important that applicants read and adhere to the guidance contained in this Request for

Applications (RFA) when preparing their applications. Below are highlights of major changes to the program since last year.

• Alert to System for Award Management (SAM) Registration. If you are registering a new entity in SAM.gov, you must provide an original, signed notarized letter stating that you are the authorized Entity Administrator before your registration will be activated.

• Updated Agency Priorities for 2018.

• Project Period has been extended to eighteen (18) months. Project will begin September

29, 2018 with an ending date of March 31, 2020.

• Detailed guidelines on writing a Budget Narrative.

• Because Regional Office direct involvement in activities is dependent upon resources available, Applicants are encouraged to consider teleconferences or webinars as alternatives to in-person requests under the Substantial Involvement requirements of the award.

• Updates to RMA Program References.

Summary: The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk

Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award up to $4.16 million to fund the Risk

Management Education Partnership Program. The Request for Application (RFA) includes two

(2) competitive funding categories: (a) up to $99,999; and (b) $100,000 and above. The cooperative agreements will be awarded on a competitive basis up to eighteen (18) months from the date of the award.

https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/answer.do?sysparm_kbid=d2e67885db0d5f00b3257d321f96194b&sysparm_search=kb0013183

Dates: All applications, must be submitted electronically through https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx, and must be received by July 30, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, 60 calendar days from date of publication in Grants.gov. Hard copy applications will NOT be accepted. A tutorial on how to apply is available at http://rvs.umn.edu/rmaresources.

Key dates in the following table are provided to illustrate the timing of actions related to this RFA announcement.

Key Dates Actions

May 29, 2018 RFAs Announced in Grants.gov. RFA Open for 60 days.

June 5, 2018 RFA/RVS Training Conducted for Potential Applicants 11:00 a.m. EDT.

June 14, 2018 RFA/RVS Training Conducted for Potential Applicants 3:00 p.m. EDT.

July 30, 2018 RFA Closes 5:00 p.m. EDT.

Week of September 10, 2018 Award notifications begin to be emailed; Unsuccessful applicants are notified.

September 29, 2018 Project Start Date.

Purpose: The purpose of this competitive program is to deliver crop insurance education and risk management training to U.S. agricultural producers to assist them in identifying and managing production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk. The program gives priority to: (1) educating producers of crops currently not insured under Federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage; and (2) providing collaborative partnerships to develop and deliver crop insurance education and other risk management training.

Education activities developed under the Risk Management Education Partnership Program will provide U.S. farmers and ranchers, including limited resource, socially disadvantaged, and other traditionally under-served farmers and ranchers with training and information opportunities to be able to understand:

https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx http://rvs.umn.edu/rmaresources http:Grants.gov

i. The kinds of risks addressed by existing and emerging risk management tools;

ii. The features and appropriate use of existing and emerging risk management tools; and

iii. How to make sound risk management decisions.

Funding availability for this program may be announced at approximately the same time as funding availability for similar but separate programs:—CFDA No. 10.458 (Crop Insurance

Education in Targeted States). Prospective applicants should carefully examine and compare the notices of each announcement.

The collections of information in this Announcement have been approved by Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) under control number 0563-0067.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSISTS OF EIGHT SECTIONS

Section A—Funding Opportunity Description

1. Legislative Authority

2. Background

3. Project Goal

4. Definition of Priority Commodities

5. Fiscal Year 2018 Priorities

Section B—Award Information

1. Type of Application

2. Funding Availability

3. Maximum Award

4. Project Period

5. Location

6. Audience Emphasis

7. RMA Substantial Involvement

8. Description of Agreement Award - Recipient Tasks

9. Other Tasks

Section C—Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funding

Section D—Application and Submission Information

1. Electronic Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Funding Restrictions

4. Indirect Cost Rates

5. Other Submission Requirements

Section E—Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

Section F—Award Administration Information

1. Information Contained in a Federal Award

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

i. Requirement to acknowledge USDA support.

ii. Requirement to Provide Project Information to an RMA-selected

Representative

iii. Access to Panel Review Information

iv. Confidential Aspects of Applications and Awards

v. Risk Assessment

vi. Audit Requirements

vii. Prohibitions and Requirements Regarding Lobbying

viii. Representation Regarding the Prohibition on Using Funds under Grants and

Cooperative Agreements with Entities that Require Certain Internal

Confidentiality Agreements

ix. Applicable OMB Circulars

x. Requirement to Assure Compliance with Federal Civil Rights Laws

xi. Requirement to Participate in a Post Award Teleconference

xii. Requirement to Participate in a Post Award Civil Rights Training

3. Reporting Requirements

Section G—Agency Contact

Section H—Additional Information

1. The Restriction of the Expenditure of Funds to Enter into Financial Transactions

2. Required Registration with the System for Awards Management (SAM) for

Submission of Proposals

Full Text of Announcement

Section A. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Legislative Authority

The Risk Management Education Partnership Program is authorized under Section 522(d)(3)(F) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA), (7 U.S.C. § 1522(d)(3)(F)), and provides FCIC funding for risk management training and informational efforts for agricultural producers through the formation of partnerships with public and private organizations.

2. Background

RMA promotes and regulates sound risk management solutions to improve the economic stability of American agriculture. On behalf of FCIC, RMA does this by offering Federal crop insurance products through a network of private-sector partners, overseeing the creation of new risk management products, seeking enhancements in existing products, ensuring the integrity of crop insurance programs, offering programs aimed at equal access and participation of underserved communities, and providing risk management education and information.

Call for Stakeholder input: FCIC through the RMA, seeks your comments about this RFA. We will consider the comments when we develop the next RFA for the program, if applicable, and may consider these comments for changes to future RFAs. Submit written stakeholder comments by

December 31, 2018 via e-mail to: RMA.Risk-ED@rma.usda.gov. In your comments, please state that you are responding to the Risk Management Education Partnership Program RFA.

Comments are optional and voluntary.

3. Project Goal

The goal of this program is to ensure that “. . . producers will be better able to use financial management, farm financial benchmarking, crop insurance, marketing contracts, and other mailto:RMA.Risk-ED@rma.usda.gov existing and emerging risk management tools.” One of RMA’s strategic goals is to ensure that producers are well informed of the risk management solutions available to them. This educational goal is supported by Section 522(d)(3)(F) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA) (7 U.S.C. §

1522(d)(3)(F)), which authorizes FCIC funding for risk management training and informational efforts for agricultural producers through the formation of partnerships with public and private organizations. Cooperative Agreements are awarded with the goal that FCIC will fund crop insurance and risk management projects that are likely to become self-sustaining and not indefinitely dependent on FCIC funds. With respect to such partnerships, priority is to be given to reaching producers of Priority Commodities, as defined below. A project is considered as giving priority to Priority Commodities if 75 percent of the educational and training activities of the project are directed to producers of any one of the three classes of commodities listed in the definition of Priority Commodities or any combination of the three classes.

4. Definition of Priority Commodities

For purposes of this program, Priority Commodities are defined as:

i. Agricultural commodities covered by (7 U.S.C. 7333). Commodities in this group are commercial crops that are not covered by catastrophic risk protection crop insurance, are used for food or fiber (except livestock), and specifically include, but are not limited to, floricultural, ornamental nursery, Christmas trees, turf grass sod, aquaculture (including ornamental fish), sea grass and sea oats, camelina, sweet sorghum, biomass sorghum, and industrial crops.

ii. Specialty crops. Commodities in this group may or may not be covered under a Federal crop insurance plan and include, but are not limited to, fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, syrups, honey, roots, herbs, and highly specialized varieties of traditional crops.

iii. Underserved commodities. This group includes: (a) commodities, including livestock and forage, that are covered by a Federal crop insurance plan but for which participation in an area is below the national average; and (b) commodities, including livestock and forage, with inadequate crop insurance coverage.

5. For Fiscal Year 2018: FCIC through RMA is seeking projects that address one or more of the five (5) areas of risk described as Production, Legal, Financial, Marketing or Human Risk.

Priorities include:

Crop Insurance 101:

What crop insurance is available;

How different kinds of insurance work;

Benefits for Beginning Farmers;

What options within each policy are available;

What if crop insurance isn’t available in a county (written agreements-what they are/how they work/how to get them/when they are available);

Who the producer buys insurance from;

How the relationship with the insurance company/agent/loss adjuster/FCIC works;

Understanding policy selections;

Insurance tools available online;

Importance of unit selection;

Importance of record keeping and risk management strategies for perennial/specialty/organic crops;

How actual production history and production reporting work and what’s important to the producer;

Price and coverage level interaction with options;

Maintaining production records, etc.; and/or

Specific information on crop insurance that is currently available.

Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) Training:

What is WFRP;

How does it work;

What records are required from the producer;

How the amount of insurance is determined and expenses are used in the policy;

How do producers evaluate WFRP for their farm;

How a loss is determined (including replant payments);

How do producers buy WFRP; and

Recordkeeping for fruit/vegetable producers to meet WFRP requirements.

Rainfall Index Insurance: Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF)/Annual

Forage/Apiculture:

Training on what PRF is (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), how it works, and how producers can evaluate PRF for their particular farm.

Training on Annual Forage (for Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and any known new states).

Training on Apiculture (all states except Alaska and Hawaii).

For PRF, specific for Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, include how the new Rainfall Index (RI-PRF) model works differently from what policy offered previously (these areas converted from Vegetative Index VI-PRF).

All Livestock Products: General education on all the livestock products so producers know what their choices of Federal crop insurance are.

Other Agency Priorities:

Cover Crops: Soil Conservation Practices

Crop Insurance Education to Tribes

Food Handling and Produce Safety

Irrigation and Limited Irrigation and Drought

Recordkeeping as a Risk Management Tool and Loan Requirements

Section B. Award Information

1. Type of Application

Applications submitted to the Risk Management Education Partnership Program are new applications: there are no renewals. All applications will be reviewed competitively using the selection process and evaluation criteria described in Section E – Application Review Process.

Each award will be designated as a Cooperative Agreement, which will require substantial involvement by RMA (Section B, 7).

2. Funding Availability

There is no commitment by USDA to fund any particular application or make a specific number of awards. Up to $4.16 million is available in fiscal year 2018. The FCIC, through RMA will make awards from this announcement, subject to the availability of funds and the quality of applications received. RMA reserves the right to eliminate funding consideration categories once

RMA receives the actual applications and eliminate the categories because the overall award process used must always remain merit-based and competitive.

3. Maximum Award

To expand funding opportunities to a broader group of recipients with small to large dollar funding needs, the RFA includes two (2) competitive funding categories: (a) up to $99,999; and

(b) $100,000 and above.

It is difficult to accurately estimate the number and amount of awards that RMA will provide this year. However, last year, RMA awarded approximately 52 cooperative agreements with an average of $91,418 (the lowest amount being $12,041 and the highest award at $199,811). RMA also reserves the right to fund successful applications at an amount less than requested if it is determined that the application can be implemented at a lower funding level.

All awards will be made and agreements finalized no later than week of September 10, 2018 with the project start date of September 29, 2018.

4. Project Period

Projects will be funded for a period of eighteen (18) months from the project starting date.

Project period will begin September 29, 2018 with an ending date of March 31, 2020.

5. Location

RMA Regional Offices and the States available for competition for this award are listed below.

Staff from the respective RMA Regional Offices and the Risk Management Education Division

(RMED) DC Office will provide substantial involvement (as defined in B 7 below) for projects conducted in states and regions as applicable. When approved partnerships involve multiple

RMA Regional Offices, RMED DC Office will coordinate substantial involvement.

Billings, Montana Regional Office: (MT, ND, SD, and WY)

Davis, California Regional Office: (AZ, CA, HI, NV, and UT)

Jackson, Mississippi Regional Office: (AR, KY, LA, MS, and TN)

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Regional Office: (NM, OK, and TX)

Raleigh, North Carolina Regional Office: (CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, VT, VA, and WV)

Spokane, Washington Regional Office: (AK, ID, OR, and WA)

Springfield, Illinois Regional Office: (IL, IN, MI, and OH)

St. Paul, Minnesota Regional Office: (IA, MN, and WI)

Topeka, Kansas Regional Office: (CO, KS, MO, and NE)

Valdosta, Georgia Regional Office: (AL, FL, GA, PR, and SC)

Each application must clearly designate the state(s) where educational activities will be conducted in the application. Applications may select more than one state, including states across multiple

RMA regions. Applications serving Tribal Nations will be accepted and managed from the RMA

Regional Office serving the designated Tribal Office.

6. Audience Emphasis

Audience emphasis is on U.S. producers and ranchers, and should specifically reach out to producer types not normally reached, such as limited resource and socially disadvantaged producers, to ensure they are given the opportunity to participate in educational activities.

Audience groups may include: traditional farmers and ranchers; new and beginning farmers;

farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire and are using transition strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started; legal immigrant farmers or ranchers, minority producers; veterans;

women; farmers and ranchers marketing their products as part of a local or regional food system;

livestock producers, organic producers, new or established farmers or ranchers that are converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets; small farms or ranches, sustainable producers, and value-added producers.

7. RMA Substantial Involvement

RMA will be substantially involved during the performance of the funded project through RMA’s

DC Office and RMA’s ten (10) Regional Offices. Potential types of substantial involvement may include, but are not limited to, the following activities.

i. Collaborate with the recipient in assembling, reviewing, and approving crop insurance and risk management materials for producers in the designated state(s) or RMA region(s).

ii. Collaborate with the recipient in reviewing and approving a promotional program for raising awareness for crop insurance and risk management and for informing producers of training and informational opportunities in the designated state(s) or

RMA region(s).

iii. Collaborate with the recipient on the delivery of education to producers and agribusiness leaders in the designated state(s) or RMA region(s). This will include: (a) reviewing and approving in advance all producer and agribusiness leader educational activities; (b) advising the project leader on technical issues related to crop insurance education and information; (c) assisting the project leader in informing crop insurance professionals about educational activity plans and scheduled meetings; and (d) promoting and creating awareness of scheduled partnership activities. Regional Office direct involvement in activities is dependent upon resources available. Applicants are encouraged to consider teleconferences or webinars as alternatives to in-person requests.

iv. Conduct an evaluation of the performance of the recipient in meeting the tasks of the project.

Applications that do not address substantial involvement by RMA will be rejected.

8. Description of Agreement Award - Recipient Tasks

In conducting activities to achieve the purpose and goal of this program in a designated state(s) or

RMA region(s), the recipient will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

i. Develop and conduct a promotional program in English or a non-English language to producers as appropriate to the audience. This program will include activities using media, newsletters, publications, or other appropriate informational dissemination techniques that are designed to: (a) raise awareness for crop insurance and risk management; (b) inform producers of the availability of crop insurance and risk management tools; and (c) inform producers and agribusiness leaders in the designated state(s) or RMA region(s) of training and informational opportunities.

ii. Deliver crop insurance and risk management training in English or non-English language as appropriate to the audience as well as informational opportunities to agricultural producers and agribusiness professionals in the designated state or RMA region(s). This will include organizing and delivering educational activities using the instructional materials assembled by the recipient to meet the local needs of agricultural producers.

Activities should be directed primarily to agricultural producers, but may include those agribusiness professionals that have frequent opportunities to advise producers on risk management tools and decisions.

iii. Document all educational activities conducted under the cooperative partnership agreement and the results of such activities, including criteria and indicators used to evaluate the success of the program. The recipient will also be required to provide information to RMA as requested for evaluation purposes.

9. Other Tasks

In addition to the specific, required tasks listed above, the applicant may propose additional tasks that would contribute directly to the purpose of this program such as but not limited to individual or group Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification, other food-safety related education and training activities, or activities targeting producers engaged in local or regional food systems, such as those selling at farmers markets. For any proposed additional task, the applicant must clearly identify the objective of the task (e.g., for website tools or mobile phone Apps, applicants must clearly identify the what risk management tool they are developing, the targeted user and relationship to crop insurance or managing farm risk and can be self-sustaining for future utilization), specific timelines for performing the tasks, how they will measure the success of these tasks, and the specific responsibilities of partners. The applicant must also identify specific ways in which RMA would have substantial involvement in the proposed project task.

Section C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include not-for profit organizations, State Departments of Agriculture, State

Cooperative Extension Services; Federal, State, or tribal agencies; groups representing producers, community based organizations or a coalition of community-based organization that has demonstrated experience in providing agricultural or other agricultural-related services to producers; nongovernmental organizations; junior and four-year colleges or universities or foundations maintained by a college or university (including Minority Serving Institutions); faith-based organizations and other appropriate partners with the capacity to lead a local program of crop insurance and risk management education for producers in the designated state(s) or RMA region(s). RMA may request documents from applicants to verify eligibility requirements, proof of existence, or authority.

i. Individuals are not eligible applicants.

ii. Although an applicant may be eligible to compete for an award based on its status as an eligible entity, other factors may exclude an applicant from receiving Federal assistance under this program governed by Federal law and regulations (e.g., debarment and suspension; a determination of non-performance on a prior contract, cooperative partnership agreement; or a determination of a violation of applicable ethical standards).

Reviewed applications in which the applicant or any of the partners are ineligible or excluded persons will be rejected in their entirety. Rejected applications will be retained during the RFA process, but will not be made an award.

iii. Private organizations that are involved in the sale of Federal crop insurance, or that have financial ties to such organizations, are eligible to apply for funding under this

Announcement. However, such entities and their partners, affiliates, and collaborators for this Announcement will not receive funding to conduct activities that are already required under a Standard Reinsurance Agreement or any other agreement in effect between

FCIC/RMA and the entity, or between FCIC/RMA and any of the partners, affiliates, or collaborators for awards under this Announcement. In addition, such entities and their partners, affiliates, and collaborators for this Announcement will not be allowed to receive funding to conduct activities that could be perceived by producers as promoting the services or products of one company over the services or products of another company that provides the same or similar services or products. If applying for funding, such organizations must be aware of potential conflicts of interest and must describe in their application the specific actions they will take to avoid actual and perceived conflicts of interest. Applications for which applicants fail to identify and disclose possible or actual conflicts of interest may result in, among other possible outcomes, application rejection, funding reimbursement denial, and/or termination.

iv. Applicants must note funding restrictions found in Section D, 3.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Funding

This program has neither a cost sharing nor a matching requirement, therefore does not result in any points assigned to an application.

Section D. Application and Submission Information

1. Electronic Application Package

For accessibility purposes, applicants may obtain an electronic copy at http://www.rma.usda.gov/aboutrma/agreements/ or request the application package by fax at 202-

690-3607. Only electronic applications will be accepted and they must be submitted to https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx in response to this Announcement. Applicants must register for an account on the Results Verification System (RVS) website, where users will be required to enter a user name, password, e-mail address, first and last name, address and phone number. For website and technical issues, call 1-612-624-7585 from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Central Time, Monday through Friday except for Federal holidays. Prior to preparing an application, it is recommended that the Project Director (PD) first contact an Authorized Representative (AR) or the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) to determine if the organization is prepared to submit electronic applications through https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx. Prior to submitting applications, each applicant must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), a Data Universal

Numbering System (DUNS) number and must be registered in System for Awards Management

(www.SAM.gov). No applicant can receive an award until the applicant has complied with all http://www.rma.usda.gov/aboutrma/agreements/ https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx http://www.sam.gov/

UEI and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with all UEI and SAM requirements by the time an award may be made, RMA may determine the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. Each application must continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times in which the applicant has its application under consideration, and if an award is made, during the entire time of the Federal award. RMA strongly encourage you to begin the process early to ensure that the application deadline is met.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

The applicant is strongly encouraged to use the tutorial located at https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx.

After completing the tutorial, the final application must be submitted to the same site:

https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx. All applications must be received in RVS by the deadline, July

30, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, 60 calendar days from date of publication in Grants.gov. If a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, the deadline will be the next business day. Once submitted, applications will be date and time stamped by the RVS as evidence of submission.

Hard copy of the application will not be accepted. The system will prompt the applicant for the following items:

i. Project Information. Information must include the Project Name, proposed

State(s)/Area(s), Project Director’s Name and Contact Information; the second, or alternative Project Director’s Name and Contact Information, and a Financial

Representative or Grants Office Official and Contact Information. A second Point of

Contact Name and Contact Information may be added at the discretion of the applicant.

https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx http:Grants.gov

ii. Executive Summary of the Project (Maximum of 200 words). This is a summary of the project and includes the project’s goal and objectives, location of work, audience to be reached, and expected impacts and results of the work completed.

iii. Proposed Results. Applicants must clearly identify the specific actions producers will take as a result of the education activities. In a table format, you must explain what producers will learn, achieve, or apply as a result of participating in the project.

The applicant must select a Producer action which describes what program participants will do relative to the specific proposed result. There are five levels of producer actions to choose from within RVS. Projects which include the action

“implement” have the most producer engagement and may be more likely to demonstrate a change of behavior. You may have several producer actions for a component of your program. Applicants must also include the method and/or tool that will be used to verify or measure results.

iv. Audience Emphasis. Applicant must select at least one or more audiences that the project will intentionally reach.

v. Statement of Work (SOW). The SOW is in a table format and must clearly identify each task associated with the work, the objective of each task specific time lines for performing the each task, and the responsible party for completing the activities listed under each task including the specific responsibilities of applicant, the applicant’s partner(s), and RMA’s substantial involvement. Tasks that directly involve producer participants, such as workshops, must estimate the number of participants to be reached. The SOW should demonstrate the logical progression of tasks that will lead your target audience to achieve the project’s proposed results. The SOW must be very clear on who does what, where, and when, as well as, the objective for each task.

vi. Proposal Narrative (Maximum of 1000 words). The proposal narrative is a description of work to be done, why the work is important, who will benefit from the work and any additional explanation of the expected results entered under Proposed

Results that you want to communicate. The narrative should (a) discuss specific crop insurance education and risk management training to be developed for use with producers; (b) identify the location and number of meetings that will be held; (c) reasonably estimate the total number of producers for each session or meeting identified in the SOW that will be reached through (i) direct face-to face educational activities with an explanation of how the number was determined and (ii) through other means such as direct mailings, website, etc. with an explanation of how the number was determined; (d) provide an estimate of the number of training hours that will be conducted with an explanation of how the number was determined; (e) provide an estimated cost per producer with an explanation of how the cost was determined; (f) discuss the methodology and resulting measures used to evaluate the results of the education and training delivered to producers, (g) provide an explanation of who the target audience is and why they were chosen; and (h) identify clear and reasonable producer outcomes that demonstrate the highest level of behavior change that can be directly linked to the proposed educational activities.

vii. Innovative Approach. Applicants are encouraged to introduce new ideas or methods of reaching their targeted audience; propose alternative versus traditional strategies to manage agriculture risks; and/or provide innovative risk management education training, materials, or tools. Applicants should build upon, or collaborate with, previously funded projects, as applicable.

viii. Team and Partners. There are three subsections under Team and Partners. (1) Key

Personnel: This section must list key personnel by title, role, and responsibilities including specific tasks and subtasks in the SOW designated to them. Key personnel have the primary responsibility for the leadership of the project and actively participate in the development, delivery, and management. Key personnel may include the Project Director, Co-Project Director, and essential partner(s) or consultant(s) whose contributions are essential to the success of the project. Resumes of key personnel are strongly encouraged, and may be uploaded as additional documentation in RVS. (2) Organizational Capacity: The organizational capacity of the applicant must demonstrate RMA that designated key personnel, contracted employees, partners or consultants working on the project have the skills, knowledge, and experience to do the work described in the SOW and have the necessary resources to add other team members as necessary to complete the work. (3) Letters of Commitment: All partners of the applicant working on the project must submit a

Letter of Commitment which clearly states that the named partner will work with the applicant on the project, if awarded, as well as the role and responsibilities assigned.

ix. Budget Narrative. The budget narrative must be included and provide a detailed explanation for each budget line item where the activity purpose or means of calculation may not be clear or require further justification. It should include at minimum: (1) Formula used to calculate totals for multiple or replicated costs (e.g., travel and per diem costs for multiple people; training materials and expenses based on participant number, etc.); (2) Supportive explanation and justification for activities and expenses determined essential, but that may not be understood from the narrative or may otherwise be unclear to reviewers; (3) Breakdown of costs associated with relatively high amount line items. The total cost for the project must show how they relate to the tasks listed in the SOW and line items listed on the SF-424A. There must be a relationship between work planned and performed to the costs incurred.

Applicants are encouraged to refer to 2 CFR 200 to ensure unallowable costs, including those associated with advertising, public relations, and conferences; as well as the items listed in the funding restrictions section of this RFA, are not included as part of the budget or project design. Budgets that contain unallowable costs under 2

CFR 200 or restricted items listed in Section D 3, will not be approved.

x. Priority Commodities. This section must list the Priorities Commodities addressed as defined in Section A 4.

xi. RMA Substantial Involvement. This section must describe RMA assistance as defined under RMA Substantial Involvement in Section B 7.

xii. Required Documents. To be downloaded from the RVS resource page

(https://rvs.umn.edu/Resources/RMA/), completed and uploaded prior to submission of the application).

• A completed OMB Standard Form 424, “Application for Federal Assistance.”

• A completed OMB Standard Form 424-A, “Budget Information for Non-

Construction Programs.” Federal funding requested (the total of direct and indirect costs) that includes the funding amount requested.

• A completed OMB Standard Form 424-B, “Assurances for Non-Constructive

Programs.”

• A completed and signed OMB Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities.

• A completed and signed AD-1049, Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace.

https://rvs.umn.edu/Resources/RMA/

• Current and Pending Report. This form contains a document called the Current and

Pending Report. On the Current and Pending Report you must state for this fiscal year if this application is a duplicate application or overlaps substantially with another application already submitted to or funded by another USDA Agency, including RMA, or other private organization. The percentage of each person’s time associated with the work to be done under this project must be identified in the application. The total percentage of time for both “Current” and “Pending” projects must not exceed 100 percent of each person’s time. Applicants must list all current public or private employment arrangements or financial support associated with the project or any of the personnel that are part of the project, regardless of whether such arrangements or funding constitute part of the project under this

Announcement (supporting agency, amount of award, effective date, expiration date, expiration date of award, etc.). If the applicant has no projects to list, “N/A” should be shown on the form. An application submitted under this RFA that duplicates or overlaps substantially with any application already reviewed and funded (or to be funded) by any other organization or agency, including but not limited to other RMA, USDA, and Federal government programs, will not be funded under this program. RMA reserves the right to reject your application based on the review of this information.

• Letters of Commitment. A Letter of Commitment is required from each partner or consultant partner of the applicant who will do the specific task as identified in the

SOW. The Letters must (1) be dated within 45 days of the submission and (2) list the specific tasks to be done.

RVS does not check for RMA required attachments or whether the documents are completed and signed. It is the responsibility of the Applicant. Applications that do not include the items listed above will be considered incomplete, will not receive further consideration, and will be rejected.

3. Funding Restrictions

RMA cooperative agreement funds may not be used to:

i. Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building or facility including a processing facility;

ii. Purchase, rent, or install fixed equipment;

iii. Repair or maintain privately owned vehicles;

iv. Pay for the preparation of the cooperative agreement application;

v. Fund political activities;

vi. Purchase alcohol, give-away promotional items, or entertainment;

vii. Lend money to support farming or agricultural business operation or expansion;

viii. Pay entrance fees, conference registration fees, or other expenses to conferences or similar activities for any person not on the agenda or not working at an event booth promoting RMA programs or the RMA funded project. These expenses will not be paid for the recipient’s Board of Directors, family members or similar entities;

ix. Pay costs associated 501(c) applications; and

x. Fund any activities prohibited in 2 CFR Parts 200, including those associated with advertising, public relations, and conferences as applicable.

4. Indirect Cost Rates

i. Indirect costs allowed for projects submitted under this Announcement will be limited to ten (10) percent of the total direct cost of the cooperative partnership agreement.

Therefore, when preparing budgets, applicants should limit their requests for recovery of indirect costs to the lesser of their institution’s official negotiated indirect cost rate or 10 percent of the total direct costs.

ii. RMA reserves the right to negotiate final budgets with successful applicants.

5. Other Submission Requirements

Applicants are entirely responsible for ensuring that RMA receives a complete application package by July 30, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. EDT at the following website:

http://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx. RMA strongly encourages applicants to submit applications well in advance of the deadline. Application packages submitted after the deadline will be rejected with no exceptions granted. Rejected applications will be retained during the RFA process, but will not be made an award.

Section E. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

Applications submitted under the Risk Management Education Partnership Program will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Project Results – Maximum 50 points available

Each application must demonstrate the project benefits and results to producers, warrant the funding requested. Applications will be considered according to the extent they can: (a) identify the specific actions producers will likely take as a result of the educational activities described in the Proposed Results; (b) identify the specific measures for evaluating results including, but not limited to, a change in producer behavior, resulting in (i) understanding crop insurance program and other risk management tools, (ii) evaluating what risk management options works best for his/her operation, and (iii) developing and implementing a specific course of action ( e.g., http://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx participation in crop insurance programs, creating a risk management plan or other risk management activities) listed in the Proposal Narrative; and (c) compare work described in the

Proposal Narrative and the SOW (e.g., work to be done; detailed project tasks and how RMA substantial involvement is directly included) against the Budget Narrative (e.g. cost of work to be done) to the Proposed Results (e.g., benefits to the producers). Higher consideration will be given to applications demonstrating: (a) a clear description of the crop insurance education and risk management training to be delivered; (b) alignment with one or more priorities listed in Section

A, 3, 4 and 5; (c) an explanation of the intended audiences and why these groups were chosen; (d) identifies clear and reasonable producer outcomes demonstrating that the project design includes results at the highest level of behavior change and are directly linked to the proposed educational activities; and (e) the best use of funds for the number of producers reached at the cost per producer.

Key Personnel and Organizational Capacity – Maximum 20 points available

Each application must demonstrate an ability to implement sound and effective project management practices. Higher consideration in this category will be awarded to applications that demonstrate organizational skills, leadership, and experience in delivering services or programs that assist agricultural producers in the designated State. Applications must designate an alternate individual to assume responsibility as Project Director in the event the original Project Director is unable to finish the project. Applications that will employ, or have access to, personnel who have experience in directing local educational programs that benefit agricultural producers in the respective state(s) will receive higher consideration in this category. In addition, each application must list all partners working on the project, their titles, and how they will contribute to the deliverables and activities listed in the application. Applications will receive higher consideration to the extent that the application demonstrates: (a) that partnership commitments are in place for the express purpose of delivering the program in this announcement; (b) that partners are contributing to the project and involved in recruiting producers to attend the training; (c) that a substantial effort has been made to partner with organizations that can meet the needs of producers in the designated state(s); and (d) statements from each partner regarding the number of producers that partner is committed to recruit for the project that would support the estimates specified under the Project Impacts criterion. No points will be given if a partner is listed but there is no corresponding Letter of Commitment from the partner who is listed in the application.

Innovative Approach – Maximum 30 points available

Applications should state how the project employs innovative approaches to reach producers and/or provide them with innovative training, materials, or tools; and propose alternative versus traditional strategies to manage agriculture risks; that are clearly tied into RMA’s project results and priorities. Duplicative activities and materials from previous awards may not be considered.

Previously funded applicants must provide details on how the proposed project builds upon or collaborates with any Risk Management Education project you were a part of, or alternatively, how this is a totally unique and innovative project from those previously funded.

2. Review and Selection Process

RMA does not permit applicants to nominate reviewers or propose exclusion of reviewers in the program review and selection process. Applications will be evaluated using a two-part process.

First, each application will be screened (initial review) to ensure that it meets the requirements in this Announcement, including that applicants have a DUNS number and are registered in SAM.

Applications that do not meet the requirements of this announcement or are incomplete will not receive further consideration during the next process. Applications that meet announcement requirements will be presented to a review panel for consideration. Applicants past performance will also be considered during the review process.

Second, the review panel will review and meet to consider and discuss the merits of each application. Reviewers will be drawn from USDA, other Federal agencies, and public and private organizations. After considering the merits of all applications within the funding categories, panel members will come to a consensus on which applications best meet the criteria listed above.

The review panel will report the results of the evaluation to the Administrator of RMA, Manager of FCIC. The panel’s report will include the recommended applicants to receive cooperative partnership agreements for each funding category. Funding will not be provided for an application that is “highly similar” to a higher-scoring application. “Highly similar” is defined as one that proposes to reach producers, farmers and ranchers who are likely to be reached by another applicant that scored higher by the panel and provides the same general educational material. An organization, or group of organizations in partnership, may apply for funding under other FCIC or RMA programs, in addition to the program described in this

Announcement. However, if the Administrator of RMA, Manager of FCIC, determines that an application recommended for funding is sufficiently similar to a project that has been funded or has been recommended to be funded under this or another RMA or FCIC program, then the

Administrator may elect not to fund that application in whole or in part, depending upon the extent of the similarity or duplicity of applications. The Administrator of RMA will consider panel recommendations and may consider additional factors, such as geographic distribution or specific USDA priorities and needs of the agency, diversity of projects, as well as the

Administrator’s confidence in a prospective recipient’s ability to perform award requirements satisfactorily including, but not limited to, past performance. USDA may not fund an application based upon, among other requirements, one or more of the above-mentioned factors. The

Administrator of RMA will make the final determination on those applications that will be awarded funding.

Section F. Award Administration Information

1. Information Contained in a Federal Award

i. General Federal Award Information. The Federal awarding agency must include the following general Federal award information in each Federal award:

a. Recipient name (which must match the name associated with its unique entity identifier as defined at 2 CFR 25.315);

b. Recipient's unique entity identifier;

c. Unique Federal Award Identification Number (FAIN);

d. Federal Award Date (see §200.39 Federal award date);

e. Period of Performance Start and End Date;

f. Amount of Federal Funds Obligated by this action;

g. Total Amount of Federal Funds Obligated;

h. Total Amount of the Federal Award;

i. Budget Approved by the Federal Awarding Agency;

j. Total Approved Cost Sharing or Matching, where applicable;

k. Federal award project description, (to comply with statutory requirements (e.g., FFATA);

l. Name of Federal awarding agency and contact information for awarding official,

m. CFDA Number and Name;

n. Identification of whether the award is R&D; and

o. Indirect cost rate for the Federal award (including if the de minimis rate is charged per §200.414 Indirect [F&A] costs).

ii. General Terms and Conditions (1) Federal awarding agencies must incorporate the following general terms and conditions either in the Federal award or by reference, as applicable:

a. Administrative requirements implemented by the Federal awarding agency as specified in this part.

b. National policy requirements. These include statutory, executive order, other

Presidential directive, or regulatory requirements that apply by specific reference and are not program-specific. See §200.300 Statutory and national policy requirements.

c. Recipient integrity and performance matters. If the total Federal share of the

Federal award may include more than $500,000 over the period of performance, the Federal awarding agency must include the term and condition available in

Appendix XII—Award Term and Condition for Recipient Integrity and

Performance Matters. See also §200.113 Mandatory disclosures.

d. The Federal award must include wording to incorporate, by reference, the applicable set of general terms and conditions. The reference must be to the website at which the Federal awarding agency maintains the general terms and conditions.

e. If a non-Federal entity requests a copy of the full text of the general terms and conditions, the Federal awarding agency must provide it.

f. Wherever the general terms and conditions are publicly available, the Federal awarding agency must maintain an archive of previous versions of the general terms and conditions, with effective dates, for use by the non-Federal entity, auditors, or others.

g. Federal Awarding Agency, Program, or Federal Award Specific Terms and

Conditions. The Federal awarding agency may include with each Federal award any terms and…