Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program-FNL.pdf

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Sheep Production and Marketing Grant

Program

Fiscal Year 2014 Request for Applications

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-AMS-LPS-SPMGP-2014

Application Due Date: August 27, 2013

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Program Solicitation Information

Federal Agency: U.S. Department of Agriculture; Agricultural Marketing Service; Livestock, Poultry and Seed Program

Funding Opportunity Title: Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program – Farm Bill

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-AMS-LPS-SPMG-2014

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.173.

Dates: Applications must be received by 5:00 pm Eastern time on August 27, 2014, through http://www.grants.gov.

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

Executive Summary: The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2014 Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program (SPMGP) to award grants to at least one national entity whose mission is consistent with the purpose of the grant program. The SPMGP is designed to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States through the improvement of infrastructure, business, resource development and the development of innovative approaches to solve long term needs. Approximately $1.5 million will be available to fund application under this solicitation. Funds not awarded will be rolled over into the next fiscal year.

Only national organizations whose mission is consistent with the grant may apply.

This Notice identifies objectives for proposals and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a SPMGP grant.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Funding Opportunity Description

1.1 Legislative Authority

1.2 Definition of a National Entity

1.3 Purpose

1.4 Indicators of Successful Applications

1.5 Development of Proposals

2.0 Award Information

2.1 Type of Federal Assistance

2.2 Type of Applications

2.3 Available Funding

2.4 Grant Period Duration

2.5 Award Size

3.0 Eligibility Information

3.1 Eligible Applicants

3.2 Solely Enhance the Competitiveness of U.S. Sheep and Sheep Products in the U.S

3.3 Cost Sharing

3.4 Limited Number of Applications

3.5 Competitive Grant Application Review Process

4.0 Application and Submission Information

4.1 Requesting an Application Package

4.2 Content and Form of Application Submission

4.3 Submission Date and Time

4.4 Intergovernmental Review

4.5 Funding Restrictions

4.6 Other Submission Requirements

5.0 Application Review Information

5.1 Phase I: Initial Screening

5.2 Phase II: Technical Review

5.3 Phase III: Administrative Review

5.4 Notice to Applicants

6.0 Award Administration Information

6.1 Award Notices

6.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

6.3 Acceptance of an Award

6.4 Reporting

7.0 Agency Contacts

7.1 SPMG Project Manager

7.2 Address

8.0 Other Information

8.1 Release of Application Information

8.2 Equal Opportunity Statement

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1.0 FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

1.1 LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY

The Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program (SPMGP) is authorized under section 12102 of the

Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill) (P.L 113-79) that amends Subtitle A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of

1946 (7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq) by adding section 209, Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program.

1.2 DEFINITION OF A NATIONAL ENTITY

For the purposes of AMSSPMGP, a National entity is a national organization whose mission is to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States including the improvement of infrastructure business, resource development, and the development of innovative approaches to solve long-term needs. Only national organizations with similar missions may apply.

1.3 PURPOSE

The AMS SPMGP is a new funding opportunity. The AMS SPMGP requires that the Secretary of Agriculture make grants to at least one national entity whose mission is consistent with the purpose of the grant program. The purpose of SPMGP is to develop projects that strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States, including through the improvement of infrastructure, business, resource development, and through the development of innovative approaches to solve long-term need. Applications must address one or more of these priority areas to be considered eligible for funding but the accompanying list of sub-priorities are not intended to be exhaustive.

1.4 INDICATORS OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS

SPMGP applications must seek to develop solutions for practical problems on a national basis and address the needs of the entire sheep industry. Proposals should also lead to measurable benefits for sheep producers, encourage partnerships among other sheep industry organizations, and reduce duplication of effort among participating organizations.

SPMGP applications must include a detailed outreach plan that includes at least one quantifiable measurable outcome meant to solely enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United

States. The plan must include a description of how the project’s impact will be measured.

1.5 DEVELOPMENT OF PROPOSALS

The proposal must be consistent with the purpose of the grant. The applicant must provide in its proposal how they grant will be administered.

Contact the AMS, Livestock Poultry, and Seed Program, Research and Promotion Division office with any questions regarding the appropriate scope of applications for SPMGP funds.

2.0 AWARD INFORMATION

2.1 TYPE OF FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

AMS SPMGP will use a Grant Agreement to provide support to successful SPMGP applications. In the Grant

Agreement, the Grantee Project Coordinator of the national entity retains the primary responsibility and dominant role for planning, directing, and executing the proposal.

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2.2 TYPE OF APPLICATIONS

New application. All applications will be reviewed in accordance with criteria in 5.0 Application Review

Information. AMS may require the applicant to provide additional information or clarification by a specified deadline. AMS SPMGP requires applicants to submit SPMGP applications electronically through the central

Federal grants website, www.grants.gov, instead of mailing hard copy documents. When applying through www.grants.gov, applicants are not required to submit any paper documents to AMS. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the Federal grants website and begin the application process well in advance of the application deadline. The AMS SPMGP will send an e-mail confirmation to the applicant upon receipt of the application. Applicants who do not receive an acknowledgement within 5 days of the submission deadline should notify the program contact.

For information on how to apply electronically, please consult the Grants.gov Get Registered webpage.

Applicants experiencing problems in electronic preparation or submission of documentation should contact www.grants.gov, the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726, or visit their Troubleshooting Tips webpage for troubleshooting tips. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern Time;

and they are closed on Federal Holidays.

When submitting through www.grants.gov, please use only the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments; A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period and limit the file name to 50 or fewer characters. Attachments that do not follow this rule may cause the entire application to be rejected or cause issues during processing.

2.3 AVAILABLE FUNDING

The amount of $1.5 million will be available to fund application(s) in fiscal year (FY) 14 for the SPMGP to remain available until expended.

2.4 GRANT PERIOD DURATION

AMS SPMGP funds will be awarded for FY 14 projects or will remain available until expended. The applicant must indicate the start and end dates on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance in box #17.

2.5 AWARD SIZE

Applicants may request part of, or the full amount of the SPMGP funding for FY 2014 ($1.5 million).

Applicants must describe how these funds will be administered in the budget narrative of the proposal.

3.0 ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

3.1 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

For the purposes of the SPMGP, a national organization is a national organization whose mission is to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States including the improvement of infrastructure, business, resource development, and the development of innovative approaches to solve long-term needs. Only national organizations with similar missions may apply.

3.2 SOLELY STRENGTHEN AND ENHANCE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF SHEEP AND

SHEEP PRODUCTS IN THE U.S

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This competitive proposal must solely be designed to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the U.S. including the improvement of infrastructure business, resource development, and the development of innovative approaches to solve long-term needs.

3.3 COST SHARING AND MATCHING

Cost-sharing or matching refers to the portion of proposal costs not paid by Federal funds which are claimed to meet a cost-sharing or matching requirement. The AMS SPMGP does not have a Federal cost-sharing or matching requirement.

3.4 LIMITED NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS

A national organization, whose mission is consistent with the purpose of the AMS SPMGP, may submit only one application.

3.5 COMPETITIVE GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS

The AMS SPMGP competitive review process will include the use of an independent review panel of experts or qualified individuals, overseen by USDA officials, to evaluate and score applications and recommend proposals for selection. The review panel will provide a recommended award amount for proposals.

Review panel members must be free from conflicts of interest and conduct fair and impartial reviews. AMS will require the review panel to disclose in writing any potential or perceived conflict of interest.

Individuals that have a conflict of interest may have:

Served as advisors/advisees of the applicant;

Collaborated with the applicant over a designated amount of time; currently affiliated with, previously employed by, or are being considered for employment at the institution(s) of the applicant(s);

Hold a personal/familial relationship with the applicant(s); or

In recent years, participated in a consulting/financial arrangement with the applicant.

Program staff who are directly involved with the management of the grant program or who meet any of the criteria above, should also not participate in the review panel.

The review panel will review funding request carefully for activities that may have been funded with other grant funds to ensure:

Funding decisions are based on the goals and objectives of the SPMGP; and

Industry stakeholders, other than the applicant, individuals and organizations involved in the proposal, support the continuation of the proposal.

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4.0 APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

4.1 REQUESTING AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

The AMS SPMGP will include a link on the program website at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/SPMGP.

Upon request, AMS will send the funding opportunity announcement directly to each eligible applicant organization.

4.2 CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Those who wish to submit an application to the AMS SPMGP must submit the following components and associated attachments via Grants.gov.

4.2.1 SF-424 APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE (REQUIRED)

Most information blocks on the required form are either self-explanatory or adequately explained in the instructions. However, for SPMGP applications, you must use the following supplemental instructions associated with specific blocks on form SF-424. See Sample SF-424 (PDF) to a view a completed form.

Block Instruction

#1 Type of Submission Check Application

#2 Type of Application Check New

#4 and #5 Not applicable

# 8c Organizational DUNS Applicant Information refers to at least one national sheep entity submitting the application and to the employee responsible for the proposal. Obtaining a DUNS Number, A Guide for Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Applicants.

#8d Address Enter the street address. P.O. Boxes will not be accepted. Enter a 9-digit zip code.

#10 Name of Federal Agency USDA, AMS

#11 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number

10.173

#12 Funding Opportunity Number USDA-AMS-LPS-SPMGP-2014

#13Competition Identification Number Not applicable

#14 Areas Affected by Proposal Not applicable

#15 Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Proposal

A detailed description of each proposal is required.

#16a Congressional Districts for Applicant

Enter the Congressional district where your main office is located.

#16b Congressional Districts for Program/Proposal

Congressional district where your project is performed. Write “All” if the proposal will be performed in more than one location.

#17 Proposed Project Start Date and End Date

Awards will be made in 2014 until expended

#18 Estimated Funding Estimated Funding categories include:

Federal =Total Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program requested

#19 Is Applicant Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process?

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/SPMGP http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5080828 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/duns_num_guide.pdf http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/duns_num_guide.pdf

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4.2.2 SF-424B ASSURANCES FOR NON-CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS (REQUIRED)

This form must be signed by the authorized certifying official.

4.2.3 NARRATIVE FOR APPLICATION SUBMISSION (REQUIRED)

Narrative Format

Page size for the narrative must be 8.5 inches (21.59 cm) by 11 inches (27.94 cm). The acceptable font size is

11 or 12 pitch with all margins at 1 inch (2.5 cm).

The proposal should include ways to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States including through the improvement of infrastructure, business, resource development and the development of innovative approaches to solve long term needs.

The narrative may be in Word (.doc, docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) but which ever format is used, the cut/paste function must be operational. All section of the Narrative must be in a paragraph format.

Do not present or combine sections into a spreadsheet or table.

COVER PAGE

The cover page must be included at the beginning of the application and include:

Name of Organization Submitting Proposal

Name of the Contact Person

Address, Telephone, E-mail

PROJECT TITLE

The title must adequately describe the project in 15 words or less.

ABSTRACT

Include a project summary of 250 words or less suitable for dissemination to the public. It should include the need for the project, a brief description of the goals and outcomes, and your plan for evaluating and measuring the success of the project or program.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

All pages should be numbered. The TOC indicates the page number for all required section of the application as well as for any attachments.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE

This section must address ways the applicant will use the funds to strengthen and enhance the production and marketing of sheep and sheep products in the United States, including the improvement of infrastructure business, resource development, and the development of innovative approaches to solve long-term needs.

GRANT ADMINISTRATION BUDGET NARRATIVE

Provide the start date and end date (month/year) of your proposal and the amount of funds needed for grant administration each year.

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Provide a budget narrative for costs associated with your administration (i.e. personnel, fringe benefits, travel, special purpose equipment, supplies, contracts, other, and indirect costs) of the Plan.

Keep in mind that administration costs should be kept at a minimum. Administration costs are defined as the total of the applicants’ indirect costs plus direct administration costs for oversight of the SPMGP.

4.2.4 SENIOR/KEY PERSONNEL BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES (REQUIRED)

One document that contains the professional biographical sketches for the project director (PD), each co-project director (co-PD), and/or other senior/key personnel must be provided with this application package.

The biographical sketches for each senior/key personnel are limited to one (1) page in length.

4.2.5 CURRENT AND PENDING SUPPORT (REQUIRED)

Provide a list of all current and pending support for each senior/key person (even if they receive no salary support from the project(s)) included in the application. A current and pending support list should be included for the senior/key personnel even if no other funding is currently reported as “Active.” This application is to be identified as “Pending” in the information submitted. The current and pending support list must include the following information:

Senior/key person name;

Awarding entity;

Title of project;

Award number (Active)/proposal number (Pending);

Total award amount (including indirect costs);

Effective and expiration dates;

Percent time committed (months/year) to be devoted to the project by the senior/key person;

regardless of source of support; and

How project complements, but does not duplicate funding being currently requested.

The concurrent submission of a proposal to other organizations will not prejudice its review. The percent of time committed should not exceed 100 percent of effort for concurrent projects. An application that duplicates or overlaps substantially with an application already funded (or to be funded) by another organization or agency will not be funded under this program.

4.2.6 LETTERS OF SUPPORT (REQUIRED)

At least three (3) signed letters demonstrating support of the project acknowledging their support, contributions, and commitment to the completion of the project must be attached to the application. These letters provide evidence of involvement and/or support of the project by the sheep industry in both planning and decision-making. This section is limited to two (2) page letters of support.

4.3 SUBMISSION DATE AND TIME

Applications must be submitted via http://www.grants.gov by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on August 27, 2014.

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

http://www.grants.gov/

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4.4 INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

This initiative is not subject to intergovernmental review (E.O. 12372)

4.5 FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

4.5.1 LIMIT ON ADMINISTRATION COSTS

Administration costs are defined as indirect costs oversight of the SPMGP. Administrative costs are limited to

10 percent of the total funds available prior to each funding year. See the information below on presenting direct and indirect costs consistently.

The following list describes specific funding restrictions under AMS SPMGP. This section is not intended to be all-inclusive. The applicant should consult the Federal cost principles for the applicable organization for the complete explanation of the allowability of costs they address.

Item Description

Alcoholic Beverages Unallowable for alcoholic beverages.

Entertainment Unallowable. Entertainment costs include amusement, diversion, and social activities and any costs directly associated with such costs (such as bands, orchestras, dance groups, tickets to shows, meals, lodging, rentals, transportation, and gratuities).

Disparagement Projects where one organization specifically attempts to disparage the mission, goals, and/or actions of another organization are unallowable.

Health and Nutrition

Messaging

Allowable when health and nutrition information complies with regulations and policies of the:

Federal Trade Commission http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/resources/guidance/adv.shtm

AND

U.S. Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/default.htm.

Nutrition and health claims must be truthful, not misleading or deceptive, and include adequate disclaimers if appropriate.

Lobbying The recipient should obtain an advance understanding with the AMS SPMGP if it intends to engage in certain activities intended to influence Federal, State, or local government entities.

Unallowable for:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/resources/guidance/adv.shtm http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/default.htm

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(1) Attempts to influence the outcomes of any Federal, State, or local election, referendum, initiative, or similar procedure, through in kind or cash contributions, endorsements, publicity, or similar activity;

(2) Establishing, administering, contributing to, or paying the expenses of a political party, campaign, political action committee, or other organization established for the purpose of influencing the outcomes of elections;

(3) Any attempt to influence:

a) the introduction of Federal or State legislation; or

b) the enactment or modification of any pending Federal or State legislation through:

i) communication with any member or employee of the Congress or State legislature, including efforts to influence State or local officials to engage in similar lobbying activity; or

ii) by preparing, distributing, or using publicity or propaganda, or by urging members of the general public, or any segment thereof, to contribute to or participate in any mass demonstration, march, rally, fund raising drive, lobbying campaign or letter writing or telephone campaign; or

c) any government official or employee in connection with a decision to sign or veto enrolled legislation;

(4) Legislative liaison activities, including attendance at legislative sessions or committee hearings, gathering information regarding legislation, and analyzing the effect of legislation, when such activities are carried on in support of or in knowing preparation for an effort to engage in unallowable lobbying; and

(5) Costs incurred in attempting to improperly influence, either directly or indirectly, an employee or officer of the Executive branch of the Federal

Government to give consideration to or act regarding a regulatory, agreement, or contract matter.

Allowable activities directly related to the performance of a grant include:

(1) Providing a technical and factual presentation of information on a topic directly related to the performance of a grant, contract or other agreement through hearing testimony, statements or letters to the Congress or a State legislature, or subdivision, member, or cognizant staff member provided:

a) The presentation is in response to a documented request (including a

Congressional Record notice requesting testimony or statements for the record at a regularly scheduled hearing) made by the recipient member, legislative body or subdivision, or a cognizant staff member; and

b) The information for the presentation is readily obtainable and able to be put in deliverable form; and

c) The costs for travel, lodging or meals are unallowable unless incurred to offer testimony at a regularly scheduled Congressional hearing pursuant to a written request for such presentation made by the Chairman or

Ranking Minority Member of the Committee or Subcommittee conducting such hearing.

2) Any activity conducted to influence State or local legislation in order to directly reduce the cost; or to avoid material impairment of the grant recipient’s authority to perform the grant, contract, or agreement.

3) Any activity excepted from the definitions of “lobbying” or “influencing legislation” by the Internal Revenue Code provisions that require nonprofit

12 | P a g e organizations to limit their participation in direct and “grass roots” lobbying activities in order to retain their charitable deduction status and avoid punitive excise taxes, I.R.C. §§ 501(c)(3), 501(h), 4911(a), including:

a) Nonpartisan analysis, study, or research reports;

b) Examinations and discussions of broad social, economic, and similar problems; and

c) Information provided upon request by a legislator for technical advice and assistance, as defined by I.R.C. § 4911(d)(2) and 26 CFR 56.4911-2(c)(1)-

(c)(3).

Meals Unallowable for business meals when individuals decide to go to lunch or dinner together when no need exists for continuity of a meeting. Such activity is considered an entertainment cost.

Unallowable for breakfasts for conference attendees because it is expected these individuals will have sufficient time to obtain this meal on their own before the conference begins in the morning.

Unallowable for meal costs that are duplicated in meeting participant’s per diem or subsistence allowances.

Allowable for lunch or dinner meals if the costs are reasonable and a justification is provided that such activity maintains the continuity of the meeting and to do otherwise will impose arduous conditions on the meeting participants.

Allowable for meals consumed while in official travel status. They are considered per diem expenses and should be reimbursed in accordance with the organization’s established written travel policies.

Political Activities Unallowable for development or participation in political activities in accordance with provisions of the Hatch Act (5 U.S.C. 1501-1508 and 7324-

7326).

Pre-Award (Pre-

Agreement Costs)

Unallowable, for a recipient to incur pre-award costs without prior approval from AMS SPMGP at its own risk. The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of an award imposes no obligation on the AMS SPMG to award funds for such costs.

Travel Allowable when travel costs are limited to those allowed by formal organizational policy; in the case of air travel, the lowest reasonable commercial airfares must be used.

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4.6 OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

AMS SPMGP requires applicants to submit SPMGP applications electronically through the central Federal grants website, http://www.grants.gov instead of mailing hard copy documents. When applying through http://www.grants.gov, applicants are not required to submit any paper documents to AMS. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the Federal grants website and begin the application process well in advance of the application deadline. The AMS SPMGP will send an e-mail confirmation to the applicant upon receipt of the application. Applicants who do not receive an acknowledgement within 5 days of the submission deadline should notify the program contact.

For information on how to apply electronically, please consult the Grants.gov Get Registered webpage.

Applicants experiencing problems in electronic preparation or submission of documentation should contact http://www.grants.gov, the Grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726, or visit their Troubleshooting Tips webpage for troubleshooting tips. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Eastern Time;

and they are closed on Federal Holidays.

When submitting through http://www.grants.gov, please use only the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore (_), hyphen (-), space, period and limit the file name to 50 or fewer characters. Attachments that do not follow this rule may cause the entire application to be rejected or cause issues during processing.

5.0 APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Applications submitted for consideration will be evaluated in a three part review process. First, each application will be screened by AMS SPMGP Manger to determine responsiveness to the program solicitation

(Phase I: Initial Screening). Applications that pass Phase I will be evaluated by technical reviewers to select those with the highest technical merit (Phase II: Technical Review). Final decisions will be made by AMS

SPMGP based upon the scores assigned by the technical reviewers and consideration of other factors, which include, but are not limited to, responsiveness to budget and plan of work negotiations, compliance with

Federal Assistance Regulations, prior performance, and grant program budget limitations (Phase III:

Administrative Review).

5.1 PHASE I: INITIAL SCREENING

The initial screening is a quick review of each application packet submitted to the grant program. It is performed to ensure that applications are complete and the applicant is an entity eligible for consideration.

The initial screening criteria are the following:

Is the Application Eligible?

1. Is the applicant eligible for the program?

2. Was the application submitted by the deadline?

3. Does the application package contain all the required information?

4. Has the application been signed by the individual with authority to bind the applicant organization to any grant agreement?

Is the Applicant Responsive to the Program Solicitation?

1. Does the application’s purpose solely enhance sheep production and marketing on a national level?

2. Does the application align with one or more of the purposes of the program?

3. Does the application adhere to formatting specifications?

4. Does the budget add up?

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/help/trouble_tips.jsp http://www.grants.gov/

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5. Is there enough information included for the reviewers to make a recommendation?

Incomplete applications and applications that are not responsive to the eligibility criteria will not advance through the review process. Applicants will be notified if their application did not meet submission requirements.

5.2 PHASE II: TECHNICAL REVIEW

AMS SPMGP will select for award those applications offering the best value to the nation. Applications will be evaluated using a confidential technical review.

The SPMGP Manager, in consultation with AMS leadership, will recruit and appoint a review panel. The review panel will meet to evaluate all applications that qualify for Phase II of the review process.

Applications will be reviewed by members of the review panel with specific expertise appropriate for each application and scored individually. On the day that the panel meets, the technical reviewers will discuss each application carefully and then develop consensus scores for each of the applications. The panel’s consensus scores will be used to determine which applications will be funded by the AMS SPMGP.

5.2.1 EVALUATION CRITERIA

AMS will establish criteria used by technical reviewers. Each criterion will be assigned a quantifiable value that technical reviewers will use to score applications to the grant program.

5.2.2 TECHNICAL REVIEWERS

AMS SPMGP will use a diverse panel of reviewers during the technical review (Phase II of this process).

Reviewers will be selected from a pool of recognized specialists who are uniquely qualified by training and experience in their respective fields to render expert advice on the merit of the applications received.

5.2.2.1 CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND CONFIDENTIALITY

It is AMS SPMGP policy to ensure that applications are evaluated on the basis of a process that is fair, equitable, timely, and conducted in a manner free of bias. During the review process, extreme care will be taken to prevent any actual or perceived conflict of interest that may impact review or evaluation. If a panel member has a conflict of interest on an application, he/she will not review the application and will be excused from the panel meeting while the particular application is being discussed.

AMS SPMGP is committed to ensuring the review process is handled with confidentiality. Names of submitting institutions and individuals, as well as application content and technical reviews, will be kept confidential, except to those involved in the review process, to the extent permitted by law. In addition, the identities of technical reviewers will remain confidential throughout the entire review process, to the extent permitted by law.

5.3 PHASE III: ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW

Applications that qualify for Phase III of the review process will be evaluated to ensure the application is consistent with the appropriate Federal Assistance Regulations and costs within the application are necessary, allowable, and reasonable.

In addition, due to funding limitations and AMS SPMGP desire to support as many worthwhile projects as possible, it may be necessary for AMS SPMGP to reduce the amount of an award below the amount requested by the applicant or to fund only certain objectives outlined in the application. AMS SPMGP will discuss any

15 | P a g e significant changes with the applicant to submit a revised budget reflecting the reduced amount. In the event that this occurs, specific instructions will be provided to the applicant. A request for additional information is not an authorization to begin project activities. Any costs incurred before receipt of the Grant Agreement are at the applicant’s risk.

5.4 NOTICE TO APPLICANTS

There is no commitment by AMS SPMGP to fund any particular application, to support any specific number of applications in a given topic area, or to make a specific number of awards. AMS SPMGP also may elect to fund several or none of the proposals.

6.0 AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

Within the limit of funds available for the purpose of this program, AMS SPMGP will make grants to those responsible, eligible applicants whose applications are judged most meritorious under the procedures set forth in this solicitation. It should be noted that the proposal need not be initiated on the grant effective date, but as soon thereafter as practical so that proposal goals may be achieved within the funded proposal period.

All funds granted by AMS SPMGP under this solicitation must be expended solely for the purpose for which the funds are granted in accordance with the approved application and budget, the terms and conditions of the award, the applicable Federal cost principles, the USDA’s assistance regulations (7 CFR parts 3015 and

3016). See http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/SPMGP

6.1 AWARD NOTICES

Once all administrative and programmatic issues have been resolved, the AMS will notify the recipient(s) in the form of an electronic Grant Agreement.

The Grant Agreement shows the amount of Federal funds authorized for obligation for the approved period of performance. Until AMS has issued a signed Grant Agreement, the national applicant(s) incurs any pre-award costs at its own risk.

The Grant Agreement sets forth pertinent information about the grant, including, but not limited to, the following:

Federal Agreement Identification Number (FAIN) or “agreement number;”

Statutory authority for the award and any applicable program regulations;

Name of recipient organization;

Name of the Recipient Proposal Coordinator;

Approved period of performance start and end dates;

Amount of Federal funds authorized for obligation by the recipient;

Name of the Federal Agency Project Manager; and

Applicable terms and conditions of award, by either reference or inclusion.

After final decisions have been announced, a summary that briefly states the main strengths and weaknesses of the unfunded application and the written reviews of the application will be sent to the Authorized

Representative. The reviews will not include the technical review scores or the identities of the reviewers.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title07/7cfr3015_main_02.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title07/7cfr3016_main_02.tpl

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6.2 ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

6.2.1 USDA ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Awards issued under this announcement are subject to USDA Administrative requirements and Cost

Principles of 7 CFR Parts 3015 (Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State, Local, and Tribal Governments), and 3019 (Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit

Organizations) and the SPMGP General Award Terms and Conditions. An application funded with the release of Federal funds through a grant award does not constitute, or imply, compliance with Federal regulations.

Grant recipients and sub-recipients are responsible for ensuring that their activities comply with all applicable Federal regulations. See www.ams.usda.gov/spmgp

6.2.2 DATA UNIVERSAL NUMBER SYSTEM (DUNS) NUMBER

A DUNS number is a unique number established and assigned by Dun and Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B) to identify organizations. A DUNS number is required for every application. Potential applicants and sub-applicants may acquire a DUNS number at no cost online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. To acquire a DUNS number by phone, contact the D&B Government Customer Response Center:

U.S. and U.S. Virgin Islands: 1-866-705-5711

Alaska and Puerto Rico: 1-800-234-3867 (Select option 2, then option 1)

Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., CST

6.2.3 SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT

The System for Award Management (SAM) has replaced the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) as the central government repository for organizations working with the Federal government. To receive an award under the SPMGP, eligible applicants are required to register with SAM and, in doing so, to designate an e-

Business Point of Contact (e-Business POC). SAM registration must be updated annually and be active and maintained with current information at all times during which the State department of agriculture has an active award or an application under consideration.

The e-Business POC authorizes individuals to submit grant and cooperative agreement applications on behalf of the organization and creates a special password called a Marketing Partner ID Number (M-PIN) to verify individuals authorized to submit grant applications for the organization.

Organizations that need to register in SAM for the first time or need to update their SAM registration will visit https://www.sam.gov/. Questions about SAM may be directed to askSAM@gsa.gov.

6.2.4 SUBAWARD AND EXECUTIVE REPORTING

To comply with the Federal Funding and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) Public Law No: 109-282.) and 2

CFR part 170, Reporting Subaward and Executive Compensation Information., applicants must register with the FSRS database and report the required data on their first tier sub-recipients. See Appendix A to part 170 -

Award Term for Reporting Subawards and Executive Compensation requirements.

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6.2.5 DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION

Regulations published in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and supplemented by USDA at 2 CFR part 417; describe the government-wide debarment and suspension requirements for non-procurement programs and activities.

“Non-procurement” transactions include, among other things, grant agreements. AMS SPMGP implements these regulations as a term and condition of award. Applicants must check the System for Award

Management located at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/ prior to entering into a “lower-tier” transaction. “Lower tier” transactions include contracts (including individual consultants) under grants

(where the contract requires the provision of goods or services that will equal or exceed $25,000) and all subawards.

SAM is a centrally maintained government-wide database that includes the names of organizations and individuals that have been debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or been voluntarily excluded; the reasons for that status; and the duration of that status. You can search exclusion records on SAM at https://www.sam.gov to identify those parties excluded from receiving federal funds.

6.2.6 DELINQUENCY ON FEDERAL DEBT

Any organization or individual that is indebted to the United States, and has a judgment lien filed against it for a debt to the United States, is ineligible to receive a Federal grant. Applicants are required to indicate in their applications (on the SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance”) if they are delinquent on any Federal debt.

If the applicant discloses a delinquency, AMS SPMGP may not award the grant until the debt is satisfied or satisfactory arrangements are made with the agency to which the debt is owed.

Anyone who has been judged to be in default on a Federal debt and who has had a judgment lien filed against him or her should not be listed as a participant in an application for a SPMGP grant until the judgment is paid in full or is otherwise satisfied. No funds may be rebudgeted following an award to pay such an individual.

The Federal Agency will disallow costs charged to awards that provide funds to individuals in violation of this requirement.

6.2.6 LOBBYING

Applicants for (and recipients of ) Federal grants, cooperative agreements, contracts and loans are prohibited by 31 U.S.C. 1352, “Limitation on used of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and financial transactions,” from using appropriated Federal funds to pay any person for influencing or attempting to influence any officer or employee of an agency, a member of Congress, an officer or employee of

Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress with respect to the award, extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any of the instruments. These requirements are implemented for

USDA in 7 CFR part 3018, which also describes types of activities, such as legislative liaison activities and professional and technical services that are not subject to prohibition.

AMS-SPMGP applicants or subgrants/subcontractors requesting more than $100,000 are required to certify that they:

Have not made, and will not make, such a prohibited payment;

Will be responsible for reporting the used of non-appropriated funds for such purposes;

Will file quarterly updates about the use of lobbyists if material changes occur;

Will included the requirement in sub awards and contracts under grants that will exceed $100,000 and will obtain necessary certifications from those participants and contractors.

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The SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” must be submitted with the signed grant agreement for each payment made to any lobbying entity for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with the award.

6.3 ACCEPTANCE OF AN AWARD

A signature by the Authorized Representative of the national entity on the Grant Agreement constitutes acceptance of an award and its associated terms and conditions. AMS SPMGP must receive a scanned or faxed copy of the signed Grant Agreement. If a recipient cannot accept the award, including the legal obligation to perform in accordance with award terms and conditions, the recipient should notify the Federal Agency

Project Manager immediately upon receipt of the Grant Agreement. Once the recipient accepts the award, the contents of the Grant Agreement are binding on the recipient.

6.4 REPORTING

Recipients are required to submit annual performance reports within 90 calendar days after the award’s anniversary date (i.e. one year following the month and day on which the grant agreement period of performance begins and each year thereafter up until a Final Performance Report is required).

The following reports are due within 90 days following the grant ending date:

1) Final Performance Report

2) Final Payment Request (SF-270), if applicable

3) Final SF-425, “Federal Financial Report” and if applicable, payment of unobligated balance

4) Audit Report, if applicable

5) Tangible Personal Property Report, if applicable

The grantee should submit the reports to AMS SPMGP electronically as required in the SPMGP General Award

Terms and Conditions. See http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/SPMGP

7.0 AGENCY CONTACTS

Applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to contact:

7.1 SPMG PROJECT MANAGER

Mr. Kenneth R. Payne

Phone: (202) 720-5705

FAX: 202-720-1125

Email: Kenneth.Payne@ams.usda.gov

7.2 ADDRESS

Sheep Production and Marketing Grant Program

USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Stop 0251

Room 2610 South Building

Washington, DC 20250-0251 mailto:Kenneth.Payne@ams.usda.gov

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8.0 OTHER INFORMATION

8.1 RELEASE OF APPLICATION INFORMATION

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1966 (5 U.S.C. 552) and the Privacy Act of 1874 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as implemented by USDA’s regulations (7 CFR part 1, Subpart A) govern the release or withholding of information to the public in connection with this award. You can direct requests for records or the release of information relating to this award to:

USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service

FOIA/PA Officer

Room 3521-S

Ag Stop 0202

1400 Independence Ave., SW

Washington, DC 20250-0273

Telephone: (202) 720-2498

Fax: (202) 690-3767

E-mail: AMS.FOIA@usda.gov

8.2 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The USDA prohibits discrimination in all of its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs, genetic information, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET

Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to:

USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Stop 9410

Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call toll-free:

English: (866) 632-9992

TTD: (800) 877-8339

English Federal-relay: (866) 377-8642

Spanish Federal-relay: (800) 845-6136.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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