USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CCFWR-21-NOFO0001112 Notice of Funding Opportunity modification.pdf

Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Pilot Projects Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

No. USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CCFWR-21-NOFO0001112

USDA-Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

(OUAIP)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

ELIGIBILITY MODIFICATION: pages 5 and 7

APPROVING OFFICIAL: page 18

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – NHQ – Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP)

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) Pilot Project

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CCFWR-21-NOFO0001112

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): This program is listed in the Assistance Listings under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number 10.935, Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), under the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP), is soliciting applications from local governments to host a Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CCFWR) pilot project for fiscal year (FY) 2021.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D.1. for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Key Dates and Application Support Guidelines

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov/) by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on July 16, 2021. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts. Questions regarding this notice of funding opportunity (NFO) may be submitted until June 30, 2021. Responses to questions posed will be posted on Grants.gov approximately 2 weeks before the application due date. For more information and a pre-recorded webinar, see https://www.farmers.gov/manage/urban/opportunities.

A “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” document is posted both in this opportunity announcement (under the Related Documents tab) and online at https://www.farmers.gov/manage/urban/opportunities/grants-faq. FAQs for FY 2020 are available for review. Any new FAQs will be updated approximately 2 weeks prior to the application due date.

mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.farmers.gov/manage/urban/opportunities https://www.farmers.gov/manage/urban/opportunities/grants-faq

The agency anticipates making awardee selections by August 1, 2021 and issuance of awards by September 30, 2021.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $45,000 and the estimated funding ceiling is $90,000. The funding floor is defined as the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.

Federal Financial Assistance Training

The funding available through this NFO is classified as Federal financial assistance. “Grants 101” training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and publicly available at https://www.cfo.gov/grants-training/. It contains five modules covering each of the following topics: 1) laws, regulations, and guidance;

2) financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and, 5) risk management and single audit.

Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain nonassistance awards (e.g., nonassistance cooperative agreements).

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Available Funding

Type of Award

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

Other

Cost Sharing or Matching

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

2. Electronic Application Package

3. Content and Form of Application Submission

4. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

2. Merit/Technical Criteria

3. Administrative and Risk Criteria

4. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (if applicable)

5. Anticipated Selection Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT

H. OTHER INFORMATION

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The authorizing statute for this opportunity is The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Title XII, Part C, Section 12302, Public Law 115-334.

The purpose of CCFWR is to provide assistance through a cooperative agreement to U.S.

municipalities, counties, local governments, tribal governments (State-designated Indian Tribes, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments) or city planners. Objectives supported by the CCFWR are—

• Generate composted materials.

• Increase access of agricultural producers to composited material.

• Reduce reliance on, and limit the use of, fertilizer.

• Improve soil quality.

• Encourage waste management and permaculture business development.

• Increase rainwater soil absorption.

• Reduce municipal food waste.

• Divert food waste from landfills.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Available Funding

a. Estimated Funding

The total amount of Federal funding the agency expects to award through this opportunity is up to $2,000,000.

b. Start Dates and Performance Periods Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of October 1, 2021 and be two (2) years in duration.

c. Number of Awards

The agency expects to make up to 20 award(s).

Type of Award

a. Type of Federal Award

i. The agency plans to award a cooperative agreement pursuant to this opportunity. The agency will be substantially involved in the work performed under the agreement and will undertake activities such as—

a. Authority to suspend work if specifications or work statements are not met.

b. Review and approval of one stage of work before another may begin.

c. Review and approval of substantive provisions of proposed subawards or contracts beyond existing Federal policy.

d. Agency and recipient collaboration or joint participation.

e. Project monitoring to permit specified kinds of direction or redirection of the work because of interrelationships with and impacts on other projects.

f. Highly prescriptive agency requirements that limit recipient discretion.

g. Review and approval of key personnel.

h. Direct agency operational involvement or participation during the activity.

ii. NRCS will have the following responsibilities:

a. Connect pilot projects with other USDA agencies such as, but not limited to: the Economic Research Service (ERS); National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA); the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE); and other Federal partners (e.g., U.S. Environmental;

Protection Agency (EPA)) to collaborate on project activities and outcomes that contribute to the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 goal (https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/champions);

b. Coordinate and convene the CCFWR pilot project team(s) to collaborate with other Federal Government, regional, institution, state, and local experts. This collaboration will focus on information dissemination and project strategy implementation of the objectives related to CCFWR as characterized above in the project description;

and

c. NRCS will gather project data (i.e., methods, results, and derived benefits) for evaluation and dissemination in an effort to increase access to, and solutions for, composting and municipal food waste reduction across the United States.

b. Procurement Contracts The agency does not anticipate awarding of procurement contracts with this NFO.

c. Eligibility of Renewal or Supplemental Project Applications Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible under this NFO.

a. “An application for renewal” is defined as an application submitted to continue an existing agreement that meets the objectives and requirements of this NFO.

b. “An application for supplementation” of an existing project is an application that would adjust components of an existing agreement to meet the objectives and requirements described in this NFO.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

a. Applicants and applications must meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline for award consideration. Eligible applicant type is determined by the program statute.

Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding; as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program (2 CFR 200.206(d)).

b. Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following categories:

https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/champions

i. City or township governments

ii. County governments

iii. State-designated Indian Tribes

iv. Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

v. Special district governments

State designated Indian Tribes should select “Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) when completing the SF-424 block 9.

Other

a. Any award made pursuant to this NFO will be made to a single entity. Applicants that apply as “partnerships” or other similar groupings must clearly describe the relationship between the applicant and the “partner” parties. In all but exceptional cases, the relationship must be reflected in the award application as an “awardee/sub-awardee” association.

b. An applicant organization may not submit more than one application. If more than one application is submitted, only the first application will be considered.

c. Projects awarded pursuant to this NFO will be cooperative agreements. These agreements are not Farm Bill incentive contracts, therefore the awards in and of themselves are not limited by the payment limitation in Chapter 58 of 16 U.S.C.

However, any agricultural producers receiving a payment through participation in a project awarded under this NFO must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR Part 12 and 7 CFR Part 1400 and have control of the land involved for the term of the proposed award period.

Cost Sharing or Matching This NFO requires applicants to share 25 percent of total project costs (i.e., includes Federal and non-Federal funds in support of total project costs – line 18.g., of Form SF- 424 (see section D.3.)). Applications that do not include the required level of cost-sharing will be ineligible for award. Cost sharing may be achieved with contributions of cash, services, materials, equipment, or third-party in-kind contributions. Refer to section D. of this NFO for information about any required submittals related to match or cost-share requirements. While the pace of cost-sharing/matching may vary throughout the award period, the agency will actively monitor cost-sharing/matching levels as it receives payment requests to ensure the total cost sharing/matching requirement is met by the award period of performance end date. Additional details about cost sharing or matching funds/contributions is located at 2 CFR 200.306.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

a. Overview

i. While a Grants.gov account is not required to download an NFO and related documents, it is required to submit an application. If your organization has never submitted an application via Grants.gov, please be aware that there are several steps you must take to register your organization before you can submit an application. Completing those steps takes a significant amount of time.

ii. For information about the Grants.gov pre-award phase of the grant lifecycle see https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html.

b. Register to Apply through Grants.gov

i. Carefully review the registration steps and gather information requested prior to beginning the registration process to avoid last-minute searches for required information. For assistance with the registration process, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

ii. Organizations must complete all steps to register (steps i. through v. below).

Complete organization instructions are included on Grants.gov at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

iii. Although creating a Grants.gov account online can take only minutes, DUNS and SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, organizations should begin the process early to ensure they have sufficient time to complete registration and meet required application submission deadlines.

iv. Individuals are not subject to the DUNS or SAM requirement and may begin with step iii, “Create a Grants.gov Account,” listed below. (Note: Individuals are not eligible for all opportunities.)

c. Steps to Register:

i. Obtain a DUNS Number: All entities applying for funding must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).

Applicants must enter the DUNS Number in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the Standard Forms (SF)-424,“Application for Federal Assistance,” For more detailed instructions for obtaining a DUNS Number, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

ii. Register with SAM: All organizations must register with System for Award Management (SAM) in order to apply online through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. Part of the SAM registration process includes designating an Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC). The EBiz POC plays an integral part in the organization’s Grants.gov registration and application process. The individual in that role must authorize all other roles in Grants.gov. For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

iii. Create a Grants.gov Account: From the Grants.gov webpage (https://www.grants.gov/), click “Register” in the top right-hand corner and https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/ follow the on-screen instructions or refer to the detailed instructions here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

iv. Add an Organization Applicant Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the DUNS Number for the organization in the UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) field while adding a profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html

v. EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, you must establish roles for individuals in the organization. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role is critical; it gives an individual permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. Without this role, the organization cannot submit any applications. The request for role assignment will be routed to the organization’s EBiz POC for approval. Once approved, the AOR can submit an application online. For more detailed instructions about creating an EBiz POC authorized profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html

Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

d. Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature.

The EBiz POC must authorize people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role. This step (step c.v. above) is often missed and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

e. Workspace: Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application.

For each NFO, you can create individual instances of a workspace. An applicant can start an application in Workspace and return to work on it later within Workspace.

f. Apply for an Opportunity: Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

i. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete an application online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

ii. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the status of your application process as you apply. As you apply https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

• Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

• Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

• Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS Number. Once it is completed, the information will transfer (i.e., prepopulate) to the other forms.

iii. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

iv. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

2. Electronic Application Package

a. Applicants interested in submitting an application in response to this NFO must submit it via Grants.gov; the agency will not accept applications submitted via email or any other method. Applicants are urged to submit early to the Grants.gov system.

b. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800- 518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

Address to Request Application Package https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov

All information necessary to apply for this opportunity is included in the Grants.gov opportunity announcement.

3. Content and Form of Application Submission Applications that fail to comply with the required content, format, and page limits, or those that are incomplete may not be accepted. To be considered for funding under this opportunity, an application must contain the documents in a. through h. below.

a. Project Narrative

Each page must be numbered and have 1-inch margins. The text of the project narrative must be single spaced and typed in a standard typeface (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Courier) with no smaller than 12-point font. The project narrative must not exceed 15 pages: 10 pages of written text, and up to 5 additional pages for figures and tables. This 15-page limitation applies to the project narrative only; it does not include the Project Summary (described in Section b, below) which has a separate limit of one page.

The pilot project proposal must include headings I. through V. below, followed by a narrative that includes a response for each of the points noted in the corresponding section:

I. Introduction: Describe the applicant organization in terms of its location and demographics. Describe past and current involvement with developing and testing strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. Present a statement of need or assessment of the problem in your region of the United States. Describe your approach to solving existing problems and concerns related to increasing community compost and reducing food waste.

II. Objectives and Procedures: Discuss planned procedures and activities for achieving project goals and providing project deliverables. Describe your plans to make compost easily accessible to agricultural producers, including community gardeners. Describe food waste strategies, methods and plans including food recovery efforts to be utilized. For each task identify key personnel involved, and timelines for achieving milestones.

III. Collaborators: List partner institutions and contact names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses (if applicable). Explain why the applicant and its partners selected the activities proposed in the application. Include how your project will impact any existing food waste recovery and disposal by commercial, marketing, or business relationships in your area.

IV. Evaluation: Provide a plan for evaluating accomplishments and outcomes that match project deliverables. Include a timeline of activities with milestones and verifiable indicators to demonstrate how progress will be measured and achieved. Include any anticipated or demonstrated economic benefits. Discuss http://www.grants.gov/ if strategies to better address composting and food waste reduction goals have the potential to be replicated in other areas.

V. Self-Sustainability: Describe which aspects or components of the project will continue beyond the end of the project period. Discuss how a one-time infusion of Federal funds will be enough for the proposed pilot project to advance CCFWR goals and achieve sustainability. Projects should identify actual or potential funding sources for continuation of the project after Federal funding has ended.

b. Project Summary/Abstract (1-page maximum)

Present a statement of need or assessment of the problem. Define the target audience and end users of this project. Define the composting and food waste reduction goals in the targeted area. Describe how this project will initiate or build upon or expand related work or programs. The summary should also include the relevance of the project to the purpose (see section A.) and priorities of CCFWR.

The following documents do not count toward the above-stated page limits.

c. Application Form: (Standard Form 424, “Application for Federal Assistance”) See

Instructions for Completing SF-424 located in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity on Grants.gov.

d. Standard Form (SF) 424A, “Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs.”

Fill in all spaces as appropriate. Section B, Item 6, Column 1 should reflect the agency funds, and Column 2 should reflect the applicant’s matching funds. This form is the summary budget for the project and should include the full project totals on pages one and two. See Instructions for Completing SF 424A located in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity on Grants.gov. Refer to Section D. of this opportunity for information regarding indirect costs.

e. Budget Narrative.

a. In a separate document titled “Budget Narrative,” explain and justify all requested budget items/costs. Detail how the totals on the SF-424A were determined and demonstrate a clear connection between costs and the proposed project activities.

For personnel salary costs, include the base-line salary figures and the estimates of time (as percentages) to be directly charged to the project. Describe any item that under the applicable Federal cost principles requires the agency’s approval and estimate its cost. The pages included as the budget narrative to not count toward the page limit. Cost sharing/matching must be committed at the time of application submission. The budget narrative must show the amounts and sources of match or cost share (including both cash and in-kind contributions). See the Budget Narrative Guidance located in the Related Documents tab of this opportunity on Grants.gov for further information.

For third-party contributions, a letter is required for each contribution, signed by the authorized organizational representative of the contributing organization and the applicant organization, which must include: (1) the name, address, and telephone number of the contributor; (2) the name of the applicant organization; (3) the title of the project for which the contribution is made; (4) the dollar amount of the contribution; and (5) a statement that the contributor will pay the contribution no later than the end of the award period. The agency may conduct reference checks to ensure that organizations identified are supportive and involved with the project. Cost sharing/match letters should be addressed to the Federal Awarding Agency Contact in section G. of this NFO and uploaded under Other Attachments in Grants.gov.

ii. As required in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Subpart F

Audit Requirements, all U.S. States, local governments, federally recognized Indian Tribal Governments, and non-profit organizations expending $750,000 U.S. dollars or more in Federal award funds in a fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System.

iii. All applicants are hereby notified of the following:

• Recipients without an approved indirect cost rate are prohibited from charging indirect costs to a Federal award. (Accepting the 10 percent de minimis rate as a condition of award constitutes establishing an approved rate.)

• Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award.

• Recipients are prohibited from shifting unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

f. Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.

Under Title 31 of the U. S. Code, Section 1352, an applicant or recipient must not use any federally appropriated funds (both annually appropriated and continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a grant or cooperative agreement award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is defined as 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 connection with the award. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 2 CFR Part 418, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If you/your organization have/has made or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with this application AND the Federal share exceeds $100,000, you must also complete and submit the SF LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,” located at 2 CFR 418, Appendix B. See 2 CFR 418.110 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

g. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable). If charging indirect costs

(including for cost share), upload the agreement under Other Attachments in the Grants.gov Opportunity Application Package. See Section D. for information regarding indirect costs.

h. Unique entity identifier/DUNS and System for Award Management (SAM). Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR Section 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR Section 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier (DUNS number) in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

The agency may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the agency is ready to make an award, it may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

• Entities must obtain a DUNS and register in SAM prior to registering with

Grants.gov. A description of each is below. Entities are strongly encouraged to apply early for their DUNS number and SAM registration.

• DUNS Number: A Dun and Bradstreet DUNS number is a unique, 9-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of over 70 million businesses worldwide. Applicants must obtain a DUNS number. Information on how to obtain a DUNS number can be found at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling 1-866-705-5711.

• System for Award Management (SAM) Registration: SAM is the official Federal system that consolidated the capabilities of Central Contractor Registry, Federal Agency Registration, Online Representations and Certifications Application, and Excluded Parties List System. To register, go to: https://www.sam.gov. The Federal Service Desk is available for registration assistance and can be contacted via the Help tab at the website listed above.

• Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding DUNS or SAM issues.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.sam.gov/

• The Government intends to replace the D-U-N-S® number with a “new, non-proprietary identifier” requested in, and assigned by SAM.gov. This new identifier is being called the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), or the Entity ID.

See Planned UEI Updates in Grant Application Forms for UEI updates.

4. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence Applicants must submit applications via Grants.gov. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on July 16, 2021. An application submitted or resubmitted after the deadline is late (an application is considered on time at 11:59.59 p.m. ET, but it is late at 12:00 a.m. ET). Applicants should be mindful that system delays are possible, it is recommended to submit applications ahead of the July 16, 2021 deadline. Late submissions will not be reviewed or considered.

Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process; be patient and give the system time to process the application.

If you have trouble submitting an application to Grants.gov, you should FIRST contact the Grants.gov Help Desk to resolve any issues. Keep a record of any such correspondence. See Part IV. A for Grants.gov contact information.

For applications successfully transmitted to Grants.gov before the deadline: The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive:

• an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number

(GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov;

• an email with the official date/time stamp (this stamp is used to determine if the application was received prior to the deadline) and Grants.gov

When the agency successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will also provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the applicant.

5. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

6. Funding Restrictions Funds may not be used to pay any of the following costs unless otherwise permitted by law and approved in writing by the agency in advance of incurring such costs:

a. Costs above the amount of funds authorized for the project:

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b. Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the award, including time spent applying for this opportunity;

c. Costs which lie outside the scope of the approved project and amendments thereto;

d. Entertainment costs, regardless of their apparent relationship to project objectives;

e. Compensation for injuries to persons, or damage to property arising out of project activities;

f. Consulting services performed by a Federal employee during official duty hours when such consulting services result in the payment of additional compensation to the employee; and

g. Renovation or refurbishment of research or related spaces, the purchase or installation of fixed equipment in such spaces, and the planning, repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of buildings or facilities.

h. Meals: Meals may be charged to an award only if they are necessary for the performance of the project. For instance, meals (normally only lunch) that are a necessary part of the costs of meetings and conferences (i.e., required attendance and continuity of a meeting), the primary purpose of which is the dissemination of information, are allowable, as are costs of transportation, rental of facilities, speakers’ fees, and other items incidental to such meetings or conferences. Note: Meals consumed while in official travel status do not fall in this category. They are per diem expenses and should be reimbursed in accordance with the organization’s established travel policies subject to statutory limitations or in accordance with Federal travel policies.

i. Costs normally charged as indirect costs may not be charged as direct costs without proper justification and agency approval. Proper justification includes documentation that the costs meet the criteria for allowability (see 2 CFR 200.403). Examples of such costs include rent, utilities, depreciation on buildings and equipment, the costs of operating and maintaining facilities, and general administration and general expenses, such as the salaries and expenses of executive officers, personnel administration, and accounting.

j. Salaries that are not commensurate with level of work: All costs must be reasonable to be allowable (2 CFR 200.403), and 2 CFR 200.404 defines a reasonable cost as one if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost. Salaries determined not to be reasonable compared to the level of work will be unallowable.

This list is not exhaustive. Questions regarding the allowances of particular items of cost should be directed to the administrative contact listed in this NFO.

7. Indirect costs limitations:

a. To be eligible to recover any indirect cost under a Federal award, recipients must either: 1) have a current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=43998412b2085db150f66a3e62296ad8&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_156 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=43998412b2085db150f66a3e62296ad8&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1413

(NICRA) with a Federal agency that has not expired; or 2) qualify for use of the de minimis rate authorized by 2 CFR 200.414(f). In order to qualify for the de minimis rate, the recipient must have never had a NICRA. A State, local, or tribal governmental department or agency unit that receives more than $35 million in direct Federal funding is not eligible for the de minimis rate.

b. Applicants not subject to a statutory limitation, which have a current NICRA must calculate indirect costs using the rate and base specified in their NICRA.

A recipient may voluntarily reduce or waive recovery of indirect costs at its sole discretion and must not be encouraged or coerced in any way to do so by the agency. A copy of the applicant’s current NICRA must be provided with the application. Indirect costs may not be recovered under an expired NICRA.

However, if an applicant with a current NICRA is subject to the statutory limitation, indirect costs must be calculated as follows. First, multiply the NICRA rate by the base stated in the NICRA to arrive at Amount A. Next, multiply the statutory limit of 10 percent by the total of all direct costs to arrive at Amount B. The lower of Amount A and B is the amount of indirect cost to include on the budget.

c. Entities that are eligible for the de minimis rate who already have a de minimis rate agreement must use the rate and base specified in the agreement, which is modified total direct costs (MTDC) as defined by 2 CFR 200.68 and also excluding the amount of each subaward exceeding $25,000. Note that MTDC excludes certain costs from the base to which the rate is applied. A copy of the applicant’s de minimis rate agreement must be provided with the application.

If a recipient is eligible to use the de minimis rate, but does not have a de minimis rate agreement, use an indirect cost rate of no more than 10 percent of MTDC when preparing the budget. If selected for award, a de minimis rate agreement will be executed along with the award.

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete, noncompliant, and/or applications not meeting the formatting criteria may be eliminated from competition. In that event, the agency will send notification of elimination to the applicant. The agency intends to select and award without conducting any discussions or allowing applicants to correct deficiencies or omissions in their applications. Consequently, applicants must ensure their applications are complete and accurate. However, while the agency intends to select without contacting applicants, it reserves the right to request applicants to revise their applications to correct deficiencies or omissions it identifies. If this occurs, the agency will conduct discussions with all applicants, identify deficiencies and omissions for all, and give applicants an opportunity to submit a revised application by a common cut-off date. The agency may also contact individual applicants to clarify certain components of their applications.

Merit/technical reviews will be conducted by a technical review board nominated by the approving official. Risk reviews will be conducted by the FPAC Business Center, Grants and Agreements Division. The approving official will make the final award decisions. The approving official for this opportunity is the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

2. Merit/Technical Criteria The weights and evaluation criteria below will be used in reviewing applications submitted in response to this NFO:

a. Consistency with the CCFWR’s purpose and priorities (20%);

b. Potential for significant positive impact on existing food waste recovery and disposal by commercial, marketing, or business relationships (20%);

c. Quality of the plan presented to integrate innovative food waste strategies and methods such as food recovery and ability to make compost easily accessible to agricultural producers, including community gardeners (20%);

d. Anticipated or demonstrated economic efficiency of the project, which includes evaluating the amount of Federal funds requested and the cost-effectiveness of the budget (including analysis of such items as the rental of equipment, vehicles, land, and building space during the length of the cooperative agreement instead of purchase thereof) in relation to the expected measurable outcomes and project impact (20%); and

e. Quality of the plan for collaborating with multiple partners, including public or private entities, nonprofit or for-profit entities, academic institutions (including minority-serving colleges and universities), and/or other appropriate professionals, community-based organizations, and local government entities to achieve project objectives and outcomes (20%).

3. Administrative and Risk Criteria Notice of selection after merit/technical evaluation does not guarantee that an applicant will receive an award. Following notification of selection for funding (see section F.), the FPAC Business Center, Grants and Agreements Division’s staff conducts a final administrative and risk review of those applications. The administrative review includes, but is not limited to, a check to ensure that NFO requirements were met (e.g., applicant meets eligibility criteria, application was submitted via Grants.gov by the established deadline), and proposed costs are allowable, allocable and necessary. During this process, it may be necessary to request further documentation from the applicant (e.g., organizational information as part of the risk assessment, more detail regarding proposed costs).

In addition, to comply with the requirements at 2 CFR 200.206 the agency will follow, at a minimum, the risk review process described below (additional steps may be taken).

The awarding agency will check SAM to ensure the applicant is not suspended or debarred, which would preclude receiving an award. In addition, prior to making a Federal award with a total Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000), the agency must review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System, FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313 and 2 CFR 200.206(a)).

An applicant must meet the following standards to be considered for award:

a. Financial Stability. The applicant maintains an adequate financial resources or cash flow to meet its financial obligations on a routine basis in order to successfully complete any agreement it may be awarded.

b. Quality of Management Systems and Ability to meet Management Standards prescribed in 2 CFR Part 200. The applicant has a financial management system adequate to segregate and track Federal funds. It has adequate systems in place for proper agreement administration; compliance with the standards outlined in 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart D for procurement, property, and records management; and required financial and performance reporting.

c. History of Performance. If the applicant has previously obtained Federal financial assistance award, it has never failed to materially comply with the Federal award terms and conditions and further that it has never had an award terminated on that basis.

Submission of an application constitutes certification that an applicant meets these standards (items a through c. above). The agency may request documentation to substantiate the certification. Based on rick assessment, the agency may impose specific award conditions in accordance with 2 CFR 200.207.

4. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (if applicable)

a. Prior to making a Federal award with a total Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000), the agency must review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System, FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313 and 2 CFR 200.206(a));

b. An applicant may review information in FAPIIS accessible through SAM and comment on any information about it that a Federal awarding agency previously entered;

c. The agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR 200.206, Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

5. Anticipated Selection Announcement and Federal Award Dates The agency anticipates announcing or notifying successful and unsuccessful applicants by August 1, 2021 and expects to have Federal awards in place by September 30, 2021.

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices The agency will provide notice that an application has been selected before it actually makes the Federal award. As such, the selection notification is not an authorization to begin performance. Any pre-award costs incurred by the awardee will not be reimbursed. The Notice of Grant and Agreement Award (ADS-093) signed by the authorized agency official is the only authorizing document and will be provided electronically to the entity’s authorized official for signature.

Both successful and unsuccessful applicants with be notified of the award decision via letter.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements All project funds will be used in accordance with 2 CFR 200 and the General Terms and Conditions, which are included in the “Related Documents” tab of the opportunity on Grants.gov.

Preapplication coordination is not applicable. Environmental impact information is not required for this program.

Reporting will follow the guidelines included in the agency’s General Terms and Conditions, which are included in the “Related Documents” tab of the opportunity on Grants.gov. Recipients of awards in response to this NFO may anticipate the following reporting requirements.

1) Performance reports are on an annual basis to the ezFedGrants system or the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Grants and Agreements Division due 30 calendar days after the reporting period and are based on the agreement period of performance start date.

2) Financial reports are on an annual basis to the ezFedGrants system or the Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Grants and Agreements Division via email to:

FPAC.BC.GAD@usda.gov. Please note that financial reporting is based on the calendar year.

If the Federal share of any agreement awarded under this opportunity notice may include more than $500,000 over the period of performance, recipients must also comply with the post award reporting requirements reflected in Appendix XII of 2 CFR Part 200…