USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CFWR-23-NOFO0001235 Posted Version 3-16-23.pdf

Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production

Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CFWR-23-NOFO0001235

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

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

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) Pilot Project

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-NHQ-CFWR-23-NOFO0001235

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under 10.935, Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production, which can be found at: https://www.sam.gov/.

SAM is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government's trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), under the OUAIP, is soliciting proposals in fiscal year (FY) 2023 from eligible applicants to host a CFWR pilot project.

The purpose of the CFWR program is to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities to develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. Proposed projects can be located in all community types including rural, urban and suburban.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. for information about steps required before submitting a proposal via Grants.gov.

Key Dates

Applicants must submit their proposals via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on June 15, 2023. 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.

For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.sam.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

A pre-recorded webinar is available at https://youtu.be/c_e8mcCoFsg. The recorded webinar is also available on https://www.usda.gov/topics/urban/coop-agreements.

The agency anticipates making selections by August 31, 2023 and expects to execute awards by February 29, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change. Note that completing all steps required to apply for a federal award can take some time; the table below represents a general overview of the process. These elements may take more or less time depending on the applicant’s individual circumstances (e.g., if an applicant has a TIN/EIN then this step is not necessary).

Required Action Timing Obtain a TIN/EIN from the IRS Refer to IRS website for applicable timeframes Register with SAM.gov and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier number Refer to SAM.gov website

Register with Grants.gov, add a profile, and authorize an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) Refer to Grants.gov Submit CFWR proposal in Grants.gov Refer to dates in this NOFO Applicants notified of selection or non-selection By 8/31/2023 (est.)

Awards executed By 1/31/2024 (est.)

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts

The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $55,000, and the estimated funding ceiling is $400,000. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The funding 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 Federal financial assistance. Federal funds management training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/grants-training/. The training consists of 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. FPAC agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2Fc_e8mcCoFsg&data=05%7C01%7C%7C3c6c93d0d1c6426a093108db20bbfce7%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%7C638139763986652731%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=77EgF72EZV70s83CxLRXnzrImTCzcqOuBpuYEq26W%2F0%3D&reserved=0 https://www.usda.gov/topics/urban/coop-agreements https://www.cfo.gov/grants-training/

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

2. Type of Federal Award

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Other

3. 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. Administrative and Risk Criteria

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

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT

H. OTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX A - Instructions for Completing SF424 APPENDIX B – Instructions for Completing SF424A APPENDIX C – Budget Narrative Guidance

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Legislative Authority and USDA Priorities

The Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) cooperative agreement pilot program is authorized by Section 222 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994, as added by Section 12302 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, 7 U.S.C. 6923. Funding was made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2.

The Secretary of Agriculture delegated the authority for the administration of CFWR to the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Proposals submitted under this announcement will be reviewed for alignment with USDA priorities on climate change (see Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Strategy: 90-Day Progress Report and Action Plan for Climate Adaptation and Resilience), equity (see USDA Equity Action Plan), and environmental justice. Applicants are encouraged to review Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support to Underserved Communities, Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, and Executive Order 13990, Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis, to learn more about these critical priorities. Executive orders may be located using the following link - https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders.

2. Purpose

The purpose of the CFWR program is to enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities to develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. Proposed projects can be located in all community types including rural, urban and suburban.

3. Composting and Food Waste Reduction Projects or Activities

This program provides financial assistance to municipalities, school districts, counties, local governments, special district governments, tribal governments (State-designated Indian Tribes, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments), or tribal organizations to carry out food waste reduction and composting objectives. While applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that meet more than one of the objectives below (inclusion of multiple objectives will be considered when ranking proposals), OUAIP will accept proposals that address at least one of the following:

• Food Waste Reduction Objectives ο Reduce municipal food and waste ο Divert residential and commercial food waste from landfills

• Composting and Conservation Objectives ο Generate compost ο Increase access to compost for agricultural producers https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/climate-smart-ag-forestry-strategy-90-day-progress-report.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/climate-smart-ag-forestry-strategy-90-day-progress-report.pdf https://www.sustainability.gov/pdfs/usda-2021-cap.pdf https://www.usda.gov/equity/action-plan https://www.usda.gov/equity/action-plan https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-protecting-public-health-and-environment-and-restoring-science-to-tackle-climate-crisis/ https://www.federalregister.gov/presidential-documents/executive-orders ο Reduce reliance on, and limit the use of, fertilizer ο Improve soil quality ο Encourage waste management and permaculture business development ο Increase rainwater absorption

Priority will be given for each of the following elements that are included in a project:

• Align project proposals to address priorities on environmental justice, racial equity, climate change, investment in historically underserved communities, and sustainable agricultural practices. For example, keeping food waste out of landfills can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing landfill methane emissions;

• Integrate food waste reduction strategies that take into consideration the most-preferred food waste recovery activities as described in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Food Recovery Hierarchy starting with the preferred source reduction, feeding hungry people, feeding animals, industrial uses, and composting. Activities may include, but are not limited to, food gleaning, storage, and preservation techniques, feeding food scraps to animals, and use of wasted food to create biofuel or bio-products;

• Anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits for the impacted community;

• Incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to agricultural producers, including community gardeners, school gardens, and producers;

• Include a robust plan that describes collaboration with multiple partners; and

• Provide a detailed plan for project monitoring, evaluation and documentation of insights and solutions to obstacles encountered during the course of the project.

Applicants should refer to the Merit/Technical Criteria section of this announcement for a complete description of evaluation and scoring criteria for proposals.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

a. Estimated Funding The Federal funding agency expects to award approximately $9,500,000 through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.

b. Start Dates and Performance Periods

Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of March 1, 2024 and be two (2) years in duration. Applicants are expected to achieve project https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-hierarchy deliverables and close out activities within 120 days of the period of performance specified in the award.

c. Number of Awards

There is no commitment by NRCS to make a specific number of awards.

2. Type of Federal Award

This announcement plans to award cooperative agreement(s), pursuant to this opportunity.

Cooperative agreements have a principal purpose to transfer a thing of value to a recipient in order to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by Federal Law.

The agency will be substantially involved in the work performed under the agreement and will undertake activities such as the following:

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

NRCS will have the following responsibilities:

1) 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 Champions goal.

2) Coordinate and convene the CFWR 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 CFWR as characterized above in the project description; and

3) Gather project data (i.e., methods, results, and derived benefits, including data on weight of food waste diverted from landfills, data on food reclaimed for human and animal consumption, as well as data on compost created) for evaluation and https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/champions https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste/champions dissemination to increase access to, and solutions for, composting and municipal food waste reduction across the United States.

a. Procurement Contracts

The agency does not expect to award procurement contracts associated with this NFO.

b. Eligibility of Renewal or Supplemental Project Proposals Proposals for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are eligible to compete with proposals for new Federal awards. A proposal for renewal means a proposal submitted to continue an existing CFWR (formerly “Community Compost and Food Waste Reduction”, CCFWR) agreement that meets the objectives and requirements of this NFO. A proposal for supplementation of an existing project means a proposal to add components to an existing agreement so that it would meet the objectives and requirements in this NFO.

Proposals for renewal or supplementation cannot exceed the two-year project window required for all proposals under this funding announcement. Such proposals should include the most recent progress report for any existing project. Refer to section D for more information about the elements required in a complete proposal package.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Applicants and proposals must meet eligibility criteria by the proposal deadline to be considered for award. Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing 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)). Neither foreign entities nor individuals are eligible to apply for this opportunity.

Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following entity types:

a. City or township governments (or other municipal governments)

b. County governments

c. School districts (including independent school districts)

d. State-designated Indian Tribes

e. Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

f. Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

g. Special district governments (e.g., soil and water conservation districts)

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

Municipal Government should select “Other” and enter “municipal government” when completing the SF-424 block 9.

Applicants located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) are eligible.

2. Other

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, it must be reflected in the award as an awardee/sub awardee relationship.

An applicant organization may submit more than one proposal for different projects or proposing different approaches. In the case of proposals submitted as revisions or corrections to a previously submitted proposal under this NFO, the agency will consider the last proposal submitted prior to the established deadline.

Awards made pursuant to this NFO are not Farm Bill incentive contracts; therefore, the awards in and of themselves are not limited by the payment limitation in 16 USC Chapter 58. 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 award period.

RESEARCH PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED OR CONSIDERED.

“Research” is defined as a systematic study directed toward fuller scientific knowledge or understanding of the subject studied. Research consists of systematic observations, measurement, and experimentation undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles, where variables are unknown and subject to manipulation.

3. Cost Sharing or Matching

This NFO requires applicants to provide cost-sharing of 25 percent of total federal share awarded; total project costs include the Federal and non-Federal dollars. Do not include cost-sharing in excess of the required amount. Proposals 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. Funds from another Federal award cannot be used as match except where the Federal statute authorizing a program specifically provides that Federal funds made available for such program can be applied to matching or cost sharing. Additional details about cost sharing or matching funds/contributions can be found at 2 CFR 200.306. 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 periods of performance end date.

Additional details about cost sharing or matching funds/contributions are located at 2 CFR 200.306.

The following are examples of the appropriate level of cost-share for a given federal award amount.

Federal Share

Requested Cost Share (25%)

Required

Total Project Cost $55,000 $13,750 $68,750

$400,000 $100,000 $500,000

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

a. Overview

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

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

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.

Organizations must have an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration which provides a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), and Grants.gov account to apply for grants.

Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but SAM registration may take several weeks. Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Organization registration instructions can be found on Grants.gov here:

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

c. Steps to Register https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grants-101/pre-award-phase.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

i. Register with SAM: All organizations (entities) applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

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

ii. Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step is to register an account with Grants.gov.

Follow the on-screen instructions provided on the registration page.

iii. Add a 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 submitting on their own behalf. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations, you can have a profile for each organization under one Grants.gov account. In such cases, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all your grant profiles. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the UEI (Unique Entity Identifier) for the organization in the UEI field. If you are an individual applicant submitting on your own behalf, you do not need a UEI to add the 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

iv. EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC is then expected to log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been assigned the AOR role. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

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

v. 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 proposals are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the proposal is inserted into the signature line of the proposal, 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.iv. 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 a proposal. For each NFO, you can create individual instances of a workspace. An applicant can start a proposal in Workspace and return to work on it later within Workspace.

f. Apply for an Opportunity https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-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

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 a proposal online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

ii. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the proposal 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 proposal process as you apply. As you apply 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 proposal.

• 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 UEI. Once it is completed, the information will transfer (i.e., prepopulate) to the other forms.

iii. Submit a Workspace: A proposal 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 proposal 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 proposal submission.

iv. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace proposal, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the proposal. 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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html 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

2. Electronic Application Package

Applicants interested in submitting a proposal in response to this NFO must submit it via Grants.gov; the agency will not accept proposals submitted via email or any other method.

Applicants are urged to submit early to the Grants.gov system.

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

3. Content and Form of Application Submission

The agency may choose not to consider proposals that fail to comply with the required content, format, and page limits, or those that are incomplete.

To be considered for funding under this opportunity, a proposal must contain the documents in a-e below.

a. Application Form

(Standard Form 424 Application for Federal Assistance) See Instructions for Completing SF 424 located in the appendices section.

b. Project Narrative (15-page maximum)

The Project Narrative must cover all activities proposed to be carried out with both the federal and non-federal matching funds.

Project Narratives must contain headings I. through VI. in the order listed below and must respond to each of the points included under each heading.

Each page must be numbered and have one-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 (see 3.c. of this subsection) which has a separate limit of one page.

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

ii. Goals and Objectives: Describe the over-arching goal of your project and list any supporting objectives that may accomplish this goal. Identify how the project http://www.grants.gov/ addresses the most-preferred food waste recovery activities as described in the EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy. Describe the anticipated impact of this project on Executive Priorities including tackling the climate crisis, advancing racial equity, and promoting environmental justice. See Section A.1. This element may include, but is not limited to: participation by historically underserved groups or groups serving historically underserved or vulnerable communities; activities with the potential to address the causes or impacts of climate change.

iii. Procedures and Work Plan: Discuss planned procedures and activities for achieving project goals and objectives, and provide project deliverables, milestones, and timelines for completion of those activities and collection and evaluation of data and reporting of outcomes. As applicable to the project, describe the food waste reduction strategies and methods to be used, as aligned with the EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy; identify what segments of the food chain the project will address (consumers, food purchasing, preparation, storage, preservation) and any barriers (economic, social, logistical, etc.) that must be overcome; describe if and how food waste will be composted; describe how the plan will make compost easily accessible to agricultural producers and community gardeners; describe also how the plan will assist these agricultural producers, community gardeners, and other community members (such as residential gardeners) to reduce their reliance on or use of fertilizers, improve soil quality, encourage waste management and permaculture business development, increase rainwater absorption, reduce municipal food waste, and divert food waste from landfills; include how your project will impact any existing food waste reduction, recovery and disposal by commercial, marketing, or business relationships in your area. For each task identify key personnel involved, including a description of those individuals’ experience and qualifications.

iv. Collaborators: List partner institutions including contact names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses (if applicable). Identify why the partner was chosen, how its activities will contribute to the success of the project, and the partnership arrangement. Where possible, project collaborators should represent a variety of disciplines and experiences directly related to the deliverables proposed and complementary to the qualifications of the core project team. Note that collaboration with partner institutions is considered instrumental to the success of a CFWR project, and lack of such collaboration will be reflected in the proposal’s evaluation for funding.

v. 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.

Gather project data (i.e., supplies/equipment used, methods, results, and derived benefits, including data on weight of food waste diverted from landfills and compost created) for evaluation and dissemination to increase access to, and solutions for, composting and municipal food waste reduction across the United States. Provide how you will convey results measured by weight (e.g., pounds/tons food waste https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/getting-assistance/underserved-farmers-ranchers diverted, pounds/tons reclaimed for human or animal consumption, pounds/tons of composted created), which is required though will differ due to project scope.

Include any anticipated or demonstrated economic benefits. Discuss if the project’s strategy to reduce food waste and/or increase community compost has the potential to be replicated in other areas.

vi. 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 CFWR goals and achieve sustainability. Projects should identify actual or potential funding sources for continuation of the project after Federal funding has ended.

If your proposal will include information collection from non-Federal sources, ensure the collection meets the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act. Surveys of individuals or entities are generally prohibited without prior approval from the Office of Management and Budget. For additional guidance about allowable and unallowable activities, please visit the following website: https://pra.digital.gov/do-i-need-clearance/.

The following documents do not count toward the stated 15-page Project Narrative limit.

c. 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/or 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 and priorities of CFWR. See Section A.

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 appendices section. Refer to Section D of this opportunity for information regarding indirect costs. Errors in the SF-424A regarding classifying costs may be negotiated after selection.

e. Budget Narrative

In a separate document titled “Budget Narrative,” explain and justify all requested budget items/costs. (Refer to the budget narrative guidance located in the appendices section.)

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 https://pra.digital.gov/do-i-need-clearance/ https://pra.digital.gov/do-i-need-clearance/ agency’s approval and estimate its cost. The pages included as the budget narrative do not count toward any page limit. Errors in the budget narrative regarding classifying costs may be negotiated after selection. Refer to the Budget Narrative Guidance located at the end of this document regarding procurement standards when including contracts for goods or services. Sole-source contracting is prohibited without proper justification. See Procurement Standards located at 2 CFR 200.317-327.

i. Build America, Buy American. “Buy America” preference applies to Federal financial assistance awards that include construction components, even if it is funded by both Federal and non-Federal funds under the award. Subawards should conform to the terms and conditions of the Federal award from which they flow. A Buy America preference only applies to articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to a construction project. Refer to the General Terms and Conditions for additional information:

https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov/about/grants-and-agreements/award-terms-and-conditions/index.html

ii. Indirect Costs Recovery. If requesting indirect costs, provide the calculation specifying the amounts used in applying the base (the base specified in the applicable rate agreement) by the applicable rate. The calculation can be displayed in different formats but must capture the components (i.e., amounts used in determining the base and the rate applied to the base).

A. To be eligible to recover any indirect costs under a Federal award, recipients must either 1) have a current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (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) and described below. For-profit entities (if eligible to apply) must obtain a NICRA from their cognizant agency. USDA will not accept an indirect cost agreement negotiated or approved by the Defense Contract Audit Agency.

B. Any non-Federal entity (except State and local governments that receive more than $35 million per year in Federal funding) that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate, simply indicate in your budget narrative that the recipient elects to use the de minimis rate. Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov/about/grants-and-agreements/award-terms-and-conditions/index.html when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

C. As described in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non- Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time.

iii. Indirect Costs Limitations.

A. 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 proposal (upload under Other Attachments (listed separately under Optional Forms) in Grants.gov). 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.

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

iv. Cost Share or Matching. Cost sharing/matching must be committed at the time of proposal submission. The budget narrative must show the amounts and sources of match or cost share (including both cash and in-kind contributions).

“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 (listed separately under Optional Forms) in Grants.gov.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.403

Refer to the Budget Narrative Guidance located in the appendices section for information about making contract vs. subaward determinations.

f. Grants.gov Lobbying Form

Under Title 31 of the United States 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 a proposal also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 2 CFR Part 418, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying.

g. Statement of Current and Pending Support.

A Statement of Current and Pending Support for each key personnel who will participate in the project may be requested from applicants who are selected for funding. If requested, a template will be made available for use in providing the requested information.

h. SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, must be submitted only if your organization have/has made or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying.

See 2 CFR 418.110 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

i. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable

If charging indirect costs using a NICRA (including for cost share), upload the NICRA under Other Attachments (listed as an Optional Form) in the Grants.gov Opportunity Application Package.

j. Disclosure of Potential Conflict of Interest

In accordance with 2 CFR 400.2, applicants must maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the performance of its employees in the selection, award, and administration of Federal awards. No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a Federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties referenced, has a financial or other interest in, or a tangible personal benefit from, an applicant considered for a Federal award. The standards of conduct must provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by officers, employees, or agents of the applicant.

If the applicant has a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is not a state, local government, or Indian tribe, the applicant must also maintain written standards of conduct covering organizational conflicts of interest. Organizational conflict of interest means that because of the relationships with a parent company, affiliate, or subsidiary organization, the applicant is unable or appears to be unable to be impartial in conducting a Federal award action involving a related organization.

Applicants must disclose in writing any potential conflicts of interest to the USDA awarding agency or pass-through entity. Include the name of the individual, the name of the entity with which the individual has a conflict, the nature of the financial or other interest, the value of the interest, a description of how the interest relates to your proposal. Upload disclosures under Other Attachments (listed separately under Optional Forms) in Grants.gov. If no conflict exists, no submission is required.

k. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

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

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration: 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 UEI or SAM issues.

4. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence

Applicants must submit applications via Grants.gov. Proposals must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on June 15, 2023, a proposal submitted or resubmitted after the deadline is late (a proposal is considered on time at 11:59.59 pm ET, but it is late at 12:00 am ET). 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 proposal. 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 proposal.

https://www.sam.gov/

If you have trouble submitting a proposal to Grants.gov, you should FIRST contact the Grants.gov Help Desk to resolve any issues. Keep a record of any such correspondence. See Section D. 2. for Grants.gov contact information.

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

• an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov

• an email with the official date/time…