USDA-RMA-MULTI-RMEPP-25-NOFO0001419.pdf

Risk Management Education Partnership Program

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Risk Management Education Partnership Program Assistance Listing Number: 10.460

National Funding Opportunity (NOFO) No. USDA-RMA-MULTI-RMEPP-25-

NOFO0001419

Funding Available: $2,000,000

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

March 11, 2025 11:59pm EST

Table of Contents

A. BASIC INFORMATION

1. Federal Awarding Agency Name

2. Announcement Type

3. Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Number

4. Assistance Listing

5. Funding Details

6. Key Dates

7. Executive Summary

8. Contact Information

9. Training

B. ELIGIBILITY

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Other Eligibility Considerations

3. Cost Sharing

C. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

D. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

1. Pre-Applications and Letters of Intent

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

E. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINE

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

2. Merit/Technical Criteria

3. Administrative Review and Risk Criteria

G. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICES

H. POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS (ADMINISTRATIVE & NATIONAL POLICY)

I. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

2. Government Obligation

3. Award Counterparts

A. BASIC INFORMATION

1. Federal Awarding Agency Name

U.S. Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Title: Risk Management Education Partnership Program

2. Announcement Type

Initial Announcement

3. Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Number

USDA-RMA-MULTI-RMEPP-25-NOFO0001419

4. Assistance Listing

This opportunity is included under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number

10.460, searchable at: https://sam.gov/content/home.

5. Funding Details

Federal funding for the awards is expected to be $2 million, though the agency may award more (or less) at its discretion.

The agency anticipates making 10 award(s).

The agency expects the amount of each award to range from $5,000 to $250,000.

Applicants should propose projects for eighteen (18) months in duration. Plan projects based on an estimated project start date of September 1, 2025.

6. Key Dates

Application deadline: Submit via Results Verification System (RVS) https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx, by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on March 11, 2025 .

Applicants must submit their applications electronically via the Results Verification System (RVS) https://rvs.umn.edu, A tutorial on how to apply is available at http://rvs.umn.edu/rmaresources.

Key Dates Actions January 21, 2025 NOFO/RVS Training Conducted for

Potential Applicants at 11:00am ET.

Training will be recorded and can be accessed either live or after the session at:

https://z.umn.edu/RMA-2025

January 30, 2025 NOFO/RVS Training Conducted for Potential Applicants at 3:00pm ET. Training https://sam.gov/content/home https://rvs.umn.edu/ http://rvs.umn.edu/rmaresources https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fz.umn.edu%2FRMA-2025&data=05%7C02%7Cchola.richmond%40usda.gov%7Cff3e3214b9834cd5c2f008dcf456abfe%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638653900302541093%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OCJKSNsU9%2F17pFVAADlloJt9YgPBsDApdFN2DuUtucM%3D&reserved=0 will be recorded and can be accessed either live or after the session at:

https://z.umn.edu/RMA-2025

January 15, 2025, through March 05, 2025 (Every Wednesday)

Pre-Award and Post Award Support Service information sessions can be accessed at 1:00pm ET:

Click here to join the meeting

The agency anticipates making selections by April 2025 and expects to execute awards by September 1, 2025. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

7. Executive Summary

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award up to $2 million to fund the Risk Management Education Partnership Program. The agency awards cooperative agreement(s) for this opportunity. The RMA’s Risk Management Education Division and Regional Offices will be substantially involved in the work performed under the agreement and will undertake activities such as the following:

a. Collaborate with the recipient to review and approve a promotional program and risk management materials to raise awareness of crop insurance and inform producers about training and informational opportunities in the designated state(s).

b. Collaborate with the recipient on delivering education to producers and agribusiness leaders in the designated state(s), including: (a) reviewing and approving all educational activities for producers and agribusiness leaders in advance; (b) advising the project leader on technical issues related to crop insurance education and information; (c) assisting the project leader in informing crop insurance professionals about educational activity plans and scheduled meetings; and (d) promoting and creating awareness of scheduled partnership activities. Regional Office involvement in activities depends on available resources.

c. Conduct an evaluation of the recipient’s performance in meeting the project tasks.

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

Description of Agreement Award – Recipient Tasks

To achieve the purpose and goals of this program in the designated state(s), the recipient will be responsible for the following tasks:

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

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fz.umn.edu%2FRMA-2025&data=05%7C02%7Cchola.richmond%40usda.gov%7Cff3e3214b9834cd5c2f008dcf456abfe%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638653900302541093%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=OCJKSNsU9%2F17pFVAADlloJt9YgPBsDApdFN2DuUtucM%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/t-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.microsoft.com%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%253ameeting_NTUwNmI1N2MtZjk1ZS00MjExLWEwZDAtMWJiZTc1ZDY0NGM0%2540thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522ed5b36e7-01ee-4ebc-867e-e03cfa0d4697%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%252246072080-b28f-4d94-afb7-be5018e8660f%2522%257d&data=05%7C02%7Cchola.richmond%40usda.gov%7C09e944751db74449a76a08dced3aae18%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638646083492429612%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=V8jVmcwFi0m6QJ7EkFV2djJzOCLNeiHs267bHPN%2FVY0%3D&reserved=0

b. Deliver risk management training in English or non-English language, as appropriate for the audience, to agricultural producers and agribusiness professionals in the designated state or RMA region(s). This includes organizing and delivering educational activities using materials assembled by the recipient to meet the local needs of producers. Activities should primarily target agricultural producers but may also include agribusiness professionals who frequently advise producers on risk management decisions.

c. Document all activities conducted under the cooperative partnership agreement and the results, including criteria and indicators used to evaluate the program’s success.

The recipient must provide information to RMA as requested for evaluation purposes.

Other Tasks

In addition to the required tasks listed above, applicants may propose additional tasks that contribute directly to the program’s purpose. These tasks could include individual or group Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification, food-safety related education activities, or activities targeting producers involved in local or regional food systems, such as those selling at farmers markets. For any proposed additional task, the applicant must: (a) clearly identify the task’s objective (e.g., for website tools or mobile phone Apps, applicants must specify the risk management tool they are developing, the targeted user, and relationship to crop insurance or managing farm risk, ensuring it can be self-sustaining for future use); (b) provide specific timelines for performing tasks; (c) detail how they will measure success of these tasks; (d) outline the specific responsibilities of partners; and (e) identify ways in which RMA would have substantial involvement in the proposed project task.

8. Contact Information

RVS: https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx. For website and trouble submitting application to RVS, contact Applicant Support at 1-612-624-7585 or cffmhelp@umn.edu .

For all other questions, email FPAC-BC Grants and Agreements Division (GAD):

Email: FPAC.BC.GAD@usda.gov with a copy to NFO.FPAC@USDA.GOV Subject line of email: [GAD staff to include opportunity number] Name: Dennisse Bedard, Grants Management Specialist, FPAC Business Center (FPAC-

BC)

The agency will not respond to questions about an applicant’s eligibility or the merits of a specific proposal. To maintain the integrity of the competitive process, applicants should not contact agency program staff with questions. Instead, they should contact GAD staff as directed above.

Subscribe to receive correspondence issued by GAD. Topics may highlight award-management issues, announce implementation of new policies or procedures, provide guides and tools for applying for awards, etc. To subscribe, visit https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx mailto:cffmhelp@umn.edu mailto:FPAC.BC.GAD@usda.gov mailto:NFO.FPAC@USDA.GOV https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDA

FARMERS_4170

9. Training

Applicants can access highly recommended, free Grants 101 Training via https://www.cfo.gov/coffa/training-coffa/. The training consists of five modules: 1) laws, regulations, and guidance; 2) financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and 5) risk management and single audit.

Pre-Award and Post Award support services can be available to assist with following cooperative agreement criteria in areas such as: (a) technical writing support; (b) facilitate the development of Statement of Work; (c) guidance to apply for and submit cooperative agreement awards; (d) project management support; and (e) project resolution and closeout procedures. The support service is free and available to Underserved Communities, Underserved Ag-related Non-profits, Minority Serving Institutions, and Land Grant Universities. For more information, email rma.risk-ed@usda.gov.

B. ELIGIBILITY

1. Eligible Applicants

The following entity types are eligible to apply:

a. City or township governments

b. County governments

c. For profit organizations other than small businesses

d. Independent school districts

e. Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)

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

g. Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)

h. Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education)

i. Private institutions of higher education

j. Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education

k. Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

l. Small businesses

m. Special district governments

n. State governments

The following applicants are considered ineligible:

a. Foreign organizations, foreign public entities, and foreign individuals.

b. “Partnerships” or other similar groupings (i.e., application must be submitted by a single entity; a partner may serve as a subrecipient).

c. Individual persons.

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDAFARMERS_4170 https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAFARMERS/subscriber/new?topic_id=USDAFARMERS_4170 https://www.cfo.gov/coffa/training-coffa/

2. Other Eligibility Considerations

RMA may request documents from applicants to verify eligibility, proof of existence, or authority.

a. Even if an applicant qualifies as an eligible entity, other factors might exclude them from receiving federal assistance under this program, according to federal law and regulations (e.g., debarment and suspension;

non-performance on a prior contracts or cooperative partnership agreement; violations of ethical standards). Any reviewed applications where the applicant or partners are ineligible will be rejected in entirety.

These rejected applications will be retained during the NOFO process but will not receive an award.

b. Private organizations involved in the sale of federal crop insurance, or with financial ties to such organizations, are eligible to apply for funding under this Announcement. However, these entities, along with their partners, affiliates, and collaborators, will not receive funding already required under a Standard Reinsurance Agreement (SRA) or any other existing agreement between FCIC/RMA, and any partners, affiliates, or collaborators.

c. Additionally, such entities and their partners, affiliates, and collaborators will not be permitted to receive funding for activities that could be perceived by producers as promoting one company’s services over those of another company offering similar services or products. If applying for funding, these organizations must be aware of potential conflicts of interest and describe in their application the specific actions they will take to avoid actual and perceived conflicts of interest. Failure to identify and disclose possible or actual conflicts of interest may result in application rejection, funding reimbursement denial, or termination.

Application Eligibility Considerations:

a. Applications must meet submission requirements in section E.

b. If the agency determines more than one version or substantially the same application has been submitted, the agency will only consider the last application submitted prior to the established deadline for purposes of the competition.

c. An applicant organization may submit more than one application for different projects or proposing different approaches.

Awards Eligibility Considerations:

a. The agency will make awards only o To a single entity o For projects selected following the competitive review process (see section F.2.)

o For projects that meet any specified cost share requirement (see item 3 of this section) o To entities that:

meet the eligibility criteria (see section B.) by the application deadline (see section A.6.)

are not debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded from receiving federal awards ((2 CFR 200.206(d)) have an active System for Award Management (SAM) registration

(2 CFR part 25) the agency does not determine poses an unacceptable risk related to proper management of a federal award (2 CFR 200.206)

b. Awards are not Farm Bill incentive contracts and therefore, not limited by the payment limitation in 16 USC Chapter 58.

Project Participant/Agricultural Producers Eligibility Considerations:

a. Any producer receiving a payment through participation in a funded project must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR Parts 12 and 1400 and have control of the land involved for the period of performance.

b. Any producer receiving a payment through participation in a funded project is subject to the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitation. In addition, they must have an AGI that does not exceed $900,000. If provided an award, the Recipient must self-certify and maintain records showing that participating producers receiving payments using federal funding meet the eligibility and AGI requirements. Section 1704 (a)(3) of the 2018 Farm Bill states the Secretary may waive the AGI limit on a case-by-case basis if the Secretary determines that environmentally sensitive land of special significance would be protected as a result of such waiver. Awardees may request waivers once their project commences.

c. Section 1240B of the Food Security Act of 1985, 16 U.S.C. 3839aa-2, prohibits duplicative payments. Accordingly, direct, or indirect payments cannot be made for a practice for which an individual or legal entity has already received funds or is contracted to receive funds through any USDA conservation program (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program, EQIP, Agricultural Management Assistance, Conservation Stewardship Program). If provided an award, the recipient must self-certify that payments to producers using federal funding are not duplicative.

3. Cost Sharing

There is no cost sharing requirement for this opportunity. If cost-share is included in an application, it will not be considered during the competitive review process.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#200.206 https://uscode.house.gov/browse/prelim@title16/chapter58&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-A/part-12 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/subchapter-A/part-1400

C. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The authorizing statutes and regulations for this opportunity are Section 522(d)(3)(F) of the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA), (7 U.S.C. § 1522(d)(3)(F)).

1. Background

RMA promotes and regulates sound risk management solutions to improve the stability of American agriculture. On behalf of FCIC, RMA achieves this by offering federal crop insurance products through private partners, creating new risk management products, enhancing existing ones, ensuring program integrity, providing equal access for underserved communities and offering training and information.

2. Purpose

The purpose of this competitive program is to deliver risk management training to U.S.

agricultural producers to help them manage production, marketing, legal, financial, and human risk. The program prioritizes: (a) educating producers of crops currently not insured under federal crop insurance, specialty crops, and underserved commodities, including livestock and forage; and (b) providing collaborative partnerships to develop and deliver crop insurance education and risk management training.

The Risk Management Education Partnership Program offers training opportunities for farmers and ranchers, including those with limited resources and other traditionally underserved groups to help them understand: (a) the kinds of risks addressed by existing and emerging risk management tools; (b) the features and appropriate use of existing and emerging risk management tools; and (c) how to make sound risk management decisions.

3. Program Goal

The goal of this program is to help producers improve their use of financial management, farm financial benchmarking, crop insurance, marketing contracts, and other risk management tools. This educational goal is supported by the Federal Crop Insurance Act, which authorizes FCIC funding for risk management training and informational efforts for agricultural producers through partnerships with public and private organizations. Cooperative Agreements are awarded with the goal of funding crop insurance and risk management projects that are likely to become self-sustaining, without indefinite reliance on FCIC funds. Priority is given to projects reaching producers of Priority Commodities, as defined below. A project is considered to prioritize Priority Commodities if 75 percent of its educational and training activities are directed to producers of any one of the three classes of commodities listed in the definition of Priority Commodities or any combination of the three classes.

4. Definition of Priority Commodities

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

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

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

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

5. Fiscal Year 2025 Priorities

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

Top Priorities include:

• Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) and Micro-Farm Training

• Sustainable Agriculture

• Hurricane Insurance Protection - Wind Index Endorsement (HIP-WI) Tropical

Storm Endorsement

• Organic and Specialty Crops o Fire Insurance Protection - Smoke Index (FIP-SI) Endorsement

• Local Foods and Urban Agriculture o Opportunity for Historically Underserved Producers

Other Agency Priorities:

• All Livestock Products

• Crop Insurance 101

• Biofuels and SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)

• Controlled Environment (CE)

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

Forage/Apiculture

• Record Keeping: Individual farm production and financials

6. Audience Emphasis

Audience emphasis is on U.S. producers and ranchers and should specifically reach out to producer types not normally reached, such as limited resource and underserved producers, to ensure their opportunity to enroll in education activities. Audience groups may include: traditional farmers and ranchers; new and beginning farmers;

farmers or ranchers that are preparing to retire and are using transition strategies to help new farmers or ranchers get started; legal immigrant farmers or ranchers, minority producers; African American; Asian American; Pacific Islander; Hispanic; Native American; Urban Farmers; military veterans; women; farmers and ranchers marketing their products as part of a local or regional food system; livestock producers, organic producers, new or established farmers or ranchers that are converting production and marketing systems to pursue new markets; producers that demonstrate and document sustainable ag practices; producers using sustainable and/or regenerative practices;

small farms or ranches, and value-added producers.

D. APPLICATION CONTENTS AND FORMAT

1. Pre-Applications and Letters of Intent

This NOFO does not require pre-applications or letters of intent; do not submit a pre-application or a letter of intent.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications that do not comply with the required content, format, and page limits, or are incomplete, may not be considered by the agency. To be considered for funding, an application must include the following documents.

The applicant is strongly encouraged to use the tutorial located at http://rvs.umn.edu/rmaresources. After completing the tutorial, the final application must be submitted to: https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx. All applications must be received in RVS by the deadline.

Form instructions and Budget Narrative Guidance are available in the Related Documents tab on Grants.gov or the RVS resource page. Instructions provided in this NOFO will reference guidance as appropriate.

To be considered for funding under this opportunity, an applicant must include information in each of the listed sections below and all required documents. Once submitted, applications will be date and time stamped by the RVS as evidence of submission. Hard copies of the application will not be accepted. The system will prompt the applicant for the following items:

https://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx

a. Project Information Information must include the Project Name, proposed State(s)/Area(s), Project Director’s Name and Contact Information; the second, or alternative Project Director’s Name and Contact Information; and a Financial Representative or Grants Office Official and Contact Information. A second Point of Contact Name and Contact Information may be added at the discretion of the applicant.

b. Executive Summary (Maximum of 200 words)

This is a summary of the project and includes the project’s goal and objectives, locations of work, audience to be reached, and expected impact and results of the work completed.

c. Proposed Results

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

The applicant must select a Producer action which describes what program participants will do relative to the specific proposed result. There are five levels of producer actions to choose from within RVS. Projects which include the action “implement” have the most producer engagement and may be more likely to demonstrate a change of behavior. You may have several producer actions for a component of your program. Applicants must also include the method and/or tool that will be used to verify or measure results.

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

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

f. Proposal Narrative (Maximum of 1000 words) The proposal narrative is a description of work to be done, why the work is important, who will benefit from the work and any additional explanation of the expected results entered under Proposed Results that you want to communicate. The narrative should: (a) discuss specific crop insurance education and risk management training to be developed for use with producers; (b) identify the location and number of meetings that will be held; (c) reasonably estimate the total number of producers for each session or meeting identified in the SOW that will be reached through (i) direct face-to face educational activities with an explanation of how the number was determined and (ii) through other means such as direct mailings, website, etc. with an explanation of how the number was determined; (d) provide an estimate of the number of training hours that will be conducted with an explanation of how the number was determined; (e) provide an estimated cost per producer with an explanation of how the cost was determined; (f) discuss the methodology and resulting measures used to evaluate the results of the education and training delivered to producers, (g) provide an explanation of who the target audience is and why they were chosen; and (h) identify clear and reasonable producer outcomes that demonstrate the highest level of behavior change that can be directly linked to the proposed educational activities.

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/.

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

h. Team and Partners There are three subsections under Team and Partners. (1) Key Personnel: This section must list key personnel by title, role, and responsibilities including specific tasks and subtasks in the SOW designated to them. Key personnel have the primary responsibility for the leadership of the project and actively participate in the development, delivery, and management. Key personnel may include the Project Director, Co-Project Director, and essential partner(s) or consultant(s) whose contributions are essential to the success of the project.

Resumes of key personnel are strongly encouraged and may be uploaded as additional documentation in RVS. (2) Organizational Capacity: The organizational capacity of the applicant must demonstrate RMA that designated key personnel, contracted employees, partners or consultants working on the project have the skills, knowledge, and experience to do the work described in the SOW and have the necessary resources to add other team members as necessary to complete the work. (3) Letters of Commitment:

https://pra.digital.gov/do-i-need-clearance/

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

i. Budget Narrative The budget narrative must be included and provide a detailed explanation for each budget line item where the activity purpose or means of calculation may not be clear or require further justification. It should include at minimum: (1) Formula used to calculate totals for multiple or replicated costs (e.g., travel and per diem costs for multiple people; training materials and expenses based on participant number, etc.); (2) Supportive explanation and justification for activities and expenses determined essential, but that may not be understood from the narrative or may otherwise be unclear to reviewers; (3) Breakdown of costs associated with relatively high amount line items. The total cost for the project must show how they relate to the tasks listed in the SOW and line items listed on the SF-424A. There must be a relationship between work planned and performed to the costs incurred. Applicants are encouraged to refer to 2 CFR 200 to ensure unallowable costs, including those associated with advertising, public relations, and conferences; as well as the items listed in the funding restrictions section of this NOFO, are not included as part of the budget or project design. Budgets that contain unallowable costs under 2 CFR 200 will not be approved. The Budget Narrative is subject to the requirements noted in the Budget Narrative Guidance.

Indirect Cost Limitation for Non-Profit Organizations or Institutions of Higher Educations That Receive a Cooperative or Contribution Agreement - In accordance with USDA’s annual appropriations act, indirect costs will be limited to no more than 10 percent of total direct costs that receive a cooperative or contribution agreement. See section V.6. of the FPAC-BC Grants.gov Application Guide or the RVS Resource page for instructions on how to determine the allowable indirect costs when a statutory limitation is applicable

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 15 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate. 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.

Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 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 $50,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

As required in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart F Audit Requirements, all U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $1,000,000 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.

j. Priority Commodities This section must list the Priorities Commodities addressed as defined in Section C 4.

k. RMA Substantial Involvement This section must describe RMA assistance as defined under RMA Substantial Involvement in Section A.7.

l. Required Documents To be downloaded from the RVS resource page (http://rvs.umn.edu/rmaresources), completed and uploaded prior to submission of the application.

• A completed OMB Standard Form 424, Application for Federal

Assistance

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

Non-Construction Programs

• Certification Regarding Lobbying Form

• A completed OMB Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities, if applicable

• Current and Pending Support

• Letters of Commitment

• Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable

• GADSUM9, Applicant Contact(s) Information

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

m. Disclosure of Potential Conflict of Interest

2 CFR 400.2 states that 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, and a description of how the interest relates to the application. Upload disclosures under Required Documents if applicable. If no conflict exists, no submission is required.

n. Post Submission and Post Award Documentation During the administrative review process (refer to section F.3. of this NOFO), 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, revised documents).

E. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINE

1. RVS Applications

• Applicants must submit applications via RVS at the following website:

http://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx. Refer to section A.6.of this NOFO for training guidance.

• All forms to prepare and submit an application are available through the RVS website at http://rvs.umn.edu/rmaresources.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-IV/part-400/section-400.2

2. RVS Requirements and General Guidelines

RVS has requirements (e.g., registration) that must be met ahead of being able to submit an application.

• Applications must be received by RVS by 11:59.59 pm Eastern Time (ET) on the established due date (see section A.6.); an application is considered late at 12:00 am ET and will be rejected.

• RVS automatically records proof of submission by way of an electronic date/time stamp when the application is successfully received.

• For website and trouble submitting an application to RVS, contact Applicant Support at 1-612-624-7585 or cffmhelp@umn.edu.

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

The following applications will be accepted for the competitive review process:

• received by the established deadline

• meet eligibility criteria

• contains the applicable documents identified in section D.2.

• compliant with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete, noncompliant, and/or applications not meeting the formatting criteria may be eliminated from competition.

Applicants that do not meet the above criteria will be ineligible for consideration. The agency will send notification of elimination to applicants not meeting the above criteria.

A merit/technical review will be conducted by a technical review board nominated by the approving official. The approving official will make the final award decisions. The approving official for this opportunity is the Deputy Administrator for Insurance Services.

• RMA does not permit applicants to nominate reviewers or propose exclusion of reviewers in the program review and selection process.

Risk reviews will be conducted by the FPAC-BC, Grants and Agreements Division (GAD). The approving official will make the final award decisions. The approving official for this opportunity is the Deputy Administrator for Insurance Services.

Applications will be evaluated using a two-part process.

1. Each application will be screened to ensure it meets the requirements outlined in this Announcement. Applications that do not meet these requirements or are incomplete will not receive further consideration. Applications that do meet mailto:cffmhelp@umn.edu requirements will be presented to a review panel for evaluation, which will also consider applicants’ past performance during the review process.

2. The review panel, consisting of USDA reviewers, meet to discuss and evaluate the merits of each application. After considering all applications within the funding categories, panel members will reach a consensus on which applications best meet the criteria. The review panel will then report their evaluation results to the Administrator of RMA, Manager of FCIC.

3. Funding will not be provided for an application that is "highly similar" to a higher-scoring one. "Highly similar" means the application proposes reaching the same producers, farmers, and ranchers as a higher-scoring application and offers the same general educational material. If the Administrator of RMA, Manager of FCIC, determines that an application recommended for funding is sufficiently similar to a project already funded or recommended for funding under this or another RMA or FCIC program, the Administrator may choose not to fund that application, either in whole or in part, depending on the extent of the similarity or duplication. The Administrator of RMA will consider panel recommendations and may also consider factors like geographic distribution, USDA priorities, the diversity of projects, and confidence in a prospective recipient’s ability to meet award requirements, including, past performance. USDA may choose not to fund an application based on these and other factors. The Administrator of RMA will make the final decision on which applications receive funding.

2. Merit/Technical Criteria

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

Project Results

Each application must demonstrate the project benefits and results to producers, warrant the funding requested. Applications will be considered according to the extent they can: (a) identify the specific actions producers will likely take as a result of the educational activities described in the Proposed Results; (b) identify the specific measures for evaluating results including, but not limited to, a change in producer behavior, resulting in (i) understanding crop insurance program and other risk management tools, (ii) evaluating what risk management options works best for his/her operation, and (iii) developing and implementing a specific course of action (e.g., participation in crop insurance programs, creating a risk management plan or other risk management activities) listed in the Proposal Narrative; and (c) compare work described in the Proposal Narrative and the SOW (e.g., work to be done; detailed project tasks and how RMA substantial involvement is directly included) against the Budget Narrative (e.g. cost of work to be done) to the Proposed Results (e.g., benefits to the producers). Higher consideration will be given to applications demonstrating: (a) a clear description of the crop insurance education and risk management training to be delivered; (b) alignment with one or more priorities listed in Sections C.3, C.4 and C.5;

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

Statement of Work (SOW)

Each application must include a clear and specific SOW for the project as part of the Proposal Narrative. For each of the tasks contained in the Description of Agreement Award, the application must identify and describe specific tasks, responsible entities including partners, expected completion dates and deliverables that will further the purpose of this program. RMA substantial involvement must be included. Higher consideration will be given to Applications with SOWs that are well-designed and demonstrate project effectiveness.

Partnering

Each application must list all partners working on the project, their titles, and how they will contribute to the deliverables and activities listed in the application. The application must describe how each partner will aid in carrying out the project goal and purpose stated in this announcement and must include Letters of Commitment dated no more than 45 days prior to submission of the relevant application stating that the partner has agreed to do this work. Each application must demonstrate that the Project Director has the capability to accomplish the project goal and purpose stated in this announcement by: (a) having a previous or existing working relationship with the agricultural community in the designated State of the application; including being able to recruit approximately the number of producers to be reached in the application and/or (b) having established the capacity to partner with and gain the support of producer organizations, agribusiness professionals, and agribusiness leaders locally to aid in carrying out a program of education and information, including being able to recruit approximately the number of producers to be reached in this application.

Applications will receive higher consideration to the extent that the application demonstrates: (a) that partnership commitments are in place for the express purpose of delivering the program in this announcement; (b) that partners are contributing to the project and involved in recruiting producers to attend the training; (c) that a substantial effort has been made to partner with organizations that can meet the needs of producers in the designated State; and (d) statements from each partner regarding the number of producers that partner is committed to recruit for the project that would support the estimates specified under the Project Impacts criterion. No points will be given if a partner is listed but there is no corresponding Letter of Commitment from the partner who is listed in the application.

Key Personnel and Organizational Capacity

Each application must demonstrate an ability to implement sound and effective project management practices. Higher consideration in this category will be awarded to applications that demonstrate organizational skills, leadership, and experience in delivering services or programs that assist agricultural producers in the designated State. Applications must designate an alternate individual to assume responsibility as Project Director in the event the original Project Director is unable to finish the project. Applications that will employ, or have access to, personnel who have experience in directing local educational programs that benefit agricultural producers in the respective State will receive higher consideration in this category. Applications with Key Personnel from a Minority Serving Institution will receive higher consideration.

Budget Appropriateness and Efficiency

Applications must provide: (1) a total cost of the project; and (2) a detailed budget narrative that clearly explains and justifies costs associated with the project’s tasks listed in the SOW. Applications must provide detailed costs by tasks listed in the SOW.

Applications will receive higher consideration in this category to the extent that they can demonstrate a fair and reasonable use of funds appropriate for the project.

Innovative Approach

Applications should state how the project employs innovative approaches to reach producers and/or provide them with innovative training, materials, or tools; and propose alternative versus traditional strategies to manage agriculture risks; that are clearly tied into RMA’s project results and priorities. Duplicative activities and materials from previous awards may not be considered. Previously funded applicants must provide details on how the proposed project builds upon or collaborates with any Risk Management Education project you were a part of, or alternatively, how this is a totally unique and innovative project from those previously funded.

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

3. Administrative Review and Risk Criteria

The following are criteria that may be reviewed/verified prior to making an award.

• ensure applicant meets eligibility criteria

• application was submitted via http://rvs.umn.edu/Home.aspx by the established deadline

• risk review of applicant (see 2 CFR 200.206) o check SAM to ensure the applicant is not suspended or debarred https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024-07496/guidance-for-federal-financial-assistance#sectno-citation-200.206 o review and consider information included in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (the Federal Awardee Performance Integrity Information System, FAPIIS) (see 41 USC 2313 and 2 CFR 200.206(a) (applies to applications to be supported with a total federal share greater than $250,000) o assess financial stability of applicant o determine if applicant has a financial management system adequate to segregate and track federal funds o review history of federal financial assistance award performance

• proposed costs are allowable, allocable, and necessary.

Based on risk assessment, the agency may impose specific award conditions in accordance with 2 CFR 200.208.

G. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICES

Successful Project Notification: The agency will provide notice that an application has been selected before it actually issues the federal award. The selection notification does not authorize the applicant to begin performance. If the applicant chooses to begin project activities, it does so at its own risk; the risk that costs may not be reimbursed.

Notice of Award: The Notice of Grant and Agreement Award (ADS-093) contains information identified in 2 CFR 200.211 and is signed by the authorized agency official; it is the only authorizing document and will be provided electronically to the entity’s authorized official for signature.

Unsuccessful Project Notification: The agency will provide notice to unsuccessful applicants via an email to the individual listed as the Program Director.