Outreach Education and Technical Assistance

EOTA provides financial assistance to eligible recipients to perform outreach and technical assistance to improve the coordination and effectiveness of Federal programs, services, and actions affecting rural areas. The main goals are to (1) increase

Assistance from USDA's FSA to selected eligible applicants to conduct targeted outreach and technical assistance on FSA programs, with an emphasis on communities of disadvantaged, historically-underserved, beginning, and veteran socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Socially disadvantaged groups are defined as a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities. Outreach and technical assistance are focused on educating agricultural producers about one or more of FSA's programs and increasing the number of successful program participants through targeted support in completing application or program participation tasks.

Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following entity types: a. Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) b. Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) c. Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (other than institutions of higher education) d. Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education Additional eligibility restrictions may apply depending on the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Additional restrictions may apply depending on the applicable FSA Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Except as otherwise indicated in specific Notices of Funding Opportunities under the program, assistance funds may be used for project costs in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles. Funding for this program is not cyclical. Funding opportunities will be announced as funding is available and as agency priorities dictate. The agency seeks to compete funding wherever possible. Program funds may be used for outreach, education, and technical assistance related projects. Funds are released on a reimbursable project basis or deliverable basis, or an advance basis in accordance with 2 CFR 200.305.

Funding for this program is not cyclical. Funding opportunities will be announced as funding is available and as agency priorities dictate. Project periods are provided in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

Additional selection criteria will be included in each Notice of Funding Opportunity . Applications will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete, noncompliant, and/or applications not meeting the formatting criteria may be eliminated from competition. In that event, the agency will send notification of elimination to the applicant. An applicant must meet the following standards to be considered for award: a. Financial Stability. The applicant maintains an adequate financial resources or cash flow to meet its financial obligations on a routine basis in order to successfully complete any agreement it may be awarded. b. Quality of Management Systems and Ability to meet Management Standards prescribed in 2 CFR Part 200. The applicant has a financial management system adequate to segregate and track federal funds. It has adequate systems in place for proper agreement administration; compliance with the standards outlined in 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart D for procurement, property, and records management; and required financial and performance reporting. c. History of Performance. If the applicant has previously obtained Federal financial assistance award, it has never failed to materially comply with the Federal award terms and conditions and further that it has never had an award terminated on that basis. Submission of an application constitutes certification that an applicant meets these standards (items a. through c. above). The agency may request documentation to substantiate the certification. Based on risk assessment, the agency may impose specific award conditions in accordance with 2 CFR 200.208. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (if applicable) a. Prior to making a Federal award with a total Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000), the agency must review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM.gov Responsibility/Qualifications (see 41 U.S.C. 2313 and 2 CFR 200.206(a)); b. An applicant may review information in FAPIIS accessible through SAM and comment on any information about it that a Federal awarding agency previously entered; c. The agency will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 CFR 200.206, Federal awarding agency review of risk posed by applicants.

The agency seeks to compete funding wherever possible. The agency may choose to award funding noncompetitively when seeking to fund continuing work already started under a previous award for which competition for continued support would have an adverse effect on continuity or completion of the activity, awards are of less than $100,000, or when time constraints associated with a public health, safety, welfare, or national security requirement preclude competition. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Program funds may be released on a reimbursable project basis or deliverable basis, or an advance basis in accordance with 2 CFR 200.305. For competitive awards, any additional specific award procedures will be outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. However, procedures will generally follow the steps set out here. Once funding decisions are made, the agency may contact individual applicants to clarify certain components of their applications. Merit/technical reviews of all applications will be conducted by a technical review board nominated by the approving official. Risk reviews will be conducted by the Grants and Agreements Division. The approving official will make the final award decisions. The approving official for this funding is typically the FSA Associate Administrator unless otherwise specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Reviews will be conducted in a multi-phase process in which an interagency staff panel will make recommendations to the approving official. Interagency reviewers will be selected based upon knowledge, skills, training, and experience in relevant fields.