Stakeholder Listening Session and Request for Information on the Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program

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Published

August 24, 2021

Issuing agencies

Agriculture DepartmentRural Business-Cooperative Service

Abstract

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is hosting a listening session and opening a request for information for public input about the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program. The RCDG program provides financial assistance to nonprofit corporations and/or institutions of higher education to start or expand cooperative development centers that provide technical and business development assistance to individuals and businesses to start, expand, or improve cooperatives and other mutually owned businesses. RBCS is currently considering how it can streamline application requirements, establish a multiyear award process, and provide more relevant performance metrics for the program.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 24, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47289-47290]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18135]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Docket No. RBS-21-CO-OP-0020]

Stakeholder Listening Session and Request for Information on the
Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.

ACTION: Request for information.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is hosting a
listening session and opening a request for information for public
input about the Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) program. The
RCDG program provides financial assistance to nonprofit corporations
and/or institutions of higher education to start or expand cooperative
development centers that provide technical and business development
assistance to individuals and businesses to start, expand, or improve
cooperatives and other mutually owned businesses. RBCS is currently
considering how it can streamline application requirements, establish a
multiyear award process, and provide more relevant performance metrics
for the program.

DATES: The listening session will be held virtually on:

September 16, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. ET
<a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2283339721495353867">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2283339721495353867</a>

Comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
(EST) on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.

ADDRESSES: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and, in the ``Search'' box, type in the Docket No.
RBS-21-CO-OP-0020. A link to the Notice will appear. You may submit a
comment here by selecting the ``Comment'' button or you can access the
``Docket'' tab, select the ``Notice,'' and go to the ``Browse & Comment
on Documents'' Tab. Here you may view comments that have been submitted
as well as submit a comment. To submit a comment, select the
``comment'' button, complete the required information, and select the
``Submit Comment'' button at the bottom. Information on using
<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>, including instructions for accessing documents,
submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the
comment period, is available through the site's ``FAQ'' link at the
bottom. Comments on this information collection must be received by
October 25, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Natalie Melton, Program Management
Division, Cooperative Programs, Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, STOP 3250,
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3250, telephone (202)
720-1400, or email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d5b6a5b2a7b4bba1a695a0a6b1b4fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b1d2c1d6c3d0dfc5c2f1c4c2d5d09fd6dec7">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.) should contact
the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 or (844) 433-2774 (toll-free
nationwide).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview of RCDG

The RCDG program is authorized under section 310B(e) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (Con Act) (7 U.S.C. 1932
(e)) as amended by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. L.
115-334). The 7 CFR part 4284, subparts A and F are the regulations
that govern this program. Terms you need to understand are defined in 7
CFR 4284.504. The primary objective of the RCDG program is to improve
the economic condition of rural areas through cooperative development.
Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to non-profit corporations or
higher education institutions. Grant funds may be used to pay for up to
75 percent of the cost of establishing and operating centers for rural
cooperative development and 95 percent of the cost of establishing and
operating centers for rural cooperative development when the applicant
is a 1994 Institution as defined by 7 U.S.C. 301. The 1994 Institutions
are commonly known as Tribal Land Grant Institutions. Centers may have
the expertise on staff, or they can contract out for the expertise to
assist individuals or entities in the startup, expansion or operational
improvement of rural cooperative or mutually owned businesses.
This notice and listening session request information on RBCS's
plan to consider ways streamline the application requirements,
establish a multiyear award process, update performance metrics and
assess program performance. The public input provided in response to
this notice from interested stakeholders will advise RBCS on this plan.

Instructions

Response to this notice is voluntary. Each individual or
institution is requested to submit only one response as directed in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice. Submission must not exceed 10 pages
and fonts must be 12 point or larger, with a page number on each page.
Responses should include the name of the person(s) or organization(s)
filing the comment. Comments containing references, studies, research,
and other empirical data that are not widely published should include
copies or electronic links of the referenced materials. Comments
containing profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate
language or content will not be considered. Comments submitted in
response to this notice are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552). Responses to this notice may
also be posted, without change, on a Federal website.
Therefore, we request that no business proprietary information,
copyrighted information, or personally identifiable information be
submitted in response to this notice. In accordance with FAR 52-215-
3(b), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by
the Government to form a binding contract. Additionally, the U.S.
Government will not pay for response preparation or for the use of any
information contained in the response.
To inform the Federal government's decision-making, RBCS now seeks
public input on the following questions.
1. The authorizing statute prioritizes applications that can
demonstrate a proven track record in carrying out activities to promote
and assist the development of cooperatively and mutually owned
businesses. How can applicants demonstrate they have a proven track
record?
2. The authorizing statute prioritizes applications that can
demonstrate expertise in providing technical assistance in rural areas.
What criteria or factors should the Agency use to determine expertise
and experience of the Center in promoting and assisting the development
of cooperatives and mutually owned businesses? How many years of
experience are appropriate to show that an organization has experience
in providing cooperative development technical assistance in rural
areas?
3. The authorizing statute prioritizes applications that
demonstrate how they can improve economic conditions through new
cooperative approaches. How do you interpret the language ``new
cooperative approach''? What makes a cooperative approach new?
4. The authorizing statute prioritizes applications that
demonstrate commitment to providing technical assistance and other
services to underserved and economically distressed areas. Developing
cooperatives among low resource and

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underserved groups requires creative approaches to meeting time and
capacity restraints. Incubating co-ops, implementing build and recruit
methods, and developing a cooperative franchise are all examples of
innovative approaches. How can these approaches be structured to
clarify members' responsibilities versus the co-op development center's
responsibility?
5. The authorizing statute prioritizes applications that network
with and share the results of their center with other cooperative
centers and organizations involved in rural economic development. What
suggestions do you have for documenting the results of networking with
other cooperative development centers and organizations involved in
rural economic development efforts?
6. The authorizing statute prioritizes applications that include
multistate and multiorganization approaches to rural economic
development. What suggestions do you have for documenting these
approaches?
7. The authorizing statute requires applicants to take all
practicable steps to develop continuing sources of financial support,
particularly from private sector sources to support the sustainability
of a center. How should an applicant demonstrate this requirement? What
criteria or factors should the Agency use to determine sustainability
of a center? How would the Agency verify this information beyond
written application narration?
8. The authorizing statute permits the Agency to make multiyear
awards, up to a 3-year period of performance for centers that have been
previously awarded under this program and have a successful record of
performance. What criteria or factors should the Agency focus on in
determining eligibility for applicants proposing multiyear awards?
9. RBCS is seeking feedback on how the program's performance should
be assessed. As stated above, the purpose of the program is to improve
the economic conditions of rural areas through cooperative development.
The required goals of recipients must include facilitating the creation
of jobs in rural areas through the development of new rural
cooperatives, value-added processing, and other rural businesses. Given
this purpose and these goals, what performance measures should be
established for the program? How should they be measured?
10. RBCS is seeking feedback on how an applicant can demonstrate
the successful establishment of a cooperative or mutually owned
business given the varying state incorporation laws. What documentation
should the Agency request to demonstrate establishment?
11. RBCS is seeking feedback on how applicants can document
previous expertise when the outcome was no incorporation of a
cooperative or mutually owned business. Applicants are required to
discuss their cooperative development expertise when making an
application to the Agency. This information is used as part of the
merit- based scoring process. Experience has shown that not all
cooperative development efforts result in the incorporation of a new
cooperative; in fact, with some projects the most prudent advice is not
to proceed. How should ``no-go'' cooperative development technical
assistance efforts be recognized by the Agency and documented by the
applicant to show previous cooperative development expertise?
12. RBCS seeks feedback on when the application deadline for the
program should be. It is our intention to have a consistent deadline
from year to year, rather than released at variable times through a
Federal Register Notice. We also must allow sufficient time for
processing applications in order to make awards and obligate funds
prior to September 30 each year.

Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights laws and U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its
Mission Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, and institutions
participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from
discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex,
gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation,
disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived
from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or
retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity
conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs).
Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
Program information may be made available in languages other than
English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of
communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large
print, audiotape, American Sign Language) should contact the
responsible Mission Area, agency, or staff office; the USDA TARGET
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY); or the Federal Relay Service
at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should
complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form,
which can be obtained online at <a href="https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-3027">https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-3027</a>, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a
letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's
name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the
alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the
Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date
of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or
letter must be submitted to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410; or
(2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f383819c9481929edd9a9d87929896b386809792dd949c85"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d9a9abb6beabb8b4f7b0b7adb8b2bc99acaabdb8f7beb6af">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Karama Neal,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-18135 Filed 8-23-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P

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