Notice2021-27770
Notice of Solicitation of Applications for Inviting Applications for the Intermediary Relending Program for Fiscal Year 2022
Primary source
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Published
December 23, 2021
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentRural Business-Cooperative Service
Abstract
This Notice is to invite applications under the Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) for fiscal year (FY) 2022, subject to availability of funding. This Notice is being issued in order to allow applicants enough time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their applications, and give the Agency time to process program applications within FY 2022. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency for funding and subsequently awarded to the extent that funding may ultimately be made available through appropriations. An announcement on the website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/notices-solicitation- applications-nosas will identify the amount received in the appropriations. The Agency advises that all interested parties bear the financial burden of preparing and submitting an application in response to the notice whether or not funding is appropriated for this Program in FY 2022.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 244 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 244 (Thursday, December 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72918-72921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27770]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
[Docket #: RBS-21-Business-0035]
Notice of Solicitation of Applications for Inviting Applications
for the Intermediary Relending Program for Fiscal Year 2022
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA Rural Development.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This Notice is to invite applications under the Intermediary
Relending Program (IRP) for fiscal year (FY) 2022, subject to
availability of funding. This Notice is being issued in order to allow
applicants enough time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their
applications, and give the Agency time to process program applications
within FY 2022. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency
for funding and subsequently awarded to the extent that funding may
ultimately be made available through appropriations. An announcement on
the website at <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/notices-solicitation-applications-nosas">https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/notices-solicitation-applications-nosas</a> will identify the amount received in the
appropriations. The Agency advises that all interested parties bear the
financial burden of preparing and submitting an application in response
to the notice whether or not funding is appropriated for this Program
in FY 2022.
DATES: The deadlines for completed applications to be received in the
USDA Rural Development State Office for quarterly funding competitions
is no later than 4:30 p.m. (local time) on: Second Quarter--December
31, 2021, Third Quarter--March 31, 2022, and Fourth Quarter--June 30,
2022.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the USDA Rural Development
State Office for the state where the applicant is located. Applications
may be submitted in paper or electronic format to the appropriate Rural
Development State Office and must be received by 4:30 p.m. local time
on the deadline date(s) to compete for available funds in the fiscal
quarter. Applicants are encouraged to contact their respective Rural
Development State Office for an email contact to submit an electronic
application prior to the submission deadline date(s). A list of the
USDA Rural Development State Office contacts can be found at: State
Offices <radical> Rural Development (<a href="http://usda.gov">usda.gov</a>).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori Pittman, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#adc1c2dfc483ddc4d9d9c0ccc39ced91cc8dc5dfc8cb90" http: usda.gov">usda.gov</a>">lori.pittman1@<a href="http://usda.gov">usda.gov</a></a>,
Program Management Division, Business Programs, Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Avenue SW, MS 3226, Room 5160-S, Washington, DC 20250-3226, or call
(202) 720-1400. For further information on this notice, please contact
the USDA Rural Development State Office in the State in which the
applicant's headquarters is located. A list of Rural Development State
Office contacts is provided at the following link: State Offices
[verbar] Rural Development (<a href="http://usda.gov">usda.gov</a>).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agency encourages applicants to consider
projects that will advance the following key priorities (more details
available at <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points">https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points</a>):
<bullet> Assisting rural communities recover economically from the
impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly disadvantaged
communities;
<bullet> Ensuring all rural residents have equitable access to
Rural Development (RD) programs and benefits from RD funded projects;
and
<bullet> Reducing climate pollution and increasing resilience to
the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural
communities.
Overview
Solicitation Opportunity Type: Intermediary Relending Program.
Announcement Type: Solicitation of Applications for FY 2022 loan
funds.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.767.
Dates: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis and compete
for available funds on a quarterly basis. Applications received in the
USDA Rural Development State Office no later than 4:30 p.m. (local
time) on: Second Quarter--December 31, 2021, Third Quarter--March 31,
2022 and Fourth Quarter--June 30, 2022, will compete for available
funds in the fiscal quarter.
Set-Aside Funding Dates: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
authorized set-aside funding to projects and intermediaries serving
Federally-Recognized Native American Tribes, and for Mississippi Delta
Region Counties (as determined in accordance with Public Law 100-460).
Eligible applicants for the set-aside funds, if such funds are
appropriated, must demonstrate that at least 75 percent of the benefits
of an approved loan in this program will assist ultimate recipients in
the designated areas. Applications for set-aside funds must be
submitted to the Rural Development State Office where the project is
located by 4:30 p.m. (local time) on the following deadline dates. The
completed application deadline for the Federally Recognized Native
American Tribes and Mississippi Delta Region Counties projects is May
31, 2022. Funds may also be appropriated for projects located in Rural
Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Communities/Rural Economic Area Partnership
areas. Completed applications for these projects subject to available
funding, must be submitted by July 15, 2022.
A. Program Description
1. Purpose of the Program. The purpose of the program is to provide
direct loans to intermediaries that establish revolving loan programs
for the purpose of providing loans to ultimate recipients for business
purposes and community development in a rural area as defined in 7 CFR
4274.302. All applicable program requirements in their entirety can be
found at 7 CFR part 4274, subpart D.
2. Statutory Authority. This program is authorized under Section
310H of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C.
1936b) and is administered through regulations at 7 CFR part 4274,
subpart D.
3. Definition of Terms. The definitions applicable to this notice
are published at 7 CFR 4274.302.
4. Application Awards. The Agency will review, evaluate and score
applications received in response to this notice based on the
provisions found in 7 CFR 4274.341.
B. Federal Award Information
Type of Award: Loan.
Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2022.
Available Funds: Funding for the IRP program in FY 2022 is
anticipated with the amount of any available funds to be determined in
an Appropriations Act for FY 2022.
Maximum Award: The Agency anticipates a maximum award of $1 Million
for eligible Intermediaries submitting a loan request.
Anticipated Award Dates--Regular Funding: Second Quarter--February
28, 2022, Third Quarter--May 31, 2022, Fourth Quarter--August 31, 2022.
Anticipated Award Date--Federally Recognized Native American Tribes
and Mississippi Delta Region Counties Funding: June 15, 2022.
Anticipated Award Date--Empowerment Zones/Enterprise Communities/
Rural Economic Area Partnership Funding: August 1, 2022.
Renewal or Supplemental Awards: None.
C. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
IRP loans may be made to a private non-profit corporation, a public
agency,
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an Indian Tribe, or a cooperative entity, identified as eligible
borrowers in accordance with 7 CFR 4274.310.
2. Cost Share or Matching
Applicants will receive points in compliance with 7 CFR 4274.341(b)
if a cash contribution at a minimum of five percent of the loan amount
is contributed to the IRP revolving loan fund at the time of
application. An application will score higher with a higher cash
contribution percentage to the application amount. The IRP revolving
fund share of the eligible project cost of an ultimate recipient's
project shall not exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the ultimate
recipient's project for which the loan is being made, in accordance
with 7 CFR 4274.352.
3. Discretionary Points
The Administrator may assign up to 35 discretionary points to an
application when under their approval authority. Assignment of
discretionary points must include a written justification. Permissible
justifications are geographic distribution of funds, special Secretary
of Agriculture initiatives such as Priority Communities, or a state's
strategic goals. The number of points to be awarded will be determined
by the impact of the project on the stated initiative. Discretionary
points may only be assigned to initial grants. However, in the case
where two Projects have the same score, the State Director may add one
point to the Project that best fits the State's strategic plan
regardless of whether the Project is an initial or subsequent grant.
The following are examples of special Secretary of Agriculture
initiatives that can support obtaining discretionary points.
(i) COVID-19 Recovery. Applicant may receive priority points if the
project is located in or serving one of the top 10% of counties or
county equivalents based upon county risk score in the United States.
The website, <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points">https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points</a>, has the data to
confirm if your location qualifies or not.
(ii) Equity. Applicant may receive priority points if the project
is located in or serving a community with score 0.75 or above on the
CDC Social Vulnerability Index. The website, <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points">https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points</a>, has the data to confirm if your location qualifies or
not.
(iii) Climate Impact. Applicants may receive points if the project
is located in or serving coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities
whose economic well-being ranks in the most distressed tier of the
Distressed Communities Index. The website, <a href="https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points">https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points</a>, has the data to confirm if your location qualifies or
not. Or, applicants may receive points by demonstrating how proposed
climate-impact projects improve the livelihoods of community residents
and meet pollution mitigation or clean energy goals.
4. Other
Applications will only be accepted from eligible intermediaries
that will establish, or have established, revolving loan programs for
the purpose of providing loans to ultimate recipients for business
purposes and community developments in a rural area.
There are no ``responsiveness'' or ``threshold'' eligibility
criteria for these loans. However, not more than one loan will be
approved by the Agency for an intermediary in any single fiscal year
unless the additional request is from this program's set-aside funding.
5. Completeness Eligibility
Applications will not be considered for funding if they do not
provide enough information to determine eligibility, are not suitable
for evaluation or are missing required elements as stated in 7 CFR
4274.340.
D. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
For further information, entities wishing to apply for assistance
should contact the USDA Rural Development State Office where they are
located, provided in the ADDRESSES section of this notice, to obtain
copies of the application package. Applicants are also are encouraged
to contact their respective Rural Development State office for an email
contact to submit an electronic application prior to the submission
deadline date(s). Please note that applicants may locate the
downloadable application package for this program by the Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance Number, which is 10.767.
All applicants must have a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number which can be obtained at no cost via a
toll-free request line at 1-866-705-5711 or online at <a href="http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform">http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform</a>. In compliance with 2 CFR part 200, all
applicants for direct loans must also be registered in the System for
Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application. Applicants
may register for the SAM at <a href="http://www.sam.gov">http://www.sam.gov</a>.
2. Content and Form of Submission
An application must contain all the required elements and each
selection priority criterion outlined in 7 CFR 4274.343 must be
addressed in the application. An original copy of the application must
be filed with a Rural Development State Office for the state where the
Intermediary is located.
The applicant documentation and forms needed for a complete
application are located in 7 CFR 4274.340. There are no specific
formats or limitations on the number of pages required for an
application narrative, and applicants may request any Agency forms and
addresses from the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Any form that
requires an original signature, but is signed electronically in the
application submission, must be signed in ink by the authorized person
prior to the disbursement of funds.
3. Submission Dates and Times
Applications must be received by the specified USDA Rural
Development State Office by the dates and times as indicated above to
compete for available funds in a fiscal quarter. If the due date falls
on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday, the application is due the
next business day. The Agency will determine the application receipt
date based on the actual date an application is received
electronically, in person, or when a paper application is postmarked.
E. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
All eligible and complete applications will be evaluated and scored
based on the selection criteria and weights contained in 7 CFR
4274.341(b). Failure to address any of the application criteria by the
application deadline will result in the application being determined
ineligible, and the application will not be considered for funding.
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2. Review and Selection Process
The Rural Development State Offices will review applications to
determine if they are eligible for assistance based on the requirements
contained in 7 CFR part 4274, subpart D. If determined eligible, your
application will be submitted to the National Office for funding
competition with all eligible applications received by the quarterly
application deadline. The Agency Administrator reserves the right to
award up to 10 discretionary points with justification under 7 CFR
4274.341(b)(10).
In order to distribute funds among the greatest number of projects
possible, State application submissions will be reviewed, organized and
ranked in order from highest to lowest and funded up to the maximum
funding available.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notices
Successful applicants will receive notification for funding from
the USDA Rural Development State Office. Applicants must comply with
all applicable statutes and regulations before the loan award will be
obligated. An eligible application competing for regular IRP funds, but
not selected, will be reconsidered in three subsequent quarterly
funding competitions, for a total of four competitions, provided the
application and eligibility requirements have not changed. After
competing in four quarterly competitions, any unsuccessful applicant
for regular funds will receive written notification indicating that
their application will no longer be considered for funding. Applicants
competing for set-aside funding have only one application period per
fiscal year. Unsuccessful applicants for set-aside funding will receive
written notification indicating that their application was not
successful. An unsuccessful applicant for set-aside funding may elect,
in writing, to submit their project for IRP regular fund competitions
commencing with the next quarterly application period.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Additional requirements that apply to intermediaries selected for
this Program can be found in 7 CFR part 4274, subpart D. All successful
applicants will be notified by letter which will include a Letter of
Conditions, and a Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions, which are not
approval determinations. The loan will be considered approved when all
conditions in the Letter of Conditions have been met and the Agency
obligates the funding for the Project.
In addition, all recipients of Federal financial assistance are
required to report information about first-tier sub-awards and
executive compensation (see 2 CFR part 170). You will be required to
have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L.
109-282) reporting requirements (see 2 CFR 170.200(b), unless you are
exempt under 2 CFR 170.110(b)).
Intermediaries must collect and maintain data provided by Ultimate
Recipients on race, sex, and national origin and also ensure that
Ultimate Recipients collect and maintain this data. Race and ethnicity
data will be collected in accordance with OMB Federal Register notice,
``Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on
Race and Ethnicity'' (62 FR 58782), October 30, 1997. Sex data will be
collected in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972. These items should not be submitted with the application but
should be available upon request by the Agency.
The applicant and the Ultimate Recipients must comply with Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments
of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Executive
Order 12250, Executive Order 13166 Limited English Proficiency (LEP),
and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E.
G. Other Information
Paperwork Reduction Act
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
information collection requirement contained in this notice is approved
by OMB under OMB Control Number 0570-0021.
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act
All applicants, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must have a DUNS
number, which can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line
at (866) 705-5711 or online at <a href="http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform">http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform</a>. In
compliance with 2 CFR part 200, all applicants for direct loans must
also be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to
submitting an application. Applicants may register for the SAM at
<a href="http://www.sam.gov">http://www.sam.gov</a>. All recipients of Federal financial assistance are
required to report information about first-tier sub-awards and
executive total compensation in accordance with 2 CFR part 170.
Nondiscrimination 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#6d1d1f020a1f0c00430403190c06082d510c4d051f080b50" http: usda.gov">usda.gov</a>">program.intake@<a href="http://usda.gov">usda.gov</a></a>.
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
Karama Neal,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA Rural
Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-27770 Filed 12-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P
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