[Federal Register: July 5, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 128)]
[Notices]
[Page 36651-36655]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05jy07-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines and Funding Levels
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of funds availability.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development
Utilities Program, hereinafter referred as Rural Development, announces
its Community Connect Grant Program application window for funding
during fiscal year (FY) 2007. In addition, RUS announces the minimum
and maximum amounts for Community Connect grants applicable for the
fiscal year. The Community Connect Grant Program regulations can be
found at 7 CFR part 1739, subpart A.
DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or
electronically according to the following deadlines:
Paper copies must carry proof of shipping no later than
August 20, 2007 to be eligible for FY 2007 grant funding. Late
applications are not eligible for FY 2007 grant funding.
Electronic copies must be received by August 20, 2007 to be
eligible for FY 2007 grant funding. Late applications are not eligible
for FY 2007 grant funding.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain application guides and materials for the
Community Connect Grant Program via the Internet at the following Web
site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/commconnect.htm. You may also
request application guides and materials from Rural Development by
contacting
[[Page 36652]]
the appropriate individual listed in section VII of the Supplementary
Information section of this notice.
Submit completed paper applications for grants to the Rural
Development Utilities Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400
Independence Ave., SW., Room 2870, STOP 1599, Washington, DC 20250-
1599. Applications should be marked ``Attention: Director, Broadband
Division, Rural Development Utilities Program.''
Submit electronic grant applications at http://www.grants.gov
(Grants.gov), following the instructions you find on that Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth Kuchno, Director, Broadband
Division, Rural Development Utilities Program, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, telephone: (202) 690-4673, fax: (202) 690-4389.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
Funding Opportunity Title: Community Connect Grant Program.
Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.863.
DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or
electronically according to the following deadlines:
Paper copies must carry proof of shipping no later than
August 20,2007, to be eligible for FY 2007 grant funding. Late
applications are not eligible for FY 2007 grant funding.
Electronic copies must be received by August 20, 2007, to
be eligible for FY 2007 grant funding. Late applications are not
eligible for FY 2007 grant funding.
Items in Supplementary Information:
I. Funding Opportunity: Brief introduction to the Community
Connect Grant Program
II. Award Information: Available funds and minimum and maximum
amounts
III. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, what kinds of
projects are eligible, what criteria determine basic eligibility
IV. Application and Submission Information: Where to get
application materials, what constitutes a completed application, how
and where to submit applications, deadlines, items that are eligible
V. Application Review Information: Considerations and
preferences, scoring criteria, review standards, selection
information
VI. Award Administration Information: Award notice information,
award recipient reporting requirements
VII. Agency Contacts: Web, phone, fax, email, contact name
I. Funding Opportunity
The provision of broadband transmission service is vital to the
economic development, education, health, and safety of rural Americans.
The purpose of the Community Connect Grant Program is to provide
financial assistance in the form of grants to eligible applicants that
will provide currently unserved areas, on a ``community-oriented
connectivity'' basis, with broadband transmission service that fosters
economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, and
public safety services. Rural Development will give priority to rural
areas that it believes have the greatest need for broadband
transmission services, based on the criteria contained herein.
Grant authority will be used for the deployment of broadband
transmission service to extremely rural, lower-income communities on a
``community-oriented connectivity'' basis. The ``community-oriented
connectivity'' concept will stimulate practical, everyday uses and
applications of broadband facilities by cultivating the deployment of
new broadband transmission services that improve economic development
and provide enhanced educational and health care opportunities in rural
areas. Such an approach will also give rural communities the
opportunity to benefit from the advanced technologies that are
necessary to achieve these goals. Please see 7 CFR part 1739, subpart A
for specifics.
This notice has been formatted to conform to a policy directive
issued by the Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) of the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), published in the Federal
Register on June 23, 2003. This Notice does not change the Community
Connect Grant Program regulation (7 CFR part 1739, subpart A).
II. Award Information
A. Available Funds
1. General. The Administrator has determined that the following
amounts are available for grants in FY 2007 under 7 CFR 1739.2(a).
2. Grants
a. $8.91 million is available for grants. Under 7 CFR 1739.2, the
Administrator has established a minimum grant amount of $50,000 and a
maximum grant amount of $1,000,000 for FY 2007.
b. Assistance instrument: Rural Development will execute grant
documents appropriate to the project prior to any advance of funds with
successful applicants.
B. Community Connect grants cannot be renewed. Award documents
specify the term of each award. Applications to extend existing
projects are welcomed (grant applications must be submitted during the
application window) and will be evaluated as new applications.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Who is eligible for grants? (See 7 CFR 1739.10.)
1. Only entities legally organized as one of the following are
eligible for Community Connect Grant Program financial assistance:
a. An incorporated organization,
b. An Indian tribe or tribal organization, as defined in 25 U.S.C.
450b(b) and (c),
c. A state or local unit of government,
d. A cooperative, private corporation or limited liability company
organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis.
2. Individuals are not eligible for Community Connect Grant Program
financial assistance directly.
3. Applicants must have the legal capacity and authority to own and
operate the broadband facilities as proposed in its application, to
enter into contracts and to otherwise comply with applicable federal
statutes and regulations.
B. What are the basic eligibility requirements for a project?
1. Required matching contributions. Please see 7 CFR 1739.14 for
the requirement. Grant applicants must demonstrate a matching
contribution, in cash or in kind (new, non-depreciated items), of at
least fifteen (15) percent of the total amount of financial assistance
requested. Matching contributions must be used for eligible purposes of
Community Connect grant assistance (see 7 CFR 1739.12).
2. To be eligible for a grant, the Project must (see 7 CFR
1739.11):
a. Serve a Rural Area where Broadband Transmission Service does not
currently exist, to be verified by Rural Development prior to the award
of the grant;
b. Serve one and only one Community recognized in the latest U.S.
Census; Contiguous areas outside the Community's boundaries that are
not recognized in the U.S. Census as a separate Community, can be
included in the applicant's proposed Service Area.
c. Deploy Basic Broadband Transmission Service, free of all charges
for at least 2 years, to all Critical Community Facilities located
within the proposed Service Area;
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d. Offer Basic Broadband Transmission Service to residential and
business customers within the proposed Service Area; and
e. Provide a Community Center with at least ten (10) Computer
Access Points within the proposed Service Area, and make Broadband
Transmission Service available therein, free of all charges to users
for at least 2 years.
C. See paragraph IV.B of this notice for a discussion of the items that
make up a completed application. You may also refer to 7 CFR 1739.15
for completed grant application items.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Clarifications to requirements for FY 2007.
1. Rural Development clarifies that the definition of ``Critical
Community Facilities'' includes the mandatory Community Center.
2. For all funding commitments, including all matching fund
commitments and commitments made by the applicant, that are required to
complete the Project in addition to the Rural Development grant,
evidence must be submitted demonstrating that funding arrangements have
been obtained. This evidence must:
a. Clearly state the name of the entity that is making the
commitment;
b. The amount of the commitment; and
c. The purpose of the commitment.
3. Rural Development clarifies that in order to qualify as eligible
costs for grant coverage or matching fund contributions, operating
expenses incurred in providing Broadband Transmission Service to
Critical Community Facilities for the first 2 years of operation and in
providing training and instruction must be for the following purposes
subject to the specified maximum amounts:
a. Salary for operations manager, not to exceed $30,000 per year.
b. Salary for technical support staff, not to exceed $30,000 per
year.
c. Salary for community center staff, not to exceed $25,000 per
year.
d. Bandwidth expenses, not to exceed $25,000 per year.
e. Training courses on the use of the Internet, not to exceed
$15,000 per year.
The operating costs to be funded by the grant or used as matching
contributions cannot exceed in the aggregate $250,000. No other
operating expenses are eligible for grant funding or to be considered
as matching funds.
B. Where to get application information.
The application guide, copies of necessary forms and samples, and
the Community Connect Grant Program regulation are available from these
sources:
1. The Internet: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/commconnect.htm, or http://www.grants.gov.
2. The Rural Development Broadband Division, for paper copies of
these materials: (202) 690-4673.
B. What constitutes a completed application?
1. Detailed information on each item required can be found in the
Community Connect Grant Program regulation and the Community Connect
Grant Program application guide. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
read and apply both the regulation and the application guide. This
Notice does not change the requirements for a completed application for
any form of Community Connect Grant Program financial assistance
specified in the Community Connect Grant Program regulation. The
Community Connect Grant Program regulation and the application guide
provide specific guidance on each of the items listed and the Community
Connect Grant Program application guide provides all necessary forms
and sample worksheets.
2. Applications should be prepared in conformance with the
provisions in 7 CFR part 1739, subpart A, and applicable USDA
regulations including 7 CFR parts 3015, 3016, and 3019. Applicants must
use the Rural Development Application Guide for this program containing
instructions and all necessary forms, as well as other important
information, in preparing their application. Completed applications
must include the following:
a. An Application for Federal Assistance. A completed Standard Form
(SF) 424.
b. An executive summary of the Project. The applicant must provide
Rural Development with a general project overview.
c. Scoring criteria documentation. Each grant applicant must
address and provide documentation on how it meets each of the scoring
criteria detailed 7 CFR 1739.17.
d. System design. The applicant must submit a system design,
including, narrative specifics of the proposal, associated costs, maps,
engineering design studies, technical specifications and system
capabilities, etc.
e. Scope of work. The scope of work must include specific
activities and services to be performed under the proposal, who will
carry out the activities and services, specific time-frames for
completion, and a budget for all capital and administrative
expenditures reflecting the line item costs for all grant purposes, the
matching contribution, and other sources of funds necessary to complete
the project.
f. Community-Oriented Connectivity Plan. The applicant must provide
a detailed Community-Oriented Connectivity Plan.
g. Financial information and sustainability. The applicant must
provide financial statements and information and a narrative
description demonstrating the sustainability of the Project.
h. A statement of experience. The applicant must provide a written
narrative describing its demonstrated capability and experience, if
any, in operating a broadband telecommunications system.
i. Evidence of legal authority and existence. The applicant must
provide evidence of its legal existence and authority to enter into a
grant agreement with RUS and to perform the activities proposed under
the grant application.
j. Funding commitment from other sources. If the Project requires
additional funding from other sources in addition to the Rural
Development grant, the applicant must provide evidence that funding
agreements have been obtained to ensure completion of the Project.
k. Compliance with other federal statutes. The applicant must
provide evidence of compliance with other federal statutes and
regulations, including, but not limited to the following:
(i) 7 CFR part 15, subpart A--Nondiscrimination in Federally
Assisted Programs of the Department of Agriculture--Effectuation of
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
(ii) 7 CFR part 3015--Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations.
(iii) 7 CFR part 3017--Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension
(Non-procurement).
(iv) 7 CFR part 3018--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
(v) 7 CFR part 3021--Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free
Workplace (Financial Assistance).
(vi) Certification regarding Architectural Barriers.
(vii) Certification regarding Flood Hazard Precautions.
(viii) An environmental report, in accordance with 7 CFR part 1794.
(ix) Certification that grant funds will not be used to duplicate
lines, facilities, or systems providing Broadband Transmission Service.
(x) Federal Obligation Certification on Delinquent Debt.
[[Page 36654]]
3. DUNS Number. As required by the OMB, all applicants for grants
must now supply a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number when applying. The SF-424 contains a field for you to use
when supplying your DUNS number. Obtaining a DUNS number costs nothing
and requires a short telephone call to Dun and Bradstreet. Please see
the Community Connect Web site or Grants.gov for more information on
how to obtain a DUNS number or how to verify your organization's
number.
C. How many copies of an application are required?
1. Applications submitted on paper: Submit the original application
and two (2) copies to Rural Development.
2. Electronically submitted applications: The additional paper
copies are not necessary if you submit the application electronically
through Grants.gov.
D. How and where to submit an application. Grant applications may
be submitted on paper or electronically.
1. Submitting applications on paper.
a. Address paper applications for grants to the Rural Development
Utilities Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Ave., SW., Room 2870, STOP 1599, Washington, DC 20250-1599.
Applications should be marked ``Attention: Director, Broadband
Division, Rural Development Utilities Program.''
b. Paper applications must show proof of mailing or shipping
consisting of one of the following:
(i) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark;
(ii) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
USPS; or
(iii) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
c. Due to screening procedures at the Department of Agriculture,
packages arriving via the USPS are irradiated, which can damage the
contents. Rural Development encourages applicants to consider the
impact of this procedure in selecting their application delivery
method.
2. Electronically submitted applications.
a. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine
transmission or electronic mail.
b. Electronic applications for grants will be accepted if submitted
through the Federal government's Grants.gov initiative at http://www.grants.gov
.
c. How to use Grants.gov:
(i) Navigate your Web browser to http://www.grants.gov.
(ii) Follow the instructions on that Web site to find grant
information.
(iii) Download a copy of the application package.
(iv) Complete the package off-line.
(v) Upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov Web site.
d. Grants.gov contains full instructions on all required passwords,
credentialing and software.
e. Rural Development encourages applicants who wish to apply
through Grants.gov to submit their applications in advance of the
deadline.
f. If a system problem occurs or you have technical difficulties
with an electronic application, please use the customer support
resources available at the Grants.gov Web site.
E. Deadlines.
1. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or
sent overnight no later than August 20, 2007 to be eligible for FY 2007
grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2007 grant
funding.
2. Electronic grant applications must be received by August 20,
2007 to be eligible for FY 2007 funding. Late applications are not
eligible for FY 2007 grant funding.
F. Funding Restrictions.
1. Eligible grant purposes. Grant funds may be used to finance:
a. The construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities,
including spectrum, to deploy Broadband Transmission Service to all
participating Critical Community Facilities and all required facilities
needed to offer such service to residential and business customers
located within the proposed Service Area;
b. The improvement, expansion, construction, or acquisition of a
Community Center that furnishes free access to broadband Internet
service, provided that the Community Center is open and accessible to
area residents before, during, and after normal working hours and on
Saturday or Sunday. Grant funds provided for such costs shall not
exceed the greater of five percent (5%) of the grant amount requested
or $100,000;
c. End-User Equipment needed to carry out the Project;
d. Operating expenses incurred in providing Broadband Transmission
Service to Critical Community Facilities for the first 2 years of
operation and in providing training and instruction; and
e. The purchase of land, buildings, or building construction needed
to carry out the Project.
2. Ineligible grant purposes.
a. Grant funds may not be used to finance the duplication of any
existing Broadband Transmission Service provided by another entity.
b. Facilities financed with grant funds cannot be utilized, in any
way, to provide local exchange telecommunications service to any person
or entity already receiving such service.
3. Please see 7 CFR 1739.3 for definitions, 7 CFR 1739.12 for
eligible grant purposes, and 7 CFR 1739.13 for ineligible grant
purposes
V. Application Review Information
A. Criteria
1. Grant applications are scored competitively and subject to the
criteria listed below.
2. Grant application scoring criteria (total possible points: 100)
See 7 CFR 1739.17 for the items that will be reviewed during scoring
and for scoring criteria.
a. The rurality of the Project (up to 40 points);
b. The economic need of the Project's Service Area (up to 30
points); and
c. The ``community-oriented connectivity'' benefits derived from
the proposed service (up to 30 points).
B. Review Standards
1. All applications for grants must be delivered to Rural
Development at the address and by the date specified in this notice
(see also 7 CFR 1739.2) to be eligible for funding. Rural Development
will review each application for conformance with the provisions of
this part. Rural Development may contact the applicant for additional
information or clarification.
2. Incomplete applications as of the deadline for submission will
not be considered. If an application is determined to be incomplete,
the applicant will be notified in writing and the application will be
returned with no further action.
3. Applications conforming with this part will then be evaluated
competitively by a panel of Rural Development employees selected by the
Administrator of Rural Development Utilities Program, and will be
awarded points as described in the scoring criteria in 7 CFR 1739.17.
Applications will be ranked and grants awarded in rank order until all
grant funds are expended.
4. Regardless of the score an application receives, if Rural
Development determines that the Project is technically or financially
infeasible, Rural Development will notify the applicant, in writing,
and the application will be returned with no further action.
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C. Selection Process
Grant applications are ranked by final score. Rural Development
selects applications based on those rankings, subject to the
availability of funds.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
Rural Development recognizes that each funded project is unique,
and therefore may attach conditions to different projects' award
documents. Rural Development generally notifies applicants whose
projects are selected for awards by faxing an award letter. Rural
Development follows the award letter with a grant agreement that
contains all the terms and conditions for the grant. An applicant must
execute and return the grant agreement, accompanied by any additional
items required by the grant agreement.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
The items listed in paragraph IV.B.2.k of this notice, and the
Community Connect Grant Program regulation, application guide and
accompanying materials implement the appropriate administrative and
national policy requirements.
C. Reporting
1. Performance reporting. All recipients of Community Connect Grant
Program financial assistance must provide annual performance activity
reports to Rural Development until the project is complete and the
funds are expended. A final performance report is also required; the
final report may serve as the last annual report. The final report must
include an evaluation of the success of the project. See 7 CFR 1739.19.
2. Financial reporting. All recipients of Community Connect Grant
Program financial assistance must provide an annual audit, beginning
with the first year a portion of the financial assistance is expended.
Audits are governed by United States Department of Agriculture audit
regulations. Please see 7 CFR 1739.20.
VII. Agency Contacts
A. Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/commconnect.htm. This Web site
maintains up-to-date resources and contact information for the
Community Connect Grant Program.
B. Phone: 202-690-4673.
C. Fax: 202-690-4389.
D. Main point of contact: Kenneth Kuchno, Director, Broadband
Division, Rural Development Utilities Program, U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Dated: June 29, 2007.
James M. Andrew,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 07-3285 Filed 7-3-07; 8:45 am]
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