Notice of Solicitation of Applications for the Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants for Fiscal Year 2021

AGENCY:

Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), a Rural Development agency (Agency) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces that it is soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. This action is taken to comply with Agency regulations which requires the Agency to announce the opening and closing dates for receipt of pre-applications for HPG funds from eligible applicants. The Agency will publish the amount of funding on its website at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/housing-preservation-grants. Expenses incurred in developing pre-applications will be at the applicant's risk.

DATES:

The closing deadline for receipt of all paper pre-applications in response to this Notice is 5:00 p.m., local time for each Rural Development State Office on July 7, 2021. If submitting the pre-application in electronic format, the closing deadline for receipt is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on July 19, 2021.

Rural Development State Office locations can be found at: http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. RHS will not consider any pre-application that is received after the closing deadline. Applicants intending to mail pre-applications must provide sufficient time to permit delivery on or before the closing deadline date and time. Acceptance by the United States Postal Service or private mailer does not constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) and postage due pre-applications will not be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For general information, applicants may contact Bonnie Edwards-Jackson, Finance and Loan Analyst, Multi-Family Housing Production and Preservation Division, telephone (202) 690-0759 (voice) (this is not a toll-free number) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD-Federal Information Relay Service) or via email at bonnie.edwards@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Overview

Federal Agency Name: Rural Housing Service, USDA.

Funding Opportunity Title: Housing Preservation Grants.

Announcement Type: Notice.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 10.433.

A. Program Description

The HPG program is a grant program, authorized under 42 U.S.C. 1490m and implemented at 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N, which provides qualified public agencies, private non-profit organizations including, but not limited to, Faith-Based and neighborhood partnerships, and other eligible entities; grant funds to assist low- and very low-income homeowners in repairing and rehabilitating their homes in rural areas. In addition, the HPG program assists cooperative housing complexes and rental property owners in rural areas in repairing and rehabilitating their units if they agree to make such units available to very low- and low-income persons. Rental property owners can include Section 515 rental properties if the eligibility requirements for the HPG program are met. In accordance with 7 CFR 1944.663, rental property owners must agree to make the units repaired or rehabilitated available for occupancy to very low- or low-income persons for a period of not less than five years. The minimum five-year restriction to rent the very low- and low-income tenants will only apply to the units that are repaired with the HPG funding. Any units within the property that were not repaired with HPG funding will not be subject to the five-year restriction.

B. Federal Award Information

The funding instrument for the HPG program will be a grant agreement. The term of the grant can vary from one to two years, depending on available funds and demand. No maximum or minimum grant levels have been established at the National level. In accordance with 7 CFR 1944.652, coordination and leveraging of funding for repair and rehabilitation activities with housing and community development organizations or activities operating in the same geographic area are expected, but not required. Applicants should contact the Rural Development State Office to determine the allocation for their state.

The amount of funding available for the HPG program may be found at the following link: http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/housing-preservation-grants. In addition, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260) established a set-aside for grants located in Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones (REAP Zones). The State Office will indicate on the list submitted to the National Office if the pre-application is eligible for the REAP Zones set-aside. The National Office will then compile a national list, rank the REAP Zones applicants based on the point allocations set forth in this Federal Register Notice, and distribute the HPG REAP Zones set-aside starting with the highest scoring eligible HPG REAP Zones applicants. Other funds will be distributed under a formula allocation to States pursuant to 7 CFR part 1940, subpart L, “Methodology and Formulas for Allocation of Loan and Grant Program Funds.” Decisions on funding will be based on pre-application scores. Anyone interested in submitting a pre-application for funding under this program is encouraged to consult the Rural Development website, http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/housing-preservation-grants,, periodically for updated information regarding the status of funding authorized for this program.

The commitment of program dollars will be made to selected applicants that have fulfilled the necessary requirements for obligation.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants. Eligible entities for these competitively awarded grants include State and local Governments; non-profit corporations, which may include, but not be limited to Faith-Based and community organizations; federally recognized Indian Tribes; and consortia of eligible entities. HPG applicants who were previously selected for HPG funds are eligible to submit new pre-applications to apply for FY 2021 HPG program funds. More eligibility requirements can be found at 7 CFR 1944.658, 1944.661, 1944.662 and 1944.686.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching. Pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.652, grantees are expected to coordinate and leverage funding for repair and rehabilitation activities; as well as replacement housing, with housing and community development organizations or activities operating in the same geographic area. While HPG funds may be leveraged with other resources, cost sharing or matching is not a requirement for the HPG applicant as the HPG applicant would not be denied an award of HPG funds if all other project selection criteria have been met.

3. Other. Awards made under this Notice are subject to the provisions contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260) sections 744 and 745, Division E “Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2021, Title VII “General Provisions—Government-wide,” regarding Corporate Felony Convictions and Corporate Federal Tax Delinquencies. To comply with these provisions, only applicants that are or propose to be, corporations will submit this form as part of their pre-application. Form AD-3030, “Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants,” can be found here: http://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad3030.

D. Pre-Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Pre-application Package: Applicants wishing to submit a paper pre-application in response to this Notice must contact the Rural Development State Office serving the State of the proposed HPG housing project in order to receive further information and copies of the paper pre-application package. You may find the addresses and contact information for each State Office following this link: http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. Rural Development will date, and time stamp incoming paper pre-applications to evidence timely receipt and; upon request, will provide the applicant with a written acknowledgment of receipt (due to Covid-19, if submitting a paper pre-application, applicants must contact the applicable State Office to confirm mailing instructions). You may access the electronic grant pre-application for Housing Preservation Grants at: http://www.grants.gov.

2. Content and Form of Pre-application: 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N provides details on what information must be contained in the pre-application package. Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact the Rural Development State Office to receive further information, the State allocation of funds, and copies of the pre-application package. Unless otherwise noted, applicants wishing to apply for assistance must make its statement of activities available to the public for comment. The applicant(s) must announce the availability of its statement of activities for review in a newspaper of general circulation in the project area and allow at least 15 days for public comment. The start of this 15-day period must occur no later than 16 days prior to the last day for acceptance of pre-applications by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Rural Development. Federally recognized Indian Tribes, pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.674, are exempt from the requirement to consult with local leaders including announcing the availability of its statement of activities for review in a newspaper.

All applicants will file an original copy of Standard Form (SF)-424, “Application for Federal Assistance,” and supporting information with the appropriate Rural Development State Office. This form may be found on the USDA eForms website ( https://forms.sc.egov.usda.gov/eForms/welcomeAction.do?Home ). A pre-application package; including SF-424, is available in any Rural Development State Office. All pre-applications shall be accompanied by the following information which Rural Development will use to determine the applicant's eligibility to undertake the HPG program and to evaluate the pre-application under the project selection criteria of 7 CFR 1944.679.

(a) A statement of activities proposed by the applicant for its HPG program as appropriate to the type of assistance the applicant is proposing, including:

(1) A complete discussion of the type of and conditions for financial assistance for housing preservation, including whether the request for assistance is for a homeowner assistance program, a rental property assistance program, or a cooperative assistance program.

(2) The process for selecting recipients for HPG assistance, determining housing preservation needs of the dwelling, performing the necessary work, and monitoring/inspecting work performed.

(3) A description of the process for coordinating with other public and private organizations and programs that provide assistance in rehabilitation of historic properties in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.673.

(4) The development standard(s) the applicant will use for the housing preservation work; and, if not the Rural Development standards for existing dwellings, the evidence of its acceptance by the jurisdiction where the grant will be implemented.

(5) The time schedule for completing the program.

(6) The staffing required to complete the program.

(7) The estimated number of very low- and low-income minority and non-minority persons the grantee will assist with HPG funds; and, if a rental property or cooperative assistance program, the number of units and the term of restrictive covenants on their use for very low- and low-income.

(8) The geographical area(s) to be served by the HPG program.

(9) The annual estimated budget for the program period based on the financial needs to accomplish the objectives outlined in the proposal. The budget should include proposed direct and indirect administrative costs; such as personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contracts, and other cost categories, detailing those costs for which the grantee proposes to use the HPG grant separately from non-HPG resources, if any. The applicant budget should also include a schedule (with amounts) of how the applicant proposes to draw HPG grant funds, i.e., monthly, quarterly, lump sum for program activities, etc.

(10) A copy of an indirect cost proposal when the applicant has another source of Federal funding in addition to the Rural Development HPG program.

(11) A brief description of the accounting system to be used.

(12) The method of evaluation to be used by the applicant to determine the effectiveness of its program which encompasses the requirements for quarterly reports to Rural Development in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.683(b) and the monitoring plan for rental properties and cooperatives (when applicable) according to 7 CFR 1944.689;

(13) The source and estimated amount of other financial resources to be obtained and used by the applicant for both HPG activities and housing development and/or supporting activities.

(14) The use of program income; if any, and the tracking system used for monitoring same.

(15) The applicant's plan for disposition of any security instruments held by them as a result of its HPG activities in the event of its loss of legal status.

(16) Any other information necessary to explain the proposed HPG program; and

(17) The outreach efforts outlined in 7 CFR 1944.671(b).

(b) Complete information about the applicant's experience and capacity to carry out the objectives of the proposed HPG program.

(c) Evidence of the applicant's legal existence, including, in the case of a private non-profit organization; which may include, but not be limited to, Faith-Based and community organizations; a copy of, or an accurate reference to, the specific provisions of State law under which the applicant is organized; a certified copy of the applicant's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws or other evidence of corporate existence; certificate of incorporation for applicants other than public bodies; evidence of good standing from the State when the corporation has been in existence one year or more; and the names and addresses of the applicant's members, directors and officers. If other organizations are members of the applicant-organization, or the applicant is a consortium, pre-applications should be accompanied by the names, addresses, and principal purpose of the other organizations. If the applicant is a consortium, documentation showing compliance with paragraph (4)(ii) under the definition of “organization” in 7 CFR 1944.656 must also be included.

(d) For a private non-profit entity; which may include, but not be limited to, Faith-Based and community organizations, the most recent audited statement and a current financial statement dated and signed by an authorized officer of the entity showing the amounts and specific nature of assets and liabilities together with information on the repayment schedule and status of any debt(s) owed by the applicant.

(e) A brief narrative statement which includes information about the area to be served and the need for improved housing (including both percentage and the actual number of both low-income and low-income minority households and substandard housing), the need for the type of housing preservation assistance being proposed, the anticipated use of HPG resources for historic properties, the method of evaluation to be used by the applicant in determining the effectiveness of its efforts.

(f) A statement containing the component for alleviating any overcrowding as defined by 7 CFR 1944.656.

(g) A signed copy of the documentation in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.673 (as a companion to (a)(3) above).

(h) The applicant must submit written statements and related correspondence reflecting compliance with 7 CFR 1944.674(a) and (c) regarding consultation with local Government leaders in the preparation of its program and the consultation with local and State Government pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order 12372.

(i) The applicant is to make its statement of activities available to the public for comment prior to submission to Rural Development pursuant to 7 CFR 1944.674(b). The pre-application must contain a description of how the comments (if any were received) were addressed.

(j) The applicant must submit an original and one copy of Form RD 400-1, “Equal Opportunity Agreement” and Form RD 400-4, “Assurance Agreement” in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.676.

Applicants should review 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N for a comprehensive list of all application requirements.

3. System for Awards Management: All program applicants must be registered in the System for Awards Management (SAM) prior to submitting a pre-application, unless determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110. You may register in SAM at no cost at https://sam.gov/SAM/. Recipients must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by the Agency. The applicant must ensure that the information in the database is current, accurate and complete. Applicants must ensure they complete the Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations in SAM.

4. Intergovernmental Review: In accordance with 7 CFR 1944.674, the HPG program is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. Applications from Federally recognized Indian tribes are not subject to this requirement.

5. Funding Restrictions: There are no limits on proposed direct and indirect costs. Expenses incurred in developing pre-applications will be at the applicant's risk.

6. Other Submission Requirements: USDA is participating as a partner in the Government-wide Grants.gov website. Housing Preservation Grants [Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance #10.433] is one of the programs included at this website. If you are an applicant under the HPG program, you may submit your pre-application to the Agency in either electronic or paper format. Please be mindful that the pre-application deadline for electronic format differs from the deadline for paper format. The electronic format deadline will be based on Eastern Daylight Time. The paper format deadline is local time for each Rural Development State Office.

Users of Grants.gov will be able to download a copy of the pre-application package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit the pre-application via the Grants.gov site. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant pre-application to USDA Rural Development; however, the Agency encourages your participation in Grants.gov.

The following are useful tips and instructions on how to use the website:

• When you enter the Grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the website as well as the hours of operation. USDA-Rural Development strongly recommends that you do not wait until the pre-application deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov. To use Grants.gov, applicants must have a DUNS number. The DUNS number can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line at (866) 705-5711.
• You may submit all documents electronically through the website, including all information typically included on the pre-application for HPG, and all necessary assurances and certifications.
• After you electronically submit your pre-application through the website, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from Grants.gov that contains a Grants.gov tracking number.
• RHS may request that you provide original signatures on forms at a later date.
• If you experience technical difficulties on the closing date and are unable to meet the 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) deadline, print out your pre-application and submit it to your State Office; you must meet the closing date and local time deadline.
• Please note that you must locate the downloadable pre-application package for this program by the CFDA Number or FedGrants Funding Opportunity Number, which can be found at http://www.grants.gov.

Please Note: If you receive a grant award under this Notice, USDA reserves the right to post all information that is not protected by the Privacy Act submitted as part of the pre-application/application package on a public website with free and open access to any member of the public.

E. Pre-Application Review Information

1. Criteria. All paper pre-applications for Section 533 HPG funds must be filed with the appropriate Rural Development State Office and all paper or electronic pre-applications must meet the requirements of this Notice and 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N. Pre-applications determined not eligible and/or not meeting the selection criteria will be notified by the Rural Development State Office.

2. Review and Selection Process. The Rural Development State Offices will utilize the following threshold project selection criteria for applicants in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.679:

(a) Providing a financially feasible program of housing preservation assistance. “Financially feasible” is defined as proposed assistance which will be affordable to the intended recipient or result in affordable housing for very low- and low-income persons.

(b) Serving eligible rural areas with a concentration of substandard housing for households of very low- and low-income.

(c) Being an eligible applicant as defined in 7 CFR 1944.658.

(d) Meeting the requirements of consultation and public comment in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.674.

(e) Submitting a complete pre-application as outlined in 7 CFR 1944.676.

3. Scoring. For applicants meeting all of the requirements listed above, the Rural Development State Offices will use weighted criteria in accordance with 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N as selection for the grant recipients. Each pre-application and its accompanying statement of activities will be evaluated and, based solely on the information contained in the pre-application, the applicant's proposal will be numerically rated on each criterion within the range provided. The highest-ranking applicant(s) will be selected based on allocation of funds available to the State.

(a) Points are awarded based on the percentage of very low-income persons that the applicant proposes to assist, using the following scale:

(1) More than 80%: 20 points

(2) 61% to 80%: 15 points

(3) 41% to 60%: 10 points

(4) 20% to 40%: 5 points

(5) Less than 20%: 0 points

(b) The applicant's proposal may be expected to result in the following percentage of HPG fund use (excluding administrative costs) to total cost of unit preservation. This percentage reflects maximum repair or rehabilitation with the least possible HPG funds due to leveraging, innovative financial assistance, owner's contribution, or other specified approaches. Points are awarded based on the following percentage of HPG funds (excluding administrative costs) to total funds:

(1) 50% or less: 20 points

(2) 51% to 65%: 15 points

(3) 66% to 80%: 10 points

(4) 81% to 95%: 5 points

(5) 96% to 100%: 0 points

(c) The applicant has demonstrated its administrative capacity in assisting very low- and low-income persons to obtain adequate housing based on the following:

(1) The organization or a member of its staff has at least one or more years experience successfully managing and operating a rehabilitation or weatherization type program: 10 points.

(2) The organization or a member of its staff has at least one or more years experience successfully managing and operating a program assisting very low- and low-income persons obtain housing assistance: 10 points.

(3) If the organization has administered grant programs, there are no outstanding or unresolved audit or investigative findings which might impair carrying out the proposal: 10 points.

(d) The proposed program will be undertaken entirely in rural areas outside Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) identified by Rural Development as having populations below 10,000 or in remote parts of other rural areas (i.e., rural areas contained in MSAs with less than 5,000 population) as defined in 7 CFR 1944.656: 10 points.

(e) The program will use less than 20 percent of HPG funds for administration purposes:

(1) More than 20%: Not eligible

(2) 20%: 0 points

(3) 19%: 1 point

(4) 18%: 2 points

(5) 17%: 3 points

(6) 16%: 4 points

(7) 15% or less: 5 points

(f) The proposed program contains a component for alleviating overcrowding as defined in 7 CFR 1944.656: 5 points.

In the event more than one pre-application receives the same amount of points, those pre-applications will then be ranked based on the actual percentage figure used for determining the points in item (a) in the “Scoring” section of this Notice (7 CFR 1944.679 (b)(1)).

Example of 1st tie-break:

Both Applicants score 80 points

Applicant X's percentage in “Scoring” section item (a) is 65%

Applicant B's percentage in “Scoring” section item (a) is 75%

Applicant B is ranked higher than Applicant X

Applicant B will be funded before Applicant X

Further, in the event that pre-applications are still tied, then those pre-applications still tied will be ranked based on the percentage figures used for determining the points in item (b) in the “Scoring” section of this Notice (7 CFR 1944.679 (b)(2)).

Example of 2nd tie-break:

Both Applicants score 80 points

Both Applicants percentage in “Scoring” section item (a) is 65%

Applicant X's percentage in “Scoring” section item (b) is 55%

Applicant B's percentage in “Scoring” section item (b) is 60%

Applicant X is ranked with a lower percentage than Applicant B

Applicant X will be funded before Applicant B

Further, 7 CFR 1944.679 (c), for applications where HPG assistance to rental properties or co-ops is proposed, those still tied will be further ranked based on the number of years the units are available for occupancy under the program (a minimum of five years is required). For this part, ranking will be based from most to least number of years.

Example of 3rd tie-break:

Both Applicants score 80 points

Both Applicants percentage in “Scoring” section item (a) is 65%

Both Applicants percentage in “Scoring” section item (b) is 55%

Applicant X's rental unit will be available for occupancy under the program for 10 years

Applicant B's rental unit will be available for occupancy under the program for 5 years

Applicant X is ranked higher than Applicant B

Applicant X will be funded before Applicant B

If any of the applicants that remain tied after the 1st and 2nd tie-breaks are offering to assist single family owners, then the 3rd tie-break would not be applicable, and a lottery would be used to select the applicant to be funded.

If there is still a tie after the first two [or three, when applicable] tie-breaks, then a lottery system will be used to select the applicant to be funded. The lottery will be conducted at the National Office. The lottery will consist of the names of each pre-application with equal scores printed onto a same size piece of paper, which will then be placed into a receptacle that fully obstructs the view of the names. The Director of the Production and Preservation Division, in the presence of two witnesses, will draw a piece of paper from the receptacle. The name on the piece of paper drawn will be the applicant to be funded.

After the award selections are made, all applicants will be notified of the status of their pre-applications by mail with form AD-622 Form, “Notice of Pre-Application Review Action.” Applicants will be given their review rights or appeal rights in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.682.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices. The Agency will notify; in writing, applicants whose pre-applications have been selected for funding. At the time of notification, the Agency will advise the applicant what further information and documentation is required along with a timeline for submitting the additional information. If the Agency determines it is unable to select the pre-application for funding, the applicant will be informed in writing. Such notification will include the reasons the applicant was not selected. The Agency will advise applicants, whose pre-applications did not meet eligibility and/or selection criteria, of their review rights or appeal rights in accordance with 7 CFR 1944.682.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Rural Development is encouraging applications for projects that will support rural areas with persistent poverty. This emphasis will support Rural Development's mission of improving the quality of life for Rural Americans and commitment to directing resources to those who most need them.

(a) The following additional requirements apply to grantees selected for this program:

(1) Complete Form RD 1942-46 “Letter of Intent to Meet Conditions.”

(2) Complete Form RD 1940-1, “Request for Obligations of Funds.”

(3) Complete FMMI Vendor Code Request Form.

(4) Provide a copy of your organization's Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

(5) Certify that all work completed for the award will benefit a rural area.

(6) Certify that you will comply with the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 and report information about subawards and executive compensation.

(7) Certify that the U.S. has not obtained an outstanding judgement against your organization in a Federal Court (other than in the United States Tax Court).

(8) Execute Form SF-424B, “Assurance—Non-Construction Programs.”

(9) Execute Form SF-LLL, “Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying,” if applicable or certify that your organization does not lobby.

(b) The applicant must provide evidence of compliance with other federal statutes, including but not limited to the following:

(1) Debarment and suspension information is required in accordance with 2 CFR part 417 (Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension) supplemented by 2 CFR part 180, if it applies. The section heading is “What information must I provide before entering into a covered transaction with a Federal agency?” located at 2 CFR 180.335. It is part of OMB's Guidance for Grants and Agreements concerning Government-wide Debarment and Suspension.

(2) All of your organization's known workplaces by including the actual address of buildings (or parts of buildings) or other sites where work under the award takes place. Workplace identification is required under the drug-free workplace requirements in Subpart B of 2 CFR part 421, which adopts the Governmentwide implementation (2 CFR part 182) of the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

(3) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards).

(4) 2 CFR part 182 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)) and 2 CFR part 421 (Requirements for Drug Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)).

(5) Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.” For information on limited English proficiency and agency-specific guidance, go to http://www.lep.gov.

The following forms for acceptance of a federal award are now collected through your registration or annual recertification in SAM.gov in the Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations section:

• Form RD 400-4, “Assurance Agreement.”
• Form AD-1047, “Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters-Primary Covered Transactions.”
• Form AD-1048, “Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion. Lower Tier Covered Transactions.”
• Form AD-1049, “Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Grants).”
• Form AD-3031, “Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.”

3. Reporting. Post-award reporting requirements can be found in the Grant Agreement. The grantee will provide an audit report or financial statements in accordance with Uniform Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 CFR part 200, subpart F.

G. Paperwork Reduction Act

The reporting requirements contained in this Notice have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under OMB Number 0575-0115.

H. Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and USDA civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discrimination 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.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center, at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service, at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form AD-3027 (PDF), found online at: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-a-program-discrimination-complaint,, and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1) Mail: United States Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410;

(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3) Email: OAC@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.