NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The Resilient Food Systems Simplified Equipment-Only Grant Program; 2024 Application Period
[54 Pa.B. 1686]
[Saturday, March 30, 2024]The Department of Agriculture (Department) announces the program requirements and application period for The Resilient Food Systems Simplified Equipment-Only Grant Program (Program) under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agriculture Marketing Service. Grants will be awarded to qualified applicants. The Program aims to create more diverse local and regional market options and create more economic opportunities for communities, allowing them to retain more of the value chain dollar. The Department intends to make up to $4.8 million available for grants under the Program.
1. Definitions.
The following words and terms have the following meanings:
Department—The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Middle-of-the-supply-chain—Activities that take place after the production of the agricultural product but before the product is sold to consumers. These activities include the processing, aggregation and distribution of agricultural products between leaving the field and entering the marketplace.
Program—The Resilient Food Systems Simplified Equipment-Only Grant Program.
Resilient Food Systems Simplified Equipment-Only Grant—A fixed-price grant that will fund only equipment purchases in a minimum award amount of $10,000 and a maximum award amount of $100,000. Grant funds may not be used for facility upgrades, staffing or other costs.
SBA—The United States Small Business Administration.
Secretary—The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
2. Program objectives.
(a) Purpose. The purpose of the Program is to expand capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling or distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural products. This Program is intended to support food system crops and products meant for human consumption. Ineligible products include meat and poultry products which are funded through other USDA programs, wild-caught seafood, animal feed and forage products, fiber, landscaping products, tobacco and dietary supplements.
(b) Applicants.
(1) The following are eligible to apply for grants under the Program:
(i) Agricultural producers or processors, or groups of agricultural producers and processors.
(ii) Nonprofit organizations operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products.
(iii) For-profit entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products, whose activities are primarily focused for the benefit of local and regional producers and that meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards.
(iv) Local government entities operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products.
(v) Tribal governments operating middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural products.
(vi) Institutions such as schools, universities or hospitals bringing producers together to establish cooperative or shared infrastructure or investing in equipment that will benefit multiple producers' middle-of-the-supply-chain activities such as processing, aggregation or distribution of targeted agricultural product.
(2) For-profit entities must meet the eligibility requirements of the SBA small business size standards matched to industries described in the North American Industry Classification System. For more information on these size standards, visit the SBA's Size Standards web site at https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/size-standards. For a quick check on whether a business qualifies, use the Size Standards Tool at https://www.sba.gov/size-standards/index.html.
(3) Applicant businesses and organizations must be domestically owned and applicants' facilities must be physically located within this Commonwealth. Applicants doing business along this Commonwealth's border should only apply in one state to avoid duplication of Federal funds.
(c) Activities include:
(1) Purchasing of equipment at a cost of not less than $10,000 and not to exceed $100,000 to be utilized to expand capacity for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling or distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural products.
(d) Competitive program. The Program is competitive. Grant requests and related documentation will be reviewed by the Department, which will approve or reject each grant request.
(e) Funds available basis. Grants will only be awarded to the extent that funds are available for this purpose. The Department need not expend all the funds that are available for the Program.
3. Limitations on grants. The amount of a grant shall be between $10,000 and $100,000. Grant recipients are required to submit documentation to substantiate the cost of each piece of equipment listed on their application. Documentation can include contracts, catalog pricing or binding quotes provided by licensed commercial entities. The cost of delivery and installation can be covered by the grant if they are listed in the official bid. When soliciting bids, make sure they will be honored at the time of the grant award which will be no earlier than July 1, 2024.
4. Uses of grant funds.
(a) Conformity to application. Grant funds awarded to an applicant shall be expended solely to reimburse the cost of the specific equipment described in the grant application.
(b) Allowable expenditures of grant funds. Grant funds may be expended to pay for any of the activities previously listed in section 2(c).
5. Applications.
(a) Application required. Interested applicants shall submit grant applications to the Department. An application shall include a detailed work plan and project budget.
(b) Project starting and completion dates. An application shall designate July 1, 2024, or a later date, as the project start date, and June 30, 2026, or earlier, as the project completion date. Program grant funds will not be awarded or paid for project activities that occur before the stated project start date or after the stated project completion date.
(c) Electronic applications only. Interested applicants must submit a complete electronic project proposal and grant application using the Department's Electronic Single Application web site at http://www.esa.dced.state. pa.us.
(d) Application window. Applications shall be submitted by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
6. Notice of disposition of application.
The Department will e-mail notice of the acceptance or rejection of a grant application by Monday, July 1, 2024. This notice will be e-mailed to the address provided by the applicant in the grant application.
7. Grant agreement.
After the Secretary approves a grant application, and as a precondition to the Department's release of grant moneys to a successful applicant, the Department and the applicant shall execute a written or electronic grant agreement which establishes the terms and conditions subject to which the grant is made. The grant agreement will not be effective, and work should not begin, until all required signatures have been applied to the grant agreement. The grant agreement will contain and conform to the requirements of this notice and will also contain special terms and conditions as required by the Secretary. Among the terms of the grant agreement will be a requirement that the grant recipient provide the Department full and complete access to all records relating to the performance of the project and submit such information as the Department may require. Applicants who wish to view the full terms and conditions of the grant agreement in advance of submitting an application may contact the Department at the phone number or e-mail address set forth in section 11. Applicants who are unable to agree to the terms and conditions should not apply.
8. Verification of project completion.
(a) Within 30 days of completion of the subject project, the applicant shall provide the Department with proof of the completion of the project and eligibility to receive reimbursement grant funds from the Department.
(b) Required documentation. The proof described in subsection (a) shall consist of:
(1) Copies of invoices for goods or services directly related to the project, confirming that the total billed amount is at least the amount of the grant, along with the written certification of the president or treasurer of the applicant that the goods or services that are the subject of the invoices have been delivered or provided to the applicant.
(2) A certificate of completion, signed by its president or treasurer, verifying completion of the subject project and stating that the grant funds will reimburse the applicant for costs incurred by the applicant in completing the subject project.
(3) A brief narrative describing the work completed, including any available metrics.
9. Delivery of grant funds by the Department. The Department will pay the grant amount to the applicant in a single payment within 45 days of receiving the proof of completion previously described in section 8.
10. Reporting requirements. Within 60 days of completing the grant, grant recipients will submit a final report to the Department detailing the Program's results based upon the evaluation method proposed in the application.
11. Questions and additional information. Questions on this Program, including on the online application process, may be directed to the Bureau of Market Development, Department of Agriculture, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408, (717) 772-2688, RA-AgBusiness@pa.gov.
RUSSELL REDDING,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-433. Filed for public inspection March 29, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]
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