NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Program Requirements for the 2024-2025 Agriculture and Youth Organization Grant Program
[54 Pa.B. 5126]
[Saturday, August 10, 2024]The Department of Agriculture (Department) hereby provides notice of the standards and requirements for the Agriculture and Youth Organization Grant Program (Program).
The Program is established under authority of 3 Pa.C.S. §§ 10301—10307 (relating to agriculture and youth development) as amended by the act of July 7, 2022 (P.L. 504, No. 52), referred to as the Agriculture and Youth Development Grant Program Act. The Program allows the Department to award direct grants and matching grants to help fund eligible projects, programs and equipment purchases conducted or made by an organization composed mainly of youth, or an organization with programs that benefit youth, and organized to promote development in the areas of agriculture, community leadership, vocational training and peer fellowship.
This notice establishes the policy guidelines for the Program. It establishes the process by which grant applications will be solicited, reviewed and awarded for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-2025. The amount appropriated for grants in FY 2024-2025 will be no less than $500,000.
For the FY 2024-2025 Program, the Department will consider an eligible applicant to be any organization composed mainly of youth or an organization with programs that benefit youth and organized to promote development in the areas of agriculture, community leadership, vocational training and peer fellowship. The term includes a school district. This will include but is not limited to applications from schools or school districts to help fund eligible projects conducted by or for the benefit of agriculture and youth organizations operated under the applicant school or school district. The Department may revise these policy guidelines in subsequent years, as the Department gains experience in administering the Program.
This document has been developed in consultation with the State Agriculture and Youth Development Board (Board).
1. Program objective. The Program's objective is to provide grants to eligible agriculture and youth organizations to help fund projects such as educational programs, work force development programs, eligible seminars and field trips, agricultural safety training programs, capital projects, equipment purchases and special projects, as approved by the Board.
2. Definitions. The following words and phrases apply to the Program:
Agriculture and youth organization. An organization composed mainly of youth, or an organization with programs that benefit youth, and organized to promote development in the areas of agriculture, community leadership, vocational training and peer fellowship. The term includes a school district.
Board. The State Agriculture and Youth Development Board.
Department. The Department of Agriculture of the Commonwealth.
Eligible project. One or more of the following, approved by the Board:
a. An educational or work force development program conducted by an agriculture and youth organization.
b. Educational or work force development seminars and field trips conducted by an agriculture and youth organization.
c. An agricultural safety training program conducted by an agriculture and youth organization.
d. A capital project or an equipment purchase for an agriculture and youth organization.
Program. The Agriculture and Youth Organization Grant Program.
3. Eligibility. An agriculture and youth organization may apply to the Department for a grant under the Program. For an organization to be eligible to apply, most of its membership must be 24 years of age or younger or must have programming/initiatives focused on individuals 24 years of age or younger. A school or school district may apply to receive grant funds for an eligible project conducted by or for the benefit of an agriculture and youth organization that is operated under that school or school district.
4. Annual allocation limit for FY 2024-2025. The annual allocation limits for grant funds under the Program shall be as presented in section 5, on a funds-available basis.
5. Grant types. There are two different types of grants that can be awarded under the Program:
a. Direct, non-matching reimbursement grants of up to $7,500 to defray the costs of an eligible project, other than a capital project; and
b. Matching reimbursement grants of up to $25,000 to defray the costs of an eligible capital project or equipment purchase, where the grant comprises no more than 50% of the project costs.
6. Limitations on grants. The following shall apply:
a. The amount of reimbursement is based on actual eligible costs submitted by an approved applicant for an approved project during any fiscal year in which grants are offered.
b. Grant reimbursement money is limited as described in section 5.
c. Grant reimbursement money shall not be used to reimburse any portion of an in-kind contribution to an eligible project.
d. Grant money may not be used to pay or reimburse wages or salaries of grant recipient staff.
e. Grant money may not be used to reimburse any portion of the project costs which are being paid or reimbursed under another Federal or State grant program.
7. Application procedure.
a. Online Applications Only. An applicant for a grant under the Program shall be submitted through the Commonwealth's Single Application for Assistance online application system at www.esa.dced.state.pa.us.
b. Application Window. Applications must be submitted through the Single Application for Assistance online application system between 8 a.m. on August 19, 2024, and 5 p.m. on September 27, 2024. Applications received outside of that application window will not be considered or reviewed.
c. Application Requirements. An application for a grant under the Program shall contain the following information:
i. The applicant's name, business address and contact information.
ii. A brief narrative explaining how the applicant is an agriculture and youth organization.
iii. A statement as to whether the applicant seeks a direct, nonmatching reimbursement grant or a matching reimbursement grant, as these are described in section 5.
iv. The details of the project or equipment purchase for which reimbursement grant money is sought, including the following:
A. A project budget.
B. A statement of the maximum amount of grant money sought for the project.
C. A project implementation schedule, a construction schedule or an equipment purchase plan, as appropriate for the project or purchase with respect to which the grant is sought.
D. A narrative identifying each entity that will assist in, participate in and benefit from the project.
E. A project completion date, which shall be no later than June 30, 2026.
v. An attestation signed by the applicant, verifying the accuracy of the information presented on the application.
8. Disposition and review of grant applications.
a. The Department will review each application, and supporting documentation submitted therewith, for completeness and accuracy, and shall determine whether the application is eligible for consideration by the Board.
b. If an application is found to be incomplete or inaccurate, the Department may request additional documentation and may discontinue further processing of the application until the requested information is received.
c. If the Department determines an application is complete, accurate and eligible for consideration by the Board, it shall submit that application for consideration by the Board at its next scheduled meeting. The Board shall consider the project, capital project or equipment purchase that is the subject of the application and shall vote to recommend approval or disapproval of the application by the Department.
d. The Department will consider the Board's recommendation and make the decision as to approval or disapproval of an application upon the recommendation of the Board.
9. Notice of disposition of application. The Department will provide the applicant e-mail notice of the disposition (approval or disapproval) of the application.
10. 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 will execute a written or electronic grant agreement which describes the terms and conditions subject to which the grant is made. The grant agreement will contain and conform to the requirements of this notice and will also contain any 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 the 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 e-mail address set forth in Section 12. Applicants who are unable to agree to the terms and conditions should not apply.
11. Distribution of grant money. As Program grants are reimbursement grants, the Department will not issue grant money until the successful applicant delivers the following to the Department immediately following project completion, but no later than June 30, 2026:
a. A verified statement that the eligible project has been completed or implemented, or that the subject equipment has been purchased.
b. A verified statement of the project completion date or the equipment purchase date.
c. Photos of the completed or implemented project or the equipment purchased, with a narrative explanation of each photo.
d. Bills and invoices demonstrating that expenses were incurred for which reimbursement grant funds are sought.
Documents submitted to the Department under this section shall be directed to the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Market Development, Attn: Agriculture and Youth Organization Grant Program Coordinator, 2301 North Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408.
12. Additional information: Additional information may be obtained from the Department by contacting Sara Gligora, (717) 798-5048, sgligora@pa.gov.
RUSSELL REDDING,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-1113. Filed for public inspection August 9, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]
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