Agriculture Innovation Centers

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS – NO FORMS – Narratives

Project Proposal, to be completed once at the time of application. This narrative is submitted by the grantee to provide information that the Agency uses to assess the eligibility of the applicant organization and use of funds and to evaluate the quality of the proposed project.

Certification Regarding Lobbying, to be completed once at the time of grant award. Recipients must certify that they have not expended nor will expend any Federal funds to pay any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with any of the following covered actions: the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal, amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement. The certification must include the language prescribed by 2 CFR Part 418, Appendix A.

Categorical Exclusion without Environmental Report, RD officials use the information in each application to evaluate and document the potential environmental impacts of the proposal, and to ensure that proper consultation with local, state, and Federal natural resource and environmental regulatory agencies and tribes has been conducted and concluded in accordance with the various environmental and historic preservation statutes and regulatory requirements. The actions listed in §§1970.53 through 1970.55 are classes of actions that the Agency has determined do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment (referred to as “categorical exclusions” or CEs). These actions include projects involving no or minimal disturbance, small scale development, and multi-tier action projects. Generally small-scale development projects require an environmental report (ER). This program’s purpose is technical assistance which falls under Categorical Exclusion per 7 CFR 1970, subpart B.

Semi-Annual Performance Report, to be completed on a semi-annual basis. Recipients are required to submit reports that identify project objectives and accomplishments, as well as any problems or deficiencies. The Agency uses the information to confirm that the recipient is making appropriate progress on the project Final Performance Report, to be completed once at the completion of the period of performance. Recipients are required to submit a cumulative report that describes the objectives of the award and the accomplishments of the project, including any performance measures. The Agency uses the information to confirm that the recipient has completed the project to the extent that it can, and it may use some or all of the performance measure data to assess the effectiveness of the program.

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration, General Certifications and Representations.  At the time of application, each applicant must have an active registration in SAM before submitting its application in accordance with 2 CFR 25.  This registration must remain current, accurate, and complete at all times during which the applicant has an active Federal award or an application under consideration.