Request for Application

Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program (SPRS)

2021 Pandemic Seafood Processors Relief RFA DRAFT_20210816 OTR

Standardized Forms All AMS Grant Programs

OMB: 0581-0329

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OMB No. 0581-0240

S
eafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program

Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Applications

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-AMS-TM-SPRS-G-21-0012

Publication Date: XXXX, 2021

Application Due Date: 11:59 PM Eastern Time on XXXX, 2021



Program Solicitation Information

Funding Opportunity Title: Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program

Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-AMS-TM-SPRS-G-21-0012

Announcement Type: Initial

Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) Number: 10.181

Dates: Applications must be received on or before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on INSERT DATE 60 DAYS FROM ANNOUNCEMENT, 2021, through Grants.gov. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered for funding.

Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), requests applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Block Grant Program. AMS will award grants to eligible State agencies to provide relief to seafood processors who incurred costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AMS will make only one award to each eligible State or territory. Approximately $50 million is available from funds authorized under Title VII, subtitle B, section 751 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116—260) in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

This announcement identifies the eligibility criteria for SPRS projects and applicants, and the application forms and associated instructions needed to apply for a SPRS award.

AMS encourages applications that benefit smaller processors and vessels, socially disadvantaged processors, veteran processors, and/or underserved communities. For grants intending to serve these entities, applicants should engage and involve those beneficiaries when developing projects and applications. AMS specifically encourages applications that include plans for outreach to Indian Tribes and native communities.

Stakeholder Input: AMS welcomes comments about this RFA, and we will consider them in developing future SPRS RFAs. Email written stakeholder comments within one year of the publication date of this RFA to: [email protected]. This e-mail address is intended only for receiving comments regarding this RFA and not requesting information or forms. In your comments, please state that you are commenting on the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program RFA.

Application Checklist

The application must include the following:

Standard Form (SF) 424 – Application for Federal Assistance

Project Narrative

Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) (if applicable)





TABLE OF CONTENTS


  1. Funding Opportunity Description

    1. Legislative Authority

The Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety (SPRS) Grant Program is authorized and funded under Title VII, subtitle B, Section 751 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116-260). Under Section 751, the Secretary can provide grants to seafood processing facilities and processing vessels to respond to coronavirus, including for measures to protect workers against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

    1. Purpose

The SPRS assists State agencies in defraying the expenses preparing for, preventing exposure to, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic for seafood processing facilities and processing vessels.

State agencies will issue payments to seafood processing facilities and processing vessels for costs incurred between January 27, 2020, the date upon which the public health emergency was declared by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, and December 31, 2021.

    1. Program Description

State agencies will provide funds to seafood processors and processing vessels as defined in section 3.2. State agencies should conduct this outreach to ensure that eligible beneficiaries are aware of this relief and understand the requirements of the funding opportunity. States must develop plans in coordination with Indian Tribes to identify proportional amounts based on the best available data to be administered by Tribal governmental entities. Each processing facility or vessel may apply separately for funding. Processors may only apply once for each location or vessel. State agencies should determine funding amounts based on their local conditions and industry needs. Funds can cover the activities associated with:

Workplace Safety Measures: Workplace safety measures, including, but not limited to, personal protective equipment, sanitizer, hand washing stations, air filters, thermometers, cleaning supplies, or similar items.

Market Pivots: Market pivots such as transition to virtual/online sales costs (online platform development and fees, online marketing, credit card processing fees), supplies, new signage.

Retrofitting Facilities: Retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety (plexiglass, walk up windows, heat lamps, fans, tents, propane, weights, tables, chairs).

Transportation: Additional transportation costs incurred to maintain social distancing.

Worker Housing: Additional worker housing costs incurred to maintain social distancing or to allow for quarantining of new or exposed employees.

Medical: Unreimbursed costs associated with providing or enabling vaccinations, testing, or healthcare treatment of infected employees, including any paid leave. 

State agencies will ensure that beneficiaries of this financial assistance maintain appropriate records and follow all applicable Federal statutes and regulations as well as the Grant Agreement and AMS General Terms and Conditions.

  1. Award Information

    1. Type of Federal Assistance

AMS will use a Grant Agreement to provide a Federal award to successful applicants.

    1. Type of Applications

New application. AMS will review all new applications for conformity with the criteria in section 4.2 and may require the applicant to provide additional information or clarification by a specified date.

    1. Available Funding

The anticipated amount available for SPRS in FY 2021 is approximately $50,000,000.

Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program. There is no commitment by USDA to fund any application or to make a specific number of awards.

    1. Federal Award Period Duration and Size

AMS expects recipients to complete their projects within the required timeframe. It is acceptable to complete a project before the scheduled performance period end date. However, AMS encourages recipients to take the full grant period to allow ample time to complete projects. The applicant must indicate the start date and end date on Block 17 of the SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance”.

Duration (Months)

Start Date

Completion Date

24

[TBD]

[TBD]

    1. Block Grant Amounts Available to Each Applicant

Subject to the amount of available funding as set forth above in section 2.3, each eligible entity that submits an application that the AMS reviews and accepts is eligible to receive the available grant allocation as indicated below. State grant allocations were determined using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2019 landings data to distribute funds proportionally (based on their respective percentage of total landings), with a cut-off at 0.05% or more and a minimum award of $200,000. The NOAA Fisheries of the United States Landings Data report commercial vessel landings numbers by State, species, and year on NOAA’s Commercial Fisheries Landings publicly available website.

State Agency

Available Grant Allocation

Alabama

$200,000

Alaska

$30,694,746

American Samoa

$792,209

California

$510,912

Connecticut

$200,000

Delaware

$200,000

Florida

$516,208

Georgia

$200,000

Hawaii

$200,000

Louisiana

$4,229,669

Maine

$850,184

Maryland

$222,673

Massachusetts

$1,104,725

Michigan

$200,000

Mississippi

$1,606,446

New Hampshire

$200,000

New Jersey

$826,807

New York

$200,000

North Carolina

$279,234

Oregon

$1,532,089

Rhode Island

$371,412

South Carolina

$200,000

Texas

$353,135

Virginia

$1,853,268

Washington

$2,426,509

  1. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible applicants

Eligible entities include the State agencies, commissions, or departments in eligible States that are responsible for agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, seafood, commercial processing, or related commerce activities within the State. AMS will make only one award per State or territory; agencies within the State must coordinate if more than one agency wishes to implement this program.

Eligible States include Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the territory of American Samoa.

    1. Eligible Beneficiaries

Seafood processing facilities and processing vessels, including at-sea processors or dealers.

Processor means the owner, operator, dealer, or agent responsible for any activity that changes the physical condition of a fisheries resource suitable for human consumption, retail sale, industrial uses, or long-term storage, including cooking, canning, smoking, salting, drying, shucking, filleting, freezing, or rendering into meal or oil. Any owner, operator, dealer, or agent exclusively gutting, gilling, heading, or icing seafood without performing any of the above activities is not considered a processor.

At-sea processor means a vessel or other platform that floats and can be moved from one location to another, whether in State waters or water of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), receiving fish and operating as a processor.

Dealer means an entity that first receives fish by way of purchase and sells directly to restaurants, markets, other dealers, processors, or consumers without substantially altering the product.

    1. Cost-Sharing and Matching

This funding opportunity does not have a Federal cost-sharing or matching requirement and should not be included in the submitted application nor subsequent performance or financial reports.

  1. Application and Submission Information

    1. Electronic Application Package

Only electronic applications for this RFA will be accepted and must be submitted via Grants.gov. We urge applicants to submit early to the Grants.gov system. For an overview of the Grants.gov application process see Grants.gov’s Apply for Grants webpage. This RFA contains the information needed to obtain and complete required application forms and AMS-specific attachments. More information about applying through Grants.gov can be found in section 4.7.

Applicants can find the opportunity under either the Assistance Listing number “10.181,” or the SPRS Funding Opportunity Number “USDA-AMS-TM-SPRS-G-21-0012”.

    1. Content and Form of Application Submission

      1. SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance

Required: Form SF-424 is available via the opportunity at Grants.gov. Most information blocks on the required form are either self-explanatory or adequately explained in the instructions. However, applicants must use the following supplemental instructions associated with specific blocks on the SF-424.

Block

Instructions

#1 Type of Submission

Application

#2 Type of Application

New

#4 through #7

Not required

#8c Organizational DUNS

Applicant DUNS# for the organization submitting the application. See D&B Request a DUNS Number

#8d Address

Enter the organization street address as it appears in SAM.gov. P.O. Boxes will not be accepted. Enter a 9-digit zip code

#10 Name of Federal Agency

AMS, USDA

#11 Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance Number (Assistance Listing Number)

10.181

#12 Funding Opportunity Number

USDA-AMS-TM-SPRS-G-21-0012

#13 Competition Identification Number

Not applicable

#14 Areas Affected by Project

Enter cities, counties, States affected by project

#15 Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project

Provide a short description of the project

#16a Congressional Districts for Applicant

Enter the Congressional district where your main office is located

#16b Congressional Districts for Program/Project

Enter the Congressional district where your project will be implemented. Write “All” if the project will be implemented in more than one location

#17 Proposed Project Start Date and End Date

Start Date: October 31, 2021

End date: Enter the appropriate End Date for your project type

#18a Estimated Funding - Federal

Total Federal amount requested

#18b – 18f Estimated Funding – Applicant

Not applicable

#19 Is Applicant Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process?

See section 4.5

      1. Project Narrative

Required: Applicants are required to prepare and submit a narrative using the SPRS Project Narrative form. The form and instructions are available on the program’s webpage. The Project Narrative must clearly describe the applicant’s outreach and communications capacity, current contacts with networks of seafood processors and processing vessels, objectives and goals, types and sequence of project activities, monitoring and evaluation strategies associated with the proposed activities, and how the applicant will manage the project, with an emphasis on financial controls.

The project narrative must be typed and single-spaced in an 11-point font and must not exceed fifteen (15) 8.5 x 11 pages (excluding pre-existing form content). For example, if the form is 15 pages before you begin entering your project narrative information, your form may be up to 30 pages in length when completed (15 original pages + 15 pages of applicant content). DO NOT modify the margins of the Project Narrative form. Applicants must submit the Project Narrative form as a PDF and attached to the Grants.gov application package using the “Project Narrative Attachment Form” on the application package. Handwritten applications or applications submitted in MS Word will not be accepted.

Prior to submitting the application to Grants.gov, please make sure no tracked changes or mark-up edits and comments are visible.

The supporting documents listed below do not count toward the 15-page limit.

      1. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA)

Required if the applicant has a NICRA: Refer to section 4.6.1 for more information. The NICRA must be in PDF format and attached to the Grants.gov application package using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15

    1. Submission Date and Time

Applicants must submit applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on DATE, 2021. AMS cannot consider applications received after this deadline for funding. (See AMS’ Late and/or Nonresponsive Applications Policy.)

    1. Intergovernmental Review

This program is not subject to Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with state and local officials.

    1. Funds Not Applied For

Eligible State agencies who do not apply for or do not request all available funding during the specified grant application period will forfeit all or that portion of available funding not requested. AMS will allocate funds not applied for, by a date determined by AMS, in excess of 1 percent of the amount available in section 2.3. This reallocation will be distributed to the remaining State agency applicants in an amount of $20,000, which will be supplemented by an amount based on the formula provided in section 2.5 if remaining funds are available.

    1. Funding Restrictions

      1. Indirect Costs

Indirect costs (also known as “facilities and administrative costs”—defined at 2 CFR § 200.1) are those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved.

As stated in 2 CFR §§ 200.413 and 414, any non-Federal entity that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost rate, except State and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect Cost Proposals, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) that may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 10% de minimis indirect cost rate. As described in 2 CFR § 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a recipient chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the recipient may apply to do at any time.

All applicants who elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent must use the MTDC as the base. MTDC are defined in 2 CFR § 200.1 as all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDCs exclude equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may be excluded only when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

If an applicant has a negotiated indirect cost rate approved by its cognizant agency, the applicant must submit a copy of its approved NICRA with its application. Entities that would like to negotiate an indirect cost rate must contact their cognizant agency. For assignments of cognizant agencies, see 2 CFR § 200.1.

      1. Allowable and Unallowable Costs and Activities

All AMS awards are subject to the terms and conditions, cost principles, and other considerations described in the AMS General Terms and Conditions.

Eligible entities may propose direct costs for outreach, education, application evaluation & processing, and system improvements to properly implement the program.

Applicants that have questions concerning the allowability of costs after reviewing this document should contact AMS staff using the contact information listed under section 7.0.

        1. Pre-Award Cost Flexibility

For FY2021, AMS is allowing flexibility for those applicants who wish to incur pre-award costs. An applicant may, at their own risk and without AMS prior approval, incur obligations and expenditures up to 180 days before the performance start date as long as such costs:

  • are necessary to conduct the project; and

  • would be allowable under the potential award and without AMS prior approval.

If specific costs would otherwise require prior approval (see the AMS General Terms and Conditions), the applicant may be required to provide additional documentation during the application review process before an award is made. The cost and associated activities must be included in the project narrative and budget justification.

Incurring a pre-award cost in anticipation of being selected by AMS for an award imposes no obligation on AMS either to make the award or to reimburse such costs if for any reason the applicant does not receive an award. Recipients must be fully aware that pre-award costs result in borrowing against the potential award and that such borrowing must not impair the recipient's ability to accomplish the project objectives in the approved time frame or in any way adversely affect the completion of the project.

    1. Grants.gov Application Submission and Receipt Procedures and Requirements

      1. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

The applicant organization registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, complete your registration allowing enough time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this grant funding opportunity, refer to:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

Organization applicants can find complete instructions here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

  1. Obtain a DUNS Number: All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Applicants must enter the DUNS number in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the SF-424 form.

  2. Register with SAM: In addition to having a DUNS number, organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). All organizations must register with SAM to apply online. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM.gov accounts must be updated annually, and your organization must have an active SAM.gov account to submit your application to Grants.gov.

  3. Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's DUNS number to complete this process. Completing this process automatically triggers an email request for applicant roles to the organization's E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) for review. The EBiz POC is a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM. To apply for grants on behalf of your organization, you will need the Authorized Organization Role (AOR).

  4. Authorize Grants.gov Roles: After creating an account on Grants.gov, the EBiz POC receives an email notifying him or her of your registration and request for roles. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, including the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been approved as an AOR.

  5. Track Role Status: After registering with Grants.gov and authorizing the applicant AOR, Grants.gov allows you to track your status.

  6. Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization's AOR who submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization to act as an AOR; this step is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

      1. How to Submit an Application to AMS via Grants.gov

Applicants may use the Grants.gov Workspace, a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement, an applicant creates individual instances of a workspace.

  1. Create a Workspace: This allows you to complete your Workspace online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

  2. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace, complete all the required forms, and check for errors before submission.

    1. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out the webforms, you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace so that they will appear similar to other Standard or AMS forms. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local storage device, network drive(s), or external drives, and then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: You may need to visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software. There is no cost for Adobe Reader Software.

    1. Mandatory Fields in Forms: Fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color are mandatory fields you must complete to successfully submit your application.

    2. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

  1. Submit via a Workspace: Submit your application through Workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

SPECIAL NOTE: Grants.gov does not check for AMS required attachments. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all required attachments listed in section 4.2.

  1. Track via a Workspace: After successfully submitting a workspace package, Grants.gov automatically assigns a Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) to the package, which will be listed on the Confirmation page generated after submission.

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides additional training resources, including video tutorials. Applicants may also call the 24/7 toll-free support number 1-800-518-4726, or email [email protected]. Grants.gov will issue a ticket number to which you and Grants.gov can refer if the issue is not resolved. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, use the contact information described in section 7.0.

      1. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by the deadline established in section 4.3. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov using an electronic date/time stamp generated when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant AOR will then receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When AMS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will electronically acknowledge receipt of the application to the applicant AOR’s email address. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the acknowledgement email stating the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application.

AMS will not accept applications packages by fax, email or postal mail. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by AMS. See AMS’ Late and/or Non-Responsive Applications Policy.

Special Note for Applicants with Slow Internet Connections. Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, may experience significantly longer transmission times when submitting their application to Grants.gov, especially if there are large attachments contained in the upload. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error message or a successfully received transmission notification via email to the applicant AOR.

      1. Tips for Applicants

  • Register and submit applications early. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DAY OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE.

  • Thoroughly read this RFA and follow all the instructions provided by AMS.

  • Thoroughly review the AMS General Terms and Conditions to understand allowable and unallowable costs.

  • Apply to the correct grant program in Grants.gov:

    • Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) number “10.181” and Funding Opportunity Number “USDA-AMS-TM-SPRS-G-21-0012.”

  • Make sure you have the most recent copy of Adobe Reader installed on your computer and that it is compatible with Grants.gov software. Grants.gov supports Adobe Reader version 9.0.0 and higher.

  • Limit Application File Name Characters (50 or less).

  • When uploading attachments, click the “Add Attachments” button (do NOT use the “paperclip” icon in Adobe Reader).

  • Do not password-protect your documents and make sure all tracked-changes are “accepted”.

  • Avoid Special Characters in File Names ($, %, &, *, Spanish "ñ", etc.).

  • Input the correct DUNS number on the SF-424 cover page.

  • Review the Grants.gov Applicant User and Registration Guides: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html
    https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.

  1. Application Review Information

AMS will review grant applications to ensure the application meets the statutory purpose of the program, all application criteria are fulfilled in accordance with section 4.0, and that all costs are allowable. AMS will also assess an organization’s ability to account for the use of Federal funds and monitor the performance associated with these monies using the guidance provided by 2 CFR § 200.206.

AMS will notify the individual listed on the SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance” in block 8f. if additional information is required after the initial review of the application. An applicant should ensure that all sub-applicants are aware that additional information may be required from them because of the review of their grant proposal. Failure to provide requested information in a timely manner may result in a project not receiving funding.

  1. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices

Upon announcement of the Federal awards, AMS will prepare and send a Notice of Award and Grant Agreement to each recipient for signature by the appropriate official. Grant Agreements consist of a 1-page Agreement Face Sheet (AMS-33) that will be signed by AMS and the AOR.

The Notice of Award and Grant Agreement will provide pertinent instructions and information including, at a minimum, the information described in 2 CFR § 200.211 and a reference to the AMS General Terms and Conditions.

    1. Unsuccessful Applicants

Unsuccessful applicants will be contacted by AMS via email as soon as possible after the SPRS awards are announced. The unsuccessful applicants will be provided anonymous review panel consensus comments regarding their proposals as feedback.

    1. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

As part of the Notice of Award and Grant Agreement, all AMS recipients must abide by the AMS General Terms and Conditions, which reference applicable Administrative and National Policy Requirements.

    1. Reporting Requirements

Reporting and award closeout requirements are included in the AMS General Terms and Conditions. If there are any program or award-specific award terms, those will be identified in the award.

  1. Agency Contacts

    1. Programmatic Questions

After closely reviewing this RFA in its entirety, applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to contact the SPRS staff by e-mail with questions about the grant program at [email protected].

For additional information, please visit the SPRS Website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/SPRS.

    1. Available Resources

AMS provides resources and information on the SPRS website (https://www.ams.usda.gov/SPRS) that may be helpful to applicants, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s), descriptions of funded projects, and required application forms. AMS staff is available to provide timely technical assistance.

    1. Address

Seafood Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grants

USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Room 2055 South Building

Stop 0201

Washington, DC 20250-0264

    1. Grants.gov Questions

All questions regarding Grants.gov technical assistance must be directed to Grants.gov’s Applicant Support.

  1. Other Information

    1. Equal Opportunity Statement

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

    1. Freedom Of Information Act Requests

The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 (5 U.S.C. § 552) (FOIA) and the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a), as implemented by USDA’s regulations (7 CFR § 1, Subpart A) govern the release or withholding of information to the public in connection with this Federal award. The release of information under these laws and regulations applies only to records held by AMS and imposes no requirement on the recipient or any subrecipient to permit or deny public access to their records.

FOIA requests for records relating to this Federal award may be directed to USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, FOIA/PA Officer, Room 1671-S, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-0273, Telephone: (202) 302-0650; or email: [email protected].

    1. Paperwork Reduction

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501), an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0581-0240.The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 4 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

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File Typeapplication/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
File TitleRegional Food System Partnerships Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Applications
AuthorKelley, Patrick - AMS
File Modified0000-00-00
File Created2022-03-30

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