# Inviting Preapplications for Rural Cooperative Development Grants
**AGENCY:**
Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
**ACTION:**
Notice of funding availability.
**SUMMARY:**
The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) announces the availability of approximately $4 million in competive Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) funds for fiscal year (FY) 2000. Of this amount, $1.5 million will be reserved for preapplications whose focus is on assistance to small, minority producers through their cooperative businesses. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit preapplications for FY 2000 and award grants before September 1, 2000.
**DATES:**
The deadline for receipt of a preapplication is June 2, 2000. Preapplications received after that date will not be considered. Preapplications should be sent to the State Rural Development Offices (see attached list for addresses).
**ADDRESSES:**
Entities wishing to apply for assistance should contact their USDA Rural Development State office to receive further information and copies of the preapplication package.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
James E. Haskell, Assistant Deputy Administrator, Cooperative Services, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 3250, Room 4016, South Agriculture Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3250. Telephone (202) 720-8460.
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
The Rural Technology and Cooperative Development Grants (RTCDG) program is authorized by section 310B(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1932) and regulations are contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F. The primary objective of the RCDG program is to improve the economic condition of rural areas through cooperative development. The program is administered through USDA Rural Development State offices acting on behalf of RBS.
Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to nonprofit corporations and institutions of higher education based on specific selection criteria. The priorities described in this paragraph will be used by RBS to rate preapplications. RBS review of preapplications will include the complete preapplication package submitted to the Rural Development State office. Points will be distributed according to ranking with other preapplications.
(a) Priority will be given to applications that:
(1) Demonstrate a proven track record in administering a nationally coordinated or regionally or State-wide operated project;
(2) Demonstrate previous expertise in providing technical assistance to cooperatives in rural areas;
(3) Demonstrate the ability to assist in the retention of business, facilitate the establishment of cooperatives and new cooperative approaches, or generate employment opportunities that will improve the economic conditions of rural areas;
(4) Demonstrate the ability to create horizontal linkages among cooperative businesses within and among various sectors in rural areas of the United States and vertical linkages to domestic and international markets;
(5) Provide technical assistance and other services to underserved and economically distressed rural areas of the United States;
(6) Commit to providing greater than a 25 percent matching contribution with private funds and in-kind contributions;
(7) Evidence transferability or demonstration value to assist rural areas outside of project area; and
(8) Demonstrate that any cooperative development activity is consistent with positive environmental stewardship.
**Fiscal Year 2000 Preapplication Submission**
Preapplications must include a clear statement of the goals and objectives of the project and a plan which describes the proposed project as required by the statute and 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F. Each preapplication received in the State office will be reviewed to determine if the preapplication is consistent with the eligible purposes outlined in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F. Preapplications without supportive data to address selection criteria will not be considered. Also, since the cooperative center concept is to provide a wide range of technical assistance services, including feasibility analysis, to all cooperatives or potential cooperatives within the project area, preapplications that focus on a single cooperative will not be considered. Copies of 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F, will be provided to any interested applicant by making a request to the Rural Development State office or RBS National office.
*Preapplications must be completed and submitted to the State Rural Development office as soon as possible, but no later than June 2, 2000. Preapplications received after June 2 will not be considered.*
Preapplications must contain the documentation delineated in 7 CFR 4284.528. For ease of locating information, please include in each preapplication information as follows:
(a) A detailed Table of Contents containing page numbers for each component of the preapplication.
(b) A project summary of 250 words or less on a separate page. This page should include the title of the project and the names of the primary project contacts and the applicant organization, followed by the summary. The summary should be self-contained and should describe the overall goals, relevance of the project, and a listing of all organizations involved in the project. The project summary should immediately follow the Table of Contents.
(c) A separate one-page information sheet which lists each of the eight evaluation criteria followed by the page numbers of all relevant material and documentation contained in the preapplication which supports that criteria. This page should immediately follow the project summary; and
(d) For applicants who have received funding under the Rural Cooperative Development Grant program in FY 1997, FY 1998, or FY 1999 a summation, not to exceed three pages, of progress and results for all projects funded fully or partially by the RCDG program in those years, including the status of cooperative businesses organized and all eligible grant purpose activities listed under 7 CFR 4284.515.
The National office will score applications based only on the grant selection criteria contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart F and listed above, and will select awardees subject to the availability of funds and the awardee's satisfactory submission of a formal application and related materials in accordance with subpart F. Entities submitting preapplications that are selected for award will be invited by the State office to submit a formal application prior to September 1. It is anticipated that grant awardees will be selected by September 1, 2000.
Dated: April 17, 2000.
Dayton Watkins,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Services.
**U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Offices (Revised 00/04/19)**
**ALABAMA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Sterling Center, Suite 601
4121 Carmichael Road
Montgomery, AL 36106-3683
**ALASKA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
800 West Evergreen, Suite 201
Palmer, AK 99645-6539
**ARIZONA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
3003 North Central Avenue, Suite 900
Phoenix, AZ 85012-2906
**ARKANSAS**
USDA Rural Development State Office
700 West Capitol Ave., Room 3416
Little Rock, AR 72201-3225
**CALIFORNIA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
430 G Street, Agency 4169
Davis, CA 95616-4169
**COLORADO**
USDA Rural Development State Office
655 Parfet Street, Room E-100
Lakewood, CO 80215
**DELAWARE-MARYLAND**
USDA Rural Development State Office
4607 South Dupont Hwy
P.O. Box 400
Camden, DE 19934-9998
**GEORGIA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Stephens Federal Building
355 E. Hancock Avenue
Athens, GA 30601-2768
**HAWAII**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Room 311
154 Waianuenue Avenue
Hilo, HI 96720
**IDAHO**
USDA Rural Development State Office
9173 West Barnes Dr., Suite A1
Boise, ID 83709
**ILLINOIS**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Illini Plaza, Suite 103
1817 South Neil Street
Champaign, IL 61820
**INDIANA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
5975 Lakeside Boulevard
Indianapolis, IN 46278
**IOWA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Room 873
210 Walnut Street
Des Moines, IA 50309
**KANSAS**
USDA Rural Development State Office
1200 SW Executive Drive
P.O. Box 4653
Topeka, KS 66615
**LOUISIANA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
3727 Government Street
Alexandria, LA 71302
**MAINE**
USDA Rural Development State Office
444 Stillwater Avenue, Suite 2
P.O. Box 405
Bangor, ME 04402-0405
**MASS/RI/CONN**
USDA Rural Development State Office
451 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002
**MICHIGAN**
USDA Rural Development State Office
3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200
East Lansing, MI 48823
**MINNESOTA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
410 AgriBank Building
375 Jackson Street
St. Paul, MN 55101-1853
**MISSISSIPPI**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Suite 831
100 West Capitol Street
Jackson, MS 39269
**MISSOURI**
USDA Rural Development State Office
601 Business Loop 70 West
Parkade Center, Suite 235
Columbia, MO 65203
**FLORIDA/VI**
USDA Rural Development State Office
4440 NW 25th Place
P.O. Box 147010
Gainesville, FL 32614-7010
**NEBRASKA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Room 152
100 Centennial Mall N
Lincoln, NE 68508
**NEVADA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
1390 South Curry Street
Carson City, NV 89703-9910
**NEW JERSEY**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Transfield Plaza, Suite 22
790 Woodlane Road
Mt. Holly, NJ 08060
**NEW MEXICO**
USDA Rural Development State Office
6200 Jefferson Street NE, Room 255
Albuquerque, NM 87109
**NEW YORK**
USDA Rural Development State Office
The Galleries of Syracuse
441 South Salina Street Suite 357
Syracuse, NY 13202-2541
**NORTH CAROLINA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
4405 Bland Road, Suite 260
Raleigh, NC 27609
**KENTUCKY**
USDA Rural Development State Office
771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200
Lexington, KY 40503
**OKLAHOMA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
100 USDA, Suite 108
Stillwater, OK 74074-2654
**OREGON**
USDA Rural Development State Office
101 SW Main Street, Suite 1410
Portland, OR 97204-3222
**PENNSYLVANIA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
One Credit Union Place, Suite 330
Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996
**PUERTO RICO**
USDA Rural Development State Office
New San Juan Office Building, Rm. 501
159 Carlos E. Chardon Street
Hato Rey, PR 00918-5481
**SOUTH CAROLINA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Strom Thurmond Federal Building
1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007
Columbia, SC 29201
**SOUTH DAKOTA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Room 210
200 4th Street SW
Huron, SD 57350
**MONTANA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Unit 1, Suite B
P.O. Box 850
900 Technology Boulevard
Bozeman, MT 59715
**UTAH**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building
125 South State Street, Room 4311
P.O. Box 11350
Salt Lake City, UT 84147-0350
**VERMONT/NH**
USDA Rural Development State Office
City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
**VIRGINIA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Culpeper Building, Suite 238
1606 Santa Rosa Road
Richmond, VA 23229
**WASHINGTON**
USDA Rural Development State Office
1835 Blacklake Boulevard, SW.
Suite B
Olympia, WA 98512-5715
**WEST VIRGINIA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
75 High Street, Room 320
Morgantown, WV 26505-7500
**WISCONSIN**
USDA Rural Development State Office
4949 Kirschling Court
Stevens Point, WI 54481
**NORTH DAKOTA**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Room 208
220 East Rosser, P.O. Box 1737
Bismarck, ND 58502-1737
**OHIO**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Room 507
200 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-2477
**TENNESSEE**
USDA Rural Development State Office
3322 West End Avenue, Suite 300
Nashville, TN 37203-1084
**TEXAS**
USDA Rural Development State Office
Federal Building, Suite 102
101 South Main
Temple, TX 76501
**WYOMING**
USDA Rural Development State Office
100 East B, Federal Building, Rm 1005
P.O. Box 820
Casper, WY 82602