[Federal Register: March 15, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 50)]
[Notices]
[Page 13339-13340]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr15mr06-44]
[[Page 13339]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Inviting Applications for Rural Business Opportunity Grants
AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), an Agency within
the Rural Development mission area, announces the availability of
grants of up to $50,000 per application from the Rural Business
Opportunity Grant (RBOG) program for fiscal year (FY) 2006, to be
competitively awarded. For multi-State projects, grant funds of up to
$150,000 will be available on a competitive basis.
DATES: The deadline for the receipt of applications in the Rural
Development State Office is May 26, 2006. Any applications received at
a Rural Development State Office after that date would not be
considered for FY 2006 funding.
ADDRESSES: For further information, entities wishing to apply for
assistance should contact a Rural Development State Office to receive
copies of the application package. Potential applicants located in the
District of Columbia must send their applications to the National
Office at:
District of Columbia
Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA, Specialty Lenders
Division, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Room 6867, STOP 3225,
Washington, DC 20250-3225. (202) 720-1400.
A list of Rural Development State Offices follows:
Alabama
USDA Rural Development State Office, Sterling Centre, Suite 601,
4121 Carmichael Road, Montgomery, AL 36106-3683. (334) 279-3400/TTD
(334) 279-3495.
Alaska
USDA Rural Development State Office, 800 West Evergreen, Suite 201,
Palmer, AK 99645-6539. (907) 761-7705/TDD (907) 761-8905.
Arizona
USDA Rural Development State Office, 230 N. First Avenue, Suite 206,
Phoenix, AZ 85003-1706. (602) 280-8700/TTD (602) 280-8705.
Arkansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room
3416, Little Rock, AR 72201-3225. (501) 301-3200/TTD (501) 301-3279.
California
USDA Rural Development State Office, 430 G Street, Agency 4169,
Davis, CA 95616-4169. (530) 792-5800/TTD (530) 792-5848.
Colorado
USDA Rural Development State Office, 655 Parfet Street, Room E-100,
Lakewood, CO 80215. (720) 544-2903/TDD (720) 544-2976.
Delaware-Maryland
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1221 College Park Drive, Suite
200, Dover, DE 19904. (302) 857-3580/TDD (302) 857-3585.
Florida/Virgin Islands
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4440 NW 25th Place, P.O. Box
147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010. (352) 338-3402/TDD (352) 338-
3499.
Georgia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Stephens Federal Building, 355
E. Hancock Avenue, >Athens, GA 30601-2768. (706) 546-2162/TDD (706)
546-2034.
Hawaii
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 311, 154
Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, HI 96720. (808) 933-8380/TDD (808) 933-
8321.
Idaho
USDA Rural Development State Office, 9173 West Barnes Drive, Suite
A1, Boise, ID 83709. (208) 378-5600/TDD (208) 378-5644.
Illinois
USDA Rural Development State Office, 2118 West Park Court, Suite A,
Champaign, IL 61821. (217) 403-6200/TDD (217) 403-6240.
Indiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5975 Lakeside Boulevard,
Indianapolis, IN 46278. (317) 290-3100/TDD (317) 290-3340.
Iowa
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 873, 210
Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-2196. (515) 284-4663/TDD (515)
284-4858.
Kansas
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1303 SW First American Place,
Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66604-4040. (785) 271-2700/TDD (785) 271-2767.
Kentucky
USDA Rural Development State Office, 771 Corporate Drive, Suite 200,
Lexington, KY 40503-5477. (859) 224-7300/TDD (859) 224-7422.
Louisiana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3727 Government Street,
Alexandria, LA 71302. (318) 473-7920/TDD (318) 473-7655.
Maine
USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4,
P.O. Box 405, Bangor, ME 04402-0405. (207) 990-9160/TTD (207) 942-
7331.
Massachusetts/Rhode Island/Connecticut
USDA Rural Development State Office,
451 West Street, Suite 2, Amherst, MA 01002-2999. (413) 253-4300/TDD
(413) 253-4318.
Michigan
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3001 Coolidge Road, Suite 200,
East Lansing, MI 48823. (517) 324-5100/TDD (517) 337-6795.
Minnesota
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1408 21st Avenue, Suite 3,
Austin, MN 55912. (651) 602-7800/TDD (651) 602-3799.
Mississippi
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 831,
100 West Capitol Street, Jackson, MS 39269. (601) 965-4316/TDD (601)
965-5850.
Missouri
USDA Rural Development State Office, 601 Business Loop 70 West,
Parkade Center, Suite 235, Columbia, MO 65203. (573) 876-0976/TDD
(573) 876-9480.
Montana
USDA Rural Development State Office, 900 Technology Blvd., Unit 1,
Suite B, P.O. Box 850, Bozeman, MT 59771. (406) 585-2580/TDD (406)
585-2562.
Nebraska
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 152, 100
Centennial Mall North, Lincoln, NE 68508. (402) 437-5551/TDD (402)
437-5093.
Nevada
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1390 South Curry Street, Carson
City, NV 89703-9910. >(775) 887-1222/TDD (775) 885-0841.
New Jersey
USDA Rural Development State Office, 5th Floor North, Suite 500,
8000 Midlantic Drive, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054. (856) 787-7700/TDD (856)
787-7784.
New Mexico
USDA Rural Development State Office, 6200 Jefferson Street NE, Room
255, Albuquerque, NM 87109. (505) 761-4950/TDD (505) 761-4938.
New York
USDA Rural Development State Office, The Galleries of Syracuse, 441
South Salina Street, Suite 357, Syracuse, NY 13202-2541. (315) 477-
6400/TDD (315) 477-6447.
North Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4405 Bland Road, Suite 260,
Raleigh, NC 27609. (919) 873-2000/TDD (919) 873-2003.
[[Page 13340]]
North Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 208, 220
East Rosser, P. O. Box 1737, Bismarck, ND 58502-1737. (701) 530-
2037/TDD (701) 530-2113.
Ohio
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 507, 200
North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215-2418. (614) 255-2400/TDD (614)
255-2554.
Oklahoma
USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 USDA, Suite 108,
Stillwater, OK 74074-2654. (405) 742-1000/TDD (405) 742-1007.
Oregon
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1229 SE Third Street, Suite A,
Pendleton, OR 97801-4198. (503) 414-3300/TDD (503) 414-3387.
Pennsylvania
USDA Rural Development State Office, One Credit Union Place, Suite
330, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2996. (717) 237-2299/TDD (717) 237-2261.
Puerto Rico
USDA Rural Development State Office, 654 Munoz Rivera Avenue, IBM
Building, Suite 601, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918-6106. (787) 766-
5095/TDD (787) 766-5332.
South Carolina
USDA Rural Development State Office, Strom Thurmond Federal
Building, 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1007, Columbia, SC 29201. (803)
765-5163/TDD (803) 765-5697.
South Dakota
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Room 210, 200
4th Street, SW., Huron, SD 57350. (605) 352-1100/TDD (605) 352-1147.
Tennessee
USDA Rural Development State Office, 3322 West End Avenue, Suite
300, Nashville, TN 37203-1084. (615) 783-1300.
Texas
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, Suite 102,
101 South Main Street, Temple, TX 76501. (254) 742-9700/TDD (254)
742-9712.
Utah
USDA Rural Development State Office, Wallace F. Bennett Federal
Building, 125 South State Street, Room 4311, Salt Lake City, UT
84138. (801) 524-4320/TDD (801) 524-3309.
Vermont/New Hampshire
USDA Rural Development State Office, City Center, 3rd Floor, 89 Main
Street, Montpelier, VT 05602. (802) 828-6000/TDD (802) 223-6365.
Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Culpeper Building, Suite 238,
1606 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond, VA 23229-5014. (804) 287-1550/ TDD
(804) 287-1753.
Washington
USDA Rural Development State Office, 1835 Black Lake Boulevard, SW.,
Suite B, Olympia, WA 98512-5715. (360) 704-7740.
West Virginia
USDA Rural Development State Office, Federal Building, 75 High
Street, Room 320, Morgantown, WV 26505-7500. (304) 284-4860/TDD
(304) 284-4836.
Wisconsin
USDA Rural Development State Office, 4949 Kirschling Court, Stevens
Point, WI 54481. (715) 345-7600/TDD (715) 345-7614.
Wyoming
USDA Rural Development State Office, 100 East B Street, Federal
Building, Room 1005, P.O. Box 11005, Casper, WY 82602-5006. (307)
261-6300/TDD (307) 233-6733.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RBOG program is authorized under section
306 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT) (7
U.S.C. 1926(a)(11)). The Rural Development State Offices administer the
RBOG program on behalf of RBS at the State level. The primary objective
of the program is to improve the economic conditions of rural areas.
Assistance provided to rural areas under this program may include
technical assistance for business development and economic development
planning. A total of $990,000 of non-earmarked funds is available for
the RBOG program for FY 2006. To ensure that a broad range of
communities have the opportunity to benefit from the available funds,
no grant will exceed $50,000, unless it is a multi-State project where
funds may not exceed $150,000. Pursuant to the Consolidated
Appropriations Act for 2006 (Public Law 108-447), a total of $990,000
has been earmarked for Native Americans and a total of $990,000 for
Empowerment Zones, Enterprise Communities, and Rural Economic Area
Partnerships. There is no project dollar amount limitation on
applications for earmarked funds. Awards are made on a competitive
basis using specific selection criteria contained in 7 CFR part 4284,
subpart G. Information required to be in the application package are
contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G. The State Director may assign
up to 15 discretionary points to an application, and the Agency
Administrator may assign up to 20 additional discretionary points based
on geographic distribution of funds, special importance for
implementation of a strategic plan in partnership with other
organizations, or extraordinary potential for success due to superior
project plans or qualifications of the grantee. To ensure the equitable
distribution of funds, two projects from each State that score the
greatest number of points based on the selection criteria and
discretionary points will be considered for funding. Applications will
be tentatively scored by the State Offices and submitted to the
National Office for final review and selection.
The National Office will review the scores based on the grant
selection criteria and weights contained in 7 CFR part 4284, subpart G.
All applicants will be notified by RBS of the Agency's decision on the
awards.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the
information collection requirement contained in this Notice is approved
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control Number
0570-0024.
Nondiscrimination Statement
``The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits
discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race,
color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex,
marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual
orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or
because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any
public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all
programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for
communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape,
etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and
TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director,
Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
``USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.''
Dated: February 23, 2006.
Jackie J. Gleason,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
[FR Doc. E6-3762 Filed 3-14-06; 8:45 am]
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