[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 99 (Thursday, May 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29409-29414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11703]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Announcement of Grant Application Deadlines; Deadlines and
Funding Levels
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Funds Availability.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces its Public
Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program application window
for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The FY 2014 funding for the Public
Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program is $2,000,000.
DATES: You may submit completed applications for grants on paper or
electronically according to the following deadlines:
Paper copies must carry proof of shipping no later than
July 7, 2014 to be eligible for FY 2014 grant funding. Late
applications are not eligible for FY 2014 grant funding.
Electronic copies must be received by July 7, 2014 to be
eligible for FY 2014
[[Page 29410]]
grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2014 grant
funding.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain the application guide and materials for the
Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program at the
following sources:
The Internet at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UTP_DTV.html.
You may also request the application guide and materials
from RUS by contacting the appropriate individual listed in Section VII
of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.
Completed applications may be submitted the following ways:
Paper: Submit completed paper applications for grants to
the: Telecommunications Program, Rural Utilities Service, 1400
Independence Ave. SW., Room 2844, STOP 1550, Washington, DC 20250-1550.
Applications should be marked ``Attention: Director, Advanced Services
Division.''
Electronic: Submit electronic grant applications to
Grants.gov at the following Web address: http://www.grants.gov/
(Grants.gov), and follow the instructions you find on that Web site.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Petra Schultze, Financial Analyst,
Advanced Services Division, Telecommunications Program, Rural Utilities
Service, email: [email protected], telephone: (202) 690-4493,
fax: (202) 720-1051. Additional point of contact: Norberto Esteves,
Acting Director, Advanced Services Division at
[email protected] or at same phone numbers listed
previously.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview
Federal Agency: Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
Funding Opportunity Title: Public Television Station Digital
Transition Grant Program.
Announcement Type: Initial announcement.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.861.
Dates: Deadline for completed grant applications submitted
electronically or on paper no later than July 7, 2014.
Items in Supplementary Information
I. Funding Opportunity: Brief introduction to the Public
Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program.
II. Award Information: Maximum amounts.
III. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, what kinds of
projects are eligible, and what criteria determine basic
eligibility.
IV. Application and Submission Information: Where to get
application materials, what constitutes a completed application, how
and where to submit applications, deadlines, and items that are
eligible.
V. Application Review Information: Considerations and
preferences, scoring criteria, review standards, selection
information.
VI. Award Administration: Award notice information, award
recipient reporting requirements.
VII. Agency Contacts: Web, phone, fax, email, contact name.
I. Funding Opportunity
As part of the nation's transition to digital television, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required all television
broadcasters to have converted their transmitters to broadcast digital
signals by June 12, 2009. While stations must broadcast their main
transmitter signal in digital, many rural stations have yet to complete
a full digital transition of their stations across all equipment. Rural
stations often have translators serving small or isolated areas and
some of these have not completed the transition to digital.
The 2009 FCC deadline did not apply to translators, and in 2011 the
FCC adopted a final deadline for analog-to-digital conversion of all
translators by September 1, 2015. Because of this, translators have
been allowed to continue broadcasting in analog, and stations are still
in the process of converting some of their translators to digital. Some
rural stations also have not fully converted their production and
studio equipment to digital, which has impaired their ability to
provide the same quality local programming that they provided in
analog. The digital transition has also created some service gaps where
households that received an analog signal are now unable to receive a
digital signal. For rural households the digital transition has meant
in some cases diminished over-the-air public television service. These
rural households are the focus of the Agency's Public Television
Station Digital Transition Grant Program.
Most applications to the Public Television Station Digital
Transition Grant Program have sought assistance towards the goal of
replicating analog coverage areas through transmitter and translator
transitions. The first priority has been to initiate digital
broadcasting from their main transmitters. As many stations have
completed the digital transition of their transmitters, the focus has
shifted to power upgrades and translators, as well as digital program
production equipment and multicasting/data casting equipment. There are
some rural stations that may need to install translators to provide
fill-in service to areas that previously received analog but are now
unable to receive digital. In FY 2013, 7 awards were made, including
the following project purposes: Transmitter equipment, translators,
studio and production equipment, master control equipment, and
microwave equipment. When compared with the first few years of the
program, as the digital transition progresses, more applications were
received for translators and master control and production equipment,
than for transmitters. However, some stations may remain that have not
achieved full analog parity in program management and creation.
Continuation of reliable public television service to all current
patrons understandably is still the focus for many broadcasters.
It is important for public television stations to be able to tailor
their programs and services (e.g., education services, public health,
homeland security, and local culture) to the needs of their rural
constituents. If public television programming is lost, many school
systems may be left without educational programming they count on for
curriculum compliance.
This notice has been formatted to conform to a policy directive
issued by the Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) of the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), published in the Federal
Register on June 23, 2003, (68 FR 37370). This Notice does not change
the Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
regulation (7 CFR part 1740).
II. Award Information
A. Available Funds for Grants
1. The amount available for grants for FY 2014 is $2,000,000. The
maximum amount for grants under this program is $750,000 per public
television station per year.
2. Assistance instrument: Grant documents appropriate to the
project will be executed with successful applicants prior to any
advance of funds.
B. Public Television Station Digital Transition Grants
Prior grants cannot be renewed nor extended; however, past grantees
may submit new applications for projects not covered under the prior
grant. Award documents specify the term length of each award.
[[Page 29411]]
III. Eligibility Information
A. Who is eligible for grants? (See 7 CFR 1740.3)
1. Public television stations which serve rural areas as defined in
7 CFR 1740.2 are eligible for Public Television Station Digital
Transition Grants. A public television station is a noncommercial
educational television broadcast station that is qualified for
Community Service Grants by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
under section 396(k) of the Communications Act of 1934.
2. Individuals are not eligible for Public Television Station
Digital Transition Grant Program financial assistance directly.
3. Corporations that have been convicted of a felony (or had an
officer or agency acting on behalf of the corporation convicted of a
felony) within the past 24 months are not eligible. Any corporation
that has any unpaid federal tax liability that has been assessed, for
which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or
have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to
an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax
liability, is not eligible.
B. What are the basic eligibility requirements for a project?
1. Grants shall be made to perform digital transition of television
broadcasting stations serving rural areas. Grant funds may be used to
acquire, lease, and/or install facilities and software necessary to the
digital transition. Specific purposes include:
a. Digital transmitters, translators, and repeaters, including all
facilities required to initiate digital television (DTV) broadcasting.
All broadcast facilities acquired with grant funds shall be capable of
delivering DTV programming and high definition television (HDTV)
programming, at both the interim and final channel and power
authorizations. There is no limit to the number of transmitters or
translators that may be included in an application;
b. Power upgrades of existing DTV transmitter equipment, including
replacement of existing low-power digital transmitters with digital
transmitters capable of delivering the final authorized power level;
c. Studio-to-transmitter links;
d. Equipment to allow local control over digital content and
programming, including master control equipment;
e. Digital program production equipment, including cameras,
editing, mixing and storage equipment;
f. Multicasting and data casting equipment;
g. Cost of the lease of facilities, if any, for up to three years;
and,
h. Associated engineering and environmental studies necessary to
implementation.
2. Matching contributions: There is no requirement for matching
funds in this program (see 7 CFR 1740.5).
3. The following are not eligible for grant funding (see 7 CFR
1740.7):
a. Funding for ongoing operations or for facilities that will not
be owned by the applicant, except for leased facilities as provided
above;
b. Costs of salaries, wages, and employee benefits of public
television station personnel unless they are for construction or
installation of eligible facilities;
c. Facilities for which other grant funding from any other source
has been approved; and,
d. Expenditures made prior to the application deadline specified in
this Notice of Funds Availability.
C. Summary Discussion of a Completed Application
See paragraph IV.B of this notice for a summary discussion of the
items that make up a completed application. You will find more complete
information in the FY 2014 Public Television Station Digital Transition
Grant Program Application Guide. You may also refer to 7 CFR 1740.9 for
completed grant application requirements.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. Where To Get Application Information
The application guide, copies of necessary forms and samples, and
the Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program
regulation are available from these sources:
1. The Internet: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UTP_DTV.html, or
http://www.grants.gov.
2. The RUS Advanced Services Division, for paper copies of these
materials call (202) 690-4493.
B. What constitutes a completed application?
1. Detailed information on each item required can be found in the
Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program regulation
and application guide. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read and
apply both the regulation and the application guide. This Notice does
not change the requirements for a completed application specified in
the program regulation. The program regulation and application guide
provide specific guidance on each of the items listed and the
application guide provides all necessary forms and sample worksheets.
2. A completed application must include the following
documentation, studies, reports and information, in a form satisfactory
to RUS. Applications should be prepared in conformance with the
provisions in 2 CFR part 180, and 2 CFR part 182, 7 CFR part 1740,
subpart A, and applicable USDA regulations including 7 CFR parts 3015,
3016, and 3019. Applicants must use the application guide for this
program, which contains instructions and all necessary forms, as well
as other important information, in preparing their application.
Completed applications must include the following:
a. An application for Federal assistance, Standard Form 424.
b. An executive summary, not to exceed two pages, describing the
public television station, its service area and offerings, its current
digital transition status, and the proposed project.
c. Evidence of the applicant's eligibility to apply under this
Notice, demonstrating that the applicant is a Public Television Station
as defined in this Notice, and that it is required by the FCC to
perform the digital transition.
d. A spreadsheet showing the total project cost, with a breakdown
of items sufficient to enable RUS to determine individual item
eligibility.
e. A coverage contour map showing the digital television coverage
area of the application project. This map must show the counties (or
county) comprising the Core Coverage Area by shading and by name.
Partial counties included in the applicant's Core Coverage Area must be
identified as partial and must contain an attachment with the
applicant's estimate of the percentage that its coverage contour
comprises of the total area of the county. If the application is for a
translator, the coverage area may be estimated by the applicant through
computer modeling or some other reasonable method, and this estimate is
subject to acceptance by RUS. (In the Application Guide, see Section
C.3, Project Core Coverage Area Map(s).)
f. The applicant's own calculation of its Rurality score, supported
by a worksheet showing the population of its Core Coverage Area, and
the urban and rural populations within the Core Coverage Area. The data
source for the urban and rural components of that population must be
identified. If the application includes computations made by a
consultant or other organization outside the public
[[Page 29412]]
television station, the application shall state the details of that
collaboration. (In the Application Guide, see Section D. Scoring
Documentation.)
g. The applicant's own calculation of its Economic Need score,
supported by a worksheet showing the National School Lunch Program
(NSLP) eligibility levels for all school districts within the Core
Coverage Area and averaging these eligibility percentages. The
application must include a statement from the state or local
organization that administers the NSLP program certifying that the
school district scores used in the computations are accurate.
Applicants are to use the most recent data available. Some official
NSLP data is posted on state and/or local government Web sites, in
which case a printout of the data may be provided as long as it
documents the Web site source. (In the Application Guide, see Section
D. Scoring Documentation.)
h. If applicable, a presentation not to exceed five pages
demonstrating the Critical Need for the project.
i. Evidence that the FCC has authorized the initiation of digital
broadcasting at the project sites. In the event that an FCC
construction permit has not been issued for one or more sites, RUS may
include those sites in the grant, and make advance of funds for that
site conditional upon the submission of a construction permit.
j. Compliance with other Federal statutes. The applicant must
provide evidence or certification that it is in compliance with all
applicable Federal statutes and regulations, including, but not limited
to the following (sample certifications are provided in the application
guide):
(i) Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination;
(ii) Architectural barriers;
(iii) Flood hazard area precautions;
(iv) Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition
Policies Act of 1970;
(v) Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1998 (41 U.S.C. 701);
(vi) Debarment, Suspension; and Other Responsibility Matters--
Primary Covered Transactions;
(vii) Lobbying for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative
Agreements Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352).
(viii) Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax
Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.
k. Environmental impact and historic preservation. The applicant
must provide details of the digital transition's impact on the
environment and historic preservation, and comply with 7 CFR part 1794,
which contains the Agency's policies and procedures for implementing a
variety of federal statutes, regulations, and executive orders
generally pertaining to the protection of the quality of the human
environment. This must be contained in a separate section entitled
``Environmental Impact of the Digital Transition,'' and must include
the Environmental Questionnaire/Certification, available from RUS,
describing the impact of its digital transition. Submission of the
Environmental Questionnaire/Certification alone does not constitute
compliance with 7 CFR part 1794.
3. DUNS Number. As required by the OMB, all applicants for grants
must supply a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number when applying. The Standard Form 424 (SF-424) contains a field
for you to use when supplying your DUNS number. The applicant can
obtain the DUNS number free of charge by calling Dun and Bradstreet.
Please see http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more information on how to
obtain a DUNS number or how to verify your organization's number.
4. In accordance with 2 CFR part 25, all applicants, whether
applying electronically or by paper, must be registered in the System
for Award Management (SAM) (formerly Central Contractor Registry,
(CCR)), prior to submitting an application.
a. Applicants may register for the SAM at https://www.sam.gov/.
b. The SAM registration must remain active with current information
at all times while RUS is considering an application or while a Federal
Grant Award or loan is active. To maintain the registration in the SAM
database the applicant must review and update the information in the
SAM database annually from date of initial registration or from the
date of the last update. The applicant must ensure that the information
in the database is current, accurate, and complete.
C. How many copies of an application are required?
1. Applications submitted on paper: Submit the original application
and two (2) copies to RUS.
2. Electronically submitted applications: The additional paper
copies for RUS are not necessary if you submit the application
electronically through http://www.grants.gov.
D. How and where to submit an application?
Grant applications may be submitted on paper or electronically.
1. Submitting applications on paper.
a. Address paper applications for grants to the Telecommunications
Program, RUS, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 2844, STOP 1550,
Washington, DC 20250-1550. Applications should be marked ``Attention:
Director, Advanced Services Division.''
b. Paper applications must show proof of mailing or shipping
consisting of one of the following:
(i) A legibly dated postmark applied by the U.S. Postal Service;
(ii) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
USPS; or
(iii) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
c. Non-USPS-applied postage dating, i.e. dated postage meter
stamps, do not constitute proof of the date of mailing.
d. Due to screening procedures at the Department of Agriculture,
packages arriving via the USPS are irradiated, which can damage the
contents. RUS encourages applicants to consider the impact of this
procedure in selecting their application delivery method.
2. Electronically Submitted Applications.
a. Applications will not be accepted via facsimile machine
transmission or electronic mail.
b. Electronic applications for grants will be accepted if submitted
through the Federal government's Grants.gov initiative at http://www.grants.gov.
c. How to use Grants.gov:
(i) Navigate your Web browser to http://www.grants.gov.
(ii) Follow the instructions on that Web site to find grant
information.
(iii) Download a copy of the application package.
(iv) Complete the package off-line.
(v) Upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov Web site.
d. Grants.gov contains full instructions on all required passwords,
credentialing and software.
e. RUS encourages applicants who wish to apply through Grants.gov
to submit their applications in advance of the deadline. Difficulties
encountered by applicants filing through Grants.gov will not justify
filing deadline extensions.
f. If a system problem occurs or you have technical difficulties
with an electronic application, please use the customer support
resources available at the Grants.gov Web site.
E. Deadlines
1. Paper applications must be postmarked and mailed, shipped, or
sent overnight no later than July 7, 2014 to be eligible for FY 2014
grant funding. Late applications are not eligible for FY 2014 grant
funding.
[[Page 29413]]
2. Electronic grant applications must be received by July 7, 2014
to be eligible for FY 2014 funding. Late applications are not eligible
for FY 2014 grant funding.
V. Application Review Information
A. Criteria
1. Grant applications are scored competitively and subject to the
criteria listed below.
2. Grant application scoring criteria are detailed in 7 CFR 1740.8.
There are 100 points available, broken down as follows:
a. The Rurality of the Project (up to 50 points);
b. The Economic Need of the Project's Service Area (up to 25
points), and;
c. The Critical Need for the project, and of the applicant,
including the benefits derived from the proposed service (up to 25
points).
B. Review Standards
1. All applications for grants must be delivered to RUS at the
address and by the date specified in this notice to be eligible for
funding. RUS will review each application for conformance with the
provisions of this part. RUS may contact the applicant for additional
information or clarification.
2. Incomplete applications as of the deadline for submission will
not be considered. If an application is determined to be incomplete,
the applicant will be notified in writing and the application will be
returned and will not be considered for FY 2014 funding.
3. Applications conforming with this part will be evaluated
competitively by a panel of RUS employees selected by the Administrator
of RUS, and will be awarded points as described in the scoring criteria
in 7 CFR 1740.8. Applications will be ranked and grants awarded in rank
order until all grant funds are expended.
4. Regardless of the score an application receives, if the RUS
determines that the Project is technically or financially infeasible,
the Agency will notify the applicant, in writing, and the application
will be returned and will not be considered for FY 2014 funding.
C. Scoring Guidelines
1. The applicant's calculated scores in Rurality and Economic Need
will be checked and, if necessary, corrected by RUS.
2. The Critical Need score will be determined by RUS based on
information presented in the application. The Critical Need score is
based on the reviewer's assessment of the supporting arguments made in
the application. The score aims to assess how the specific digital
transition purpose fits with the unique need of the television station
as it moves all of its equipment through the digital transition. This
score is intended to capture, from the rural public's standpoint, the
necessity and usefulness of the proposed project. This scoring category
will also recognize that at a specific time, some transition purposes
are perceived to be more essential than others and that, over time,
this perception changes. For example, during the transition from analog
to digital transmitters, which concluded on June 12, 2009, a first time
transition of a primary transmitter was the most essential project that
could be undertaken for most stations and would have been scored
accordingly. Now that all transmitters have completed the transition to
digital, the focus may shift to some of the other eligible purposes
such as translators, studio and production equipment, and master
control equipment. But what equipment specifically is most essential
may vary from station to station. For example, local production
equipment can be a high priority especially if it produces an area's
only local news or if the station has been historically active in
producing local programming. Repositioning a digital transmitter on a
tower can also be a high priority in cases where the original analog
coverage area was not adequately replicated after the transition. The
Critical Need score is also relative since each application is scored
in comparison to other applications in the competition. These various
factors explain why a similar application may receive a different
Critical Need score in different years of this program.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
The Agency generally notifies applicants whose projects are
selected for awards by faxing an award letter or emailing a PDF
facsimile of the award letter. The Agency follows the award letter with
a grant agreement that contains the terms and conditions for the grant.
A copy of the standard agreement is posted on the RUS Web site at
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UTP_DTVResources.html.
An applicant must execute and return the grant agreement,
accompanied by any additional items required by the grant agreement.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. The items
listed in the program regulation at 7 CFR 1740.9(j) implement the
appropriate administrative and national policy requirements.
C. Reporting
1. All recipients of Public Television Station Digital Transition
Grant Program financial assistance must provide semiannual performance
activity reports to RUS until the project is complete and the funds are
expended. A final performance report is also required; the final report
may serve as the last semiannual report. The final report must include
an evaluation of the success of the project.
2. Recipient and Subrecipient Reporting.
The applicant must have the necessary processes and systems in
place to comply with the reporting requirements for first-tier sub-
awards and executive compensation under the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 in the event the applicant
receives funding unless such applicant is exempt from such reporting
requirements pursuant to 2 CFR part 170, Sec. 170.110(b). The
reporting requirements under the Transparency Act pursuant to 2 CFR
part 170 are as follows:
a. First Tier Sub-Awards of $25,000 or more in non-Recovery Act
funds (unless they are exempt under 2 CFR part 170) must be reported by
the Recipient to http://www.fsrs.gov no later than the end of the month
following the month the obligation was made. Please note that currently
underway is a consolidation of eight federal procurement systems,
including the Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS), into one system, the
System for Award Management (SAM). As a result the FSRS will soon be
consolidated into and accessed through SAM at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.
b. The Total Compensation of the Recipient's Executives (5 most
highly compensated executives) must be reported by the Recipient (if
the Recipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR part 170) to www.sam.gov
by the end of the month following the month in which the award was
made.
c. The Total Compensation of the Subrecipient's Executives (5 most
highly compensated executives) must be reported by the Subrecipient (if
the Subrecipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR part 170) to the
Recipient by the end of the month following the month in which the sub-
award was made.
3. Systems Necessary to Meet Reporting Requirements.
The applicant must have the necessary processes and systems in
[[Page 29414]]
place to comply with the reporting requirements for first-tier sub-
awards and executive compensation under the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparence Act of 2006 in the event the applicant
receives funding unless such applicant is exempt from such reporting
requirements pursuant to 2 CFR part 170, Sec. 170.110(b).
VII. Agency Contacts
A. Web site: http://www.usda.gov/rus/ rus/. The Web site maintains up-
to-date resources and contact information for the Public Television
Station Digital Transition Grant Program.
B. Phone: (202) 690-4493.
C. Fax: (202) 720-1051.
D. Main points of contact: Petra Schultze, Financial Analyst,
Advanced Services Division, Telecommunications Program, RUS, telephone:
(202) 690-4493, fax: (202) 720-1051, or email:
[email protected]. Additional point of contact at the same
telephone number, or email: [email protected]: Norberto
Esteves, Acting Director, Advanced Services Division.
Dated: May 1, 2014.
John Charles Padalino,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-11703 Filed 5-21-14; 8:45 am]
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