Comment Request - Uniform Grant Application for Non-Entitlement Discretionary Grants

Title: Uniform Grant Application for Non-Entitlement Discretionary Grants.
OMB Control Number: 0584–0512.
Summary of Collection: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has a number of non-entitlement discretionary grant programs to collect the information from grant applicants needed to evaluate and rank applicants and protect the integrity of the grantee selection process. All FNS discretionary grant programs will be eligible, but not required to use the uniform grant application package.

The authorities for these grants vary. The term ‘‘grant’’ in this submission refers only to non-entitlement discretionary grants or cooperative agreements. Discretionary grant announcements include a number of information collections, including a ‘‘project description’’ (program narrative), budget information, disclosure of lobbying activities certification, and disclosure of Corporate Felony Convictions and Corporate Federal Tax Delinquencies.

The requirements for the program narrative statement are based on the requirements for program narrative statements described in section 1.c (5) of OMB Circular A–102 and OMB A–110 (as implemented at USDA 7 CFR part 3015, 3016 and 3019); and will apply to all types of grantees; state and local governments, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, hospitals, and for profit organizations.

Need and Use of the Information: The primary users of the information collected from the applicant are FNS and other Federal staff who will serve on a panel to systematically review, evaluate, and approve the grant/ cooperative agreement applications and recommend the applicants most likely to meet program objectives and most responsive to the solicitation. The selection criteria will be contained in the Request for Application package. Without this information, FNS will not have adequate data to select appropriate grantees or evaluate which grants should be continued, or monitor financial reporting requirements.