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| 10.350 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO COOPERATIVES |
| FEDERAL AGENCY |
| RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE |
| AUTHORIZATION |
| Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926, 7 U.S.C. 451- 457; Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627. |
| OBJECTIVES |
| To develop and administer research, technical assistance, statistical, and educational programs on finances, organization, management, legal, social, and economic aspects of rural cooperatives, focusing on farmer cooperatives. |
| TYPES OF ASSISTANCE |
| Provision of Specialized Services; Advisory Services and Counseling; Training; Dissemination of Technical Information. |
| USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS |
| Services are limited to rural residents, including groups interested in forming cooperatives and established rural cooperatives. Publications are available to anyone. |
| ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS |
| Applicant Eligibility |
| Farmer and rural cooperatives and groups of rural residents interested in forming cooperatives, Native Americans, and rural residents in all U.S. Territories. |
| Beneficiary Eligibility |
| Beneficiary Eligibility: Farmer/Rancher/Agriculture Producer; Rural residents. |
| Credentials/Documentation |
| Requests for technical assistance by an established cooperative should come from the cooperative board of directors. Requests for assistance in forming a cooperative should be made in writing from a steering committee on behalf of the interested rural group. |
| APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS |
| Preapplication Coordination |
| None. Consultation or assistance is available from the State Office or National Office to aid in preparing the request for assistance. Initial e-mail inquiries may be sent to Coopinfo@usda.gov. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372. |
| Application Procedure |
| A formal letter requesting assistance and including a description of the problem or nature of request is required. Send letters to either the National Office--Letter to the Deputy Administrator for Cooperative Services, Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) or State Rural Development Office--Letter to the State Director, Rural Development. Requests made to the State Office may be forwarded to the National Office. Appropriate addresses may be found at the Web site shown later in this program description. |
| Award Procedure |
| RBS considers all requests. |
| Deadlines |
| None. |
| Range of Approval/Disapproval Time |
| Requests are usually acted upon within 10 days following receipt at the National or State Offices. |
| Appeals |
| Requests denied by the State Office may be appealed to the National Office. |
| Renewals |
| If clients need additional assistance following formal closure of Federal assistance, a new request must be submitted. |
| ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS |
| Formula and Matching Requirements |
| Not applicable. |
| Length and Time Phasing of Assistance |
| Varies depending on the nature of the request or complexity of problem. |
| POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS |
| Reports |
| On a periodic basis, RBS will request key persons representing the client to evaluate the assistance received. |
| Audits |
| In accordance with the provisions of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003). "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations, "non Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $500,000 per year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. |
| Records |
| None. |
| FINANCIAL INFORMATION |
| Account Identification |
| 12-1900-0-1-452. |
| Obligations |
| Not separately identifiable. |
| Range and Average of Financial Assistance |
| Not applicable. |
| PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
| Cooperative Services provides research, technical assistance, education and advisory services, and publication materials to rural and farmer cooperatives and to groups interested in organizing cooperatives. National Office and State Office staffs coordinate activities and responsibilities to best serve clients. Assistance to cooperatives was authorized by the Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926 and is available as part of the rural economic development efforts within the USDA. |
| REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE |
| Many publications related to farmer and rural cooperatives are available via the World Wide Web at the indicated Web Site or through USDA.gov. |
| INFORMATION CONTACTS |
| Regional or Local Office |
| Rural Development, State Office. Telephone numbers should be listed under Government in local telephone books. Visit Web site listed below. |
| Headquarters Office |
| Deputy Administrator, Cooperative Services, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 3250, Washington, DC 20250-3250. Telephone: (202) 720-7558. FAX (202) 720-4641. FTS is not available. Visit Web site listed below. |
| Web Site Address |
| http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/csdir.htm |
| RELATED PROGRAMS |
| 10.352, Value-Added Producer Grants; 10.771, Rural Cooperative Development Grants. |
| EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS |
| RBS provides technical assistance to help groups organize and establish new cooperatives and conducts advisory assistance to established cooperatives. RBS collects, analyzes and disseminates statistical information on rural cooperatives in the United States and its territories. RBS creates educational materials and conducts workshops about rural cooperatives. RBS conducts specialized applied research about rural and farmer cooperatives. RBS publishes the Rural Cooperatives bimonthly magazine that focuses on rural cooperative events and issues of importance nationally and internationally. |
| CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS |
| Requests for assistance must come from or on behalf of residents in rural areas of the United States or its territories. |
|
General Services Administration Office of Chief Acquisition Officer Regulatory and Federal Assistance Division (VIR) |
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