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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE

10.350: Technical Assistance to Cooperatives

Objectives: To develop and administer research, technical assistance, statistical, and educational programs on financial, organization, management, legal, social, and economic aspects of farmer cooperatives.

PROGRAM AND AWARD FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.

APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS INFORMATION CONTACTS

RELATED PROGRAMS ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS

PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

10.350 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility: Farmer cooperatives, and groups of farmers interested in forming cooperatives (including those located in the U.S. Territories.)

Beneficiary Eligibility: Farmer cooperatives, and groups of farmers interested in forming cooperatives (including those located in the U.S. Territories.)

Credentials/Documentation: Requests for technical assistance by a cooperative should come from the cooperative board of directors. Requests for assistance in forming a co-op should be made in writing on behalf of producers interested in forming a cooperative.

10.350 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination: None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure: Letter to the Deputy Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) for Cooperative Programs office listed below.

Award Procedure: RBS responds to each request.

Deadlines: None.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time: Requests are usually acted upon within 5 to 10 days.

Appeals: Not applicable.

Renewals: Not applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals: Not applicable.

Examples of Funded Projects: Cooperative Education Resource Guide and Directory developed to list courses, training programs, printed materials, audiovisual materials, and other teaching aids for use by trainers and educators for teaching about farmer cooperatives. Cooperative education development of a Farmer Cooperative Educational Expert System for use on PC computers to teach a broad range of topics about farmer cooperatives to public and private groups, universities, and individuals.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance: Not applicable.

10.350 RELATED PROGRAMS:

None.

10.350 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

In fiscal year 1999, Cooperative Service provided research, technical assistance, and educational materials to many rural cooperatives and to groups interested in organizing cooperatives. Agency staff participated in 25 formal technical assistance projects involving 84 cooperatives and producer groups in 37 States.

10.350 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency: RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, (DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE )

Type of Assistance: Advisory Services and Counseling; Dissemination of Technical Information.

Obligations: Funding for the activities of the former ACS was merged with the Rural Business - Cooperative Service, and therefore funding for FY 99 and 00 cannot be specifically identified and compared with prior years.

Budget Account Number: 12-1903-0-1-452.

Authorization: Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926, 7 U.S.C. 451-457; Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, 7 U.S.C. 1621-1627.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature: List of publications-periodicals (annual listing of publications issued by RBS), no charge. Fees are assessed for certain publications.

10.350 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office: Not applicable.

Headquarters Office: Deputy Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Box 3250, Washington, DC 20250-3250. Phone: (202) 720-8460. FTS is not available. Contact: Dr. James E. Haskell. (Home Page)

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

10.350 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements: Not applicable.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance: Technical assistance projects range from a single work-day to one-half a work-year.

Uses and Use Restrictions: Provides technical assistance, research, and advisory services to farmer cooperatives, and to groups of farmers interested in forming cooperatives.

10.350 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports: None.

Audits: In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133, "Audits of States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations," State and local governments that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more within the State's fiscal year shall have a single or program-specific audit made for that year. State and local governments that receive less than $300,000 within the State's fiscal year are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in A-133.

Records: None.