(a) A potential applicant for RISE may submit a concept proposal not less than 60 days in advance of the application submittal deadline as published in the Federal Register for review by the Agency. This concept proposal will be evaluated, and an encouragement or discouragement letter will be issued to the potential applicant. If a discouragement letter is issued, it will detail any weaknesses evaluated in the Agency's review, though a complete application may still be submitted prior to the application deadline. The concept proposal may be up to 10 pages in length using a minimum of 11-point font. The concept proposal should be in a narrative format and must include the following:

(1) Partnership information including the members and structure of the Partnership, the date formalized, and the governance or leadership board. The information will identify the lead applicant and each partner's ties to the region, their roles in the delivery of the RISE program and any history of previous collaboration between partners. The amount and source of anticipated matching funds will also be provided.

(2) Describe the geographic region to be served including the total population, economic characteristics of the region such as unemployment rates and income levels. Industry sectors, their status, size and economic contribution to the region and all communities including metropolitan statistical areas and nonmetro low income communities within the region should be identified. The availability and planned enhancements of broadband service and other assets of the region should also be identified. If the region to be served has a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants, the applicant must document why they believe the area is “rural in character” including, but not limited to, the area's population density, demographics, and topography and how the local economy is tied to a rural economic base.

(3) Identify the industry cluster(s) that will be prioritized by the Partnership with information on the firms and support industries in those clusters. Describe the status of the industry (as emerging, existing, or declining) any existing interconnection and networks within the industry cluster and describe participation and scale of small and disadvantaged businesses within the industry cluster. Describe the opportunities or potential of industry growth in the region and competitive advantages of the region and industry cluster should be highlighted along with opportunities within the industry for the creation of or upgrading to high-wage jobs.

(4) An executive summary, project plan and scope of work must be provided with the applicant's strategy, activities, budget, goals and objectives for the use of RISE funds. The applicant should also provide information on the sustainability of the partnership and jobs accelerator at the conclusion of the RISE grant period.

(b) Unless otherwise specified in a Federal Register notice, applicants may only submit one RISE grant application each Federal fiscal year.

(1) The lead applicant must be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) and is responsible for submitting a complete application as specified in (b)(2)(i) through (b)(2)(xiv) of this section.

(2) There are no specific limitations on the number of pages or other formatting requirements of an application. Applicants, who submitted a concept proposal to the Agency, will not need to resubmit the information found in (b)(2)(ix) below. The Agency will review and retain this information for application submittal. A complete application will consist of the following components unless otherwise specified in a Federal Register notice:

(i) Form SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance;”

(ii) Form SF-424A, “Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs,” if applicable;

(iii) Form SF-424C, “Budget Information—Construction Programs,” if applicable;

(iv) Form SF-424D, “Assurances—Construction Programs,” if applicable;

(v) RD Form 400-1, “Equal Opportunity Agreement,” for construction projects only;

(vi) Identify the ethnicity, race, and gender characteristics of the lead applicant's leadership. This information is optional and is not a required component for a complete application;

(vii) Certification that the lead applicant is a legal entity in good standing (as applicable) and operating in accordance with the laws of the State(s) or Tribe where the applicant exists;

(viii) The lead applicant must identify whether or not the lead applicant has a known relationship or association with an Agency employee and, if there is a known relationship, the lead applicant must identify each Agency employee with whom the lead applicant has a known relationship;

(ix) All items required in paragraph (a) of this section must be provided with the application (applicants must provide updates, as appropriate, to any items previously submitted as a concept proposal under paragraph (a));

(x) Readiness demonstration, which shall be comprised of the following items:

(A) Description of readiness of all partners of the Partnership to contribute to the project including their ability to coordinate activities, finances and outcomes of the project.

(B) Evidence of a formal agreement among partners of the Partnership for delivery of the RISE program.

(C) Evidence of demonstrated readiness in administering the RISE grant, if awarded, including demonstration of potential success in establishment of a jobs accelerator project, which targets an industry cluster and the initiatives of the RISE grant. The application should indicate when activities related to the expected outcomes will commence.

(D) Description of how the project will be marketed in the region and how the Partnership will capture any program impacts and success stories; and

(E) Timeline describing the proposed tasks to be accomplished and the schedule for implementation of each task.

(xi) Provide documentation on how the RISE project will impact the initiatives below, as applicable, including a brief description of how and when the initiative will be delivered:

(A) Linking rural communities and entrepreneurs to markets, networks, industry clusters, and other regional opportunities to support high-wage job creation, new business formation, business expansion, and economic growth;

(B) Integrating small businesses into a supply chain;

(C) Creating or expanding commercialization activities for new business formation;

(D) Identifying and building assets in rural communities that are crucial to supporting regional economies;

(E) Facilitating the repatriation of high-wage jobs to the United States;

(F) Supporting the deployment of innovative processes, technologies, and products;

(G) Enhancing the capacity of small businesses in regional industry clusters, including small and disadvantaged businesses;

(H) Increasing United States exports and business interaction with international buyers and suppliers;

(I) Developing the skills and expertise of local workforces, entrepreneurs, and institutional partners to meet the needs of employers and prepare workers for high-wage jobs in the identified industry clusters, including the upskilling of incumbent workers;

(J) Ensuring rural communities have the capacity and ability to carry out projects related to housing, community facilities, infrastructure, or community and economic development to support regional industry cluster growth;

(xii) Potential to produce high-wage jobs and benefit rural small and disadvantaged businesses, including a description of the following:

(A) Describe how the project will develop the skills and expertise of the local workforce, entrepreneurs and institutional partners to meet the needs of employers and prepare high-wage jobs in the targeted industry cluster(s), which may also include the upskilling of incumbent worker;

(B) Demonstrate how the project will benefit the skills and expertise of small and disadvantaged businesses, as applicable;

(C) Demonstrate any participation of higher education, applied research institutions, workforce development entities and community-based organizations, that are willing to partner with the project to provide workers with skills relevant to the industry cluster needs of the region, with an emphasis on the use of on-the-job training, classroom occupational training or incumbent worker training, as applicable; and

(D) Demonstrate any participation of investment organizations, venture development organizations, venture capital firms, revolving loan funders, angel investment groups, community lenders, community development financial institutions, rural business investment companies, small business companies (as defined in Section 103 of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 662)), philanthropic organizations, and other institutions focused on expanding access to capital, are committed partners in the job accelerator partnership and willing to potentially invest in projects emerging from the jobs accelerator.

(xiii) Describe the targeted region, including the following information:

(A) Provide the latest Census Bureau information on the targeted region's median household income.

(B) Provide the latest Census Bureau information on the targeted region's educational attainment, specifically the percentage of the population who hold a bachelor's degree.

(C) Discuss how any direct career training will be provided to existing residents of the region (existing residents being those persons who live in the region at the time of application submission).

(D) Discuss any local support for the RISE project.

(E) Discuss the entrepreneurial commitment to the RISE project.

(F) Discuss any innovative processes and technologies to be utilized in the targeted industry cluster(s) of the RISE project.

(G) Discuss the initial and continuing capital investment in the RISE project.

(H) Discuss any demand for regional and global markets of the product and/or service provided by the targeted industry cluster.

(I) Discuss if the region contains any areas or communities that qualify for federal initiatives.

(J) Elaborate on the current broadband service within the region and any plans to leverage the current broadband service or enhance broadband service in the region through the RISE project.

(xiv) Financial information, including the following:

(A) Identification of matching funds and other sources of funds for the project. Provide written commitments for matching funds and other sources of funds at the time the application is submitted.

(B) Current financial statements and a narrative description demonstrating financial feasibility and sustainability of the project, all of which demonstrate sufficient resources and expertise to undertake and complete the project and how the project will be sustained following completion.

(c) Upon receipt of a complete application, the Agency will determine if the applicant and project are eligible and whether the intended outcomes described meet the requirements of the RISE program. If the application is ineligible or not feasible, the Agency will inform the applicant in writing of the reasons for the Agency's determination and no further evaluation of the application will occur.