USDA and EPA Border Needs Assessment TAT Grant for Colonias Studies

(a) Entities eligible for grants must be
private nonprofit organizations with tax
exempt status, designated by the
Internal Revenue Service. A nonprofit
organization is defined as any
corporation, trust, association,
cooperative, or other organization that:
(1) Is operated primarily for scientific,
education, service, charitable, or similar
purposes in the public interest.
(2) Is not organized primarily for profit.
(3) Uses its net proceeds to maintain,
improve, and/or expand its operations.
(b) Entities must be legally established
and located within a state as defined in
� 1775.2.
(c) Organizations must be incorporated by December 31 of the year the application period occurs to be eligible for funds.
(d) Private businesses, Federal agencies, public bodies, and individuals are ineligible for these grants.
(e) Applicants must also have the proven ability, background, experience (as evidenced by the organization�s satisfactory completion of project(s)similar to those proposed), legal
authority, and actual capacity to provide technical assistance and/or training on a
regional basis to associations as provided in � 1775.33. To meet the requirement of actual capacity, an applicant must either:
(1) Have the necessary resources to provide technical assistance and/or training to associations in rural areas through its staff, or
(2) Be assisted by an affiliate or member organization which has such background and experience and which agrees, in writing, that it will provide the assistance, or
(3) Contract with a nonaffiliated organization for not more than 49 percent of the grant to provide the proposed assistance.

(a) Entities eligible for grants must be
private nonprofit organizations with tax
exempt status, designated by the
Internal Revenue Service. A nonprofit
organization is defined as any
corporation, trust, association,
cooperative, or other organization that:
(1) Is operated primarily for scientific,
education, service, charitable, or similar
purposes in the public interest.
(2) Is not organized primarily for profit.
(3) Uses its net proceeds to maintain,
improve, and/or expand its operations.
(b) Entities must be legally established
and located within a state as defined in
� 1775.2.
(c) Organizations must be incorporated by December 31 of the year the application period occurs to be eligible for funds.
(d) Private businesses, Federal agencies, public bodies, and individuals are ineligible for these grants.
(e) Applicants must also have the proven ability, background, experience (as evidenced by the organization�s satisfactory completion of project(s)similar to those proposed), legal
authority, and actual capacity to provide technical assistance and/or training on a
regional basis to associations as provided in � 1775.33. To meet the requirement of actual capacity, an applicant must either:
(1) Have the necessary resources to provide technical assistance and/or training to associations in rural areas through its staff, or
(2) Be assisted by an affiliate or member organization which has such background and experience and which agrees, in writing, that it will provide the assistance, or
(3) Contract with a nonaffiliated organization for not more than 49 percent of the grant to provide the proposed assistance.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) supports the sound development of rural communities and the growth of our economy without endangering the
environment. RUS provides financial and technical assistance to help communities bring safe drinking water and sanitary, environmentally sound
waste disposal facilities to rural Americans in greatest need.

The additional funding for the Colonias Studies, under the TAT Grant Program, will allow colonias
communities to better plan and secure dependable water supplies for rebuilding their community’s health and economic development. Qualified
private non-profit organizations may apply to receive a grant to conduct water infrastructure studies to evaluate infrastructure gaps, determine local stakeholders and institutions, access community funding opportunities and
provide technical support to colonias communities.
Deliverables required under this colonias TAT grant are:
1. Creation of a searchable database of information required to be collected as part of the needs assessment. A full list of the information collection requirements is detailed in the application guide, and includes such data as population, general demographics, existing water and waste disposal infrastructure, incidence rate of water borne infectious disease,
assessment of access to indoor plumbing, etc. The database must include geospatial information that
allows for mapping.
2. A report (in electronic and paper form) summarizing and analyzing the data collected that:
• Identifies areas of greatest need and
where investment will have highest economic and public health impact (including maps).
• Identifies areas that lack access to water and/or waste disposal infrastructure.
• Estimates the capital investment needed in water and waste disposal infrastructure in the study area (modest in scope and design). The estimate should include a listing of each colonia
assessed, identification of the type of infrastructure required and the recommended approach (i.e., connection to existing system, new
cluster system, centralized system and estimated capital costs).
• Provides information on communities’ capacity to apply for funding, and operate and maintain
utilities.
• Identifies the areas where other technical assistance is needed and for what purposes;
3. Lists of local institutions/ community leaders that can serve as points of contacts for the targeted communities.
4. Recommends approaches for technical assistance and outreach to communities in high needs areas.
5. This report is due by December 31, 2014.