Young Farmer Grant Program is sponsored by Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). This government grant is designed to grow and support Texas agriculture. It is available to profitable agricultural businesses and focuses on assisting those who qualify for financial assistance.

The farmer is required to match the grant amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

# T EXAS AGRICULTURAL F INANCE A UTHORITY # 2025 Y OUNG F ARMER GRANT P ROGRAM - ROUND 2 # Request for Grant Applications The Young Farmer Grant (YFG) Program is administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) under the direction of the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA).

The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance in the form of dollar-for-dollar matching grant funds to those persons 18 years or older, but younger than 46 years of age at the time of the grant application submission deadline, who are engaged or will be engaged in creating or expanding an agricultural business in Texas. This program is intended to support agricultural producers.

Applications must be received by Thursday, April 17, 2025, by 11:59 pm Central Time. Trade and Economic Development – Grants Office, Grants@TexasAgriculture. gov Catalog of Domestic Federal Assistance (CFDA) Number Required Action Timing to Obtain/Submit Create a TDA -GO Profile (see TDA -GO Access Instructions) • Obtain Your Organization’s UEI Number and establish an Active SAM.

gov Account (if you do not Not required for this grant • Obtain a TIN/EIN (if you do not already have one) * up to 2 weeks • Request Access to by creating TDA-GO profile (if you do not already have one)* 48-72 hours ahead of the application submission deadline for TDA to approve account. Last minute registrations are not guaranteed. TDA Deadline to receive final application and all supporting April 17, 2025 - 11:59 p.

m. Central Time • Anticipated Award July 2025 (or as soon thereafter as practical) • Anticipated Start Date of Project/Grant August 1, 2025 • End Date of Project October 31, 2026 * Text hyperlinks will direct you to applicable websites 2025 Y OUNG F ARMER GRANT P ROGRAM Statement of Purpose ............................................................................................................

2 Eligibility ................................................................................................................................. 2 Grant Recipient Responsibilities and Accountability ............................................................. 9 Funding Parameters ...............................................................................................................

4 Term of Funding or Duration of Projects ............................................................................... 4 Application Requirements ..................................................................................................... 4 Budget Information................................................................................................................

6 Evaluation of Applications ..................................................................................................... 8 Reporting Requirement ....................................................................................................... 10 General Information ............................................................................................................

10 General Compliance Information ........................................................................................ 12 Deadline for Submission of Responses ................................................................................ 12 Program Contact Information ..............................................................................................

14 TDA-GO Application Instructions ......................................................................................... 15 Application Form Guidance ................................................................................................. 17 TDA-GO New User Instructions............................................................................................

30 Please read all materials before preparing and submitting the application. Failure to follow the instructions and requirements described in this Request for Grant Application (RFGA) may result in the disqualification of the application. Fraud Warning Disclaimer: Please be aware that certain individuals might approach you by falsely presenting themselves as representatives of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA).

Under this false pretense, they might try to gain access to your personal information or to acquire money by claiming that they are contacting you on TDA’s behalf. Such fraudulent offers and claims are usually received via email, text message, phone, etc. These claims and offers are fraudulent and invalid, and you are strongly advised to exercise great caution and disregard such offers and invitations.

You will not be contacted by TDA or the government to request payment before you receive a grant. Please report any attempts to defraud you to TDA’s Grants Office immediately. You may also report fraudulent activity to the Office of the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at https://www.

texasattorneygeneral. gov/consumer-protection/common-scams . Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 2 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 This Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) is issued pursuant to Texas Agriculture Code, § 58.

091. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), on behalf of the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority (TAFA), is requesting applications for the Young Farmer Grant (YFG) Program. The YFG Program is administered by TDA under the TAFA’s direction.

The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance in the form of dollar-for-dollar matching grant funds to those persons 18 years or older, but younger than 46 years of age at the time of the grant application submission deadline, who are engaged or will be engaged in creating or expanding an agricultural business in Texas.

Grant applications will be accepted from any individual person 18 years or older, but younger than 46 years of age as of the application deadline, who is engaged or will be engaged in creating or expanding an agricultural business in Texas (the “Applicant”) and who is an agricultural producer. • Applicants must be able to match the proposed project's expenditures dollar-for-dollar.

• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen and must reside and operate in Texas. • Applications must be submitted by an individual , agricultural producer. This means that if awarded a grant, the grant agreement will be awarded to a person and not in the farm/ranch/company name.

• To be eligible for a grant, the applicant must have a substantial interest in the agricultural business or operation identified in the application for which the project will impact. • Applications that merely propose to sustain an existing agricultural operation are not eligible for an award under this program.

• Agricultural service providers, corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, or other types of foreign or domestic business entities are not eligible for awards under this • Applicants who currently have an active Young Farmer grant agreement at the time of the submission deadline are ineligible to receive a new grant during this funding cycle.

TDA will immediately disqualify any application filed on behalf of a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or other type of foreign or domestic business entity. Each individual grant applicant, even if part of a family or business entity, must clearly describe a distinct project and demonstrate how the individual grant applicant will independently benefit from the grant.

Grant funds will not be awarded to multiple family members applying for funding Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 3 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 for the same project. Grantor reserves the right to request additional information to determine eligibility of each applicant.

An applicant that has a family, employment or business relationship with an executive, officer, or employee of TDA, or a member of the TAFA Board of Directors (Board), is not eligible for a grant and may not participate in the YFG Program. A "family” or familial relationship is defined as a relationship within the third degree of consanguinity, or second degree of affinity, as established in Texas Government Code, Sections 573. 023-.

025.

Consanguinity and Affinity Relationship Chart > (Includes individuals related by blood to the official or > (Includes an officials’ or employee’s spouse and > individuals related to the spouse) > First Degree Second Degree Third Degree First Degree Second Degree > Children Brothers & Sisters > Spouse’s Brothers & Sisters > Brothers & Sisters’ Spouses Agricultural Producer - An individual directly engaged in the production of agricultural products for commercial purposes, including crops (including farming); livestock (including ranching); forestry products; hydroponics; nursery stock; or aquaculture, whereby 50 percent or greater of their gross income is derived from those products.

Agricultural Service Provider - An individual or entity that provides agricultural services, including but not limited to providing information, consulting, equipment, supplies or other activities to the agricultural producers. Veteran Owned Business - Business that is at least 51% owned and controlled by veterans. The business must also be managed by veterans, who make both long-term and day-to-day decisions for the operation.

Disabled-Veteran Owned Business - Business that is at least 51% owned and controlled by disabled veteran. The business must also be managed by disabled veteran, who make both long-term and day-to-day decisions for the operation. Disability must be connected to military service.

Women Owned Business – Business that is at least 51% owned and controlled by women. The business must also be managed by women, who make both long-term and day-to-day decisions for the operation. Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 4 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 • The TAFA Board makes funding decisions and reserves the right to fully or partially fund any particular grant application.

Award decisions are final. • Selected grant applicants (Grant Recipients) will receive funding for their projects on a cost reimbursement basis during the term of the grant agreement. Funds will not be advanced to Grant Recipients.

• Grant Recipients must have the financial capability to pay all costs in advance. • Grant awards will be available for no less than $5,000 and no more than $20,000 for each Grant Recipient selected to receive an award under the program. • Recipients will have up to fifteen (15) months to complete their projects and seek reimbursement for allowable grant expenses, in the approved grant project budget.

See Budget Information section for further details on payment schedule. • All invoices/receipts generated under this project must be in the name of Grant Recipient. • TDA will not reimburse receipts for expenses incurred by a corporation, limited liability company, partnership, other type of foreign or domestic business entity, or a family member.

• Grant Recipients will be required to meet a 1:1 match requirement. For every dollar requested, Grant Recipient must show expenditure(s), prior to reimbursement, of at least an equal amount of Grant Recipient matching funds from allowable sources. See Matching in the Budget section below for more details.

• Awards are subject to the availability of funds. If funds are not appropriated or collected for this purpose, applicants will be informed accordingly. • In the event that excess funding was not distributed, TDA/TAFA may make upward adjustments to grant award amounts that may not have been initially fully funded up to, but not to exceed, their requested amount.

# Term of Funding or Duration of Projects A notice of grant award (NOGA) is anticipated to be made in July 2025. All approved projects have an anticipated start date of August 1, 2025 and must be completed by October 31, 2026. # Application Requirements Applications must be submitted in TDA’s online Grant Application/Management system TDA-GO before 11:59 p.

m. CT on Thursday, April 17, 2025 . The grant application must be completed online at https://tda-go.

intelligrants. com/ . TDA does not charge any application fees for the Young Farmer Grant Program.

Applicants must submit a complete application that includes all the following required information to be considered. Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 5 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 1. Application Contact Information i.

Name of Authorized official – required (auto populated) ii. Name of Primary Program Contact- required (auto populated) iii. Name of Secondary Program Contact – optional iv.

Congressional Districts o Copy of applicant’s Texas Driver’s License or other form of government-issued identification (U.S. Passport, State of Texas I. D. , or birth certificate); (jpeg/pdf file) o IRS Form Schedule F to evaluate farm income from most recent tax return or other IRS forms that were filed to describe your operation’s farm income; 1.

Any contract or letter of intent relied upon in connection with your proposed project. 2. Additional documents not submitted anywhere else.

i. Detail the steps it will take to complete the project i. Estimated Revenue and Operation Budget ii.

Total Capital Expenditures iii. Estimated Young Farmer Project Budget iv. Budget Narrative/Justification; v.

Lender commitment letter if a loan is used to fund your proposed project; and i.

Three (3) Letters of Support – o One (1) letter - Personal reference (not parents or members of your immediate o Two (2) letters – Professional reference (not parents or members of your o Letters must, at a minimum, include:  The relationship to the applicant,  Specific skills that the applicant has and why the recommender thinks the applicant will be successful with this project,  Any opportunities the recommender will have to interact with the applicant in relation to this project and Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 6 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025  How this experience will help the applicant achieve his/her stated  Letters must have an original handwritten signature from recommender (electronic signatures or typed names will not be accepted).

An “originally signed” or “original signature” describes a signature that isn't mechanically or electronically reproduced. It's a signature written by someone's hand. You can scan a copy of the letters with signature for submission.

 Letters must be dated within six months of application due date. See Section titled Application Form Guidance below for detailed instructions on each section of the application. 1.

Payment. The grant will be reimbursed on a cost basis, but only after Grant Recipient has spent and documented both grant and required matching funds. Grant Recipients will be required to submit payment requests quarterly, but no more frequently than monthly.

Payment requests must include sufficient documentation that details each expense. Documentation may include, but is not limited to, copies of receipts or invoices. 2.

Payment Schedule: TDA will approve reimbursement of up to 90% of the total grant award upon timely receipt of payment requests and documentation, prior to the submission of the Final Performance Report. The final 10% of funds will be released once all required reports, including but not limited to the Final Performance Report, have been submitted and approved. 3.

Eligible Expenses. Generally, expenses that are necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient performance and administration of a project are eligible. The fact that a proposed cost is awarded, as requested by an applicant, does not indicate a determination of allowability.

Examples of eligible expenditures are: a) Personnel costs – both salary and benefits (grant funds may be used for directly supporting salaries and wages of employees, but not for the value of the applicant’s own services or that of immediate family); b) Contracts – agreements made with private parties to perform a portion of the grant project; c) Supplies and direct operating expenses – costs for materials, supplies, and fabricated parts necessary to carry out the grant project; e) Non-capitalized equipment – nonexpendable, tangible personal property having an acquisition cost of less than $10,000.

Notes: See Budget and Eligible Expense Guidance document that may help in the development of the application: https://texasagriculture. gov/LinkClick. aspx?

fileticket=ilWNVwNjkSg%3d&portalid=0 4. Ineligible Expenses. Expenses that are prohibited by state or federal law are ineligible for reimbursement.

Additional expenses have been identified as ineligible by TDA.

Examples of these expenditures include, but are not limited to, the following: d) Contributions, charitable or political; e) Expenses falling outside of the contract period (expenses incurred before the grant approved start date or after end date of agreement); f) Expenses not listed in the project budget; g) Expenses that fail to meet the intent of the program; h) Value of applicant’s own services; i) Personnel costs of spouses, children, parents, grandparents, and/or business partners; j) Land (except for lease expenses); k) Capitalized Equipment - Personal property or other capital items with a cost of more than $10,000; l) Capital Expenditures for improvements – items that materially increase the value or useful life of building, equipment or land; m) Travel, lodging, or meals; and n) Expenses that are not adequately documented which would otherwise be eligible if properly documented.

Note: Failure to mention a particular item of cost is not intended to imply that it is either allowable or unallowable; rather, determination as to allowability in each case should be based on the treatment provided for similar or related items in the selected items of costs under cost principles. 5. Matching Funds – This grant requires Grant Recipients to expend matching funds equal to the total grant award.

Overmatching or a ration greater than 1:1 is not required. Demonstration of planned expenditure of funds in excess of the minimum match amount will not impact the selection process. If an applicant submits a budget that includes an amount with a match greater than 1:1, the Grant Recipient will be required to revise the budget to equal a 1:1 match if selected for an award.

Expenditure of matching funds must be documented on applicant’s budget and reported to TDA at the time a payment request is submitted. Any reduction of expenditure of recipient’s matching funds that fall below the amount proposed in the application and identified in the grant agreement must be approved in writing by TDA and will result in a proportionate reduction in the grant award.

Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 8 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 6. Additional Budget Information.

Applicant should provide additional information that will be helpful to the Board in evaluating a grant application, including justification for small equipment purchases, a list of subcontractors and amounts, a list of key personnel and salaries to be paid with the grant, and a description of other large expenditures.

The following category definitions should be used when determining the budget in the application: • Land – payments for land rent/lease • Equipment – payments for equipment lease/rental • Employee Salary/Benefits – payments for hired employees • Contract Labor – hiring someone to perform a service as outlined in a contract • Custom Hire – services hired to complete tasks where there is no contract • Animals – expenses to purchase livestock, provide veterinary care including medicines • Seeds/Plants – expenses to purchase seeds and plants • Feed – expenses related to feed and supplements • Fertilizer – expenses related to fertilizer and other soil amendments • Irrigation – expenses related to installing or maintaining irrigation systems • Fuel – expenses for gasoline, oil, or other fuels specifically for agriculture operation • Operating Costs: Other – expenses that are necessary for day-to-day of agricultural operation.

Examples include consumable supplies, tools with a short life or low price, marketing/advertising, insurance, repairs/maintenance, utilities, etc. • Small Equipment – Non-expendable (i.e. will not be consumed within 1 year and has a useful lifespan of more than 1 year), tangible personal property purchased for use in a business that costs less than $10,000. • Other – expenses that do not fall within any of the above categories.

Examples include: materials to build agriculture structure (one time purchases to complete project), etc.) See Budget and Eligible Expense Guidance document that may help in the development of the application: https://texasagriculture. gov/LinkClick. aspx?

fileticket=ilWNVwNjkSg%3d&portalid=0 7. Documentation of Employment Status. Applicants should be prepared to furnish documentation of lawful employment status for each employee included in personnel costs for the project.

# Evaluation of Applications TDA will review submitted applications to determine whether the applicant was responsive to the requirements of this RFGA.

To ensure grant applicants meet all agency standards; including licensing, compliance, auditing, enforcement, and other areas related to environmental, and Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 9 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 public health and agricultural safety; TDA YFG staff will collaborate across its internal divisions.

Additionally, TDA/TAFA reserve the discretion to disqualify any grant applications for project activities deemed contrary to the state's best interests. The TAFA Board will independently review and evaluate eligible applications, then convene as a group to finalize award decisions.

The TAFA Board may consider several factors when awarding a grant under the YFG Program, including, without limitation: The quality of the application The applicant's financial need The project's ability to create or enhance the applicant's agricultural operation The project's potential to improve overall agricultural productivity in Texas The project and applicant's impact on the local community The project's capacity to increase the number of agricultural enterprises in Texas owned and operated by young farmers These considerations are broken down by the following evaluation panel: • Business Plan – 20 points • Financial Viability - 30 points • Industry/ Deficit Commodity – 5 points • Innovate/ Community Impact/Positive Impact on Texas Agriculture/Other – 5 points The TAFA Board may take an applicant's prior involvement in the YFG Program into consideration.

# Grant Recipient Responsibilities and Accountability Grant Recipients will be responsible for the conduct of the grant project supported by the YFG Program and for the results described in the application. Each Grant Recipient shall monitor the day-to-day performance of the grant project to assure adherence to statutes, regulations, and grant terms and conditions.

Grant Recipients must carry out the activities described in the approved scope of work. Grant Recipients will be accountable for documenting the use of grant funds and must ensure funds are used solely for authorized purposes. This includes both TAFA-awarded funds and funds used to achieve the required match.

Grant Recipients must ensure: • Funds are used only for activities covered by the approved project; • Funds are not used in violation of the restrictions and prohibitions of the grant agreement or applicable law; and • All budget and performance reports are completed in a timely manner.

Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 10 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 Each Grant Recipient must ensure he or she has an adequate accounting system in place and good internal controls to ensure expenditures and reimbursements are properly reported to TDA.

Complete records relating to the project, including accounting records, financial records, progress reports and other documentation, must be maintained for four (4) years after the conclusion of the project or longer if required by TDA. Grant Recipients will be required to submit periodic performance reports in TDA-GO. Reporting timelines will be incorporated into the grant agreement.

As part of TDA's ongoing monitoring of grant funds, Grant Recipients must regularly demonstrate progress toward achieving project goals. Failure to comply with reporting requirements may result in the withholding of requests for reimbursement and/or termination of the award. Selected applicants will receive an electronic NOGA and a grant agreement from TDA, acting on behalf of TAFA.

The NOGA is not legally binding until a grant agreement is fully executed. TDA/TAFA reserves the right to fund projects partially or fully. TDA/TAFA reserves the right to negotiate individual elements of any application and to reject any and all applications.

Where more than one application is acceptable for funding, TDA/TAFA may request cooperation between Grant Recipients or revisions/adjustments to an application in order to avoid duplication and to realize the maximum benefit to the state. Selected projects will receive funding on a cost-reimbursement basis.

TDA/TAFA reserves the right to reject all applications and is not liable for costs incurred by the applicant in the development, submission, or review of the application; or costs incurred by the applicant prior to the effective date of grant agreement.

Right to Amend or Terminate Program TDA/TAFA reserves the right to alter, amend, or clarify any provisions, terms, or conditions of this program or any grant awarded as a result thereof, or to terminate this program at any time prior to the execution of an agreement, if TDA/TAFA deems any such action to be in the best interest of TDA/TAFA and of the State of Texas. The decision of TDA/TAFA will be administratively final in this regard.

Proprietary Information/Public Information In the event that a public information request for the application is received, TDA shall process such request in accordance with §552. 305 of the Texas Government Code. Applicants are advised to consult with their legal counsel regarding disclosure issues and to take appropriate precautions to safeguard trade secrets or any other proprietary information.

Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 11 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 All applications submitted under this program are subject to release as public information, unless the application or specific parts of any such application can be shown to be exempt from disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act, Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code.

The applicant is required to disclose any existing or potential conflicts of interest relative to this grant program. Failure to disclose any such relationship may result in the applicant’s disqualification or termination of any resulting grant agreement. • Assistance is available in English and Spanish.

Please call (512) 463-7448 to request assistance. • Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact TDA where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact TDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or Texas Relay 7-1-1.

Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. Reporting Fraud in State Government • TDA is committed to promoting a culture of integrity within the agency. As part of the agency’s commitment, TDA has instituted a Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Prevention Program to provide its employees with the necessary guidance and support to prevent, detect, and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within the agency.

TDA’s Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Prevention Program complies with Executive Order RP-36 of July 12, 2004. • Reports of suspected fraud or illegal activities involving state resources may be made by: • contacting the Texas State Auditor's Office (SAO) Hotline by calling (800) TX-AUDIT (892-8348); • visiting the SAO’s website at ( https://sao. fraud.

texas. gov/ReportFraud/ ; • contacting TDA by calling the TDA Fraud Hotline at (512) 475-3423 or (866) 5-FRAUD-4 (866) 537-2834; or • sending a written complaint to:  by mail: Texas Department of Agriculture  by email: fraud@texasagriculture. gov .

Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 12 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 # General Compliance Information 1. Grant Recipient (an applicant who receives a grant under this program) must comply with TDA’s reporting requirements and financial procedures outlined in the grant agreement.

Any delegation by Grant Recipient to a subcontractor regarding any duties and responsibilities imposed by the grant award must be approved in advance by TDA and shall not relieve Grant Recipient of his/her responsibilities to TDA for performance of those duties. 2. Grant Recipient must remain in full compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.

Non-compliance may result in termination of the grant or ineligibility for reimbursement of expenses. 3. Grant Recipient must keep separate records and a bookkeeping account (with a complete record of all expenditures) for a project.

Records shall be maintained for a minimum of four (4) years after the completion of the project, or as otherwise agreed upon with TDA. If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, or other action is initiated prior to the expiration of the four-year retention period, then all records and accounts must be retained until their destruction is authorized in writing by TDA.

TDA and SAO reserve the right to examine all books, documents, records, and accounts relating to the project, including all electronic records, at any time throughout the duration of the agreement until all litigation, claims, negotiations, audits, or other action pertaining to a grant is resolved, or until the expiration of the four-year retention period or a final judgment in litigation, whichever is longer.

TDA and SAO shall have access to: all electronic data or records pertaining to the grant project; paper or other tangible documents or records, including the physical location where records are stored; and all locations related to project activities. 4.

If Grant Recipient has a financial audit performed during the time Grant Recipient is receiving funds from TDA, upon request, TDA shall have access to information about the audit, including the audit transmittal letter, management letter, any schedules, and the final report or result of such audit. 5.

Grant Recipients must comply with Texas Government Code, Chapter 783 (Uniform Grant and Contract Management Act) and the Texas Grant Management Standards (TxGMS). # Submission Instructions LATE OR INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Applicants must submit one complete, electronically signed application through the TDA-GO system to TDA before 11:59 p.

m. CT on Thursday, April 17, 2025 (see submission instructions below). Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application.

• Applications may not be supplemented after the submission deadline. Trade and Economic Development - Grants Office RFGA Page - 13 2025 Round 2 Young Farmer Grant Program March 2025 • It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the timely receipt of the application and all required materials. • All required letters and attachments must be attached to the TDA-GO application package.

Any supplemental information/files submitted outside TDA-GO (email, mail, hand delivered) will not be considered as eligible submissions. For questions regarding submission of the application and/or TDA requirements, please contact the TDA Grants Office by email at Grants@TexasAgriculture. gov .

Click the following for the submission link or copy and paste it into your web browser: https://tda-go. intelligrants. com/ .

TDA staff is available to answer questions during regular business hours regarding the program and to provide clarifying information concerning this RFGA. This is a competitive grant program. TDA staff will not review any grant applications before the posted deadline.

• Mailed, faxed, emailed or hand-delivered applications will not be accepted. • Applications must be submitted online via TDA-GO. The online system will date, and time stamp the submission for receipt documentation purposes.

An automated receipt email will be sent from the TDA-GO system indicating the application has been received. # Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application. The applicant is responsible for ensuring their application is submitted in a timely manner.

TDA strongly advises applicants to apply well before the deadline to allow for resolving any potential issues. Late applications will not be accepted, even if caused by technical problems or errors. # Late or Ineligible Applications • TDA will only consider applications received by the published due date, unless the deadline has been extended for all applicants.

• Applications submitted by ineligible applicants will not receive funding consideration. • Applications that are not fully responsive to the request for grant applications will not be considered during the competitive review process. • Determinations of late or ineligible applications are final and not subject to an appeal process.

• Problems with computer systems at the applicant organization, Adobe compatibility settings issues, failure to follow instructions in the RFGA, or failure to complete required registrations (e.g., Grants. gov, Sams. gov,