(a) General definitions. The following definitions apply to the terms used in this subpart.
Administrative expenses. Those expenses incurred by an MDO for the operation of services under this program. Not more than 10 percent of TA grant funding may be used for such expenses.
Agency. USDA Rural Development, Rural Business-Cooperative Service or its successor organization.
Agency personnel. Individuals employed by the Agency.
Applicant. The legal entity, also referred to as a microenterprise development organization or MDO, submitting an application to participate in the program.
Application. The forms and documentation submitted by an MDO for acceptance into the program.
Award. The written documentation, executed by the Agency after the application is approved, containing the terms and conditions for provision of financial assistance to the applicant. Financial assistance may constitute a loan or a grant or both.
Business incubator. An organization that provides temporary premises at below market rates, technical assistance, advice, use of equipment, and may provide access to capital, or other facilities or services to rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises starting or growing a business.
Close relative. Individuals who are closely related by blood, marriage, or adoption, or live within the same household: a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent, grandchild, niece, or nephew.
Conflict of interest. A situation in which a person or entity has competing personal, professional, or financial interests that make it difficult for the person or business to act impartially. Regarding use of both grant and matching funds, Federal procurement standards prohibit transactions that involve a real or apparent conflict of interest for owners, employees, officers, agents, their immediate family members, partners, or an organization which is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, having a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from the outcome of the project; or that restrict open and free competition for unrestrained trade. Specifically, project funds may not be used for services or goods going to, or coming from, a person or entity with a real or apparent conflict of interest, including, but not limited to, owner(s) and their immediate family members.
Default. The condition that exists when a borrower is not in compliance with the promissory note, the loan and/or grant agreement, or other related documents evidencing the loan.
Delinquency. Failure by an MDO to make a scheduled loan payment by the due date or within any grace period as stipulated in the promissory note and loan agreement.
Eligible project cost. The total cost of a microborrower's project for which a microloan is being sought from a microlender less any costs identified as ineligible in Sec. 4280.323.
Facilitation of access to capital. For purposes of this program, facilitation of access to capital means assisting a technical assistance client of the TA-only grantee in obtaining a microloan whether or not the microloan is wholly or partially capitalized by funds provided under this program.
Federal Fiscal year (FY). The 12-month period beginning October 1 of any given year and ending on September 30 of the following year.
Full-time equivalent employee (FTE). The Agency uses the Bureau of Labor Statistics definition of full-time jobs as its standard definition. For purposes of this program, a full-time job is a job that has at least 35 hours in a work week. As such, one full-time job with at least 35 hours in a work week equals one FTE; two part-time jobs with combined hours of at least 35 hours in a work week equals one FTE, and three seasonal jobs equals one FTE. If an FTE calculation results in a fraction, it should be rounded up to the next whole number.
Indian tribe. As defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b), ``any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village, or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688) [43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.], which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians.''
Loan loss reserve fund (LLRF). An interest-bearing deposit account that each microlender must establish and maintain in an amount equal to not less than 5 percent of the total amount owed by the microlender under this program to the Agency to pay any shortage in the RMRF caused by delinquencies or losses on microloans.
Microborrower. A microentrepreneur or microenterprise that has received financial assistance from a microlender under this program in an amount of $50,000 or less.
Microenterprise. Microenterprise means:
(i) A sole proprietorship located in a rural area; or
(ii) A business entity, located in a rural area, with not more than 10 full-time-equivalent employees. Rural microenterprises are businesses employing 10 people or fewer that are in need of $50,000 or less in business capital and/or in need of business based technical assistance and training. Such businesses may include any type of legal business that meets local standards of decency. Business types may also include agricultural producers provided they meet the stipulations in this definition.
(iii) All microenterprises assisted under this regulation must be located in rural areas.
Microenterprise development organization (MDO). An organization that is a non-profit entity; an Indian tribe (the government of which tribe certifies that no MDO serves the tribe and no RMAP exists under the jurisdiction of the Indian tribe); or a public institution of higher education; and that, for the benefit of rural microentrepreneurs and microenterprises:
(i) Provides training and technical assistance and/or;
(ii) Makes microloans or facilitates access to capital or another related service; and/or
(iii) Has a demonstrated record of delivering, or an effective plan to develop a program to deliver, such services.
Microentrepreneur. An owner and operator, or prospective owner and operator, of a microenterprise who is unable to obtain sufficient training, technical assistance, or credit other than under this section, as determined by the Secretary. All microentrepreneurs assisted under this regulation must be located in rural areas.
Microlender. An MDO that has been approved by the Agency for participation under this subpart to make microloans and provide an integrated program of training and technical assistance to its microborrowers and prospective microborrowers.
Microloan. A business loan of not more than $50,000 with a fixed interest rate and a term not to exceed 10 years.
Military personnel. Individuals, regardless of rank or grade, currently in active United States military service with less than 6 months remaining in their active duty service requirement.
Nonprofit entity. An entity chartered as a nonprofit entity under State Law.
Program. The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP).
Rural microloan revolving fund (RMRF). An exclusive interest-bearing account on which the Agency will hold a first lien and from which microloans will be made; into which payments from microborrowers and reimbursements from the LLRF will be deposited; and from which payments will be made by the microlender to the Agency.
Rural or rural area. Any area of a State not in a city or town that has a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants, according to the latest decennial census of the United States, and the contiguous and adjacent urbanized area, and any area that has been determined to be ``rural in character'' by the Under Secretary for Rural Development, or as otherwise identified in this definition. In determining which census blocks in an urbanized area are not in a rural area, the Agency will exclude any cluster of census blocks that would otherwise be considered not in a Rural Area only because the cluster is adjacent to not more than two census blocks that are otherwise considered not in a rural area under this definition.
(i) For the purposes of this definition, cities and towns are incorporated population centers with definite boundaries, local self government, and legal powers set forth in a charter granted by the State.
(ii) For the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the island is considered rural and eligible for Business Programs assistance, except for the San Juan Census Designated Place (CDP) and any other CDP with greater than 50,000 inhabitants. CDPs with greater than 50,000 inhabitants, other than the San Juan CDP, may be determined to be eligible if they are ``not urban in character.'' Any such requests must be forwarded to the National Office, Business and Industry Division, with supporting documentation as to why the area is ``not urban in character'' for review, analysis, and decision by the Rural Development Under Secretary.
(iii) For the State of Hawaii, all areas within the State are considered rural and eligible for Business Programs assistance, except for the Honolulu CDP within the County of Honolulu.
(iv) For the purpose of defining a rural area in the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Agency shall determine what constitutes rural and rural area based on available population data.
(v) On the petition of a unit of local government in an area described in paragraph (v)(A) or (B) of this definition, or on the initiative of the Under Secretary for Rural Development, the Under Secretary may determine that part of an area described in paragraph (v)(A) or (B) of this definition, is a rural area for the purposes of this paragraph, if the Under Secretary finds that the part is ``rural in character'', as determined by the Under Secretary.
(A) An urbanized area that has two points on its boundary that are at least 40 miles apart, which is not contiguous or adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 150,000 inhabitants or the urbanized area of such a city or town; or
(B) An urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town of greater than 50,000 population that is within one-quarter mile of a rural area.
State. Any of the 50 States of the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Technical assistance and training. The provision of education, guidance, or instruction to one or more rural microentrepreneurs to prepare them for self-employment; to improve the state of their existing rural microenterprises; to increase their capacity in a specific technical aspect of the subject business; and, to assist the rural microentrepreneurs in achieving a degree of business preparedness and/or functioning that will allow them to obtain, or have the ability to obtain, one or more business loans of $50,000 or less, whether or not from program funds.
Technical assistance grant. A grant, the funds of which are used to provide technical assistance and training, as defined in this section.
(b) Abbreviations. The following abbreviations apply to the terms used in this subpart: FTE--Full-time employeeLLRF--Loan loss reserve fund.MDO--Microenterprise development organization.RMAP--Rural microentrepreneur assistance program.RMRF--Rural microloan revolving fund.TA--Technical assistance. [75 FR 30145, May 28, 2010, as amended at 75 FR 41696, July 19, 2010; 79 FR 76016, Dec. 19, 2014]