Eligible Projects must meet all of the following requirements. Failure to meet one or more of these requirements means that the application will not be eligible for funding.

(a) Project focus. The Project must focus on allowable Planning or Working Capital Grant activities as described at § 4284.925, as applicable, with eligible tasks directly related to the processing and/or marketing of the subject Value-Added Agricultural Product.

(b) Project type. The Project must fit one of the following purposes:

(1) Emerging Market Project as defined in § 4284.903.

(2) Market Expansion Project as defined in § 4284.903.

(3) Food Safety Project as defined in § 4284.903.

(c) Product(s). Each product that is the subject of the Project must meet the definition of a Value-Added Agricultural Product. The Applicant must be currently producing the Agricultural Commodity for each Value-Added Agricultural Product that is the subject of the Project. All Applicants seeking Working Capital Grant funds must also be marketing the subject Value-Added Agricultural Product(s) or ready to implement the Working Capital Grant activities in accord with the budget and work plan timeline.

(d) Amount requested. The amount requested must not exceed any maximum amounts specified in the annual notification issued on the program website, per § 4284.930.

(e) Period of Performance. The Period of Performance cannot exceed three (3) years.

(f) Matching Funds. Matching Funds must come from eligible sources without a real or apparent conflict of interest and be used for eligible Project expenses during the Period of Performance. Matching Funds must be confirmed and provided in the form of:

(1) Applicant or third-party cash;

(2) Applicant loan, or line of credit;

(3) Non-Federal grant sources (unless otherwise provided by law); or

(4) Applicant, family member, or third-party in-kind contribution.

(i) In-kind contributions must be appropriately valued with an adequate explanation of the basis for the valuation (e.g., reference comparable market values, salary and wage data, expertise or experience of the contributor, per unit costs, industry norms).

(ii) Applicant in-kind contributions may include the value of the Agricultural Commodity inventory to be used in the Project and can be used to satisfy up to 100 percent of the Matching Funds requirement. Third-party in-kind contributions of the Agricultural Commodity inventory to be used in the Project can be used to satisfy up to 49 percent of the Matching Funds requirement.

(iii) Applicant in-kind contributions may also include Applicant or family time spent on eligible tasks; however, the valuation cannot exceed 50 percent of the Matching Funds required for the Project. Final valuation for Applicant or family member in-kind contributions is at the discretion of the Agency.