§ 4284.926 Unallowable uses of grant and Matching Funds

(a) Unallowable uses of grant and Matching Funds awarded under this subpart include, but are not limited to: (1) Support costs for services or goods going to or coming from a person or entity with a real or apparent conflict of interest, such as paying the salary of an Immediate Family member of a Recipient owner, employee, officer, or Agency, except as specifically noted for in-kind Matching Funds in § 4284.922; (2) Pay costs for scenarios with noncompetitive trade practices; (3) Plan, repair, rehabilitate, acquire, or construct a building or facility (including a processing facility); (4) Purchase, lease purchase, or install fixed Equipment, including processing Equipment, except as specifically noted in § 4284.925(b); (5) Purchase or repair vehicles, including boats; (6) Pay for the preparation of the grant application; (7) Pay expenses not directly related to the funded Project for the processing and marketing of the Value-Added Agricultural Product; (8) Fund research and development; (9) Fund any activities prohibited by 2 CFR parts 200 through 400, and 48 CFR part 31, subpart 31.2; (10) Fund architectural or engineering design work; (11) Fund expenses related to the production of any Agricultural Commodity or product, including, but not limited to production planning, purchase of seed or rootstock or other production inputs, labor for cultivation or harvesting crops, labor for repotting and/or maintenance of live plants, and delivery of Agricultural Commodity to a processing facility; (12) Conduct activities on behalf of anyone other than a specifically identified Agricultural Producer or group of Agricultural Producers, as identified by name or class. The Agency considers conducting industry-level Feasibility Studies or Business Plans, that are also known as Feasibility Study templates or guides or Business Plan templates or guides, to be ineligible because the assistance is not provided to a specific group of Agricultural Producers; (13) Duplicate activities charged to another Federal award or previous VAPG Planning or Working Capital Grant Project by an Applicant; (14) Pay any costs of the Project incurred prior to the date of grant approval, including legal or other expenses needed to incorporate or organize a business; (15) Pay any judgment or debt owed to the United States; (16) Purchase or improve real property; (17) Pay for costs associated with illegal activities; (18) Purchase the Agricultural Commodity to which value will be added from the Applicant entity; Applicant-owned or related entity, or members of the Applicant entity; (19) Use Planning Grant funds to evaluate the agricultural production of the commodity itself, or compensate Applicants or family members for participation in Feasibility Studies; or (20) Indirect Costs. (b) Applications that propose unallowable costs in excess of 10 percent of Project Costs will be deemed ineligible to compete for funds. Applicants who submit applications containing ineligible expenses totaling less than 10 percent of Project Costs must remove those expenses from the Project budget or replace with eligible expenses, if selected for an award.