How LDDs Work with Grantees

What is an LDD? 

Local Development Districts (LDDs) help promote local economic growth, especially in distressed areas, by facilitating access to grants, technical assistance, strategic planning and more. LDDs are regional entities, often an economic development corporation, a regional planning commission, or council of governments. These organizations, often funded through a combination of state or local funds, are a critical intermediary and partner for rural communities as they enhance community and economic development efforts.  

How do I work with an LDD? 

LDDs are knowledgeable about other federal and state programs that help fund economic and community development projects. They are aware of local priorities, state funding programs, and permitting structures. For NBRC, LDDs are the best local partners who can support local economic and community development projects because of their existing skills and expertise. This relationship will build the capacity of under-resourced rural communities over time and can provide critical skills necessary to manage and administer federal funds.  

On an annual basis, LDDs sign up with NBRC to work directly with grantees in our region, to support skills building, grants management, and job creation through built-in technical assistance. In general, NBRC requires all applicants to work with an LDD on specific grants administration tasks:

• When you submit a pre-application to NBRC, it is recommended that you find and connect with an LDD partner. Be sure to include the LDD grant administration fee in your budget narrative and SF-424cbw at this stage. 

• If invited to submit an application, you can determine with your LDD if they are able provide additional services, such as NEPA support or project management. If you’d like to use them for these services, you will build these additional support services into your application budget.  

• The LDD will work with you over the life cycle of your grant performance period, supporting your reimbursements process, documentation, reporting and more.  

• Learning from your LDD will enable you to better manage federal funds and navigate complex projects in the future.  

How do I get started?  

NBRC’s Grants Program Manual lays out the details of the LDD Policy for all competitive grant programs, including how to include LDD services and the required fee. All NBRC awardees, for all grant programs, are required to use an LDD for grant administration assistance. The only exceptions to this LDD partnership requirement are: applicants who are state agencies, LDDs, or have an approved LDD waiver request (submitted at pre-application). Grant administration duties include the following:  

• Partial Notice/Notice to Proceed Documentation: Assists grantee in uploading their LDD contract in the GMS, assist with getting a PNTP for LDD costs in place, if applicable, and submitting their matching funds documentation.  

• Quarterly and Annual Reporting: Assists grantee in filing all quarterly and annual reports accurately and on time, and with enough information to provide a meaningful outline of the project’s status.  

• Reimbursement Requests: Provides guidance to grantees on filing reimbursement requests and ensures that reimbursement requests are accurate, within approved budget and contains all the necessary documentation to provide evidence of match and reimbursements that are expected to be paid by NBRC.  

• Closeout Reporting:  Assists grantee in submitting all required close-out material accurately and on time once the project is complete.  

• Contract Amendments: Assists grantees in submitting contract amendments such as a change in authorized official, budget adjustment, contract extension, or project scope adjustment.  

• General Assistance: Assists with guidance to the grantee with other issues such as what their responsibilities are regarding procurement of goods and services and contractors. Has general knowledge base about federal grant programs, specifically NBRC.  

• NOTE: All of these tasks are now accessible on the Grants Management System (GMS) and LDDs will work alongside grantees inside the platform to manage tasks.  

The LDD will assist with NBRC-related grants administration tasks through a grant administration contract. The LDD is not expected to: 

• conduct bid processes and/or assess bid documents for completion, 

• conduct specialized consultations, such as historic preservation or environmental assessments, 

• interview potential consultants,

• assist with NEPA activities, such as Section 106 consultations or Environmental Assessments (EA), or

• other procurement processes.

When do I contact my LDD? 

The earlier in the grant application process you connect with your LDD, the better! LDDs have a lot of knowledge and resources that can be of assistance throughout the entire grant life cycle. LDDs may be useful to you in project generation, identifying funding, discussing specific partners or contractors, or by providing other valuable services.