Funding Opportunity Title: Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) inviting Applications for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Funding Round of the Bank Enterprise Award Program (BEA Program).

Announcement Type: Notice of Funds Availability.

Funding Opportunity Number: CDFI-2026-BEA.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 21.021.

( printed page 39683)

Dates:

Executive Summary: The CDFI Fund promotes economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to CDFIs. The BEA Program awards formula-based grants to FDIC-insured banks or thrifts that have, during a specified period, (1) increased their levels of loans, investments, and Service Activities to residents and businesses in economically Distressed Communities; and/or (2) increased their financial assistance and Technical Assistance to Certified CDFIs through equity investments, equity-like loans, grants, stock purchases, loans, deposits, and other forms of assistance. Capitalized terms in this NOFA are defined in the Authorizing Statute, the Interim Rule, this NOFA, the Application, Application materials, or the Uniform Administrative Requirements.

I. Agency Contact Information

Availability: The CDFI Fund will respond to questions and provide support concerning this NOFA and the Application between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, starting on the date of the publication of this NOFA until the close of business on the second business day preceding the Application deadline. CDFI Fund IT support will be available until 5:00 p.m. ET on date of the Application deadline. The CDFI Fund will not respond to questions or provide support concerning the Application that are received after the stated deadlines in Table 2. Questions or issues with registration in SAM.gov ( https://www.sam.gov) or registration or submission of the SF-424 in Grants.gov ( https://www.grants.gov) must be directed to the SAM.gov and Grants.gov help desks as the CDFI Fund does not manage those systems. The following table lists contact information for the CDFI Fund, Grants.gov and SAM.gov:

( printed page 39684)

The CDFI Fund's preferred method of contact is an AMIS Service Request. For a BEA Program Application question, select “BEA/SDLP” for the program in AMIS. For a CDFI Certification question, select “Certification.” For a Compliance question, select “Compliance & Reporting.” For Information Technology, select “Technical Issues.” Failure to select the appropriate program for the Service Request could result in delays in responding to your question.

Reasonable Accommodations: Requests for those with visual, auditory, or mobility impairments that prevent them from using the CDFI Fund's website, or who require reasonable accommodation under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, should contact 504support@cdfi.treas.gov or 202-653-0326 (this is not a toll-free number) as early as possible but no later than one week in advance of the Application deadline.

Communication with the CDFI Fund: The CDFI Fund will use AMIS to communicate with Applicants and Award Recipients under this NOFA. Award Recipients must also use AMIS to submit required reports. The CDFI Fund will notify Award Recipients by email using the addresses maintained in each Award Recipient's AMIS account. Therefore, an Award Recipient and any Subsidiaries, signatories, and Affiliates must maintain accurate contact information (including contact person and Authorized Representative, email addresses, fax numbers, phone numbers, and office addresses) in their AMIS account(s). To help ensure important notifications from the CDFI Fund are not missed, Applicants and Award Recipients should make sure that their email service is not marking communications from AMIS@cdfi.treas.gov or replyd@cdfi.treas.gov as “junk” or “spam.” For more information about AMIS please see the Help documents posted at https://amis.cdfifund.gov/​Training.

II. Eligibility

A. Eligible Applicants: For the purposes of this NOFA, the following sets forth the eligibility criteria to receive a FY 2026 BEA Program Award from the CDFI Fund.

III. Program Description

A. The general purpose: The BEA Program provides grant awards to FDIC-insured banks and thrifts (collectively referred to as banks for purposes of this NOFA) for increasing their investments in and support of CDFIs and advancing their community development financing and service activities in the most economically Distressed Communities.

B. Program goals and objectives: The BEA Program encourages banks to increase their community development activities by providing financial incentives to expand investments in CDFIs and to increase lending, investments, and Service Activities within Distressed Communities, as follows:

(i). Baseline Period and Assessment Period Dates:

A BEA Program Award is based on an Applicant's increase in Qualified Activities from the Baseline Period to the Assessment Period, as reported on an individual transaction basis in the Application. For the FY 2026 funding round, the Baseline Period is January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024, and the Assessment Period is January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025.

(ii) Qualified Activities: Qualified Activities are defined in the Interim Rule to include CDFI Related Activities, Distressed Community Financing Activities, and Service Activities (12 CFR 1806.103). CDFI Related Activities (12 CFR 1806.103) means Equity Investments, Equity-Like Loans, and CDFI Support Activities. The CDFI Equity sub-category consists of Equity Investments, Equity-Like Loans, and Grants. CDFI Support Activities includes Certificates of Deposits, Loans, and Technical Assistance. Distressed Community Financing Activities (12 CFR 1806.103) means Consumer Loans and Commercial Loans and Investments. Consumer Loans include Affordable Housing Loans, Education Loans, Home Improvement Loans, and Small Dollar Consumer Loans. Commercial Loans and Investments includes Affordable Housing Development Loans and related Project Investments, Commercial Real Estate Loans and related Project Investments, and Small Business Loans and related Project Investments. Service Activities (12 CFR 1806.103) include Deposit Liabilities, Financial Services, Community Services, Targeted Financial Services, and Targeted Retail Savings/Investment Products. When calculating BEA Program Award amounts, the CDFI Fund will only consider the amount of a Qualified Activity that has been fully disbursed, subject to the requirements outlined in Section VI of this NOFA. An activity funded with prior BEA Program Award dollars or funded to satisfy requirements of an Award Agreement from a prior BEA Program Award or an agreement under any CDFI Fund program, shall not constitute a Qualified Activity for the purposes of calculating or receiving an award under this NOFA.

(iii) Distressed Community: A Distressed Community must meet certain minimum geographic area and eligibility requirements, which are defined in the Interim Rule in 12 CFR 1806.103 and more fully described in 12 CFR 1806.401: https://www.ecfr.gov/​current/​title-12/​section-1806.401. Please note that a Distressed Community, as defined by the BEA Program, is not the same as an Investment Area as defined by the CDFI Program, a Low-Income Community as defined by the NMTC Program, or an Area of Economic Distress as defined by the Capital Magnet Fund Program.

(a) Designation of Distressed Community by a CDFI Partner: CDFI Partners that receive CDFI Support Activities in the form of loans, Technical Assistance, or deposits from an Applicant must be integrally involved in a Distressed Community. Applicants must attest that each CDFI Partner that is the recipient of CDFI Support Activities is integrally involved in a Distressed Community, as explained in the Application Instructions. CDFI Partners that receive Equity Investments, Equity-Like Loans, or Grants are not required to demonstrate Integral Involvement. Additional information on Integral Involvement can be found in Section V of this NOFA.

(b) Distressed Community Determination by a BEA Applicant: Applicants applying for a BEA Program Award for performing Distressed Community Financing Activities or Service Activities must verify that addresses of both Baseline Period and Assessment Period activities are in Distressed Communities when completing their Application. Applicants shall determine that an area is a Distressed Community by selecting a census tract where the Qualified Activity occurred that meets the minimum area and eligibility requirements. To determine whether a Baseline Period activity or Assessment Period activity is in a qualified Distressed Community, Applicants should use (1) Excel tabular data; or (2) the CDFI Information Mapping System (CIMS). For more information on these tools please refer to the FY 2026 BEA Program Application Instructions.

C. Funding Priorities: The CDFI Fund has identified funding priorities related to the Applicant's CDFI status and asset size. For award estimate purposes, CDFI Applicants are prioritized over non-CDFI Applicants. Applicants with smaller asset sizes are prioritized over ( printed page 39686) Applicants with larger asset sizes. Additional information about how priority factors are used to determine estimated award amounts is provided below and in Table 6.

(i) CDFI Applicant: Except for equity investments, the award percentage used to estimate the award amount for Applicants that are CDFIs is three times greater than the award percentage used to derive the estimated award amount for Applicants that are not CDFIs. The award percentage applied for CDFI and non-CDFI Applicants is based on activity type. For example, for consumer transactions, for a CDFI Applicant, an award percentage of 18% would be applied and an award percentage of 6% would be applied for a non-CDFI Applicant. For commercial transactions, an award percentage of 9% would be applied for CDFI Applicants and 3% for non-CDFI Applicants. For the FY 2026 BEA funding round, an eligible Certified CDFI Applicant (“CDFI Applicant”) is an Insured Depository Institution that is one of the following: (1) is certified as a CDFI as of December 31, 2025 (end of the Assessment Period) and remains certified at the time the BEA Program Awards are announced; OR (2) has submitted a CDFI Certification Application by December 31, 2025 and receives its status as a Certified CDFI by the time of the FY 2026 BEA Program Award announcement.

(ii) Asset Size Priority Factors: Asset Size Priority Factors will be assigned based on the Applicant's asset size as of the end of the Assessment Period (December 31, 2025), based on FDIC data. Asset size classes ( i.e., small, intermediate, and large institutions) will correspond to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) asset size classes set by the three Federal bank regulatory agencies and that were in effect as of the end of the Assessment Period.

(a) The Asset Size Priority Factor ( i.e. 5, 3, or 1) is multiplied by the change in a Qualified Activity and then multiplied by the applicable Award percentage (3%, 6%, 9%, or 18%) to yield the Award amount for that activity.

(b) Asset Size Priority Factors will be applied to Distressed Community Financing Activities and Service Activities categories as outlined in Table 5:

An Applicant's Asset Size and CDFI Applicant status for each Activity Type determine the estimated Award Amount. Table 6 outlines how the estimated Award Amount is determined.

(iii) Final Award Amount Determination: After the preliminary award amounts are determined, the CDFI Fund calculates the maximum award size ( i.e. award ceiling) to ensure all Applications with a preliminary award of $10,000 or greater are funded. The award ceiling is then applied, ensuring no Applicant's award is above the established ceiling. For example, if, after the review phase, an Applicant's preliminary award amount is $500,000, but the award ceiling is $475,000, the Applicant's final award amount would be $475,000.

(iv) Persistent Poverty Counties: Congress has mandated that at least 10 percent of the CDFI Fund's appropriations be directed to counties that meet the criteria for “Persistent Poverty” designation. Persistent Poverty Counties (PPCs) are defined as any county, including county equivalent areas in Puerto Rico, that has had 20 percent or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years as measured by the 1990, 2000, and 2010 decennial censuses and the 2016-2020 5-year data series available from the American Community Survey of the Census Bureau; or any other territory or possession of the United States that has had 20 percent or more of its population living in poverty over the past 30 years as measured by the 1990, 2000, and 2010 Island Areas Decennial Censuses, or equivalent data, of the Bureau of the Census and published by the CDFI Fund at: https://www.cdfifund.gov/​system/​files?​file=​2024-05/​PPC_​2020_​ACS_​May_​10_​2024.xlsx. Applicants that apply under this NOFA will be required to indicate the percentage of the BEA Program Award that the Applicant will commit to investing in PPCs. ( printed page 39687)

D. Performance Goals for Recipients: BEA Program Award Recipients' performance goals will be:

(i) to use the BEA Program Award amount for Eligible Activities described in the Award Agreement; and

(ii) for those Award Recipients committed to serving PPCs in their Application, a Performance Goal for their PPC commitment will be incorporated into their Award Agreement. The performance period is one year. The Award Recipient may use up to 15 percent of the total BEA Program Award amount as Direct Administrative Expenses. “Direct Administrative Expenses” shall mean Direct Costs, as described in section 2 CFR 200.413 of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, which are incurred by the Award Recipient to carry out the Qualified Activities.

E. Unallowable costs: Indirect Costs are not an allowable use of funds. “Indirect Costs” means costs or expenses defined in accordance with section 2 CFR 200.1 of the Uniform Administrative Requirements. In addition, the Award Recipient must comply, as applicable, with the Buy American Act of 1933, 41 U.S.C. 8301-8303 and section 2 CFR 200.216 of the Uniform Administrative Requirements, with respect to any Direct Costs.

F. Authorizing statutes and regulations: Relevant statutes and regulations for the BEA Program include:(i). Bank Enterprise Act of 1991 (Pub. L. 102-242) (the Authorizing Statute) https://www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​COMPS-10658/​pdf/​COMPS-10658.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​COMPS-10658/​pdf/​COMPS-10658.pdf (ii). 12 CFR part 1806 (the Interim Rule) https://www.ecfr.gov/​current/​title-12/​chapter-XVIII/​part-1806 (iii) Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR part 1000) (Uniform Requirements or Uniform Administrative Requirements https://www.ecfr.gov/​current/​title-2/​subtitle-B/​chapter-X/​part-1000) The CDFI Fund encourages Applicants to review the Interim Rule; this NOFA; the BEA Program Application Instructions; all related Application materials and guidance documents found on the CDFI Fund's website ( https://www.cdfifund.gov/​programs-training/​programs/​bank-enterprise-award/​apply-step#application-materials), and the Uniform Administrative Requirements for a complete understanding of the BEA Program.

IV. Application Contents and Format

The CDFI Fund has a sequential, two-step application process that requires the submission of Application documents in two separate systems with two separate deadlines. The required Application documents are listed in Table 7 below. The Application submission deadlines for all Application components are listed in Table 2. Additional information regarding mandatory account access, how to submit all components of the Application through Grants.gov ( https://www.grants.gov) and AMIS ( https://amis.cdfifund.gov) and Authorized Representative signature requirements for the Application is provided in Section V of this NOFA. All Application materials can be found on Grants.gov and the CDFI Fund's website at https://www.cdfifund.gov/​programs-training/​programs/​bank-enterprise-award/​apply-step#application-materials. All Applications should be prepared using the English language, and calculations must be computed in U.S. dollars. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to request and review other pertinent or public information that has not been specifically requested in this NOFA or the Application. Information submitted by the Applicant that the CDFI Fund has not specifically requested will not be reviewed or considered as part of the Application. Information provided in the Application should only include the Applicant's activities. Information submitted must accurately reflect the Applicant's activities.

V. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

A. How To Find or Request Application Materials

The Application materials can be found on Grants.gov and the CDFI Fund's website at www.cdfifund.gov/​bea. The CDFI Fund may update the Application materials as necessary during the Application round. Applicants are encouraged to pay attention to the CDFI Fund's website for updated resources. If an Applicant is unable to access Grants.gov ( https://www.grants.gov/​) or the CDFI Fund's website, the Applicant may request a paper version of any Application material by contacting the CDFI Fund Help Desk by email at bea@cdfi.treas.gov or by phone at (202) 653-0421. A paper version of Application materials will only be provided if an Applicant cannot access Grants.gov ( https://www.grants.gov) or the CDFI Fund's website. Additionally, the SF-424 must be submitted through Grants.gov and all other Application documents must be submitted through the AMIS portal ( https://amis.cdfifund.gov). The CDFI Fund will not accept Applications via e- mail, mail, facsimile, or other forms of communication, except in extremely rare circumstances that have been pre-approved by the CDFI Fund.

B. Submission Dates and Times: Table 2 in Section I lists the deadlines for submission of the documents related to the FY 2026 BEA Program funding round.

C. Submission Instructions: The CDFI Fund has a sequential, two-step process that requires the submission of Application documents in separate systems with two separate deadlines. The SF-424 must be submitted through Grants.gov and all other Application documents through the AMIS portal. The required Application components are outlined in Section IV. The separate Application deadlines for the SF-424 and all other Application materials are listed in Table 2.

D. System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): Any entity applying for Federal financial assistance must first register in SAM.gov ( https://www.sam.gov). When accessing SAM.gov, users will be asked to create a login.gov user account (if they do not already have one). Going forward, users will use their login.gov username and password every time when logging into SAM.gov. The UEI, generated in SAM.gov, is the official ( printed page 39688) identifier for doing business with the Federal government. If an entity is registered in SAM.gov today, its UEI has already been assigned and is viewable in SAM.gov, including inactive registrations. New registrants will be assigned a UEI as part of their SAM.gov registration. Applicants will be required to provide a valid UEI in AMIS (see Table 9). All entities registered in SAM.gov must have an authorized entity administrator. SAM.gov requires that new registrants, and existing registrants that do not have an entity administrator, mail an original, signed notarized letter identifying the authorized entity administrator for the entity to the Federal Service Desk. Existing entities with registered entity administrators do not need to submit an annual notarized letter. Visit SAM.gov for more information about this requirement. Applicants that have previously completed the SAM.gov registration process must verify that their SAM.gov accounts are current and active. Applicants are required to maintain a current and active SAM.gov account at all times during which they have an active Federal award or an Application under consideration for an award by a Federal agency. The SAM.gov registration process can take four weeks or longer to complete, so Applicants are strongly encouraged to begin the registration as soon as possible to avoid potential Application submission issues. The CDFI Fund will not consider any Applicant that fails to properly register or activate its SAM.gov account and, as a result, is unable to submit its Application by the Application deadline. Additionally, the CDFI Fund reserves the right to deem an Application ineligible or terminate an award if the Applicant's SAM account expires during the Application evaluation and post-award process, and the Applicant does not re-activate or renew (as applicable) the account by the CDFI Fund's requested deadlines. Applicants must contact SAM.gov directly with questions related to the registration process as the CDFI Fund does not maintain this system.

E. Grants.gov Submission Information: The CDFI Fund strongly encourages Applicants to start the Grants.gov registration process as soon as possible, as it may take one week or more to complete (refer to the following link: http://www.grants.gov/​register). An Applicant that has previously registered with Grants.gov must verify that its registration is current and active. If an Applicant has not previously registered with Grants.gov, it must first successfully register in SAM.gov, as described above.

Once registered, Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit the SF-424 as early as possible through Grants.gov to provide sufficient time to resolve any potential submission issues. Each Applicant will receive an initial email from Grants.gov immediately after submitting the SF-424, confirming that the submission has entered the Grants.gov system. This email will contain a tracking number for the submitted SF-424. Within forty-eight (48) hours, the Applicant will receive a second email which will indicate if the submitted SF-424 was either successfully validated or rejected with errors. However, Applicants should not rely on the email notification from Grants.gov to confirm that their SF-424 was validated. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the tracking number provided in the first email to closely monitor the status of their SF-424 by checking Grants.gov directly. The Application materials submitted in AMIS are not accepted by the CDFI Fund until Grants.gov has validated the SF-424. In the Grants.gov Workspace function, please note that the Application package has not been submitted if you have not received a tracking number. Applicants should contact Grants.gov directly with questions related to the registration or submission process, as the CDFI Fund does not administer the Grants.gov system.

F. AMIS Registration Information: AMIS is a web-based portal where Applicants will directly enter their Application information and upload required attachments listed in Table 7. Each Applicant must register as an organization in AMIS by the deadline in Table 2 to submit the required Application materials through this portal. An Applicant that fails to properly register and/or update its AMIS account may miss important communications from the CDFI Fund or fail to submit an Application successfully.

G. Authorized Representative Signature and AMIS Requirements: Prior to submission, each Application in AMIS must be signed by an Authorized Representative. An Authorized Representative is an employee or officer of the Applicant organization and has the authority to legally bind and make representations on behalf of the Applicant; it cannot be a consultant. The Authorized Representative must be a “user” in AMIS and included as a “Contact” in the Applicant's AMIS account.

H. AMIS Application Point(s) of Contact: AMIS Application point(s) of contact will be included on any communication from the CDFI Fund regarding the Application. Application point(s) of contact can submit the Application but cannot sign the Application. Consultants working on behalf of the Applicant cannot be designated as Authorized Representatives but can be designated as Application point(s) of contact.

I. AMIS Application Submission Requirements: AMIS will verify that the Applicant provided the minimum information required to submit an Application. Applicants are responsible for the quality and accuracy of the information and attachments included in the Application submitted in AMIS. The CDFI Fund strongly encourages the Applicant to allow sufficient time to confirm the Application content, review the material submitted, and remedy any issues prior to the Application deadline. Only an Authorized Representative for ( printed page 39689) the organization or an Application Point of Contact can submit the Application in AMIS. Upon submission, the Application will be locked and cannot be resubmitted, edited, or modified in any way. The CDFI Fund will not unlock a submitted Application. The following table lists the mandatory accounts and steps required to successfully submit the FY 2026 BEA Program Application documents through Grants.gov and AMIS. The separate Application deadlines for the SF-424 and the submission of all other Application materials are listed in Table 2. The CDFI Fund strongly encourages Applicants to complete all Grants.gov and AMIS Application submission steps as early as possible to provide sufficient time to resolve any potential submission issues.

J. Multiple Application Submissions: Each Applicant is only permitted to submit one complete Application in AMIS. The CDFI Fund will not allow multiple AMIS Application submissions. However, the CDFI Fund does not administer Grants.gov, which does allow for multiple submissions of the SF-424. If an Applicant submits multiple SF-424 Applications in Grants.gov, the CDFI Fund will only review the SF-424 Application submitted in Grants.gov that is attached to the AMIS Application.

K. Late Submission or AMIS Account Creation: The CDFI Fund will not accept an Application if the SF-424 is not submitted and accepted by Grants.gov by the SF-424 deadline listed in Table 2. Additionally, the CDFI Fund will not accept an Application if it is not signed by an Authorized Representative and submitted in AMIS by the Application deadline listed in Table 2. The CDFI Fund will also not accept an Application from an Applicant that failed to create an AMIS account by the deadline specified in Table 2. In these cases, the CDFI Fund will not review any material submitted, and the Application will be deemed ineligible. However, in cases where a Federal government administrative or technological error directly resulted in preventing an Applicant from submitting the SF-424, the Application, or creating an AMIS account by the deadlines stated in this NOFA, the Applicant must submit a written request for acceptance of late submissions by the deadline specified in Table 10. Be aware that an unexpected delay in a Federal government process does not in and of itself constitute a Federal government administrative or technological error. The CDFI Fund will only approve the late submission of the SF-424, the Application, or the late creation of an AMIS account, if the Applicant demonstrates that an unexpected delay was the direct result of a Federal government administrative or technological error. The written request must be submitted to the CDFI Fund as an AMIS Service Request with the subject line as specified in Table 10, and the request must include documentation of the Federal government administrative or technological error acceptable to the CDFI Fund. Table 10 below outlines the deadlines and AMIS Service Request requirements for requesting a late submission:

VI. Application Review Information

A. Responsiveness Review. If the Applicant has submitted an eligible Application, the CDFI Fund will conduct a substantive review in accordance with the criteria and procedures described in the Interim Rule, this NOFA, the Application guidance, and the Uniform Administrative Requirements. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to contact the Applicant by telephone, email, or mail for the purpose of clarifying or confirming Application information. If contacted, the Applicant must respond within the period communicated by the CDFI Fund or risk that its Application will be rejected. The CDFI Fund will review the BEA Program Application in accordance with the process below. All Application reviewers will complete the CDFI Fund's conflict of interest process.

B. Qualified Activities Criteria and Requirements. Applicants may submit transactions for Qualified Activities for the categories outlined below. Applicants must provide all required transaction information in the AMIS Application as required in this NOFA and the FY 2026 BEA Program Application Instructions. If an Applicant fails to provide the mandatory information for a transaction, the transaction will be deemed ineligible for the purposes of calculating the BEA Program Award amount. During the review process, transactions are reviewed to confirm transactions meet the criteria outlined in this NOFA and the supporting documentation requirements as described in the Application Instructions. Moreover, the CDFI Fund will review the Applicant's submitted documentation and transaction information to ensure it meets the Qualified Activity definitions in this section. For purposes of this NOFA, Applicants are required to submit supporting documentation for all Qualified Activities with transactions above $500,000 that are submitted as part of the FY 2026 BEA Program ( printed page 39691) Application. Applicants are also required to maintain on file supporting documentation for transactions that are $500,000 or less. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to request supporting documentation from an Applicant during its Application Review process for transactions that are $500,000 or less.

C. Qualified Activity Definitions: (i) CDFI Related Activities: For CDFI Related Activities, Applicants may select transactions in the following two sub-categories: a. CDFI Equity; and b. CDFI Support Activities. Additional requirements and limitations for this sub-category are described in Parts c. through e.

(a) CDFI Equity: This sub-category includes the following components: 1. Equity Investments; and 2. Equity-Like Loans. Additional requirements and limitations for this sub-category are described in Parts 3 through 5.

1. Equity Investment: An Equity Investment means financial assistance, provided by an Applicant or its Subsidiary, to a CDFI that meets the criteria in this NOFA, in the form of a grant, a stock purchase, a purchase of a partnership interest, a purchase of a limited liability company membership interest, or any other investment deemed to be an Equity Investment by the CDFI Fund.

2. Equity-Like Loan: An Equity-Like Loan is a loan provided by an Applicant or its Subsidiary to a CDFI and made on such terms that it has characteristics of an Equity Investment, as such characteristics may be specified by the CDFI Fund. For purposes of this NOFA, an Equity-Like Loan must meet the following characteristics: (a) At the end of the initial term, the loan must have a definite rolling maturity date that is automatically extended on an annual basis if the CDFI borrower continues to be financially sound and carry out a community development mission; (b) Periodic payments of interest and/or principal may only be made out of the CDFI borrower's available cash flow after satisfying all other obligations; (c) Failure to pay principal or interest (except at maturity) will not automatically result in a default of the loan agreement; and (d) The loan must be subordinated to all other debt except for other Equity-Like Loans. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion and on a case-by-case basis, whether an instrument meets the above-stated characteristics of an Equity-Like Loan.

3. CDFI Partner: CDFI Partner is defined as a Certified CDFI that has been provided assistance in the form of CDFI Related Activities by an unaffiliated Applicant. For the purposes of this NOFA, an eligible CDFI Partner that receives CDFI Support Activities from an Applicant must be Integrally Involved in a Distressed Community and have been certified as a CDFI as of the date that the BEA Program Applicant made its investment or provided support.

4. Limitations on eligible Qualified Activities provided to certain CDFI Partners: A CDFI Applicant cannot receive credit for any financial assistance or Qualified Activities provided to a CDFI Partner that is also an FDIC-insured depository institution or a depository institution holding company.

5. CDFI Program Matching Funds: Equity Investments, Equity-Like Loans, and CDFI Support Activities (except Technical Assistance) provided by a BEA Applicant to a CDFI and used by the CDFI for matching funds under the CDFI Program are eligible as a Qualified Activity under the CDFI Related Activity category.

(b) CDFI Support Activity: A CDFI Support Activity is defined as assistance provided by an Applicant or its Subsidiary to a CDFI that is Integrally Involved in a Distressed Community, in the form of certificates of deposits, origination of loans, or Technical Assistance. This sub-category consists of three components: 1. Certificates of Deposits; 2. Loans; and 3. Technical Assistance. Additional requirements and limitations for this sub-category are described in Part 4.

1. Certificates of Deposit: A Certificate of Deposit (CD), a CDFI Support Activity, placed by an Applicant or its Subsidiary in a CDFI Partner that is a bank, thrift, or credit union, must be: (i) uninsured and committed for at least three years; or (ii) insured, committed for a term of at least three years, and provided at an interest rate that is materially below market rates, in the determination of the CDFI Fund. (a) For purposes of this NOFA, “materially below market interest rate” is defined as the dividend rate that does not exceed the yields on Treasury securities at constant maturity as interpolated by Treasury from the daily yield curve and available on the Treasury website at www.treas.gov/​offices/​domestic-finance/​debt-management/​interest-rate/​yield.shtml. For example, for a three-year CD, Applicants should use the three-year rate U.S. Government securities, Treasury Yield Curve Rate posted for that business day. The Treasury updates the website daily at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET. CDs placed prior to that time may use the rate posted for the previous business day. (b) If a variable interest rate is used, the CD must also have an interest rate that is materially below the market interest rate over the life of the CD, in the determination of the CDFI Fund. If a variable rate is used, the Applicant must describe its methodology for determining that the interest rate over the life of the CD is a materially below market interest rate. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to follow up with an Applicant regarding variable interest rate CD transactions. (c) For purposes of this NOFA, a deposit placed by an Applicant directly with a CDFI Partner that participates in a deposit network or service may be treated as eligible under this NOFA if it otherwise meets the criteria for deposits specified in this NOFA and the CDFI Partner retains the full amount of the initial deposit or an amount equivalent to the full amount of the initial deposit through a deposit network exchange transaction.

2. Loans: Loans, a CDFI Support Activity, refers to an Applicant providing loans to an Eligible CDFI Partner.

3. Technical Assistance: Technical Assistance, a CDFI Support Activity, refers to the provision of consulting services, resources, training, and other nonmonetary support to an Eligible CDFI Partner relating to an organization, individual, or operation of a trade or business.

4. Integrally Involved: Integrally Involved is defined at 12 CFR 1806.103. For purposes of this NOFA, for an Applicant to report CDFI Support Activities in its Application the CDFI Partner which received the support must be deemed to be Integrally Involved by demonstrating it has: (a) provided at least 10 percent of the number of its financial transactions or dollars transacted ( e.g., loans or Equity Investments), or 10 percent of the number of its Development Service Activities (as defined in 12 CFR 1805.104) or value of the administrative cost of providing such services, in one or more Distressed Communities identified by the CDFI Partner, in each of the three calendar years preceding the date of this NOFA; or (b) transacted at least 25 percent of the number of its financial transactions or dollars transacted ( e.g., loans or equity investments) in one or more Distressed Communities in at least one of the three calendar years preceding the date of this NOFA, or 25 percent of the number of its Development Service Activities (as defined in 12 CFR 1805.104) or value of the administrative cost of providing such services, in one or more Distressed Communities identified by the CDFI Partner, in at least one of the three ( printed page 39692) calendar years preceding the date of this NOFA; or (c) demonstrated that it has attained at least 10 percent of market share for a particular financial product in one or more Distressed Communities (such as home mortgages originated in one or more Distressed Communities) in at least one of the three calendar years preceding the date of this NOFA; or (d) at least 25 percent of the CDFI Partner's physical locations ( e.g., offices or branches) are located in one or more Distressed Communities where it provided financial transactions or Development Service Activities during the one calendar year preceding the date of the NOFA.

(ii) Distressed Community Financing Activities: Distressed Community Financing Activities comply with consumer protection laws and are defined as the following: (a) Consumer Loans; or (b) Commercial Loans and Investments. In addition to the requirements set forth in the Interim Rule, this NOFA provides the following additional requirements:

(a) Consumer Loans: Consumer Loans is a sub-category of Distressed Community Financing Activities and is defined as the following lending activity types: 1. Affordable Housing Loans; 2. Education Loans; 3. Home Improvement Loans; and 4. Small Dollar Consumer Loans.

1. Affordable Housing Loans: Affordable Housing Loans are Consumer Loans that refer to the origination of a loan to finance the purchase or improvement of the borrower's primary residence, and that is secured by such property, where such borrower is an Eligible Resident who meets Low- and Moderate-Income requirements. Per the Interim Rule, Low- and Moderate-Income means borrower income does not exceed 80 percent of the median income of the area involved, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data.

2. Education Loans: Education Loans are Consumer Loans that refer to an advance of funds to a student, who is an Eligible Resident who meets Low- and Moderate-Income requirements, for the purpose of financing a college or vocational education.

3. Home Improvement Loans: Home Improvement Loans are Consumer Loans that refer to an advance of funds, either unsecured or secured by a one-to-four family residential property, the proceeds of which are used to improve the borrower's primary residence, where such borrower is an Eligible Resident who meets Low- and Moderate-Income requirements.

4. Small Dollar Consumer Loans: For purposes of this NOFA, eligible Small Dollar Consumer Loans are responsible and affordable loans, with a total principal value of no greater than $5,000 and a term of ninety (90) days or more, that serve as available alternatives to the marketplace for individuals who are Eligible Residents who meet Low- and Moderate-Income requirements. A responsible Small Dollar Loan generally considers the borrower's ability to repay and may also reflect repayment terms, pricing, and safeguards that minimize adverse customer outcomes, including cycles of debt due to rollovers or reborrowing.

(b) Commercial Loans and Investments: Commercial Loans and Investments is a sub- category of Distressed Community Financing Activities and is defined as the following lending activity types:

1. Affordable Housing Development Loans and related Project Investments: Affordable Housing Development Loans are Commercial Loans that refer to the origination of a loan to finance the acquisition, construction, and/or development of single- or multi-family residential real property that meets the following income requirements: (a) For multi-family properties, at least 60 percent of the units must be affordable to Eligible Residents who meet Low- and Moderate-Income requirements; (b) For single-family homes, the property must be affordable to an Eligible Resident who meets Low- and Moderate-Income requirements. For the purposes of this NOFA, eligible Affordable Housing Development Loans and related Project Investments do not include housing for students or school dormitories.

2. Commercial Real Estate Loans and related Project Investments: For purposes of this NOFA, eligible Commercial Real Estate Loans and related Project Investments are generally limited to transactions with a total principal value of $10 million or less. The CDFI Fund may consider transactions with a total principal value of over $10 million. For such transactions, Applicants must provide a separate narrative (“Community Benefit Statement”), to demonstrate that the proposed project offers, or significantly enhances the quality of, a facility or service not currently provided to the Distressed Community.

3. Small Business Loans and related Project Investments: Small Business Loans are Commercial Loans that refer to the origination of a loan used for commercial or industrial activities (other than an Affordable Housing Loan, Affordable Housing Development Loan, Commercial Real Estate Loan, or Home Improvement Loan) to a business or farm that meets the size eligibility standards of the Small Business Administration's Development Company or Small Business Investment Company programs (13 CFR 121.301) and is located in a Distressed Community.

(iii) Service Activities: Service Activities consist of the following five types:

(a) Deposit Liabilities: Deposit Liabilities are considered Service Activities and refer to time, savings, or demand deposits. Any such deposit must be accepted from Eligible Residents at the offices of the Applicant or of the Subsidiary of the Applicant and located in a Distressed Community. Deposit Liabilities may only include deposits held by individuals in transaction accounts ( e.g., demand deposits, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, automated transfer service accounts, and telephone or preauthorized transfer accounts) or non-transaction accounts ( e.g., money market deposit accounts, other savings deposits, and all-time deposits), as defined by the Appropriate Federal Banking Agency. When reporting changes in the dollar amount of deposit accounts, the Applicant is required to report eligible Deposit Liabilities as of 12/31/2024 (Baseline Period) and 12/31/2025 (Assessment Period). Report deposits in aggregate, not individually. The FY 2026 BEA Program Application will calculate the increase in Deposit Liabilities based on the Applicant's inputs.

(b) Community Services: Community Services are considered Service Activities and refer to the following forms of assistance provided by officers, employees, or agents (contractual or otherwise) of the Applicant:

1. Provision of Technical Assistance and financial education to Eligible Residents regarding managing their personal finances;

2. Provision of Technical Assistance and consulting services to newly formed small businesses and nonprofit organizations located in the Distressed Community;

3. Provision of Technical Assistance and financial education to, or servicing the loans of, homeowners who are Eligible Residents and meet Low- and Moderate-Income requirements; and

4. Other services provided to Eligible Residents who meet Low- and Moderate-Income requirements or enterprises that are Integrally Involved in a Distressed Community, as deemed appropriate by the CDFI Fund.

(c) Financial Services: Financial Services are Service Activities that refer to check cashing, providing money orders and certified checks, automated ( printed page 39693) teller machines, safe deposit boxes, new branches, and other comparable services that are provided by the Applicant to Eligible Residents or enterprises that are Integrally Involved in the Distressed Community. The CDFI Fund will value the administrative cost of providing certain Financial Services using the following per unit values:

1. $100 per account for Targeted Financial Services including safe transaction accounts, youth transaction accounts, Electronic Transfer Accounts (ETA) and Individual Development Accounts (IDA);

2. $50 per account for checking and savings accounts that do not meet the definition of Targeted Financial Services;

3. $5 per check cashing transaction;

4. $50,000 per new ATM installed at a location in a Distressed Community;

5. $500,000 per new retail bank branch office opened in a Distressed Community, including school-based bank branches approved by the Applicant's Federal bank regulator. In the case of Applicants engaging in Financial Services activities not described above, the CDFI Fund will determine the unit value of such service. When reporting the opening of a new retail bank branch office, the Applicant must certify that such new branch is intended to remain in operation for at least the next five years. Financial Service Activities must be provided by the Applicant to Eligible Residents or enterprises that are in a Distressed Community. An Applicant may determine the number of Eligible Residents who are Award Recipients of Financial Services by either: (i) collecting the addresses of its Financial Services customers, or (ii) certifying that the Applicant reasonably believes that such customers are Eligible Residents or enterprises located in a Distressed Community and providing a brief narrative describing how the Applicant made this determination. Citations must be provided for external sources. In addition, if external sources are referenced in the narrative, the Applicant must explain how it reached the conclusion that the cited references are directly related to the Eligible Residents or enterprises to whom it is claiming to have provided the Financial Services.

(d.) Targeted Financial Services: Targeted Financial Services are Service Activities that are targeted to Eligible Residents, including Electronic Transfer Accounts (ETAs), Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), and similar banking products.

(e.) Targeted Retail Savings/Investment Products: Targeted Financial Services are Service Activities targeted to Eligible Residents that include certificates of deposit, mutual funds, and life insurance.

D. Certain Limitations on Qualified Activities: In addition to the definition of Qualified Activities as described in Section VI.2.A, the following restrictions apply:

(i) Loan Renewals and Refinances: Financial assistance provided by an Applicant shall not constitute a Qualified Activity for the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA Program Award if such financial assistance consists of a loan to a borrower that has matured and is then renewed by the Applicant or consists of a loan to a borrower that is retired or restructured using the proceeds of a new commitment by the Applicant.

(ii) Certain Business Types: Financial assistance provided by an Applicant shall not constitute a Qualified Activity for the purposes of financing the following business types: adult entertainment providers, golf courses, racetracks, gambling facilities, country clubs, facilities offering massage services, hot tub facilities, suntan facilities, or stores where the principal business is the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption off premises.

(iii) Prior BEA Program Awards: Qualified Activities funded with prior funding round BEA Program Award dollars or funded to satisfy requirements of the BEA Program Award Agreement shall not constitute a Qualified Activity for the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA Program Award.

E. Review and Selection Process (i) Ineligible Transactions: The CDFI Fund will conduct a review of all transactions with supporting documentation. Transactions will be deemed ineligible for the purposes of calculating the BEA Award amount for one or more of the following reasons:

(a) Personally Identifiable Information (PII): The CDFI Fund will not collect or accept any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in AMIS or in any of the Application submission materials. PII is information, which if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization, could result in substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience, or unfairness to an individual. Although Applicants are required to enter addresses of individual borrowers or residents of Distressed Communities in AMIS, Applicants must not include the following PII for the individuals who received the financial products or services in AMIS or in the supporting documentation: name of the individual, Social Security Number, driver's license or state identification number, passport number, and Alien Registration Number. This information should be redacted from all supporting documentation. If the CDFI Fund discovers PII during the review of an Application, the transaction will be deleted from the application record and deemed ineligible.

(b) Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: Financial assistance provided by an Applicant for which the Applicant receives benefits through Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, authorized pursuant to Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (26 U.S.C. 42), shall not constitute an Equity Investment, Project Investment, or other Qualified Activity, for the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA Program Award.

(c). New Markets Tax Credits: Financial assistance provided by an Applicant for which the Applicant receives benefits as an investor in a Community Development Entity that has received an allocation of New Markets Tax Credits, authorized pursuant to Section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (26 U.S.C. 45D), shall not constitute an Equity Investment, Project Investment, or other Qualified Activity, for the purposes of calculating or receiving a BEA Program Award. Leverage loans used in New Markets Tax Credit structured transactions that meet the requirements outlined in this NOFA are considered Distressed Community Financing Activities. The Application materials will provide further guidance on requirements for BEA transactions which were leverage loans used in a New Markets Tax Credit structured transaction.

(d) The Applicant did not include the mandatory supporting documentation as outlined in the Application Instructions.

(e) Information submitted in the Application did not align with the supporting documentation and/or in the Notes section in the transaction record in AMIS.

(f) Transactions were coded with the wrong activity/record type.

(g) Transactions were not located in the BEA Program Qualified Census Tracts.

(h) Transactions did not meet other requirements outlined in this NOFA or the BEA Application Instructions.

(i) Transactions for which the Applicant received a CDFI Program Award, other CDFI Fund awards, or other federal awards based on the same activity during the same semiannual period for which the institution seeks a BEA Program Award.

(ii). Application Review and Award Selection: ( printed page 39694)

(a) Application Review Process: All Applications will be evaluated by reviewers. Reviewers are selected based on their experience in understanding various financial transactions, analyzing and interpreting financial documentation, strong written communication skills, and strong mathematical skills. Reviewers must complete the CDFI Fund's conflict of interest process and be approved by the CDFI Fund. Reviewers are responsible for reviewing supporting documentation for all CDFI Related Activities, Distressed Community Financing Activities, and Service Activities above $500,000. Reviewers ensure the transactions submitted meet the requirements outlined in this NOFA and Application Instructions. This includes, but is not limited to, verifying the transaction amount, activity type, execution and disbursement dates, transaction address, and affordability requirements. CDFI Fund staff or other federal staff oversee reviewers to ensure transaction reviews adhere to the NOFA and applicable guidance and conduct their own reviews.

(b) Selection Process: The Interim Rule and this NOFA describe the process for selecting Applicants to receive a BEA Program Award and determining Award amounts. The CDFI Fund's funding priorities for this NOFA are described in Section III and Table 6.

(c) Persistent Poverty Counties: Should the CDFI Fund determine, upon analysis of the initial pool of BEA Program Award Recipients, that it has not achieved the 10 percent PPC requirement mandated by Congress, Award preference will be given to Applicants that committed to deploying at least 10 percent of their FY 2026 BEA Program Award in PPCs. Applicants that committed to serving PPCs and are selected to receive a FY 2026 BEA Program Award will have their PPC commitment incorporated into their Award Agreement as a Performance Goal which will be subject to compliance and reporting requirements. No Applicant, however, will be disqualified from consideration for not making a PPC commitment in its BEA Program Application.

(d) Programmatic and Financial Risk: The CDFI Fund will consider safety and soundness information from the appropriate Federal bank regulatory agency as defined in Section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813(q)). If the appropriate Federal bank regulatory agency identifies safety and soundness concerns, the CDFI Fund will assess whether the concerns cause or will cause the Applicant to be incapable of completing the activities for which funding has been requested. The CDFI Fund will not approve a BEA Program Award under any circumstances for an Applicant if the appropriate Federal bank regulatory agency indicates that the Applicant received a composite rating of “5” on its most recent examination, performed in accordance with the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System. Furthermore, the CDFI Fund will not make a BEA Program Award to an Applicant that has:

1. a CRA assessment rating of below “Satisfactory” on its most recent examination; or

2. a financial audit with a going concern paragraph, an adverse opinion, a disclaimer of opinion, or a withdrawal of an opinion on its most recent audit; or

3. a Prompt Corrective Action directive from its regulator imposing restrictions on its level of lending activities, that was active at the time the Applicant submitted its Application to the CDFI Fund or becomes active during the CDFI Fund's evaluation of the Application for activities for which funding has been requested, activities which meet the BEA Program criteria of Qualified Activities, or other circumstances which may impact an Applicant's ability to successfully manage, re- invest, and/or report on a FY 2026 BEA Program Award. The CDFI Fund may contact Applicants and/or their appropriate Federal bank regulator to provide additional information related to Federal bank regulatory or CRA information. If this information indicates that an Applicant may be unable to responsibly manage, re- invest, and/or report on a FY 2026 BEA Program Award during the period of performance, the CDFI Fund may choose to not approve a FY 2026 BEA Program Award for the Applicant.

(e) Contacting Applicant for Clarification: If the Applicant submitted a complete and eligible Application, the CDFI Fund will conduct a substantive review in accordance with the criteria and procedures described in the Interim Rule, this NOFA, the Application guidance, and the Uniform Administrative Requirements. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to contact the Applicant by telephone, email, or mail for the sole purpose of clarifying or confirming Application information. If contacted, the Applicant must respond within the period communicated by the CDFI Fund or run the risk that the Applicant's Application will be rejected.

(f) Changes in Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria: The CDFI Fund reserves the right to change its eligibility and evaluation criteria and procedures, if the CDFI Fund deems it appropriate. If said changes materially affect the CDFI Fund's Award decisions, the CDFI Fund will provide information regarding the changes through the CDFI Fund's website. It is the Applicant's responsibility to monitor the CDFI Fund's website for such changes.

(g) Application Rejection: The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject an Application if information (including administrative errors) comes to the attention of the CDFI Fund that adversely affects an Applicant's eligibility for an Award, adversely affects the CDFI Fund's evaluation or scoring of an Application, or indicates fraud or mismanagement on the Applicant's part, including mismanagement of another Federal award. If the CDFI Fund determines that any portion of the Application is incorrect in any material respect, the CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject the Application. There is no right to appeal the CDFI Fund's Award decisions. The CDFI Fund's Award decisions are final.

VII. Award Notice

A. Award Notification: The Authorized Representative and Point(s) of Contact for each successful Applicant will receive an email “notice of award” notification from the CDFI Fund stating that its Application has been approved for an Award. The email “notice of award” is not an authorization to begin performance.

B. Application Debriefs: The Authorized Representative and Point(s) of Contact for each Applicant not selected for an award will receive an email with information on when a debriefing document will be provided in its AMIS account ( https://amis.cdfifund.gov). The CDFI Fund will not discuss the specifics of an Applicant's FY 2026 BEA Program Application or provide specific reasons why an Applicant was not selected to receive an FY 2026 BEA Program Award beyond any information provided in the debriefing document. The CDFI Fund will only respond to general questions regarding the FY 2026 BEA Program Application and award decision process until 30 days after the Award announcement date.

VIII. Post-Award Requirements and Administration

A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements. Prior to entering into an Award Agreement, the CDFI Fund may, in its discretion and without advance notice to the Applicant, terminate the Award or take other actions as it deems ( printed page 39695) appropriate if information (including an administrative error) comes to the CDFI Fund's attention that adversely affects the Recipient's eligibility for an Award; adversely affects the CDFI Fund's evaluation of the Application; adversely affects the Recipient's compliance with any requirement listed in the Uniform Administrative Requirements; or indicates fraud or mismanagement on the Recipient's part, including mismanagement of another Federal award. The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to rescind an Award if the Recipient fails to return the Award Agreement signed by an Authorized Representative of the Recipient, and/or provide the CDFI Fund with any other requested documentation, within the CDFI Fund's deadlines. If a Certified CDFI Award Recipient's CDFI Certification status is terminated, the CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to re-calculate the Award, and modify the Award Agreement based on the Award Recipient's non-CDFI status. If the Recipient, through merger or similar transaction, ceases to exist as a legal entity, the CDFI Fund may terminate and rescind the Award Agreement, and the Award made under this NOFA. In addition, the CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate and rescind the Award Agreement and the Award made under this NOFA for any criteria described in Table 11:

( printed page 39696)

B. Award Agreement: The Authorized Representative and Point(s) of Contact for each Applicant that is selected to receive an Award under this NOFA will receive an email notification from the CDFI Fund stating an Award Agreement has been provided in its AMIS account. The Award Agreement must be fully executed by the Applicant's Authorized Representative and the CDFI Fund for the Applicant to become a Recipient and receive Payment. Each BEA Program Award Agreement has a one-year Period of Performance. The Award Agreement will set forth certain required terms and conditions of the BEA Program Award, which will include, but not be limited to:

(i). undertaking Qualified Activities during the one-year Period of Performance;

(ii). meeting the PPC requirements as outlined in the Award Agreement as applicable;

(iii). The Award Agreement shall provide that the Awardee shall not, to the best of its knowledge and after reasonable diligence, provide any federal public benefit in a manner that violates applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws, including providing employment or financial preferences or set-asides based on any person's race, ethnicity, or sex, in a manner that is inconsistent with any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws. Additionally, the Awardee must adopt, implement, and maintain policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure the Awardee's compliance with applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws. Annually, the Awardee shall certify the existence and administration of such policies and procedures and make them available for review upon request by the CDFI Fund; and

(iv). meeting all reporting requirements as described below.

C. Reporting. The CDFI Fund will require each Recipient that receives a BEA Program Award through this NOFA to account for and report to the CDFI Fund on the use of the BEA Program Award. This will require Recipients to establish administrative controls subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements and other applicable OMB guidance. Following payment, the CDFI Fund will collect information from each Recipient on its use of the BEA Program Award annually, and more often if deemed appropriate by the CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion. The CDFI Fund will provide guidance to Recipients outlining the format and content of the information required to describe how the funds were used. The CDFI Fund may collect information from each Recipient including, but not limited to, an annual report with the components listed in Table 12:

Each Recipient is responsible for the timely and complete submission of the Annual Reporting Requirements. The CDFI Fund reserves the right to contact the Recipient and additional entities or signatories to the Award Agreement to request additional information and/or documentation. The CDFI Fund will use such information to monitor each Recipient's compliance with the requirements of the Award Agreement and to assess the impact of the BEA Program. The CDFI Fund reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify these reporting requirements, including increasing the scope and frequency of reporting, if it determines it to be appropriate and necessary. The CDFI Fund will notify Recipients before modifying any reporting requirements.

D. Financial Management and Accounting: The CDFI Fund will require Recipients to maintain financial management and accounting systems that comply with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal Award. These systems must be sufficient to permit the preparation of reports required by the CDFI Fund to ensure compliance with the requirements of the BEA Program, including the tracing of Award funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that such Award funds have been used in accordance with Federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the Federal Award. The cost principles used by Recipients must be consistent with Federal cost principles; must support the accumulation of costs as required by the principles; and must provide for adequate documentation to support costs charged to the BEA Program Award. In addition, the CDFI Fund will require Recipients to: maintain effective internal controls; comply with applicable statutes and regulations, the Award Agreement, and related guidance; evaluate and monitor compliance; take appropriate corrective action when not in compliance; and safeguard PII.

(i) The Award Recipient shall use BEA Program Award funds only for the Eligible Activities described in Section VI of this NOFA and the Authorized BEA Program Activities described in its Award Agreement. Eligible Activities for BEA Program Award Recipients are referred to as Qualified Activities in the Application and are defined in the Interim Rule to include CDFI Related Activities, Distressed Community Financing Activities, and Service Activities (12 CFR 1806.103 and 1806.300).

(ii) The Award Recipient may not distribute BEA Program Award funds to an Affiliate, Subsidiary, or any other entity, without the CDFI Fund's prior written approval.

(iii) BEA Program Award funds shall only be disbursed to the Award Recipient.

(iv) The CDFI Fund, in its sole discretion, may disburse BEA Program Award funds in amounts, or under terms and conditions, which are different from those requested by an Applicant.

IX. Other Information

A. Revisions to Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. Each Applicant that does not have an exception related to reporting subaward and executive compensation information under 2 CFR 170 must have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with reporting requirements should they receive an Award. ( printed page 39697)

B. Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity. Any person who is eligible to receive benefits or services from the CDFI Fund or Recipients under any of its programs is entitled to those benefits or services without being subject to prohibited discrimination. The Department of the Treasury's Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity enforces various Federal statutes and regulations that prohibit discrimination in financially assisted and conducted programs and in the activities of the CDFI Fund. If a person believes that s/he has been subjected to discrimination and/or reprisal s/he may file a complaint with: Director, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity, 1500 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20230 or crcomplaints@treasury.gov.

C. Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Prevention Notice. In accordance with Executive Order Establishing the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud (March 16, 2026), the CDFI Fund affirms that fraud, waste, and abuse is not tolerated across its programs. The CDFI Fund will work with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Presidential Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, the Department of Justice, and other applicable federal, state, and local stakeholders to identify and dismantle fraud, waste, and abuse.

All applicants, award recipients, and contractors are on notice that any misuse or fraudulent obtainment of federal funds will result in the maximum enforcement response available under the law, including award termination, repayment demands, suspension and debarment, and referral for civil and criminal prosecution under the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. 3730). Suspected fraud, waste, or abuse should be reported to the Treasury Office of Inspector General at 1-800-359-3898 or www.oig.treas.gov.

D. Whistleblower Protections. An employee of a recipient or subrecipient must not be discharged, demoted, or otherwise discriminated against as a reprisal for disclosing to a person or body described in paragraph (a)(2) of 41 U.S.C. 4712 information that the employee reasonably believes is evidence of gross mismanagement of a Federal contract or grant, a gross waste of Federal funds, an abuse of authority relating to a Federal contract or grant, a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or a violation of law, rule, or regulation related to a Federal contract (including the competition for or negotiation of a contract) or grant. The recipient and subrecipient must inform their employees in writing of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. 4712.

E. Statutory and National Policy Requirements. The CDFI Fund must manage and administer the Federal award in a manner so as to ensure that Federal funding is expended and associated programs are implemented in full accordance with the U.S. Constitution, Federal law, and public policy requirements.

F. Paperwork Reduction Act: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), an agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information, and an individual is not required to respond to a collection of information, unless it displays a valid OMB control number. If applicable, the CDFI Fund may inform Applicants that they do not need to provide certain Application information otherwise required. Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, the BEA Program Application has been assigned the following control number: 1559-0005.

G. Application Information Sessions: The CDFI Fund may conduct webinars or host information sessions for organizations that are considering applying to, or are interested in learning about, the CDFI Fund's programs. For further information, please visit the CDFI Fund's website at https://www.cdfifund.gov.

(Authority:12 U.S.C. 1834a, 4703, 4703 note, 4713; 12 CFR part 1806)