261—113.6 (15) Application and review process.
	 113.6(1) To apply for a grant, a community microenterprise development organization shall submit an application for financial assistance, in the form specified by the department, to the Iowa Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Commercialization Division, 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Required forms and instructions are available at this address or on the department’s Web site at www.iowalifechanging.com.
	 113.6(2) The application for financial assistance will be reviewed by department staff. Department staff will make a recommendation to the board regarding an application. The board has final decision-making authority regarding applications for financial assistance. The board may approve, defer or deny an application.
	 113.6(3) An application for financial assistance shall contain all information required by the department, including but not limited to the following:
	  a.   	 Geographic service area. A description clearly defining the geographic area the community microenterprise development organization serves. For rural organizations, the description shall include the service area’s economic growth rate in relation to the average growth rate of the state. For organizations located in urban neighborhoods of the state, the description shall include the poverty rate and the unemployment rate of the service area.
	  b.   	 Ability to provide services. To help the department determine the ability of a community microenterprise development organization to provide services to low-income, moderate-income and underserved communities, all of the following shall be described in the application for financial assistance:
	 (1) 	 The ability to identify potential microentrepreneurs within a community.
	 (2) 	 The capacity to perform client assessment and screening.
	 (3) 	 The ability to provide business training and technical assistance.
	 (4) 	 The capacity to provide assistance in securing financing.
	  c.   	 Scope of services. A description of the scope of services offered and methods used to ensure the efficient delivery of such services, especially to low-income, moderate-income, and minority individuals.
	  d.   	 Ability to monitor progress. A description of the organization’s ability to monitor the progress of clients and to identify those clients in need of additional technical and financial assistance.
	  e.   	 Ability to coordinate resources. A description of the organization’s ability to build relationships and coordinate resources with other entities supporting microentrepreneurs. These entities may include but are not limited to community colleges, cooperative extension services, small business development centers, business accelerators, targeted small business advocate services, chambers of commerce, community economic development organizations, workforce centers, and community nonprofit service providers that serve low-income and moderate-income individuals.
	  f.   	 Reporting. A plan to report project outcomes, including: results from client assessments and screening; strategies developed to respond to results; new training and technical assistance capacity developed; the amount of financing secured by targeted populations; the amount of funding secured through for-profit entities; and the benefits to the geographic service area.
	  g.   	 Financial resources. A statement providing information on the amount and sufficiency of operating funds available.
[ARC 7764B, IAB 5/6/09, effective 4/17/09]