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[Federal Register: January 13, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2382-2384]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the
Market Access Program
Announcement Type: New.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.601.
SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation
(CCC) announces that it is inviting proposals for the 2005/2006 Market Access
Program (MAP). The intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications
from eligible applicants and award funds in June 2005. The MAP is administered
by
personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
DATES: All applications must be received
by 5 p.m. eastern standard time, March 14, 2005. Applications received after
this date will not be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Entities wishing to apply for funding
assistance should contact the Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 4932-South, STOP 1042, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042, phone: (202) 720-4327, fax:
(202) 720-9361, e-mail:
mosadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is also available on the Foreign
Agricultural Service Web site at
http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/mapprog.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: The MAP is authorized under section 203 of
the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended. MAP regulations appear at 7 CFR
part 1485.
Purpose: The MAP is designed to create, expand and
maintain foreign markets for United States' agricultural commodities and
products through cost-share assistance. Financial assistance under the MAP will
be made available on a competitive basis and applications will be reviewed
against the evaluation criteria contained herein. All agricultural commodities,
except tobacco, are eligible for
consideration.
The FAS allocates funds in a manner that effectively supports
the strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 and the USDA's Food and Agricultural Policy (FAP). In
deciding whether a proposed project will contribute to the
effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets, the FAS seeks
to identify a clear, long-term agricultural trade strategy and a program
effectiveness time line against which results can be
measured at specific intervals using quantifiable product or country goals. The
FAS also considers the extent to which a proposed project targets markets with
the greatest growth potential. These factors are part of the FAS resource
allocation strategy to fund applicants who can demonstrate performance and
address the objectives of the GPRA and FAP.
II. Award Information
Under the MAP, the CCC enters into agreements with eligible
participants to share the costs of certain overseas marketing and promotion
activities. MAP participants may receive assistance for
either generic or brand promotion activities. The program generally operates on
a reimbursement basis.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants. To participate in the MAP, an
applicant must be: a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization, a nonprofit
state regional trade group (i.e., an association of State Departments of
Agriculture), a U.S. agricultural cooperative, or a State agency. A small-sized
U.S. commercial entity (other than a cooperative or producer association) may
participate through a MAP participant.
2. Cost Sharing. To participate in the MAP, an
applicant must agree to contribute resources to its proposed promotional
activities. The MAP is intended to supplement, not supplant, the efforts of the
U.S. private sector. In the case of generic promotion, the contribution
must be stated in dollars and be at least 10 percent of the value of resources
provided by CCC for such generic promotion. In the case of brand promotion, the
contribution must be stated in dollars and be at least 50 percent of the total
cost of such brand promotion.
The degree of commitment of an applicant to the promotional
strategies contained in its application, as represented by the agreed cost share
contributions specified therein, is considered by the FAS when determining which
applications will be approved for funding. Cost-share may be actual cash
invested or in-kind contributions, such as professional staff time spent on
design and execution of activities. The MAP regulations, in section 1485.13(c),
provide detailed discussion
of eligible and ineligible cost-share contributions.
3. Other. Applications should include a justification
for funding assistance from the program--an explanation as to what specifically
could not be accomplished without Federal funding assistance and why
participating organization(s) are unlikely to carry out the project without such
assistance.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package. Organizations
that are interested in applying for MAP funds are encouraged to submit their
requests using the UES format. The UES allows interested entities to submit a
consolidated and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates
requests for funding and recommendations for virtually all the FAS marketing
programs, financial assistance programs, and market access programs. The
suggested UES format encourages applicants to examine the constraints or
barriers to trade, which they face, identify activities, which would help
overcome such impediments, consider the entire pool of complementary marketing
tools
and program resources, and establish realistic export goals. Applicants are not
required, however, to use the UES format. Organizations can submit applications
in the UES format by two methods. The first allows an application to submit
information directly to the FAS through the Unified Export Strategy (UES)
application Internet Web site. The FAS highly recommends applying via the
Internet, as this format virtually eliminates paperwork and expedites the FAS
processing and review cycle. Applicants also have the option of submitting
electronic versions (along with two paper copies) of their applications to the
FAS on diskette.
Applicants planning to use the Internet-based system must
contact the FAS Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 732-4327 to obtain site
access information. The Internet-based application, including a Help file
containing step-by-step instructions for its use, may be found at the following
URL address:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html.
Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can
obtain an application format by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff on
(202) 720-4327.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission. To be
considered for the MAP, an applicant must submit to the FAS information required
by the MAP regulations in section 1485.13. In addition, in accordance with the
Office of Management and Budget's issuance of a final policy (68 FR 38402)
regarding the need to identify entities that are receiving government awards,
all applicants must submit a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number. An applicant may request a DUNS number at no cost by calling the
dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711. Incomplete
applications and applications which do not otherwise conform to this
announcement will not be accepted for review.
The FAS administers various other agricultural export
assistance programs including the Foreign Market Development Cooperator
(Cooperator) Program, Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging Markets Program, the
Quality Samples Program, the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program
and several Export Credit Guarantee programs. Any organization that is not
interested in applying for the MAP but would like to request assistance through
one of the other programs
mentioned should contact the Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 720-4327.
3. Submission Dates and Times. All applications must
be received by 5 p.m. eastern standard time, March 14, 2005. All MAP applicants,
regardless of the method of submitting an application, also must submit by the
application deadline, via hand delivery or U.S. mail, an original signed
certification statement as specified in 7 CFR 1485.13(a)(2)9i)(G). Applications
or certifications received after this date will not be considered.
4. Funding Restrictions. Certain types of expenses are
not eligible for reimbursement by the program, and there are limits on other
categories of expenses. CCC will not reimburse unreasonable
expenditures or expenditures made prior to approval. Full details are available
in the MAP regulations in section 1485.16.
5. Other Submission Requirements and Considerations.
All Internet-based applications must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. eastern
standard time, March 14, 2005. Signed certification statements also must be
received by that time at one of the addresses listed below.
All applications on diskette (with two accompanying paper
copies and a signed certification statement) and any other form of application
must be received by 5 p.m. eastern standard time, March 14, 2005, at one of the
following addresses:
Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.): U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations
Staff, Room 4932-S, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20250-1042.
U.S. Postal Delivery: U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria and Review Process. Following is a
description of the FAS process for reviewing applications and the criteria for
allocating available MAP funds.
(1) Phase 1--Sufficiency Review and FAS Divisional Review
Applications received by the closing date will be reviewed by
the FAS to determine the eligibility of the applicants and the completeness of
the applications. These requirements appear at sections 1485.12 and 1485.13 of
the MAP regulations. Applications that meet the requirements then will be
further evaluated by the proper FAS Commodity Division. The Divisions will
review each application against the criteria listed in section 1485.14 of the
MAP regulations. The purpose of this review
is to identify meritorious proposals and to recommend an appropriate funding
level for each application based upon these criteria.
(2) Phase 2--Competitive Review
Meritorious applications then will be passed on to the Office
of the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs, for the purpose
of allocating available funds among the applicants. Applications will compete
for funds on the basis of the following allocation criteria (the number in
parentheses represents a percentage weight factor):
(a) Applicant's Contribution Level (40)
(b) Past Performance (30)
(c) Projected Export Goals (15)
(d) Accuracy of Past Projections (15)
The Commodity Divisions' recommended funding levels for each
applicant are converted to percentages of the total MAP funds available then
multiplied by the total weight factor as described above to determine the amount
of funds allocated to each applicant.
2. Anticipated Announcement Date. Announcements of funding
decisions for the MAP are anticipated during June 2005.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices. The FAS will notify each applicant
in writing of the final disposition of its application. The FAS will send an
approval letter and project agreement to each approved applicant. The approval
letter and agreement will specify the terms and conditions applicable to the
project, including the levels of MAP funding and cost-share contribution
requirements.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements.
Interested parties should review the MAP regulations which are available at the
following URL address:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/mapprog.html.
Hard copies may be obtained by contacting MOS at (202) 720-4327.
3. Reporting. The FAS requires various reports and
evaluations from MAP participants. Reporting requirements are detailed in the
MAP regulations in section 1485.20(b) and (c).
VII. Agency Contact(s)
For additional information and assistance, contact the
Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Room 4932 South, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., SW.,
Washington, DC 20250-1042, phone: (202) 720-4327, fax: (202) 720-9361, e-mail:
mosadmin@fas.usda.gov.
Signed at Washington, DC on January 4, 2005.
A. Ellen Terpstra,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
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