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[Federal Register: January 13, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 9)]
[Notices]
[Page 2386-2388]
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
Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program
Announcement Type: New.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.604.
SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation
(CCC) announces the availability of funding for the 2005 Technical Assistance
for Specialty Crops (TASC) Program. The intended effect of this notice is to
solicit applications from the private sector and from government agencies for
participation in the FY 2005 TASC Program. The TASC Program is administered by
personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
DATES: See paragraph IV.3 below for a detailed description of relevant
dates.
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-S, Stop 1042, 1400
Independence Ave., 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/tasc/tasc.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: The TASC Program is authorized by section
3205 of Pub. L. 107-171.
TASC regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1487.
Purpose: The TASC Program is designed to assist U.S.
organizations by providing funding for projects that address sanitary,
phytosanitary, and technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of
U.S. specialty crops. U.S. specialty crops, for the purpose of the TASC Program,
are defined to include all cultivated plants, or the products thereof, produced
in the U.S., except wheat, feed grains, oilseeds cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar,
and tobacco.
As a general matter, TASC Program projects should be designed
to accomplish the following goals:
Examples of expenses that the CCC may agree to reimburse
under the TASC Program include, but are not limited to: initial pre-clearance
programs, export protocol and work plan support, seminars and workshops, study
tours, field surveys, development of pest lists, pest and disease research,
database development, reasonable logistical and administrative support, and
travel and per diem expenses.
II. Award Information
In general, all qualified proposals received before the
specified application deadlines will complete for funding. The limited funds and
the range of barriers affecting the exports of U.S. specialty crops
worldwide preclude CCC from approving large budgets for individual projects. In
prior years, the amount of funding per proposal has ranged from $13,000 to
$250,000, the maximum allowed.
Applicants may submit multiple proposals, and applicants with
previously approved TASC proposals may apply for additional funding. However, no
TASC participant may have more than three approved projects underway at any
given time.
The FAS will consider providing either grant funds as direct
assistance to U.S. organizations or providing technical assistance on behalf of
U.S. organizations, provided that the organization submits
timely and qualified proposals. The FAS will review all proposals against the
evaluation criteria contained in the program regulations.
Funding for successful proposals will be provided through
specific agreements. These agreements will incorporate the proposal as approved
by FAS. FAS must approve in advance any subsequent changes to the project. The
FAS or another Federal agency may have involvement in the implementation of
approved projects.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Any United States
organization, private or government, may apply to the program. Government
organizations consist of federal, state, and local agencies. Private
organizations include non-profit trade associations, universities, agricultural
cooperatives, state regional trade groups, and private companies.
Foreign organizations, whether government or private, may
participate as third parties in activities carried out by U.S. organizations,
but are not eligible for funding assistance from the program.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Although a minimum level
of cost share contribution is not required, it is very strongly encouraged in
this highly competitive program. If provided, such support may be in the form of
cash, goods, or in-kind services which are dedicate to the project by the
organization that submitted the proposal, private industry entities, host
governments, or foreign third parties.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package:
Organizations can submit applications to the FAS through the Unified Export
Strategy (UES) application Internet Web site. Applicants also have the option of
submitting electronic versions in the UES format (along with two paper copies)
of their applications to the FAS on diskette.
Applicants planning to use the UES Internet-based system must
contact the FAS Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 720-4327 to obtain site
access information including a user ID and password. The UES 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 are not required to use
the UES, but are strongly encouraged to do so because it reduces paperwork and
expedites the FAS processing and review cycle.
Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can
obtain an application format by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff,
phone: (202) 720-4327, fax: (202) 720-9361, e-mail:
mosadmin@fas.usda.gov.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: All
TASC proposals must contain complete information about the proposed projects as
described in Sec. 1487.5(b) of the TASC Program regulations. In addition,
in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget's issuance of a final
policy (68 FR 38402) regarding the use of a universal identifier for all Federal
grants and cooperative agreements, 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 on 1-866-705-5711. Incomplete applications and applications which
do not otherwise conform to this announcement will not be accepted for review.
3. Submission Dates and Times: TASC funding is
limited, and in order to assure sufficient resources are available to meet
unanticipated needs during the fiscal year, TASC proposals will,
generally, only be evaluated on a semi-annual basis. That is:
Nothwithstanding the foregoing, a proposal maybe submitted
for expedited consideration under the TASC Quick Response process, if, in
addition to meeting all requirements of the TASC program, a proposal clearly
identifies time-sensitive activity. In these cases, a proposal may be submitted
at any time for an immediate evaluation.
All proposals will be date stamped upon receipt.
4. Funding Restrictions: Proposals which request more
than $250,000 of CCC funding in a given year will not be considered. Proposals
to fund projects that exceed three years in duration will not be considered. No
TASC participant may have more than three approved projects underway at any
given time. Although funded projects may take place in the United States, all
eligible projects must specifically address sanitary, phytosanitary, or
technical barriers to the export of U.S. specialty crops.
Certain types of expenses are not eligible for reimbursement
by the program. For example, program funds shall not be used to reimburse the
cost of market research, advertising, or other promotional expenses. CCC will
not reimburse unreasonable expenditures or any expenditures
made prior to approval of a proposal.
5. Other Submission Requirements: All Internet-based
applications must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. (local time in Washington, DC)
on February 1, 2005, or July 1, 2005, in order to be considered during the
applicable review period.
All applications on diskette (with two accompanying paper
copies) and any other applications must be received by 5 p.m. (local time in
Washington, DC) on February 1, 2005, or July 1, 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 4942-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 Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria: The FAS follows the evaluation criteria
set forth in Sec. 1487.6 of the TASC regulations.
2. Review and Selection Process: The FAS will review
proposals for eligibility and will evaluate each proposal against the factors
described above. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious
proposals, recommend an appropriate funding level for each proposal based upon
these factors, and submit the proposals and funding recommendations to the
Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs. The FAS may, when
appropriate to the subject matter of the
proposal, request the assistance of other U.S. government experts in evaluating
the merits of a proposal.
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 agreement to each approved applicant. The approval letter
and agreement will specify the terms and conditions applicable to the project,
including levels of funding, timelines for implementation, and written
evaluation requirements.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
The agreements will incorporate the details of each project as approved by FAS.
Each agreement will identify terms and conditions pursuant to which CCC will
reimburse certain costs of each project. Agreements will also outline
the responsibilities of the participant. Interested parties should review the
TASC Program regulations found at 7 CFR part 1487 in addition to this
announcement.
3. Reporting: TASC participants are subject to the
reporting and recordkeeping requirements described in 7 CFR part 3019. In
addition, participants are required to submit a written report(s), on no less
than an annual basis, and a final report, each of which evaluates their TASC
project using the performance measures presented in the approved proposal.
VII. Agency Contact
For additional information or assistance, contact the
Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Room 4932-S, 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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