Federal Register Notices
[Federal Register: April 29, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 81)]
[Notices]
[Page 19501-19503]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29ap09-35]
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
2010 Market Access Program (MAP). The intended
effect of this notice is to solicit applications
from eligible applicants and award funds in
October 2009. The MAP is administered by
personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
DATES: All applications must be received by 5
p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, May 29, 2009.
Applications received after this date will not
be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Entities
wishing to apply for funding assistance should
contact the Program Operations Division, Office
of Trade Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service,
Portals Office Building, Suite 400, 1250
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20024,
phone:
(202) 720-4327, fax: (202) 720-9361, e-mail:
podadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is also
available on the FAS Web site at
http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/map.asp.
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 U.S. 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
and in the MAP regulations. All U.S.
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 cost of certain
overseas marketing and promotion activities. MAP
participants may receive assistance for
generic or brand promotion activities. For
generic activities, funding priority is given to
organizations that have the broadest possible
producer representation of the commodity being
promoted and that are nationwide in membership
and scope. Only small companies, U.S.
agricultural trade organizations, nonprofit
state regional trade groups, nonprofit U.S.
agricultural cooperatives, and state agencies
can participate in the brand program. 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 (SRTGs), a nonprofit U.S.
agricultural cooperative, or a State agency. A
small-sized U.S. commercial entity 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 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 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 are
encouraged to submit their MAP applications to
FAS through the Unified Export Strategy (UES)
application Internet Web site. The UES allows
interested applicants to submit a single
consolidated and strategically coordinated
proposal that incorporates requests for funding
and recommendations for virtually all of 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
that they face, identify activities that would
help overcome such impediments, consider the
entire pool of complementary marketing tools and
program resources, and establish realistic
export goals.
Applicants planning to use the Internet-based system must
contact the FAS/Program Operations Division at
(202) 720-4327 to obtain Web site access
information. The Internet-based application,
including a help file that contains step-by-step
instructions, may be found at the following URL
address:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html.
The FAS highly recommends applying via the Internet-based
application as this format virtually eliminates
paperwork and expedites the FAS processing and
review cycle. However, applicants also have the
option of submitting an electronic version of
their application to FAS on compact disc along
with two paper copies. Organizations that choose
to submit applications on compact disc can
obtain the application format by contacting the
Program Operations Division at (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 policy (68 FR 38402 (June 27,
2003)) 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 that 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, the
Emerging Markets Program, the Quality Samples
Program, and the Technical Assistance for
Specialty Crops program. 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 Program Operations
Division at (202) 720-4327.
3. Submission Dates and Times: All applications must be
received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, May
29, 2009. All MAP applicants, regardless of the
method of submitting an application, must also
submit by the application deadline, an original
signed certification statement as specified in 7
CFR 1485.13(a)(2)(i)(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 also 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 Daylight Time, May
29, 2009. Signed certification statements also
must be received by that time at the address
listed below.
All applications on compact disc (with two accompanying paper
copies and a signed certification statement) and
any other form of application must be received
by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, May 29, 2009,
at the following address:
Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.): U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural
Service, Office of Trade Programs, Program
Operations Division, Portals Office Building,
Suite 400, 1250 Maryland Ave., SW., Washington,
DC 20024.
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 appropriate Commodity Branch in FAS'
Cooperator Programs Division. The Commodity
Branch 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, Office of Trade
Programs, for the purpose of allocating
available funds among the applicants. Applicants
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)
The applicant's 4-year average share (2007-2010) of all
contributions (cash and goods and services
provided by U.S. entities in support of overseas
marketing and promotion activities) compared to;
The applicant's 4-year average share (2007-2010) of the
funding level for all MAP participants.
(b) Past Performance (30)
The 3-year average share (2006-2008) of the value of exports
promoted by the applicant compared to;
The applicant's 2-year average share (2008-2009) of the
funding level for all MAP applicants plus, for
those groups participating in the Cooperator
program, the 2-year average share
(2008-2009) of Cooperator marketing plan
budgets.
(c) Projected Export Goals (15)
The total dollar value of projected exports promoted by the
applicant for 2010 compared to;
The applicant's requested funding level;
(d) Accuracy of Past Projections (15)
Actual exports for 2008 as reported in the 2010 MAP
application compared to;
Past projections of exports for 2008 as specified in the 2008
MAP application.
The Commodity Branches' recommended funding levels for each
applicant are converted to percentages of the
total MAP funds available and then multiplied by
each 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
October 2009.
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 project
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/map.asp.
Hard copies may be obtained by contacting the
Program Operations Division 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
Program Operations Division, Office of Trade
Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Mailing Address:
AgBox 1020, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250-1020. Courier Address:
Portals Office Building, Suite 400, 1250
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20024.
Phone: (202) 720-4327, fax: (202) 720-9361,
e-mail:
podadmin@fas.usda.gov.
Signed at Washington, DC, on the 17th of April 2009.
Patricia R. Sheikh,
Acting, Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Vice
President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. E9-9733 Filed 4-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-P
