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Federal Register Notices
[Federal Register: July 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 137)]
[Notices]
[Page 40837-40839]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jy08-40]
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
2009 Market Access Program (MAP). The intended
effect of this notice is to solicit applications
from eligible applicants and award funds in
October 2008. 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, August 15, 2008.
Applications received after this date will not
be considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Entities
wishing to apply for funding assistance should
contact the Program Policy Staff, 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:
ppsadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is also
available on the Foreign Agricultural Service
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 the 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 and 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 costs of certain
overseas marketing and promotion activities. MAP
participants may receive assistance for
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 (SRTGs), 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 are
encouraged to submit their MAP applications to
FAS through the Unified Export Strategy (UES)
application Internet Web site. 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
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 are not required,
however, to use the UES format. Organizations
can submit applications in the UES format by two
methods. The first allows an applicant to submit
information directly to the FAS through the 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
compact disc.
Applicants planning to use the Internet-based system must
contact the FAS/Program Policy Staff on (202)
720-4327 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 a compact
disk can obtain an application format by
contacting the Program Policy 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
(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 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 Program Policy
Staff on (202) 720-4327.
3. Submission Dates and Times: All applications must be
received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, August
15, 2008. 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,
August 15, 2008. 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, August 15,
2008, at the following address:
Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.): U.S.
Department of Agriculture,
Foreign Agricultural Service, Program Policy
Staff, 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 proper Commodity Branch in FAS' Market
Development and Grants Management 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.
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)
The applicant's 4-year average share (2005-2009) 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 (2005-2009) of the
funding level for all MAP participants.
(b) Past Performance (30)
The 3-year average share (2005-2007) of the value of exports
promoted by the applicant compared to;
The applicant's 2-year average share (2007-2008) of the
funding level for all MAP applicants plus, for
those groups participating in the Cooperator
program and, the 2-year average share
(2007-2008) of Cooperator marketing plan
budgets.
(c) Projected Export Goals (15)
The total dollar value of projected exports promoted by the
applicant for 2009 compared to;
The applicant's requested funding level;
(d) Accuracy of Past Projections (15)
Actual exports for 2007 as reported in the 2009 MAP
application compared to;
Past projections of exports for 2007 as specified in the 2007
MAP application.
The Commodity Branches' recommended funding levels for each
applicant are converted to percentages of the
total MAP funds available 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 2008.
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/map.asp.
Hard copies may be obtained by contacting
Program Policy Staff 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 Policy Staff, Foreign Agricultural
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Portals Office Building, Suite 400, 1250
Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20024,
phone: (202) 720-4327, fax: (202) 720-9361,
e-mail:
ppsdmin@fas.usda.gov.
Signed at Washington, DC on the 2nd of July,
2008.
Michael W. Yost,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and
Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. E8-16370 Filed 7-15-08; 8:45 am]
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