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Federal Register Notices
[Federal Register: July 16, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 137)]
[Notices]
[Page 40835-40837]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16jy08-39]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting
Applications for the Foreign Market Development
Cooperator Program
Announcement Type: New.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.600.
SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)
announces that it is inviting proposals for the
2009 Foreign Market Development Cooperator
(Cooperator) program. The intended effect of
this notice is to solicit applications from
eligible applicants and award funds in October
2008.
The Cooperator program 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/fmdprogram.asp.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: The Cooperator program is authorized by title VII
of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as
amended. Cooperator program regulations appear
at 7 CFR part 1484.
Purpose: The Cooperator program is designed to create,
expand, and maintain foreign markets for U.S.
agricultural commodities and products through
cost-share assistance. Financial assistance
under the Cooperator program 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
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 Cooperator program, the FAS enters into agreements
with nonprofit U.S. trade organizations which
have the broadest possible producer
representation of the commodity being promoted
and gives priority to those organizations which
are nationwide in membership and
scope. Cooperators may receive assistance only
for the promotion of generic activities that do
not involve promotions targeted directly to
consumers. The program generally operates on a
reimbursement basis.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: To participate in the Cooperator
program, an applicant must be a nonprofit U.S.
agricultural trade organization.
2. Cost Sharing: To participate in the Cooperator program, an
applicant must agree to contribute resources to
its proposed promotional activities. The
Cooperator program is intended to
supplement, not supplant, the efforts of the
U.S. private sector. The contribution must be
stated in dollars and be at least 50 percent of
the value of resources provided by CCC for
activities conducted under the project
agreement.
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 Cooperator
program regulations, in sections 1484.50 and
1484.51,
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 FMD applications to
FAS through the 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 website. 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 compact disc
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 Cooperator program, an
applicant must submit to the FAS information
required by the Cooperator program regulations
in section 1484.20. 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 Market Access
Program (MAP), Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging
Markets Program, the Quality Samples Program,
Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops
program, and several Export Credit Guarantee
programs. Any organization that is not
interested in applying for the Cooperator
program 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 Cooperator program applicants,
regardless of the method of submitting an
application, also must submit by the application
deadline, an original signed certification
statement as specified in 7 CFR 1484.20(a)(14).
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 Cooperator program regulations in sections
1484.54 and 1484.55.
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 Standard 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 Cooperator
program 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 1484.14 and 1484.20 of the Cooperator
program 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 sections 1484.21
and 1484.22 of the Cooperator program
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) Contribution Level (40)
The applicant's 6-year average share (2004-2009) of all
contributions (contributions may include cash
and goods and services provided by U.S. entities
in support of foreign market development
activities) compared to;
The applicant's 6-year average share (2004-2009) of all
Cooperator marketing plan expenditures.
(b) Past Export Performance (20)
The 6-year average share (2003-2008) of the value of exports
promoted by the applicant compared to;
The applicant's 6-year average share (2003-2008) of all
Cooperator marketing plan expenditures plus a
6-year average share (2002-2008) of MAP
expenditures and a 6-year average share
(2002-2007) of foreign overhead provided for
co-location within a U.S. agricultural trade
office.
(c) Past Demand Expansion Performance (20)
The 6-year average share (2003-2008) of the total value of
world trade of the commodities promoted by the
applicant compared to;
The applicant's 6-year average share (2003-2008) of all
Cooperator marketing plan expenditures plus a
6-year average share (2002-2008) of MAP
expenditures and a 6-year average share
(2002-2007) of foreign overhead provided for
co-location within a U.S. agricultural trade
office.
(d) Future Demand Expansion Goals (10)
The projected total dollar value of world trade of the
commodities being promoted by the applicant for
the year 2014 compared to;
The applicant's requested funding level.
(e) Accuracy of Past Demand Expansion
Projections (10)
The actual dollar value share of world trade of the
commodities being promoted by the applicant for
the year 2007 compared to;
The applicant's past projected share of world trade of the
commodities being promoted by the applicant for
the year 2007, as specified in the 2004
Cooperator program application.
The Commodity Branches' recommended funding levels for each
applicant are converted to percentages of the
total Cooperator program funds available then
multiplied by each weight factor to determine
the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.
2. Anticipated Announcement Date: Announcements of funding
decisions for the Cooperator program 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
Cooperator program funding, and cost-share
contribution requirements.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
Interested parties should review the Cooperator
program regulations which are available at the
following URL address:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/fmdprogram.asp.
Hard copies may be obtained by contacting
Program Policy Staff at (202) 720-2379.
3. Reporting: The FAS requires various reports and
evaluations from Cooperators. Reporting
requirements are detailed in the Cooperator
program regulations in sections 1484.53,
1484.70, and 1484.72.
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:
ppsadmin@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. E8-16367 Filed 7-15-08; 8:45 am]
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