[Federal Register: December 28, 2000 (Volume 65,
Number 250)]
[Notices]
[Page 82314-82315]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28de00-48]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Announcement of the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program for Fiscal Year 2002
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application period for the Fiscal Year 2002 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program.
DATES: All applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 12, 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250, (202) 720-4327.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Commodity Credit
Corporation (CCC) announces that applications are being accepted for
participation in the Fiscal Year 2002 Cooperator program. The program is
designed to create, expand, and maintain foreign markets for United States
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. The Cooperator program is administered by personnel of the
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Under the Cooperator program, CCC enters into agreements with
nonprofit U.S. trade organizations that have the broadest possible producer
representation of the commodity being promoted and gives priority to those
organizations that are nationwide in membership and scope. Cooperators may only
receive assistance for the promotion of generic activities that do not involve
promotions targeted directly at consumers. The program generally operates on a
reimbursement basis.
Authority
The Cooperator program is authorized by Section 5(f) of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, 15 U.S.C. 714c(f). Cooperator program regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1484.
Eligible Applicants
To participate in the Cooperator program, an applicant must be a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization.
Application Process
To be considered for the
Cooperator program, an applicant must submit to FAS information required by the
Cooperator program regulations set forth in 7 CFR part 1484. Incomplete
applications and applications that do not otherwise conform to this announcement
will not be accepted for review.
We also point out that FAS administers various other
agricultural export assistance programs, including the Market Access Program
(MAP), Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging Markets Program, the Quality Samples
Program, Section 108 foreign currency program, and several Export Credit
Guarantee programs. Organizations which are interested in applying for
Cooperator program funds are encouraged to submit their requests using the
Unified Export Strategy (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 FAS
marketing programs, financial assistance programs, and market access programs.
The suggested UES format encourages applicants to examine the constraints or
barriers to trade 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 applicant to submit information directly to FAS
through the UES application Internet site. 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 FAS
on diskette.
Applicants planning to sue the Internet-based system must
contact the Marketing Operations Staff of FAS at (202) 720-4327 to obtain site
access information. The Internet-based application, including step-by-step
instructions for its use, is located at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html
.
Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can
download the UES handbook, including the suggested application format and
instructions, from the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda/gov/mos/ues/unified.html
. A UES handbook may also be obtained by contacting the Marketing Operations
Staff at (202) 720-4327.
All Cooperator program applicants, whether applying via the
Internet or diskette, must also submit by March 12, 2001, via hand delivery or
U.S. mail, an original signed certification statement as specified in 7 CFR
section 1484.20(a)(14). The UES handbook contains an acceptable certification
format.
Any organization which 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 Marketing Operations Staff at (202)
720-4327.
Review Process and Allocation Criteria
FAS allocates funds in a
manner that effectively supports the strategic decision-making initiatives of
the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. In deciding whether a
proposed project will contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or
maintenance of foreign markets, 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. These performance indicators are part of FAS' resource allocation
strategy to fund applicants which can demonstrate performance based on a
long-term strategic plan and address the performance measurement objectives of
the GPRA.
Following is a description of the FAS process for reviewing
applications and the criteria for allocating available Cooperator program funds.
(1) Phase 1--Sufficiency Committee and FAS Divisional Review
Application received by the
closing date will be reviewed by FAS to determine the eligibility of the
applicants and the completeness of the applications. These requirements appear
at Sec. 1484.14 and Sec. 1484.20 of the Cooperator program regulations.
Applications which meet the application requirements will then be further
evaluated by the applicable FAS Commodity Division. The Divisions will review
each application against the criteria listed in Sec. 1484.21 and Sec. 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 will then 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 which pass the Divisional Review 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)
(b) Past Export Performance (20)
(c) Past Demand Expansion Performance (20)
(d) Future Demand expansion Goals (10)
(e) Accuracy of Past Demand expansion Projections (10)
The Commodity Divisions' recommended funding level for each applicant is converted to a percentage of the total Cooperator program funds available and multiplied by the total weight factor to determine the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.
Closing Date for Applications
All Internet-based
applications must be properly submitted by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time,
March 12, 2001. 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 applications must be
received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 12, 2001, 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, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.
U.S. Postal Delivery: Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042,
1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.
Timothy J. Galvin,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.