[Federal Register: January 23, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 15)]
[Notices]
[Page 3313-3315]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23ja04-22]
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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 $2 million in funding for the 2004 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 2004 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
[[Page 3314]]
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:
[sbull] Projects should address a sanitary, phytosanitary, or
related technical barrier that prohibits or threatens the export of
U.S. specialty crops;
[sbull] Projects should demonstrably benefit the represented
industry and not a specific company or brand; and,
[sbull] Projects must address barriers to U.S. specialty crops the
are currently available on a commercial basis and for which barrier
removal would predominately benefit U.S. exports.
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 compete 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 at 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, good, or in-kind services which are dedicated 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 website. 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 section 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 quarterly basis. That is:
[sbull] Proposals received prior to, but not later than 5 p.m.
(local time Washington, DC) February 1, 2004, will only be considered
for funding during the three month period beginning on that date;
[sbull] Proposals received prior to, but not later than 5 p.m.
(local time Washington, DC) May 1, 2004, will only be considered for
funding during the three month period beginning on that date;
[sbull] proposals received prior to, but not later than 5 p.m.
(local time Washington, DC) August 1, 2004, will only be considered for
funding during the three month period beginning on that date.
[sbull] Proposals not approved for funding during the applicable
review period will only be considered for funding during a subsequent
period, or after August 1, 2004, when the applicant specifically
requests such consideration in writing. Proposals received after 5 p.m.
August 1, 2004, or rejected proposals for which the applicant requests
consideration after that date, will be considered if funding remains
available at that time.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a proposal may be 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 a 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
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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
costs of market research, advertising, or other promotional expenses.
CCC will not reimburse expenditures made prior to approval of a
proposal or unreasonable expenditures.
5. Other Submission Requirements: All Internet-based applications
must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. (local time in Washington, DC) on
February 1, 2004; May 1, 2004; or August 1, 2004, in order to be
considered during that quarter's review process.
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, 2004; May 1, 2004; or August 1, 2004, 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, 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 upoon 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 all applicants 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 1478 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.
A. Ellen Terpstra,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 04-1452 Filed 1-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M