[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 33 (Friday, February 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7856-7860]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3658]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
[Docket No.: 090212174-9175-01]
Solicitation of Applications for the FY 2009 University Center
Economic Development Program Competition in EDA's Atlanta and Seattle
Regional Offices
AGENCY: Economic Development Administration (EDA), Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice and request for applications.
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SUMMARY: EDA is soliciting competitive applications from accredited
institutions of higher education and from consortia of accredited
institutions of higher education for FY 2009 University Center Economic
Development Program funding in the geographic areas served by its
Atlanta and Seattle regional offices. EDA's mission is to lead the
federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and
competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in
the worldwide economy. Institutions of higher education have many
assets and are able to establish and operate University Centers in
partnership with EDA. These EDA-sponsored University Centers conduct
research; provide technical assistance to tribal entities, local
governments, and public and private sector organizations; and undertake
other activities with the goal of enhancing regional economic
development by promoting a favorable business environment to attract
private capital investment and higher-skill, higher-wage jobs.
DATES: The closing date and time for receipt of applications for
funding under the FY 2009 University Center Economic Development
Program competition is April 21, 2009 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time for
applicants in the Atlanta regional office's service area and 5 p.m.
Pacific Time for applicants in the
[[Page 7857]]
Seattle regional office's service area. The Atlanta regional office
will hold an informational teleconference for prospective applicants on
March 4, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The Seattle regional office
will hold its informational teleconference call on March 5, 2009 at 10
a.m. Pacific Time. For instructions regarding these teleconferences,
please see the information provided below under ``Informational
Teleconferences.''
Application Submission Requirements: Applicants are advised to read
carefully the instructions contained in section IV of the complete
Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement for this request for
applications. To access the FFO announcement, please see the Web sites
listed below under ``Electronic Access.''
Applications may be submitted in two formats: (a) Electronically in
accordance with the procedures provided on http://www.grants.gov; or
(b) in paper format to the addresses provided below. EDA will not
accept facsimile transmissions of applications. The content of the
application is the same for paper submissions as it is for electronic
submissions. A complete application must contain all the items listed
in the Checklist of Application Materials, which is attached as an
Exhibit to the FFO announcement.
You may obtain a paper application package by contacting the
designated point of contact listed below under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT for the EDA regional office servicing your geographic area.
Applicants applying electronically through http://www.grants.gov may
access the application package by following the instructions provided
on http://www.grants.gov.
Paper Submissions: Applicants in Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee
should submit paper submissions (via postal mail, overnight delivery,
or hand-delivery) to:
FY 2009 University Center Program Competition, Economic Development
Administration, Atlanta Regional Office, 401 West Peachtree Street,
NW., Suite 1820, Atlanta, GA 30308-3510.
Applicants in Alaska, Arizona, American Samoa, California, Guam,
Hawaii, Idaho, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Republic of
Palau, or Washington should submit paper submissions (via postal mail,
overnight delivery, or hand-delivery) to:
FY 2009 University Center Program Competition, Economic Development
Administration, Seattle Regional Office, Jackson Federal Building, Room
1890, 915 Second Avenue, Seattle, WA 98174-1001.
Department of Commerce mail security measures may delay receipt of
United States Postal Service mail for up to two weeks. Therefore,
applicants who submit paper submissions are advised to use a guaranteed
overnight delivery service.
Electronic Submissions: Applicants may submit applications
electronically in accordance with the instructions provided at http://www.grants.gov. EDA strongly encourages that applicants not wait until
the application closing date to begin the application process through
http://www.grants.gov. The preferred file format for electronic
attachments (e.g., the Project Narrative and attachments to Form ED-
900) is portable document format (PDF); however, EDA will accept
electronic files in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or Excel formats.
Applicants should access the following link for assistance in
navigating http://www.grants.gov and for a list of useful resources:
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant_help.jsp . If you do not
find an answer to your question under Frequently Asked Questions, try
consulting the Applicant's User Guide. If you still cannot find an
answer to your question, contact http://www.grants.gov via e-mail at
[email protected] or telephone at 1-800-518-4726. The hours of
operation for http://www.grants.gov are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Eastern Time (except for Federal holidays).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or for a
paper copy of the application package, the designated contact person in
the Atlanta regional office is Lee Mertins. Mr. Mertins may be reached
at [email protected] or at 404-730-3015. The designated contact
person in the Seattle regional office is Bettye Atkinson. Ms. Atkinson
may be reached at [email protected] or at 206-220-7665. EDA's
Internet Web site at http://www.eda.gov also has additional information
on EDA and its programs, including the University Center Economic
Development Program.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Program Information: EDA's mission is to lead the federal economic
development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness,
preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide
economy. EDA fulfills its mission by helping our partners across the
nation create wealth and minimize poverty by promoting a favorable
business environment to attract private capital investment and higher-
skill, higher-wage jobs through capacity-building, planning,
infrastructure, research grants and strategic initiatives. Institutions
of higher education have many assets that can help address regional
economic problems and opportunities, such as faculty, staff, students,
libraries, laboratories, facilities, and computer systems. With funding
from EDA, institutions of higher education and consortia of
institutions of higher education establish and operate University
Centers. These EDA-sponsored University Centers conduct applied
research, provide technical assistance to public and private sector
organizations, and conduct other activities with the goal of enhancing
regional economic development. EDA began administering the University
Center Economic Development Program as a competitive multi-year program
in FY 2004. Under this multi-year program designation, EDA holds
University Center Economic Development Program competitions annually
for two of its six regional offices each fiscal year. For example, in
FY 2004 and 2007, EDA solicited proposals for the Austin and Denver
regional offices, and in FY 2005 and 2008, EDA solicited proposals for
the Philadelphia and Chicago regional offices. In FY 2006, EDA
solicited proposals for the Atlanta and Seattle regional offices.
Pursuant to its annual schedule, for FY 2009, EDA announces that it
will hold its competition for proposals for the Atlanta and Seattle
regional offices.
Electronic Access: The complete FFO announcement for the FY 2009
University Center Economic Development Program competition is available
at http://www.grants.gov and at http://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/FFON.xml.
Funding Availability: EDA is operating with appropriations made
available under the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, Public Law No. 110-329 (September
30, 2008). This Act makes available appropriations for the economic
development assistance programs authorized by PWEDA and for the Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Firms program authorized under the Trade Act
of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2341-2355, 2391) in an amount based on
FY 2008 funding levels that are pro-rated through March 6, 2009.
[[Page 7858]]
The funding periods and funding amounts referenced in this notice
are subject to the availability of FY 2009 funds at the time of award,
as well as to the Department of Commerce's and EDA's priorities at the
time of award. The Department of Commerce and EDA will not be held
responsible for application preparation costs if the University Center
Economic Development Program fails to receive funding or is cancelled
because of agency priorities. Publication of this notice does not
obligate the Department of Commerce or EDA to award any specific grant
or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or part of available funds.
If EDA final appropriations for FY 2009 are similar to those
received in FY 2008, EDA expects to allocate approximately $7,202,620
to the University Center Economic Development Program. The amount of
University Center funding available for competition in FY 2009 is
expected to be approximately $1,285,920 for the Atlanta regional office
and approximately $1,127,847 for the Seattle regional office. Annual
awards for the University Centers selected in past years generally have
been in the range of $80,000 to $200,000, although regional offices may
choose to fund awards under this competition outside of these ranges.
The remaining FY 2009 University Center Economic Development Program
funds will be used to continue support for current University Centers
selected during the FY 2007 and 2008 competitions in EDA's other four
regional offices. Subject to the availability of funding at the time of
award, the funds allocated to the University Center Economic
Development Program are anticipated to be available until expended.
Statutory Authority: EDA's authorizing statute is the Public Works
and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3121 et
seq.) (PWEDA). The specific authority for the University Center
Economic Development Program is section 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3147),
which authorizes EDA to make grants for the establishment of University
Centers. EDA's regulations at 13 CFR parts 300-302 and subpart B of 13
CFR part 306 set forth the general and specific regulatory requirements
applicable to the University Center Economic Development Program.
EDA's regulations are codified at 13 CFR chapter III. The
regulations and PWEDA are accessible on EDA's Internet Web site at
http://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.303,
Economic Development--Technical Assistance.
Applicant Eligibility: An accredited institution of higher
education or a consortium of accredited institutions of higher
education is eligible to apply for and to receive funding under the
University Center Economic Development Program. See section 3(12) of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3122(12)) and 13 CFR 300.3. A university-affiliated
research foundation also is eligible to apply for and to receive
funding under this competitive solicitation, provided it demonstrates
(e.g., a letter or other documentation from a university President or
Chancellor) that it maintains the full and integral support of the
university with respect to its economic development activities. For
applicants applying as a consortium, one accredited institution must be
identified as the lead agent that would have lead responsibility to EDA
and to the other members of the consortium for implementing an award.
For FY 2009, the University Center Economic Development Program
competition is open to eligible applicants in the geographic areas
served by EDA's Atlanta and Seattle regional offices. The Atlanta
regional office serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Seattle
regional office serves Alaska, Arizona, American Samoa, California,
Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Republic of Marshall Islands, Federated States of
Micronesia, Nevada, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Republic of
Palau, and Washington.
Project Period: The Atlanta and Seattle regional offices will
provide a three-year project period for each University Center selected
for funding under the FY 2009 University Center Economic Development
Program competition, with the initial award being made for the first
year of the project period. The selected University Centers will not
have to compete for the second and third years of funding. Funding
beyond the initial year is dependent upon the availability of funds,
satisfactory performance, and satisfactory progress in achieving
milestones and program goals set forth in the three-year scope of work,
as determined by EDA and expressed in written notice.
Current University Center operators in the service areas of EDA's
Austin, Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia regional offices will not
have to compete for continuation funding in FY 2009, subject to the
availability of funds, satisfactory continuing performance, and
satisfactory progress in achieving milestones and Program goals set
forth in the three-year scope of work, as determined by EDA and
expressed in a written notice. The servicing EDA regional office will
contact current University Center operators regarding the procedures
for securing FY 2009 continuation funding.
Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally, the amount of the EDA grant
may not exceed fifty (50) percent of the total cost of the project.
Projects may receive an additional amount that shall not exceed thirty
(30) percent, as determined by EDA, based on the relative needs of the
region in which the project will be located. See section 204(a) of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(1). The Assistant Secretary
of Commerce for Economic Development has the discretion to establish a
maximum EDA investment rate of up to one-hundred (100) percent where
the project (i) merits and is not otherwise feasible without an
increase to the EDA investment rate; or (ii) will be of no or only
incidental benefit to the recipient. See section 204(c)(3) of PWEDA (42
U.S.C. 3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(4).
In the application review process, EDA will consider the nature of
the contribution (cash or in-kind) and the amount of the matching share
funds. In-kind contributions, fairly evaluated by EDA, may provide the
non-federal share of the total project cost. See section 204(b) of
PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) and section III.B of the complete FFO
announcement for this request for applications. In-kind contributions,
which may include assumptions of debt and contributions of space,
equipment, and services, are eligible to be included as part of the
non-federal share of eligible project costs if they meet applicable
federal cost principles and uniform administrative requirements. Funds
from other federal financial assistance awards are considered matching
share funds only if authorized by statute, which may be determined by
EDA's reasonable interpretation of the statute. See 13 CFR 300.3. The
applicant must show that the matching share is committed to the project
for the entire project period, will be available as needed, and is not
conditioned or encumbered in any way that precludes its use consistent
with the requirements of EDA investment assistance. See 13 CFR 301.5.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications for funding under the
University Center Economic Development Program are subject to the State
review requirements imposed by Executive Order 12372,
[[Page 7859]]
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' where applicable.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures: Staff in EDA's Atlanta or
Seattle regional office, as applicable, first will undertake a
technical review of each application to ensure that all required forms,
signatures, and documentation are present and that the application is
in compliance with the requirements of this competitive solicitation.
Applications failing to meet the technical requirements of this
competitive solicitation will not be referred to the review panel.
Following technical review, each regional office will convene a panel
to review the merits of each application based on the criteria provided
under ``Evaluation Criteria'' below. The review panel will consist of
federal employees and others recommended by the Regional Director of
the applicable regional office. At least three (3) members of the
review panel will be EDA staff members from the Atlanta or Seattle
regional office, as applicable. The review panel will evaluate
independently and rate and rank competitively all technically
sufficient applications based on the evaluation criteria provided under
``Evaluation Criteria'' below. No consensus advice will be given by the
review panel.
The review panel's rating and ranking of the applications then will
be presented to the regional office's Investment Review Committee
(IRC). After reviewing the panel's process and recommendations, the IRC
may either: (i) Forward the panel's ranked list, unaltered and in its
entirety, to the Selecting Official, who is the Regional Director of
the applicable regional office; or (ii) identify any deficiencies in
the review process and direct the review panel to begin the process
anew. If the IRC directs the panel to re-evaluate the applications, the
review panel will undertake the process again and submit a revised
rating and ranking of the applications to the IRC.
Evaluation Criteria: The evaluation of applications will be
accomplished through a review using the following criteria, listed in
descending order of importance: (a) Value of the project to EDA, its
investment partners, and its stakeholders; (b) applicant's ability to
successfully implement the project; and (c) feasibility of the project
budget. Each criterion is detailed below.
1. Value of the Project to EDA, Its Investment Partners, and Its
Stakeholders. The review panel will evaluate:
(i) The expected benefits of the proposed scope of work, in light
of EDA's emphasis on market-based, results-driven, long-term regional
economic development approaches that facilitate innovation and
entrepreneurship and enhance regional and national competitiveness in
the global economy and considering the region's unique strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats;
(ii) The expected depth and breadth of these benefits in distressed
communities facing economic dislocations and other economic challenges;
(iii) The extent to which the proposed project will benefit and
collaborate and interact with other EDA investment partners,
recipients, and stakeholders, and create synergies with EDA's Public
Works, Economic Adjustment, and Planning Programs; and
(iv) The cost to the Federal Government evaluated in light of these
benefits. When evaluating cost, EDA will examine the amounts in the
proposed budget allocated to deliver direct program activities, as
opposed to the total budget, which includes indirect costs. EDA also
will consider the amount and type of match committed.
2. The Applicant's Ability to Successfully Implement the Project.
The review panel will evaluate the applicant's ability to successfully
implement the project. This evaluation will include the extent to which
the applicant (including its sponsoring organization) has successfully
implemented past technical assistance projects, especially those
involving economic development. The review panel also will evaluate the
subject matter expertise and project management skills of project staff
as demonstrated in the application, as well the sponsoring
institution's or consortium's academic programs and/or other University
resources directly tied to the proposed scope of work on the basis of
demonstrated subject matter leadership, research dissemination and
results, experience working in the target geographic region with the
target audience, and working relationships with and strong support from
the private sector, tribal entities, and State and local elected
officials. See 13 CFR 306.5.
The review panel also will consider the extent to which a proposed
project demonstrates strong organizational leadership by evaluating the
extent to which:
(i) The University Center will maximize coordination with other
relevant organizations and avoid duplication of services offered by
other organizations;
(ii) The University Center will access, take advantage of, and be
supported by other resources present at the sponsoring institution(s),
especially the institution's economic development activities; and
(iii) Evidence presented in the application demonstrates the
support and commitment of the highest management levels of the
University Center's sponsoring institution(s), through both financial
and non-financial means.
3. Feasibility of Project Budget. The review panel will evaluate
the feasibility of the project budget, including but not limited to the
reasonableness and the allowability of project costs and the
feasibility of accomplishing the three-year scope of work in the target
geographic region within the budget provided.
Selection Factors: EDA expects to fund the highest ranking
applications. The Selecting Official normally will follow the
recommendations of the review panel. However, the Selecting Official
may decide not to make a selection, or he may select an application out
of rank order for several reasons, including: (1) A determination that
the application better meets the overall objectives of sections 2 and
207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 and 3147); (2) availability of program
funding; (3) geographic balance in distribution of program funds; (4)
balanced funding for a diverse group of institutions, to include
smaller and rural institutions, which may form part of a broader
consortium to serve diverse populations and areas within the regional
office's territory; (5) the program objectives as provided in section
I.A of the complete FFO; (6) the applicant's performance under previous
federal financial assistance awards; or (7) the overall mix of
services, service areas, and target audiences in the regional office's
University Center portfolio. If the Selecting Official makes a
selection out of rank order, he will document the rationale for the
decision in writing.
Informational Teleconferences: For prospective applicants, the
Atlanta regional office will hold an informational teleconference on
March 4, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The Seattle regional office
will hold its informational teleconference call on March 5, 2009, at 10
a.m. Pacific Time.
These teleconferences will provide general program information and
information regarding the preparation of applications for funding under
this competitive solicitation. To ensure the integrity of this
competition, EDA will not provide substantive information regarding the
competition to prospective applicants outside of these scheduled
teleconferences.
[[Page 7860]]
To ensure that enough incoming lines are available for each caller,
the Atlanta regional office requires interested parties planning to
participate on the teleconference to register no later than 5 p.m.
Eastern Time on February 27, 2009; the Seattle regional office requires
interested parties planning to participate on the teleconference to
register no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Time on February 27, 2009. To
register, please send an e-mail with ``FY 2009 University Center
Teleconference Registration'' in the subject line to the designated
contact person in the Atlanta or Seattle regional office, as
applicable, and provided above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
The telephone number and pass code for each teleconference will be
provided upon registration. See also section IV.D of the complete FFO
announcement.
Please be advised that the informational teleconferences may be
audio-taped and the actual recordings or a transcript of the actual
recording may be made available online or otherwise for the benefit of
prospective applicants unable to participate. Prospective applicants
who choose to participate on the teleconferences are deemed to consent
to the taping.
The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: Administrative and national policy
requirements for all Department of Commerce awards are applicable to
this competitive solicitation. These requirements may be found in the
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements, which was published in the Federal Register
on February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696). This notice may be accessed by
entering the Federal Register volume and page number provided in the
previous sentence at the following Internet Web site: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).
The use of Form ED-900 (Application for Investment Assistance) has been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the control
number 0610-0094. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person
is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty
for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the
requirements of the PRA unless that collection of information displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior
notice and an opportunity for public comments are not required by the
Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning
grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). Because notice
and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553
or any other law, the analytical requirements of the Regulatory
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore, a
regulatory flexibility analysis has not been prepared.
Dated: February 17, 2009.
Barry Bird,
Chief Counsel, Economic Development Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-3658 Filed 2-19-09; 8:45 am]
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