[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 11, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26194-26196]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-11148]
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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 2011 Market Access Program (MAP). The
intended effect of this notice is to solicit applications from eligible
applicants and award funds in October 2010. 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, June 11, 2010. Applications received after this date will not be
considered.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Entities wishing to apply for funding
assistance should contact the Program Operations Division, Office of
Trade Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, Portals Office Building,
Suite 400, 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20024, or by
phone: (202) 720-4327, or by fax: (202) 720-9361, or by e-mail:
[email protected]. Information is also available on the FAS 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 U.S. 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 in 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
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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
considers whether the applicant provides 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 cost of certain overseas marketing and
promotion activities. MAP participants may receive assistance for
generic or brand promotion activities. For generic activities, funding
priority is given to organizations that have the broadest possible
producer representation of the commodity being promoted and that are
nationwide in membership and scope. Only non-profit U.S. agricultural
trade organizations, nonprofit state regional trade groups (SRTGs),
nonprofit U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and State agencies can
participate directly in the brand program. The MAP 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
SRTG, a nonprofit U.S. agricultural cooperative, or a State agency. A
small-sized U.S. commercial entity 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 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 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 applicants to submit a single consolidated and strategically
coordinated proposal that incorporates requests for funding and
recommendations for virtually all of 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 planning to use the Internet-based system must contact
the FAS/Program Operations Division to obtain Web site access
information. The Internet-based application may be found at the
following URL address: https://www.fas.usda.gov/ues/webapp/.
The FAS highly recommends applying via the Internet-based
application as this format virtually eliminates paperwork and expedites
the FAS processing and review cycle. However, applicants also have the
option of submitting an electronic version of their application to FAS
at [email protected].
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 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 that 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, the Emerging Markets Program, the Quality Samples
Program, and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program. 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 Operations Division.
3. Submission Dates and Times: All applications must be received by
5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, June 11, 2010. 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) at the following address:
Program Operations Division, Office of Trade Programs, Foreign
Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture at: Portals Office
Building, Suite 400, 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20024.
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.
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 appropriate
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Commodity Branch in FAS' Cooperator Programs 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. Applicants 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 (2008-2011) 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 (2008-2011) of the
funding level for all MAP participants.
(b) Past Performance (30)
The 3-year average share (2007-2009) of the value of
exports promoted by the applicant compared to;
The applicant's 2-year average share (2009-2010) of the
funding level for all MAP applicants plus, for those groups
participating in the Cooperator program, the 2-year average share
(2009-2010) of Cooperator marketing plan budgets.
(c) Projected Export Goals (15)
The total dollar value of projected exports promoted by
the applicant for 2011 compared to;
The applicant's requested funding level;
(d) Accuracy of Past Projections (15)
Actual exports for 2009 as reported in the 2011 MAP
application compared to;
Past projections of exports for 2009 as specified in the
2009 MAP application.
The Commodity Branches' recommended funding levels for each
applicant are converted to percentages of the total MAP funds available
and 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 2010.
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 program agreement to each approved applicant. The approval
letter and program 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 the Program Operations
Division.
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
Operations Division, Office of Trade Programs, Foreign Agricultural
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture at: Portals Office Building,
Suite 400, 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20024, or by
phone: (202) 720-4327, or by fax: (202) 720-9361, or by e-mail:
[email protected].
Signed at Washington, DC, on May 4, 2010.
John D. Brewer,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2010-11148 Filed 5-10-10; 8:45 am]
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