[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 43 (Friday, March 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10219-10223]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4591]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economic Development Administration
[Docket No.: 100210082-0082-01]
Solicitation of Applications for the FY 2010 University Center
Economic Development Program Competition in EDA's Austin and Denver
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, including community colleges, and
from consortia of accredited institutions of higher education for FY
2010 University Center Economic Development Program funding in the
geographic areas served by its Austin and Denver 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 2010 University Center Economic Development
Program competition is June 1, 2010 at 5 p.m. CST for applicants in the
Austin regional office's service area and 5 p.m. MST for applicants in
the Denver regional office's service area. The Austin regional office
will hold an informational teleconference for prospective applicants on
April 1, 2010 at 1 p.m. CST. The Denver regional office will hold its
informational teleconference call on March 19, 2010 at 1 p.m. MST. For
instruction regarding these teleconferences, please see the information
provided below under ``Informational Teleconferences.''
Subject to the availability of funding, successful applicants
should expect to receive grant awards within approximately sixty days
from the application closing date and time(s) set out in this notice
and request for applications. The anticipated initial award will have a
twelve-month duration with an estimated start date on or about August
1, 2010.
Application Submission Requirements: Applicants are advised to read
carefully the instructions contained in section IV of the 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: (i) Electronically in
accordance with the procedures provided on www.grants.gov; or (ii) 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
www.grants.gov may access the application package by following the
instructions provided on www.grants.gov.
Paper Submissions: Applicants in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma or Texas should submit paper submissions (via postal mail,
overnight delivery, or hand-delivery) to: FY 2010 University Center
Program Competition, Economic Development Administration, Austin
Regional Office, 504 Lavaca, Suite 1100, Austin, Texas 78701-2858.
Applicants in Colorado, Iowa (excluding Muscatine and Scott
counties), Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South
Dakota, Utah or Wyoming should submit paper submissions (via postal
mail, overnight delivery, or hand-delivery) to: FY 2010 University
Center Program Competition, Economic Development Administration, Denver
Regional Office, 410 17th Street, Suite 250, Denver, Colorado 80202.
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
www.grants.gov. EDA strongly encourages that applicants not wait until
the application closing date to begin the application process through
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 www.grants.gov and for a list of useful resources: http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp. If you do not find an answer to your
question under ``Applicant FAQs,'' try consulting the ``Applicant User
Guide.'' If you still cannot find an answer to your question, contact
www.grants.gov via email at [email protected] or telephone at 1-800-
518-4726. The hours of operation for 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 Austin regional office is Camille Osborne. Ms. Osborne may be
reached at [email protected] or at 512.381.8145. The designated
contact person in the Denver regional office is Forlesia S. Willis. Ms.
Willis may be reached at [email protected] or at 303.844.5452. EDA's
website at http://www.eda.gov also has 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,
[[Page 10220]]
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 each fiscal year in two of its six
regional offices. For example, in FY 2004 and 2007, EDA solicited
applications under a competition held in the Austin and Denver regional
offices, and in FY 2005 and 2008, EDA solicited applications in the
Philadelphia and Chicago regional offices. In FY 2006 and 2009, EDA
solicited applications in the Atlanta and Seattle regional offices.
Pursuant to its fiscal year schedule, for FY 2010, EDA announces that
it will hold the competition in the Austin and Denver regional offices.
EDA encourages the submission of applications that will
significantly benefit regions with distressed economies. Distress may
exist in a variety of forms, including high levels of unemployment, low
income levels, large concentrations of low-income families, and
significant declines in per capita income because of large numbers (or
high rates) of business failures, sudden major layoffs or plant
closures, military base closures, natural or other major disasters,
depletion of natural resources or reduced tax bases, and substantial
loss of population because of the lack of employment opportunities.
Under the University Center Economic Development Program, EDA seeks to
support university-based programs that provide for regional, Statewide
or multi-State programs to help foster the creation and retention of
higher-skill, higher-wage jobs; attract private capital investment to
the region served by the proposed University Center; address regional
economic development challenges and opportunities; and enhance long-
term regional and national competitiveness in the worldwide
marketplace. EDA encourages projects that will collaborate with,
interact with, and benefit other EDA investment partners, recipients,
and stakeholders, and create synergies with EDA's Public Works,
Economic Adjustment, and Planning programs.
To obtain the maximum effect of available program funds, EDA will
strive to fund a portfolio of University Centers that, as a group,
offer the widest possible coverage in the Austin and Denver regional
offices' geographic areas and offer a full range of services tailored
appropriately to the region's needs and each sponsoring institution's
(or consortium's) strengths. EDA will strive to avoid funding
duplicative services wherever practicable.
EDA will not fund University Centers that operate in isolation from
other resources at the institution of higher education (or consortium)
receiving the award. University Center programs not focused on economic
development activities that foster higher-skill, higher-wage job
creation and private sector investments are encouraged to seek
financial support from other sources.
Electronic Access: The FFO announcement for the FY 2010 University
Center Economic Development Program competition is available at
www.grants.gov and at http://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/FFON.xml.
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 out 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 website at http://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml.
Funding Availability: Funding appropriated under the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2010 (Pub. L. 111-117, 123 Stat. 3034 at 3114
(2009)) is available for the economic development assistance programs
authorized by PWEDA and for the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms
Program under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2341 et
seq.). Funds in the amount of $255,000,000 have been appropriated for
FY 2010 and shall remain available until expended.
The funding periods and funding amounts referenced in this
competitive solicitation are subject to the availability of funds at
the time of award, as well as to Department of Commerce and EDA
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
competitive solicitation does not obligate the Department of Commerce
or EDA to award any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to
obligate all or any part of available funds.
In accordance with Congressional guidance, EDA hopes to be able to
fund at least one University Center grant in each State. For FY 2010,
EDA expects to allocate $7,437,408 to the University Center Economic
Development Program. The amount of University Center funding available
for competition in FY 2010 is expected to be $1,128,502 for the Austin
regional office and $1,380,000 for the Denver regional office. The
remaining FY 2010 University Center Economic Development Program funds
will be used to continue to support current University Centers selected
during the FY 2008 and 2009 competitions in EDA's other four regional
offices. 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. 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.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.303,
Economic Development--Technical Assistance.
Applicant Eligibility: An accredited institution of higher
education, including a community college, 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 that it maintains the full and integral
support of the university with respect to its economic development
activities, through a letter or other documentation from a university
President or Chancellor. For
[[Page 10221]]
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. A
non-profit organization, in good standing and participating in the
institution's proposed project in connection with an application under
this competitive solicitation, may partner with a consortium provided
that the organization itself is affiliated with and directed by an
accredited institution of higher education.
For FY 2010, the University Center Economic Development Program
competition is open to eligible applicants in the geographic areas
served by EDA's Austin and Denver regional offices. The Austin regional
office serves Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The
Denver regional office serves Colorado, Iowa (excluding Muscatine and
Scott counties), Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
Project Period: The Austin and Denver regional offices will provide
a three-year project period for each University Center selected for
funding under the FY 2010 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
Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Seattle regional offices will not
have to compete for continuation funding in FY 2010, 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. EDA regional offices will contact
current University Center operators in those service areas regarding
the procedures for securing FY 2010 continuation funding.
Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally, the amount of the EDA grant
may not exceed fifty percent of the total cost of the project. Projects
may receive an additional amount that shall not exceed thirty 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 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 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,
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' where applicable.
Evaluation and Selection Procedures: Staff in EDA's Austin or
Denver 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 for
merit review.
Following the 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 may include others recommended by the
Regional Director of the applicable regional office. At least three
members of the review panel will be EDA staff members. The review panel
will evaluate and rate and rank competitively all technically
sufficient applications based on the evaluation criteria provided under
``Evaluation Criteria'' below.
The review panel's rating and ranking of the applications then will
be presented to the regional office's Investment Review Committee
(IRC). Applications deemed eligible and consistent with EDA's mission
and funding priorities are referred to the IRC, which is comprised of
EDA staff, to determine which applications for funding are recommended
to the Regional Director. Under this notice and request for
applications, 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 (or
convene a new 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: EDA will evaluate applications based on the
following criteria. Each criterion is detailed below with an assigned
weight.
1. Responsiveness to Objectives of Federal Funding Opportunity
(35%). This section shall assess the extent to which the applicant is
able to:
Provide a wide geographic level of service. Priority will
be given to applicants whose programs will offer the widest possible
coverage in the Austin and Denver regional offices' geographic service
areas.
Leverage other university assets. Priority will be given
to University Center applicants whose proposed activities outline
specific information on how they will leverage other University assets
(such as economic analysis divisions, GIS capabilities, planning
specialists, etc.).
Specifically articulate how the proposed activities of the
University Center will address regional needs. Priority will be given
to applications
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that clearly articulate the regional needs and propose activities which
specifically address those needs.
2. Alignment with Key Funding Priorities (35%). In addition to
meeting the requirements set out in this FFO, all EDA investments must
satisfy at least one of the following key funding priorities.
Applications that support more than one of the following funding
priorities will receive higher priority.
Support science and technology. Priority will be given to
applications that propose to provide specific technical assistance to
information technology industries (for example, high technology
industries or investments in broadband and smart grid); scientific
industries; healthcare industries; or environmental technologies,
including technology commercialization.
Address sudden economic dislocation. Priority will be
given to proposed activities in which the University Center will engage
to support investments in communities that experienced sudden or severe
economic dislocation and job loss due to either auto-industry
restructuring or natural disasters.
Support small and medium-size businesses. Priority will be
given to applications that propose specific activities that will
support small and medium-size businesses (e.g., <= 500 employees or <=
$7 million in average annual sales).
Encourage collaborative regional innovation. Priority will
be given to proposed activities that will cultivate multi-
jurisdictional solutions to regional needs; encourage regional
collaboration among economic development organizations; and identify
and implement programs that encourage regional stakeholders to link to
and build upon unique assets of the region, such as the development and
support of innovation clusters.
Foster global competitiveness. Priority will be given to
proposed activities that will help strengthen industry competitiveness
through innovation, entrepreneurship, global trade, and rapid growth.
Environmentally sustainable development. Priority will be
given to proposed activities that will promote renewable energy; energy
efficiency; or reuse, recycling, or natural resource restoration
efforts across the region.
3. Provides High Return on Investment (20%). All applications will
be evaluated to determine whether they represent a high return on
investment, as measured by the:
Extent to which the proposed University Center will
leverage public-private partnerships. Priority will be given to
proposed activities that will generate strong public-private support
across the region and leverage private funds.
Degree to which the proposed University Center and its
activities build upon other local, State, regional, federal, and
private sector development initiatives. Priority will be given to
applications that clearly specify how the proposed activities will
build upon the array of local, State, regional, federal, and private
sector development efforts occurring in the region to more effectively
meet regional needs.
4. Significantly Benefits Regions with Distressed Economies (10%).
While all applicants must show how the proposed activities will benefit
distressed regions within the service area, EDA will give additional
consideration to those applicants that provide concrete evidence
outlining how their proposed programs are especially well designed to
significantly benefit distressed regions. As outlined in section I.B of
the FFO announcement, distress may be defined by areas experiencing
high levels of unemployment, low income levels, large concentrations of
low-income families, or significant declines in per capita income
because of large numbers (or high rates) of business failures, sudden
major layoffs or plant closures, military base closures, natural or
other major disasters, depletion of natural resources, reduced tax
bases, or substantial loss of population because of the lack of
employment opportunities.
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: (i) A determination that
the application better meets the overall objectives of sections 2 and
207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 and 3147); (ii) availability of program
funding; (iii) geographic balance in distribution of program funds;
(iv) 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; (v) the program objectives as provided in section I
of the FFO announcement; (vi) the applicant's performance under
previous federal financial assistance awards; or (vii) 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
Austin regional office will hold an informational teleconference on
April 1, 2010, at 1 p.m. CST. The Denver regional office will hold its
informational teleconference call on March 19, 2010, at 1 p.m. MST.
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.
To ensure that enough incoming lines are available for each caller,
the Austin regional office requires interested parties planning to
participate on the teleconference to register no later than 5 p.m. CST
on March 25, 2010; the Denver regional office requires interested
parties planning to participate on the teleconference to register no
later than 5 p.m. MST on March 16, 2010. To register, please send an
email with ``FY 2010 University Center Teleconference Registration'' in
the subject line to the designated contact person in the Austin or
Denver regional office as provided above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT. The telephone number and pass code for each teleconference
will be provided upon registration.
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 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 Web site: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html.
[[Page 10223]]
Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains the following
collections of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB): (i) Form ED-
900 (OMB Control No. 0610-0094); (ii) Form SF-424 (OMB Control No.
4040-0004); (iii) Form SF-424A (OMB Control No. 4040-0006); (iv) Form
SF-424B (OMB Control No. 4040-0007); (v) Form SF-LLL (OMB Control No.
0348-0046). 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 26, 2010.
Brian P. McGowan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development
Economic Development Administration.
[FR Doc. 2010-4591 Filed 3-4-10; 8:45 am]
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