[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 7, Volume 15]

[Revised as of January 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 7CFR2902.9]



[Page 92-93]

 

                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE

 

           CHAPTER XXIX--OFFICE OF ENERGY POLICY AND NEW USES,

                        DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

 

PART 2902_GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNATING BIOBASED PRODUCTS FOR FEDERAL 

PROCUREMENT--Table of Contents

 

                            Subpart A_General

 

Sec. 2902.9  Funding for testing.



    (a) USDA use of funds for biobased content and BEES testing. USDA 

will use funds to support testing for biobased content and conduct of 

BEES testing for products within items USDA has selected to designate 

for preferred procurement through early regulatory action. USDA 

initially will focus on gathering the necessary test information on a 

sufficient number of products within an item (generic grouping of 

products) to support regulations to be promulgated to designate an item 

or items for preferred procurement under this program. USDA may accept 

cost sharing for such testing to the extent consistent with USDA product 

testing decisions. During this period USDA will not consider cost 

sharing in deciding what products to test. When USDA has concluded that 

a critical mass of items have been designated, USDA will exercise its 

discretion, in accordance with the competitive procedures outlined in 

paragraph (b) of this section, to allocate a portion of the available 

USDA testing funds to give priority to testing of products for which 

private sector firms provide cost sharing for the testing.

    (b) Competitive program for cost sharing for determining life cycle 

costs, environmental and health benefits, and performance. (1) Subject 

to the availability of funds and paragraph (a) of this section, USDA 

will announce annually the solicitation of proposals for cost sharing 

for life cycle costs, environmental and health benefits, and performance 

testing of biobased products in accordance with the standards set forth 

in Sec. 2902.8 to carry out this program. Information regarding the 

submission of proposals for cost sharing also will be posted on the USDA 

informational Web site, http://www.biobased.oce.usda.gov.

    (2) Proposals will be evaluated and assigned a priority rating. 

Priority ratings will be based on the following criteria:

    (i) A maximum of 25 points will be awarded a proposal based on the 

market readiness;

    (ii) A maximum of 20 points will be awarded a proposal based on the 

potential size of the market for that product in Federal agencies;

    (iii) A maximum of 25 points will be awarded based on the financial 

need for assistance of the manufacturer or vendor;



[[Page 93]]



    (iv) A maximum of 20 points will be awarded a proposal based on the 

product's prospective competitiveness in the market place;

    (v) A maximum of 10 points will be awarded a proposal based on its 

likely benefit to the environment.

    (3) Cost-sharing proposals will be considered first for high 

priority products of small and emerging private business enterprises. If 

funds remain to support further testing, USDA will consider cost sharing 

proposals for products of all other producers of biobased items as well 

as the remaining proposals for products of small and emerging private 

business enterprises. Proposals will be selected based on priority 

rating until available funds for the fiscal year are committed.

    (4)(i) For products selected for life cycle costs and environmental 

and health benefits testing under this paragraph, USDA could provide up 

to 50 percent of the cost of determining the life cycle costs and 

environmental and health effects, up to a maximum of $5,000 of 

assistance per product.

    (ii) For products selected for performance testing under this 

paragraph, USDA could provide up to 50 percent of the cost for 

performance testing, up to $100,000 of assistance per product for up to 

two performance tests (measures of performance) per product.

    (5) For selected proposals, USDA will enter into agreements with and 

provide the funds directly to the testing entities.

    (6) Proposals submitted in one fiscal year, but not selected for 

cost sharing of testing in that year, may be resubmitted to be 

considered for cost sharing in the following year.



Subpart B--Designated Items [Reserved]