[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 112-113]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-34058]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 1 / Monday, January 3, 2000 /
Notices
[[Page 112]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Announcement of the Market Access Program for Fiscal Year 2000
AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds for the Fiscal
Year 2000 Market Access Program (MAP).
DATES: All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard
Time, March 13, 2000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign
Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1042, 1400
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250, (202) 720-4327.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that applications
are being accepted for participation in the Fiscal Year 2000 MAP. The
MAP is designed to create, expand, and maintain foreign markets for
United States 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. The MAP is administered by
personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Under the MAP, CCC enters into agreements with eligible
participants to share the costs of certain overseas marketing and
promotion activities. MAP participants may receive assistance for
either generic or brand promotion activities. The program generally
operates on a reimbursement basis.
Authority
The MAP is authorized under section 203 of the Agricultural Trade
Act of 1978, as amended, and MAP regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1485.
Eligible Applicants
To participate in the MAP, an applicant must be: A nonprofit U.S.
agricultural trade organization, a nonprofit state regional trade group
(i.e., an association of State Departments of Agriculture), a U.S.
agricultural cooperative, a State agency, or a small-sized U.S.
commercial entity (other than a cooperative or producer association).
Available Funds
$90 million of cost-share assistance may be obligated under this
announcement to eligible MAP applicants.
Application Process
To be considered for the MAP, an applicant must submit to FAS
information required by the MAP regulations set forth in 7 CFR part
1485. Incomplete applications and applications that do not otherwise
conform to this announcement will not be accepted for review.
We also point out that FAS administers various other agricultural
export assistance programs, including the Foreign Market Development
Cooperator (Cooperator) program, Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging
Markets Program, the Quality Samples Program, Section 108 foreign
currency program, and several Export Credit Guarantee programs.
Organizations which are interested in applying for MAP funds are
encouraged to submit their requests using the Unified Export Strategy
(UES) format. This allows interested entities to submit a consolidated
and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates
requests for funding and recommendations for virtually all FAS
marketing programs, financial assistance programs, and market access
programs. The suggested UES format encourages applicants to examine the
constraints or barriers to trade they face, identify activities which
would help overcome such impediments, consider the entire pool of
complementary marketing tools and program resources, and establish
realistic export goals. Applicants are not required, however, to use
the UES format.
Organizations can submit applications in the UES format by two
methods. The first allows an applicant to submit information directly
to FAS through data entry screens at a specially designed UES
application Internet site. FAS highly recommends applying via the
Internet, as this format virtually eliminates paperwork and expedites
the FAS processing and review cycle. Also, by using the Internet,
applicants currently participating in the 1999 MAP will not need to
enter historical information as it will appear automatically in the
data entry screens. Applicants also have the option of submitting
electronic versions (along with two paper copies) of their applications
to FAS on diskette.
Applicants planning to use the Internet-based system must contact
the Marketing Operations Staff of FAS at (202) 720-4327 to obtain site
access information. The Internet-based application, including step-by-
step instructions for its use, is located at the following URL address:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html.
Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can
download the UES handbook, including the suggested application format
and instructions, from the following URL address: http://
www.fas.usda.gov/mos/ues/unified.html. A UES handbook may also be
obtained by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-
4327.
All MAP applicants, whether or not applying via the Internet or
diskette, must also submit by March 13, 2000, via hand delivery or U.S.
mail, an original signed certification statement as specified in 7 CFR
1485.13(a)(2)(i)(G). The UES handbook contains an acceptable
certification format.
Any organization which is not interested in applying for the MAP or
the Cooperator program but would like to request assistance through one
of the other programs mentioned, should contact the Marketing
Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327.
Review Process and Allocation Criteria
FAS allocates funds in a manner that effectively supports the
strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and
Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. In deciding whether a proposed project will
[[Page 113]]
contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of
foreign markets, FAS seeks to identify a clear, long-term agricultural
trade strategy by market or product and a program effectiveness time
line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using
quantifiable product or country goals. These performance indicators are
part of FAS' resource allocation strategy to fund applicants which can
demonstrate performance based on a long-term strategic plan and address
the performance measurement objectives of the GPRA.
Following is a description of the FAS process for reviewing
applications and the criteria for allocating available MAP funds.
(1) Phase 1--Sufficiency Committee and FAS Divisional Review
Applications received by the closing date will be reviewed by FAS
to determine the eligibility of the applicants and the completeness of
the applications. These requirements appear at Sec. 1485.12 and
Sec. 1485.13 of the MAP regulations. Applications which meet the
application requirements will then be further evaluated by the
applicable FAS Commodity Division. The Divisions will review each
application against the criteria listed in Sec. 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 will then be passed on to the office of
the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs, for the
purpose of allocating available funds among the applicants.
Applications which pass the Divisional Review will compete for funds on
the basis of the following evaluation criteria (the number in
parentheses represents a percentage weight factor):
(a) Applicant's Contribution Level (40)
The applicant's 4-year average share (1997-2000) 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 (1997-2000) of the
funding level for all MAP participants.
(b) Past Performance (30)
The 3-year average share (1997-99) of the value of exports
promoted by the applicant compared to
The applicant's 2-year average share (1998-99) of the
funding level for all MAP applicants plus, for those groups
participating in the Cooperator program, the 2-year average share
(1999-2000) of Cooperator marketing plan budgets and the 2-year average
share (1998-99) of foreign overhead provided for co-location within a
U.S. agricultural office;
(c) Projected Export Goals (15)
The total dollar value of projected exports promoted by the
applicant for 2000 compared to
The applicant's requested funding level;
(d) Accuracy of Past Projections (15)
Actual exports for 1998 as reported in the 2000 MAP
application compared to
Past projections of exports for 1998 as specified in the
1998 MAP application.
The Commodity Divisions' recommended funding level for each
applicant is converted to a percentage of the total MAP funds available
and multiplied by the total weight factor as described above to
determine the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.
Closing Date for Applications
All Internet-based applications must be properly submitted by 5:00
p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 13, 2000. Signed certification
statements also must be received by that time at one of the addresses
listed below.
All applications on diskette (with two accompanying paper copies
and a signed certification statement) and any other applications must
be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 13, 2000, 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, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-
1042.
U.S. Postal Delivery: Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-1042.
Dated: December 28, 1999.
Timothy J. Galvin,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 99-34058 Filed 12-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-P
