[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 232 (Monday, December 4, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62073-62075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-29365]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Minority Business Development Agency
Business Development Center Applications: West Palm Beach,
Florida
AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with Executive Order 11625 and 15 U.S.C. 1512,
the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting
competitive applications from organizations to operate the West Palm
Beach Minority Business Development Center (MBDC).
The purpose of the MBDC Program is to provide business development
services to the minority business community to help establish and
maintain viable minority businesses. To this end, MBDA funds
organizations to identify and coordinate public and private sector
resources on behalf of minority individuals and firms; to offer a full
range of client services to minority entrepreneurs; and to serve as a
conduit of information and assistance regarding minority business. The
MBDC will provide service in the West Palm Beach, Florida Metropolitan
Area. The award number of the MBDC will be 04-10-96003-01.
DATES: The closing date for applications is January 3, 1996.
Applications must be received in the MBDA Headquarters' Executive
Secretariat on or before January 3, 1996. A pre-application conference
will be held on December 20, 1995, at 9 a.m., at the Atlanta Regional
Office, 401 W. Peachtree Street, N.W., Suite 1715, Atlanta, Georgia
30308-3516, (404) 730-3300. Proper identification is required for
entrance into any Federal building.
ADDRESSES: Completed application packages should be submitted to the
U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency,
Executive Secretariat, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 5073,
Washington, D.C. 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND AN APPLICATION PACKAGE, CONTACT: Robert
Henderson at (404) 730-3300.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Contingent upon the availability of Federal
funds, the cost of performance for the first budget period (13 months)
from April 1, 1996 to April 30, 1997, is estimated at $198,971. The
total Federal amount is $169,125 and is composed of $165,000 plus the
Audit Fee amount of $4,125. The application must include a minimum cost
share of 15%, $29,846 in non-federal (cost-sharing) contributions for a
total project cost of $198,971. Cost-sharing contributions may be in
the form of cash, client fees, third party in-kind contributions, non-
cash applicant contributions or combinations thereof.
The funding instrument for this project will be a cooperative
agreement. If the recommended applicant is the current incumbent
organization, the award will be for 12 months. For those applicants who
are not incumbent organizations or who are incumbents that have
experienced closure due to a break in service, a 30-day start-up period
will be added to their first budget period, making it a 13-month award.
Competition is open to individuals, non-profit and for-profit
organizations, state and local governments, American Indian tribes and
educational institutions.
Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: the
knowledge, background and/or capabilities of the firm and its staff in
addressing the needs of the business community in general and,
specifically, the special needs of
[[Page 62074]]
minority businesses, individuals and organizations (45 points), the
resources available to the firm in providing business development
services (10 points); the firm's approach (techniques and
methodologies) to performing the work requirements included in the
application (25 points); and the firm's estimated cost for providing
such assistance (20 points). An application must receive at least 70%
of the points assigned to each evaluation criteria category to be
considered programmatically acceptable and responsive. Those
applications determined to be acceptable and responsive will then be
evaluated by the Director of MBDA. Final award selections shall be
based on the number of points received, the demonstrated responsibility
of the applicant, and the determination of those most likely to further
the purpose of the MBDA program. Negative audit findings and
recommendations and unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal
awards may result in an application not being considered for award. The
applicant with the highest point score will not necessarily receive the
award. Periodic reviews culminating in year-to-date evaluations will be
conducted to determine if funding for the project should continue.
Continued funding will be at the total discretion of MBDA based on such
factors as the MBDC's performance, the availability of funds and Agency
priorities.
The MBDC shall be required to contribute at least 15% of the total
project cost through non-Federal contributions. To assist in this
effort, the MBDC may charge client fees for services rendered. Fees may
range from $10 to $60 per hour based on the gross receipts of the
client's business.
Anticipated processing time of this award is 120 days. Executive
order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' is not
applicable to this program. Federal funds for this project include
audit funds for non-CPA recipients. In event that a CPA firm wins the
competition, the funds allocated for audits are not applicable.
Questions concerning the preceding information can be answered by the
contact person indicated above, and copies of application kits and
applicable regulations can be obtained at the above address. The
collection of information requirements for this project have been
approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and assigned OMB
control number 0640-0006.
Awards under this program shall be subject to all Federal laws, and
Federal and Departmental regulations, policies, and procedures
applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.
Pre-Award Costs--Applicants are hereby notified that if they incur
any costs prior to an award being made, they do so solely at their own
risk of not being reimbursed by the Government. Notwithstanding any
verbal assurance that an applicant may have received, there is no
obligation on the part of the Department of Commerce to cover pre-award
costs.
Outstanding Account Receivable--No award of Federal funds shall be
made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt
until either the delinquent account is paid in full, repayment schedule
is established and at least one payment is received, or other
arrangements satisfactory to the Department of Commerce are made.
Name Check Policy--All non-profit and for-profit applicants are
subject to a name check review process. Name checks are intended to
reveal if any key individuals associated with the applicant have been
convicted of or are presently facing criminal charges such as fraud,
theft, perjury or other matters which significantly reflect on the
applicant's management honesty or financial integrity.
Award Termination--The Departmental Grants Officer may terminate
any grant/cooperative agreement in whole or in part at any time before
the date of completion whenever it is determined that the award
recipient has failed to comply with the conditions of the grant/
cooperative agreement. Examples of some of the conditions which can
cause termination are failure to meet cost-sharing requirements;
unsatisfactory performance of the MBDC work requirements; and reporting
inaccurate or inflated claims of client assistance. Such inaccurate or
inflated claims may be deemed illegal and punishable by law.
False Statements--A false statement on an application for Federal
financial assistance is grounds for denial or termination of funds, and
grounds for possible punishment by a fine or imprisonment as provided
in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
Primary Applicant Certifications--All primary applicants must
submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment,
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace
Requirements and Lobbying.''
Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension--Prospective participants
(as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 26.105) are subject to 15 CFR
Part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the related
section of the certification form prescribed above applies.
Drug Free Workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26,
Section 26.605) are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart F,
``Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and
the related section of the certification form prescribed above applies.
Anti-Lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 CFR Part 28, Section
28.105) are subject to the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352,
``Limitation on use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal
contracting and financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of
the certification form prescribed above applies to applications/bids
for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than
$100,000, and loans and loan guarantees for more than $150,000 or the
single family maximum mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever
is greater.
Anti-Lobbying Disclosures--Any applicant that has paid or will pay
for lobbying using any funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of
Lobbying Activities,'' as required under 15 CFR Part 28, Appendix B.
Lower Tier Certifications--Recipients shall require applications/
bidders for subgrants, contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier
covered transactions at any tier under the award to submit, if
applicable, a completed Form CD-512, ``Certifications Regarding
Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier
Covered Transactions and Lobbying'' and disclosure form, SF-LLL,
``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.'' Form CD-512 is intended for the
use of recipients and should not be transmitted to DOC. SF-LLL
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to
DOC in accordance with the instructions contained in the award
document.
Buy American-made Equipment or Products--Applicants are hereby
notified that they are encouraged, to the extent feasible, to purchase
American-made equipment and products with funding provided under this
program in accordance with Congressional intent as set forth in the
resolution contained in Public Law 103-121, Sections 606 (a) and (b).
11.800 Minority Business Development Center (Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance)
[[Page 62075]]
Dated: November 27, 1995.
Donald L. Powers,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business Development Agency.
[FR Doc. 95-29365 Filed 12-1-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-21-P
