[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7127-7129]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3499]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Minority Business Development Agency
[Docket No: 980205029-8029-01]
RIN 0640-ZA01
Minority Business Roundtable
AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Funds in the amount of $150,000 are available to conduct a
competitive grant solicitation for the most qualified applicant who
will plan, organize and coordinate the appropriate resources of the
public and private sectors for the development of a self-sustaining
Minority Business Roundtable (MBR). An MBR is hereby defined as
business owners working together on issues affecting mutual long-term
growth. The MBR shall be designed to generate and advocate policy
positions of the minority business community regarding consequential
issues of economic and social well being. It is essential that concerns
of minority companies be heard by local, state and Federal decision-
makers. Areas of concern include access to capital, community
redevelopment, government regulations, international trade and
investment, taxation, education, tort policies and corporate
governance. Currently, there is no uniform voice, nor is there a policy
discussion vehicle for the minority business community. To establish
the MBR, the applicant shall propose a detailed statement of work in
response to MBDA's Work Requirements. The statement of work shall
entail mobilizing the minority business community and the necessary
resources of the public and private sector for the formation and
sustainment of the MBR. In the formation of the MBR, the applicant
shall provide an approach for determining and addressing the issues and
priorities of the minority business community.
The MBR will be national in scope and will serve minority firms
throughout the fifty states. A minority firm is one that is defined by
Executive Order 11625, effective October 13, 1991, as follows: ``
`Minority Business Enterprise' means one that is owned or controlled by
one or more socially or economically disadvantaged persons.'' Such
persons include, but are not limited to, Negroes, Puerto Ricans,
Spanish-Speaking Americans, American Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts, Asian
Pacific Americans, Asian Indians and Hasidic Jews. The MBR will operate
independently of any Federal, state/local government entity. It may be
patterned after the existing Business Roundtable, a twenty-four year
old association comprised of 220 Fortune 500 Chief Executive Officers
(CEO). The CEOs serve on issue-oriented task forces and collectively
direct research, supervise preparation of position papers, recommend
policy positions
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and advocate on specific issues affecting American businesses.
The primary objective of this project is two-fold: 1. The grantee
shall plan, develop and implement the activities necessary to realize
the formation of the MBR Planning Group and the design and operational
structure of the MBR during the 12 month MBDA funding period, and 2.
The grantee shall submit specific plans (including a non-Federal
budget) to spearhead the establishment and sustainment of the MBR
during the first 12 months after the award period.
Documentation is required for proposed private and public sector
support of the non-federal budget in the application. MBDA funding of
this project is subject to agency priorities and the availability of
funds.
DATES: A pre-application conference to assist all interested applicants
will be held on February 17, 1998, at 2:00 p.m., at the U.S. Department
of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 5045, Washington,
D.C. 20230. The closing date for applications is March 16, 1998, 30
days after the pre-application conference. Applications must be
received in the MBDA Headquarter's Executive Secretariat no later than
Monday, March 16, 1998 (5:00 p.m., eastern standard time).
Proper identification is required for entrance into any federal
building.
ADDRESSES: Competitive Application Packages for the Minority Business
Roundtable will be available from MBDA beginning February 12, 1998. To
obtain a copy of the application package, please call, (202) 482-3261,
or facsimile (202) 501-6137/(202) 482-5117. Or, you may send a written
request with two (2) self-addressed mailing labels to Robert B. Hooks,
Acting Chief of Administration Services, U.S. Department of Commerce,
Minority Business Development Agency, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW,
Room 5087, Washington, D.C. 20230.
Send applications to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority
Business Development Agency, Executive Secretariat, 14th and
Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 5073, Washington, D.C. 20230.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert B. Hooks, Acting Chief of
Administration Services, (202) 482-3261.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Contingent upon the availability of Federal
funds, the cost of performance for the budget period (12 months) is
estimated at $150,000 in federal funds. There are no specific matching
requirements for this award. The applicant shall be aware that funding
for this award is limited to one 12 month budget period.
Executive Order 11625 and 15 U.S.C. Sec. 1512 authorize MBDA to
provide financial assistance to public and private organizations to
assist in the growth and expansion of the nation's minority business
sector.
The funding instrument for this project will be a grant.
Competition is open to non-profit and for-profit organizations, state
and local governments, American Indian Tribes and educational
institutions. Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:
1. The Expertise and Capabilities of the firm and its staff or proven
track record for addressing the economic and social needs of the
minority business community--50 points, 2. The Resources available to
the applicant firm for the planning and formation of the MBR--20
points, 3. The firm's approach, Techniques and Methodologies, for
performing the work requirements in an efficient, effective and
creative manner--20 points, and 4. The realism of the firm's Estimated
Cost of performing the work requirements, including any proposed cost-
sharing--10 points. Applications will be evaluated by a review panel.
An application must receive 70% of the points assigned to each element
of the evaluation criteria to be considered programmatically acceptable
and responsive. Those applications determined to be acceptable and
responsive will be reviewed by the Director of MBDA. Final award
selection by the Director of MBDA shall be based on the number of
points received, the demonstrated responsibility of the applicant, and
the determination of the firm most likely to further the stated
purposes of the MBR. 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.
The anticipated processing time for this award is 90 days from the
closing date. If an application is selected for funding, DoC has no
obligation to provide any additional future funding in connection with
that award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the
period of performance is at the total discretion of DoC. Awards under
this program shall be subject to all Federal laws, Federal and
Department regulations, policies and procedures applicable to Federal
assistance awards.
Indirect Costs
The total dollar amount of the indirect costs proposed in an
application under this program must not exceed the indirect cost rate
negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior to the
proposed effective date of the award or 100 percent of the total
proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, whichever is
less.
Application Forms and Kit
The Standard Forms 424, Application for Federal Assistance; 424A,
Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs; and 424B, Assurances--
Non-Construction Programs, (Rev 4-88), shall be used in applying for
financial assistance under this program
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 or
written 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 Accounts 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, or a 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 whether any
key individuals associated with the applicant have been convicted or
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 MBR work
requirements; and reporting inaccurate
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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 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 Workplace Requirements and Lobbying,'' and
the following explanations are provided:
1. Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension--Prospective
participants (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 105) are subject to
15 CFR Part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension'' and the
related section of the certification form prescribed above applies.
2. Drug-Free Workplace--Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26,
Section 605) are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, Subpart F, ``Government-
wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related
section of the certification form prescribed above applies.
3. Anti-Lobbying--Persons (as defined at 15 CFR Part 28, Section
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.
4. Anti-Lobbying Disclosures--Any applicant that has paid or will
pay 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 applicants/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 sub-
recipient 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 105-119,
Sections 607 (a) and (b).
Executive Order 12866: It has been determined that this notice is
not significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
The Recipient shall comply with the provisions of the Fly America
Act.
Dated: February 6, 1998.
Courtland Cox,
Acting Director, Minority Business Development Agency.
[FR Doc. 98-3499 Filed 2-11-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-21-P
