[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 88 (Monday, May 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20242-20244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11247]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 950519137-6100-02]
RIN 0693-XX08
Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.
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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
invites proposals from qualified organizations for funding projects to
provide manufacturing extension services to small- and medium-sized
manufacturers in the United States. NIST will provide assistance for
the creation and support of manufacturing extension centers in
accordance with the provisions of Section 5121 of the Omnibus Trade and
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-418), codified in 15 U.S.C.
278k, and final rule 15 CFR part 290 published September 17, 1990 and
amendment published May 2, 1994.
Manufacturing extension centers must be affiliated with a U.S.-
based not-for-profit institution or organization. Support may be
provided for a period not to exceed six years. Support beyond the
initial award is dependent upon satisfactory performance and the
availability of funds. Applicants are required to provide 50% or more
of the operating costs for providing these manufacturing extension
services in year 1 through 3 and an increasing percentage in years 4
through 6.
DATES: Proposals from qualified applicants must be received at the
address below by 5 p.m. EDST, July 8, 1996. Selection of awards will be
made in September 1996.
ADDRESSES: Applicants must submit one signed original and six (6)
copies of their proposal along with a Standard Form 424, 424-A, and
424-B (Rev 4-92), Form CD-511 and Form SF-LLL to the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership, Building 301, Room C121, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001. Plainly mark on
the outside of the package that it contains a manufacturing extension
center proposal.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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For information regarding this announcement, contact Roger Kilmer of
the Manufacturing Extension Partnership by calling (301) 975-5020; or
by mailing information requests to the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership, Building 301, Room C121, National Institute of Standards
and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-0001. Information
packets, which include background materials on MEP, existing centers
and the necessary application forms, should be requested via a one page
fax sent to (301) 963-6556. Please include name, organization, mailing
address, telephone number, and fax number on this request.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
The catalog number for the award of Manufacturing Technology
Centers funds in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is 11.611.
Funding Availability
It is anticipated that approximately $20,000,000 will be available
to support manufacturing extension centers under their program. The
funding level for individual awards is not prescribed. The funding
requested by the applicant should be directly related to the level of
activity of the center, which is a function of the number of
manufacturers in the designated service region, and to the availability
of applicant-provided cash and in-kind contributions to be used as cost
share.
Award Period
The projects awarded under this program will have an initial
performance period of one year. These projects are renewable on an
annual basis up to a maximum of six (6) years subject to the review
requirements described in 15 CFR 290.8. Renewal of these projects shall
be at the sole discretion of NIST and shall be based upon satisfactory
performance, priority of the need for the service, existing legislative
authority, and availability of funds.
Additional Requirements
(a) Federal policies and procedures. Recipients and sub-recipients
are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and NIST policies,
regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance
awards. Applicants under this program are not subject to the
requirements of Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs''.
(b) No obligation for future funding. If an application is selected
for funding, the Department of Commerce has no obligation to provide
any additional future funding in connection with that award. Renewal of
an award to increase funding or to extend the period of performance is
a the total discretion of the Department of Commerce.
(c) Indirect costs. The total dollar amount of the indirect cost
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.
(d) Pre-award activities If applicants incur any costs prior to an
award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not being
reimbursed by the Government. Applicants are also hereby notified that
notwithstanding any written or verbal assurance that they may have
received, there is no obligation on the part of NIST to cover pre-award
costs.
(e) Delinquent Federal debts. No award of Federal funds shall be
made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt
until either:
(1) The delinquent account is paid in full;
(2) A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one
payment is received; or
(3) Other arrangements satisfactory to NIST are made.
(f) Past performance. Unsatisfactory performance under prior
Federal awards may result in an application not being considered for
funding.
(g) Name check review. All non-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.
(h) Primary applicant certification. All primary applicants must
submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment,
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace
Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby
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. Recipients (as defined at 15 CFR part 26,
section 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;
(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; and
(4) 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.
(i) 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 NIST. SF-LLL
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to
NIST in accordance with the instructions contained in the award
document.
(j) 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.
(k) American-made equipment and products. Applicants are hereby
notified that they are encouraged, to the greatest extent practicable,
to purchase American-made equipment and products with the funding
provided under this program in accordance with Congressional intent.
(l) North American Free Trade Agreement Patent Notification
Procedures. Pursuant to Executive Order 12889, the Department of
Commerce (DoC) is required to notify the owner of
[[Page 20244]]
any valid patent covering technology whenever the DoC or its financial
assistance recipient, without making a patent search, knows (or has
demonstrable reasonable grounds to know) that technology covered by a
valid United States patent has been or will be used without a license
from the owner. Applicants selected for awards under this program are
required to comply with this executive order.
(m) Paperwork Reduction Act. This notice contains collection of
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
which have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB
Control Number 0693-0005, 0348-0043 and 0348-0044). Notwithstanding any
other provision of the 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.
Dated: April 30, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-11247 Filed 5-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M
