[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 2, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30037-30039]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-14531]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
[No. 981-0158]
Notice Inviting Applications to the Presidential Awards for
Excellence in Microenterprise Development
AGENCY: Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, Treasury.
ACTION: Notice inviting applications.
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SUMMARY: The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Microenterprise
Development (``Microenterprise Awards'') is a non-monetary awards
program created as a result of one of the commitments made by the
United States at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
held in Beijing, China in September 1995. As a key development finance
initiative of the Administration, the Community Development Financial
Institutions Fund (``Fund'') of the U.S. Department of the Treasury was
selected to administer the Microenterprise Awards Program. The
Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 1994
(12 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.) created the Fund to promote economic
revitalization and community development through investment in
community development financial institutions. This Notice provides
guidance on the Microenterprise Awards Program requirements, selection
criteria and how to obtain an application packet.
DATES: Applications are currently being accepted by the Fund. The
deadline for receipt of an application is 6 p.m. EDT, July 31, 1998.
Applications received in the office of the Fund after that date and
time will be returned to the sender. Applications sent electronically
or by facsimile will not be accepted.
ADDRESSES: Applications shall be sent to: Awards Manager, the Community
Development Financial Institutions Fund, U.S. Department of the
Treasury, 601 Thirteenth Street, NW., Washington DC 20005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Microenterprise Awards Program
Manager, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, U.S.
Department of the Treasury, 601 Thirteenth Street, NW., Suite 200
South, Washington DC 20005, (202) 622-8662. (This is not a toll free
number.) If you have any questions about this Notice or the application
packet, you may call or write to the Fund at the above telephone number
or address, or you may send questions via facsimile to (202) 622-7754.
To request an application packet, please send by facsimile a written
request which includes the name of the requester, the organization,
mailing address, telephone number and facsimile number. Requests for an
application packet should be sent by facsimile to (202) 622-7754.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Microenterprise
Development (``Microenterprise Awards'') were created to recognize the
important and growing role of microenterprises within the economy of
the United States. In the past decade, the number of microenterprises
and Microentrepreneurs has grown significantly, as well as the number
of community development organizations that have worked to facilitate
the growth and development of this Microenterprise industry. A
microenterprise is a sole proprietorship, partnership, family business
or an incorporated entity that has no more than five employees,
including the owner(s), does not generally have access to the
commercial banking sector, and has use for and/or seeks a loan of
$25,000 or less. The Microenterprise Awards reflect a national
commitment to advance the role that microenterprise development plays
in enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities for all Americans,
particularly women, low income people, and others that have had
difficulty gaining access to the financial services industry and the
economic mainstream. By recognizing outstanding microenterprise
development and support organizations, the Microenterprise Awards'
mission is to advance an understanding of ``best practices'' in the
field of microenterprise development and bring wider public attention
to the important successes of microenterprise development in the United
States. Awards are non-monetary and given annually. They are available
in different categories designed to reflect the diverse activities,
purposes and challenges faced by the microenterprise industry.
II. Definitions
(a) Low Income means having an income of no more than 80 percent of
the area median family income.
(b) Microenterprise Development Organization (MDO) means a
``practitioner'' organization that works directly with
Microentrepreneurs and meets three tests, primary purpose, domestic
program and program activities.
(i) Primary Purpose. The organization must have a primary purpose
of promoting Microenterprise development. An applicant will be
considered to have such a primary purpose if it:
(A) Has been in operation for at least two complete calendar or
fiscal years;
(B) Made at least one Micro Loan to a Microenterprise within the
past 12-months; and
(C) Has targeted its efforts principally to activities that support
Microentrepreneurs. Such activity targeting may be evaluated by the
number of Microentrepreneurs served, number of Micro Loans made, the
total dollar amount of Micro Loans made, or other criteria deemed
appropriate by the Fund. The primary purpose requirement will be
applied to the applicant as a whole or an affiliate, division or a
discrete program of a larger organization, as deemed appropriate by the
Fund.
(ii) Domestic Program. The organization must exclusively serve or
have a program that exclusively serves
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individuals that are residents of the United States, including the
District of Columbia, or any territory of the United States, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Trust
Territories of the Pacific Islands, the Virgin Islands, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(iii) Program Activities. The organization must currently provide
the following services to Microentrepreneurs:
(A) Access to Micro Loans, directly or through a formal
partnership, as evidenced by a written agreement or letter of
understanding, with another organization; and
(B) Access to training, counseling or technical assistance,
directly or through a formal partnership, as evidenced by a written
agreement or letter of understanding, with another organization. Such
training, counseling or technical assistance must provide assistance to
Microentrepreneurs for the purpose of enhancing business planning,
marketing, management, financial management, or other aspects of
developing a successful business.
(c) Microenterprise Support Organization (MSO) means an entity that
does not work directly with Microentrepreneurs but supports the efforts
of MDOs through financial or technical assistance, research or other
activities. An MSO shall either:
(i) Provide financial or technical assistance directly to MDOs; or
(ii) Make contributions indirectly to the field of MDOs through
research or other activities that enhance the knowledge, capacity, or
visibility of the Microenterprise field.
Further, an MSO shall not provide services directly to
Microentrepreneurs as its principal line of business.
(d) Micro Loan means a loan made for business purposes to a
Microentrepreneur in a principal amount which does not exceed $25,000.
A loan for business purposes does not include a loan made for the
purpose of the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of real
estate.
(e) Microenterprise means a sole proprietorship, partnership,
family business, or an incorporated entity that has no more than five
employees, including the owner(s), does not generally have access to
the commercial banking sector, and has use for and/or seeks a loan of
$25,000 or less.
(f) Microentrepreneur means the owner of a Microenterprise or an
individual seeking to establish a Microenterprise.
(g) Poverty means the state or condition of being poor as defined
by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
III. Award Categories
The Microenterprise Awards Program consists of five categories in
which awards may be given. The award categories are intended to embrace
the diverse activities and purposes of Microenterprise development and
the key opportunities and challenges faced by the Microenterprise
field. Up to two awards may be made in each award category. Applicants
may apply under only one award category each year. The award categories
are as follows:
(a) Excellence in Providing Access to Capital. This award category
recognizes MDOs that have achieved outstanding success in broadening
the availability of credit to Microentrepreneurs through the provision
of Micro Loans or Micro Loan guarantees;
(b) Excellence in Developing Entrepreneurial Skills. This award
category recognizes MDOs that have demonstrated effectiveness in
building entrepreneurial skills through providing training, technical
assistance or other skill development activities that help develop
successful Microentrepreneurs;
(c) Excellence in Poverty Alleviation. This award category
recognizes MDOs that have developed effective and innovative strategies
or methods of alleviating poverty and/or improving the well being of
Low Income individuals through the development of Microentrepreneurs.
(Applicants in this category need not work exclusively with Low Income
clients. However, this category is intended to recognize programs that
target a significant portion of their efforts to serve Low Income
clients.);
(d) Excellence in Program Innovation. This award category
recognizes MDOs that best reflect a new level of development for the
Microenterprise field and/or a new strategy for addressing a problem of
significant concern to the Microenterprise field; and
(e) Excellence in Public or Private Support for Microenterprise
Development. This award category recognizes outstanding MSOs that have
provided significant or innovative support to MDOs or the development
of the Microenterprise field.
IV. Eligibility
The eligibility requirements of the Microenterprise Awards are
established by each award category. MDOs are eligible to apply under
the following categories: Excellence in Providing Access to Capital;
Excellence in Developing Entrepreneurial Skills; Excellence in Poverty
Alleviation; and Excellence in Program Innovation. MSOs are eligible to
apply under the Excellence in Public or Private Support for
Microenterprise Development award category. If an applicant has
previously received an award in a specific award category, such
applicant is ineligible to apply for an award in the same category for
a period of three years. (For example, a 1997 award winner in a
category cannot apply for an award in that same category until the year
2000.)
V. Selection Process and Criteria
Winners of the Microenterprise Awards will be selected through a
competitive application and review process. Each award category has a
set of ``category specific'' criteria that will be used to evaluate the
extent of an applicant's achievement of excellence. In addition, all
applicants will be evaluated using ``organization'' criteria which will
gauge their viability and overall condition. Successful applicants must
demonstrate both qualitatively and quantitatively their effectiveness
and/or excellence under both the category-specific and the organization
selection criteria.
The Microenterprise Awards application packet includes application
forms and questions that are tailored to each award category. The
category-specific criteria are summarized below:
(a) Excellence in Providing Access to Capital: scope and scale;
impact; program design effectiveness; quality; and sustainability.
(b) Excellence in Developing Entrepreneurial Skills: scope and
scale; impact; program design effectiveness; and creativity.
(c) Excellence in Poverty Alleviation: scope and scale; impact;
program design effectiveness; and extent of targeting.
(d) Excellence in Program Innovation: scope and scale; impact;
program design effectiveness; creativity; and relevance to the
industry.
(e) Excellence in Public or Private Support for Microenterprise
Development: scope and scale; impact; program design effectiveness;
creativity; and commitment.
The ``organization'' criteria for the Excellence in Providing
Access to Capital, Excellence in Developing Entrepreneurial Skills,
Excellence in Poverty Alleviation, and Excellence in Program Innovation
award categories are: financial health and organizational strength;
program management and implementation; replicability; and leadership.
The ``organization'' evaluation criteria for the Excellence in Public
or Private Support for Microenterprise Development award category are
program implementation, replicability, and leadership. The
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category specific and organization criteria are fully discussed in the
application materials which can be obtained from the Fund.
Authority: Pub. L. 103-325, 108 Stat. 2166, 2189 (12 U.S.C.
4703); chapter X, Pub. L. 104-19, 109 Stat. 237 (12 U.S.C. 4703
note).
Dated: May 28, 1998.
Ellen Lazar,
Director, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
[FR Doc. 98-14531 Filed 6-1-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-70-P
