2023-16901. Information Collection: NASA Small Business Mentor Protégé Program

AGENCY:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION:

Reinstatement of expired information collection.

SUMMARY:

NASA is proposing to amend the NASA Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (NFS) to reflect updates to NASA's Mentor Protégé Program (MPP) including: the requirement of Small Business Specialists' concurrence on the signed letter of endorsement; requirements associated with credit received towards subcontracting goals; the change of the MPP reporting requirement from semi-annually to annually; identified the NASA Mentor Protégé Program Office; and clerical, semantic improvements. NASA also proposes to amend the NFS language to reflect the annual negotiation of its small business percentage goals. Lastly, the NFS will be amended to emphasize collaboration amongst representatives from the Office of Small Business Programs, Office of Procurement, and Program Offices to reduce barriers to entry and to opportunities for all small business concerns and Historically Black Colleges and Universities or Minority Institutions.

DATES:

Comments are due by September 7, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for this information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions should be directed to Bill Edwards-Bodmer, NASA Clearance Officer, NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street SW, JF0000, Washington, DC 20546, 757–864–7998, or [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Abstract

NASA is proposing to revise the NFS to add new text that: requires concurrence of the Small Business Specialist on the signed letter of endorsement for the MPP; adds requirements associated with credit received towards subcontracting goals; changes the reporting requirement from semi-annually to annually; and makes clerical and other semantic improvements. This proposed rule contains information collection requirements requiring the approval of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). As part of this proposed rule, NASA is also requesting comments on the reinstatement with change of a collection, OMB 2700–0078, NASA Mentor-Protégé Program Small Business and Small Disadvantaged Business Concerns Report.

NASA, in coordination with its Office of Small Business Programs, initiated this proposed rule and is proposing to reinstate this collection to decrease the collection requirement from semi- annual to annual. NASA conducts semi- annual Mentor Protégé performance reviews, which are more effective in tracking milestones over the life of the agreement than the submission of semi- annual reports. This change will reduce the reporting requirement on small businesses from semi-annual to annual and still capture necessary information from the semi-annual performance reviews.

7. Methods of Collection

NASA uses electronic methods to collect information from collection respondents.

8. Data

Title: NASA Mentor-Protégé Program.

OMB Number: 2700–0078.

Type of review: Reinstatement.

Affected Public: Small businesses.

Estimated Annual Number of Activities: 1.

Estimated Number of Respondents per Activity: 10.

Annual Responses: 10.

Estimated Time per Response: 1.5 hrs.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 15.

9. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of NASA, including whether the information collected has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of NASA's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including automated collection techniques or the use of other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection. They will also become a matter of public record.

William Edwards-Bodmer,

NASA PRA Clearance Officer.