[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 178 (Thursday, September 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48129-48131]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23400]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Business Development Center Application: State of South Carolina
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 under its Minority Business Development Center
(MBDC) program to operate a Statewide Minority Business Development
Center (SMBDC) for approximately a 3-year period, subject to agency
priorities, recipient performance and the availability of funds.
The SMBDC will provide business development services to both South
Carolina's urban and rural minority business communities 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 rural minority individuals and firms; to
offer a full range of management and technical assistance to both urban
and rural minority entrepreneurs; and to serve as a conduit of
information and assistance regarding minority business.
The SMBDC will operate throughout the State of South Carolina. The
headquarters of the SMBDC will be located in Columbia, South Carolina.
The award number for this SMBDC will be 04-10-97002-01.
DATES: The closing date for applications is October 15, 1996.
Applications must be received in the MBDA Headquarters' Executive
Secretariat on or before October 15, 1996. A pre-application conference
to assist all interested applicants will be held on October 2, 1996, at
9:00 a.m., at the following address: U.S. Department of Commerce,
Minority Business Development Agency, 401 West Peachtree Street, N.W.,
Room 1715, Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3516.
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, telephone number (202) 482-3763.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND AN APPLICATION PACKAGE, CONTACT: Robert
Henderson, Regional Director, Atlanta Regional Office, (404) 730-3300.
Proper identification is required for entrance into any Federal
Building.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Contingent upon the availability of Federal
funds, the cost of performance for the first budget period (13 months)
from January 1, 1997 to January 31, 1998, is estimated at $818,277. A
30-day start-up period will be added to the first budget period, making
it a 13-month award. The application must include a minimum cost-share
of $122,742, (15%) of the total project cost, through non-Federal
contributions. The Federal share, to be in the amount of $695,535,
includes $17,388 for an annual audit fee. Cost-sharing may be in the
form of cash contributions, client fees, in-kind contributions or
combinations thereof.
The funding instrument for this project will be a cooperative
agreement. Competition is open to individuals, non-profit and for-
profit organizations, state and local governments, American
[[Page 48130]]
Indian tribes and educational institutions.
Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: the
experience and capabilities of the firm and its staff in addressing the
needs of the business community in general and, specifically, the
special needs of minority businesses, individuals and organizations (45
points); the resources available to the firm in providing both rural
and urban 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 MBDC
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.
The SMBDC shall be required to contribute at least 15% of the total
project cost through non-Federal contributions. To assist in this
effort, the SMBDC may charge client fees for management and technical
assistance (M&TA) rendered. Fees may range from $10 to $60 per hour
based on the gross receipts of the client's business.
If an application is selected for funding, DOC has no obligation to
provide any additional future funding beyond the initial 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 Departmental regulations,
policies and procedures applicable to Federal assistance awards.
Quarterly 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 SMBDC's performance, the availability of funds and
Agency priorities.
Anticipated processing time of this award is 120 days. Executive
Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs'', is not
applicable to this program. 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.
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, 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 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, Sec. 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,
Sec. 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, Sec. 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).
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 11.800 Minority
Business Development Center)
[[Page 48131]]
Dated: September 9, 1996.
Donald L. Powers,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business Development Agency.
[FR Doc. 96-23400 Filed 9-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-21-P
