[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 164 (Thursday, August 25, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-20586]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 25, 1994]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
 

Business for Russia

ACTION: Notice--request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: The Russia/Eurasia Division of the Office of Citizen Exchanges 
of the United States Information Agency's Bureau of Education and 
Cultural Affairs announces an open competition for an assistance award 
program. Public or private non-profit organizations meeting the 
provisions described in IRS regulation 501(c)(3) may apply to conduct 
at least three five-week, U.S.-based internship programs for Russian 
business people and local government officials. A minimum of ten 
Russian participants must be included in each internship cycle. 
Programs may not begin any earlier than March 1995. Pending the 
availability of funds, the program may be extended through December 
1997.
    This program is a continuation of a pilot project conducted in 1994 
and seeks to provide Russian business people with knowledge of a market 
economy and promote a supportive business environment for the 
participants upon their return to Russia. The participants will be 
recruited, through an open and competitive process, from selected 
regions of Russia and will begin arriving in the United States in March 
1995.
    Overall grant making authority for this program is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, 
Public Law 87-256, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of 
the Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries * * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interests, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations * * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.''
    Programs and projects must conform with Agency requirements and 
guidelines outlined in the Application Package. USIA projects and 
programs are subject to the availability of funds.

ANNOUNCEMENT NAME AND NUMBER: All communications with USIA concerning 
this announcement should refer to the above title and reference number 
E/P-95-15.

DATES: Deadline for proposals: All copies must be received at the U.S. 
Information Agency by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on Friday, October 
15, 1994. Faxed documents will not be accepted, nor will documents 
postmarked on October 14 but received at a later date. It is the 
responsibility of each applicant to ensure that proposals are received 
by the above deadline.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kathie Guroff or Gene Draschner, Office of Citizen Exchanges (E/PN), 
Rm. 216, U.S. Information Agency, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20547, telephone: (202) 401-6884, fax: (202) 260-0437, internet 
addresses: [email protected], [email protected] to request an 
Application Package, which includes more detailed award criteria; all 
application forms; and guidelines for preparing proposals, including 
specific criteria for preparation of the proposal budget. Please 
specify USIA Program Officers Kathie Guroff or Gene Draschner on all 
inquiries and correspondences. Interested applicants should read the 
complete Federal Register announcement before addressing inquiries to 
the Office of Citizen Exchanges or submitting their proposals. Once the 
RFP deadline has passed, the Office of Citizen Exchanges may not 
discuss this competition in any way with applicants until after the 
Bureau proposal review process has been completed.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must follow all instructions given in the 
Application Package and send only complete applications to: U.S. 
Information Agency, Ref.: E/P-95-15, Office of Grants Management, E/XE, 
Room 336, 301 4th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20547.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing 
legislation, programs must maintain a non-political character and 
should be balanced and representative of the diversity of American 
political, social, and cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be 
interpreted in the broadest sense and encompass differences including 
but not limited to race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-
economic status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly 
encouraged to adhere to the advancement of this principle.

Overview

    The ``Business for Russia'' program has been developed in full 
partnership with the Russian Government and various Russian 
organizations. It has been designed as a working partnership between 
U.S. federal, state, and local governments, NGOs, and private 
enterprises and their counterpart institutions in Russia. Pending the 
availability of fund, approximately 1,000 Russian business people and 
local government officials will be recruited from selected regions of 
Russia through an open competition coordinated in Russia by an 
experienced, Moscow-based U.S. grantee organization in conjunction with 
the Russian government and Russian partner organizations. Participants 
will be screened for proficiency in English prior to final selection. 
Operating in accordance with guidelines established by USIA, the 
recruitment/selection organization will also cooperate with the U.S. 
Embassy, Peace Corps, American private organizations and businesses, 
and the Russian government and business organizations to select Russian 
participants.
    This announcement seeks American grantee organizations to organize 
and implement business internships in the United States that will 
enhance the Russians' ability to develop their own businesses upon 
returning to Russia. USIA is interested in proposals that provide a 
professional business experience and, secondarily, expose the 
participants to American life and culture. USIA is not interested in 
programs that are academic in nature; this program is designed to 
provide practical, hands-on training in the American business 
environment that can be transferred to the individual's employment 
situation in Russia.

Participant Profile

    Russian participants will be predominantly business managers in 
existing small or medium-sized firms and entrepreneurs who manage their 
own businesses, mostly in the 25-40 age group. A small number of local 
government officials may also be recruited for participation in the 
program. All participants will be required to have a working knowledge 
of English. Depending on the results of this selection process, the 
Agency may request that the U.S.-based grantee organizations modify the 
number of individual interns assigned to their local region to meet the 
demands of the program. The Office of Citizen Exchanges will be 
responsible for matching interns with the appropriate US host 
organizations.
    Interns will be placed in geographic ``clusters'' in the U.S. 
(i.e., areas within two hours' driving time of a central meeting point) 
in order to maximize local resources and strengthen the effectiveness 
of all aspects of the training program. Every effort will be made to 
group the interns by Russian region of origin in order to permit them 
to share common experiences and to develop networks and professional 
associations upon their return home. Proposals should explain how the 
grantee organizations will utilize the cluster to improve Russians' 
exchange experience.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Participants will 
be covered by the Agency's self-insurance policy.

Proposed Budget

    Organizations must submit a comprehensive line item budget based on 
the specific guidance provided in the Budget Guidelines section of the 
Application Package. Grants awarded to eligible organizations with less 
than four years of experience in conducting international exchange 
programs will be limited to $60,000. Allowable costs for the program 
include the following:
    (1) International and domestic air fares; transit costs; ground 
transportation costs.
    (2) Housing. Participants are to be housed with volunteer US 
homestay families. There are no provisions for reimbursing homestay 
families for their hosting costs. Participants may be housed in hotels 
for a maximum of five nights, at a rate not to exceed $100/night.
    (3) Per diems. Participants may be compensated for meals and 
incidental expenses a rate not to exceed $25/day for the duration of 
the program.
    (4) Book and Cultural Allowances. Participants are entitled to a 
one-time book allowance payment of $150 and a cultural allowance of 
$100 per person. Accompanying staff are not eligible for these 
benefits.
    (5) Consultants. Consultants may be used to provide specialized 
expertise or to make presentations. Daily honoraria may not exceed 
$250/day.
    (6) Room rental. Generally not to exceed $250/day.
    (7) One working meal per project. Per capita costs may not exceed 
$15-20 for a lunch and $20-30 for a dinner. The number of invited 
guests may not exceed the number of participants by more than a factor 
of two. This includes room rental if applicable.
    (8) Administrative costs. The costs necessary for the effective 
administration of the program, including salaries for grant 
organization employees; staff travel for local community organizers; 
benefits and other indirect costs, per detailed instructions in the 
Application package.
    Cost-sharing and enhancement of the basic package provided by USIA 
is encouraged. The Agency reserves the right to reduce, revise, or 
increase the proposal budget in accordance with the needs of the 
program. Please refer to the Application Package for complete budget 
guidelines.

Review Process

    USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them 
for technical eligibility. Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they 
do not fully adhere to the guidelines stated herein and in the 
Application Package. Eligible proposals will be forwarded to panels of 
USIA officers for advisory review. All eligible proposals will also be 
reviewed by the budget and contracts offices, as well as the USIA 
Office of Eastern Europe and the NIS and the USIA post in Russia. 
Proposals may also be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or 
by other Agency elements. Funding decisions are at the discretion of 
the USIA Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Final 
technical authority for grant awards resides with the USIA grants 
officer.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the following criteria:
    1. Quality of the program idea: Proposals should exhibit 
originality, substance, precision, and relevance to Agency mission.
    2. Program planning and ability to achieve program objectives: The 
proposal should clearly show how the grantee institution will meet the 
program's objectives. The proposal should include a detailed agenda and 
work plan that illustrate logistical capacity. The project content 
should be substantive and the planned execution realistic.
    3. Institutional ability/record: Interested institutions should 
demonstrate their potential for program excellence and/or provide 
documentation of successful programs. If an organization is a previous 
USIA grant recipient, responsible fiscal management and full compliance 
with all reporting requirements from past Agency grants, as determined 
by USIA's Office of Contracts (M/KG), will be considered. Pertinent 
evaluation results of previous projects are a part of this assessment.
    4. Thematic and area expertise: Proposals should reflect the 
institution's expertise in the subject area and should address the 
specific issues of concern facing the Russian Federation.
    5. Project personnel: Personnel's thematic and logistical expertise 
should be relevant to the proposed program. Resumes should be suited to 
the specific proposal and no longer than two pages.
    6. Cross-cultural sensitivity: Proposals should show evidence of 
sensitivity to historical, linguistic, and other cross-cultural 
factors, as well as appropriate knowledge of Russia's geography, and 
should show how this sensitivity will be used in practical aspects of 
the program, such as pre-departure orientations or briefing of American 
hosts.
    7. Multiplier effect/follow-on activities: Proposed programs should 
strengthen long-term mutual understanding, to include maximum sharing 
of information and establishment of long-term institutional and 
individual ties. Proposals should also reflect an institutional 
commitment for continued exchange activity beyond the term of the USIA 
grant.
    8. Cost-effectiveness/cost-sharing: The overhead and administrative 
components should be kept as low as possible. Costs to USIA per 
exchange participant should be reasonable, and all items proposed for 
USIA funding must be necessary and appropriate to achieve the program's 
objectives. Proposals should maximize cost-sharing through other 
private sector support as well as direct funding contributions and/or 
in-kind support from the prospective grantee institution.
    9. Project evaluation: Proposals should include a plan to evaluate 
the project's success.
    10. Support of diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
recipient's commitment to promoting the awareness and understanding of 
diversity throughout the program. This can be accomplished through 
documentation (such as a written statement or account) summarizing past 
and/or on-going activities and efforts that further the principle of 
diversity within both their organization and their activities.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Agency that contradicts published language will not be 
binding.
    Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on the 
part of the Government. The needs of the program may require the award 
to be reduced, revised, or increased. Final awards cannot be made until 
funds have been appropriated by Congress, allocated and committed 
through internal USIA procedures.

Notification

    All applicants will be notified of the results of the review 
process on or about January 16, 1995. Awards made will be subject to 
periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.

    Dated: August 17, 1994.
John P. Loiello,
Associate Director, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 94-20586 Filed 8-24-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M