[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4884-4885]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-1885]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Minority Business Development Agency


Business Development Center Applications: Ponce, Puerto Rico

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 to operate its Ponce Minority Business 
Development Center (MBDC).
    The purpose of the MBDC Program is to provide business development 
services to the minority business community 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 minority individuals and firms; to offer a full 
range of client services to minority entrepreneurs; and to serve as a 
conduit of information and assistance regarding minority business. The 
MBDC will provide service in the Ponce, Puerto Rico Metropolitan Area. 
The award number of the MBDC will be 02-10-95008-01.

DATES: The closing date for applications is March 1, 1995. Applications 
must be received in the MBDA Headquarters' Executive Secretariat on or 
before March 1, 1995. A pre-application conference will be held on 
February 15, 1995, at 9:00 a.m., at the Atlanta Regional Office, 401 W. 
Peachtree Street, N.W., Suite 1715, Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3516, (404) 
730-3300.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development 
Agency, MBDA Executive Secretariat, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., 
Room 5073, Washington, D.C. 20230, (202) 482-3763.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Robert Henderson, Regional Director 
at (404) 730-3300.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Contingent upon the availability of Federal 
funds, the cost of performance for the first budget period (13 months) 
from June 1, 1995 to June 30, 1996, is estimated at $222,196. The total 
Federal amount is $188,867 and is composed of $184,260 plus the Audit 
Fee amount of $4,607. The application must include a minimum cost share 
of 15%, $33,329 in non-federal (cost -sharing) contributions for a 
total project cost of $222,196. Cost-sharing contributions may be in 
the form of cash, client fees, third party in-kind contributions, non-
cash applicant contributions or combinations thereof.
    The funding instrument for this project will be a cooperative 
agreement. For those applicants who are not incumbent organizations or 
who are incumbents that have experienced closure due to a break in 
service, a 30-day start-up period will be added to their first budget 
period, making it a 13-month award. Competition is open to individuals, 
non-profit and for-profit organizations, state and local governments, 
American Indian tribes and educational institutions.
    Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: the 
knowledge, background and/or 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 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 MBDA 
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. Periodic 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 MBDC's performance, the 
availability of funds and Agency priorities.
    The MBDC shall be required to contribute at least 15% of the total 
project cost through non-Federal contributions. To assist in this 
effort, the MBDC may charge client fees for services rendered. Fees may 
range from $10 to $60 per hour based on the gross receipts of the 
client's business.
    Anticipated processing time of this award is 120 days. Executive 
order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' is not 
applicable to this program. Federal funds for this project include 
audit funds for non-CPA recipients. In event that a CPA firm wins the 
competition, the funds allocated for audits are not applicable. 
Questions concerning the preceding information can be answered by the 
[[Page 4885]] contact person indicated above, and copies of application 
kits and applicable regulations can be obtained at the above address. 
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.
    Awards under this program shall be subject to all Federal laws, and 
Federal and Departmental regulations, policies, and procedures 
applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.

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, 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 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.

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, Section 
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, 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.

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.

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).

11.800  Minority Business Development Center

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance)

    Dated: January 20, 1995.
Melvin A. Jackson,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business 
Development Agency.
[FR Doc. 95-1885 Filed 1-24-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-21-P