[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 88 (Monday, May 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20242-20244]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11247]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket No. 950519137-6100-02]
RIN 0693-XX08


Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of availability of funds.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
invites proposals from qualified organizations for funding projects to 
provide manufacturing extension services to small- and medium-sized 
manufacturers in the United States. NIST will provide assistance for 
the creation and support of manufacturing extension centers in 
accordance with the provisions of Section 5121 of the Omnibus Trade and 
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-418), codified in 15 U.S.C. 
278k, and final rule 15 CFR part 290 published September 17, 1990 and 
amendment published May 2, 1994.
    Manufacturing extension centers must be affiliated with a U.S.-
based not-for-profit institution or organization. Support may be 
provided for a period not to exceed six years. Support beyond the 
initial award is dependent upon satisfactory performance and the 
availability of funds. Applicants are required to provide 50% or more 
of the operating costs for providing these manufacturing extension 
services in year 1 through 3 and an increasing percentage in years 4 
through 6.

DATES: Proposals from qualified applicants must be received at the 
address below by 5 p.m. EDST, July 8, 1996. Selection of awards will be 
made in September 1996.

ADDRESSES: Applicants must submit one signed original and six (6) 
copies of their proposal along with a Standard Form 424, 424-A, and 
424-B (Rev 4-92), Form CD-511 and Form SF-LLL to the Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership, Building 301, Room C121, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001. Plainly mark on 
the outside of the package that it contains a manufacturing extension 
center proposal.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

[[Page 20243]]

For information regarding this announcement, contact Roger Kilmer of 
the Manufacturing Extension Partnership by calling (301) 975-5020; or 
by mailing information requests to the Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership, Building 301, Room C121, National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20899-0001. Information 
packets, which include background materials on MEP, existing centers 
and the necessary application forms, should be requested via a one page 
fax sent to (301) 963-6556. Please include name, organization, mailing 
address, telephone number, and fax number on this request.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

    The catalog number for the award of Manufacturing Technology 
Centers funds in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance is 11.611.

Funding Availability

    It is anticipated that approximately $20,000,000 will be available 
to support manufacturing extension centers under their program. The 
funding level for individual awards is not prescribed. The funding 
requested by the applicant should be directly related to the level of 
activity of the center, which is a function of the number of 
manufacturers in the designated service region, and to the availability 
of applicant-provided cash and in-kind contributions to be used as cost 
share.

Award Period

    The projects awarded under this program will have an initial 
performance period of one year. These projects are renewable on an 
annual basis up to a maximum of six (6) years subject to the review 
requirements described in 15 CFR 290.8. Renewal of these projects shall 
be at the sole discretion of NIST and shall be based upon satisfactory 
performance, priority of the need for the service, existing legislative 
authority, and availability of funds.

Additional Requirements

    (a) Federal policies and procedures. Recipients and sub-recipients 
are subject to all Federal laws and Federal and NIST policies, 
regulations, and procedures applicable to Federal financial assistance 
awards. Applicants under this program are not subject to the 
requirements of Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of 
Federal Programs''.
    (b) No obligation for future funding. If an application is selected 
for funding, the Department of Commerce has no obligation to provide 
any additional future funding in connection with that award. Renewal of 
an award to increase funding or to extend the period of performance is 
a the total discretion of the Department of Commerce.
    (c) Indirect costs. The total dollar amount of the indirect cost 
proposed in an application under this program must not exceed the 
indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal 
agency prior to the proposed effective date of the award or 100 percent 
of the total proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, 
whichever is less.
    (d) Pre-award activities If applicants incur any costs prior to an 
award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not being 
reimbursed by the Government. Applicants are also hereby notified that 
notwithstanding any written or verbal assurance that they may have 
received, there is no obligation on the part of NIST to cover pre-award 
costs.
    (e) Delinquent Federal debts. No award of Federal funds shall be 
made to an applicant who has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt 
until either:
    (1) The delinquent account is paid in full;
    (2) A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one 
payment is received; or
    (3) Other arrangements satisfactory to NIST are made.
    (f) Past performance. Unsatisfactory performance under prior 
Federal awards may result in an application not being considered for 
funding.
    (g) Name check review. All non-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.
    (h) Primary applicant certification. All primary applicants must 
submit a completed Form CD-511, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, 
Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace 
Requirements and Lobbying,'' and the following explanations are hereby 
provided.
    (1) 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;
    (2) Drug-free workplace. Recipients (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;
    (3) 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; and
    (4) 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.
    (i) Lower tier certifications. Recipients shall require applicants/
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 NIST. SF-LLL 
submitted by any tier recipient or subrecipient should be submitted to 
NIST in accordance with the instructions contained in the award 
document.
    (j) False statements. A false statement on an application 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.
    (k) American-made equipment and products. Applicants are hereby 
notified that they are encouraged, to the greatest extent practicable, 
to purchase American-made equipment and products with the funding 
provided under this program in accordance with Congressional intent.
    (l) North American Free Trade Agreement Patent Notification 
Procedures. Pursuant to Executive Order 12889, the Department of 
Commerce (DoC) is required to notify the owner of

[[Page 20244]]

any valid patent covering technology whenever the DoC or its financial 
assistance recipient, without making a patent search, knows (or has 
demonstrable reasonable grounds to know) that technology covered by a 
valid United States patent has been or will be used without a license 
from the owner. Applicants selected for awards under this program are 
required to comply with this executive order.
    (m) Paperwork Reduction Act. This notice contains collection of 
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 
which have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB 
Control Number 0693-0005, 0348-0043 and 0348-0044). Notwithstanding any 
other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor 
shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a 
collection of information, subject to the requirements of the PRA, 
unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
Control Number.

    Dated: April 30, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-11247 Filed 5-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-M