[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