[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 194 (Friday, October 4, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51880-51881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25521]


      
      
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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 194 / Friday, October 4, 1996 / 
Notices  

[[Page 51880]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation
RIN 0551-AA24


Market Access Program FY 1997 Funds Availability

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds for the Fiscal 
Year 1997 Market Access Program (MAP).

DATES: All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard 
Time, Monday, December 16, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 
20250, (202) 720-4327.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that applications 
are being accepted for participation in the Fiscal Year 1997 MAP. The 
MAP is designed to encourage the development, maintenance, and 
expansion of commercial export markets for U.S. agricultural 
commodities through cost-share assistance to eligible trade 
organizations that implement a foreign market development program. 
Financial assistance under this program will be made available on a 
competitive basis and applications will be reviewed against the 
evaluation criteria contained in this announcement. The MAP is 
administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
    In an effort to improve and simplify the administration of the MAP, 
CCC published a notice Federal Register on July 1, 1996, requesting 
comments on the methodology and criteria used by CCC to evaluate and 
allocate funding among applicants. CCC received 18 letters from U.S. 
trade associations, cooperatives, regional trade associations and 
private firms in response to the notice suggesting various evaluation 
criteria. CCC was not able to evaluate many of these comments because 
the comments did not explain the basis for the suggestion or otherwise 
indicate how the criteria should be used to evaluate applications. 
However, there were two recurring suggestions which CCC has adopted and 
incorporated into the allocation process. First, the export performance 
criteria will not be based on a single year, but rather a 3-year 
average across all targeted markets. This will give a more accurate 
picture of exports by avoiding sole reliance on what may be a short-
term market fluctuation. Second, for past participants, CCC will 
consider the 4-year average of a participant's past contributions to 
the program using the actual figures reported in the participant's end-
of-year reports for 1994 and 1995 together with the minimum 
contribution specified in the participant's applications for 1996 and 
1997.

Authority

    This program is authorized under section 203 of the Agricultural 
Trade Act of 1978, as amended. Program regulations are set forth in 7 
CFR part 1485.

Eligible Applicants

    To participate in the MAP, an applicant must be:

--A nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization;
--A nonprofit state regional trade group;
--A U.S. agricultural cooperative;
--A State agency; or
--A U.S. commercial entity that is a small-sized entity (other than a 
cooperative or producer association).

Available Funds

    $90 million of cost-share assistance may be obligated under this 
program announcement to eligible applicants.

Application Process

    In order to be considered, an application must contain the 
information required by the MAP regulations set forth in 7 CFR 1485. 
Incomplete applications and applications that do not otherwise conform 
to this announcement will not be accepted for review. All applications 
must be submitted in triplicate form (an original and two copies). 
Handbooks are available to assist applicants in developing an 
application. To receive an application handbook, contact the Marketing 
Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327.

Review Process

    Following is a description of CCC's process for reviewing 
applications and the criteria for allocating available funds.

(1) Phase I--Sufficiency Committee Review

    Applications received by the closing date will be reviewed by FAS 
to determine the eligibility of the applicants and the completeness of 
the applications. These requirements appear at Sec. 1485.12 and 
Sec. 1485.13 of the MAP regulations.

(2) Phase II--FAS Divisional Review

    Applications which meet the application procedures will then be 
further evaluated by the applicable FAS Commodity Division. The 
Divisions will recommend funding levels for each applicant based on a 
review of the applications and strategic plans against the criteria 
listed in Sec. 1485.14 of the MAP regulations. The purpose of this 
review is to identify meritorious proposals and to suggest an 
appropriate funding level for each application based upon these 
criteria.

(3) Phase III--Competitive Review

    Meritorious applications will then be passed on to the office of 
the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs, for the 
purpose of allocating available funds among the applicants. 
Applications which pass the Divisional Review will compete for funds on 
the basis of the following evaluation criteria (the number in 
parenthesis represents a percentage weight factor):
(a) Applicant's Contribution Level (40)
     A 4-year average of an applicant's contributions for years 
1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 (actual contributions will be used for 1994 
and 1995 as reported in the applicant's end-of-year report and the 
minimum required contributions will be used for 1996 and 1997 as 
specified in the applications) compared to

[[Page 51881]]

     A 4-year average of an applicant's funding level for years 
1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 (actual expenditures will be used for 1994 
and 1995, the program budget ceiling will be used for 1996, and the 
applicant's requested amount will be used for 1997);
(b) Past Performance (30)
     A 3-year average of the value of exports across targeted 
markets for years 1994, 1995 and 1996 compared to
     A 2-year average of an applicant's MAP funding level using 
1995 and 1996 budget ceilings plus, for those groups participating in 
the Cooperator program, a 2-year average of FMD funding levels using 
1995 and 1996 base budgets;
(c) Projected Export Goals (15)
     The total dollar value of projected exports for 1997 
across all targeted markets compared to
     The applicant's requested funding level;
(d) Accuracy of Past Projections (15)
     Actual exports for 1995 as reported in the 1997 MAP 
application compared to
     Past projections of exports for 1995 as specified in the 
1995 MAP application.
    The Commodity Divisions' recommended program levels for each 
participant are converted to a percent of the total MAP funds available 
and multiplied by the total weight factor as described above to 
determine the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.
Closing Date for Applications
    All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard 
Time, Monday, December 16, 1996, at the following address:
    Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural 
Service, Marketing Operations Staff, Room 4932-S, 14th and Independence 
Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-1042.
    Postal Delivery: Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-1042.

    Dated: October 1, 1996.
August Schumacher,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 96-25521 Filed 10-3-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M