[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7750-7752]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3873]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service
RIN 0551-AA26


Announcement of the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program 
for FY 1999

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds for the Fiscal 
Year 1999 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program.

DATES: All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight 
Savings Time, April 20, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20250-1042, (202) 720-4327.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

    The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announces that applications 
are being accepted for participation in the Fiscal Year 1999 Cooperator 
program. The program is intended to create, expand and maintain foreign 
markets for United States agricultural commodities and products. FAS 
administers the Cooperator program and provides cost share assistance 
to eligible trade organizations to implement approved market 
development activities. Financial assistance under this program will be 
made available on a competitive basis and applications will be reviewed 
against the evaluation criteria contained herein.

Background

    Under the Cooperator program, FAS enters into Market Development 
Project Agreements with nonprofit U.S. trade organizations. FAS enters 
into these agreements with those nonprofit U.S. trade organizations 
that have the broadest possible producer representation of the 
commodity being promoted and gives priority to those organizations that 
are nationwide in membership and scope. Program participants may not, 
during the term of their agreement with FAS, make export sales of the 
agricultural commodity being promoted or charge fees for facilitating 
an export sale if promotional activities designed to result in that 
specific sale are supported by Cooperator program funds.
    Market Development Project Agreements involve the promotion of 
agricultural commodities on a generic basis and, therefore, do not 
involve activities targeted directly toward individual consumers. 
Approved activities contribute to the maintenance or growth of demand 
for the agricultural commodities and generally address long-term 
foreign import constraints by focusing on matters such as:
     Reducing infra-structural or historical market 
impediments;
     Improving processing capabilities;
     Modifying codes and standards; and
     Identifying new markets or new applications or uses for 
the agricultural commodity or product in the foreign market.

Authority

    The Cooperator program is authorized by Title VII of the 
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, 7 U.S.C. 5721, et seq. Program 
regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1550.

Application Process

    The FAS administers various agricultural export assistance 
programs, including the Cooperator program, the Market Access Program 
(MAP), Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging Markets Program, Section 108, 
and several Export Credit Guarantee programs. Until now, organizations 
interested in receiving assistance under any of these FAS-administered 
programs were asked to submit their requests at varying times 
throughout the year. In an effort to facilitate the strategic planning 
process of Cooperator program applicant organizations, as well as that 
of the Federal government, FAS has unified and simplified the 
application process for its agricultural export assistance programs.
    Beginning with this announcement, organizations which are 
interested in applying for Cooperator program funds will have the 
opportunity to incorporate multiple requests for assistance into a 
single Unified Export Strategy (UES) proposal. The suggested UES format 
permits the submission of a consolidated and strategically coordinated 
proposal including not only Cooperator program applications, but also 
requests for assistance under virtually all other FAS marketing 
programs, financial assistance programs, and market access programs. 
The suggested UES framework encourages applicants to examine the 
constraints or barriers to trade they face, identify activities which 
would help overcome such impediments, consider the entire pool of 
complementary marketing tools and program resources, and establish 
realistic export goals.

[[Page 7751]]

    The UES handbook, including the suggested format, instructions, and 
a sample application, may be obtained in a paper copy or on a diskette 
by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327, or it 
can be downloaded from the FAS Home Page at the following URL address: 
http://www.fas.usda.gov/agexport/ues/unified.html.
    In order to be considered for the Cooperator program, an applicant 
must submit to FAS information related to the allocation criteria 
considered by FAS as described in this notice. Incomplete applications 
and applications that do not otherwise conform to this announcement 
will not be accepted for review. Paper applications must be signed and 
submitted, via hand delivery or U.S. mail, in triplicate form (an 
original and two copies); electronic applications can be submitted via 
electronic mail, facsimile, or on a diskette. Anyone choosing to submit 
an application electronically must also submit, via hand delivery or 
U.S. mail, an original signed certification statement as included in 
the UES handbook. Any organization which is not interested in applying 
for the Cooperator program but would like to request assistance through 
one of the other programs mentioned should contact the Marketing 
Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327.

Review Process and Allocation Criteria

    FAS allocates funds in a manner that effectively supports the 
strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. In deciding whether a proposed project will 
contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of 
foreign markets, FAS seeks to identify a clear, long-term agricultural 
trade strategy by market or product and a program effectiveness time 
line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using 
quantifiable product or country goals. These performance indicators are 
part of FAS' resource allocation strategy to fund applicants which can 
demonstrate performance based on a long-term strategic plan, consistent 
with the strategic objectives of the United States Department of 
Agriculture, and address the performance measurement objectives of the 
GPRA.
    FAS considers a number of factors when reviewing proposed projects. 
These factors include:
     The ability of the organization to provide an experienced 
U.S.-based staff with technical and international trade expertise to 
ensure adequate development, supervision, and execution of the proposed 
project;
     The organization's willingness to contribute resources, 
including cash and goods and services of the U.S. industry and foreign 
third parties;
     The conditions or constraints affecting the level of U.S. 
exports and market share for the agricultural commodities and products;
     The degree to which the proposed project is likely to 
contribute to the creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign 
markets; and
     The degree to which the strategic plan is coordinated with 
other private or U.S. government-funded market development projects.
    Following is a description of the FAS 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.

(2) Phase 2--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 against the factors described above. The 
purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals and to 
suggest an appropriate funding level for each application based upon 
these factors.

(3) Phase 3--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 allocation criteria (the number in 
parentheses represents a percentage weight factor). Data used in the 
calculations for contribution levels, past export performance and past 
demand expansion performance will cover not more than a 6-year period, 
to the extent such data is a available.
(a) Contribution Level (40)
     The applicant's 6-year average share (1994-99) of all 
contributions (contributions may include cash and goods and services 
provided by U.S. entities in support of foreign market development 
activities) compared to
     The applicant's 6-year average share (1994-99) of all 
Cooperator marketing plan budgets.
(b) Past Export Performance (20)
     The 6-year average share (1993-98) of the value of exports 
promoted by the applicant compared to
     The applicant's 6-year average share (1993-98) of all 
Cooperator marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share (1992-97) 
of MAP program ceiling levels and a 6-year average share (1992-97) of 
foreign overhead provided for co-location within a U.S. agricultural 
trade office.
(c) Past Demand Expansion Performance (20)
     The 6-year average share (1993-98) of the total value of 
world trade of the commodities promoted by the applicant compared to
     The applicant's 6-year average share (1993-98) of all 
Cooperator marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share (1992-97) 
of MAP program ceiling levels and a 6-year average share (1992-97) of 
foreign overhead provided for co-location within a U.S. agricultural 
trade office.
(d) Future Demand Expansion Goals (20)
(The criterion will receive a weight of 10 beginning with the year 2000 
program.)

     The total dollar value of the applicant's projected 
increase in world trade of the commodities being promoted by the 
applicant for the year 2004 compared to
     The applicant's requested funding level.
(e) Accuracy of Past Demand Expansion Projections
(Since the information is not currently available, this criterion will 
be used beginning with the year 2000 program and will receive a weight 
of 10.)

     The actual dollar value share of world trade of the 
commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1998 compared 
to
     The applicant's past projected share of world trade of the 
commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1998, as 
specified in the 1998 Cooperator program application.
    The Commodity Divisions' recommended program levels for each 
applicant are converted to a percent of the total Cooperator program 
funds available and multiplied by the total weight factor to determine 
the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.

[[Page 7752]]

Closing Date for Applications

    Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings 
Time, April 20, 1998 at the following address:

Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, etc.): U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, 
Room 4932-S, 14th and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-
1042
U.S. Postal Delivery: Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400 
Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-1042
Electronic mail: [email protected]
Facsimile: (202) 720-9361
Lon Hatamiya,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 98-3873 Filed 2-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M