[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 2, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29692-29693]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13880]


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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

Office of Federal Procurement Policy


Comment Request Entitled Small Business Competitiveness 
Demonstration Program

AGENCY: Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP), Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB).

ACTION: Notice of request regarding the reinstatement, with changes, of 
a previously approved collection (OMB Clearance 9000-0100) for which 
approval is now being requested by OFPP.

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SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), OFPP notified the public concerning a request 
to reinstate, with changes, a previously approved information 
collection requirement concerning the Small Business Competitiveness 
Demonstration Program. A request for public comment was published at 63 
FR 51962, September 29, 1998. No comments were received. This is a 
second request for comments and notice that the proposed information 
collection has been submitted to OMB for approval.

COMMENTS: Comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect 
of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing 
this burden should be submitted to Edward Springer at the Office of 
Management and Budget, Desk Officer for OMB, Room 10236, New Executive 
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503. Please cite the Small Business 
Competitiveness Demonstration Program.

DATES: Comments may be submitted on or before July 1, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda G. Williams, Deputy Associate 
Administrator, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, 202-395-3302.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Purpose

    The Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program Act of 
1988 (Title VII, Public Law 100-656), as amended, established the Small 
Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program (Program). The Program 
was established to (1) demonstrate whether or not small businesses in 
certain industry groups can compete successfully on an unrestricted 
basis for Federal contracts, and (2) to demonstrate whether or not 
targets goaling and management techniques can expand Federal contract 
opportunities for small businesses in industry categories where such 
opportunities historically have been low despite adequate numbers of 
small business contractors in the economy. Section 401 of the Small 
Business Reauthorization Act of 1997 (Public Law 105-135) extends the 
Program indefinitely.
    Under the current Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), small 
businesses are required only to represent their status (i.e., whether 
small, small disadvantaged, or women-owned small businesses). Section 
714(c) of the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program Act 
requires each participating agency to collect data pertaining to the 
size as well as the status of the small business concern receiving any 
award for services in the designated industry groups and products or 
services in the agencies' ten targeted industry categories. The size of 
the small business is collected in terms of the number of employees or 
dollar volume of sales. The number of employees is based on the average 
of the pay periods for the last twelve months. The volume of sales is 
based on the average annual gross revenue for the last three fiscal 
years (See FAR 19.101). The size information is collected during the 
solicitation process as part of the representation requirement. This 
data will be used to evaluate the small business impact of the Program.
    The former information collection requirements set forth in Section 
714(b) of the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program Act, 
pertaining to the simplified system to collect data on the 
participation of small business concerns as subcontractors under prime 
contracts for architectural and engineering (A&E) services, expired on 
September 30, 1997. Accordingly, this proposed reinstatement excludes 
that data collection requirement.

B. Annual Reporting Burden

    Public reporting burden for this collection of information is 
estimated to average five minutes per response, including the time to 
gather the information and complete the solicitation provision. The 
annual

[[Page 29693]]

reporting burden is estimated as follows: Respondents, 603,524; 
responses per respondent, 1; total annual responses, 603,524; 
preparation hours per response, .08333, and total response burden 
hours, 50,273. The collection is voluntary.

Copies of the Proposal

    A copy of the Paperwork proposal is available from the Office of 
Federal Procurement Policy, Room 352, OEOB, Washington, DC 20503. 
Please cite the Small Business Competitiveness Demonstration Program in 
all correspondence.
Deidre A. Lee,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 99-13880 Filed 6-1-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P