[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 113-115]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-34057]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service


Announcement of the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program 
for Fiscal Year 2001

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds for the Fiscal 
Year 2001 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program.

DATES: All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard 
Time, March 13, 2000.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announces that applications 
are being accepted for participation in the Fiscal Year 2001 Cooperator 
program. The program is designed to create, expand, and maintain 
foreign markets for United States agricultural commodities and products 
through cost-share assistance. Financial assistance under the 
Cooperator program will be made available on a competitive basis and 
applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained 
herein. The Cooperator program is administered by personnel of FAS.
    Under the Cooperator program, FAS enters into agreements with 
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. Cooperator program agreements involve the promotion of 
agricultural commodities on a generic basis and may not involve 
activities targeted directly toward consumers. The program generally 
operates on a reimbursement basis.

Authority

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

Eligible Applicants

    To participate in the Cooperator program, an applicant must be a 
nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization.

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Available Funds

    $27.5 million may be obligated to eligible Cooperator program 
applicants.

Application Process

    To be considered for the Cooperator program, an applicant must 
submit to FAS information required by the Cooperator program 
regulations set forth in 7 CFR part 1550. Incomplete applications and 
applications that do not otherwise conform to this announcement will 
not be accepted for review.
    We also point out that FAS administers various other agricultural 
export assistance programs, including the Cooperator program, the 
Market Access Program (MAP), Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging Markets 
Program, the Quality Samples Program, Section 108 foreign currency 
program, and several Export Credit Guarantee programs. Organizations 
which are interested in applying for Cooperator program funds are 
encouraged to submit their requests using the Unified Export Strategy 
(UES) format. This allows interested entities to submit a consolidated 
and strategically coordinated single proposal that incorporates 
requests for funding and recommendations for virtually all FAS 
marketing programs, financial assistance programs, and market access 
programs. The suggested UES format 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. Applicants are not required, however, to use 
the UES format.
    Organizations can submit applications in the UES format by two 
methods. The first allows an applicant to submit information directly 
to FAS through data entry screens at a specially designed UES 
application Internet site. FAS highly recommends applying via the 
Internet, as this format virtually eliminates paperwork and expedites 
the FAS processing and review cycle. Also, by using the Internet, 
applicants currently participating in the 2000 Cooperator program will 
not need to enter historical information as it will appear 
automatically in the data entry screens. Applicants also have the 
option of submitting electronic versions (along with two paper copies) 
of their applications to FAS on diskette.
    Applicants planning to use the Internet-based system must contact 
the Marketing Operations Staff of FAS at (202) 720-4327 to obtain site 
access information. The Internet-based application, including step-by-
step instructions for its use, is located at the following URL address: 
http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html.
    Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can 
download the UES handbook, including the suggested application format 
and instructions, from the following URL address: http://
www.fas.usda.gov/mos/ues/unified.html. A UES handbook may also be 
obtained by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-
4327.
    All Cooperator program applicants, whether or not applying via the 
Internet or diskette, must also submit by March 13, 2000, via hand 
delivery or U.S. mail, an original signed certification statement as 
specified in 7 CFR section 1485.13(a)(2)(i)(G) and 7 CFR 
1550.20(a)(14), respectively. The UES handbook contains an acceptable 
certification format.
    Any organization which is not interested in applying for the 
Cooperator program or the MAP 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 and address 
the performance measurement objectives of the GPRA.
    Following is a description of the FAS process for reviewing 
applications and the criteria for allocating available Cooperator 
program funds.

(1) Phase 1--Sufficiency Committee and FAS Divisional 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. 1550.14 and 
Sec. 1550.20 of the Cooperator program regulations. Applications which 
meet the application requirements will then be further evaluated by the 
applicable FAS Commodity Division. The Divisions will review each 
application against the criteria listed in Sec. 1550.21 and 
Sec. 1550.22 of the Cooperator program regulations. The purpose of this 
review is to identify meritorious proposals and to recommend an 
appropriate funding level for each application based upon these 
criteria.

(2) Phase 2--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 available.
(a) Contribution Level (40)
     The applicant's 6-year average share (1996-2001) 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 (1996-2001) of all 
Cooperator marketing plan budgets.
(b) Past Export Performance (20)
     The 6-year average share (1995-2000) of the value of 
exports promoted by the applicant compared to
     The applicant's 6-year average share (1995-2000) of all 
Cooperator marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share (1994-
1999) of MAP program ceiling levels and a 6-year average share (1994-
99) 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 (1995-2000) of the total value of 
world trade of the commodities promoted by the applicant compared to
     The applicant's 6-year average share (1995-2000) of all 
Cooperator marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share (1994-99) 
of MAP program ceiling levels and a 6-year average share (1994-99) of 
foreign overhead provided for co-location within a U.S. agricultural 
trade office.

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(d) Future Demand Expansion Goals (10)
     The projected total dollar value of world trade of the 
commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 2006 compared 
to
     The applicant's requested funding level.
(e) Accuracy of Past Demand Expansion Projections (10)
     The actual dollar value share of world trade of the 
commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1999 compared 
to
     The applicant's past projected share of world trade of the 
commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1999, as 
specified in the 1999 Cooperator program application.
    The Commodity Divisions' recommended funding level for each 
applicant is converted to a percentage of the total Cooperator program 
funds available and multiplied by the total weight factor to determine 
the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.

Closing Date for Applications

    All Internet-based applications must be properly submitted by 5 
p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 13, 2000. Signed certification 
statements also must be received by that time at one of the addresses 
listed below.
    All applications on diskette (with two accompanying paper copies 
and a signed certification statement) and any other applications must 
be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 13, 2000, at one of 
the following addresses:
    Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.): U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, 
Room 4932-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.
    U.S. Postal Delivery: Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.

    Dated: December 28, 1999.
Timothy J. Galvin,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 99-34057 Filed 12-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-P