[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 250 (Thursday, December 28, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82317-82319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33139]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service


Announcement of the Emerging Markets Program for Fiscal Year 2001

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the application period for the Fiscal 
Year 2001 Emerging Markets Program.

DATES: All proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 
March 12, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign 
Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1042, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042, phone: (202) 720-
4327, fax: (202) 720-9361, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

    The Emerging Markets Program is authorized by Section 1542(d)(1)(D) 
of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990, as 
amended (the Act). Up to $10 million is available to fund the program 
each fiscal year.

[[Page 82318]]

Introduction

    The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announces that proposals are 
being accepted for participation in the Fiscal Year 2001 Emerging 
Markets Program (EMP). The purpose of the EMP is to assist U.S. 
organizations, public and private, to improve market access and develop 
and promote U.S. agricultural products in emerging markets by 
providing, or paying the costs of, approved technical assistance 
activities. The EMP generally operates on a reimbursement basis.
    The Act defines an emerging market as any country that the 
Secretary of Agriculture determines:
    (1) Is taking steps toward a market-oriented economy through the 
food, agriculture, or rural business sectors of the economy of the 
country; and
    (2) Has the potential to provide a viable and significant market 
for United States agricultural commodities or products of United States 
agricultural commodities. Because funds are limited and the range of 
potential emerging market countries is worldwide, proposals for funding 
technical assistance activities (``proposals'') will be considered 
which target those countries with (1) per capita income less than 
$9,360 (the ceiling on upper middle income economies as determined by 
the World Bank [World Development Indicators 2000]); and (2) population 
greater than 1 million. Proposals may address suitable regional 
groupings, e.g., the islands of the Caribbean Basin.

Eligible Applicants, Commodities, and Activities

    Any United States agricultural or agribusiness organization, 
university, or state department of agriculture is eligible to 
participate in the EMP. Activities may seek to develop, maintain, or 
expand markets for any agricultural commodities or products except 
tobacco. Proposals will be considered under this announcement from any 
U.S. private agricultural or agribusiness organization, with certain 
restrictions as indicated below. Proposals from research and consulting 
organizations will be considered if they provide evidence of 
substantial participation by the U.S. industry. Proposals may include 
multiple commodities.
    Only technical assistance activities are eligible for 
reimbursement. Following are examples of the types of activities that 
may be funded:

--Projects designed specifically to improve market access in emerging 
foreign markets. Examples: activities intended to mitigate the impact 
of sudden political events or economic and currency crises in order to 
maintain U.S. market share; responses to time-sensitive market 
opportunities;
--Marketing and distribution of more value-added products, including 
new products or uses. Examples: food service development; market 
research on potential for consumer-ready foods or new uses of a 
product;
--Studies of food distribution channels in emerging markets, including 
infrastructural impediments to U.S. exports; such studies may include 
cross-commodity activities which focus on problems, e.g., distribution, 
which affect more than one industry. Examples: grain storage handling 
and inventory systems development; distribution infrastructure 
development;
--Projects that specifically address various constraints to U.S. 
exports, including sanitary and phytosanitary issues and other non-
tariff barriers. Examples: seminars on U.S. food safety standards and 
regulations; assessing and addressing pest and disease problems that 
inhibit U.S. product exports;
--Assessments and follow up activities designed to improve country-wide 
food and business systems, to reduce trade barriers, to increase 
prospects for U.S. trade and investment in emerging markets, and to 
determine the potential use for general export credit guarantees, 
including especially the Facilities Guarantee Program, for commodities, 
facilities and services. Examples: product needs assessments and market 
analysis; assessments for using facilities credits to address 
infrastructural impediments;
--Projects that help foreign governments collect and use market 
information and develop free trade policies that benefit American 
exporters as well as the target country or countries. Examples: 
agricultural statistical analysis; development of market information 
systems; policy analysis;
--Short-term training in broad aspects of agriculture and agribusiness 
trade that will benefit U.S. exporters, including seminars and training 
at trade shows designed to expand the potential for U.S. agricultural 
exports by focusing on the trading system. Examples: retail training; 
marketing seminars; transportation seminars; training keyed to opening 
new or expanding existing markets.

    Ineligible activities include restaurant promotions; branded 
product promotions (including labeling and supplementing normal company 
sales activities intended to increase awareness and stimulate sales of 
branded products); advertising; administrative and operational expenses 
for trade shows; and the preparation and printing of brochures, flyers, 
posters, etc., except in connection with specific technical assistance 
activities such as training seminars. Other items excluded from funding 
are detailed in the FY 2001 EMP Guidelines.

Project Suitability and Allocation of Funds

    The underlying premise of the EMP is that there are distinctive 
characteristics of emerging agricultural markets that necessitate or 
benefit significantly from U.S. governmental assistance before the 
private sector moves to develop these markets through normal corporate 
or trade promotional activities. The emphasis is on marketing 
opportunities where there are risks that the private sector would not 
normally undertake alone, with funding provided for successful 
activities on a project-by-project basis. The EMP complements the 
efforts of other FAS marketing programs. Once a market access issue has 
been addressed by the EMP, further market development activities may be 
considered under other programs such as GSM-102 or GSM-103 credit 
guarantee programs, the Facilities Guarantee Program, the Suppliers' 
Guarantee Program, the MAP, or the Cooperator Program.
    In general, priority consideration will be given to proposals that 
identify and seek to address specific problems or constraints in rural 
business systems or food and agribusiness systems in emerging markets 
through technical assistance to expand or maintain U.S. agricultural 
exports. Priority will also be given to those proposals that include 
the willingness of the applicant to commit its own funds, or those of 
the U.S. industry, to seek export opportunities in an emerging market. 
The EMP is intended to supplement, not supplant, the efforts of the 
U.S. private sector. The percentage of private funding proposed for a 
project will therefore be a critical factor in determining which 
proposals are funded under the EMP. Proposals will also be judged on 
their ability to provide benefits to the organization receiving EMP 
funds and to the broader industry which that organization represents.
    The following marketing criteria will be used to determine the 
suitability of projects for funding by the EMP:
    1. Low U.S. market share and significant market potential.

[[Page 82319]]

     Is there a significant lag in U.S. market share of a 
specific commodity in a given country or countries?
     Is there an identifiable obstacle or competitive 
disadvantage facing U.S. exporters (e.g., competitor financing, 
subsidy, competitor market development activity) or a systemic obstacle 
to imports of U.S. products (e.g., inadequate distribution, 
infrastructure impediments, insufficient information, lack of financing 
options or resources)?
     What is the potential of a project to generate a 
significant increase in U.S. agricultural exports in the near- to 
medium-term? (Estimates or projections of trade benefits to commodity 
exports, and the basis for evaluating such, must be included in EMP 
proposals.)
    2. Recent change in a market.
     Is there, for example, a change in a sanitary or 
phytosanitary trade barrier; a change in an import regime or the 
lifting of a trade embargo; or a shift in the political or financial 
situation in a country?
    In general, all proposals received before the application deadline 
will compete for EMP funding. The limited funds of the EMP and the 
range of emerging markets worldwide in which the funds may be used 
preclude the EMP from approving large budgets for individual projects. 
While no minimum or maximum cost-share level is required, the absolute 
amount of private sector funding committed may also affect the decision 
to fund a proposal. Cost-sharing provided by private industry may 
include professional time of staff assigned to the project or actual 
cash invested in the proposed project. However, proposals in which 
private industry is willing to commit actual funds, rather than 
contributing such in-kind items as staff resources, will be given 
priority consideration. There is no minimum or maximum amount set for 
EMP-funded projects; however, most are funded at a level of less than 
$500,000 and for a duration of one year or less.
    Multi-year Proposals. Multi-year proposals may be considered in the 
context of a strategic plan and detailed plan of implementation. 
Funding in such cases is normally provided one year at a time, with 
commitments beyond the first year subject to interim evaluations.

    Note: While this announcement solicits proposals from private 
U.S. agricultural organizations for consideration and funding on a 
competitive basis, the EMP may also consider proposals on an 
accelerated basis depending upon the technical and time requirements 
of the proposal. If approved, such proposals would be covered 
through the Technical Issues Resolution Fund or the Quick Response 
Market Fund. More details concerning these specialty funds are 
contained in the EMP Guidelines.

Application Process

    This notice is complemented by concurrent notices announcing other 
foreign market development programs administered by FAS including the 
Market Access Program (MAP), the Foreign Market Development Cooperator 
(Cooperator) Program, the Section 108 Program, and the Quality Samples 
Program (QSP). The MAP and Cooperator Program notices detail a Unified 
Export Strategy (UES) application process which provides a means for 
interested applicants to submit a consolidated and strategically 
coordinated single proposal that incorporates funding requests for any 
or all of these programs. Some applicants to the EMP, particularly 
those who are applying for funding under more than one program, may 
wish to use the UES application process. The Internet-based UES 
application, including step-by-step instructions for its use, is 
located at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html. Other applicants, particularly those who are applying 
for funding only under the EMP, should follow the application 
procedures contained in this notice. Interested applicants that are 
unsure of which application is appropriate are urged to contact the 
Marketing Operations Staff at the address above. The deadline for all 
applications to the EMP, regardless of format, is 5 p.m. Eastern 
Standard Time, March 12, 2001. FAS recommends that applications not be 
longer than ten (10) pages.
    It is strongly recommended that applicants obtain a copy of the 
2001 EMP Guidelines prior to submitting an application. Requests for 
the 2001 EMP Guidelines and additional information may be obtained from 
the Marketing Operations Staff at the address above. The Guidelines are 
also available at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/excredits/em-markets/em-markets.html.

Application Information

    To assist FAS in making determinations regarding funding, FAS 
recommends that proposals contain the following information: (1) Name 
and address of person/organization submitting proposal; (2) 
organization qualifications (this may be submitted as an attachment to 
the application); (3) telephone and fax numbers; (4) Federal tax ID 
number of the responsible organization; (5) full title of proposal; (6) 
projected starting date for the proposal and time line(s) for project 
implementation; (7) precis of the proposal, including objectives, 
summary of proposed activities, targeted country/countries for proposed 
activities, and funding amount requested; (8) statement of problem 
(specific trade constraint) to be addressed through the proposed 
project; (9) supporting market analysis of the targeted market(s)--
brief economic analysis for each commodity and country, including 
current market conditions, relevant trade data, existing percentage of 
U.S. export market share, and the basis or source(s) for this data; 
(10) benefits to U.S. agricultural exports as a result of the proposed 
project, including specific performance measures; (11) detailed 
description of proposed activities and budgets, including other sources 
of funding for the project and contributions from participating 
organizations (refer to the EMP Guidelines for additional details); 
(12) information on whether similar activities are or have previously 
been funded in targeted country/countries (e.g., under other Federal 
assistance programs); (13) and a clearly stated justification as to why 
participating organization(s) are unlikely to carry out the proposed 
activities without EMP funding.

Reporting Requirement

    A performance report detailing the results of each project 
supported with EMP funds must be submitted to the Marketing Operations 
Staff at the address above. Because public funds are used to support 
EMP projects, these reports will be made available to the public.

Closing Date for Applications

    All Internet-based applications, plus the supplemental information, 
must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 12, 
2001.
    All applications on diskette (with two accompanying paper copies) 
must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, March 12, 2001, 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.

Timothy J. Galvin,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 00-33139 Filed 12-27-00; 8:45 am]
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