[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 24 (Thursday, February 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5505-5508]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2457]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[Docket No. 040129030-4030-01]


Special American Business Internship Training Program (SABIT)

AGENCY: International Trade Administration (ITA), U.S. Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This Notice announces availability of funds for the Special 
American Business Internship Training Program (SABIT), for training 
business executives and scientists (also referred to as ``Interns'') 
from Eurasia (see program description for eligible countries). The 
amount of financial assistance available for the program is $1,500,000.

DATES: Applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 
23, 2004. Processing of complete applications takes approximately three

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to six months. All awards will be made by September 30, 2004.

ADDRESSES: Request for Applications: Competitive Application Kits will 
be available from ITA starting on the day this notice is published. To 
obtain a copy of the Application Kit please contact SABIT by: (1) E-
mail at [email protected], providing your name, company name and 
address; (2) Telephone (202) 482-0073; (3) The World Wide Web at http://www.mac.doc.gov/sabit/sabit.html; (4) Facsimile (202) 482-2443; (5) 
Mail: Send a written request with two self-addressed mailing labels to 
Application Request, The SABIT Program, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., FCB 4100W, Washington, DC 20230. The 
telephone numbers are not toll free numbers. Only one copy of the 
Application Kit will be provided to each organization requesting it, 
but it may be reproduced by the requesters.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy M. Rollins, Director, SABIT 
Program, U.S. Department of Commerce, phone (202) 482-0073, facsimile 
(202) 482-2443. These are not toll free numbers.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Electronic Access: The full funding 
opportunity announcement for the SABIT program is available via Web 
site: http://www.fedgrants.gov or by contacting the program official 
identified above.
    Funding Availability: Pursuant to section 632(a) of the Foreign 
Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (the ``Act'') funding to the U.S. 
Department of Commerce (DOC) for the program will be provided by the 
United States Agency for International Development (AID). ITA will 
award financial assistance and administer the program pursuant to the 
authority contained in section 635(b) of the Act and other applicable 
grant rules. The amount of financial assistance available for the 
program is $1,500,000. Additional funding may become available at a 
future date.

    Statutory Authority: 22 U.S.C. 2395(b).

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): 11.114, Special 
American Business Internship Training Program.

    Program Description: The Department of Commerce, International 
Trade Administration (ITA) established the SABIT program in September 
1990 to assist Eurasia's transition to a market economy. Since that 
time, SABIT has been supporting U.S. companies and organizations that 
wish to provide business executives and scientists from Eurasia three 
to six month programs of hands-on training in a U.S. market economy. 
Under the SABIT program, qualified U.S. firms will receive funds 
through a cooperative agreement with ITA to help defray the cost of 
hosting Interns. The training must take place in the United States. ITA 
will approve Eurasian managers or scientists nominated by participating 
U.S. companies, or assist in identifying eligible candidates. Interns 
may be from any of the following countries in Eurasia: Armenia, 
Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, 
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Some Eurasian 
countries may have certain restrictions with regard to U.S. funding. 
These restrictions, and any waivers of restrictions, are made by the 
U.S. Department of State, not the SABIT program. Information on current 
restrictions is available upon request, but new restrictions may be put 
into place after a grant is awarded. The U.S. firms will be expected to 
provide the Interns with a hands-on, non-academic, executive training 
program designed to maximize their exposure to management or 
commercially oriented scientific operations. At the end of the training 
program, the Intern must return to his/her home country. If there is 
any evidence of a conflict of interest between the nominated Intern and 
the company, the Intern is disqualified.
    Managers: SABIT assists economic restructuring in Eurasia by 
providing mid-to-senior level business managers with practical training 
in American methods of innovation and management in such areas as 
strategic planning, financing, production, distribution, marketing, 
accounting, wholesaling, and/or labor relations. This first-hand 
experience in the U.S. economy enables Interns to become leaders in 
establishing and operating a market economy in Eurasia, and creates a 
unique opportunity for U.S. firms to familiarize key executives from 
Eurasia with their products and services. Sponsoring U.S. firms will 
benefit by establishing relationships with managers in similar 
industries who are uniquely positioned to assist their U.S. sponsors in 
doing business in Eurasia.
    Scientists: SABIT provides opportunities for gifted scientists to 
apply their skills to peaceful research and development in the civilian 
sector, in areas such as defense conversion, medical research, and the 
environment, and exposes them to the role of scientific research in a 
market economy where applicability of research relates to business 
success. Sponsoring firms in the U.S. scientific community also benefit 
from exchanging information and ideas, and different approaches to new 
technologies.
    All internships are three to six months; however, ITA reserves the 
right to allow an Intern to stay for a shorter period of time (no less 
than one month). ITA will reimburse companies for the round trip 
international travel (coach class tickets) of each Intern from the 
Intern's home city in Eurasia to the U.S. internship site, a stipend of 
$34 per day to the Intern(s), and housing costs of up to $500.00 per 
month (excluding utilities or telephone services). For cities with 
higher costs of living, up to $750.00 a month (excluding utilities or 
telephone services) may be reimbursed. Interns must return to their 
home countries immediately upon completion of their U.S. internships.
    U.S. firms wishing to utilize SABIT in order to be matched with an 
intern without applying for financial assistance may do so. Such firms 
will be responsible for all costs, including travel expenses, related 
to sponsoring the intern. However, prior to acceptance as a SABIT 
intern, work plans and candidates must be approved by the SABIT 
Program. Furthermore, program training will be monitored by SABIT staff 
and evaluated upon completion of training. ITA does not guarantee that 
it will match Applicants with the profile provided to SABIT.
    Award Period: Recipient firms will have one year from the date 
listed on the Financial Assistance Award form, CD-450, in order to use 
the funds. However, DOC reserves the right to allow an extension if the 
recipient can justify the need for extra time.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants for the SABIT program will include 
all for-profit or non-profit U.S. corporations, associations, 
organizations or other public or private entities located in the United 
States. Agencies or divisions of the Federal Government are not 
eligible. However, state and local governments are eligible.
    Matching Requirements: The budget will not include matching 
requirements, however, recipients are expected to bear the costs beyond 
the $34 per day stipend, additional lodging costs (including utilities 
and local telephone service) beyond the reimbursed amount, any 
training-related travel within the United States, visa cost, emergency 
medical insurance, training manuals and provisions of the hands-on 
training for the Interns.
    Project Funding Priorities: Applicant must indicate involvement in 
priority business sector(s). While Applicants involved in any industry 
sector may apply to the program, priority consideration is given to 
those operating

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in the following sectors: (a) Agribusiness (including food processing 
and distribution, and agricultural equipment), (b) Defense conversion, 
(c) Energy, (d) Environment (including environmental clean-up), (e) 
Financial services (including banking and accounting), (f) Housing, 
construction and infrastructure, (g) Medical equipment, supplies, 
pharmaceuticals, and health care management, (h) Product standards and 
quality control, (i) Telecommunications, (j) Transportation and (k) 
Biotechnology. Priority funding will also be given to applicants 
applying to host Interns from the following countries: Armenia, 
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: Each application will receive 
an independent, objective review by one or more three or four-member 
review panels qualified to evaluate applications submitted under the 
program. Panels may include federal employees and non-federal 
individuals. No consensus advice will be given by the panel. 
Applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis after the 
deadline date in accordance with the selection evaluation criteria set 
forth above. Applicants that have received a passing score of 70 or 
above, based on the evaluation criteria weighting, will be ranked and 
awards will be made until funds are depleted. Applicants receiving 
scores below 70 will not be considered. ITA reserves the right to limit 
the award amount as well as the number of Interns per applicant.
    Applicants must provide evidence of a satisfactory record of 
performance in grants, contracts and/or cooperative agreements with the 
Federal Government, if applicable. (Applicants who are or have been 
deficient in current or recent performance in their grants, contracts, 
and/or cooperative agreements with the Federal Government shall be 
presumed to be unable to meet this requirement.) If applicant has a 
Federal Government Performance Record Statement, this must be noted as 
specified in the Application Kit. If there is no record to date, the 
Applicant should indicate this. Not having a record of performance will 
not count against an organization.
    Evaluation Criteria: Consideration for financial assistance will be 
given to those SABIT proposals that provide the following:
    (1) Work Plan. The Applicant organization must provide a detailed 
work plan for the intended training. If the Applicant organization is 
providing different training plans for different Interns, it MUST 
attach a separate work plan for each. If Interns will be trained on the 
same plan, only one plan needs to be attached. If an internship will 
take place at several organizations, a work plan for each organization 
must be provided. The work plan must include: (a) A detailed week-by 
week description of internship activities; (b) a description of the 
intern's duties and responsibilities; (c) complete contact information 
for the everyday internship coordinator; (d) locations of training 
within the company, if the internship(s) will be in different 
divisions; (e) locations of training outside the company. If the Intern 
will spend substantial amounts of time at one or more external 
organizations or companies (over one week) the organization MUST 
provide a letter from each of those companies, indicating their 
willingness and ability to provide the planned training. Evaluation 
Scale: 0-40 points.
    (2) Training Objectives Statement. The Applicant organization must 
provide an objectives statement, clearly titled ``Training Objectives'' 
with the name of the Applicant organization noted indicating why the 
organization wishes to provide a professional training experience to a 
Eurasian manager or scientist. The Applicant organization must explain 
how the proposed training would further the intent and goals of the 
SABIT program to provide practical, on-the-job, non-academic, non-
classroom training for a professional-level Intern. Evaluation Scale: 
0-30 points.
    (3) Intern Description(s) and Resume(s): The Applicant organization 
should provide descriptions for all the Interns requested. This 
description should note the experience, education, and skills desired 
in a qualified candidate for the training they intend to provide. If an 
organization wants Interns from a specific region or country of 
Eurasia, it should be indicated in the application. If an organization 
has nominated candidates for training, their resumes must be attached. 
Additionally, the organization must describe for SABIT the relationship 
they have with the nominated candidates. All Intern candidates must 
meet SABIT criteria in order to participate. Evaluation Scale: 0-15 
points.
    (4) Financial Resources Documentation: Evidence of adequate 
financial resources of the Applicant organization to cover the costs 
involved in providing an internship(s). Evidence may include a 
published annual report, or a letter from the company's outside, 
independent accountant attesting to the organization's financial 
ability to support the training program planned and the funds requested 
or a letter from the organization's bank. All letters must be on the 
accountant's or bank's letterhead and addressed to the United States 
Department of Commerce. Evaluation Scale: 0-15 points.
    Evaluation criteria are listed in decreasing importance. That is, 
evaluation criterion 1 is most important, followed by criterion 2, etc.
    Selection Factors: The final selecting official reserves the right 
to choose or recommend recipients based on U.S. geographic location, 
organization size as well as priority business sectors and country 
priorities (listed in Project Funding Priorities, above) and past 
performance, when making awards. Recipients may be eligible, pursuant 
to approval of an amendment of an active award, to host additional 
interns under the program. The Director of the SABIT Program is the 
final selecting official for each award.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
    Application Forms and Kit: To obtain an Application Kit, please 
refer to the section above marked Addresses. An original and two copies 
of the application (including all relevant standard forms and 
supplemental material) are to be sent to the address designated in the 
Application Kit and received no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the 
closing date. Sign the original application (including forms) with blue 
ink.
    Other Requirements: Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification 
Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements, which are contained 
in Federal Register Notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 49917), as amended 
by the Notice published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 66109), are 
applicable.
    All applicants are advised of the following:
    1. Participating companies will be required to comply with all 
relevant U.S. tax and export regulations. Export controls may relate 
not only to licensing of products for export, but also to technical 
data transfer. The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and 
Security (BIS formerly BXA, the Bureau of Export Administration) 
reviews applications in question to determine whether export licenses 
are required. SABIT will not award a grant until the export license 
issue has been satisfied.
    2. The following statutes apply to this program: Section 907 of the 
FREEDOM Support Act, Public Law 102-511, 22

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U.S.C. 5812 note (Restriction on Assistance to the Government of 
Azerbaijan); Public Law 107-115 (Waiver of Section 907 of the Freedom 
Support Act); 7 U.S.C. 5201 et seq. (Agricultural Competitiveness and 
Trade--the Bumpers Amendment); The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as 
amended, including Chapter 11 of Part I, section 498A(b), Public Law 
102-511, 22 U.S.C. 2295a(b) (regarding ineligibility for assistance); 
22 U.S. C. 2420(a), section 660(a) of The Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961, as amended (Police Training Prohibition); and provisions in the 
annual Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs 
Appropriations Acts, concerning impact on jobs in the United States 
(see, e.g., 536 of Pub. L. 106-113).
    3. The collection of information is approved by the Office of 
Management and Budget, OMB Control Number 0625-0225. Public reporting 
for this collection of information is estimated to be six hours per 
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, and completing 
and reviewing the collection of information. All responses to this 
collection of information are voluntary, and will be protected from 
disclosure to the extent allowed under the Freedom of Information Act.
    The use of Standard Forms 270, 424 and 424B is approved under OMB 
Control Numbers 0348-0004, 0348-0043 and 0348-0040, respectively. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to 
respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to 
comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of 
the PRA unless that collection of information displays a currently 
valid OMB number. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any 
other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions 
for reducing this burden, to the Reports Clearance Officer, 
International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce, Room 4001, 
14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230.
    4. Executive Order 12866: It has been determined that this notice 
is not significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
    5. Executive Order 13132: It has been determined that this notice 
does not contain policies with Federalism implications as that term is 
defined in E.O. 13132.
    6. Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Because 
prior notice and opportunity for public comment are not required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act for rules concerning public property, 
loans, grants, benefits and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)), a 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required and has not been 
prepared for this notice (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.).

    Dated: February 2, 2004.
Tracy M. Rollins,
Director, SABIT Program.
[FR Doc. 04-2457 Filed 2-4-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-HE-P