[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 73 (Thursday, April 15, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19973-19975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-8547]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economic Development Administration

[Docket No. 991215339-3300-09]


University Center (UC) Program

AGENCY: Economic Development Administration (EDA) Department of 
Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice and request for proposals.

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SUMMARY: EDA is soliciting competition proposals for FY 2004 University 
Center funding in the areas served by its Denver and Austin regional 
offices. EDA's mission is to help our partners across the Nation create 
wealth and minimize poverty by promoting a favorable business 
involvement to attract private capital investment and higher-skill, 
higher-wage jobs through world-class capacity-building, planning, 
infrastructure, research grants and strategic initiatives. With funding 
from EDA, institutions of higher education establish and operate 
University Centers, which provide technical assistance to public and 
private sector organizations with the goal of enhancing local economic 
development. EDA has traditionally renewed an award to a University 
Center on an annual basis as long as it maintained a satisfactory level 
of performance and Congress appropriated funds for the program. With 
the competition announced in this notice for University Centers in the 
regions served by EDA's Austin and Denver regional offices, EDA is 
beginning to phase in competition for University Center funding.

DATES: Proposals must be received at the appropriate EDA regional 
office by 5 p.m. local time on Friday, May 14, 2004.

ADDRESSES: For proponents in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, 
and Texas, please send proposals to: Economic Development 
Administration, Austin Regional Office, 327 Congress Avenue, Suite 200, 
Austin, Texas 78701, 512-381-8144.
    For proponents in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, 
Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, please send 
proposals to: Economic Development Administration, Denver Regional 
Office, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Room 670, Denver, Colorado 80204, 303-
844-4715.
    Full text of the Federal Funding Opportunity announcement can be 
accessed at EDA's Web site, http://www.eda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information or a copy 
of the Federal Funding Opportunity announcement for this request for 
proposals, contact the appropriate EDA regional office listed above in 
the ADDRESSES section.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Electronic Access: EDA is not currently able to accept electronic 
submission of proposal packages. However, the full funding opportunity 
announcement for the FY 2004 University Center competition is available 
through EDA's Web site, http://www.eda.gov, and through Grants.gov at 
http://www.grants.gov.

[[Page 19974]]

    Funding Availability: The amount of University Center funding 
available through this announcement for competition in FY 2004 is 
$795,217 in the Denver regional office and $978,502 in the Austin 
regional office. Anticipated annual awards for University Centers under 
the FY 2004 competition are in the $75,000 to $200,000 range. Regional 
offices may, however, choose to fund proposals under this competition 
outside that range.

    Statutory Authority: Pub. L. 89-136, as amended by Pub. L. 105-
393, 42 U.S.C. 3121, et seq.

    CFDA: 11.303, Economic Development--Technical Assistance.
    Eligibility: Eligible applicants and eligible recipients of EDA 
financial assistance are defined at 13 CFR 300.2. For the University 
Center program, EDA considers all accredited institutions of higher 
education as eligible applicants.
    For FY 2004 the University Center competition is open to eligible 
applicants in areas served by EDA's Denver regional office and Austin 
regional office. The Denver regional office serves the states of 
Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, 
South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. The Austin region serves the states of 
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Any institution of higher education 
seeking EDA funding under this announcement must provide financial 
support for its proposed University Center. Ordinarily, the proposed 
budget for the University Center is shared on a 50/50 basis between EDA 
and the applicant. The proposed budget may be shared on a 75/25 basis 
between EDA and the applicant if the project is not feasible without, 
and merits, a reduction or waiver of the non-Federal share.
    In addition, a project is eligible for a supplemental grant 
increasing the Federal share up to and including 75 percent when the 
applicant is able to demonstrate that:
    (1) It cannot provide the higher match because there is a lack of 
available non-Federal resources due, for instance, to the pressing 
demand for its use elsewhere;
    (2) the project is addressing major causes of distress in the area 
to be served and requires the unique characteristics of the applicant, 
which will not participate if it must provide all or part of a 50 
percent non-Federal share; or
    (3) The project is for the benefit of local, State, regional or 
national economic development efforts and will be of no or only 
incidental benefit to the recipient. See 13 CFR 307.7(c).
    Funds from other Federal awards may not be considered matching 
funds. The nature of contribution (cash versus in-kind) and the amount 
of matching funds will be taken into consideration in the review 
process. Cash contributions are preferred.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: EDA's Denver and Austin 
regional offices will conduct an initial administrative and technical 
review of each proposal package to determine its completeness and 
compliance with the requirements.
    EDA's Denver and Austin regional offices will then conduct an 
internal review of each proposal meeting the requirements of this 
solicitation. This review will be conducted by a minimum of three EDA 
staff using the criteria provided in the ``Evaluation Criteria'' 
section below. Successful proponents under this competition 
solicitation will be invited to submit a complete application by the 
Denver or Austin regional office.
    Evaluation Criteria: EDA investments in proposed University Centers 
will be competitively evaluated on their ability to meet or exceed the 
following investment policy guidelines (each criterion will be given 
equivalent weight):
    (1) Be market-based and results driven. An investment in an EDA 
University Center will capitalize on the university's competitive 
strengths and will bolster regional economic competitiveness, resulting 
in tangible, quantifiable improvements in regional economic health--
such as increased numbers of higher-skill, higher-wage jobs, increased 
tax revenue or increased private sector investment.
    (2) Have strong organizational leadership. An investment will have 
strong leadership, relevant project management experience, and a 
significant commitment of human resources talent to ensure a high-
performing University Center.
    (3) Advance productivity, innovation and entrepreneurship. An 
investment in a proposed University Center will embrace the principles 
of entrepreneurship, enhance regional industry clusters, and leverage 
and link technology innovators (university research) with the private 
sector to create the conditions for greater productivity, innovation 
and higher-skill, higher-wage job creation.
    (4) Look beyond the immediate economic horizon, anticipate economic 
changes, and diversify the local and regional economy. A University 
Center's activities will be part of an overarching, long-term 
comprehensive economic development strategy that enhances a region's 
success in achieving a rising standard of living.
    In making its recommendations on which institutions should be 
invited to submit a full application, the EDA review team will strive 
to avoid the concentration of program funding in a single or very 
limited number of geographic areas. For that reason, EDA cannot predict 
a minimum ranking of a successful proposal.
    Selection Factors: EDA expects to fund the highest ranking 
proposals submitted under this competition solicitation. However, EDA 
may select proposals out of order for several reasons, including: (1) 
Availability of funding; (2) Geographic balance in distribution of 
funds; (3) Program priorities and policy factors as set out in the full 
funding opportunity announcement; or (4) Applicant's performance under 
previous awards.

The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements

    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the Federal Register 
notice of October 1, 2001 (66 FR 49917), as amended by the Federal 
Register notice published on October 30, 2002 (67 FR 66109), are 
applicable to this solicitation.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This document contains collection-of-information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of Form ED-900P 
has been approved by OMB under the control number 0610-0094. 
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 control number.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of Executive Order 12866.

Executive Order 13132 (Federalism)

    It has been determined that this notice does not contain policies 
with

[[Page 19975]]

 Federalism implications as that term is defined in Executive Order 
13132.

Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act

    Prior notice and an opportunity for public comments are not 
required by the Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for 
notices concerning grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 
553(a)(2)). Because notice and opportunity for comment are not required 
pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 or any other law, the analytical requirements 
of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are 
inapplicable. Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis has not been 
prepared.

    Dated: April 9, 2004.
Mary Pleffner,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Economic Development.
[FR Doc. 04-8547 Filed 4-14-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-24-P