[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 97 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28881-28882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-11314]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP)

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

ACTION: Notice and request for applications.

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SUMMARY: ITA is soliciting U.S. export promotion projects to be 
conducted by eligible entities for periods of up to three years. 
Project award periods normally begin between October 1, 2004 and 
January 1, 2005, but may begin as late as April 1, 2005. MDCP awards 
help to underwrite the start-up costs of new export ventures that 
export multipliers are often reluctant to undertake without Federal 
Government support. MDCP aims to develop, maintain and expand foreign 
markets for non-agricultural goods and services produced in the United 
States.

DATES: Proposals must be received by ITA no later than 5 p.m. e.s.t., 
July 14, 2004. A public meeting to discuss the competition will be held 
on June 23, 2004, at 10 a.m. in Room 6059 at the address indicated 
below.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted to ITA, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, HCHB 3215; Washington, DC 20230, or via http://www.grants.gov. The full funding opportunity announcement and the 
application kit for this request for applications are available at 
http://www.export.gov/mdcp or at http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested parties who are unable to 
access information via Internet or who have questions may contact Mr. 
Brad Hess by mail (see ADDRESSES), by phone at 202-482-2969, by fax at 
202-482-4462, or via Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Electronic Access: The full funding opportunity announcement for 
MDCP is available at http://www.grants.gov or http://www.export.gov/mdcp.
    Funding Availability: Approximately $2,000,000 will be available 
through this announcement for fiscal year 2004. Applicants must match 
each federal dollar two to one. Awards are limited to $400,000 each. 
ITA anticipates making five to nine awards, depending on the amounts 
requested and the availability of funds.

    Statutory Authority: 15 U.S.C. 4723.

    CFDA: 11.112, Market Development Cooperator Program.
    Eligibility: Trade associations, state departments of trade and 
their regional associations, and non-profit industry organizations, 
including export multiplier organizations such as World Trade Centers, 
centers for international trade development and small business 
development centers are eligible to apply for an MDCP award.
    Cost Sharing Requirements: Two dollars for every federal dollar. 
The first dollar must be cash. The rest of the match may be cash or in 
kind.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of federal 
programs.''
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: After receiving the 
applications, ITA will screen each one to determine the applicant's 
eligibility to receive an award. After receiving all applications, ITA 
and other relevant federal professionals will be invited to review the 
applications. A selection panel composed of ITA managers will review 
the applications using the evaluation criteria below, score them, and 
forward a ranked funding recommendation to the Assistant Secretary for 
Manufacturing and Services. The Assistant Secretary makes the final 
selection of award winners, justifying any deviation from the selection 
panel's ranked recommendation.
    Evaluation Criteria: The selection panel reviews each eligible 
application based on five evaluation criteria. The evaluation criteria 
scores assigned by the panel determine which applications are 
recommended for funding. The evaluation criteria are listed below.
    (1) Export Success Potential (20%). This is the potential of the 
project to generate export success stories and/or export initiatives in 
both the short-term and medium-term.
    (2) Performance Measures (20%). Applicants must provide 
quantifiable estimates of how the project will increase or enhance the 
U.S. industry's export presence in the foreign market(s).
    (3) Partnership and Priorities (20%). This criterion indicates the 
degree to which the project initiates or enhances partnership with ITA 
and the degree to which the proposal furthers or is compatible with 
ITA's priorities.
    (4) Creativity and Capacity (20%). Applicants demonstrate 
creativity, innovation, and realism in the project work plan as well as 
their institutional capacity to carry out the work plan.
    (5) Budget and Sustainability (20%). This criterion indicates the 
reasonableness and effectiveness of the itemized budget for project 
activities, the amount of the cash match that is readily available, and 
the probability that the project can be continued on a self-sustained 
basis after the completion of the award.
    The five criteria together constitute the application score. At 20 
points per criterion, the total possible score is 100.
    Selection Factors: The Assistant Secretary may deviate from the 
selection panel's ranked recommendation only based on the following 
factors: (1) Scores of individual selection panel members and the 
selection panel's written assessments, (2) Degree to which applications 
satisfy ITA priorities, (3) Geographic distribution of the proposed 
awards, (4) Diversity of industry sectors and overseas markets covered 
by the proposed awards, (5) Diversity of project activities represented 
by the proposed awards, (6) Avoidance of redundancy and conflicts with 
the initiatives of other federal agencies, and (7) Availability of 
funds.
    The ITA priorities referred to under Evaluation Criteria (3) and 
Selection Factor (2) are listed below. ITA is interested in receiving 
proposals to promote U.S. exports that include, but are not limited to, 
projects that: (1) Improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing 
and service industries by addressing impediments to innovation

[[Page 28882]]

and cost reduction; (2) Increase competitiveness of U.S. industries by 
addressing non-tariff barriers, especially those related to standards; 
(3) Capitalize on trade opportunities resulting from trade agreements; 
(4) Increase overall export awareness and awareness of ITA programs and 
services among U.S. companies, by making SMEs export-ready or by 
facilitating deal-making; (5) Ensure compliance with trade agreements; 
(6) Increase the competitiveness of U.S. industries by developing 
commercial infrastructure in emerging economies; (7) Develop non-
traditional approaches to creating demand for the products/services 
developed from new U.S. technologies; and (8) Support the 
Administration's broader foreign policy objectives through trade-
related initiatives.

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 Standard Forms 
424 and 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 has been approved by OMB under 
the respective control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-
0046, and 0605-0001. 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 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 this 
notice concerning grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. section 
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: May 14, 2004.
Robert W. Pearson,
Director, Office of Planning, Coordination and Management, 
Manufacturing and Services, International Trade Administration, 
Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 04-11314 Filed 5-18-04; 8:45 am]
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