[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 246 (Friday, December 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76981-76982]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21981]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development Agency

[Docket No. 061214337-6337-01]


Amendment to the Award Period for the Queens Minority Business 
Development Center

AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is publishing 
this notice to allow for up to a 120-day funded extension, on a non-
competitive basis, of the current award for the Queens Minority 
Business Enterprise Center (Queens MBEC) (formerly the Queens Business 
Development Center). The Queens MBEC was originally funded for a three-
year award period commencing on January 1, 2004 and closing on December 
31, 2006, pursuant to a Federal Register notice published on August 29, 
2003. MBDA published a Federal Register notice on July 26, 2006 
soliciting competitive applications for an operator of the Queens MBEC 
for the next three-year award period commencing January 1, 2007. 
However, the solicitation resulted in an unsuccessful competition, and 
MBDA intends to re-open the solicitation period to allow the public 
additional time to submit responsive applications to operate the Queens 
MBEC during the next funding cycle. MBDA is taking the actions set 
forth in this notice to allow for continued program delivery by the 
incumbent operator of the Queens MBEC while MBDA completes the 
solicitation process.

DATES: The additional award period and related funding, if approved by 
the Department of Commerce Grants Officer, will commence January 1, 
2007 and will continue for a period not to exceed 120 days.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Efrain Gonzalez, Program Manager, 
Minority Business Development Agency, Office of Business Development, 
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 5075, Washington, DC 20230. Mr. 
Gonzalez may be reached by telephone at (202) 482-1940 and by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Queens MBEC (which covers the New York 
counties of Queens, Nassau and Suffolk) was originally funded for a 
three-year award period commencing on January 1, 2004 and closing on 
December 31, 2006, pursuant to a Federal Register notice published on 
August 29, 2003 (68 FR 51965), as amended on September 30, 2003 (68 FR 
56265).
    On July 26, 2006, MBDA published a notice in the Federal Register 
(71 FR 42351) announcing the solicitation of competitive applications 
for an operator of the Queens MBEC for the next three-year funding 
cycle commencing January 1, 2007. The applications received by MBDA in 
response to the solicitation for the Queens MBEC did not satisfy the 
minimum evaluation criterion scoring requirements set forth in the 
notice, resulting in an unsuccessful competition. Accordingly, MBDA 
intends to publish a Federal Register notice re-opening the 
solicitation period for the Queens MBEC in order to allow MBDA to 
conduct additional outreach activities and to provide the public with 
additional time to submit responsive applications.
    This notice amends the August 29, 2003 notice to allow for an up to 
120-day funded extension, on a non-competitive basis, to the current 
award period of the Queens MBEC. MBDA is making this amendment to allow 
for continued program delivery by Jamaica Business Resource Center, the 
incumbent operator of the Queens MBEC, while the Agency conducts 
outreach activities and completes the solicitation process for an 
operator of the Queens MBEC for the next award cycle. The length of any 
extension (not to exceed 120 days) and the amount of funding necessary 
to carry out the extension are at the sole discretion of the Grants 
Officer, based on such factors as the Queens MBEC's performance, the 
availability of funds, and agency priorities.

Limitation of Liability

    Funding for the potential award extension listed in this notice is 
contingent upon the availability of Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations, 
which have not yet been appropriated for the MBEC program. MBDA issues 
this notice subject to the appropriations made available under the 
current continuing resolution, H.R. 5631, ``Continuing Appropriations 
Resolution, 2007,'' Public Law 109-289, as amended by H.J. Res. 100, 
Public Law 109-369 and H.J. Res. 102, Public Law 109-383. In no event 
will MBDA or the Department of Commerce (Department) be responsible to 
cover any costs incurred outside of the current award period by the 
incumbent operator of the Queens MBEC if the MBEC program fails to 
receive funding or is cancelled because of other MBDA or Department 
priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige MBDA or 
the Department to award an extension to the current operator of the 
Queens MBEC or to obligate any available funds for such purpose.

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 December 30, 2004 
Federal Register notice (69 FR 78389) are applicable to this notice.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice has been determined to be not significant for purposes 
of E.O. 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 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)). 
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 is not required and has 
not been prepared.


[[Page 76982]]


    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512 and Executive Order 11625.

    Dated: December 19, 2006.
Ronald N. Langston,
National Director, Minority Business Development Agency.
 [FR Doc. E6-21981 Filed 12-21-06; 8:45 am]
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