[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 114 (Tuesday, June 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33766-33769]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14394]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket Number: 100413183-0188-01]


Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Availability of Funds 
for Projects To Develop Client Engagement or Business Models and 
Deployment Strategies That Integrate Two or More of the MEP Strategic 
Growth Areas

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Department of Commerce (DOC).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The objective of National Institute of Standards and 
Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) program is 
to enhance productivity, technological performance, and strengthen the 
global competitiveness of small- and medium-sized U.S. based 
manufacturing firms. NIST MEP invites proposals from eligible 
organizations for projects to develop client engagement or business 
models and deployment strategies that integrate two or more of the MEP 
Strategic Growth Areas. The projects should further demonstrate in its 
proposed client engagement or business model, the benefit of this 
integration and how the approach can expand service capability and 
capacity of the MEP system. The five MEP Strategic Growth Areas are: 
supply chain, sustainability, technology acceleration, workforce and 
continuous improvement. Proposals should include a project plan, a 
client engagement or business model and deployment strategy for the 
project, and an approach for leveraging existing tools, resources and 
partnerships.

DATES: All applications must be received or postmarked no later than 5 
p.m. Eastern Time on July 15, 2010. Late proposals will not be 
reviewed. NIST MEP will hold a free webinar information session for 
organizations considering applying to this opportunity on June 22, 2010 
at 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time.

ADDRESSES: Hard copy submissions should be sent to: National Institute 
of Standards and Technology, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, c/o 
Diane Henderson, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 4800, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-
4800. Electronic submissions should be uploaded to http://www.Grants.gov.
    Information Sessions: NIST MEP will hold an information session for 
organizations considering applying to this opportunity. The information 
session will be in the form of a webinar to be held on the date stated 
in the date section of this Federal Register Notice (7 days following 
the posting of the announcement). Registration information will be 
posted on the NIST MEP public Web site http://www.nist.gov/mep.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A paper copy of the Federal Register 
Notice (FRN) may be obtained by calling (301) 975-6328. Administrative, 
budget, cost-sharing, and eligibility questions should be addressed to 
Diane Henderson at Tel: (301) 975-5105; E-mail: 
[email protected]; Fax: (301) 963-6556. Project evaluation 
criteria and other programmatic questions should be addressed to Alex 
Folk at Tel: (301) 975-8089; E-mail: [email protected]; Fax: (301) 
963-6556. Grants Administration questions should be addressed to: 
Grants and Agreements Management Division; National Institute of 
Standards and Technology; 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 1650; Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-1650; Tel: (301) 975-6328. For assistance with using Grants.gov 
contact [email protected] or call 800-518-4726. All questions and 
responses will be posted on the MEP Web site, http://www.nist.gov/mep.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Electronic access: Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the 
Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement available at http://
www.grants.gov for complete information about this program, including 
all program requirements and instructions for applying by paper or 
electronically.

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 272(b)(1) and (c)(3), and 278l, as 
implemented in 15 CFR Section 292.2.

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Name and Number: 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership--11.611.
    Information Session: NIST MEP will hold a free information session 
for organizations considering applying to this opportunity. The 
information session will be in the form of a free webinar to be held on 
the date specified in the DATES section above at 2 p.m. Eastern 
Daylight Saving Time. Organizations wishing to participate in the 
webinar must register at the NIST

[[Page 33767]]

MEP public Web site http://www.nist.gov/mep.
    Program Description: The objective of NIST MEP program is to 
increase productivity, enhance technological performance, and 
strengthen the global competitiveness of small- and medium-sized U.S. 
based manufacturing firms. The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology invites proposals from eligible organizations for projects 
to develop client engagement or business models and deployment 
strategies that integrate two or more of the MEP Strategic Growth 
Areas. The project should further demonstrate in its proposed client 
engagement or business model, the benefit of this integration and how 
the approach can expand service capability and capacity of the MEP 
system. The five MEP Strategic Growth Areas are: supply chain, 
sustainability, technology acceleration, workforce and continuous 
improvement. Proposals should include a plan, a client engagement or 
business model and deployment strategy for the project, and an approach 
for leveraging existing tools, resources and partnerships. More 
information on the MEP Strategic Growth Areas are found in NIST's MEP 
Next Generation Strategy, which can be found at http://www.nist.gov/mep.
    Project specific performance measurement and management approaches, 
including key milestones, are crucial to the evaluation of these 
projects. NIST is seeking projects that present novel and new 
approaches to delivering and communicating performance measurement and 
evaluation. For example, those projects that incorporate the following 
factors will be considered competitive: internal performance 
measurement for management control, external evaluation for assessing 
outcomes of the activity, and ``customer satisfaction'' measures of 
performance. This could include approaches to gathering outcome 
information, comparisons of outcomes achieved by project clients or 
other approaches to performance measurement and evaluation.
    The MEP program places high importance on ensuring that projects be 
well aligned with the work of MEP service providers in order to 
maximize the potential and impact of existing resources. Additional 
background information on MEP service providers is provided at http://www.nist.gov/mep.
    NIST does not prescribe any particular management or operational 
structure of the project, but projects should be based upon approaches 
or structures used by technical assistance provider that have 
demonstrated success. Projects should include plans for integration 
into the MEP system and linkages to appropriate resources.
    This program does not intend for awardees to perform research and 
development including new tool development.
    Funding Availability: MEP anticipates awarding up to $12,000,000 in 
fiscal year 2010 through multiple solicitations. The total amount 
funded under this solicitation will vary depending on the proposals 
received by MEP. The total amount awarded will not exceed $12,000,000. 
Projects initiated under this solicitation may be carried out over a 
period of up to three years. When a proposal for a multi-year award is 
approved, funding will generally be provided for only the first year of 
the program. Continuation of an award or extensions of the period of 
performance is at the total discretion of the DOC. If an application is 
selected for funding, DOC has no obligation to provide any additional 
future funding in connection with that award. Funding for each 
subsequent year of a multi-year proposal will be contingent upon 
satisfactory progress and the availability of funds. Projects are 
expected to start within 30 days of award notice.
    Cost Share Requirements: A non-Federal cost share contribution from 
the applicant is required. At a minimum, the applicant must provide 50% 
of the cost share toward the allowable expenses for the performance 
period. Cost share requirements must be met on an annual basis.
    The applicant's share of the eligible expenses may include cash and 
third party in-kind contributions. However, at least 50% of the 
applicant's total cost share (cash plus in-kind) must be in cash. 
Applicants are encouraged to propose more than the minimum cost share. 
The source and detailed rationale of the cost share, both cash and in-
kind, must be documented in the budget submitted with the proposal and 
will be considered as part of the evaluation review described below.
    Eligibility: All nonprofit organizations including universities, 
community colleges, State governments, State technology programs and 
independent nonprofit organizations including existing MEP 
manufacturing extension centers are eligible. Organizations may submit 
multiple proposals under this solicitation for unique projects. A 
partnership with an existing MEP manufacturing extension center or 
centers is strongly encouraged.
    Application Requirements: Applications must be submitted in 
accordance with the requirements set forth in the corresponding FFO 
announcement.
    Evaluation Criteria: All qualified proposals will be evaluated 
based on the applicant's ability to align and integrate the proposal's 
deliverables to NIST MEP's Next Generation Strategy: Continuous 
Improvement, Technology Acceleration, Supplier Development, 
Sustainability and Workforce. The NIST MEP Next Generation Strategy can 
be found at http://www.nist.gov/mep.
    Proposals will be evaluated and rated on the basis of the following 
criteria listed in descending order of importance:
    (1) Demonstration that the proposed project will meet the training 
needs of technical assistance providers and manufacturers in the target 
population. The target population must be clearly defined and the 
proposal must demonstrate that it understands the population's training 
needs within the proposed project area. The proposal should show that 
the efforts being proposed meet the needs identified. Factors that may 
be considered include: A clear definition of the target population, 
size and demographic distribution; demonstrated understanding of the 
target population's training needs; and appropriateness of the size of 
the target population and the anticipated impact for the proposed 
expenditure.
    (2) Development/deployment methodology and use of appropriate 
technology and information sources. The proposal must describe the 
technical plan for the development or deployment of the training, 
including the project activities to be used in the training 
development/deployment and the sources of technology and/or information 
which will be used to create or deploy the training activity. Sources 
may include those internal to the proposer or from other organizations. 
Factors that may be considered include: Adequacy of the proposed 
technical plan; strength of core competency in the proposed area of 
activity; and demonstrated access to relevant technical or information 
sources external to the organization.
    (3) Delivery and implementation mechanisms. The proposal must set 
forth clearly defined, effective mechanisms for delivery and/or 
implementation of proposed services to the target population. The 
proposal also must demonstrate that training activities will be 
integrated into and will be of service to the NIST Manufacturing 
Extension Centers. Factors that may be considered include: Ease of 
access to the training activity especially for MEP extension centers; 
methodology for

[[Page 33768]]

disseminating or promoting involvement in the training especially 
within the MEP system; and demonstrated interest in the training 
activity especially by MEP extension centers.
    (4) Coordination with other relevant organizations. Wherever 
possible the project should be coordinated with and leverage other 
organizations which are developing or have expertise with similar 
training. If no such organizations exist, the proposal should show that 
this is the case. Applicants will need to describe how they will 
coordinate to allow for increased economies of scale and to avoid 
duplication. Factors that may be considered include: Demonstrated 
understanding of existing organizations and resources relevant to the 
proposed project; adequate linkages and partnerships with existing 
organizations and clear definition of those organizations' roles in the 
proposed activities; and that the proposed activity does not duplicate 
existing services or resources.
    (5) Program evaluation. The applicant should specify plans for 
evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed training activity and 
for ensuring continuous improvement of the training. Factors that may 
be considered include: Thoroughness of evaluation plans, including 
internal evaluation for management control, external evaluation for 
assessing outcomes of the activity, and ``customer satisfaction'' 
measures of performance.
    (6) Management and organizational experience and plans. Applicants 
should specify plans for proper organization, staffing, and management 
of the implementation process. Factors that may be considered include: 
Appropriateness and authority of the governing or managing organization 
to conduct the proposed activities; qualifications of the project team 
and its leadership to conduct the proposed activity; soundness of any 
staffing plans, including recruitment, selection, training, and 
continuing professional development; and appropriateness of the 
organizational approach for carrying out the proposed activity.
    (7) Financial plan. Applicants should show the relevance and cost 
effectiveness of the financial plan for meeting the objectives of the 
project; the firmness and level of the applicant's total financial 
support for the project; and a plan to maintain the program after the 
cooperative agreement has expired. Factors that may be considered 
include: Reasonableness of the budget, both in income and expenses; 
strength of commitment and amount of the proposer's cost share, if any; 
effectiveness of management plans for control of budget; 
appropriateness of matching contributions; and plan for maintaining the 
program after the cooperative agreement has expired.

Proposal Review and Selection Process

    The proposal evaluation and selection process will consist of three 
principal phases: Proposal qualifications; proposal review and 
selection of finalists; and award determination per 15 CFR 292.5 as 
follows:

a. Proposal Qualification

    All proposals will be reviewed by NIST to ensure compliance with 
application requirements. Proposals that satisfy these requirements 
will be designated as complete proposals; all others will be 
disqualified.

b. Proposal Review and Selection of Finalists

    NIST will appoint an evaluation panel to review and evaluate all 
complete proposals in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth 
in this notice and the accompanying FFO announcement. The evaluation 
panel will consist of NIST employees and in some cases other Federal 
employees or non-Federal experts who sign non-disclosure agreements. If 
non-Federal experts are used, all reviewers will provide individual 
scores and no consensus advice will be given by the panel. A site visit 
may be required to make a full evaluation of a proposal. From the 
qualified proposals, a group of finalists will be numerically ranked 
and recommended for award based on this review.
    NIST may enter into negotiations with the finalists concerning any 
aspect of their proposal.

c. Award Determination

    The Director of the NIST, or her/his designee (Director of the NIST 
MEP Program), shall select awardees based on the scores provided by the 
evaluation panel, geographic distribution, and the availability of 
funds. All three factors will be considered in making an award. Upon 
the final award decision, NIST will notify applicants of the results of 
the grant competition.
    The Director of the NIST MEP Program shall make funding 
recommendations to NIST Grants Officer based on the rank order of 
applicants and the selection factors described above. The final 
approval of selected applications and award of financial assistance 
will be made by the NIST Grants Officer based on compliance with 
application requirements as published in this notice, compliance with 
applicable legal and regulatory requirements, and whether the 
recommended applicants appear to be responsible. Applicants may be 
asked to modify objectives, work plans, or budgets and provide 
supplemental information required by the agency prior to award. As a 
result of the selection process, NIST may fund all, some, or parts of 
the eligible applications submitted, or none at all. The decision of 
the Grants Officer is final.
    Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing. The Program 
will retain one copy of each unsuccessful application for three years 
for record keeping purposes. The remaining copies will be destroyed.
    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, which 
are contained in the Federal Register Notice of February 11, 2008 (73 
FR 7696), are applicable to this notice. Please refer to http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/.
    Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System: On the form SF-
424 items 8.b. and 8.c., the applicant's 9-digit Employer/Taxpayer 
Identification Number (EIN/TIN) and 9-digit Dun and Bradstreet Data 
Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number must be consistent with the 
information on the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) (http://www.ccr.gov) and Automated Standard Application for Payment System 
(ASAP). For complex organizations with multiple EIN/TIN and DUNS 
numbers, the EIN/TIN and DUNS number MUST be the numbers for the 
applying organization. Organizations that provide incorrect/
inconsistent EIN/TIN and DUNS numbers may experience significant delays 
in receiving funds if their proposal is selected for funding. Please 
confirm that the EIN/TIN and DUNS number are consistent with the 
information on the CCR and ASAP.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: The standard forms in the application kit 
involve a collection of information subject to the Paperwork Reduction 
Act. The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 have 
been approved by OMB under the respective Control Numbers 0348-0043, 
0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, and 0605-0001. MEP program-specific 
application requirements have been approved by OMB under Control Number 
0693-0056.
    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, nor shall any person be

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subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of 
information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, 
unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
Control Number.
    Funding Availability and Limitation of Liability: The funding 
periods and funding amounts referenced in this notice and request for 
proposals are subject to the availability of funds, as well as to 
Department of Commerce and NIST priorities at the time of award. The 
Department of Commerce and NIST will not be held responsible for 
proposal preparation costs. Publication of this notice does not 
obligate the Department of Commerce or NIST to award any specific grant 
or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or any part of available 
funds.
    Executive Order 12866: This funding notice was 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.
    Executive Order 12372: Applications under this program are not 
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs.''
    Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Notice and 
comment are not required under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 
U.S.C. 553) or any other law, for rules relating to public property, 
loans, grants, benefits or contracts (5 U.S.C. 553 (a)). Because notice 
and comment are not required under 5 U.S.C. 553, or any other law, for 
rules relating to public property, loans, grants, benefits or contracts 
(5 U.S.C. 553(a)), a Regulatory Flexibility Analysis is not required 
and has not been prepared for this notice, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.

    Dated: June 10, 2010.
David M. Robinson,
Chief Financial Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-14394 Filed 6-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P