[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 151 (Friday, August 6, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47540-47541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19486]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development Agency

[Docket No.: 100730316-0318-02]


Extension of the Award Period for Certain Minority Business 
Enterprise Centers

AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) publishes this 
notice of a funded extension of up to nine months, on a non-competitive 
basis, of the award periods for those Minority Business Enterprise 
Centers (MBECs) identified in this notice. This action is necessary to 
allow for continued program delivery by the incumbent MBEC operators 
while MBDA completes the development of a new minority business 
development grant program, solicits competitive applications and 
processes new awards.

DATES: The extension and related funding, if approved, will commence at 
the end of the current award period and will continue for a period not 
to exceed nine months.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Efrain Gonzalez, Chief, Office of 
Business Development, Minority Business Development Agency, 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: Pursuant to Executive Order 11625, the MBEC 
Program provides standardized business assistance and development 
services directly to eligible minority-owned businesses. The MBEC 
Program is a key component of MBDA's overall business development 
assistance program; it promotes the growth and competitiveness of 
minority business enterprises, and further incorporates an 
entrepreneurial approach to the delivery of client services. This 
strategy expands the reach and service delivery of the MBEC Program by 
requiring project operators to develop and build upon strategic 
alliances with public and private sector partners as a means of serving 
eligible businesses within each MBEC's applicable geographical service 
area.
    MBDA amends its prior competitive solicitations under the MBEC 
Program, as referenced in the below table, to provide funding 
extensions of up to nine months, on a non-competitive basis, to the 
award period for the following MBEC projects:

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                                                                   Geographical Service
           Name of Project                 Name of Operator                Area                           Original Federal Register Notice
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama MBEC.........................  Mobile Area Chamber of    State of Alabama........  71 FR 42351, as amended by 71 FR 45773 and by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Commerce, Inc.
Georgia MBEC.........................  Georgia Tech Research     State of Georgia........  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Corporation.
Miami MBEC...........................  M. Gill & Associates,     Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/     72 FR 67277, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Inc.                      Pompano Beach MSA.
Mississippi MBEC.....................  Arkansas Regional         State of Mississippi....  71 FR 42351, as amended by 71 FR 45773 and 74 FR 58246.
                                        Minority Business
                                        Council.
North Carolina MBEC..................  North Carolina Institute  State of North Carolina.  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        of Minority Economic
                                        Development.
South Carolina MBEC..................  DESA, Inc...............  State of South Carolina.  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
Chicago MBEC.........................  Chicago Community         State of Illinois.......  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Ventures.
Detroit MBEC.........................  Michigan Minority         State of Michigan.......  71 FR 42351, as amended by 71 FR 58788 and by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Business Development
                                        Council.
Indianapolis MBEC....................  State of Indiana........  State of Indiana........  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
St. Louis MBEC.......................  St. Louis Minority        State of Missouri.......  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Business Development
                                        Council.
Dallas MBEC..........................  Grijalva & Allen, P.C...  Dallas/Fort Worth/        71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                                                  Arlington MSA.
El Paso MBEC.........................  El Paso Hispanic Chamber  El Paso MSA.............  72 FR 71621, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        of Commerce.
New Mexico MBEC......................  NEDA Business             State of New Mexico.....  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Consultants, Inc.
San Antonio MBEC.....................  University of Texas at    San Antonio MSA.........  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        San Antonio.
Pennsylvania.........................  The Enterprise Center...  State of Pennsylvania...  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
Puerto Rico MBEC.....................  Asociacion Productos de   Puerto Rico Islandwide..  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Puerto Rico.
Queens MBEC..........................  Jamaica Business          New York Counties of:     71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Resource Center.          Queens, Nassau &
                                                                  Suffolk.
Washington DC Metro MBEC.............  National Community        Washington, DC/Arlington/ 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Reinvestment Coalition,   Alexandria MSA.
                                        Inc.
Williamsburg MBEC....................  ODA Community             New York Counties of:     71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Development Corporation.  Kings & Richmond.
Arizona MBEC.........................  Arizona Hispanic Chamber  State of Arizona........  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        of Commerce Foundation.
Honolulu MBEC........................  University of Hawaii....  Honolulu MSA............  72 FR 67277, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
Inland Empire MBEC...................  CHARO Community           California Counties of:   71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Development Corporation.  Orange, Riverside,
                                                                  Inland Empire, San
                                                                  Diego & San Bernardino.

[[Page 47541]]

 
Los Angeles MBEC.....................  University of Southern    California Counties of:   71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        California.               Los Angeles & Ventura.
Nevada MBEC..........................  New Ventures Capital      State of Nevada.........  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Development Company.
Northern California MBEC.............  Asian, Inc..............  California Counties of:   71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                                                  Santa Clara, Alameda,
                                                                  San Francisco, San
                                                                  Mateo, San Benito,
                                                                  Monterey, Santa Cruz,
                                                                  Sonoma, Napa, Solano,
                                                                  Contra Costa,
                                                                  Mendocino, San Joaquin,
                                                                  Sacramento, & Marin.
Washington MBEC......................  Seattle Business          State of Washington.....  71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246.
                                        Assistance Center.
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    Award extensions and their additional funding described herein will 
be made at the sole discretion of MBDA and the Department of Commerce 
using the following evaluation criteria: (1) The MBEC's overall program 
performance rating during the 2009 program year; (2) the availability 
of appropriated funds; and (3) MBDA's and the Department of Commerce's 
priorities. MBDA will review each of the MBEC's overall performance 
ratings as evaluated through the standardized performance reports and 
assessments required under the MBEC Program to determine which projects 
will be offered an extension. MBDA will prioritize those MBEC awards 
meeting the above criteria that also have current award periods 
scheduled to end on or before January 31, 2010. In addition, although 
MBDA is allowing the award period for all of the above-referenced MBEC 
projects to be extended, it is possible that not all projects will be 
offered an extension and that some or all awards will be extended for 
less than a nine-month period.
    A total of approximately $1.1 million in FY 2010 funds is available 
under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Public Law 111-117, to 
fund award extensions for the MBEC projects referenced in this notice. 
MBDA also anticipates that additional appropriated funds will be 
available in FY 2011 to fund award extensions for those MBEC projects 
not receiving extensions during FY 2010. In no event will MBDA or the 
Department of Commerce be responsible for any costs incurred outside of 
the current award period by the incumbent operators of the MBEC 
projects affected by this notice if the MBEC Program fails to receive 
funding, or if an award extension is not made because of other MBDA or 
Department of Commerce priorities. Publication of this announcement 
does not oblige MBDA or the Department of Commerce to award any 
extensions or to obligate any available funds.

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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696) are applicable to this notice.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This document contains collection of information requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of the MBDA 
Performance Online Database and Standard Forms 424, 424A and 424B has 
been approved by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
control numbers 0640-0002, 4040-0004, 4040-0006 and 4040-0007, 
respectively. Notwithstanding any other provisions 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 
PRA unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB Control 
Number.

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.

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

    Dated: August 3, 2010.
David A. Hinson,
National Director, Minority Business Development Agency.
[FR Doc. 2010-19486 Filed 8-5-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-21-P