[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15043-15044]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6087]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Minority Business Development Agency
Request for Tribal Consultation on the Minority Business
Development Agency's (MBDA) Native American Business Enterprise Center
(NABEC) Program; Notice of Public Webinars
AGENCY: Department of Commerce.
ACTION: Meeting Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce's (Department) Minority Business
Development Agency (MBDA) seeks to redesign its Native American
Business Center (NABEC) program. The NABEC program is a key component
of MBDA's business development assistance program and promotes the
growth and competitiveness of eligible Native American and minority-
owned businesses. As part of the NABEC program, businesses that are
owned or controlled by the following persons or groups of persons are
eligible to receive business assistance services: American Indians and
Native Americans (including Alaska Natives, Alaska Native Corporations,
Tribal entities, tribal universities and tribal governments), African
Americans, Asian Indian Americans, Asian and Pacific Islander
Americans, Hasidic Jewish Americans, and Hispanic Americans.
The MBDA will conduct two webinars, on March 13 and 15, 2012, to
seek input and recommendations from tribal organizations and tribal
governments on the proposed redesign of the NABEC program. MBDA has
planned a more cohesive program involving collaboration among the
NABECs and Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) to achieve the same
program goals, and to expand and promote export initiatives and
international trade opportunities aligned with President Obama's
National Export Initiative (NEI).
DATES: Webinars will be held on the following dates and times: March
13, 2012, 3 p.m.-4 p.m. EDT; and March 15, 2012 at 3 p.m.-4 p.m. EDT.
Registration information is provided in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dee Alexander, Senior Advisor on
Native American Affairs, Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental
Affairs, Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW., Room
5422, Washington, DC 20230, by telephone at (202) 482-0789, or by email
at [email protected]. You may also contact Holden Hoofnagle, Chief of
the MBDA Office of Business Development,
[[Page 15044]]
by telephone at (202) 482-3937, or by email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Pursuant to Executive Order 11625, MBDA was created specifically to
foster the establishment and growth of MBEs. MBDA promotes the
strategic growth and expansion of MBEs by offering management and
technical assistance through a nationwide network of 40 business
centers. Among the 40 business centers, there are six NABECs and one
satellite office specifically designed to serve the Native American and
Alaska Native population providing overall business development
assistance services and promoting the growth and competitiveness of
eligible Native American and minority-owned businesses. The NABECs are
located in the following cities: Mesa, Arizona; El Monte, California;
Albuquerque, New Mexico; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Seattle, Washington;
Bismarck, North Dakota; and Anchorage, Alaska (satellite office). Each
NABEC has a designated geographic area surrounding the state in which
it is located, with the following exceptions: the NABEC in Seattle,
Washington covers the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; and the
NABEC in Bismarck, North Dakota covers the states of North Dakota and
South Dakota. The Anchorage, Alaska satellite office is operated from
the NABEC located in Mesa, Arizona.
The NABEC services include, but are not limited to, initial
consultations and assessments, business technical assistance,
education, and access to federal and non-federal procurement and
financing opportunities. Specific performance requirements and metrics
are used by MBDA to evaluate each project and become a key component of
the NABEC program. More information on the NABEC programs can be found
on MBDA's Web site at http://www.mbda.gov/main/grantcompetitions.
Under the current program, federal funding for centers ranges from
$200,000 to $297,500 and each center has a required cost share of 10
percent of total project cost. All six centers are under three-year
cooperative agreements which expire in August 2012. MBDA expects to
redesign the current NABEC program with an anticipated start date of
September 1, 2012.
The Department's Tribal Consultation Official and Senior Advisor on
Native American Affairs, Dee Alexander, will coordinate and schedule
tribal consultations in conjunction with the MBDA Office of Business
Development (OBD) regarding the business development services available
to Native American organizations through MBDA. MBDA has designed the
webinars, as part of the tribal consultation schedule, to allow tribal
governments and organizations an opportunity to provide information
into the planned redesign of the current NABEC program. MBDA intends
that the new program will be more cohesive and compatible for
collaboration among the funded Centers so the Centers can achieve their
program goals, expand operations, and participate in export initiatives
and international deals aligned with President Obama's National Export
Initiative (NEI).
II. Registration
Participants may register for the webinars online using the links
provided below. The registration links may also be found on MBDA's Web
site at www.mbda.gov.
March 13, 2012, 3 p.m.-4 p.m. EDT. Webinar registration
site: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW6862819&p=7403577&t=c.
March 15, 2012, 3 p.m.-4 p.m. EDT. Webinar registration
site: https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW6862819&p=7403577&t=c.
If there are specific questions you would like MBDA to address
during the webinars, please send your question(s) to MBDA no later than
March 12, 2012. There will be time for questions from the participants
at the end of each Webinar.
Dated: March 8, 2012.
Josephine Arnold,
Chief Counsel, Minority Business Development Agency.
[FR Doc. 2012-6087 Filed 3-13-12; 8:45 am]
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