[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 96 (Friday, May 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22962-22964]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10097]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the 
Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is 
inviting proposals for the 2018 Foreign Market Development Cooperator 
(Cooperator) program. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit 
applications from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2018 and to set 
out criteria for the awarding of funds under the program. The 
Cooperator program is administered by personnel of the Foreign 
Agricultural Service (FAS).

DATES: All applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight 
Time, June 19, 2017. Applications received after this date will not be 
considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Applicants needing assistance should 
contact Curt Alt in the Program Operations Division, Office of Trade 
Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service by courier: Room 6512, 1400 
Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250, or by phone: (202) 720-
4327, or by fax: (202) 720-9361, or by email: [email protected]. 
Information is also available on the FAS Web site at the following URL 
address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/foreign-market-development-program-fmd.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Funding Opportunity Description

    Announcement Type: New.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.600.
    Authority: The Cooperator program is authorized by Title VII of the 
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended. Cooperator program 
regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1484.
    Purpose: The Cooperator program is designed to create, expand, and 
maintain foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products 
through cost-share assistance. Financial assistance under the 
Cooperator program will be made available on a competitive basis and 
applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained 
herein and in the Cooperator program regulations. All U.S. agricultural 
commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration.
    FAS allocates funds in a manner that effectively supports the 
strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. In deciding whether a proposed project will 
contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of 
foreign markets, FAS considers whether the applicant provides a clear, 
long-term agricultural trade strategy and an effective program time 
line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using 
quantifiable product or country goals. FAS also considers the extent to 
which a proposed project targets markets with the greatest growth 
potential. These factors are part of the FAS resource allocation 
strategy to fund applicants who can demonstrate performance and address 
the objectives of the GPRA.
    Funding Available: The Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended, 
provides up to $34.5 million annually for the Cooperator program. 
Actual funding available in FY 2018 may be different due to 
sequestration or other Congressional action.

B. Award Information

    Under the Cooperator program, CCC enters into agreements with 
eligible nonprofit U.S. trade organizations to share the cost of 
certain overseas marketing and promotion activities. Funding priority 
is given to organizations that have the broadest possible producer 
representation of the commodity being promoted and that are nationwide 
in membership and scope. Cooperators may receive assistance only for 
generic activities that do not involve promotions targeted directly to 
consumers purchasing in their individual capacity. The Cooperator 
program generally operates on a reimbursement basis.

[[Page 22963]]

C. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Organizations: To participate in the Cooperator 
program, an applicant must be a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade 
organization.
    2. Cost-Sharing: To participate in the Cooperator program, an 
applicant must agree to contribute resources to its proposed 
promotional activities. The Cooperator program is intended to 
supplement, not supplant, the efforts of the U.S. private sector. The 
contribution must be at least 50 percent of the value of resources 
provided by CCC for activities conducted under the project agreement.
    The degree of commitment of an applicant to the promotional 
strategies contained in its application, as represented by the cost-
share contributions specified therein, is considered by FAS when 
determining which applications will be approved for funding. Cost-share 
may be actual cash invested or in-kind contributions, such as 
professional staff time spent on the design and implementation of 
activities. The Cooperator program regulations, including Sec. Sec.  
1484.50 and 1484.51, provide detailed discussion of eligible and 
ineligible cost-share contributions.
    3. Other: Applications should include a justification for funding 
assistance from the program--an explanation as to what specifically 
could not be accomplished without federal funding assistance and why 
participating organization(s) are unlikely to carry out the project 
without such assistance.

D. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Submit Application Package: Organizations should 
submit their Cooperator program applications to FAS through the web-
based Unified Export Strategy (UES) system. The UES allows applicants 
to submit a single consolidated and strategically coordinated proposal 
that incorporates requests for funding under all of the FAS market 
development programs. The suggested UES format encourages applicants to 
examine the constraints or barriers to trade that they face, identify 
activities that would help overcome such impediments, consider the 
entire pool of complementary marketing tools and program resources, and 
establish realistic export goals. Applicants planning to use the UES 
must first contact FAS' Program Operations Division to obtain site 
access information. The web-based application may be found at the 
following URL address: https://www.fas.usda.gov/ues/webapp/.
    Applicants experiencing difficulty or otherwise needing assistance 
applying to the program should contact the Program Operations Division, 
Office of Trade Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service by courier: Room 
6512, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250, or by phone: 
(202) 720-4327, or by fax: (202) 720-9361, or by email: 
[email protected].
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: To be considered for 
the Cooperator program, an applicant must submit to FAS information 
required by Sec.  1484.20 of the Cooperator program regulations. In 
addition, in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget's 
policy (68 FR 38402 (June 27, 2003)) regarding the need to identify 
entities that are receiving government awards, all applicants must 
submit a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 
number. An applicant may request a DUNS number at no cost by calling 
the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at (866) 705-5711.
    In addition, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, each entity that 
applies to the Cooperator program and does not qualify for an exemption 
under 2 CFR 25.110 must:
    (i) Provide a valid DUNS number in each application;
    (ii) Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior 
to submitting an application; and
    (iii) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current 
information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or 
an application under consideration by CCC.
    FAS may not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has 
complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM 
requirements, and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the 
requirements by the time FAS is ready to make the award, FAS may 
determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive the award and 
use that determination as a basis for making an award to another 
applicant.
    Similarly, in accordance with 2 CFR part 170, each entity that 
applies to the Cooperator program and does not qualify for an exception 
under 2 CFR 170.110(b) must ensure it has the necessary processes and 
systems in place to comply with the applicable reporting requirements 
of 2 CFR part 170 should it receive funding under the Cooperator 
program.
    Incomplete applications or applications that do not otherwise 
conform to this announcement or the Cooperator program regulations will 
not be accepted for review.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: All applications must be received by 
5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, June 19, 2017. By the application 
deadline, all Cooperator program applicants must also submit to FAS a 
signed certification statement as specified in 7 CFR 1484.20(a)(14). 
The completed certification statements can be sent via courier/delivery 
service to the Program Operations Division, Office of Trade Programs, 
Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Room 
6512, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250. Applicants can 
also send a scanned copy of the signed certification statement via 
email to: [email protected]. Applications or certifications 
received after the deadline will not be considered.
    4. Funding Restrictions: Certain types of expenses are not eligible 
for reimbursement by the program, and there are limits on other 
categories of expenses. CCC also will not reimburse unreasonable 
expenditures or expenditures made prior to approval. Full details are 
available in Sec. Sec.  1484.54 and 1484.55 of the Cooperator program 
regulations.

E. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria and Review and Selection Process: A description of the 
FAS process for reviewing applications and the criteria for allocating 
available Cooperator program funds is as follows:

(1) Phase 1--Sufficiency Review and FAS Divisional Review

    Applications received by the closing date will be reviewed by FAS 
to determine the eligibility of the applicants and the completeness of 
the applications. These requirements appear in Sec. Sec.  1484.14 and 
1484.20 of the Cooperator program regulations as well as in this 
Notice. Applications that meet the requirements will be further 
evaluated by the appropriate Commodity Branch office of FAS' Cooperator 
Programs Division. The Commodity Branch will review each application 
against the criteria listed in Sec.  1484.21 of the Cooperator program 
regulations. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious 
proposals. The Commodity Branch then recommends an appropriate funding 
level for each application for consideration by the Office of the 
Deputy Administrator, Office of Trade Programs.

(2) Phase 2--Competitive Review

    Meritorious applications are passed on to the Office of the Deputy 
Administrator, Office of Trade Programs, for the purpose of allocating 
available funds among those applicants. Applicants will compete for 
funds on the basis of the following allocation

[[Page 22964]]

criteria as appropriate (the number in parentheses represents the 
percentage weight factor):
    (a) Applicant's Contribution Level (40): The applicant's 6-year 
average share (2013-2018) of all contributions under the Cooperator 
program compared to the applicant's 6-year average share (2013-2018) of 
the funding level for all Cooperator program participants.
    (b) Past U.S. Export Performance (20): The 6-year average share 
(2012-2017) of the value of U.S. exports promoted by the applicant 
compared to the applicant's 6-year average share (2012-2017) of the 
funding level for all Cooperator participants plus, for those groups 
participating in the MAP program, the 6-year average share (2012-2017) 
of all MAP budgets.
    (c) Past Demand Expansion Performance (20): The 6-year average 
share (2012-2017) of the total value of world trade of the commodities 
promoted by the applicant compared to the applicant's 6-year average 
share (2012-2017) of all Cooperator program expenditures plus, for 
those groups participating in the MAP program, a 6-year average share 
(2012-2017) of all MAP expenditures.
    (d) Future Demand Expansion Goals (10): The total dollar value of 
projected world trade of the commodities being promoted by the 
applicant for the year 2023 compared to the applicant's requested 
funding level.
    (e) Accuracy of Past Demand Expansion Projections (10): The actual 
dollar value share of world trade of the commodities being promoted by 
the applicant for the year 2016 as reported in the 2018 Cooperator 
program application compared to the projection of world trade of the 
commodities being promoted by the applicant for 2016 as specified in 
the applicant's 2013 Cooperator program application.
    The Commodity Branches' recommended funding levels for each 
applicant are adjusted by each weight factor as described above to 
determine the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.
    In addition, FAS, prior to making a Federal award with a total 
amount of Federal share greater than the simplified acquisition 
threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the 
applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system 
accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313). An 
applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated 
integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on 
any information about itself that a Federal awarding agency previously 
entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance 
system accessible through SAM. FAS will consider any comments by the 
applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated 
integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the 
applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under 
Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants 
as described in 2 CFR 200.205 ``Federal awarding agency review of risk 
posed by applicants.''
    2. Anticipated Announcement Date: Announcements of funding 
decisions for the Cooperator program are anticipated during October 
2017.

F. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: FAS will notify each applicant in writing of the 
final disposition of its application. FAS will send an approval letter 
and project agreement to each approved applicant. The approval letter 
and project agreement will specify the terms and conditions applicable 
to the project, including the levels of Cooperator program funding and 
cost-share contribution requirements.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Interested 
parties should review the Cooperator program regulations, which are 
available at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/foreign-market-development-program-fmd.
    3. Reporting: FAS requires various reports and evaluations from 
Cooperators. Reporting requirements are detailed in the Cooperator 
program regulations in Sec. Sec.  1484.53, 1484.70, and 1484.72.

G. Agency Contact(s)

    For additional information and assistance, contact the Program 
Operations Division, Office of Trade Programs, Foreign Agricultural 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture by courier: Room 6512, 1400 
Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250, or by phone: (202) 720-
4327, or by fax: (202) 720-9361, or by email: [email protected].

    Signed at Washington, DC, on May 12, 2017.
Holly Higgins,
Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Acting Vice 
President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2017-10097 Filed 5-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-10-P