[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 96 (Friday, May 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22964-22966]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-10107]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the 
Market Access Program

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is 
inviting applications for the 2018 Market Access Program (MAP). The 
intended effect of this notice is to solicit proposals from eligible 
applicants for fiscal year 2018 and to set out the criteria for the 
awarding of funds under the program. The MAP 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/market-access-program-map.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Funding Opportunity Description

    Announcement Type: New.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.601.
    Authority: The MAP is authorized under Section 203 of the 
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended. MAP regulations appear at 7 
CFR part 1485.
    Purpose: The MAP is designed to create, expand, and maintain 
foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products through 
cost-share assistance. Financial assistance under the MAP is made 
available on a competitive basis, and applications are reviewed against 
the evaluation criteria contained herein and in the MAP 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

[[Page 22965]]

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 best 
demonstrate performance and address the objectives of the GPRA.
    Funding Available: The Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended, 
provides up to $200 million annually for MAP. Actual funding available 
in FY 2018 may be different due to sequestration or other Congressional 
action.

B. Award Information

    Under the MAP, CCC enters into agreements with eligible 
Participants to share the cost of certain overseas marketing and 
promotion activities. MAP Participants may receive assistance for 
generic or brand promotion activities. For generic 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. For branded activities, only 
nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, nonprofit state 
regional trade groups (SRTGs), U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and 
state government agencies can participate directly in the brand 
program. The MAP generally operates on a reimbursement basis.

C. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Organizations: To participate in the MAP, an applicant 
must be a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization, a nonprofit 
state regional trade group, a U.S. agricultural cooperative, or a state 
government agency. Small-sized private U.S. commercial entities may 
participate in a branded program through a MAP Participant.
    2. Cost-Sharing: To participate in the MAP, an applicant must agree 
to contribute resources towards its proposed promotional activities. 
The MAP is intended to supplement, not supplant, the efforts of the 
U.S. private sector. In the case of generic promotion, the contribution 
must be at least 10 percent of the value of resources provided by CCC 
for such generic promotion. In the case of branded promotion, the 
contribution must be at least 50 percent of the total cost of such 
brand promotion.
    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 MAP regulations, in Sec.  1485.16, provide a 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 organizations 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 MAP applications to FAS through the web-based Unified 
Export Strategy (UES) system. The UES allows interested 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 MAP, an applicant must submit to FAS the information required by 
Sec.  1485.13 of the MAP 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 MAP 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 MAP 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 MAP funding.
    Incomplete applications or applications that do not otherwise 
conform to this announcement and the MAP 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 MAP applicants must also submit to FAS a signed 
certification statement as specified in 7 CFR 1485.13(a)(2)(i)(E). 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 email a scanned copy of the signed certification statement 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

[[Page 22966]]

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 the 
MAP regulations in Sec.  1485.17.

E. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria and Review Process: A description of the FAS process 
for reviewing applications and the criteria for allocating available 
MAP 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.  1485.12 and 
1485.13 of the MAP regulations. Applications that meet the requirements 
will then be further evaluated by the appropriate Commodity Branch 
office of FAS' Cooperator Programs Division. The Commodity Branches 
will review each application against the criteria listed in Sec.  
1485.14(b) and (c) of the MAP regulations as well as in this Notice. 
The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals and to 
recommend an appropriate funding level for each application based upon 
these criteria.

(2) Phase 2--Competitive Review

    Meritorious applications then will be passed on to the Office of 
the Deputy Administrator, Office of Trade Programs, for the purpose of 
allocating available funds among the applicants. Applicants will 
compete for funds on the basis of the following allocation criteria as 
applicable (the number in parentheses represents the percentage weight 
factor):
    (a) Applicant's Contribution Level (40): The applicant's 4-year 
average share (2015-2018) of all contributions under the MAP compared 
to the applicant's 4-year average share (2015-2018) of the funding 
level for all MAP Participants.
    (b) Past U.S. Export Performance (30): The 3-year average share 
(2014-2016) of the value of U.S. exports promoted by the applicant 
compared to the applicant's 2-year average share (2016-2017) of the 
funding level for all MAP Participants plus, for those groups 
participating in the Cooperator program, the 2-year average share 
(2016-2017) of all Cooperator program budgets.
    (c) Projected U.S. Export Goals (15): The total dollar value of 
projected U.S. exports of the commodities being promoted by the 
applicant for the year 2018 compared to the applicant's requested 
funding level.
    (d) Accuracy of Past U.S. Export Projections (15): The actual 
dollar value share of U.S. exports of the commodities being promoted by 
the applicant for the year 2016 as reported in the 2018 MAP application 
compared to the projection of U.S. exports for 2016 as specified in the 
2016 MAP 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 MAP 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 program agreement to each approved applicant. The approval letter 
and program agreement will specify the terms and conditions applicable 
to the project, including the levels of MAP funding and cost-share 
contribution requirements.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: Interested 
parties should review the MAP regulations, which are available at the 
following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/market-access-program-map.
    3. Reporting: FAS requires various reports and evaluations from MAP 
Participants. Reporting requirements are detailed in Sec. Sec.  1485.22 
and 1485.23 of the MAP regulations.

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 the 12th of May, 2017.
Holly Higgins,
Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Acting Vice 
President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2017-10107 Filed 5-18-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-P