[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 90 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21263-21265]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09871]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation

Foreign Agricultural Service


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

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is 
inviting applications for the 2019 Market Access Program (MAP). The MAP 
is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) 
on behalf of CCC. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit 
proposals from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2019 and to set out 
the criteria for the awarding of funds under the program.

DATES: All applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight 
Time, on Friday, June 8, 2018. Applications received after this date 
will not be considered. FAS anticipates that the initial funding 
selections will be made by the end of October 2018, with the initial 
award dates estimated to be by the end of December 2018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Applicants needing assistance 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]. Information, 
including a copy of the program regulations, is also available on the 
FAS website at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/market-access-program-map.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Funding Opportunity Description

    Announcement Type: New.
    Award Instrument: Grant.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.601.

    Authority: The MAP is authorized under Section 203 of the 
Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5623), as amended. MAP 
regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1485.

    Purpose: The MAP is designed to encourage the development, 
maintenance, and expansion of commercial export markets for United 
States agricultural commodities and products through cost-share 
assistance. Under the MAP, FAS enters into agreements with eligible 
Participants to share the cost of certain overseas marketing and 
promotion activities. 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 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, 
provided up to $200 million annually for MAP through FY 2018. Congress 
has not yet determined funding levels for FY 2019. This NOFA is being 
released prior to Congress appropriating funding for the MAP program 
for FY 2019. USDA makes no commitment to fund any particular 
application or to make a specific number of awards regardless of 
whether or at what level program funding for FY 2019 is provided.

B. 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. Eligible 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.
    3. Limits on Activities: MAP activities are approved for a single 
program year, with the approval dates specified in the allocation 
approval letter that is provided as part of the award approval package. 
Only those MAP activities that are approved in each applicant's 
allocation approval letter may be implemented, and those activities 
must be implemented during the 12-month program year specified in the 
allocation approval letter. Requests for activity changes during the 
program year must be approved in advance by FAS. MAP Participants must 
re-apply for the program every year.
    4. Funding Restrictions: Certain types of expenses are not eligible 
for reimbursement by the program, and there are limits on other 
categories of expenses. FAS also will not reimburse unreasonable 
expenditures or expenditures made prior to approval. Full details and a 
complete list of

[[Page 21264]]

eligible and ineligible expenses may be found in the MAP regulations in 
section 1485.17.
    5. 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 FAS 
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 section 1485.16, provide a detailed 
discussion of eligible and ineligible cost-share contributions.
    6. 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. The MAP generally operates on a reimbursement 
basis.
    7. Intergovernmental Review: An intergovernmental review may be 
required. Applicants must contact their state's Single Point of Contact 
(SPOC) to comply with their state's process under Executive Order 12372 
(see http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/rgeo12372.pdf). To ensure 
currency, the names and addresses of the SPOCs are maintained at the 
Office of Management and Budget's home page at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.

C. Award Information

    It is anticipated that FAS will award approximately 70 awards under 
the 2019 MAP, subject to programmatic approval and available funding. 
In general, all qualified proposals received before the submission 
deadline will compete for funding. FAS will review all proposals 
against the evaluation criteria contained in the program regulations.
    Funding for successful proposals will be provided through specific 
agreements. FAS must approve in advance any subsequent changes to the 
agreement. FAS or another Federal agency may be involved in the 
implementation of approved agreements.
    Once an award reaches its completion date, FAS will confirm that 
the participant has provided all of the required reports and will 
review the reports for completeness and content. Once the required 
reports are approved, FAS will prepare a closeout letter that advises 
the participant of the award closeout procedures. Once the closeout 
procedures have been completed, any remaining funding on the agreement 
will be deobligated.

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 
section 1485.13 of the MAP regulations. Incomplete applications or 
applications that do not otherwise conform to this announcement and the 
MAP regulations will not be accepted for review.
    3. Other Required Information: 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) Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to 
submitting an application or plan; and
    (ii) Maintain an active SAM registration with current information 
at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an 
application or plan under consideration by FAS; and
    (iii) Provide its DUNS number in each application or plan it 
submits to FAS.
    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 an 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.
    4. Submission Dates and Times: All applications must be received by 
5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on Friday, June 8, 2018. 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.

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:

[[Page 21265]]

    (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 sections 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 section 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 (2016-2019) of all contributions under the MAP compared 
to the applicant's 4-year average share (2016-2019) of the funding 
level for all MAP Participants.
    (b) Past U.S. Export Performance (30): The 3-year average share 
(2015-2017) of the value of U.S. exports promoted by the applicant 
compared to the applicant's 2-year average share (2017-2018) of the 
funding level for all MAP Participants plus, for those groups 
participating in the Cooperator program, the 2-year average share 
(2017-2018) 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 2019 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 2017 as reported in the 2019 MAP application 
compared to the projection of U.S. exports for 2017 as specified in the 
2017 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.''

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. All successful applicants for all grant and 
cooperative agreements are required to comply with the Standard 
Administrative Terms and Conditions, which are available online at: 
https://www.fas.usda.gov/grants/general_terms_and_conditions/default.asp. The applicable Standard Administrative Terms and 
Conditions will be for the last year specified at that URL, unless the 
application is to continue an award first awarded in an earlier year. 
In that event, the terms and conditions that apply will be those in 
effect for the year in which the award was originally made unless 
explicitly stated otherwise in subsequent mutually-agreed amendments to 
the award.
    Before accepting the award the potential awardee should carefully 
read the approval letter and program agreement for instructions on 
administering the grant award and the terms and conditions associated 
with responsibilities under Federal Awards. Recipients must accept all 
conditions in this NOFA as well as any special terms and conditions in 
the approval letter and program agreement to receive an award under 
this program.
    2. Reporting: FAS requires various reports and evaluations from MAP 
Participants. Required reports include an annual contributions report 
that identifies, by cost category and in U.S. dollar equivalents, 
contributions made by the Participant, the U.S. industry, and the 
States during that program year. All MAP Participants must also report 
annual results against their target market and/or regional constraint/
opportunity performance measures and must provide program success 
stories on an annual basis, or more often when appropriate or required 
by FAS. There are additional reporting requirements for trip reports, 
evaluation reports, and research reports. Full reporting requirements 
are detailed in sections 1485.22 and 1485.23 of the MAP regulations.

G. Agency Contact(s)

    1. Application Submission Contact(s) and Program Support: 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].
    2. Grants Management Contact(s): Eric Bozoian, Grants Management 
Specialist, Foreign Agricultural Service, United States, Department of 
Agriculture, Email: [email protected], Office: (202) 378-1054.

    Signed at Washington, DC, on the 26th of April, 2018.
James Higgiston,
Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Acting Vice 
President, Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 2018-09871 Filed 5-8-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-10-P