[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 192 (Wednesday, October 5, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60368-60369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21558]



[[Page 60368]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

National Institute of Food and Agriculture


Notice of Intent To Request a New Information Collection

AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations), this notice 
announces the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) 
intention to request approval for a new information collection titled 
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Funding Agreement 
Certifications.

DATES: Written comments on this notice must be received by December 5, 
2022 to be assured of consideration. Comments received after that date 
will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for 
submitting comments.
    Instructions: All comments received will be posted without change 
to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information 
provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Martin, 202-445-5388, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title of Collection: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 
Funding Agreement Certifications.
    Type of Request: Notice of intent to request a new information 
collection.
    NIFA is requesting approval for a new information collection 
entitled ``Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Funding Agreement 
Certifications.'' This information collection includes two forms: a 
``Funding Agreement Certification'' and a ``Certification for SBIR 
Applicants that are Majority-Owned by Multiple Venture Capital 
Operating Companies, Hedge Fund or Private Equity Firms.'' NIFA asks 
all recipients of SBIR grants to submit a Funding Agreement 
Certification form after NIFA has provided the grantee notification of 
the award, as well as any other time set forth in the funding 
agreement. For example, the small business concern (SBC) may be 
required to update the form to assure continued eligibility and 
compliance, when changes in the SBC apply. NIFA also asks SBIR 
applicants that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital 
operating companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms to submit an 
additional certification form prior to submitting an application. These 
certification statements are for the purpose of determining the 
eligibility of the small business concern for an SBIR award. NIFA is 
proposing implementation of these forms to match the guidance provided 
in the SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive effective October 1, 2020.
    Abstract: The SBIR program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) makes competitively awarded grants to qualified small businesses 
to support high quality, advanced concepts research related to 
important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that 
could lead to significant public benefit if successful.
    The objectives of the SBIR Program are to: stimulate technological 
innovations in the private sector; strengthen the role of small 
businesses in meeting Federal research and development needs; increase 
private sector commercialization of innovations derived from USDA-
supported research and development efforts; and foster and encourage 
participation by women-owned and socially and economically 
disadvantaged small business firms in technological innovations. The 
USDA SBIR program is carried out in three separate phases:
    1. Phase I awards to determine, insofar as possible, the scientific 
and technical merit and feasibility of ideas that appear to have 
commercial potential.
    2. Phase II awards to further develop work from Phase I that meets 
particular program needs and exhibits potential for commercial 
application.
    3. Phase III awards where commercial applications of SBIR-funded 
R(Research)/R&D (Research and Development) are funded by non-Federal 
sources of capital; or where products, services or further research 
intended for use by the Federal Government are funded by follow-on non-
SBIR Federal Funding Agreements. The USDA SBIR Program is administered 
by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) of the USDA. 
NIFA exercises overall oversight for the policies and procedures 
governing SBIR grants awarded to the U.S. small business community, 
representing approximately 2.5% to 2.8% of the USDA extramural R/R&D 
budget. This represents approximately $201M in Phase II grants awarded 
to the U.S. small business community from 1994 to 2014. In 1982, the 
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants Program (Pub. L. 97-
219, 96 stat. 217), 15 U.S.C. 638, was authorized, and in 2016, The 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Pub. L. 114-
328), enacted on December 23, 2016, reauthorized the SBIR and STTR 
programs through September 30, 2022.
    The Funding Agreement Certification form is used by USDA to ensure 
Small Business Concerns meet specific eligibility requirements for a 
Small Business Innovation and Research award. The form asks applicants 
to certify a series of ten statements in order to ensure the grantee is 
complying with specific program requirements during the life of the 
funding agreement. If the SBC is majority-owned by venture capital 
companies, hedge funds, or private equity firms they will be required 
to fill out an eight-question form in addition to the Funding Agreement 
Certification. The small business concern may be required to update the 
Funding Agreement Certification form to assure continued eligibility 
and compliance when changes in the SBC apply.
    Estimate of Burden: The forms in this collection are required to be 
completed for Phase I and Phase II awardees and updated when there is a 
change in the business regarding the contents of the certification 
form.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 110.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Burden per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Burden on Respondents: 110 hours.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to 
enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of 
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request to OMB for approval. All comments will become a matter of 
public record.
    Obtaining a Copy of the Information Collection: A copy of the 
information collection and related instructions may be obtained free of 
charge by contacting Robert Martin as directed above.


[[Page 60369]]


    Done at Washington, DC, this day of August 09, 2022.
Dionne Toombs,
Acting Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture.
[FR Doc. 2022-21558 Filed 10-4-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-22-P