Business Development Center Applications: Anaheim-Santa Ana, CA

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development Agency

Business Development Center Applications: Anaheim-Santa Ana, CA

AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Executive Order 11625 and 15 U.S.C. 1512,

the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting

competitive applications to operate its Anaheim-Santa Ana Minority

Business Development Center (MBDC).

The purpose of the MBDC Program is to provide business development

services to the minority business community to help establish and

maintain viable minority businesses. To this end, MBDA funds

organizations to identify and coordinate public and private sector

resources on behalf of minority individuals and firms; to offer a full

range of client services to minority entrepreneurs; and to serve as a

conduit of information and assistance regarding minority business. The

MBDC will provide service in the Anaheim-Santa Ana, California

Metropolitan Area. The award number of the MBDC will be 09-10-95008-01.

DATES: The closing date for applications is January 3, 1995.

Applications must be received in the MBDA Headquarters' Field

Coordination Division on or before January 3, 1995. A pre-application

conference will be held on December 5, 1994, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00

p.m., at Orange Chamber of Commerce, One City Boulevard, West, Suite

401, Orange, California 92668, (714) 634-2900.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development

Agency, Office of Operations and Regional Management, Field

Coordination Division, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Room 5075,

Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482-6022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Steven Saho at (415) 744-3001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Contingent upon the availability of Federal

funds, the cost of performance for the first budget period (13 months)

from April 1, 1995 to April 30, 1996, is estimated at $388,898. The

total Federal amount is $330,563 and is composed of $322,500 plus the

Audit Fee amount of $8,063. The application must include a minimum cost

share of 15%, $58,335 in non-federal (cost-sharing) contributions for a

total project cost of $388,898. Cost-sharing contributions may be in

the form of cash, client fees, third party in-kind contributions, non-

cash applicant contributions or combinations thereof.

The funding instrument for this project will be a cooperative

agreement. For those applicants who are not incumbent organizations or

who are incumbents that have experienced closure due to a break in

service, a 30-day start-up period will be added to their first budget

period, making it a 13-month award. Competition is open to individuals,

non-profit and for-profit organizations, state and local governments,

American Indian tribes and educational institutions.

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria: the

knowledge, background and/or capabilities of the firm and its staff in

addressing the needs of the business community in general and,

specifically, the special needs of minority businesses, individuals and

organizations (45 points), the resources available to the firm in

providing business development services (10 points); the firm's

approach (techniques and methodologies) to performing the work

requirements included in the application (25 points); and the firm's

estimated cost for providing such assistance (20 points). An

application must receive at least 70% of the points assigned to each

evaluation criteria category to be considered programmatically

acceptable and responsive. Those applications determined to be

acceptable and responsive will then be evaluated by the Director of

MBDA. Final award selections shall be based on the number of points

received, the demonstrated responsibility of the applicant, and the

determination of those most likely to further the purpose of the MBDA

program. Negative audit findings and recommendations and unsatisfactory

performance under prior Federal awards may result in an application not

being considered for award. The applicant with the highest point score

will not necessarily receive the award. Periodic reviews culminating in

year-to-date evaluations will be conducted to determine if funding for

the project should continue. Continued funding will be at the total

discretion of MBDA based on such factors as the MBDC's performance, the

availability of funds and Agency priorities..

The MBDC shall be required to contribute at least 15% of the total

project cost through non-Federal contributions. To assist in this

effort, the MBDC may charge client fees for services rendered. Fees may

range from $10 to $60 per hour based on the gross receipts of the

client's business.

Anticipated processing time of this award is 120 days. Executive

Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' is not

applicable to this program. Federal funds for this project include

audit funds for non-CPA recipients. In the event that a CPA firm wins

the competition, the funds allocated for audits are not applicable.

Questions concerning the preceding information can be answered by the

contact person indicated above, and copies of application kits and

applicable regulations can be obtained at the above address. The

collection of information requirements for this project have been

approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and assigned OMB

control number 0640-0006.

Awards under this program shall be subject to all Federal laws, and

Federal and Departmental regulations, policies, and procedures

applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.

Pre-Award Costs

Applicants are hereby notified that if they incur any costs prior

to an award being made, they do so solely at their own risk of not

being reimbursed by the Government. Notwithstanding any verbal

assurance that an applicant may have received, there is no obligation

on the part of the Department of Commerce to cover pre-award costs.

Outstanding Account Receivable

No award of Federal funds shall be made to an applicant who has an

outstanding delinquent Federal debt until either the delinquent account

is paid in full, repayment schedule is established and at least one

payment is received, or other arrangements satisfactory to the

Department of Commerce are made.

Name Check Policy

All non-profit and for-profit applicants are subject to a name

check review process. Name checks are intended to reveal if any key

individuals associated with the applicant have been convicted of or are

presently facing criminal charges such as fraud, theft, perjury or

other matters which significantly reflect on the applicant's management

honesty or financial integrity.

Award Termination

The Departmental Grants Officer may terminate any grant/cooperative

agreement in whole or in part at any time before the date of completion

whenever it is determined that the award recipient has failed to comply

with the conditions of the grant/cooperative agreement. Examples of

some of the conditions which can cause termination are failure to meet

cost-sharing requirements; unsatisfactory performance of the MBDC work

requirements; and reporting inaccurate or inflated claims of client

assistance. Such inaccurate or inflated claims may be deemed illegal

and punishable by law.

False Statements

A false statement on an application for Federal financial

assistance is grounds for denial or termination of funds, and grounds

for possible punishment by a fine or imprisonment as provided in 18

U.S.C. 1001.

Primary Applicant Certifications

All primary applicants must submit a completed Form CD-511,

``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying.''

Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension

Prospective participants (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section

105) are subject to 15 CFR Part 26, ``Nonprocurement Debarment and

Suspension'' and the related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies.

Drug Free Workplace

Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR Part 26, Section 605) are subject to

15 CFR Part 26, Subpart F, ``Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free

Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section of the certification form

prescribed above applies.

Anti-Lobbying

Persons (as defined at 15 CFR Part 28, Section 105) are subject to

the lobbying provisions of 31 U.S.C. 1352, ``Limitation on use of

appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and

financial transactions,'' and the lobbying section of the certification

form prescribed above applies to applications/bid for grants,

cooperative agreements, and contracts for more than $100,000, and loans

and loan guarantees for more than $150,000 or the single family maximum

mortgage limit for affected programs, whichever is greater.

Anti-Lobbying Disclosures

Any applicant that has paid or will pay for lobbying using any

funds must submit an SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' as

required under 15 CFR Part 28, Appendix B.

Lower Tier Certifications

Recipients shall require applications/bidders for subgrants,

contracts, subcontracts, or other lower tier covered transactions at

any tier under the award to submit, if applicable, a completed Form CD-

512, ``Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

and Voluntary Exclusion-Lower Tier Covered Transactions and Lobbying''

and disclosure form, SF-LLL, ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.''

Form CD-512 is intended for the use of recipients and should not be

transmitted to DOC. SF-LLL submitted by any tier recipient or

subrecipient should be submitted to DOC in accordance with the

instructions contained in the award document.

Buy American-made Equipment or Products

Applicants are hereby notified that they are encouraged, to the

extent feasible, to purchase American-made equipment and products with

funding provided under this program in accordance with Congressional

intent as set forth in the resolution contained in Public Law 103-121,

Sections 606 (a) and (b).

11.800 Minority Business Development Center

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance)

Dated: November 9, 1994.

Donald L. Powers,

Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business Development Agency.

[FR Doc. 94-28630 Filed 11-18-94; 8:45 am]

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