Business Development Center Applications: Tucson, AZ

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development Agency

Business Development Center Applications: Tucson, AZ

AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency.

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 Tucson 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 Tucson, Arizona Metropolitan Area. The

award number of the MBDC will be 09-10-95010-01.

DATES: The closing date for applications is February 21, 1995.

Applications must be received in the MBDA Headquarters' Field

Coordination Division on or before February 21, 1995. A pre-application

conference will be held on February 1, 1995, at the Federal Building,

300 West Congress Street, Room 7L, Seventh Floor, Tucson, Arizona

85701.

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

Agency, Office of Operations and Regional Management, Field

Coordination Division, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 5075,

Washington, D.C. 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 May 1, 1995 to May 31, 1996, is estimated at $198,971. The total

Federal amount is $169,125 and is composed of $165,000 plus the Audit

Fee amount of $4,125. The application must include a minimum cost share

of 15%, $29,846 in non-federal (cost-sharing) contributions for a total

project cost of $198,971. 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

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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 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/bids 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: January 12, 1995.

Donald L. Powers,

Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business Development Agency.

[FR Doc. 95-1258 Filed 1-18-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-21-P