Notice; Solicitation of Business Development Center Applications for Hampton Roads

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development Agency

Notice; Solicitation of Business Development Center Applications

for Hampton Roads

AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency, Commerce.

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

the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting

competitive applications from organizations to operate the Hampton

Roads Minority Business Development Center (MBDC).

The purpose of the MBDC Program is to provide business development

assistance to persons who are members of groups determined by MBDA to

be socially or economically disadvantaged, and to business concerns

owned and controlled by such individuals. 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

award number of the MBDC will be 03-10-97003-01.

DATES: The closing date for applications is September 24, 1996.

Applications must be received in the MBDA Headquarters' Executive

Secretariat on or before September 24, 1996. A pre-application

conference will be held. For the exact date, time, and location,

contact the New York Regional Office, at (212) 264-3262. Proper

identification is required for entrance into any Federal Building.

ADDRESSES: Completed application packages must be submitted to the U.S.

Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency, MBDA

Executive Secretariat, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 5073,

Washington, D.C. 20230, Telephone Number: (202) 482-3763.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND AN APPLICATION PACKAGE, CONTACT: Heyward

Davenport, Regional Director, at (212) 264-3262.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Interim Final Policy

published in the Federal Register on May 31, 1996, the cost-share

requirement for the MBDCs listed in this notice has been increased to

40%. The Department of Commerce will fund up to 60% of the total cost

of operating an MBDC on an annual basis. The MBDC operator is required

to contribute at least 40% of the total project cost (the ``cost-share

requirement'').

Cost-sharing contributions may be in the form of cash, client fees,

third party in-kind contributions, non-cash applicant contributions or

combinations thereof. In addition to the traditional sources of an

MBDC's cost-share contribution, the 40% may be contributed by local,

state and private sector organizations. It is anticipated that some

organizations may apply jointly for an award to operate the center. For

administrative purposes, one organization must be designated as the

recipient organization.

Contingent upon the availability of Federal funds, the cost of

performance for the first budget period (13 months) from December 1,

1996 to December 31, 1997, is estimated at $314,778. The total Federal

amount is $188,867 and is composed of $184,260 plus the Audit Fee

amount of $4,607. The application must include a minimum cost share of

40%, $125,911 in non-federal (cost-sharing) contributions for a total

project cost of $314,778.

The funding instrument for this project will be a cooperative

agreement. If the recommended applicant is the current incumbent

organization, the award will be for 12 months. 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). In accordance

with Interim Final Policy published in the Federal Register on May 31,

1996, the scoring system will be revised to add ten (10) bonus points

to the application of community-based organizations. Each qualifying

application will receive the full ten points. Community-based applicant

organizations are those organizations whose headquarters and/or

principal place of business within the last five years have been

located within the geographic service area designated in the

solicitation for the award. Where an applicant organization has been in

existence for fewer than five years or has been present in the

geographic service area for fewer than five years, the individual years

of experience of the applicant organization's principals may be applied

toward the requirement of five years of organization experience. The

individual years of experience must have been acquired in the

geographic service area which is the subject of the solicitation. 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 40% of the total

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

effort, the MBDC may charge client fees for

[[Page 43044]]

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.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required

to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure

to comply with a collection of information, subject to the requirements

of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays a currently

valid OMB Control Number. 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 26.105) 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 26.605) 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

28.105) 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.

11.800 Minority Business Development Center

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance)

Dated: August 15, 1996.

Donald L. Powers,

Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business Development Agency.

[FR Doc. 96-21215 Filed 8-19-96; 8:45 am]

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