Business Development Center Application: Puerto Rico ``Islandwide''

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development Agency

Business Development Center Application: Puerto Rico

``Islandwide''

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 under its Minority Business Development Center

(MBDC) program to operate the Puerto Rico ``Islandwide'' Minority

Business Development Center (MBDC) for approximately a 3-year period,

subject to agency priorities, recipient performance and the

availability of funds.

By consolidating the BDCs under an islandwide concept, we save

Federal funds while continuing to offer quality service to eligible

clients in Puerto Rico. This action also allows for coverage of both

the metropolitan and rural areas of Puerto Rico. The main office of the

``Islandwide'' MBDC will be located in San Juan. The largest areas of

minority business concentration are San Juan, Ponce and Mayaguez.

Satellite offices will be put in place to cover the Ponce and Mayaguez

areas. The award number for this MBDC will be 02-10-97006-01.

DATES: The closing date for applications is May 30, 1997. Applications

Must be received in the MBDA Headquarters' Executive Secretariat on or

before May 30, 1997. A pre-application conference to assist all

interested applicants will be held on Wednesday, May 7, 1997. For

further information concerning time and location, please contact the

Atlanta Regional Office at 404/730-3300.

ADDRESSES: Completed application packages should be submitted to the

U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency,

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: Robert

Henderson, Regional Director, Atlanta Regional Office, (404) 730-3300.

Proper identification is required for entrance into any Federal

Building.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Contingent upon the availability of Federal

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

from September 1, 1997 to September 30, 1998, is estimated at $599,187.

A 30-day start-up period will be added to the first budget period,

making it a 13-month award. The application must include a minimum

cost-share of $89,878, (15%) of the total project cost, through non-

Federal contributions. The Federal share, to be in the amount of

$509,308, includes $12,733 for an annual audit fee. Cost-sharing may be

in the form of cash contributions, client fees, in-kind contributions

or combinations thereof.

The funding instrument for this project will be a cooperative

agreement. 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

experience and 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 both rural

and urban 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 will 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 MBDC

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.

The ``Islandwide'' MBDC shall be required to contribute at least

15% of the total project cost through non-Federal contributions. To

assist in this effort, the ``Islandwide'' MBDC may charge client fees

for management and technical assistance (M&TA) rendered. Fees may range

from $10 to $60 per hour based on the gross receipts of the client's

business.

If an application is selected for funding, DOC has no obligation to

provide any additional future funding beyond the initial award. Renewal

of an award to increase funding or extend the period of performance is

at the total discretion of DOC. Awards under this program shall be

subject to all Federal laws, Federal and Departmental regulations,

policies and procedures applicable to Federal assistance awards.

Quarterly 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 ``Islandwide'' MBDC's performance, the availability of

funds and Agency priorities.

Anticipated processing time of this award is 120 days. Executive

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

applicable to this program. 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.

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, or a repayment

schedule is established and

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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 whether 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 in accordance with Congressional intent as set forth in the

resolution contained in Pub L. 103-121, Sections 606(a) and (b).

11.800 Minority Business Development Center

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance).

Dated: April 18, 1997.

Frances B. Douglas,

Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business

Development Agency.

[FR Doc. 97-10589 Filed 4-23-97; 8:45 am]

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