Business Development Mission to Belfast and Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland, October 13-17, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

Business Development Mission to Belfast and Londonderry (Derry),

Northern Ireland, October 13-17, 1997

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice serves to inform the public of a trade and

investment mission to Belfast and Londonderry, Northern Ireland to be

held October 13-17, 1997; provides interested U.S. firms with the

opportunity to submit an application to participate in the mission;

sets forth objectives, procedures, and selection review criteria for

the mission; and requests applications. The recruitment and selection

of private sector participants in the mission will be conducted in

accordance with the Statement of Policy Governing Department of

Commerce Overseas Trade Missions announced by Secretary Daley on March

3, 1997 and reflected herein.

DATES: Applications should be received by July 30, 1997. The Mission is

scheduled for October 13-17, 1997. Applications received after that

date will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints

permit.

ADDRESSES: Requests for and submission of applications: Applications

are available from Virginia Manuel, Senior Advisor and Project Manager,

U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room

3868, telephone: 202-482-5853 and facsimile: 202-482-5444, Washington,

D.C. 20230. An original and two copies of the required application

materials should be sent to the Project Manager at the above address.

Applications sent by facsimile must be immediately followed by

submission of the original application.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Mission Description

The U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration

(ITA) will organize a business development mission to Northern Ireland

(NI), October 13-17, 1997. The delegation, which will be led by a

senior Departmental official, will be comprised

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of 10-15 U.S. company executives from three industry sectors:

electronics, environmental technologies, and medical technologies.

The business purpose of the mission is the promotion of U.S. trade

and investment interests in Northern Ireland, and in the European

Union. The present state of the Northern Ireland economy and the ready

access to the $7.8 trillion European market provides strong and growing

markets for U.S. products and services.

The itinerary of the mission will include stops in Belfast and

Londonderry (Derry), the largest and second largest cities,

respectively, and the two major industrial centers in Northern Ireland.

The private sector participants will be offered: (1) One-on-one

pre-screened business appointments; (2) expert market briefings with

senior U.K. (Northern Ireland) Government officials and development

authorities; (3) site visits to U.S. companies operating in Northern

Ireland; and, (4) logistical support, transportation in Belfast and

Londonderry, and ground tours of the two cities.

Mission Goals

The goals of the mission are to increase U.S. exports and to

promote trade and investment in Northern Ireland through strategic

alliances, joint ventures, and other partnerships between U.S. and

Northern Ireland companies.

Participation Criteria

A maximum of 15 companies will be selected to participate in the

mission. Participants must fall into one of the three sectors of

environmental technologies, medical technologies, and electronics

identified for the mission, and must be U.S. companies providing U.S.

origin goods and/or services that are export-ready. Participant

executives ideally will be at the level of president or vice president.

Each firm participating in this mission will have been recruited by

U.S. DOC in Washington and reviewed by our U.S. Embassy in London, our

commercial representative in Belfast, and Northern Ireland's Industrial

Development Board (IDB) for: (1) Consistency of the company's goals

with the scope, nature and desired outcome of the mission (as described

herein); (2) relevance of the company's sector to the mission; (3)

past, present, or prospective business activity in the U.K., Ireland,

or Europe; (4) diversity of company size, type, location, demographics

and traditional under-representation in business; and, (5) timeliness

of completed application by company (including payment of participation

fee).

An applicant's partisan political activities (including political

contributions) are entirely irrelevant to selection of mission

participants.

Endorsements/Referrals

Third parties may nominate or endorse potential applicants, but

companies that are nominated or endorsed must themselves submit an

application in order to be eligible for consideration. Referrals from

political organizations will not be considered.

Costs

The fee to participate in the mission is $1800. The participation

fee does not cover the participant's travel, lodging or other personal

expenses.

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1512.

Dated: May 19, 1997.

Franklin Vargo,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance,

International Trade Administration.

[FR Doc. 97-13662 Filed 5-22-97; 8:45 am]

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