Cooperative Agreement Program for American Business Centers in Russia and the New Independent States

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[Docket No. 970910230-7230-01]

Cooperative Agreement Program for American Business Centers in

Russia and the New Independent States

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The International Trade Administration (ITA) is soliciting

competitive applications to establish and operate American Business

Centers (ABCs)in five Russian cities for a two (2) year multi-year

award period. ABCs will encourage the export of U.S. goods and services

and stimulate trade and investment in Russia's regions. Funds to

support new ABC Awards are not currently available. All awards

resulting from this announcement are contingent upon the availability

of appropriated funds.

ABCs will provide, on a user fee basis, a broad range of business

development and facilitation services to United States companies in

Russia's regions. Services provided by the ABCs will be designed to

encourage more U.S. firms to explore opportunities for trade and

investment in Russia's regions and to help them conduct business there

more effectively. The core services to be provided by the ABCs include:

International telephone, fax, and data transmission; temporary office

space; space for meetings, small seminars, and small product

exhibitions or demonstrations; secretarial support (e.g. word

processing, typing, message taking); translator/interpreters;

photocopying; market research; counseling on local business conditions;

and arranging appointments with Russian business contacts. The Centers

also will work closely with Russian businesses to help them become more

attractive trading partners; identify and report obstacles to trade and

investment; and serve as a link between financial institutions, U.S.

companies, and Russian enterprises.

In addition to these core services, ABCs will support U.S.

Government activities under the Regional Investment Initiative (RII).

This will include providing, at cost, support for the activities of the

RII coordinators. Such support may include office space, computers,

telecommunications equipment and secretarial and translation services.

Projects supported under the terms of this notice will establish

and operate an ABC in no less than one of the following Russian cities:

Khabarovsk, Nizhny

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Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

DATES: ITA will accept only those applications which are received at

the U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 1235, HCHB, no later than 3:00 pm

E.S.T. October 15, 1997. Late applications will not be accepted and

will not be considered. On September 19, 1997 competitive application

kits are available from the Department of Commerce.

ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the application kit, please send a

written request with a self-addressed mail label to: Russia-NIS Program

Office, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, Room 1235, HCHB, U.S.

Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230. Requests for

application kits also may be faxed to 202-482-2456. Only one

application kit will be provided to each organization requesting it,

but the kit may be reproduced by the requester. All forms necessary to

submit an application will be included in the application kit.

Completed applications should be returned to the same address.

Applicants must submit a signed original and two copies of the

application and supporting materials. It is anticipated that it will

take ten weeks after the deadline for receipt of applications to

process applications and make awards.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Applicants wishing further information

should contact Ms. E. Vivian Spathopoulos, Deputy Director, Russia-NIS

Program Office, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Department of

Commerce, room 1235, HCHB, Washington, D.C. 20230, telephone: (202)

482-2902, or Fax: (202) 482-2456.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Program Authority

The American Business Center program is authorized by Title III of

the ``Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open

Markets Support Act of 1992'' or the ``FREEDOM Support Act'', Public

Law 102-511. Funding for the program is provided by the Agency for

International Development under Section 632(a) of the Foreign

Assistance Act of 1961, as amended.

Eligible Applicants

United States for-profit firms, non-profit organizations, non-

Federal government agencies, industry and trade associations, and

educational institutions are eligible to apply. An enterprise which

includes or intends to include participation of host country citizens

or entities will be considered an eligible applicant so long as the

applicant is and will remain, throughout the award period, controlled

by citizens or entities of the United States.

Funding Guidelines

Since it is anticipated that ITA will be involved in the

implementation of each project for which an award is made, the funding

instrument for the program will be a cooperative agreement. Examples of

ITA involvement include but are not limited to the following:

Supplemental marketing to promote the ABCs, guidance on eligibility of

ABC clients, and coordination with other U.S. government assistance

programs.

ITA anticipates $1 million will be available for the first year of

funding for up to five (5) multi-year cooperative agreement awards

during FY 1998. Applicants will be requested to submit a work-plan and

budget which cover a one (1) year period for a total amount of not more

than $200,000 in Federal funds. Applicants must supply at least fifty-

percent (50%) of total project costs, with the Federal portion of total

project costs to be no more than fifty-percent (50%). A minimum of one

half (\1/2\) of the support supplied by the applicant must be in the

form of cash. The remaining portion of the applicant's support may

consist of cash or in-kind contributions (good and services contributed

by a third-party). Applicants will be requested to submit a work-plan

and budget for a second year of operation based on the level of funding

for the first year with the understanding that funding levels may or

may not be the same as the first year.

Applicant receipt of future funding is contingent upon the

availability of appropriated funds, and satisfactory performance, and

will be at the sole discretion of ITA. Publication of this notice does

not constitute an obligation by the Department of Commerce to enter

into a cooperative agreement with any responding applicant.

Eligible entities may propose the establishment of one or more

ABCs. Applicants must submit a separate application for each proposed

ABC. Each ABC will be funded through a separate cooperative agreement.

More than one cooperative agreement may be awarded to a single entity.

No more than one ABC will be funded in any given Russian city.

Evaluation Criteria

Consideration for financial assistance under the program will be

based on the following evaluation criteria:

(1) Quality of Work Plan: core commercial activities, marketing

strategy, management/staffing, cooperation with ITA and outreach

programs to NIS firms;

(2) Qualifications of Applicant: financial history, personnel's

experience in region and in delivering commercial products/services;

(3) Market Knowledge of Locations: applicant's demonstrated

familiarity with the market conditions in the proposed city and/or

region;

(4) Project Timetable: ability of applicant to complete major

stages in the scope of work quickly, particularly bringing an ABC into

the fully-operational stage;

(5) U.S. Small Business Utility: accessibility of services to small

firms and reasonableness of fees;

(6) Cost-Effectiveness: reasonableness, allowability and

allocability of costs.

For purpose of evaluation of the applications, the above criteria

will be weighted as follows: Criterion (1) will be worth a maximum of

30 (thirty) percent; criterion (2) will be worth a maximum of 30

(thirty) percent; criterion (3) will be worth a maximum of 20 (twenty)

percent; criterion (4) will be worth a maximum of 10 (ten) percent;

criterion (5) and (6) will be worth a maximum of 5 (five) percent each.

Selection Procedure

Each application will be evaluated by a panel of at least three

independent ITA reviewers qualified to evaluate applications submitted

under the program. Applications will be evaluated on a competitive

basis in accordance with the evaluation criteria set forth above.

Awards will be based on highest total accumulated score and geographic

location.

Notifications

All applicants are advised of the following:

(1) Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may

result in an application not being considered for funding.

(2) If applicants incur any cost prior to an award being made, they

do so solely at their own risk of not being reimbursed by the Federal

Government. Not withstanding any verbal assurance that they may

receive, there is no obligation on the part of the Department of

Commerce to cover pre-award costs.

(3) If an application is selected for funding, the Department of

Commerce has no obligation to provide any additional future funding in

connection with the award. Renewal of an award to increase funding or

extend the period of performance is at the total discretion of the

Department of Commerce.

[[Page 48221]]

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

an outstanding debt until either:

a. The delinquent account is paid in full.

b. A negotiated repayment schedule is established and at least one

payment is received; or

c. Other arrangements satisfactory to the Department of Commerce

are made.

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

``Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and other

Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free Workplace Requirements and

Lobbying''. 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. Grantees (as defined at 15 CFR part 26,

section 605) are subject to 15 CFR part 26, subpart F ``Government wide

Requirement for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)'' and the related section

of the certification form prescribed above applies. Persons (as defined

at 15 CFR part 28, section 105) are subject to the lobbying provisions

of 31 U.S.C. 1352, ``Limitation on the 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 that

$150,000 or the single family maximum mortgage limit for affected

programs, whichever is greater''. 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.

(6) Recipients shall require applicants/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 Transaction 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

submitted by any tier recipient or sub-recipient should be submitted to

the Department of Commerce in accordance with instructions contained in

the award document.

(7) A false statement on an application 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 and denial or termination of

Federal funding.

(8) All recipients and sub-recipients are subject to all applicable

Federal laws and Federal Department of Commerce policies, regulations,

and procedures applicable to Federal assistance awards. For-profit

organizations shall be subject to OMB Circular A-110 and 15 CFR 29a.

(9) 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.

(10) Recipients are subject to the Fly America Act (49 USC sec.

1517 as implemented by 41 CFR sec. 301-3.6).

(11) Executive Order 12372 ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal

Programs'' does not apply to this program.

(12) Paperwork Reduction Act does apply to this program. This

document involves collections of information subject to the Paperwork

Reduction Act, which have been approved by the Office of Management and

Budget under OMB Control Numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-

0046, and 0651-0001. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no

person is required to respond to nor shall a person be subject to a

penalty for failure to comply with a collection of information subject

to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act unless that

collection of information displays a current valid OMB control number.

Dated: September 11, 1997.

E. Vivian Spathopoulos,

Deputy Director, US&FCS/Russia-NIS Program Office.

[FR Doc. 97-24525 Filed 9-12-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-FP-U