Native American Business Consultant Applications: Nationwide

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Minority Business Development Agency

Native American Business Consultant Applications: Nationwide

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 Native American Business

Consultant (NABC) Program.

The purpose of the NABC is to provide specialized consultant

services to Native American Business Development Centers (NABDC) in

areas beyond an NABDC's capacity and/or capability, and provide direct

business development services to clients outside of the geographic

service area of the NABDC and any other MBDA client service center. The

recipient will provide service nationwide. The award number of the NABC

will be 98-10-98001-01.

DATES: The closing date for applications is October 31, 1997.

Applications must be received on or before October 31, 1997.

Anticipated processing time of this award is 120 days. A pre-award

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

conference, call (202) 482-2366.

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

Agency, Office of Strategic Planning, Field Coordination Division, 14th

and Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 5075, Washington, DC 20230, (202)

482-6022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joe Hardy at (202) 482-2366.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Contingent upon the availability of Federal

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

from February 1, 1998 to February 28, 1999, is estimated at $205,000.

The total Federal amount is composed of $200,000 plus the Audit Fee

amount of $5,000. The NABC will provide service nationwide.

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 Native American businesses, individuals and

organizations (50 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 (20 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 funding.

Periodic reviews culminating in year-to-date evaluations will be

conducted to determine if funding for the project should continue. If

an application is selected for funding, MBDA has no obligation to

provide any additional future funding in connection with that award.

Renewal of an award to increase funding or extend the period of

performance is at the total discretion of MBDA.

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 the event that a

CPA firm wins the competition, the funds allocated for audits are not

applicable. 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. 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.

Pre-Award Activities--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.

Recipients and subrecipients are subject to all Federal laws, and

Federal and Departmental regulations, policies, and procedures

applicable to Federal financial assistance awards.

Delinquent Federal Debts--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, a negotiated 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

applicants' management honesty or financial integrity.

Award Tetmination--The Departmental Grants Officer may terminate

any grant/cooperative agreement in whole or impart 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 cooperative

agreement. Examples of some of the conditions which can cause

termination are failure to meet cost-sharing requirements;

unsatisfactory performance of the NABC 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, ``Nonprocurment Debarment and Suspension''and the related section

of

[[Page 51457]]

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 recipient sand 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.

Indirect Costs--The total dollar amount of the indirect costs

proposed in an application under this program must not exceed the

indirect cost rate negotiated and approved by a cognizant Federal

agency prior to the proposed effective date of the award or 100% of the

total proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, whichever

is less.

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 in Pub.L. 103-121, Section 606 (a) and (b).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance: 11.801 Native American

Program)

Dated: September 25, 1997.

Donald L. Powers,

Federal Register Liaison Officer, Minority Business Development Agency.

[FR Doc. 97-26035 Filed 9-30-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-21-M