Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, 76230-76231 [05-24426]
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76230
Notices
Federal Register
Vol. 70, No. 246
Friday, December 23, 2005
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER
contains documents other than rules or
proposed rules that are applicable to the
public. Notices of hearings and investigations,
committee meetings, agency decisions and
rulings, delegations of authority, filing of
petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are
examples of documents appearing in this
section.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting
Applications for the Technical
Assistance for Specialty Crops
Program
Announcement Type: New.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 10.604.
SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit
Corporation (CCC) announces the
availability of funding for the 2006
Technical Assistance for Specialty
Crops (TASC) Program. The intended
effect of this notice is to solicit
applications from the private sector and
from government agencies for
participation in the FY 2006 TASC
Program. The TASC Program is
administered by personnel of the
Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
DATES: See paragraph IV.3 below for a
detailed description of relevant dates.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Entities wishing to apply for funding
assistance should contact the Marketing
Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Ave. SW., STOP
1042, Washington, DC 20250–1042,
phone: (202) 720–4327, fax: (202) 720–
9361, e-mail: mosadmin@fas.usda.gov.
Information is also available on the
Foreign Agricultural Service Web site at
http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/tasc/
tasc.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: The TASC Program is
authorized by section 3205 of Pub. L. 107–
171. TASC regulations appear at 7 CFR part
1487.
Purpose: The TASC Program is
designed to assist U.S. organizations by
providing funding for private and public
sector projects and technical assistance
that address sanitary, phytosanitary, and
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:55 Dec 22, 2005
Jkt 208001
technical barriers that prohibit or
threaten the export of U.S. specialty
crops. U.S. specialty crops, for the
purpose of the TASC Program, are
defined to include all cultivated plants,
or the products thereof, produced in the
U.S., except wheat, feed grains, oilseeds,
cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco.
As a general matter, TASC Program
projects should be designed to
accomplish the following goals:
• Projects should address a sanitary,
phytosanitary, or related technical
barrier that prohibits or threatens the
export of U.S. specialty crops;
• Projects should demonstrably
benefit the represented industry and not
a specific company or brand; and,
• Projects must address barriers to
U.S. specialty crops that are currently
available on a commercial basis and for
which barrier removal would
predominantly benefit U.S. exports.
Examples of expenses that the CCC
may agree to reimburse under the TASC
Program include, but are not limited to:
initial pre-clearance programs, export
protocol and work plan support,
seminars and workshops, study tours,
field surveys, development of pest lists,
pest and disease research, database
development, reasonable logistical and
administrative support, and travel and
per diem expenses.
II. Award Information
In general, all qualified proposals
received before the specified application
deadlines will compete for funding. The
limited funds and the range of barriers
affecting the exports of U.S. specialty
crops worldwide preclude CCC from
approving large budgets for individual
projects. In prior years, the amount of
funding per proposal has ranged from
$13,000 to $250,000, the maximum
allowed.
Applicants may submit multiple
proposals, and applicants with
previously approved TASC proposals
may apply for additional funding.
However, no TASC participant may
have more than three approved projects
under way at any given time.
The FAS will consider providing
either grant funds as direct assistance to
U.S. organizations or providing
technical assistance on behalf of U.S.
organizations, provided that the
organization submits timely and
qualified proposals. The FAS will
review all proposals against the
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
evaluation criteria contained in the
program regulations.
Funding for successful proposals will
be provided through specific
agreements. These agreements will
incorporate the proposal as approved by
FAS. FAS must approve in advance any
subsequent changes to the project. The
FAS or another Federal agency may
have involvement in the
implementation of approved projects.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Any United
States organization, private or
government, may apply to the program.
Government organizations consist of
federal, state, and local agencies. Private
organizations include non-profit trade
associations, universities, agricultural
cooperatives, state regional trade
groups, and private companies.
Foreign organizations, whether
government or private, may participate
as third parties in activities carried out
by U.S. organizations, but are not
eligible for funding assistance from the
program.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Although
a minimum level of cost share
contribution is not required, it is very
strongly encouraged in this highly
competitive program. If provided, such
support may be in the form of cash,
goods, or in-kind services which are
dedicated to the project by the
organization that submitted the
proposal, private industry entities, host
governments, or foreign third parties.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
1. Address to Request Application
Package: Organizations can submit
applications to the FAS through the
Unified Export Strategy (UES)
application Internet Web site.
Applicants also have the option of
submitting electronic versions in the
UES format (along with two paper
copies) of their applications to the FAS
on diskette.
Applicants planning to use the UES
Internet-based system must contact the
FAS Marketing Operations Staff on
(202) 720–4327 to obtain site access
information including a user ID and
password. The UES Internet-based
application, including a Help file
containing step-by-step instructions for
its use, may be found at the following
URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/
cooperators.html. Applicants are not
E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM
23DEN1
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 246 / Friday, December 23, 2005 / Notices
required to use the UES, but are strongly
encouraged to do so because it reduces
paperwork and expedites the FAS
processing and review cycle.
Applicants who choose to submit
applications on diskette can obtain an
application format by contacting the
Marketing Operations Staff, phone (202)
720–4327, fax: (202) 720–9361, e-mail:
mosadmin@fas.usda.gov.
2. Content and Form of Application
Submission: All TASC proposals must
contain complete information about the
proposed projects as described in
§ 1487.5(b) of the TASC Program
regulations. In addition, in accordance
with the Office of Management and
Budget’s issuance of a final policy (68
FR 38402) regarding the use of a
universal identifier for all Federal grants
and cooperative agreements, all
applicants must submit a Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
System (DUNS) number. An applicant
may request a DUNS number at no cost
by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS
number request line on 1–866–705–
5711. Incomplete applications and
applications which do not otherwise
conform to this announcement will not
be accepted for review.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
TASC funding is limited, and in order
to assure sufficient resources are
available to meet unanticipated needs
during the fiscal year, TASC proposals
will, generally, only be evaluated on a
semi-annual basis. That is:
• Proposals received prior to, but not
later than, 5 p.m. (local time
Washington, DC) February 1, 2006, will
be considered for funding with other
proposals received by that date;
• Proposals received prior to, but not
later than, 5 p.m. (local time
Washington, DC) July 1, 2006, will be
considered for funding with other
proposals received by that date;
• Proposals not approved for funding
during the applicable review period will
be reconsidered for funding after the
applicable review period only if the
applicant specifically requests such
reconsideration in writing, and only if
funding remains available.
• Proposals received after 5 p.m.
(local time Washington, DC) July 1,
2006, will be considered for funding
only if funding remains available.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a
proposal may be submitted for
expedited consideration under the
TASC Quick Response process if, in
addition to meeting all requirements of
the TASC program, a proposal clearly
identifies a time-sensitive activity. In
these cases, a proposal may be
submitted at any time for an immediate
evaluation.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:55 Dec 22, 2005
Jkt 208001
All proposals will be date stamped
upon receipt.
4. Funding Restrictions: Proposals
which request more than $250,000 of
CCC funding in a given year will not be
considered. Proposals to fund projects
that exceed three years in duration will
not be considered. No TASC participant
may have more than three approved
projects under way at any given time.
Although funded projects may take
place in the United States, all eligible
projects must specifically address
sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical
barriers to the export of U.S. specialty
crops.
Certain types of expenses are not
eligible for reimbursement by the
program. For example, program funds
shall not be used to reimburse the costs
of market research, advertising, or other
promotional expenses. CCC will not
reimburse unreasonable expenditures or
any expenditure made prior to approval
of a proposal.
5. Other Submission Requirements:
All Internet-based applications must be
properly submitted by 5 p.m. (local time
in Washington, DC) on February 1,
2006, or July 1, 2006, in order to be
considered during the applicable review
period.
All applications on diskette (with two
accompanying paper copies) and any
other applications must be received by
5 p.m. (local time in Washington, DC)
on February 1, 2006, or July 1, 2006, at
one of the following addresses:
Hand Delivery (including FedEx,
DHL, UPS, etc.): U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural
Service, Marketing Operations Staff,
1250 Maryland Avenue, SW., 4th Floor,
Washington, DC 20024.
U.S. Postal Delivery: U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural
Service, Marketing Operations Staff,
STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave.
SW., Washington, DC 20250–1042.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria: The FAS follows the
evaluation criteria set forth in § 1487.6
of the TASC regulations.
2. Review and Selection Process: The
FAS will review proposals for eligibility
and will evaluate each proposal against
the factors described above. The
purpose of this review is to identify
meritorious proposals, recommend an
appropriate funding level for each
proposal based upon these factors, and
submit the proposals and funding
recommendations to the Deputy
Administrator, Commodity and
Marketing Programs. The FAS may,
when appropriate to the subject matter
of the proposal, request the assistance of
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
76231
other U.S. government experts in
evaluating the merits of a proposal.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices. The FAS will notify
each applicant in writing of the final
disposition of its application. The FAS
will send an approval letter and
agreement to each approved applicant.
The approval letter and agreement will
specify the terms and conditions
applicable to the project, including
levels of funding, timelines for
implementation, and written evaluation
requirements.
2. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements: The agreements will
incorporate the details of each project as
approved by FAS. Each agreement will
identify terms and conditions pursuant
to which CCC will reimburse certain
costs of each project. Agreements will
also outline the responsibilities of the
participant. Interested parties should
review the TASC Program regulations
found at 7 CFR part 1487 in addition to
this announcement.
3. Reporting: TASC participants are
subject to the reporting and
recordkeeping requirements described
in the TASC programming regulations,
as well as the requirements described in
7 CFR part 3019. In addition,
participants are required to submit a
written report(s), on no less than an
annual basis, and a final report, each of
which evaluates their TASC project
using the performance measures
presented in the approved proposal.
VII. Agency Contact
For additional information or
assistance, contact the Marketing
Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Ave., SW., STOP
1042, Washington, DC 20250–1042,
phone: (202) 720–4327, fax: (202) 720–
9361, e-mail: mosadmin@fas.usda.gov.
Signed at Washington, DC, on December
15, 2005
W. Kirk Miller,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service,
and Acting Vice President, Commodity Credit
Corporation.
[FR Doc. 05–24426 Filed 12–22–05; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 3410–10–M
E:\FR\FM\23DEN1.SGM
23DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76230-76231]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-24426]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 246 / Friday, December 23, 2005 /
Notices
[[Page 76230]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Commodity Credit Corporation
Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting Applications for the
Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program
Announcement Type: New.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.604.
SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces the
availability of funding for the 2006 Technical Assistance for Specialty
Crops (TASC) Program. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit
applications from the private sector and from government agencies for
participation in the FY 2006 TASC Program. The TASC Program is
administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
DATES: See paragraph IV.3 below for a detailed description of relevant
dates.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Entities wishing to apply for funding
assistance should contact the Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign
Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence
Ave. SW., STOP 1042, Washington, DC 20250-1042, phone: (202) 720-4327,
fax: (202) 720-9361, e-mail: mosadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is also
available on the Foreign Agricultural Service Web site at http://
www.fas.usda.gov/mos/tasc/tasc.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Authority: The TASC Program is authorized by section 3205 of
Pub. L. 107-171. TASC regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1487.
Purpose: The TASC Program is designed to assist U.S. organizations
by providing funding for private and public sector projects and
technical assistance that address sanitary, phytosanitary, and
technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S.
specialty crops. U.S. specialty crops, for the purpose of the TASC
Program, are defined to include all cultivated plants, or the products
thereof, produced in the U.S., except wheat, feed grains, oilseeds,
cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco.
As a general matter, TASC Program projects should be designed to
accomplish the following goals:
Projects should address a sanitary, phytosanitary, or
related technical barrier that prohibits or threatens the export of
U.S. specialty crops;
Projects should demonstrably benefit the represented
industry and not a specific company or brand; and,
Projects must address barriers to U.S. specialty crops
that are currently available on a commercial basis and for which
barrier removal would predominantly benefit U.S. exports.
Examples of expenses that the CCC may agree to reimburse under the
TASC Program include, but are not limited to: initial pre-clearance
programs, export protocol and work plan support, seminars and
workshops, study tours, field surveys, development of pest lists, pest
and disease research, database development, reasonable logistical and
administrative support, and travel and per diem expenses.
II. Award Information
In general, all qualified proposals received before the specified
application deadlines will compete for funding. The limited funds and
the range of barriers affecting the exports of U.S. specialty crops
worldwide preclude CCC from approving large budgets for individual
projects. In prior years, the amount of funding per proposal has ranged
from $13,000 to $250,000, the maximum allowed.
Applicants may submit multiple proposals, and applicants with
previously approved TASC proposals may apply for additional funding.
However, no TASC participant may have more than three approved projects
under way at any given time.
The FAS will consider providing either grant funds as direct
assistance to U.S. organizations or providing technical assistance on
behalf of U.S. organizations, provided that the organization submits
timely and qualified proposals. The FAS will review all proposals
against the evaluation criteria contained in the program regulations.
Funding for successful proposals will be provided through specific
agreements. These agreements will incorporate the proposal as approved
by FAS. FAS must approve in advance any subsequent changes to the
project. The FAS or another Federal agency may have involvement in the
implementation of approved projects.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: Any United States organization, private or
government, may apply to the program. Government organizations consist
of federal, state, and local agencies. Private organizations include
non-profit trade associations, universities, agricultural cooperatives,
state regional trade groups, and private companies.
Foreign organizations, whether government or private, may
participate as third parties in activities carried out by U.S.
organizations, but are not eligible for funding assistance from the
program.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: Although a minimum level of cost share
contribution is not required, it is very strongly encouraged in this
highly competitive program. If provided, such support may be in the
form of cash, goods, or in-kind services which are dedicated to the
project by the organization that submitted the proposal, private
industry entities, host governments, or foreign third parties.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: Organizations can submit
applications to the FAS through the Unified Export Strategy (UES)
application Internet Web site. Applicants also have the option of
submitting electronic versions in the UES format (along with two paper
copies) of their applications to the FAS on diskette.
Applicants planning to use the UES Internet-based system must
contact the FAS Marketing Operations Staff on (202) 720-4327 to obtain
site access information including a user ID and password. The UES
Internet-based application, including a Help file containing step-by-
step instructions for its use, may be found at the following URL
address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/cooperators.html. Applicants are not
[[Page 76231]]
required to use the UES, but are strongly encouraged to do so because
it reduces paperwork and expedites the FAS processing and review cycle.
Applicants who choose to submit applications on diskette can obtain
an application format by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff,
phone (202) 720-4327, fax: (202) 720-9361, e-mail:
mosadmin@fas.usda.gov.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: All TASC proposals
must contain complete information about the proposed projects as
described in Sec. 1487.5(b) of the TASC Program regulations. In
addition, in accordance with the Office of Management and Budget's
issuance of a final policy (68 FR 38402) regarding the use of a
universal identifier for all Federal grants and cooperative agreements,
all applicants must submit a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal
Numbering System (DUNS) number. An applicant may request a DUNS number
at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line
on 1-866-705-5711. Incomplete applications and applications which do
not otherwise conform to this announcement will not be accepted for
review.
3. Submission Dates and Times: TASC funding is limited, and in
order to assure sufficient resources are available to meet
unanticipated needs during the fiscal year, TASC proposals will,
generally, only be evaluated on a semi-annual basis. That is:
Proposals received prior to, but not later than, 5 p.m.
(local time Washington, DC) February 1, 2006, will be considered for
funding with other proposals received by that date;
Proposals received prior to, but not later than, 5 p.m.
(local time Washington, DC) July 1, 2006, will be considered for
funding with other proposals received by that date;
Proposals not approved for funding during the applicable
review period will be reconsidered for funding after the applicable
review period only if the applicant specifically requests such
reconsideration in writing, and only if funding remains available.
Proposals received after 5 p.m. (local time Washington,
DC) July 1, 2006, will be considered for funding only if funding
remains available.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a proposal may be submitted for
expedited consideration under the TASC Quick Response process if, in
addition to meeting all requirements of the TASC program, a proposal
clearly identifies a time-sensitive activity. In these cases, a
proposal may be submitted at any time for an immediate evaluation.
All proposals will be date stamped upon receipt.
4. Funding Restrictions: Proposals which request more than $250,000
of CCC funding in a given year will not be considered. Proposals to
fund projects that exceed three years in duration will not be
considered. No TASC participant may have more than three approved
projects under way at any given time. Although funded projects may take
place in the United States, all eligible projects must specifically
address sanitary, phytosanitary, or technical barriers to the export of
U.S. specialty crops.
Certain types of expenses are not eligible for reimbursement by the
program. For example, program funds shall not be used to reimburse the
costs of market research, advertising, or other promotional expenses.
CCC will not reimburse unreasonable expenditures or any expenditure
made prior to approval of a proposal.
5. Other Submission Requirements: All Internet-based applications
must be properly submitted by 5 p.m. (local time in Washington, DC) on
February 1, 2006, or July 1, 2006, in order to be considered during the
applicable review period.
All applications on diskette (with two accompanying paper copies)
and any other applications must be received by 5 p.m. (local time in
Washington, DC) on February 1, 2006, or July 1, 2006, at one of the
following addresses:
Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc.): U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff,
1250 Maryland Avenue, SW., 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20024.
U.S. Postal Delivery: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign
Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400
Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250-1042.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria: The FAS follows the evaluation criteria set forth in
Sec. 1487.6 of the TASC regulations.
2. Review and Selection Process: The FAS will review proposals for
eligibility and will evaluate each proposal against the factors
described above. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious
proposals, recommend an appropriate funding level for each proposal
based upon these factors, and submit the proposals and funding
recommendations to the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing
Programs. The FAS may, when appropriate to the subject matter of the
proposal, request the assistance of other U.S. government experts in
evaluating the merits of a proposal.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices. The FAS will notify each applicant in writing of
the final disposition of its application. The FAS will send an approval
letter and agreement to each approved applicant. The approval letter
and agreement will specify the terms and conditions applicable to the
project, including levels of funding, timelines for implementation, and
written evaluation requirements.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: The agreements
will incorporate the details of each project as approved by FAS. Each
agreement will identify terms and conditions pursuant to which CCC will
reimburse certain costs of each project. Agreements will also outline
the responsibilities of the participant. Interested parties should
review the TASC Program regulations found at 7 CFR part 1487 in
addition to this announcement.
3. Reporting: TASC participants are subject to the reporting and
recordkeeping requirements described in the TASC programming
regulations, as well as the requirements described in 7 CFR part 3019.
In addition, participants are required to submit a written report(s),
on no less than an annual basis, and a final report, each of which
evaluates their TASC project using the performance measures presented
in the approved proposal.
VII. Agency Contact
For additional information or assistance, contact the Marketing
Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1042, Washington, DC
20250-1042, phone: (202) 720-4327, fax: (202) 720-9361, e-mail:
mosadmin@fas.usda.gov.
Signed at Washington, DC, on December 15, 2005
W. Kirk Miller,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Acting Vice President,
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. 05-24426 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45am]
BILLING CODE 3410-10-M