Solicitation of Applications for the Native American Business Enterprise Center (NABEC) (formerly Native American Business Development Center (NABDC)), 52529-52534 [E6-14758]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / Notices
Agreement (MOA) that sets forth the
specific actions to be performed by the
show organizer and the Department of
Commerce. The show organizer must be
willing to cooperate with the
Commercial Service and the
International Buyer Program to further
the program’s goals and adhere to the
target dates listed in the MOA and in
the event timetables. Past experience of
show organizers who have participated
in the IBP is taken into account in
evaluating the current application to the
program.
How to Apply: Interested show
organizers [Note: should capitalize or
not capitalize ‘‘show organizer’’
consistently.] can obtain information
and application materials from the point
of contact listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT at the beginning of
this notice. Anyone requesting
application information will be sent a
sample copy of the MOA along with the
application and a copy of this Federal
Register Notice. Applications should be
sent via express mail to avoid delays
due to the irradiation of regular mail
addressed to the DOC Herbert Clark
Hoover Building (HCHB) location.
All applications must be received by
5 p.m. local time on November 6, 2006.
For deadline purposes, facsimile or email applications will be accepted;
however, paper copies of the signed
original applications must be received
within five business days after the
deadline date. Late applications will not
be considered.
Legal Authority: The Commercial
Service is authorized to conduct the
International Buyer Program under 15
U.S.C. 4724. The Commercial Service
has the legal authority to enter into
MOAs with show organizers (partners)
under the provisions of the Mutual
Educational and Cultural Exchange Act
of 1961 (MECEA), as amended (22
U.S.C. Sections 2455(f) and 2458 (c)).
MECEA allows the Commercial Service
to accept contributions of funds and
services from firms for the purposes of
furthering its mission.
Information Collection Requirements:
The Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) has approved the information
collection requirements of the
application to this program under the
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)
(OMB Control No. 0625–0151).
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
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:44 Sep 05, 2006
Jkt 208001
information displays a currently valid
OMB Control Number.
Signed: August 3, 2006.
Todd Thurwachter,
Director, Office of Trade Event Programs, U.S.
and Foreign Commercial Service,
International Trade Administration, U.S.
Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. E6–14652 Filed 9–5–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–FP–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Minority Business Development
Agency
[Docket No: 000724218–6233–10]
Solicitation of Applications for the
Native American Business Enterprise
Center (NABEC) (formerly Native
American Business Development
Center (NABDC))
Minority Business
Development Agency, DOC.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with Executive
Order 11625 and 15 U.S.C. Section
1512, the Minority Business
Development Agency (MBDA) is
soliciting for competitive applications
from organizations to operate a Native
American Business Enterprise Center
(NABEC) (formerly Native American
Business Development Center
(NABDC)). This is not a grant program
to help start a business. Applications
submitted must be to operate a Native
American Business Enterprise Center
(NABEC) and to provide business
consultation to eligible clients.
Applications that do not meet these
requirements will be rejected. The
NABEC will provide services in the
outlined geographic areas (refer to
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of
this Notice).
DATES: The closing date for receipt of
applications for the NABEC program is
October 18, 2006. Completed
applications must be received by MBDA
no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Savings Time at the address below for
paper submission or at https://
www.grants.gov/ for electronic
submission. The due date and time is
the same for electronic submissions as
it is for paper submissions. The date
that applications will be deemed to have
been submitted electronically shall be
the date and time received at
Grants.gov. Applicants should save and
print the proof of submission they
receive from Grants.gov. Applications
received after the closing date and time
will not be considered. Anticipated time
for processing of the NABEC program is
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
52529
approximately ninety days (90) days
from the date of publication of this
Announcement. MBDA anticipates that
awards for the NABEC program will be
made with a start date of January 1,
2007.
Pre-Application Conference: A preapplication teleconference will be held
for the NABEC program on October 3,
2006, in connection with this
solicitation Announcement. The preapplication conference information will
be available on MBDA’s Portal (MBDA
Portal) at https://www.mbda.gov/.
Interested parties to the pre-application
conference must register at MBDA’s
Portal at least 24 hours in advance of the
event.
ADDRESSES:
1 (a) Paper Submission—If Mailed: If
the application is mailed/shipped
overnight by the applicant or its
representative, one (1) signed original
plus two (2) copies of the application
must be submitted. Completed
application packages must be mailed to:
Office of Business Development—
NABEC Program, Office of Executive
Secretariat, HCHB, Room 5063, Minority
Business Development Agency, U.S.
Department of Commerce, 14th Street
and Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20230. U.S. Department
of Commerce delivery policies for
Federal Express, UPS, and DHL
overnight services require the packages
to be sent to the address above.
1 (b) Paper Submission—If HandDelivered: If the application is handdelivered by the applicant or his/her
representative, one (1) signed original
plus two (2) copies of the application
must be delivered to: U.S. Department
of Commerce, Minority Business
Development Agency, Office of Business
Development—NABEC Program
(extension 1940), HCHB, Room 1874,
Entrance #10, 15th Street, NW.,
Washington, DC (Between Pennsylvania
and Constitution Avenues). U.S.
Department of Commerce ‘‘handdelivery’’ policies state that Federal
Express, UPS, and DHL overnight
services submitted to the address listed
above (Entrance #10) cannot be
accepted. These policies should be
taken into consideration when utilizing
their services. MBDA will not accept
applications that are submitted by the
deadline but rejected due to
Departmental hand-delivery policies.
The applicant must adhere to these
policies in order for his/her application
to receive consideration for award.
(2) Electronic Submission: Applicants
are encouraged to submit their proposal
electronically at https://www.Grants.gov.
Electronic submissions should be made
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
52530
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / Notices
in accordance with the instructions
available at Grants.gov (see https://
www.grants.gov/ForApplicants for
detailed information). MBDA strongly
recommends that applicants not wait
until the application deadline date to
begin the application process through
Grants.gov.
For
further information, please visit
MBDA’s Minority Business Internet
Portal at https://www.mbda.gov. Paper
applications and Standard Forms may
be obtained by contacting the MBDA
National Enterprise Center (NEC) for the
area where the Applicant is located (See
Agency Contacts section) or visiting
MBDA’s Portal at https://www.mbda.gov.
Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and
SF–LLL can also be obtained at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants, or
https://www.Grants.gov. Forms CD–511
and CD–346 may be obtained at
www.doc.gov/forms.
Responsibility for ensuring that
applications are complete and received
by MBDA on time is the sole
responsibility of the Applicant.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Agency Contacts
1. Office of Business Development,
14th and Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Room 5073, Washington DC 20230.
Contact: Efrain Gonzalez, Program
Manager at 202–482–1940.
2. San Francisco National Enterprise
Center (SFNEC) is located at 221 Main
Street, Suite 1280, San Francisco, CA
94105. The designated project for the
SFNEC is the North-West NABEC. This
region, under the NABEC program
covers the states of Wyoming, Montana,
Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon,
Washington, California and Alaska.
Contact: Linda Marmolejo, Regional
Director, SFNEC at 415–744–3001.
3. Dallas National Enterprise Center
(DNEC) is located at 1100 Commerce
Street, Suite 7B–23, Dallas, TX 75242.
The designated project for the DNEC is
the South-West NABEC. This region,
under the NABEC program, covers the
states of Louisiana, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New
Mexico and Arizona. Contact John
Iglehart, Regional Director, Dallas NEC
at 214–767–8001.
4. Atlanta National Enterprise Center
(ANEC) is located at 401 W. Peachtree
Street, NW., Suite 1715, Atlanta, GA
30308–3516. The designated project for
the ANEC is the Eastern NABEC. This
region, under the NABEC program,
covers the states of Mississippi,
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South
Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia,
Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Maine and the District of
Columbia. Contact John Iglehart, Acting
Regional Director, ANEC at 404–730–
3300.
5. Chicago National Enterprise Center
(CNEC) is located at 55 E. Monroe Street
Suite 1406, Chicago, IL 60603. The
designated project for the CNEC is the
Mid-West NABEC. This region, under
the NABEC program, covers the states of
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri,
Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and
Ohio. Contact Eric Dobyne, Regional
Director, CNEC at 312–353–0182.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Geographic Service Areas
The NABEC Program will provide
services in the following revised
geographic areas:
Location of NABEC
Geographic service area
Eastern NABEC ..............................
Nashville, TN .................................
Mid-West NABEC ............................
Minneapolis, MN ............................
South-West NABEC ........................
Tulsa, OK .......................................
North-West NABEC .........................
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
NABEC name
Billings, MT ....................................
States of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia,
Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Maine and the District of Columbia.
States of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and
Ohio.
States of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New
Mexico and Arizona.
States of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, California and Alaska.
Electronic Access: A link to the full
text of the Federal Funding Opportunity
(FFO) Announcements for the NABEC
Program can be found at https://
www.Grants.gov or by downloading at
https://www.mbda.gov or by contacting
the appropriate MBDA representative
identified above. The FFO contains a
full and complete description of the
NABEC Program requirements. In order
to receive proper consideration,
applicants must comply with all
information and requirements contained
in the FFO. Applicants will be able to
access, download and submit electronic
grant applications for the NABEC
Program in this announcement at
Grants.gov. MBDA strongly
recommends that applicants not wait
until the application deadline date to
begin the application process through
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:44 Sep 05, 2006
Jkt 208001
Grants.gov. The date that applications
will be deemed to have been submitted
electronically shall be the date and time
received at Grants.gov. Applicants
should save and print the proof of
submission they receive from
Grants.gov. Applications received after
the closing date and time will not be
considered.
Funding Priorities: Preference may be
given to applications during the
selection process which address the
following MBDA funding priorities:
(a) Applicants who submit proposals
that include work activities that exceed
the minimum work requirements in this
Announcement.
(b) Applicants who submit proposals
that include performance goals that
exceed the minimum performance goal
requirements in this Announcement.
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
(c) Applicants who demonstrate an
exceptional ability to identify and work
towards the elimination of barriers
which limit the access of minority
businesses to markets and capital.
(d) Applicants who demonstrate an
exceptional ability to identify and work
with minority businesses seeking to
obtain large-scale contracts and/or
insertion into supply chains with
institutional customers.
(e) Applicants that utilize fee for
service models and those that
demonstrate an exceptional ability to
charge and collect fees from clients.
(f) Applicants who submit proposals
that take a regional approach in
providing services to eligible clients.
Funding Availability: The total award
period is three years. The Federal
funding share in each program year
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
52531
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / Notices
(2007–2009) (January 1–December 31
respectively) is $1.25 million. MBDA
funding availability is subject to Fiscal
Year appropriations. MBDA anticipates
funding four (4) NABECs from this
competitive Announcement.
MBDA requires each award recipient
to provide a minimum of ten percent
(10%) non-federal cost share.
Applicants must submit project plans
and budgets for each of the three
funding periods. Projects will be funded
for no more than one year at a time.
Project proposals accepted for funding
will not compete for funding in the
subsequent second and third budget
periods. Second and third year funding
will depend upon satisfactory
performance, availability of funds to
support continuation of the project, and
consistency with Department of
Commerce and MBDA priorities.
Second and third year funding will be
granted at the sole discretion of MBDA
and the Department of Commerce.
MBDA is soliciting competitive
applications from organizations to
operate a MBEC in the designated
geographic areas. The maximum Federal
Funding Amounts for each year are
shown below.
January 1, 2007 through
December 31, 2007
Project name
Total cost
($)
Eastern NABEC .........
Mid-West NABEC .......
South-West NABEC ...
North-West NABEC ....
347,100
347,100
347,100
347,100
312,500
312,500
312,500
312,500
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Authority: Executive Order 11625 and 15
U.S.C. 1512.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA): 11.801 Native
American Business Enterprise Center
Program (NABEC) (formerly Native
American Business Development Center
(NABDC) Program).
Eligibility: For-profit entities
(including sole-proprietorships,
partnerships, and corporations), and
non-profit organizations, state and local
government entities, American Indian
Tribes, and educational institutions are
eligible to operate NABECs. Applicants
receiving three (3) consecutive funding
award cycles (beginning 2007 through
2015) will not be eligible to receive an
award in 2016 (and thereafter).
Program Description: In accordance
with Executive Order 11625 and 15
U.S.C. Section 1512, the Minority
Business Development Agency (MBDA)
is soliciting applications from
organizations to operate a Native
American Business Enterprise Center
(NABEC) (formerly Native American
Business Development Center).
The NABEC Program requires NABEC
staff to provide standardized business
assistance services to eligible Native
American, tribal entities, Alaska Native
Corporations and minority firms with
$500,000 or more in annual revenues
and/or ‘‘rapid growth potential’’
minority businesses (‘‘Strategic Growth
Initiative’’ or ‘‘SGI’’ firms) directly; to
develop and maintain a network of
strategic partnerships; to provide
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:44 Sep 05, 2006
Jkt 208001
January 1, 2008 through
December 31, 2008
Non-Federal share
($)
(10% min.)
Federal
share
($)
Total cost
($)
34,600
34,600
34,600
34,600
347,100
347,100
347,100
347,100
Federal
share
($)
Frm 00009
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
January 1, 2009 through
December 31, 2009
Non-Federal share
($)
(10% min.)
Total cost
($)
34,600
34,600
34,600
34,600
347,100
347,100
347,100
347,100
312,500
312,500
312,500
312,500
collaborative consulting services with
other MBDA funded programs and/or
strategic partners; to provide strategic
business consulting; to work closely
with MBDA’s Office of Native America
Entrepreneurship and Trade; and, to
provide referrals for client transactions.
These requirements will be used to
generate increased results with respect
to financing and contracts awarded to
minority-owned firms and thus, are a
key component of this program.
Eligible clients are SGI minority firms
including Native American business
enterprises, tribal entities and Alaska
Native Corporations capable of
generating significant employment and
long-term economic growth. However,
eligible clients do not have to be tribal
members. A significant emphasis for the
NABEC Program is to support Native
American communities through
entrepreneurship.
The NABEC Program shall leverage all
available MBDA resources including the
(a) Office of Native American
Entrepreneurship and Trade, (b) Office
of Business Development, and (c)
National Enterprise Centers. In addition
the NABEC Program shall leverage
available telecommunications
technology, including the Internet, and
a variety of online computer-based
resources to increase the level of service
that the NABEC can provide to the
targeted markets and communities
within the defined geographic service
area.
PO 00000
All funding periods are subject to the
availability of funds to support the
continuation of the project, and the
Department of Commerce’s and MBDA’s
priorities. Publication of this Notice
does not obligate MBDA or the
Department to award any specific
cooperative agreement or to obligate all
or any part of available funds.
Contingent upon the availability of
Federal funds, the cost of performance
for each of the program funding years is
estimated in the chart below. The
application must include a minimum
cost share of 10% in non-Federal
contributions.
Federal
share
($)
312,500
312,500
312,500
312,500
Non-Federal share
($)
(10% min.)
34,600
34,600
34,600
34,600
The NABEC will place special
emphasis on providing access to Federal
contracting and procurement
opportunities; and, providing
collaborative support to the existing
network of other MBDA funded projects
and/or strategic partners that result in
client outcomes.
The NABEC program incorporates an
entrepreneurial approach to building
market stability and improving the
quality of services delivered. This
strategy expands the reach of the
NABEC by requiring project operators to
develop and build upon strategic
alliances with public and private sector
partners, and MBDA itself, as a means
of serving the targeted markets and
communities within the Center’s
defined geographic service area.
MBDA will establish business
consulting training programs to support
the NABEC client assistance services.
These NABEC training programs are
designed specifically to foster growth
assistance to its clients. The NABEC
will also encourage increased
collaboration and client/non-client
referrals among the MBDA-sponsored
networks. This will provide a
comprehensive approach to serving the
emerging sector of the minority business
community.
The NABEC will operate through the
use of trained professional business
consultants who will assist minority
entrepreneurs through direct client
engagements. Entrepreneurs eligible for
assistance under the NABEC Program
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
52532
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / Notices
are Native Americans, Native American
tribes, Alaska Natives, Alaska Native
Corporations, African Americans,
Puerto Ricans, Spanish-speaking
Americans, Aleuts, Asian and Pacific
Islander Americans, Asian Indians, and
Hasidic Jews.
As part of its strategy for continuous
improvement, the NABEC shall expand
its delivery capacity to all minority
firms (as defined above), with greater
emphasis on Native American SGI
firms. MBDA wants to ensure that
NABEC clients are receiving a
consistent level of service throughout its
funded network. To that end, MBDA
will require NABEC consultants to
attend training courses designed to
achieve standardized services and
quality expectations.
Further programmatic information
can be found in the FFO.
Match Requirements—Alabama
MBEC: Cost sharing of at least 10% is
required. Cost sharing is the portion of
the project cost not borne by the Federal
Government. Applicants must meet this
requirement through one or more of the
following means or a combination
thereof: (1) Client fees (if proposed); (2)
cash contributions; (3) non-cash
applicant contributions; and/or (4) third
party in-kind contributions. Bonus
points will be awarded for cost sharing
exceeding 10 percent that is applied on
the following scale: more than 10%–less
than 15%—1 point; 15% or more–less
than 20%—2 points; 20% or more–less
than 25%—3 points; 25% or more–less
than 30%—4 points; and, 30% or
more—5 points. Applicants must
provide a detailed explanation of how
the cost-sharing requirement will be
met. The NABEC may charge client fees
for services rendered. Client fees, if
charged, shall be used towards meeting
cost share requirements. Client fees
applied directly to the award’s cost
sharing requirement must be used in
furtherance of the program objectives.
Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be
evaluated and applicants will be
selected based on the following criteria.
An application must receive at least
70% of the total points available for
each evaluation criterion, in order for
the application to be considered for
funding. The maximum total of points
that can be earned is 105 including
bonus points for related non-federal cost
sharing, except when oral presentations
are made by applicants. If oral
presentations are made (see paragraph 5
below), the maximum total of points
that can be earned is 115.
1. Applicant Capability (40 points).
The applicant’s proposal will be
evaluated with respect to the applicant
firm’s experience and expertise in
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:44 Sep 05, 2006
Jkt 208001
providing the work requirements listed.
Specifically, the proposals will be
evaluated as follows:
• Community—experience in and
knowledge of the Native American
community, Native American tribal
entities and minority business sector
and strategies for enhancing its growth
and expansion; particular emphasis
shall be on expanding SGI firms and
tribal entities. This factor will be
evaluated on whether or not the
applicant has a physical presence (2
years minimum) in the geographic
service area at the time of application (4
points);
• Business Consulting—experience in
and knowledge of business consulting of
SGI firms and tribal entities (5 points);
• Financing—experience in and
knowledge of the preparation and
formulation of successful financial
transactions (5 points);
• Procurements and Contracting—
experience in and knowledge of the
public and private sector contracting
opportunities for Native American
entities and minority businesses, as well
as demonstrated expertise in assisting
clients into supply chains (5 points);
• Financing Networks—resources and
professional relationships within the
corporate, banking and investment
community that may be beneficial to
Native American entities and minorityowned firms (5 points);
• Establishment of a Self-Sustainable
Service Model—summary plan to
establish a self-sustainable model for
continued services to the Native
American and MBE communities
beyond the MBDA funding cycle (3
points);
• MBE Advocacy—experience and
expertise in advocating on behalf of
Native American community, Native
American tribal entities and minority
businesses, both as to specific
transactions in which a minority
business seeks to engage, and as to
broad market advocacy for the benefit of
the minority community at large (3
points); and,
• Key Staff—assessment of the
qualifications, experience and proposed
role of staff who will operate the
NABEC. In particular, an assessment
will be made to determine whether
proposed key staff possesses the
expertise in utilizing information
systems and the ability to successfully
deliver services (10 points).
2. Resources (20 points). The
applicant’s proposal will be evaluated
according to the following criteria:
• Resources—discuss those resources
(not included as part of the cost-sharing
arrangement) that will be used,
including (but not limited to) existing
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
prior and/or current data lists that will
serve in fostering immediate success for
the NABEC (8 points);
• Location—Applicant must indicate
if it shall establish a location for the
Center that is separate and apart from
any existing offices in the geographic
service area (2 points);
• Partners—discuss how you plan to
establish and maintain the network of
five (5) External Strategic Partners and
a minimum of four (4) Internal Strategic
Partners. The applicant should also
describe how these partners will
support the NABEC to meet its
performance objectives (5 points); and,
• Equipment—discuss how you plan
to accomplish the computer hardware
and software requirements (5 points).
3. Techniques and Methodologies (20
points). The applicant’s proposal will be
evaluated as follows:
• Performance Measures—relate each
performance measure to the financial,
information and market resources
available in the geographic service area
to the applicant (including existing
client list) and how the goals will be
met (marketing plan). Specific attention
should be placed on matching
performance outcomes (as described
under ‘‘Geographic Service Areas and
Performance Goals’’ of the FFO) with
client service hours. The applicant
should consider existing market
conditions and its strategy to achieve
the goal (10 points);
• Plan of Action—provide specific
detail on how the applicant will start
operations. The NABEC shall have
thirty (30) days to become fully
operational after an award is made.
Fully operational means that all staff are
hired, all signs are up, all items of
furniture and equipment are in place
and operational, all necessary forms are
developed (e.g., client engagement
letters, other standard correspondence,
etc.), and the Center is ready to open its
doors to the public (5 points); and,
• Work Requirement Execution
Plan—The applicant will be evaluated
on how effectively and efficiently all
staff time will be used to achieve the
work requirements (5 points).
4. Proposed Budget and Supporting
Budget Narrative (20 points). The
applicant’s proposal will be evaluated
on the following sub-criteria:
• Reasonableness, allowability and
allocability of costs. All of the proposed
expenditures must be discussed and the
budget line item narrative must match
the proposed budget. Fringe benefits
and other percentage item calculations
must match the proposed line item on
the budget. (5 points);
• Proposed cost sharing of 10% is
required. The non-federal share must be
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / Notices
adequately documented, including, how
client fees (if charged) will be used to
meet the cost-share (5 points); and,
Performance Based Budget. Discuss
how the budget is related to the
accomplishment of the work
requirements and the performance
measures. Provide a budget narrative
that clearly shows the connections (10
points).
Proposals with cost sharing which
exceeds 10% will be awarded bonus
points on the following scale: More than
10%-less than 15%—1 point; 15% or
more-less than 20%—2 points; 20% or
more-less than 25%—3 points; 25% or
more-less than 30%—4 points; and 30%
or more—5 points.
5. Oral Presentation—Optional (10
points). Oral presentations are held only
when determined by MBDA. When the
merit review by the panel results in
applications scoring 70% or more of the
available points for each criterion,
MBDA may request all those applicants
to develop and provide an oral
presentation. This presentation will be
used to establish a final evaluation and
rating.
The applicant’s presentation will be
evaluated on the following sub-criteria:
(a) The extent to which the
presentation demonstrates how the
applicant will effectively and efficiently
assist MBDA in the accomplishment of
its mission (2 points);
(b) The extent to which the
presentation demonstrates business
operating priorities designed to manage
a successful NABEC (2 points);
(c) The extent to which the
presentation demonstrates a
management philosophy that achieves
an effective balance between
micromanagement and complete
autonomy for its Project Director (2
points);
(d) The extent to which the
presentation demonstrates robust search
criteria for the identification of a Project
Director (1 point);
(e) The extent to which the
presentation demonstrates effective
employee recruitment and retention
policies and procedures (1 point); and,
(f) The extent to which the
presentation demonstrates a competitive
and innovative approach to exceeding
performance requirements (2 points).
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
Review and Selection Process—
Alabama MBEC
1. Initial Screening. Prior to the
formal paneling process, each
application will receive an initial
screening to ensure that all required
forms, signatures and documentation
are present.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:44 Sep 05, 2006
Jkt 208001
2. Panel Review. Each application will
receive an independent, objective
review by a panel qualified to evaluate
the applications submitted. MBDA
anticipates that the review panel will be
made up of at least three independent
reviewers (all Federal employees) who
will review all applications based on the
above evaluation criteria. Each reviewer
will evaluate and provide a score for
each proposal. In order for an
application to be considered for
funding, it shall need to achieve 70% of
the available points for each criterion.
Failure to achieve these results will
automatically deem the application as
unsuccessful.
3. Oral Presentation—Optional. When
the merit review by the panel results in
applications scoring 70% or more of the
available points for each criterion,
MBDA may request all those applicants
to develop and provide an oral
presentation. The applicants may
receive up to 10 additional points based
on the presentation and content
presented. If a formal presentation is
requested, the applicants will receive a
formal communication (via standard
mail, e-mail or fax) from MBDA
indicating the time and date for the
presentation. In person presentations
are not mandatory but are encouraged;
telephonic presentations are acceptable.
Applicants will be asked to submit a
power point presentation (or equivalent)
to MBDA that addresses the oral
presentation criteria (see above,
Evaluation Criteria, item 5. Oral
Presentation—Optional). This
presentation must be submitted at least
24 hours before the scheduled date and
time of the presentation. The
presentation will be made to the
National Director (or his/her designee)
and/or up to three senior MBDA staff
who did not serve on the merit
evaluation panel. The oral panel
members may ask follow-up questions
after the presentation. MBDA will
provide the teleconference dial-in
number and pass code. Each finalist will
present to MBDA staff only; other
applicants are not permitted to listen
(and/or watch).
All costs pertaining to this
presentation shall be borne by the
applicant. NABEC award funds may not
be used as a reimbursement for this
presentation. MBDA will not accept any
requests or petitions for reimbursement.
The oral panel members shall score each
presentation in accordance with the oral
presentation criteria. An average score
shall be compiled and added to the
original score of the panel review.
4. Final Recommendation. The
National Director of MBDA makes the
final recommendation to the
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
52533
Department of Commerce Grants Officer
regarding the funding of applications,
taking into account the selection criteria
as outlined in this Announcement and
the following:
(a) The evaluations and rankings of
the independent review panel and the
evaluation(s) of the oral presentations, if
applicable;
(b) Funding priorities. The National
Director (or his/her designee) reserves
the right to conduct a site visit (subject
to the availability of funding) to
applicant organizations receiving at
least 70% of the total points available
for each evaluation criterion, in order to
make a better assessment of the
organization’s capability to achieve the
funding priorities; and,
(c) The availability of funding.
Intergovernmental Review:
Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372,
‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.’’
Limitation of Liability: Applicants are
hereby given notice that funds have yet
to be appropriated for this program. In
no event will MBDA or the Department
of Commerce be responsible for
proposal preparation costs if this
program fails to receive funding or is
cancelled because of other Agency
priorities. Publication of this
announcement does not oblige MBDA or
the Department of Commerce to award
any specific project or to obligate any
available funds.
Universal Identifier: Applicants
should be aware that they will be
required to provide a Dun and
Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
system (DUNS) number during the
application process. See the June 27,
2003 (68 FR 38402) Federal Register
notice for additional information.
Organizations can receive a DUNS
number at no cost by calling the
dedicated toll-free DUNS Number
request line at 1–866–705–5711 or by
accessing the Grants.gov Web site at
http.//www.Grants.gov.
Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements: The
Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification Requirements for Grants
and Cooperative Agreements contained
in the Federal Register notice of
December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389) are
applicable to this solicitation.
Paperwork Reduction Act: This
document contains collection-ofinformation requirements subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The
use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B,
SF–LLL, and CD–346 have been
approved by Office of Management and
Budget (OMB) under the respective
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
52534
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / Notices
control numbers 0348–0043, 0348–0044,
0348–0040, 0348–0046, and 0605–0001.
Notwithstanding any other provisions
of law, no person is required to respond
to, nor shall any person be subject to a
penalty for failure to comply with a
collection of information subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act unless that
collection displays a currently valid
OMB Control Number.
Executive Order 12866: This notice
has been determined to be not
significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
Administrative Procedure Act/
Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior notice
for an opportunity for public comment
are not required by the Administrative
Procedure Act for rules concerning
public property, loans, grant, benefits
and contracts (5 U.S.C. 533(a)(2)).
Because notice and opportunity for
comment are not required pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 533 or any other law, the
analytical requirements of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C 601
et seq.) are inapplicable. Therefore, a
regulatory flexibility analysis is not
required and has not been prepared.
Dated: August 31, 2006.
Ronald N. Langston,
National Director, Minority Business
Development Agency.
[FR Doc. E6–14758 Filed 9–5–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–21–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[I.D. 083006A]
Endangered Species; File No. 1580
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; receipt of application.
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
Dynergy Northeast Generation, Inc.
(Dynergy), 992–994 River Road,
Newburgh, NY 12550, has applied in
due form for a permit to take shortnose
sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) for
purposes of scientific research.
DATES: Written, telefaxed, or e-mail
comments must be received on or before
October 6, 2006.
ADDRESSES: The application and related
documents are available for review
upon written request or by appointment
in the following office(s):
Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910; phone
(301) 713–2289; fax (301) 427–2521; and
VerDate Aug<31>2005
18:44 Sep 05, 2006
Jkt 208001
Northeast Region, NMFS, One
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA
01930–2298; phone (978) 281–9300; fax
(978) 281–9394.
Written comments or requests for a
public hearing on this application
should be mailed to the Chief, Permits,
Conservation and Education Division,
F/PR1, Office of Protected Resources,
NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room
13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Those
individuals requesting a hearing should
set forth the specific reasons why a
hearing on this particular request would
be appropriate.
Comments may also be submitted by
facsimile at (301)427–2521, provided
the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy
submitted by mail and postmarked no
later than the closing date of the
comment period.
Comments may also be submitted by
e-mail. The mailbox address for
providing e-mail comments is
NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov. Include
in the subject line of the e-mail
comment the following document
identifier: File No. 1580.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Malcolm Mohead or Shane Guan. (301)
713–2289.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
subject permit is requested under the
authority of the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) and the regulations
governing the taking, importing, and
exporting of endangered and threatened
species (50 CFR 222–226).
Dynergy seeks a two (2) year scientific
research permit on shortnose sturgeon
in its efforts to study the abundance of
all of sampled species in the Hudson
River estuary from Battery Park
(Manhattan) to River Mile 152. Based on
previous permitted sampling efforts,
Dynergy requests to lethally take up to
40 shortnose sturgeon larvae and to
capture, handle, collect, measure,
externally tag and release up to 82
juvenile and adult sturgeon obtained by
various sampling methods. Dynergy
sampling programs will include a
Longitudinal River Ichthyoplankton
Survey, a Beach Seine Survey, a Fall
Juvenile Survey and an Adult Striped
Bass Mark/Recapture Survey. Gear
associated with the plankton survey are
a 1.0–m2 epibenthic sled, and a 1.0–m2
Tucker Trawl to be towed by boat
against the prevailing current for 5
minutes intervals on a weekly or biweekly basis (depending on the season)
beginning March 6 and ending on
December 1 of each year of the permit.
An average of 133 sample trawls will be
done per week. The Beach Seine Survey
will utilize a 30.5–m total length beach
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
seine with bag deployed by boat in 450
m2 semi-circular sweeps to collect YOY
fish in the shore zone. The sampling
period is bi-weekly from June 12 to
October 16 each year of the permit with
an average of 100 samples per week.
Gear associated with the Fall Juvenile
Survey is a 3–m Beam Trawl and Tucker
Trawl to be towed by boat on alternating
weeks in three separate sampling
periods from July 1 to December 1 in
each year of the permit with an average
of 180 trawls per week. The Adult
Striped Bass Mark/Recapture Survey
will utilize a 9–m otter trawl with tow
duration of typically 10 minutes and
with approximately 500 trawls
occurring between January and April
and then between October and
December.
Dated: August 30, 2006.
P. Michael Payne,
Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6–14713 Filed 9–5–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–S
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[I.D. 083006E]
Western Pacific Fishery Management
Council; Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of a public meeting.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Western Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council) will
hold a meeting of the Hawaii members
of the Council’s Bottomfish Plan Team
(BPT).
DATES: The meeting of the BPT will be
held on September 27, 2006, from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting of the Hawaii
BPT will be held at the Western Pacific
Fishery Management Council
conference room, 1164 Bishop Street,
Suite 1400, Hololulu, HI.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kitty M. Simonds, Executive Director;
telephone: (808) 522–8220.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BPT
will meet on September 27, 2006, to
discuss the following agenda items:
1. Introductions, approval of draft
agenda and assignment of rapporteurs
2. Report on Fishery Independent
Research Workshop
E:\FR\FM\06SEN1.SGM
06SEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52529-52534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14758]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Minority Business Development Agency
[Docket No: 000724218-6233-10]
Solicitation of Applications for the Native American Business
Enterprise Center (NABEC) (formerly Native American Business
Development Center (NABDC))
AGENCY: Minority Business Development Agency, DOC.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with Executive Order 11625 and 15 U.S.C. Section
1512, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting for
competitive applications from organizations to operate a Native
American Business Enterprise Center (NABEC) (formerly Native American
Business Development Center (NABDC)). This is not a grant program to
help start a business. Applications submitted must be to operate a
Native American Business Enterprise Center (NABEC) and to provide
business consultation to eligible clients. Applications that do not
meet these requirements will be rejected. The NABEC will provide
services in the outlined geographic areas (refer to SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this Notice).
DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications for the NABEC
program is October 18, 2006. Completed applications must be received by
MBDA no later than 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time at the address
below for paper submission or at https://www.grants.gov/ for electronic
submission. The due date and time is the same for electronic
submissions as it is for paper submissions. The date that applications
will be deemed to have been submitted electronically shall be the date
and time received at Grants.gov. Applicants should save and print the
proof of submission they receive from Grants.gov. Applications received
after the closing date and time will not be considered. Anticipated
time for processing of the NABEC program is approximately ninety days
(90) days from the date of publication of this Announcement. MBDA
anticipates that awards for the NABEC program will be made with a start
date of January 1, 2007.
Pre-Application Conference: A pre-application teleconference will
be held for the NABEC program on October 3, 2006, in connection with
this solicitation Announcement. The pre-application conference
information will be available on MBDA's Portal (MBDA Portal) at https://
www.mbda.gov/. Interested parties to the pre-application conference
must register at MBDA's Portal at least 24 hours in advance of the
event.
ADDRESSES:
1 (a) Paper Submission--If Mailed: If the application is mailed/
shipped overnight by the applicant or its representative, one (1)
signed original plus two (2) copies of the application must be
submitted. Completed application packages must be mailed to: Office of
Business Development--NABEC Program, Office of Executive Secretariat,
HCHB, Room 5063, Minority Business Development Agency, U.S. Department
of Commerce, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC
20230. U.S. Department of Commerce delivery policies for Federal
Express, UPS, and DHL overnight services require the packages to be
sent to the address above.
1 (b) Paper Submission--If Hand-Delivered: If the application is
hand-delivered by the applicant or his/her representative, one (1)
signed original plus two (2) copies of the application must be
delivered to: U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business
Development Agency, Office of Business Development--NABEC Program
(extension 1940), HCHB, Room 1874, Entrance 10, 15th Street,
NW., Washington, DC (Between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues).
U.S. Department of Commerce ``hand-delivery'' policies state that
Federal Express, UPS, and DHL overnight services submitted to the
address listed above (Entrance 10) cannot be accepted. These
policies should be taken into consideration when utilizing their
services. MBDA will not accept applications that are submitted by the
deadline but rejected due to Departmental hand-delivery policies. The
applicant must adhere to these policies in order for his/her
application to receive consideration for award.
(2) Electronic Submission: Applicants are encouraged to submit
their proposal electronically at https://www.Grants.gov. Electronic
submissions should be made
[[Page 52530]]
in accordance with the instructions available at Grants.gov (see http:/
/www.grants.gov/ForApplicants for detailed information). MBDA strongly
recommends that applicants not wait until the application deadline date
to begin the application process through Grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, please visit
MBDA's Minority Business Internet Portal at https://www.mbda.gov. Paper
applications and Standard Forms may be obtained by contacting the MBDA
National Enterprise Center (NEC) for the area where the Applicant is
located (See Agency Contacts section) or visiting MBDA's Portal at
https://www.mbda.gov. Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, and SF-LLL can
also be obtained at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants, or https://
www.Grants.gov. Forms CD-511 and CD-346 may be obtained at www.doc.gov/
forms.
Responsibility for ensuring that applications are complete and
received by MBDA on time is the sole responsibility of the Applicant.
Agency Contacts
1. Office of Business Development, 14th and Constitution Avenue,
NW., Room 5073, Washington DC 20230. Contact: Efrain Gonzalez, Program
Manager at 202-482-1940.
2. San Francisco National Enterprise Center (SFNEC) is located at
221 Main Street, Suite 1280, San Francisco, CA 94105. The designated
project for the SFNEC is the North-West NABEC. This region, under the
NABEC program covers the states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah,
Nevada, Oregon, Washington, California and Alaska. Contact: Linda
Marmolejo, Regional Director, SFNEC at 415-744-3001.
3. Dallas National Enterprise Center (DNEC) is located at 1100
Commerce Street, Suite 7B-23, Dallas, TX 75242. The designated project
for the DNEC is the South-West NABEC. This region, under the NABEC
program, covers the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas,
Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Contact John Iglehart, Regional
Director, Dallas NEC at 214-767-8001.
4. Atlanta National Enterprise Center (ANEC) is located at 401 W.
Peachtree Street, NW., Suite 1715, Atlanta, GA 30308-3516. The
designated project for the ANEC is the Eastern NABEC. This region,
under the NABEC program, covers the states of Mississippi, Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky,
West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Maine and the District of Columbia. Contact John Iglehart,
Acting Regional Director, ANEC at 404-730-3300.
5. Chicago National Enterprise Center (CNEC) is located at 55 E.
Monroe Street Suite 1406, Chicago, IL 60603. The designated project for
the CNEC is the Mid-West NABEC. This region, under the NABEC program,
covers the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Wisconsin, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and
Ohio. Contact Eric Dobyne, Regional Director, CNEC at 312-353-0182.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Geographic Service Areas
The NABEC Program will provide services in the following revised
geographic areas:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geographic service
NABEC name Location of NABEC area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern NABEC................. Nashville, TN.... States of
Mississippi,
Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, South
Carolina, North
Carolina, Tennessee,
Kentucky, West
Virginia, Virginia,
Maryland, Delaware,
Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, New York,
Connecticut, Rhode
Island,
Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Vermont,
Maine and the
District of
Columbia.
Mid-West NABEC................ Minneapolis, MN.. States of Minnesota,
North Dakota, South
Dakota, Nebraska,
Wisconsin, Kansas,
Missouri, Iowa,
Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan and Ohio.
South-West NABEC.............. Tulsa, OK........ States of Louisiana,
Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Texas, Colorado, New
Mexico and Arizona.
North-West NABEC.............. Billings, MT..... States of Wyoming,
Montana, Idaho,
Utah, Nevada,
Oregon, Washington,
California and
Alaska.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Access: A link to the full text of the Federal Funding
Opportunity (FFO) Announcements for the NABEC Program can be found at
https://www.Grants.gov or by downloading at https://www.mbda.gov or by
contacting the appropriate MBDA representative identified above. The
FFO contains a full and complete description of the NABEC Program
requirements. In order to receive proper consideration, applicants must
comply with all information and requirements contained in the FFO.
Applicants will be able to access, download and submit electronic grant
applications for the NABEC Program in this announcement at Grants.gov.
MBDA strongly recommends that applicants not wait until the application
deadline date to begin the application process through Grants.gov. The
date that applications will be deemed to have been submitted
electronically shall be the date and time received at Grants.gov.
Applicants should save and print the proof of submission they receive
from Grants.gov. Applications received after the closing date and time
will not be considered.
Funding Priorities: Preference may be given to applications during
the selection process which address the following MBDA funding
priorities:
(a) Applicants who submit proposals that include work activities
that exceed the minimum work requirements in this Announcement.
(b) Applicants who submit proposals that include performance goals
that exceed the minimum performance goal requirements in this
Announcement.
(c) Applicants who demonstrate an exceptional ability to identify
and work towards the elimination of barriers which limit the access of
minority businesses to markets and capital.
(d) Applicants who demonstrate an exceptional ability to identify
and work with minority businesses seeking to obtain large-scale
contracts and/or insertion into supply chains with institutional
customers.
(e) Applicants that utilize fee for service models and those that
demonstrate an exceptional ability to charge and collect fees from
clients.
(f) Applicants who submit proposals that take a regional approach
in providing services to eligible clients.
Funding Availability: The total award period is three years. The
Federal funding share in each program year
[[Page 52531]]
(2007-2009) (January 1-December 31 respectively) is $1.25 million. MBDA
funding availability is subject to Fiscal Year appropriations. MBDA
anticipates funding four (4) NABECs from this competitive Announcement.
MBDA requires each award recipient to provide a minimum of ten
percent (10%) non-federal cost share. Applicants must submit project
plans and budgets for each of the three funding periods. Projects will
be funded for no more than one year at a time. Project proposals
accepted for funding will not compete for funding in the subsequent
second and third budget periods. Second and third year funding will
depend upon satisfactory performance, availability of funds to support
continuation of the project, and consistency with Department of
Commerce and MBDA priorities. Second and third year funding will be
granted at the sole discretion of MBDA and the Department of Commerce.
MBDA is soliciting competitive applications from organizations to
operate a MBEC in the designated geographic areas. The maximum Federal
Funding Amounts for each year are shown below.
All funding periods are subject to the availability of funds to
support the continuation of the project, and the Department of
Commerce's and MBDA's priorities. Publication of this Notice does not
obligate MBDA or the Department to award any specific cooperative
agreement or to obligate all or any part of available funds.
Contingent upon the availability of Federal funds, the cost of
performance for each of the program funding years is estimated in the
chart below. The application must include a minimum cost share of 10%
in non-Federal contributions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 1, 2007 through December January 1, 2008 through December January 1, 2009 through December
31, 2007 31, 2008 31, 2009
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Non- Non- Non-
Project name Federal Federal Federal
Total cost Federal share ($) Total cost Federal share ($) Total cost Federal share ($)
($) share ($) (10% ($) share ($) (10% ($) share ($) (10%
min.) min.) min.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eastern NABEC............................... 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600
Mid-West NABEC.............................. 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600
South-West NABEC............................ 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600
North-West NABEC............................ 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600 347,100 312,500 34,600
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authority: Executive Order 11625 and 15 U.S.C. 1512.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA): 11.801 Native
American Business Enterprise Center Program (NABEC) (formerly Native
American Business Development Center (NABDC) Program).
Eligibility: For-profit entities (including sole-proprietorships,
partnerships, and corporations), and non-profit organizations, state
and local government entities, American Indian Tribes, and educational
institutions are eligible to operate NABECs. Applicants receiving three
(3) consecutive funding award cycles (beginning 2007 through 2015) will
not be eligible to receive an award in 2016 (and thereafter).
Program Description: In accordance with Executive Order 11625 and
15 U.S.C. Section 1512, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
is soliciting applications from organizations to operate a Native
American Business Enterprise Center (NABEC) (formerly Native American
Business Development Center).
The NABEC Program requires NABEC staff to provide standardized
business assistance services to eligible Native American, tribal
entities, Alaska Native Corporations and minority firms with $500,000
or more in annual revenues and/or ``rapid growth potential'' minority
businesses (``Strategic Growth Initiative'' or ``SGI'' firms) directly;
to develop and maintain a network of strategic partnerships; to provide
collaborative consulting services with other MBDA funded programs and/
or strategic partners; to provide strategic business consulting; to
work closely with MBDA's Office of Native America Entrepreneurship and
Trade; and, to provide referrals for client transactions. These
requirements will be used to generate increased results with respect to
financing and contracts awarded to minority-owned firms and thus, are a
key component of this program.
Eligible clients are SGI minority firms including Native American
business enterprises, tribal entities and Alaska Native Corporations
capable of generating significant employment and long-term economic
growth. However, eligible clients do not have to be tribal members. A
significant emphasis for the NABEC Program is to support Native
American communities through entrepreneurship.
The NABEC Program shall leverage all available MBDA resources
including the (a) Office of Native American Entrepreneurship and Trade,
(b) Office of Business Development, and (c) National Enterprise
Centers. In addition the NABEC Program shall leverage available
telecommunications technology, including the Internet, and a variety of
online computer-based resources to increase the level of service that
the NABEC can provide to the targeted markets and communities within
the defined geographic service area.
The NABEC will place special emphasis on providing access to
Federal contracting and procurement opportunities; and, providing
collaborative support to the existing network of other MBDA funded
projects and/or strategic partners that result in client outcomes.
The NABEC program incorporates an entrepreneurial approach to
building market stability and improving the quality of services
delivered. This strategy expands the reach of the NABEC by requiring
project operators to develop and build upon strategic alliances with
public and private sector partners, and MBDA itself, as a means of
serving the targeted markets and communities within the Center's
defined geographic service area.
MBDA will establish business consulting training programs to
support the NABEC client assistance services. These NABEC training
programs are designed specifically to foster growth assistance to its
clients. The NABEC will also encourage increased collaboration and
client/non-client referrals among the MBDA-sponsored networks. This
will provide a comprehensive approach to serving the emerging sector of
the minority business community.
The NABEC will operate through the use of trained professional
business consultants who will assist minority entrepreneurs through
direct client engagements. Entrepreneurs eligible for assistance under
the NABEC Program
[[Page 52532]]
are Native Americans, Native American tribes, Alaska Natives, Alaska
Native Corporations, African Americans, Puerto Ricans, Spanish-speaking
Americans, Aleuts, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, Asian Indians,
and Hasidic Jews.
As part of its strategy for continuous improvement, the NABEC shall
expand its delivery capacity to all minority firms (as defined above),
with greater emphasis on Native American SGI firms. MBDA wants to
ensure that NABEC clients are receiving a consistent level of service
throughout its funded network. To that end, MBDA will require NABEC
consultants to attend training courses designed to achieve standardized
services and quality expectations.
Further programmatic information can be found in the FFO.
Match Requirements--Alabama MBEC: Cost sharing of at least 10% is
required. Cost sharing is the portion of the project cost not borne by
the Federal Government. Applicants must meet this requirement through
one or more of the following means or a combination thereof: (1) Client
fees (if proposed); (2) cash contributions; (3) non-cash applicant
contributions; and/or (4) third party in-kind contributions. Bonus
points will be awarded for cost sharing exceeding 10 percent that is
applied on the following scale: more than 10%-less than 15%--1 point;
15% or more-less than 20%--2 points; 20% or more-less than 25%--3
points; 25% or more-less than 30%--4 points; and, 30% or more--5
points. Applicants must provide a detailed explanation of how the cost-
sharing requirement will be met. The NABEC may charge client fees for
services rendered. Client fees, if charged, shall be used towards
meeting cost share requirements. Client fees applied directly to the
award's cost sharing requirement must be used in furtherance of the
program objectives.
Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated and applicants
will be selected based on the following criteria. An application must
receive at least 70% of the total points available for each evaluation
criterion, in order for the application to be considered for funding.
The maximum total of points that can be earned is 105 including bonus
points for related non-federal cost sharing, except when oral
presentations are made by applicants. If oral presentations are made
(see paragraph 5 below), the maximum total of points that can be earned
is 115.
1. Applicant Capability (40 points). The applicant's proposal will
be evaluated with respect to the applicant firm's experience and
expertise in providing the work requirements listed. Specifically, the
proposals will be evaluated as follows:
Community--experience in and knowledge of the Native
American community, Native American tribal entities and minority
business sector and strategies for enhancing its growth and expansion;
particular emphasis shall be on expanding SGI firms and tribal
entities. This factor will be evaluated on whether or not the applicant
has a physical presence (2 years minimum) in the geographic service
area at the time of application (4 points);
Business Consulting--experience in and knowledge of
business consulting of SGI firms and tribal entities (5 points);
Financing--experience in and knowledge of the preparation
and formulation of successful financial transactions (5 points);
Procurements and Contracting--experience in and knowledge
of the public and private sector contracting opportunities for Native
American entities and minority businesses, as well as demonstrated
expertise in assisting clients into supply chains (5 points);
Financing Networks--resources and professional
relationships within the corporate, banking and investment community
that may be beneficial to Native American entities and minority-owned
firms (5 points);
Establishment of a Self-Sustainable Service Model--summary
plan to establish a self-sustainable model for continued services to
the Native American and MBE communities beyond the MBDA funding cycle
(3 points);
MBE Advocacy--experience and expertise in advocating on
behalf of Native American community, Native American tribal entities
and minority businesses, both as to specific transactions in which a
minority business seeks to engage, and as to broad market advocacy for
the benefit of the minority community at large (3 points); and,
Key Staff--assessment of the qualifications, experience
and proposed role of staff who will operate the NABEC. In particular,
an assessment will be made to determine whether proposed key staff
possesses the expertise in utilizing information systems and the
ability to successfully deliver services (10 points).
2. Resources (20 points). The applicant's proposal will be
evaluated according to the following criteria:
Resources--discuss those resources (not included as part
of the cost-sharing arrangement) that will be used, including (but not
limited to) existing prior and/or current data lists that will serve in
fostering immediate success for the NABEC (8 points);
Location--Applicant must indicate if it shall establish a
location for the Center that is separate and apart from any existing
offices in the geographic service area (2 points);
Partners--discuss how you plan to establish and maintain
the network of five (5) External Strategic Partners and a minimum of
four (4) Internal Strategic Partners. The applicant should also
describe how these partners will support the NABEC to meet its
performance objectives (5 points); and,
Equipment--discuss how you plan to accomplish the computer
hardware and software requirements (5 points).
3. Techniques and Methodologies (20 points). The applicant's
proposal will be evaluated as follows:
Performance Measures--relate each performance measure to
the financial, information and market resources available in the
geographic service area to the applicant (including existing client
list) and how the goals will be met (marketing plan). Specific
attention should be placed on matching performance outcomes (as
described under ``Geographic Service Areas and Performance Goals'' of
the FFO) with client service hours. The applicant should consider
existing market conditions and its strategy to achieve the goal (10
points);
Plan of Action--provide specific detail on how the
applicant will start operations. The NABEC shall have thirty (30) days
to become fully operational after an award is made. Fully operational
means that all staff are hired, all signs are up, all items of
furniture and equipment are in place and operational, all necessary
forms are developed (e.g., client engagement letters, other standard
correspondence, etc.), and the Center is ready to open its doors to the
public (5 points); and,
Work Requirement Execution Plan--The applicant will be
evaluated on how effectively and efficiently all staff time will be
used to achieve the work requirements (5 points).
4. Proposed Budget and Supporting Budget Narrative (20 points). The
applicant's proposal will be evaluated on the following sub-criteria:
Reasonableness, allowability and allocability of costs.
All of the proposed expenditures must be discussed and the budget line
item narrative must match the proposed budget. Fringe benefits and
other percentage item calculations must match the proposed line item on
the budget. (5 points);
Proposed cost sharing of 10% is required. The non-federal
share must be
[[Page 52533]]
adequately documented, including, how client fees (if charged) will be
used to meet the cost-share (5 points); and,
Performance Based Budget. Discuss how the budget is related to the
accomplishment of the work requirements and the performance measures.
Provide a budget narrative that clearly shows the connections (10
points).
Proposals with cost sharing which exceeds 10% will be awarded bonus
points on the following scale: More than 10%-less than 15%--1 point;
15% or more-less than 20%--2 points; 20% or more-less than 25%--3
points; 25% or more-less than 30%--4 points; and 30% or more--5 points.
5. Oral Presentation--Optional (10 points). Oral presentations are
held only when determined by MBDA. When the merit review by the panel
results in applications scoring 70% or more of the available points for
each criterion, MBDA may request all those applicants to develop and
provide an oral presentation. This presentation will be used to
establish a final evaluation and rating.
The applicant's presentation will be evaluated on the following
sub-criteria:
(a) The extent to which the presentation demonstrates how the
applicant will effectively and efficiently assist MBDA in the
accomplishment of its mission (2 points);
(b) The extent to which the presentation demonstrates business
operating priorities designed to manage a successful NABEC (2 points);
(c) The extent to which the presentation demonstrates a management
philosophy that achieves an effective balance between micromanagement
and complete autonomy for its Project Director (2 points);
(d) The extent to which the presentation demonstrates robust search
criteria for the identification of a Project Director (1 point);
(e) The extent to which the presentation demonstrates effective
employee recruitment and retention policies and procedures (1 point);
and,
(f) The extent to which the presentation demonstrates a competitive
and innovative approach to exceeding performance requirements (2
points).
Review and Selection Process--Alabama MBEC
1. Initial Screening. Prior to the formal paneling process, each
application will receive an initial screening to ensure that all
required forms, signatures and documentation are present.
2. Panel Review. Each application will receive an independent,
objective review by a panel qualified to evaluate the applications
submitted. MBDA anticipates that the review panel will be made up of at
least three independent reviewers (all Federal employees) who will
review all applications based on the above evaluation criteria. Each
reviewer will evaluate and provide a score for each proposal. In order
for an application to be considered for funding, it shall need to
achieve 70% of the available points for each criterion. Failure to
achieve these results will automatically deem the application as
unsuccessful.
3. Oral Presentation--Optional. When the merit review by the panel
results in applications scoring 70% or more of the available points for
each criterion, MBDA may request all those applicants to develop and
provide an oral presentation. The applicants may receive up to 10
additional points based on the presentation and content presented. If a
formal presentation is requested, the applicants will receive a formal
communication (via standard mail, e-mail or fax) from MBDA indicating
the time and date for the presentation. In person presentations are not
mandatory but are encouraged; telephonic presentations are acceptable.
Applicants will be asked to submit a power point presentation (or
equivalent) to MBDA that addresses the oral presentation criteria (see
above, Evaluation Criteria, item 5. Oral Presentation--Optional). This
presentation must be submitted at least 24 hours before the scheduled
date and time of the presentation. The presentation will be made to the
National Director (or his/her designee) and/or up to three senior MBDA
staff who did not serve on the merit evaluation panel. The oral panel
members may ask follow-up questions after the presentation. MBDA will
provide the teleconference dial-in number and pass code. Each finalist
will present to MBDA staff only; other applicants are not permitted to
listen (and/or watch).
All costs pertaining to this presentation shall be borne by the
applicant. NABEC award funds may not be used as a reimbursement for
this presentation. MBDA will not accept any requests or petitions for
reimbursement. The oral panel members shall score each presentation in
accordance with the oral presentation criteria. An average score shall
be compiled and added to the original score of the panel review.
4. Final Recommendation. The National Director of MBDA makes the
final recommendation to the Department of Commerce Grants Officer
regarding the funding of applications, taking into account the
selection criteria as outlined in this Announcement and the following:
(a) The evaluations and rankings of the independent review panel
and the evaluation(s) of the oral presentations, if applicable;
(b) Funding priorities. The National Director (or his/her designee)
reserves the right to conduct a site visit (subject to the availability
of funding) to applicant organizations receiving at least 70% of the
total points available for each evaluation criterion, in order to make
a better assessment of the organization's capability to achieve the
funding priorities; and,
(c) The availability of funding.
Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are not
subject to Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs.''
Limitation of Liability: Applicants are hereby given notice that
funds have yet to be appropriated for this program. In no event will
MBDA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for proposal
preparation costs if this program fails to receive funding or is
cancelled because of other Agency priorities. Publication of this
announcement does not oblige MBDA or the Department of Commerce to
award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.
Universal Identifier: Applicants should be aware that they will be
required to provide a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering
system (DUNS) number during the application process. See the June 27,
2003 (68 FR 38402) Federal Register notice for additional information.
Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the
dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or by
accessing the Grants.gov Web site at http.//www.Grants.gov.
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: The Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements
contained in the Federal Register notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR
78389) are applicable to this solicitation.
Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).
The use of Standard Forms 424, 424A, 424B, SF-LLL, and CD-346 have been
approved by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the respective
[[Page 52534]]
control numbers 0348-0043, 0348-0044, 0348-0040, 0348-0046, and 0605-
0001.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person is required
to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure
to comply with a collection of information subject to the Paperwork
Reduction Act unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB
Control Number.
Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not
significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.
Administrative Procedure Act/ Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior
notice for an opportunity for public comment are not required by the
Administrative Procedure Act for rules concerning public property,
loans, grant, benefits and contracts (5 U.S.C. 533(a)(2)). Because
notice and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant to 5
U.S.C. 533 or any other law, the analytical requirements of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C 601 et seq.) are inapplicable.
Therefore, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not required and has
not been prepared.
Dated: August 31, 2006.
Ronald N. Langston,
National Director, Minority Business Development Agency.
[FR Doc. E6-14758 Filed 9-5-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-21-P
