Solicitation of Applications for the Regional Training Curriculum Implementation Program, 13847-13850 [E8-5174]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• Economic Development Administration

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 51 (Friday, March 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13847-13850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5174]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Economic Development Administration

[Docket No.: 080305380-8381-01]


Solicitation of Applications for the Regional Training Curriculum 
Implementation Program

AGENCY: Economic Development Administration (EDA), Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for applications.

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SUMMARY: In FY 2006, EDA funded the development of a practitioner-
oriented curriculum to acquaint local economic development 
practitioners with the benefits, process, and practice of economic 
regionalism. Pursuant to its National Technical Assistance, Training, 
Research and Evaluation program, EDA previously solicited applications 
for a project designed to implement the regional training curriculum, 
but determined applications received under that solicitation were not 
satisfactory. Accordingly, EDA now re-solicits applications to 
implement the regional training curriculum developed under the FY 2006 
award.

DATES: To be considered timely, a completed application, regardless of 
the format in which it is submitted, must be either: (1) Received by 
the EDA representative listed below under ``Paper Submissions'' no 
later than April 25, 2008 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT); (2) 
transmitted and time-stamped at www.grants.gov no later than April 25, 
2008 at 5 p.m. EDT; or (3) electronically transmitted to the e-mail 
address of the Program Officer given below under ``Electronic 
Submissions'' no later than April 25, 2008 at 5 p.m. EDT. Any 
application received or transmitted, as the case may be, after 5 p.m. 
EDT on April 25, 2008 will be considered non-responsive and will not be 
considered for funding. Please see the instructions below under 
``Application Submission Requirements'' for information regarding 
format options for submitting completed applications. By June 2, 2008, 
EDA expects to notify the applicants selected for investment assistance 
under this notice. The selected applicants should expect to receive 
funding for their projects within thirty days of EDA's notification of 
selection.
    Applicants choosing to submit completed applications electronically 
in whole or in part through www.grants.gov should follow the 
instructions set out below under

[[Page 13848]]

``Electronic Access'' and in section IV. of the complete Federal 
Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement for this request for 
applications.
    Application Submission Requirements: Applicants are advised to 
carefully read the instructions contained in section IV. of the 
complete FFO announcement for this request for applications. For a copy 
of the FFO announcement, please see the Web sites listed below under 
``Electronic Access.''
    Applications may be submitted in two formats: (i) In paper format 
at the addresses provided below; or (ii) electronically in accordance 
with the procedures provided on www.grants.gov or submitted via e-mail 
to the address provided below in ``Electronic Submissions.'' EDA will 
not accept facsimile transmissions of applications. The content of the 
application is the same for paper submissions as it is for electronic 
submissions. A complete application must contain all the items listed 
in the ``Application Checklist,'' which can be found in section IV.C.2. 
of the complete FFO announcement.
    You may obtain paper application packages by contacting the 
designated point of contact listed below under For Further Information. 
Applicants applying electronically through www.grants.gov may access 
the application package by following the instructions provided on 
www.grants.gov. Additionally, the following application forms may be 
accessed and downloaded as follows: (i) Form ED-900A, Application for 
Investment Assistance, at https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/
Application.xml; (ii) Standard Forms (SF) at www.grants.gov or at 
https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Application.xml; and (iii) 
Department of Commerce (CD) forms at https://www.doc.gov/forms.
    Paper Submissions: Full or partial paper (hardcopy) applications 
submitted under the NTA program may be hand-delivered or mailed to: FY 
2008 Regional Training Curriculum Implementation Competition, William 
P. Kittredge, PhD., Program Officer, Economic Development 
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, 
NW., Room 7009, Washington, DC 20230.
    Applicants are advised that, due to mail security measures, EDA's 
receipt of mail sent via the United States Postal Service may be 
substantially delayed or suspended in delivery. Applicants may wish to 
use a guaranteed overnight delivery service.
    Electronic Submissions: Applicants have two options for electronic 
application submissions: through www.grants.gov or via e-mail. 
Applicants may submit applications electronically in whole or in part 
in accordance with the instructions provided at www.grants.gov and in 
section IV.B. of the applicable FFO announcement. EDA strongly 
encourages that applicants not wait until the application closing date 
to begin the application process through www.grants.gov. Applicants 
also may submit full or partial applications by e-mail to William P. 
Kittredge, PhD., Program Officer, at wkittredge@eda.doc.gov. The 
preferred file format for electronic attachments (e.g., the project 
narrative and additional exhibits to Form ED-900A and Form ED-900A's 
program-specific component) is portable document format (PDF); however, 
EDA will accept electronic files in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Lotus, 
or Excel formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on the NTA 
Program or to obtain paper application packages for this notice, please 
contact William P. Kittredge, PhD., Program Officer, via e-mail at 
wkittredge@eda.doc.gov (preferred) or by telephone at (202) 482-5442.
    For additional information regarding electronic submissions, please 
access the following link for assistance in navigating www.grants.gov 
and for a list of useful resources: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/
applicant_help.jsp. If you do not find an answer to your question 
under Frequently Asked Questions, try consulting the Applicant's User 
Guide. If you still cannot find an answer to your question, contact 
www.grants.gov via e-mail at support@grants.gov or telephone at 1-800-
518-4726. The hours of operation for www.grants.gov are Monday-Friday, 
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT (except for Federal holidays).
    Additional information about EDA and its NTA Program may be 
obtained from EDA's Internet Web site at www.eda.gov. The complete FFO 
announcement for this request for applications is available at 
www.grants.gov and at www.eda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Program Information: Recent studies on economic development, 
including several EDA-funded reports, stress the importance of a 
regional approach to successful economic development. However, the 
actual implementation of economic development from the regional 
perspective is not robust. Therefore, in FY 2006, EDA funded the 
development of a practitioner-oriented curriculum to acquaint local 
economic development practitioners with the benefits, process, and 
practice of economic regionalism. On July 16, 2007, EDA published a 
Federal Register notice (72 FR 38812) soliciting applications for 
funding under its National Technical Assistance, Training, Research and 
Evaluation program (NTA Program) to deliver the regional training 
curriculum across the Nation. The deadline for receipt of applications 
was August 13, 2007 at 5 p.m. EDT. After completing its review of the 
applications submitted, EDA decided not to make an award for the 
project. EDA now re-solicits applications for the regional curriculum 
training implementation project.
    Electronic Access: The complete FFO announcement for the FY 2008 
Regional Training Curriculum Implementation Program competition is 
available at www.grants.gov and at https://www.eda.gov/
InvestmentsGrants/FFON.xml. In addition, more information regarding the 
open source curriculum to be implemented may be found at the ``Know 
Your Region'' Internet Web site at https://knowyourregion.wcu.edu/.
    Funding Availability: EDA may use funds appropriated under the FY 
2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Pub. L. 110-161, 121 Stat. 1844 
(2007)) to make awards under the NTA Program authorized by the Public 
Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3121 
et seq.) (PWEDA). Approximately $1,500,000 is available from FY 2008 
appropriations, and shall remain available until expended, for funding 
awards pursuant to the NTA Program. Based on past experience with its 
NTA Program, EDA anticipates the regional training curriculum 
implementation award made under this competitive solicitation to be 
between $175,000 and $300,000 for each year of the three-year project 
period.
    In all events, the funding periods and funding amounts referenced 
in this notice are subject to the availability of FY 2008 funds at the 
time of award, as well as to Department of Commerce's and EDA's 
priorities at the time of award. The Department of Commerce and EDA 
will not be held responsible for application preparation costs if the 
Regional Training Curriculum Implementation Program fails to receive 
funding or is cancelled because of agency priorities. Publication of 
this notice does not obligate the Department of Commerce or EDA to 
award any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or 
part of available funds.
    Statutory Authority: The authority for the NTA Program is PWEDA. 
The specific authority for the Regional

[[Page 13849]]

Training Curriculum Implementation Program is section 207 of PWEDA (42 
U.S.C. 3147), which authorizes EDA to make grants for grants for 
training, research, and technical assistance. EDA's regulations at 13 
CFR parts 300-302 and subpart A of 13 CFR part 306 set forth the 
general and specific regulatory requirements applicable to the NTA 
Program. EDA's regulations are codified at 13 CFR chapter III. The 
regulations and PWEDA are accessible on EDA's Internet Web site at 
https://www.eda.gov/InvestmentsGrants/Lawsreg.xml.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.303, 
Economic Development--Technical Assistance.
    Applicant Eligibility: Pursuant to PWEDA, eligible applicants for 
and recipients of EDA investment assistance include a District 
Organization; an Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes; a 
State; a city or other political subdivision of a State, including a 
special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic 
or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political 
subdivisions; an institution of higher education or a consortium of 
institutions of higher education; and a public or private non-profit 
organization or association. Although for-profit, private-sector 
entities generally do not qualify for investment assistance under 
PWEDA, under its NTA Program, EDA may make an award to a for-profit 
organization to carry out specific research or for other purposes set 
forth in 13 CFR 306.1. See also 42 U.S.C. 3147.
    Project Period: EDA contemplates a three-year project period for 
the applicant selected for funding under this competitive solicitation, 
with the initial award being made for the first year of the project 
period. The selected applicant will not have to compete for the second 
and third years of funding. Funding beyond the initial year is 
dependent upon the availability of funds and satisfactory performance, 
as determined by EDA and expressed in written notice. Matching share 
commitment percentages, if any, must be set forth for all three years 
of funding.
    Cost Sharing Requirement: Generally, the amount of the EDA grant 
may not exceed fifty percent of the total cost of the project. Projects 
may receive an additional amount that shall not exceed thirty percent, 
as determined by EDA, based on the relative needs of the region in 
which the project will be located. See section 204(a) of PWEDA (42 
U.S.C. 3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(1). The Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Economic Development has the discretion to establish a 
maximum EDA investment rate of up to one-hundred percent where the 
project (i) merits and is not otherwise feasible without an increase to 
the EDA investment rate; or (ii) will be of no or only incidental 
benefit to the recipient. See section 204(c)(3) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 
3144) and 13 CFR 301.4(b)(4).
    EDA will consider the nature of the contribution (cash or in-kind), 
the amount of any matching share funds, and fairly assess any in-kind 
contributions in evaluating the cost to the Government and feasibility 
of the budget (see the ``Evaluation Criteria'' section below). While 
cash contributions are preferred, in-kind contributions, fairly 
evaluated by EDA, may provide the non-federal share of the total 
project cost. See section 204(b) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3144) and Section 
III.B. of the FFO announcement for this request for applications. In-
kind contributions, which may include assumptions of debt and 
contributions of space, equipment, and services, are eligible to be 
included as part of the non-federal share of eligible project costs if 
they meet applicable federal cost principles and uniform administrative 
requirements. Funds from other federal financial assistance awards are 
considered matching share funds only if authorized by statute, which 
may be determined by EDA's reasonable interpretation of the statute. 
See 13 CFR 300.3. The applicant must show that the matching share is 
committed to the project for the entire project period, will be 
available as needed, and is not conditioned or encumbered in any way 
that precludes its use consistent with the requirements of EDA 
investment assistance. See 13 CFR 301.5.
    Intergovernmental Review: Applications for funding under the 
Regional Training Curriculum Implementation Program are not subject to 
the state review requirements imposed by Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''
    Evaluation and Selection Procedures: To apply for an award under 
this request for applications, an eligible applicant must submit a 
completed application package to EDA before the closing date and time 
specified in the DATES section of this notice, and in the manner 
provided in section IV. of the FFO announcement. Any application 
received or transmitted, as the case may be, after 5 p.m. EDT on April 
25, 2008 will not be considered for funding. Applications that do not 
meet all items required or that exceed the page limitations set forth 
in section IV.C. of the FFO announcement will be considered non-
responsive and will not be considered by the review panel. By June 2, 
2008, EDA expects to notify the applicant selected for investment 
assistance under this notice. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified 
by postal mail that their applications were not selected for funding. 
Applications that meet all the requirements will be evaluated by a 
review panel comprised of at least three EDA staff members, all of whom 
will be full-time federal employees. The Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Economic Development is the Selecting Official for 
applications received under this competitive solicitation. The review 
panel will submit to the Selecting Official a list of applicants 
recommended for funding.
    Evaluation Criteria: The evaluation of applications will be 
accomplished through a review using the following criteria, listed in 
descending order of importance:
    (1) Conformance with EDA's statutory and regulatory requirements, 
including the extent to which the proposed project satisfies the award 
requirements set out below and as provided in 13 CFR 306.2:
     Strengthens the capacity of local, State, or national 
organizations and institutions to undertake and promote effective 
economic development programs targeted to regions of distress;
     Benefits distressed regions; and
     Demonstrates innovative approaches to stimulate economic 
development in distressed regions.
    (2) The extent to which the application:
     Includes workshops that leverage EDA investment assistance 
and the open source curriculum;
     Exhibits regional dispersal of workshops and other open 
source curriculum delivery methods;
     Provides realistic estimates of the size and composition 
(e.g., urban and regional practitioners) of the audience that the 
applicant expects to reach and the methods through which the 
applicant's estimates were determined;
     Provides a feasible and innovative plan to maximize 
participant contact and practitioner participation;
     Contains a plan for assessing participant satisfaction 
through exit surveys and other means; and
     Explains the applicant's plan to proactively address 
participant concerns and suggestions for curriculum improvements.
    (3) The degree to which an EDA investment will have strong 
organizational leadership, relevant project management experience, and 
a significant commitment of human

[[Page 13850]]

resources talent to ensure the project's successful execution (see 13 
CFR 301.8(b)).
    (4) The ability of the applicant to implement the proposed project 
successfully (see 13 CFR 301.8).
    (5) The feasibility of the budget presented.
    (6) The cost to the Federal Government.
    Selection Factors: The Assistant Secretary, as the Selecting 
Official, expects to fund the highest ranking applications, as 
recommended by the review panel, submitted under this request for 
applications. However, if EDA does not receive satisfactory 
applications, the Assistant Secretary may not make any selection. Also, 
the Assistant Secretary may select an application out of rank order for 
the following reasons: (1) A determination that the selected 
application better meets the overall objectives of sections 2 and 207 
of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. 3121 and 3147); (2) the applicant's performance 
under previous awards; or (3) the availability of funding.
    The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements: Administrative and national policy 
requirements for all Department of Commerce awards are contained in the 
Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants 
and Cooperative Agreements, published in the Federal Register on 
February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696). This notice may be accessed through the 
Federal Register Internet Web site at https://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/
retrieve.html, making sure the radial button for the correct Federal 
Register volume is selected (here, 2008 Federal Register, Vol. 73), 
entering the Federal Register page number provided in the previous 
sentence (7696), and clicking the ``Submit'' button.
    Paperwork Reduction Act: This document contains collection-of-
information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
The use of Form ED-900A (Application for Investment Assistance) has 
been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the 
control number 0610-0094. Notwithstanding any other provision 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 requirements of the PRA unless that collection of 
information displays a currently valid OMB control number.
    Executive Order 12866: This notice has been determined to be not 
significant for purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    Executive Order 13132 (Federalism): It has been determined that 
this notice does not contain policies with Federalism implications as 
that term is defined in Executive Order 13132.
    Administrative Procedure Act/Regulatory Flexibility Act: Prior 
notice and an opportunity for public comments are not required by the 
Administrative Procedure Act or any other law for rules concerning 
grants, benefits, and contracts (5 U.S.C. 553(a)(2)). Because notice 
and opportunity for comment are not required pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553 
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 has not been prepared.

    Dated: March 10, 2008.
Benjamin Erulkar,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.
 [FR Doc. E8-5174 Filed 3-13-08; 8:45 am]
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