Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Foreign market development cooperator program,

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Federal Register: February 17, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 31)NoticesPage 7750-7752From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

DOCID:fr17fe98-54

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service RIN 0551-AA26

Announcement of the Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program for FY 1999

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of funds for the Fiscal Year 1999 Foreign Market Development Cooperator (Cooperator) Program.

DATES: All applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time, April 20, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marketing Operations Staff, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-1042, (202) 720-4327.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announces that applications are being accepted for participation in the Fiscal Year 1999 Cooperator program. The program is intended to create, expand and maintain foreign markets for United States agricultural commodities and products. FAS administers the Cooperator program and provides cost share assistance to eligible trade organizations to implement approved market development activities. Financial assistance under this program will be made available on a competitive basis and applications will be reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein.

Background

Under the Cooperator program, FAS enters into Market Development Project Agreements with nonprofit U.S. trade organizations. FAS enters into these agreements with those nonprofit U.S. trade organizations that have the broadest possible producer representation of the commodity being promoted and gives priority to those organizations that are nationwide in membership and scope. Program participants may not, during the term of their agreement with FAS, make export sales of the agricultural commodity being promoted or charge fees for facilitating an export sale if promotional activities designed to result in that specific sale are supported by Cooperator program funds.

Market Development Project Agreements involve the promotion of agricultural commodities on a generic basis and, therefore, do not involve activities targeted directly toward individual consumers. Approved activities contribute to the maintenance or growth of demand for the agricultural commodities and generally address long-term foreign import constraints by focusing on matters such as:

<bullet> Reducing infra-structural or historical market impediments;

<bullet> Improving processing capabilities;

<bullet> Modifying codes and standards; and

<bullet> Identifying new markets or new applications or uses for the agricultural commodity or product in the foreign market.

Authority

The Cooperator program is authorized by Title VII of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, 7 U.S.C. 5721, et seq. Program regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1550.

Application Process

The FAS administers various agricultural export assistance programs, including the Cooperator program, the Market Access Program (MAP), Cochran Fellowships, the Emerging Markets Program, Section 108, and several Export Credit Guarantee programs. Until now, organizations interested in receiving assistance under any of these FAS-administered programs were asked to submit their requests at varying times throughout the year. In an effort to facilitate the strategic planning process of Cooperator program applicant organizations, as well as that of the Federal government, FAS has unified and simplified the application process for its agricultural export assistance programs.

Beginning with this announcement, organizations which are interested in applying for Cooperator program funds will have the opportunity to incorporate multiple requests for assistance into a single Unified Export Strategy (UES) proposal. The suggested UES format permits the submission of a consolidated and strategically coordinated proposal including not only Cooperator program applications, but also requests for assistance under virtually all other FAS marketing programs, financial assistance programs, and market access programs. The suggested UES framework encourages applicants to examine the constraints or barriers to trade they face, identify activities which would help overcome such impediments, consider the entire pool of complementary marketing tools and program resources, and establish realistic export goals.

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The UES handbook, including the suggested format, instructions, and a sample application, may be obtained in a paper copy or on a diskette by contacting the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327, or it can be downloaded from the FAS Home Page at the following URL address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/agexport/ues/unified.html.

In order to be considered for the Cooperator program, an applicant must submit to FAS information related to the allocation criteria considered by FAS as described in this notice. Incomplete applications and applications that do not otherwise conform to this announcement will not be accepted for review. Paper applications must be signed and submitted, via hand delivery or U.S. mail, in triplicate form (an original and two copies); electronic applications can be submitted via electronic mail, facsimile, or on a diskette. Anyone choosing to submit an application electronically must also submit, via hand delivery or U.S. mail, an original signed certification statement as included in the UES handbook. Any organization which is not interested in applying for the Cooperator program but would like to request assistance through one of the other programs mentioned should contact the Marketing Operations Staff at (202) 720-4327.

Review Process and Allocation Criteria

FAS allocates funds in a manner that effectively supports the strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. In deciding whether a proposed project will contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets, FAS seeks to identify a clear, long-term agricultural trade strategy by market or product and a program effectiveness time line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using quantifiable product or country goals. These performance indicators are part of FAS' resource allocation strategy to fund applicants which can demonstrate performance based on a long-term strategic plan, consistent with the strategic objectives of the United States Department of Agriculture, and address the performance measurement objectives of the GPRA.

FAS considers a number of factors when reviewing proposed projects. These factors include:

<bullet> The ability of the organization to provide an experienced U.S.-based staff with technical and international trade expertise to ensure adequate development, supervision, and execution of the proposed project;

<bullet> The organization's willingness to contribute resources, including cash and goods and services of the U.S. industry and foreign third parties;

<bullet> The conditions or constraints affecting the level of U.S. exports and market share for the agricultural commodities and products;

<bullet> The degree to which the proposed project is likely to contribute to the creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets; and

<bullet> The degree to which the strategic plan is coordinated with other private or U.S. government-funded market development projects.

Following is a description of the FAS process for reviewing applications and the criteria for allocating available funds.

  (1) Phase I--Sufficiency Committee Review

Applications received by the closing date will be reviewed by FAS to determine the eligibility of the applicants and the completeness of the applications.

  (2) Phase 2--FAS Divisional Review

Applications which meet the application procedures will then be further evaluated by the applicable FAS Commodity Division. The Divisions will recommend funding levels for each applicant based on a review of the applications against the factors described above. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals and to suggest an appropriate funding level for each application based upon these factors.

  (3) Phase 3--Competitive Review

Meritorious applications will then be passed on to the office of the Deputy Administrator, Commodity and Marketing Programs, for the purpose of allocating available funds among the applicants. Applications which pass the Divisional Review will compete for funds on the basis of the following allocation criteria (the number in parentheses represents a percentage weight factor). Data used in the calculations for contribution levels, past export performance and past demand expansion performance will cover not more than a 6-year period, to the extent such data is a available. (a) Contribution Level (40)

<bullet> The applicant's 6-year average share (1994-99) of all contributions (contributions may include cash and goods and services provided by U.S. entities in support of foreign market development activities) compared to

<bullet> The applicant's 6-year average share (1994-99) of all Cooperator marketing plan budgets. (b) Past Export Performance (20)

<bullet> The 6-year average share (1993-98) of the value of exports promoted by the applicant compared to

<bullet> The applicant's 6-year average share (1993-98) of all Cooperator marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share (1992-97) of MAP program ceiling levels and a 6-year average share (1992-97) of foreign overhead provided for co-location within a U.S. agricultural trade office. (c) Past Demand Expansion Performance (20)

<bullet> The 6-year average share (1993-98) of the total value of world trade of the commodities promoted by the applicant compared to

<bullet> The applicant's 6-year average share (1993-98) of all Cooperator marketing plan budgets plus a 6-year average share (1992-97) of MAP program ceiling levels and a 6-year average share (1992-97) of foreign overhead provided for co-location within a U.S. agricultural trade office. (d) Future Demand Expansion Goals (20) (The criterion will receive a weight of 10 beginning with the year 2000 program.)

<bullet> The total dollar value of the applicant's projected increase in world trade of the commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 2004 compared to

<bullet> The applicant's requested funding level. (e) Accuracy of Past Demand Expansion Projections (Since the information is not currently available, this criterion will be used beginning with the year 2000 program and will receive a weight of 10.)

<bullet> The actual dollar value share of world trade of the commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1998 compared to

<bullet> The applicant's past projected share of world trade of the commodities being promoted by the applicant for the year 1998, as specified in the 1998 Cooperator program application.

The Commodity Divisions' recommended program levels for each applicant are converted to a percent of the total Cooperator program funds available and multiplied by the total weight factor to determine the amount of funds allocated to each applicant.

[Page 7752]Closing Date for Applications

Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time, April 20, 1998 at the following address:

Hand Delivery (including FedEx, DHL, etc.): U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, Marketing Operations Staff, Room 4932-S, 14th and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250- 1042 U.S. Postal Delivery: Marketing Operations Staff, STOP 1042, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-1042 Electronic mail: mosadmin@fas.usda.gov Facsimile: (202) 720-9361 Lon Hatamiya, Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.

FR Doc. 98-3873Filed2-13-98; 8:45 amBILLING CODE 3410-10-M

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