Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2011 / Notices 21325 

United States or abroad, all eligible 

projects must specifically address 

sanitary, phytosanitary, or related 

technical barriers to the export of U.S. 

specialty crops. 

Certain types of expenses are not 

eligible for reimbursement by the 

program, such as the costs of market 

research, advertising, or other 

promotional expenses, as set forth in the 

written program agreement between 

CCC and the participant. CCC will also 

not reimburse unreasonable 

expenditures or any expenditure made 

prior to approval of a proposal. 

5. Other Submission Requirements: 

All Internet-based applications must be 

properly submitted by 5 p.m., Eastern 

Daylight Time, May 16, 2011, in order 

to be considered for funding; late 

submissions received after the deadline 

will be considered only if funding 

remains available. All applications 

submitted by email must be received by 

5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, May 16, 

2011, at podadmin@fas.usda.gov in 

order to receive the same consideration. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria: FAS follows the evaluation 

criteria set forth in § 1487.6 of the TASC 

regulations. 

2. Review and Selection Process: FAS 

will review proposals for eligibility and 

will evaluate each proposal against the 

criteria referred to above. The purpose 

of this review is to identify meritorious 

proposals, recommend an appropriate 

funding level for each proposal based 

upon these factors, and submit the 

proposals and funding 

recommendations to the Deputy 

Administrator, Office of Trade 

Programs. FAS may, when appropriate, 

request the assistance of other U.S. 

government subject area experts in 

evaluating the merits of a proposal. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices: FAS will notify 

each applicant in writing of the final 

disposition of the submitted 

application. FAS will send an approval 

letter and agreement to each approved 

applicant. The approval letter and 

agreement will specify the terms and 

conditions applicable to the project, 

including levels of funding, timelines 

for implementation, and written 

evaluation requirements. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: The agreements will 

incorporate the details of each project as 

approved by FAS. Each agreement will 

identify terms and conditions pursuant 

to which CCC will reimburse certain 

costs of each project. Agreements will 

also outline the responsibilities of the 

participant. Interested parties should 

review the TASC program regulations 

found at 7 CFR part 1487 in addition to 

this announcement. TASC program 

regulations are available at the following 

URL address: http:www.fas.usa.gov/ 

mos/programs/ 

TASC_1487_regulations_1-1-06.pdf. 

Hard copies may be obtained by 

contacting the Program Operations 

Division at (202) 720–4327. 

3. Reporting: TASC participants will 

be required to submit separate interim 

reports at 3, 6, and 9 months for each 

program year, and a final report, each of 

which evaluates their TASC project 

using the performance measures 

presented in the approved proposal, as 

set forth in the written program 

agreement. 

VII. Agency Contact 

For additional information and 

assistance, contact the Program 

Operations Division, Office of Trade 

Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Portals 

Office Building, Suite 400, 1250 

Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 

DC 20024, or by phone: (202) 720–4327, 

or by fax: (202) 720–9361, or by e-mail: 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. 

Signed at Washington, DC, on the 25th of 

March, 2011. 

John D. Brewer, 

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

and Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9219 Filed 4–14–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting 

Applications for the Market Access 

Program 

Announcement Type: New. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.601. 

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC) announces that it is 

inviting proposals for the 2012 Market 

Access Program (MAP). The intended 

effect of this notice is to solicit 

applications from eligible applicants 

and to award funds in October 2011. 

The MAP is administered by personnel 

of the Foreign Agricultural Service 

(FAS). 

DATES: All applications must be 

received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight 

Time, May 16, 2011. Applications 

received after this date will not be 

considered. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Entities wishing to apply for funding 

assistance should contact the Program 

Operations Division, Office of Trade 

Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

Portals Office Building, Suite 400, 1250 

Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 

DC 20024, or by phone: (202) 720–4327, 

or by fax: (202) 720–9361, or by e-mail: 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is 

also available on the FAS Web site at 

http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/ 

map.asp. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: The MAP is authorized under 

Section 203 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 

1978, as amended. MAP regulations appear at 

7 CFR part 1485. 

Purpose: The MAP is designed to 

create, expand, and maintain foreign 

markets for U. S. agricultural 

commodities and products through costshare assistance. Financial assistance 

under the MAP will be made available 

on a competitive basis, and applications 

will be reviewed against the evaluation 

criteria contained herein and in the 

MAP regulations. All U.S. agricultural 

commodities, except tobacco, are 

eligible for consideration. 

The 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, the FAS considers whether the 

applicant provides a clear, long-term 

agricultural trade strategy and a program 

effectiveness time line against which 

results can be measured at specific 

intervals using quantifiable product or 

country goals. The FAS also considers 

the extent to which a proposed project 

targets markets with the greatest growth 

potential. These factors are part of the 

FAS resource allocation strategy to fund 

applicants who can demonstrate 

performance and address the objectives 

of the GPRA. 

II. Award Information 

Under the MAP, the CCC enters into 

agreements with eligible participants to 

share the cost of certain overseas 

marketing and promotion activities. 

MAP participants may receive 

assistance for generic or brand 

promotion activities. For generic 

activities, funding priority is given to 

organizations that have the broadest 

possible producer representation of the 

commodity being promoted and that are 

nationwide in membership and scope. 

Only non-profit U.S. agricultural trade 

organizations, nonprofit State regional 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
21326 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2011 / Notices 

trade groups (SRTGs), non-profit U.S. 

agricultural cooperatives, and State 

government agencies can participate 

directly in the brand program. The MAP 

generally operates on a reimbursement 

basis. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: To participate 

in the MAP, an applicant must be a 

nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade 

organization, a nonprofit SRTG, a 

nonprofit U.S. agricultural cooperative, 

or a State government agency. A smallsized U.S. commercial entity may 

participate through a MAP participant. 

2. Cost Sharing: To participate in the 

MAP, an applicant must agree to 

contribute resources to its proposed 

promotional activities. The MAP is 

intended to supplement, not supplant, 

the efforts of the U.S. private sector. In 

the case of generic promotion, the 

contribution must be at least 10 percent 

of the value of resources provided by 

CCC for such generic promotion. In the 

case of brand promotion, the 

contribution must be at least 50 percent 

of the total cost of such brand 

promotion. 

The degree of commitment of an 

applicant to the promotional strategies 

contained in its application, as 

represented by the agreed cost-share 

contributions specified therein, is 

considered by FAS when determining 

which applications will be approved for 

funding. Cost-share may be actual cash 

invested or in-kind contributions, such 

as professional staff time spent on 

design and execution of activities. The 

MAP regulations, in section 1485.13(c), 

provide detailed discussion of eligible 

and ineligible cost-share contributions. 

3. Other: Applications should include 

a justification for funding assistance 

from the program—an explanation as to 

what specifically could not be 

accomplished without Federal funding 

assistance, and why participating 

organization(s) are unlikely to carry out 

the project without such assistance. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package: Organizations are encouraged 

to submit their MAP applications to 

FAS through the Unified Export 

Strategy (UES) application Internet Web 

site. The UES allows interested 

applicants to submit a single 

consolidated and strategically 

coordinated proposal that incorporates 

requests for funding and 

recommendations for virtually all of the 

FAS marketing programs, financial 

assistance programs, and market access 

programs. The suggested UES format 

encourages applicants to examine the 

constraints or barriers to trade that they 

face, identify activities that would help 

overcome such impediments, consider 

the entire pool of complementary 

marketing tools and program resources, 

and establish realistic export goals. 

Applicants planning to use the Internetbased system must contact the FAS/ 

Program Operations Division to obtain 

Web site access information. The 

Internet-based application may be found 

at the following URL address: https:// 

www.fas.usda.gov/ues/webapp/. 

The FAS highly recommends 

applying via the Internet-based 

application, as this format virtually 

eliminates paperwork and expedites the 

FAS processing and review cycle. 

However, applicants also have the 

option of submitting an electronic 

version of their application to FAS at 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission: To be considered for the 

MAP, an applicant must submit to FAS 

information required by the MAP 

regulations in section 1485.13. In 

addition, in accordance with the Office 

of Management and Budget’s policy (68 

FR 38402 (June 27, 2003)) regarding the 

need to identify entities that are 

receiving government awards, all 

applicants must submit a Dun and 

Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 

System (DUNS) number. An applicant 

may request a DUNS number at no cost 

by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS 

number request line at 1–866–705–5711. 

Incomplete applications and 

applications that do not otherwise 

conform to this announcement will not 

be accepted for review. 

The FAS administers various other 

agricultural export assistance programs 

including the Foreign Market 

Development Cooperator (Cooperator) 

program, the Emerging Markets 

Program, the Quality Samples Program, 

and the Technical Assistance for 

Specialty Crops program. Any 

organization that is not interested in 

applying for the MAP, but would like to 

request assistance through one of the 

other programs mentioned should 

contact the Program Operations 

Division. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: All 

applications must be received by 5 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time, May 16, 2011. 

All MAP applicants, regardless of the 

method of submitting an application, 

must also submit by the application 

deadline, an original signed certification 

statement as specified in 7 CFR 

1485.13(a)(2)(i)(G) to the Program 

Operations Division, Office of Trade 

Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Portals 

Office Building, Suite 400, 1250 

Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 

DC 20024. Applications or certifications 

received after this date will not be 

considered. 

4. Funding Restrictions: Certain types 

of expenses are not eligible for 

reimbursement by the program, and 

there are limits on other categories of 

expenses. CCC also will not reimburse 

unreasonable expenditures or 

expenditures made prior to approval. 

Full details are available in the MAP 

regulations in section 1485.16. 

V. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria and Review Process: 

Following is a description of the FAS 

process for reviewing applications and 

the criteria for allocating available MAP 

funds. 

(1) Phase 1—Sufficiency Review and 

FAS Divisional 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. These requirements appear 

in sections 1485.12 and 1485.13 of the 

MAP regulations. Applications that 

meet the requirements then will be 

further evaluated by the appropriate 

Commodity Branch office of the FAS/ 

Cooperator Programs Division. The 

Commodity Branch will review each 

application against the criteria listed in 

section 1485.14 of the MAP regulations. 

The purpose of this review is to identify 

meritorious proposals and to 

recommend an appropriate funding 

level for each application based upon 

these criteria. 

(2) Phase 2—Competitive Review: 

Meritorious applications then will be 

passed on to the Office of the Deputy 

Administrator, Office of Trade 

Programs, for the purpose of allocating 

available funds among the applicants. 

Applicants will compete for funds on 

the basis of the following allocation 

criteria (the number in parentheses 

represents a percentage weight factor): 

(a) Applicant’s Contribution Level (40) 

• The applicant’s 4-year average share 

(2009–2012) of all contributions (cash 

and goods and services provided by U.S. 

entities in support of overseas marketing 

and promotion activities) compared to; 

• The applicant’s 4-year average share 

(2009–2012) of the funding level for all 

MAP participants. 

(b) Past Performance (30) 

• The 3-year average share (2008– 

2010) of the value of exports promoted 

by the applicant compared to; 

• The applicant’s 2-year average share 

(2010–2011) of the funding level for all 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 73 / Friday, April 15, 2011 / Notices 21327 

MAP applicants plus, for those groups 

participating in the Cooperator program, 

the 2-year average share (2010–2011) of 

Cooperator marketing plan budgets. 

(c) Projected Export Goals (15) 

• The total dollar value of projected 

exports promoted by the applicant for 

2012 compared to; 

• The applicant’s requested funding 

level; 

(d) Accuracy of Past Projections (15) 

• Actual exports for 2010 as reported 

in the 2012 MAP application compared 

to; 

• Past projections of exports for 2010 

as specified in the 2010 MAP 

application. 

The Commodity Branches’ 

recommended funding levels for each 

applicant are converted to percentages 

of the total MAP funds available and 

then multiplied by each weight factor as 

described above to determine the 

amount of funds allocated to each 

applicant. 

2. Anticipated Announcement Date: 

Announcements of funding decisions 

for the MAP are anticipated during 

October 2011. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

1. Award Notices: The FAS will notify 

each applicant in writing of the final 

disposition of its application. The FAS 

will send an approval letter and 

program agreement to each approved 

applicant. The approval letter and 

program agreement will specify the 

terms and conditions applicable to the 

project, including the levels of MAP 

funding and cost-share contribution 

requirements. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements: Interested parties should 

review the MAP regulations, which are 

available at the following URL address: 

http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/ 

map.asp. Hard copies may be obtained 

by contacting the Program Operations 

Division. 

3. Reporting: The FAS requires 

various reports and evaluations from 

MAP participants. Reporting 

requirements are detailed in the MAP 

regulations in section 1485.20(b) and 

(c). 

VII. Agency Contact(s) 

For additional information and 

assistance, contact the Program 

Operations Division, Office of Trade 

Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

U.S. Department of Agriculture at: 

Portals Office Building, Suite 400, 1250 

Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 

DC 20024, or by phone: (202) 720–4327, 

or by fax: (202) 720–9361, or by e-mail: 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. 

Signed at Washington, DC, on the 25th of 

March, 2011. 

John D. Brewer, 

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

and Vice President, Commodity Credit 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2011–9217 Filed 4–14–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting 

Applications for the Foreign Market 

Development Cooperator Program 

Announcement Type: New. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.600. 

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC) announces that it is 

inviting proposals for the 2012 Foreign 

Market Development Cooperator 

(Cooperator) program. The intended 

effect of this notice is to solicit 

applications from eligible applicants for 

2012 and to award funds in October 

2011. The Cooperator program is 

administered by personnel of the 

Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). 

DATES: All applications must be 

received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight 

Time, May 16, 2011. Applications 

received after this date will not be 

considered. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Entities wishing to apply for funding 

assistance should contact the Program 

Operations Division, Office of Trade 

Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

Portals Office Building, Suite 400, 1250 

Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, 

DC 20024, or by phone: (202) 720–4327, 

or by fax: (202) 720–9361, or by e-mail: 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is 

also available on the FAS Web site at 

http://www.fas.usda.gov/mos/programs/ 

fmdprogram.asp. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: The Cooperator program is 

authorized by title VII of the 

Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as 

amended. Cooperator program 

regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1484. 

Purpose: The Cooperator program is 

designed to create, expand, and 

maintain foreign markets for U.S. 

agricultural commodities and products 

through cost-share assistance. Financial 

assistance under the Cooperator 

program will be made available on a 

competitive basis and applications will 

be reviewed against the evaluation 

criteria contained herein and in the 

Cooperator program regulations. All 

U.S. agricultural commodities, except 

tobacco, are eligible for consideration. 

The 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, the FAS considers whether the 

applicant provides a clear, long-term 

agricultural trade strategy, and a 

program effectiveness time line against 

which results can be measured at 

specific intervals using quantifiable 

product or country goals. The FAS also 

considers the extent to which a 

proposed project targets markets with 

the greatest growth potential. These 

factors are part of the FAS resource 

allocation strategy to fund applicants 

who can demonstrate performance and 

address the objectives of the GPRA. 

II. Award Information 

Under the Cooperator program, the 

FAS enters into agreements with eligible 

nonprofit U.S. trade organizations to 

share the cost of certain overseas 

marketing and promotion activities. 

Funding priority is given to 

organizations that have the broadest 

possible producer representation of the 

commodity being promoted and that are 

nationwide in membership and scope. 

Cooperators may receive assistance only 

for generic activities that do not involve 

promotions targeted directly to 

consumers. The program generally 

operates on a reimbursement basis. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: To participate 

in the Cooperator program, an applicant 

must be a nonprofit U.S. agricultural 

trade organization. 

2. Cost Sharing: To participate in the 

Cooperator program, an applicant must 

agree to contribute resources to its 

proposed promotional activities. The 

Cooperator program is intended to 

supplement, not supplant, the efforts of 

the U.S. private sector. The contribution 

must be at least 50 percent of the value 

of resources provided by CCC for 

activities conducted under the project 

agreement. 

The degree of commitment of an 

applicant to the promotional strategies 

contained in its application, as 

represented by the agreed cost-share 

contributions specified therein, is 

considered by the FAS when 

determining which applications will be 

approved for funding. Cost-share may be 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES