This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

24164 

Vol. 77, No. 78 

Monday, April 23, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

April 17, 2012. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments 

regarding (a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology should be addressed to: Desk 

Officer for Agriculture, Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB), 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 

7602. Comments regarding these 

information collections are best assured 

of having their full effect if received 

within 30 days of this notification. 

Copies of the submission(s) may be 

obtained by calling (202) 720–8958. 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number and the agency informs 

potential persons who are to respond to 

the collection of information that such 

persons are not required to respond to 

the collection of information unless it 

displays a currently valid OMB control 

number. 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Title: School Foodservice Indirect 

Cost Study. 

OMB Control Number: 0584–NEW. 

Summary of Collection: The Healthy 

Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 

111–296), requires USDA to conduct a 

study to assess the extent to which 

school food authorities (SFAs) 

participating in the National School 

Lunch and Breakfast Program pay 

indirect costs. The objective of the 

School Foodservice Indirect Cost Study 

is to collect and analyze up-to-date data 

on school districts’ policies and 

procedures for reporting and recovering 

indirect costs attributable to their 

foodservice operations. The ultimate 

goal of the study is to provide USDA 

and Congress the necessary information 

to assess the extent to which school 

districts identify, treat, and charge 

indirect costs attributable to their 

foodservice operations. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

study will help the Food and Nutrition 

Service understand the extent to which 

current regulations are being followed 

and if there is a need for additional 

regulations and/or legislation to ensure 

that school districts treat indirect costs 

in the same manner across all of their 

grant programs. Without the information 

FNS will not have the data necessary to 

address the questions posed by 

Congress. 

Description of Respondents: Business 

or other for-profit; State, Local, or Tribal 

Government. 

Number of Respondents: 5,118. 

Frequency of Responses: Report: 

Other (one-time). 

Total Burden Hours: 3,159. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2012–9632 Filed 4–20–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Notice of Funds Availability: Inviting 

Applications for the Technical 

Assistance for Specialty Crops 

Program 

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC) announces that it is 

inviting proposals for the 2013 

Technical Assistance for Specialty 

Crops (TASC) program. The intended 

effect of this notice is to solicit 

applications from the private sector and 

from government agencies for FY 2013 

and to set out criteria for the award of 

funds in October 2012. The TASC 

program is administered by personnel of 

the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). 

The statutory authority for TASC 

expires at the end of fiscal year 2012. 

This notice is being published at this 

time to allow awards to be made early 

in fiscal year 2013, provided that the 

program is reauthorized prior to that 

time. In the event this program is not 

reauthorized, or is substantially 

modified, FAS will publish a notice in 

the Federal Register rescinding this 

Notice of Funds Availability. 

DATES: To be considered for funding, 

applications must be received by 5 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time, May 21, 2012. 

Any applications received after this 

time will be considered only if funds are 

still available. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Entities wishing to apply for funding 

assistance should contact the Program 

Operations Division, Office of Trade 

Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

Room 6512, 1400 Independence Ave. 

SW., Washington, DC 20250, or by 

phone: (202) 720–4327, or by fax: (202) 

720–9361, or by email: 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is 

also available on the FAS Web site at 

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

tasc.asp. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Announcement Type: New. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.604. 

Authority: The TASC program is 

authorized by section 3205 of Public 

Law 107–171. TASC regulations appear 

at 7 CFR part 1487. 

Purpose: The TASC program is 

designed to assist U.S. organizations by 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 78 / Monday, April 23, 2012 / Notices 24165 

providing funding for projects that 

address sanitary, phytosanitary, or 

related technical barriers that prohibit 

or threaten the export of U.S. specialty 

crops. U.S. specialty crops, for the 

purpose of the TASC program, are 

defined to include all cultivated plants, 

or the products thereof, produced in the 

United States, except wheat, feed grains, 

oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, 

and tobacco. 

As a general matter, TASC program 

projects should be designed to address 

the following criteria: 

• Projects should identify and 

address a sanitary, phytosanitary, or 

related technical barrier that prohibits 

or threatens the export of U.S. specialty 

crops; 

• Projects should demonstrably 

benefit the represented industry rather 

than a specific company or brand; 

• Projects must address barriers to 

exports of commercially-available U.S. 

specialty crops for which barrier 

removal would predominantly benefit 

U.S. exports; and 

• Projects should include an 

explanation as to what specifically 

could not be accomplished without 

Federal funding assistance and why the 

participating organization(s) would be 

unlikely to carry out the project without 

such assistance. 

Examples of expenses that CCC may 

agree to reimburse under the TASC 

program include, but are not limited to: 

initial pre-clearance programs, export 

protocol and work plan support, 

seminars and workshops, study tours, 

field surveys, development of pest lists, 

pest and disease research, database 

development, reasonable logistical and 

administrative support, and travel and 

per diem expenses. 

II. Award Information 

In general, all qualified proposals 

received before the specified application 

deadline will compete for funding. The 

limited funds and the range of barriers 

affecting the exports of U.S. specialty 

crops worldwide preclude CCC from 

approving large budgets for individual 

projects. Proposals requesting more than 

$500,000 in any given year will not be 

considered. Additionally, private 

entities may submit multi-year 

proposals that may be considered in the 

context of a detailed strategic 

implementation plan. The maximum 

duration of an activity is 5 years. 

Funding in such cases may, in FAS’ 

discretion, be provided one year at a 

time with commitments beyond the first 

year subject to interim evaluations and 

funding availability. In order to validate 

funding eligibility, proposals must 

specify previous years of TASC funding 

for each proposed activity/title/market/ 

constraint combination. Government 

entities are not eligible for multi-year 

funding. 

Applicants may submit multiple 

proposals, and applicants with 

previously approved TASC proposals 

may apply for additional funding. The 

number of approved projects that a 

TASC participant can have underway at 

any given time is five. Please see 7 CFR 

part 1487 for additional restrictions. 

FAS will consider providing either 

grant funds as direct assistance to U.S. 

organizations or technical assistance on 

behalf of U.S. organizations, provided 

that the organization submits timely and 

qualified proposals. FAS will review all 

proposals against the evaluation criteria 

contained in the program regulations. 

Funding for successful proposals will 

be provided through specific 

agreements. These agreements will 

incorporate the proposal as approved by 

FAS. FAS must approve in advance any 

subsequent changes to the project. FAS 

or another Federal agency may be 

involved in the implementation of 

approved projects. 

III. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants: Any U.S. 

organization, private or government, 

with a demonstrated role or interest in 

exporting U.S. agricultural commodities 

may apply to the program. Government 

organizations consist of Federal, State, 

and local agencies. Private organizations 

include non-profit trade associations, 

universities, agricultural cooperatives, 

state regional trade groups, and private 

companies. 

Foreign organizations, whether 

government or private, may participate 

as third parties in activities carried out 

by U.S. organizations, but are not 

eligible for funding assistance from the 

program. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: FAS 

considers the applicant’s willingness to 

contribute resources, including cash, 

goods, and services of the U.S. industry 

and foreign third parties, when 

determining which proposals are 

approved for funding. 

3. Proposals 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 the participating organization(s) 

would be unlikely to carry out the 

project without such assistance. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Application through the Unified 

Export Strategy (UES): Organizations are 

strongly encouraged to submit their 

applications to FAS through the UES 

application Internet Web site. Using the 

UES application process reduces 

paperwork and expedites FAS’s 

processing and review cycle. Applicants 

planning to use the UES Internet-based 

system must contact FAS/Program 

Operations Division to obtain site access 

information, including a user ID and 

password. The UES Internet-based 

application may be found at the 

following URL address: https:// 

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

Although FAS highly recommends 

applying via the Internet-based UES 

application, as this format virtually 

eliminates paperwork and expedites the 

FAS processing and review cycle, 

applicants also have the option of 

submitting an electronic version to FAS 

at podadmin@fas.usda.gov. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission: All TASC proposals must 

contain complete information about the 

proposed projects as described in 

§ 1487.5(b) of the TASC program 

regulations. In addition, in accordance 

with the Office of Management and 

Budget’s policy directive (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. 

In addition, in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 25, each entity that applies to the 

TASC program and does not qualify for 

an exemption under 2 CFR 25.110 must: 

(i) Be registered in the CCR prior to 

submitting an application or plan; 

(ii) Maintain an active CCR 

registration with current information at 

all times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application or plan 

under consideration by CCC; and 

(iii) Provide its DUNS number in each 

application or plan it submits to CCC. 

Similarly, in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 170, each entity that applies to the 

TASC program and does not qualify for 

an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b) 

must ensure it has the necessary 

processes and systems in place to 

comply with the applicable reporting 

requirements of 2 CFR part 170 should 

it receive TASC funding. 

Incomplete applications and 

applications that do not otherwise 

conform to this announcement will not 

be accepted for review. 

3. Submission Dates and Times: 

TASC funding is reviewed on a rolling 

basis during the fiscal year as long as 


rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
24166 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 78 / Monday, April 23, 2012 / Notices 

TASC funding is available as set forth 

below: 

• Proposals received by, but not later 

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

21, 2012, will be considered for funding 

with other proposals received by that 

date; 

• Proposals not approved for funding 

during the review period will be 

reconsidered for funding after the 

review period only if the applicant 

specifically requests such 

reconsideration in writing, and only if 

funding remains available; 

• Proposals received after 5 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time, May 21, 2012, 

will be considered in the order received 

for funding only if funding remains 

available. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a 

proposal may be submitted for 

expedited consideration under the 

TASC Quick Response process if, in 

addition to meeting all requirements of 

the TASC program, a proposal clearly 

identifies a time-sensitive activity. In 

these cases, a proposal may be 

submitted at any time for an expedited 

evaluation. Such a proposal must 

include a specific request for expedited 

evaluation. 

FAS will track the time and date of 

receipt of all proposals. 

4. Funding Restrictions: Although 

funded projects may take place in the 

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, and will be 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 21, 2012, 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 21, 

2012, 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 and in this Notice. 

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.usda.gov/ 

mos/tasc/default.asp. 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, Room 

6512, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 

Washington, DC 20250, or by phone: 

(202) 720–4327, or by fax: (202) 720– 

9361, or by email: 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. 

Signed at Washington, DC, on the 13 of 

April 2012. 

Bryce Quick, 

Acting Administrator, Foreign Agricultural 

Service, and Vice President, Commodity 

Credit Corporation. 

[FR Doc. 2012–9633 Filed 4–20–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–10–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Commodity Credit Corporation 

Notice of Funds Availability; Inviting 

Applications for the Quality Samples 

Program 

Announcement Type: New. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.605. 

SUMMARY: The Commodity Credit 

Corporation (CCC) announces it is 

inviting proposals for the 2013 Quality 

Samples Program (QSP). The intended 

effect of this notice is to solicit 

applications from eligible applicants 

and to set out the criteria for the award 

of funds under the program in October 

2012. QSP is administered by personnel 

of the Foreign Agricultural Service 

(FAS). 

DATES: To be considered for funding, 

applications must be received by 5 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Time, May 21, 2012. 

Any applications received after this 

time will be considered only if funds are 

still available. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Entities wishing to apply for funding 

assistance should contact the Program 

Operations Division, Office of Trade 

Programs, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

Room 6512, 1400 Independence Ave. 

SW., Washington, DC 20250, or by 

phone: (202) 720–4327, or by fax: (202) 

720–9361, or by email: 

podadmin@fas.usda.gov. Information is 

also available on the FAS Web site at 

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

QSP.asp. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Authority: QSP is authorized under 

Section 5(f) of the CCC Charter Act, 15 U.S.C. 

714c(f). 

Purpose: QSP is designed to 

encourage the development and 

expansion of export markets for U.S. 

agricultural commodities by assisting 

U.S. entities in providing commodity 

samples to potential foreign importers to 

promote a better understanding and 

appreciation for the high quality of U.S. 

agricultural commodities. 

QSP participants will be responsible 

for procuring (or arranging for the 

procurement of) commodity samples, 


rmajette on DSK2TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES