# Extension of the Award Period for Certain Minority Business Enterprise Centers
**AGENCY:**
Minority Business Development Agency, Commerce.
**ACTION:**
Notice.
**SUMMARY:**
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) publishes this notice of a funded extension of up to nine months, on a non-competitive basis, of the award periods for those Minority Business Enterprise Centers (MBECs) identified in this notice. This action is necessary to allow for continued program delivery by the incumbent MBEC operators while MBDA completes the development of a new minority business development grant program, solicits competitive applications and processes new awards.
**DATES:**
The extension and related funding, if approved, will commence at the end of the current award period and will continue for a period not to exceed nine months.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Mr. Efrain Gonzalez, Chief, Office of Business Development, Minority Business Development Agency, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room 5075, Washington, DC 20230. Mr. Gonzalez may be reached by telephone at (202) 482-1940 and by e-mail at *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
Pursuant to Executive Order 11625, the MBEC Program provides standardized business assistance and development services directly to eligible minority-owned businesses. The MBEC Program is a key component of MBDA's overall business development assistance program; it promotes the growth and competitiveness of minority business enterprises, and further incorporates an entrepreneurial approach to the delivery of client services. This strategy expands the reach and service delivery of the MBEC Program by requiring project operators to develop and build upon strategic alliances with public and private sector partners as a means of serving eligible businesses within each MBEC's applicable geographical service area.
MBDA amends its prior competitive solicitations under the MBEC Program, as referenced in the below table, to provide funding extensions of up to nine months, on a non-competitive basis, to the award period for the following MBEC projects:
| Name of Project | Name of Operator | Geographical Service Area | Original
Notice |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alabama MBEC | Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, Inc | State of Alabama | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 71 FR 45773 and by 74 FR 58246. |
| Georgia MBEC | Georgia Tech Research Corporation | State of Georgia | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Miami MBEC | M. Gill & Associates, Inc | Miami/Ft. Lauderdale/Pompano Beach MSA | 72 FR 67277, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Mississippi MBEC | Arkansas Regional Minority Business Council | State of Mississippi | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 71 FR 45773 and 74 FR 58246. |
| North Carolina MBEC | North Carolina Institute of Minority Economic Development | State of North Carolina | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| South Carolina MBEC | DESA, Inc. | State of South Carolina | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Chicago MBEC | Chicago Community Ventures | State of Illinois | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Detroit MBEC | Michigan Minority Business Development Council | State of Michigan | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 71 FR 58788 and by 74 FR 58246. |
| Indianapolis MBEC | State of Indiana | State of Indiana | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| St. Louis MBEC | St. Louis Minority Business Development Council | State of Missouri | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Dallas MBEC | Grijalva & Allen, P.C | Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington MSA | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| El Paso MBEC | El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | El Paso MSA | 72 FR 71621, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| New Mexico MBEC | NEDA Business Consultants, Inc | State of New Mexico | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| San Antonio MBEC | University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio MSA | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Pennsylvania | The Enterprise Center | State of Pennsylvania | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Puerto Rico MBEC | Asociacion Productos de Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Islandwide | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Queens MBEC | Jamaica Business Resource Center | New York Counties of: Queens, Nassau & Suffolk | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Washington DC Metro MBEC | National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Inc | Washington, DC/Arlington/Alexandria MSA | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Williamsburg MBEC | ODA Community Development Corporation | New York Counties of: Kings & Richmond | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Arizona MBEC | Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation | State of Arizona | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Honolulu MBEC | University of Hawaii | Honolulu MSA | 72 FR 67277, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Inland Empire MBEC | CHARO Community Development Corporation | California Counties of: Orange, Riverside, Inland Empire, San Diego & San Bernardino | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Los Angeles MBEC | University of Southern California | California Counties of: Los Angeles & Ventura | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Nevada MBEC | New Ventures Capital Development Company | State of Nevada | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Northern California MBEC | Asian, Inc | California Counties of: Santa Clara, Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, San Benito, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Mendocino, San Joaquin, Sacramento, & Marin | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
| Washington MBEC | Seattle Business Assistance Center | State of Washington | 71 FR 42351, as amended by 74 FR 58246. |
Award extensions and their additional funding described herein will be made at the sole discretion of MBDA and the Department of Commerce using the following evaluation criteria: (1) The MBEC's overall program performance rating during the 2009 program year; (2) the availability of appropriated funds; and (3) MBDA's and the Department of Commerce's priorities. MBDA will review each of the MBEC's overall performance ratings as evaluated through the standardized performance reports and assessments required under the MBEC Program to determine which projects will be offered an extension. MBDA will prioritize those MBEC awards meeting the above criteria that also have current award periods scheduled to end on or before January 31, 2010. In addition, although MBDA is allowing the award period for all of the above-referenced MBEC projects to be extended, it is possible that not all projects will be offered an extension and that some or all awards will be extended for less than a nine-month period.
A total of approximately $1.1 million in FY 2010 funds is available under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010, Public Law 111-117, to fund award extensions for the MBEC projects referenced in this notice. MBDA also anticipates that additional appropriated funds will be available in FY 2011 to fund award extensions for those MBEC projects not receiving extensions during FY 2010. In no event will MBDA or the Department of Commerce be responsible for any costs incurred outside of the current award period by the incumbent operators of the MBEC projects affected by this notice if the MBEC Program fails to receive funding, or if an award extension is not made because of other MBDA or Department of Commerce priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige MBDA or the Department of Commerce to award any extensions or to obligate any available funds.
**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 February 11, 2008 (73 FR 7696) are applicable to this notice.
**Paperwork Reduction Act**
This document contains collection of information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The use of the MBDA Performance Online Database and Standard Forms 424, 424A and 424B has been approved by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the control numbers 0640-0002, 4040-0004, 4040-0006 and 4040-0007, respectively. 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 PRA 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.
**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 comment are not required by the Administrative Procedure Act for rules concerning public property, loans, 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 is not required and has not been prepared.
**Authority:**
15 U.S.C. 1512 and Executive Order 11625.
Dated: August 3, 2010.
David A. Hinson,
National Director, Minority Business Development Agency.