FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. Do you charge to help me complete the application and/or petition forms?
A. No. The help we provide you to compile the petition is done at no charge. Once the petition is complete, it will be returned to you to be notarized by a certified notary public.

Q. I'm not sure I want to apply for assistance. Is this information going to be shared with the Internal Revenue Service or other government agencies?
A. None of the information you provide is disclosed to any other federal, state, or local agency. All proprietary and financial information is not disclosed and is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. When a firm is certified, law requires that the firm name be published in the Federal Register. It is the only information that is released to the public.

Q. I received a letter from the US Department of Commerce saying I was approved. What is the next step?
A. You must request assistance from the Southwest TAAC in writing. A form letter will be sent to you by facsimile to start the process. You will be asked to transcribe the letter onto your stationery and return a signed copy to the Southwest TAAC office. (A fax copy will be sufficient to begin, and the original can be mailed.) Upon receipt of the request letter, a Project Manager from the Southwest TAAC staff will contact you to explain the next phase of assistance and schedule an appointment with you.

Q. Do I have to pay the Southwest TAAC? How much? What are you going to do for me?
A. We do charge for our services after the application process. The Southwest TAAC charges $49/hour for services, but you are only billed for 25% of that amount. At the first scheduled appointment, you will be presented with a Cost Share Agreement (CSA) that estimates the number of hours and the total cost to be paid by you. All work performed during these phases will lead to the final consulting projects. The average CSA calls for approximately 120 hours of actual work time at a total cost of $6,000. Out of pocket cost to you will average $1,500 billed in increments starting at $500. Actual time and costs will vary since each CSA is specifically tailored to your firm.

Q. Do I have to give you a check immediately?
A. At your appointment with the Project Manager, he will give you a copy of the CSA to review and sign. Before the work proceeds, you will need to sign the CSA. At that time, you may pay the first installment invoice, and the Project Manager can begin working. If you decide to mail your check, the Project Manager can still begin working; however, payment must be received in the Southwest TAAC office before further work can continue.

Q. What is the Diagnostic Analysis/Adjustment Plan?
A. The diagnostic analysis is a document prepared by the Southwest TAAC staff which reviews all the firm's functional areas and describes the strengths and weaknesses in each. The document will also provide standard business ratio analyses and provide a description of the competition within your industry. Suggestions for improvements in the firm's operations and specific consulting projects detailed in the diagnostic analysis will be the basis for the adjustment plan. The adjustment plan is a synopsis of the diagnostic analysis written for the benefit of the TAA staff in Washington, DC to reach a decision on the acceptability of the firm's request for assistance. It will include a list of specific consulting projects to be undertaken by the firm, an estimate of the cost of the project(s), and the amount to be cost-shared by the firm and the Southwest TAAC.

Q. How much money can I get from the Southwest TAAC?
A. There is no exchange of money from the Southwest TAAC to your company. A firm can receive a maximum of $150,000 for approved projects at a 50% cost share for the firm and the Southwest TAAC. The funds will be used to subsidize approved projects.

Q. What's going to prevent my competitors from finding out my trade secrets or financial information?
A. As mentioned earlier, the Southwest TAAC and the TAA staff in Washington are prevented from releasing information about your firm without your permission. Outsiders cannot access information because all proprietary and financial information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.

Q. Who decides what projects need to be done?
A. The preparation of the DA/AP is done in close coordination with a firm representative. He/she will have a great deal of input in the document and review it prior to submission to the Washington TAA staff. No work will be performed without the concurrence of the firm principal.

Q. How long does it take to do all this before I can get started on consulting projects?
A. The average time is three to six (3 - 6) months. The certification process is required to be completed in sixty days after the petition is notarized and submitted. The preparation of the diagnostic analysis/adjustment plan can take two to three months to prepare and be reviewed by the firm depending on the complexity of the firm. It will take at least two weeks for the adjustment plan to be reviewed and acted upon by the Washington TAA staff.

Q. When will you send me the money? Can we do the consulting projects ourselves?
A. There will be no direct exchange of money or funds from the Southwest TAAC to the firm. All consulting work must be performed by outside, professional consultants.

Q. How do I find the consultants? Who picks the consultants? What happens if I don't like the consultant?
A. The Southwest TAAC will prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP) that will be sent to consultants interested in bidding for the job. The list of consultants will come from you if have any recommendations and from the Southwest TAAC. Each consultant will be asked to submit a proposal with a fixed price. A firm representative, the Project Manager, and the Southwest TAAC Director will evaluate each proposal using the same evaluation worksheet and make a joint decision about the consultant selection. A three-party contract is signed by the firm, the consultant, and the Southwest TAAC. It contains a clause that allows any one of the parties to terminate the contract with written notice.

Q. How does the consultant get paid? Do we pay first and get reimbursed?
A. As part of the signed contract, the consultant agrees to bill the firm and the Southwest TAAC for its share of the cost. Before the Southwest TAAC pays its share, the consultant must verify that he/she has received payment from the firm. The firm may pay its entire share first and the Southwest TAAC will pay all remaining invoices. Also, each invoice may be paid by the firm and the Southwest TAAC at the appropriate cost shares.

Q. Can I buy equipment?
A. No. The funds cannot be used for any capital expenditure.

Q. Can I buy software for my new MIS or to improve my efficiency?
A. No. The funds cannot be used to purchase "off the shelf" software programs; however, you can use the funds to customize any such software to adapt it to your firm's needs.

Q. Can I use the funds to attend trade shows?
A. No; however, the funds can be used to develop a new trade show display.

Q. Can I build molds and tooling with these funds?
A. The funds can be used in the design stage to develop new molds and tooling but not for the actual end products.

Q. Can I use the funds for employee training?
A. Yes, the funds can be used for customized training of staff on site or off site; however, the funds cannot be used to attend "standardized" training classes offered by various training groups at local hotels or other locations.

Q. I want to use TAA funds for ISO 9000 certification. How much will you pay?
A. The Southwest TAAC will pay its share of implementation costs for the training, document preparation, and the pre-assessment audit. We will also pay for the initial registration audit. Payment for subsequent audits will be responsibility of the firm.

Q. Can I use the funds for more than one thing?
A. Generally, the adjustment plan will specify several projects to be implemented by the firm. It is not necessary, however, to request more than one project. There are three things that cannot be funded by the Southwest TAAC: 1) loans or loan guarantees, 2) capital equipment purchases, and 3) modifications to existing equipment.

Q. Do I have to do all my projects at the same time?
A. No, the projects can be performed sequentially in accordance with your priorities and your cash flow. Generally, we would like to have all projects completed within the two year period starting from the date of certification.

Q. Suppose I begin implementation of my approved projects, and we find out that I need to go in a different direction. Can I change the projects?
A. Depending on the magnitude of the changes required, it is possible to change projects. In some instances, it may require a revision of the original adjustment plan for resubmission. It may only be necessary to write an explanation of the new circumstances and request a change in the project mix. In any case, it will be necessary to receive approval from the Washington office before any deviation from the originally approved plan can take place.

Q. I am near completion of all my approved projects, and there are other projects that I'd like to do. Can I get more assistance?
A. The maximum level of assistance that a firm can receive is $150,000 at a cost share of 50% each to the firm and the Southwest TAAC. If your approved plan was less than this amount, it is possible to request additional assistance by submitting a revised plan; however, fiscal constraints in the overall funding of the TAA program by Congress have restricted the ability of the Washington office to approve requests for additional funding from a firm.

Q. The contract used for consulting projects states that the government will own the rights to any product I develop with TAA funds. Is this right?
A. Funds cannot be used for the development of prototypes; however, they can be used for the design of a new product. If funds are used for this purpose, the government will not own the rights to your product, but any information developed with the use of TAA funds is available to the EDA and its agents. Proprietary or financial information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.

Q. The contract says you have the right to publish the consultant's final report. I don't want my competitors to have this information. Can I prevent that from occurring?
A. All proprietary or financial information is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act and cannot be released without your permission.

Q. I have completed all my projects. Will I have to report every detail about my business to the government? For how long?
A. Once you have completed all approved projects, the CSA you sign requires to provide follow up information to the Southwest TAAC for three years after the completion of the last project. A form will be provided to you to complete and sign. Only three items will need to be reported: 1) the current revenues, 2) the current employment level, and 3) the total profits for the current year.