(a) Plan for providing Operational Assistance. The SSBIC must describe how it plans to use its grant funds to provide Operational Assistance to Smaller Enterprises in which it will make Low-Income Investments. Its plan must address the types of Operational Assistance it proposes to provide, and how it plans to provide the Operational Assistance through the use of licensed professionals, when necessary, either from its own staff or from outside entities.

(b) Matching resources for Operational Assistance grant. The SSBIC must include a detailed description of how it plans to obtain binding commitments for contributions in cash or in-kind, and/or to purchase an annuity, to match the funds requested from SBA for the SSBIC's Operational Assistance grant. If it proposes to obtain commitments for cash and in-kind contributions, it also must estimate the ratio of cash to in-kind contributions (in no event may in-kind contributions exceed 50 percent of the total contributions). The SSBIC must discuss its potential sources of matching resources, the estimated timing on raising such match, and the extent of the expressions of interest to commit such match to the SSBIC.

(c) Identification of LI Areas. The SSBIC must identify the specific LI Areas in which it intends to make Low-Income Investments and provide Operational Assistance under the NMVC program.

(d) Projected allocation of investments among identified LI Areas. The SSBIC must describe the amount of Low-Income Investments it intends to make in each of the identified LI Areas.

(e) Track record of management team in obtaining public policy results through investments. The SSBIC must provide information concerning the past track record of the SSBIC in making investments that have had a demonstrable impact on the socially or economically disadvantaged businesses targeted by the SSBIC program (for example, new businesses created, jobs created, or wealth created). Such information might include case studies or examples of the SSBIC's successful Financings.

(f) Market analysis. The SSBIC must provide an analysis of the LI Areas in which it intends to makes its Low-Income Investments and provide its Operational Assistance to Smaller Enterprises, demonstrating that the SSBIC understands the market and the unmet capital needs in such areas and how its activities will meet these unmet capital needs through Low-Income Investments and have a positive economic impact on those areas. The analysis must include a description of the extent of the economic distress in the identified LI Areas. The SSBIC also must analyze the extent of the demand in such areas for Low-Income Investments and any factors or trends that may affect the SSBIC's ability to make effective Low-Income Investments.

(g) Regulatory Capital. The SSBIC must include a detailed description of how it plans to raise its Regulatory Capital. The SSBIC must discuss its potential sources of Regulatory Capital, the estimated timing on raising such funds, and the extent of the expressions of interest to commit such funds to the SSBIC.

(h) Projected impact. The SSBIC must describe the criteria and economic measurements to be used to evaluate whether and to what extent it has met the objectives of the NMVC program. It must include:

(1) An estimate of the social, economic, and community development benefits to be created within identified LI Areas over the next five years or more as a result of its activities;

(2) A description of the criteria to be used to measure the benefits created as a result of its activities; and

(3) A discussion about the amount of such benefits created that it will consider to constitute successfully meeting the objectives of the NMVC program.

[67 FR 68503, Nov. 12, 2002]