FCS3

sales strategies (including training on use of Customer Relation Management tools and systems). Product testing services spanned a wide spectrum of technical standards, depending on the type of product being tested and the target market involved. Tests included fire safety tests for products used in construction and fall-height tests for playground surfacing products, among many others. Technical assistance often involved working with grantees and various crumb rubber and other suppliers, including compounders to ensure that grantees had secured an adequate source of California-produced crumb rubber feedstocks. For some firms involved in “feedstock conversion” (i.e., shifting to crumb rubber from other feedstock types) or new product development, these services often involved helping the firm to develop the capacity to use more coarse crumb rubber (e.g., 10-20 mesh) produced in California, rather than very fine crumb rubber that in some cases had been supplied from firms outside of California. This work also involved close coordination with compounders and others involved in developing and “proving” new feedstocks for products that had not previously used recycled tire crumb rubber. Generally, most grantees achieved in full, or in large part, the objectives they defined for their TBAP services in their original Service Plans, as demonstrated by the provision of specific products identified in their Service Plans and/or clear progress in production, marketing and/or sales. However, in most cases the business outcomes related to these milestones may take time to develop, as grantees deploy marketing materials and strategies, and ramp up production and sales. (CalRecycle is separately coordinating a survey of grantees, including documentation of California tires used in 2012.) As in previous TBAP cycles, grantees shifted their priorities frequently which triggered multiple changes to established service plans (subject to approval by CalRecycle Staff based on established procedures). This sometimes caused delays, inefficient task work and, in a couple cases, resulted in unallocated grant funds for services. SAIC kept CalRecycle well informed of such circumstances, and all decisions regarding Service Plans and allowing some grant budgets to go unused were approved by CalRecycle Contract Managers. Task 4 Deliverables Provided with Final Contract Report:  Confidential: Grantee deliverables provided to CalRecycle under separate cover.

Contractor’s Report

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