(a) The Secretary shall negotiate and issue performance grants to qualified regional development corporations, regional planning commissions, or both in the case of a joint proposal, to provide economic development services under this chapter.
(b) A proposal shall be submitted in response to a request for proposals issued by the Secretary.
(c) The Secretary may require that a service provider submit with a proposal, or subsequent to the filing of a proposal, additional supportive data or information that he or she considers necessary to make a decision to award or to assess the effectiveness of a performance grant.