The International Trade Administration (ITA) within the Department of Commerce has posted a funding announcement for the 2014 Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP). The funding goes to help underwrite the start-up costs for new foreign market development projects that industry organizations are often reluctant to undertake without federal government support.
Entities such as trade associations, state departments of trade, regional associations, and non-profit industry organizations including organizations such as World Trade Centers, centers for international trade development, and small business development centers are eligible to apply. In cases where small firms or groups of firms do not fit into the above categories, they are still eligible to apply for an MDCP award.
Applicants need to propose foreign market development activities that are tailored to strengthen the competitiveness of a U.S. industry. Applicants need to show that their organization or company would be able to increase exports in fields such as health and medical products, information and communications technology, professional services, and in a number of other areas.
Applicants must also show that their product or service will increase exports to major emerging markets with new customers in countries such as Brazil, India, and China as well as in other high-growth emerging markets that are not as large such as Vietnam, Turkey, Colombia, South Africa, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia along with other markets in the Persian Gulf region.
The MDCP cooperative agreements will have funding of about $1,500,000 available for FY 2014 with no award to exceed $300,000. ITA anticipates concluding six to ten cooperative agreements.
The MDCP Program FY 2014 announcement (ITA-INA-OPCM-2014-2003773) was posted January 10, 2014 on www.grants.gov with applications due February 24, 2014. For more information, go to www.grants.gov/custom/viewOppDetails.jsp?oppId=249907 or contact Michele Pollard at 301-628-1334.