Market Development Cooperator Program

Through the Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP), the International Trade Administration (ITA) aims to develop, maintain and expand foreign markets for nonagricultural goods and services produced in the United States.

Through an annual competition, the International Trade Administration (ITA) selects a limited number of U.S. non-profit organizations to receive Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) awards. A recipient gets up to $300,000, matched one-to-one by its own resources, to pursue a 3-5-year project designed to remove trade barriers and help U.S. firms to export.

Applicants are found to be eligible in one of three categories. 1. Nonprofit industry organizations (includes small business development centers, World Trade Centers, and 501(c)nonprofits such as chambers of commerce, international trade centers, port authorities, economic development organizations, and other business interest groups). 2. Trade associations. 3. State departments of trade and their regional associations. The Statute stipulates that private industry firms or groups of firms may be found eligible in cases where no entity described above represents that industry. However, since the program began operating in 1993, no private firm has been able to demonstrate that an organization in one of the first three categories did not represent its interests.

U.S. firms that sell non-agricultural goods or services. (While private firms benefit from MDCP project activity, as noted above, they are generally not eligible to apply for MDCP funds.) See trade.gov/mdcp for more information.

A notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) describing the program is available at grants.gov or from the contact listed in "Information Contacts" below. The most prominent uses and restrictions are summarized below. 1. Applicants should propose foreign market development activities that result in U.S. firms increasing exports that create or maintain U.S. jobs. 2. The primary beneficiaries of project activity should be small-and medium-sized enterprises. 3. No more than $300,000 in federal funds is available for each project. 4. The federal funds are to last for the life of the three to five-year project. 5. Applicant match is two to one: for each federal dollar received, applicant must match at least one dollar with cash and another dollar with cash or in-kind contribution.

MDCP project budgets must be designed to result in the export of non-agricultural goods and services.

Funds may be expended over a project period of at least three years but not to exceed five years from the start of the project period. Funds are available as soon as the approved project period begins.

Before applying an applicant should get a determination from ITA of its eligibility to be considered to be selected to receive an MDCP award. MDCP awards are cooperative agreements, not grants. ITA will be substantially involved in helping an MDCP award winner to achieve project objectives. Accordingly, applicants are strongly encouraged to coordinate with the contact identified in this sam.gov listing as well as other relevant ITA staff. Directories of ITA staff can be accessed via trade.gov/mdcp.

Each MDCP application is evaluated based on eleven criteria: potential to strengthen competitiveness; export estimate, methodology, significance, and likelihood; partnership potential with ITA; compatibility with ITA priorities; creativity; institutional capacity; budget suitability; and post-project sustainability. Each application can receive 5 to 20 points in each of the eleven categories for a total possible score of 100. Additional details on the selection criteria are published in the NOFO, the annual solicitation for applications. The most recent solicitation is available at trade.gov/mdcp.

A merit review panel of four senior ITA officials evaluates each MDCP application based on the following five criteria: potential to strengthen competitiveness; export estimate, methodology, significance, and reporting likelihood; partnership potential with ITA; compatibility with ITA priorities; creativity; institutional capacity; budget suitability; and post-project sustainability. Each application can receive from 5 to 20 points for each of the eleven categories for a total possible score of 100. Once applications are received, applicants may not revise them. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified within 10 days after award decisions have been announced. Since the program began in 1993, ITA has made, on average, 7 awards per year.