Market Development Cooperator Program
Funded Projects
Examples of what this program has supported.
Program Objective
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.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Unrestricted by Entity Type
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.
Beneficiaries
- Other
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.
How to Apply
Award Procedure
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.
Decision Timeline
- Approval: From 90 to 120 days
Program details & compliance
Description
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.
Mission Categories
Primary: Small Business
Other categories:
International
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
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.
Restrictions
MDCP project budgets must be designed to result in the export of non-agricultural goods and services.
Required Documentation
In order to determine eligibility, applicants should consult trade.gov/mdcp and request an eligibility determination in writing from the MDCP Director (see "Information Contacts"). The written request should be accompanied by the most current version of all the following documents that apply: articles of incorporation; charter; bylaws; information on types of members and membership fees; Internal Revenue Service acknowledgment of non-profit status; annual report; audited financial statements; and documentation of ties to state trade departments or their regional associations. See trade.gov/mdcp for more information.
Matching Requirements
Applicants match the federal share one-to-one. Half of the first dollar of match must be cash. The second half-dollar of match may be cash or in-kind. The federal share will never be greater than one half.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles