Deadline: 19-May-23
The Commodity Credit Corporation and Foreign Agricultural Service are currently seeking applications for its Emerging Markets Program (EMP).
Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities
- The EMP is established to develop, maintain, or expand markets for exports of United States agricultural commodities and to promote cooperation and exchange of information between agricultural institutions and agribusinesses in the United States and emerging markets.
- The EMP assists U.S. entities in developing, maintaining, or expanding exports of U.S. agricultural commodities and products by funding activities that enhance emerging markets’ food and rural business systems, including reducing trade barriers.
- The EMP is intended primarily to support export market development efforts of the private sector, but EMP resources may also be used to assist public organizations.
- The EMP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
Funding Information
- Total Award Funding: No more than $8,000,000
- Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 10/01/2023.
- Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 09/30/2026.
- Award Ceiling: $500,000
- Award Floor: $1
Eligible Activities
- All EMP projects must fall into at least one of the following four categories:
- Market Assessments: Assistance to teams (consisting primarily of agricultural consultants, agricultural producers, other persons from the private sector, and government officials expert in assessing the food and rural business systems of other countries) to enable those teams to make assessments of the food and rural business systems needs of the target market. This type of EMP project must accomplish all three of the following elements:
- To be eligible, such applications must clearly demonstrate that the team of experts consists primarily of agricultural consultants, agricultural producers, other persons from the private sector, or government officials and that they have expertise in assessing the food and rural business systems of other countries.
- Identify opportunities and projects to enhance the effectiveness of the emerging market’s food and rural business systems.
- Make recommendations on measures necessary to enhance the effectiveness of those systems, including potential reductions in trade barriers; and
- Conduct an assessment of the food and rural business system needs of an emerging market;
- Subsistence Travel to Emerging Markets: Assistance to enable United States food and rural business system experts, including United States agricultural producers and other United States individuals knowledgeable in agricultural and agribusiness matters, to assist in transferring knowledge and expertise to entities from emerging markets.
- Subsistence Travel to the United States: Assistance to enable individuals designated by emerging markets to consult with such United States experts to enhance the food and rural business systems of such emerging markets and to transfer knowledge and expertise to such emerging markets.
- Technical Training: Technical assistance to enable individuals or other entities to carry out recommendations, projects, and opportunities in emerging markets.
- Market Assessments: Assistance to teams (consisting primarily of agricultural consultants, agricultural producers, other persons from the private sector, and government officials expert in assessing the food and rural business systems of other countries) to enable those teams to make assessments of the food and rural business systems needs of the target market. This type of EMP project must accomplish all three of the following elements:
- Applications that do not fall into one or more of the four categories regardless of previous guidance provided regarding the EMP, are not eligible for consideration under the program.
Eligibility Criteria
- To participate in the EMP program, an entity must be a U.S. private or government entity (e.g., universities, trade associations, agricultural cooperatives, state regional trade groups, state departments of agriculture, federal agencies, for–profit entities, and consulting businesses) with a demonstrated role or interest in the export of U.S. agricultural commodities or products may apply to the program.
- Applications from research and consulting organizations will be considered if they provide evidence of participation by and financial support from the U.S. industry.
- Foreign organizations, whether government or private, may participate as third parties in activities carried out by U.S. organizations but are not eligible for direct funding assistance through the program.
- Eligible Commodities: All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration. Agricultural product(s) should be comprised of at least 50 percent U.S. origin content by weight, exclusive of added water, to be eligible for funding. Applications that seek support for multiple U.S. commodities are also eligible.
- Eligible Markets: Only applications that target countries or regional groups made up of countries classified the World Bank’s threshold for high income economies will be considered for funding. Countries classified as high income are not eligible markets under EMP. World Bank income limits and country classifications can change from year to year, with the result that a given country may qualify one year, but not the next.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.