May 9, 2018

From the desk of Capt. Jeff Monroe, MM, AMPE

International Association of Maritime and Port Executives

Notice of Funding Opportunity

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) announces that it is inviting applications for the 2019 Market Access Program (MAP). The MAP is administered by personnel of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) on behalf of CCC. The intended effect of this notice is to solicit proposals from eligible applicants for fiscal year 2019 and to set out the criteria for the awarding of funds under the program.

All applications must be received by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, on Friday, June 8, 2018.

Purpose: The MAP is designed to encourage the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial export markets for United States agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Under the MAP, FAS enters into agreements with eligible Participants to share the cost of certain overseas marketing and promotion activities. Financial assistance under the MAP is made available on a competitive basis, and applications are reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein and in the MAP regulations. All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration.

Eligible Organizations: To participate in the MAP, an applicant must be a nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organization, a nonprofit state regional trade group, a U.S. agricultural cooperative, or a state government agency. Small-sized private U.S. commercial entities may participate in a branded program through a MAP Participant.

Eligible Activities: MAP Participants may receive assistance for generic or brand promotion activities. For generic activities, funding priority is given to organizations that have the broadest possible producer representation of the commodity being promoted and that are nationwide in membership and scope. For branded activities, only nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, nonprofit state regional trade groups (SRTGs), U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and state government agencies can participate directly in the brand program.

Cost-Sharing: To participate in the MAP, an applicant must agree to contribute resources towards its proposed promotional activities. The MAP is intended to supplement, not supplant, the efforts of the U.S. private sector. In the case of generic promotion, the contribution must be at least 10 percent of the value of resources provided by FAS for such generic promotion. In the case of branded promotion, the contribution must be at least 50 percent of the total cost of such brand promotion.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/05/09/2018-09871/notice-of-funding-availability-inviting-applications-for-the-market-access-program?utm_campaign=subscription%20mailing%20list&utm_source=federalregister.gov&utm_medium=email

Capt. Jeffrey W. Monroe, MM, MTM, AMPE Director: Education, Standards and Training Programs International Association of Maritime and Port Executives 11 Katahdin Road. Portland, ME 04107-2828 USA Phone: (207) 741-7000, Cell: (207) 615-7989

jeffrey.monroe@iampe.org

https://www.iampe.org