Need a source of cash match?

Program income expended on project activity may be counted as cash match if it represents value added by the cooperator for project activity. For example, a cooperator could claim as program income fees paid to it by the prospective exporter for technical seminar participation if these fees are paid in recognition of the value added by the cooperator's project. In this example, the value could be evident in the technical-seminar participation package that the cooperator creates. This might include organizing pre-seminar training, finding optimal hotel accommodations, securing group airfare, meeting with seminar organizers beforehand, and organizing a reception. Such a cooperator package helps determine project success.

Buy-in by participating U.S. firms

When companies seeking to export pay fees for such a package to the cooperator, they are doing more than getting themselves to a technical seminar; they are agreeing that the project itself has value. Because the cooperator's package adds value and furthers project goals, the cooperator could charge fees, use the fees to pay for the project package, and claim the fees paid as cash match. Payment by a prospective exporter to a cooperator may only be claimed as program income and cash match if the payment is for a project participation package created by or facilitated by the cooperator.

Cannot count expenses incurred by participating firms

If it is a prospective exporter participating in your project that makes the arrangements, then the cooperator has not added value that the exporter is paying for and the cooperator cannot claim any program income.