Market Development Cooperator Program

Competition Basics for 2020

Through Market Development Cooperator Program – “MDCP” – awards, ITA provides technical and financial assistance to trade associations and other non-profits for projects that increase the global competitiveness of a U.S. industry.

Contact ITA now: Proposals for funding due April 27
ITA encourages interested associations to learn more on how to receive MDCP assistance.

See Trade.gov/mdcp for a schedule of informational conference calls.

Contact your domestic Commercial Service office.

Email MDCP Director: Brad.Hess@trade.gov and Jessica.Dulkadir@trade.gov.

Focus on removal of trade barriers
To be selected for funding, an applicant should propose a project in line with ITA priorities to address and remove trade barriers.

What an MDCP financial award entails
Each applicant submits a budget within these parameters:

Limit of $300,000 in federal MDCP award, not to exceed 33% of the budget total.

Budget is for the entire project term.

Matching cash and in-kind contribution valued at $2 for every $1 federal.

Project term of 3-5 years.

See "Apply for Project Funding" in the left panel for more information.

Public-private partnership
MDCP awards include financial assistance but are not grants. They are cooperative agreements characterized as follows:

Private sector award recipient (cooperator) leads with innovative ideas.

ITA supports with a team of federal trade professionals.

Project work is co-branded with ITA, including its Commercial Service.

Fantastic return on investment
MDCP projects generate $357 in exports for every $1 of MDCP awards made.

Examples
Below are highlights of two of the currently-funded MDCP projects whose focus is well-aligned with the ITA priorities to be used during the 2020 competition.

Thwarting unfair China takeover of international standards: While a China-led committee of the International Organization for Standards (ISO) drafts standards for animal feed processing machinery, ASABE, a professional society of engineers, and the American Feed Industry Association facilitate full U.S. participation to ensure that ISO adopts science-based standards that do not unfairly favor producers from China or any other country.

Removing restrictions on U.S. products on China’s roads: Private vehicle owners are prohibited from towing most of the travel trailers that U.S. RV firms manufacture. In Nanjing, ITA supported the RV Industry Association's hands-on technical demonstration of equipment approved for use in the United States.

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