Natural Products Association Wins MDCP Award
Tracy Taylor of the Natural Products Association accepts an MDCP award certificate from William Sutton, ITA's Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services. NPA's award includes $160,669 in financial assistance, plus special collaboration with ITA.

With its MDCP award, NPA is now partnering with ITA to pursue its MDCP project goals to improve access to the China market, safeguard and manage supply chains, stage trade missions and trade shows, and increase online communication. A more detailed description is available at Natural Products Association.

May 15 Update on Possibility of a 2008 Competition: No News
In the May 1, conference call, we noted that May 10 is the earliest date that we would know whether there would be a competition this year. This date has come and gone with no definite word on whether or not there will be a 2008 competition. We've added this new top paragraph so that potential applicants can see quickly on our home page whether or not we have definite word about a 2008 competition.

Pitch Your Project Ideas to ITA Prior to Publication of a Federal Funding Opportunity Notice
As soon as we publish our opportunity notice, we are restricted in what kinds of questions we can answer. Prior to publication, we can suggest industries or markets. We can give you frank assessments of your proposed ideas. After publication we cannot do that. We can continue to answer questions you may have and refer you to resources, but we can no longer act as a sounding board. See FAQs 6 and 7 for more information. So, prior to that time, please contact the relevant Commercial Service (local ITA officer) and Manufacturing and Services staff (industry specialist).

Primary Reference Materials for May 1 Conference Call
On May 1, we had a conference call to discuss the program and the possibility that there would be a competition for 2008. Here are the primary reference materials for that conference call.

Top bar: About MDCP/ Results & Notes. See also Evaluation Criteria.Top bar: Application Preparation/ Application Elements Worth Highlighting.Bottom left box: Related Links/ ITA Organization Charts. Also Market Research.

Eligibility Determinations
Applicants may either submit eligibility documentation with their applications or separately with a request for an eligibility determination. See "determine whether you are eligible" below. Applicants that have requested an eligibilty determination but have not yet received it, do not need to resubmit the documenation with their application.

Email Contact List
To be added to our list, send an email to Brad.Hess@mail.doc.gov Please include your name, title, organization's name, phone, fax, and mail address.

Familiarity With ITA Will Help You Succeed
In order to prepare a good application, it is important to demonstrate knowledge of what International Trade Administration resources are available. To find out more about ITA, click on the links in the "Related Links" box.

Review this website. Determine whether your organization is eligible. Contact us. Then contact your local ITA office and the relevant industry specialist.

Determine Whether You Are Eligible

Review a Mock Application

Frequently Asked Questions

MDCP is designed for applicants such as non-profits, trade associations, etc. that represent an industry. It is not designed for individual companies.