MDCP Active Awards

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Music is More Than a Cultural Force

The American recorded music industry is a significant representative of the United States’ culture, economy, and image to the world. It has also maintained a dominant market share of the world recorded music market. While A2IM celebrates the success of the music industry as a whole, it is important to note the differences between the three major record labels (Sony, Warner, and Universal), and the U.S. independents. The three major record labels are all large foreign owned companies whose profits are accumulated and benefiting countries outside of the United States.

A2IM represents U.S.-based, “made in USA” independent record labels, whose profits fuel the U.S. economy. Thousands of independent music labels, producers, and related firms are directly responsible for boosting the U.S. economy. The MDCP project will sustain music exports and protect intellectual property. This leads to increased U.S. jobs through music, as well as the entire ecosystem of jobs that radiate from the creation of music and intellectual property.

The Challenge: Protect and Monetize Intellectual Property (IP)

The potential profit margins from the sale or licensing of music are high, just like with movies,video games and books. Music is art and it is intellectual property. IP is monetized via licensing in the new digital music economy. This makes it both easy to access and hard to protect.

A2IM works in tandem with ITA to educate U.S. firms on trade barrier topics like: localization in Australia, Canada, and Korea; and to piracy in China and Nigeria.

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization that serves as a central voice for a diverse community of over 600 independently owned record labels operating within the United States. A2IM  represents their interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. Headquartered in New York City, A2IM is committed to protecting the value of independent musical contributions and influence on a policy level.

A2IM contact: Lisa Hresko

Award No: IT20INA1120010

A2I2620

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Helping U.S. Programs Compete Globally 

Citizens of other countries abroad who wish to come to the United States for higher education need to certify English language proficiency in order to get acceptance and a visa. IEPs are an effective way to accomplish this. EnglishUSA represents U.S.-based IEP providers. They compete with English instruction providers based abroad. With ITA’s support, EnglishUSA is strengthening the position of U.S. IEPs in the global market. EnglishUSA is using strategic initiatives like enhanced data collection and regional promotion to foster awareness and collaboration to help U.S. IEPs better compete.

The American Association of Intensive English Programs (EnglishUSA) represents the interests of more than 230 accredited post-secondary intensive English language programs (IEPs) and pathway programs located in 40 states and D.C. EnglishUSA was established in 1986 and operates as a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) educational organization/trade association with the mission to represent and support English language programs in the United States. EnglishUSA’s diverse constituency, consisting of university and college-governed programs, independent for profit and non-profit organizations, and multi-site companies, offers English language programming to international students from all over the world

Contact: Cheryl Delk-Le Good

Award No: IT22INA1120005

EUS1520

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The U.S. automotive aftermarket industry, with a mature and sophisticated infrastructure, is a key component of global supply chains. The U.S. industry is primed to capitalize on global market demands, representing a beacon of innovation and excellence worldwide.  

By leveraging the expertise of industry leaders and the resources of the Auto Care Association, U.S. companies are positioned to amplify their presence in emerging markets through trade show participation, market outreach activities, and the promotion of industry-driven standards.  

Target countries such as Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, and Peru present significant growth opportunities, with substantial market shares and tremendous demand for U.S. auto parts.  

As the industry evolves, proactive measures to maintain leadership in cataloging standards and market presence are essential to safeguarding against potential competitive threats from European counterparts.

ACA contact: Angela Chiang

Award No: IT20INA1120004

ACA2520 

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A3 will take advantage of innovation and opportunity in the U.S. Robotics and Automation (R&A) industry, which exported equipment worth more than $13 billion in 2022. U.S. firms lead the world in developing top-notch services and software.

By partnering with trade show organizers in India and Mexico, A3 and U.S. companies can strengthen their presence in these important markets. With the support of ITA and a network of strategic partners, U.S. companies can engage new customers in foreign markets and grow.

A3 will leverage MDCP to amplify the success of U.S. companies through initiatives like trade show participation, market outreach activities, and the promotion of industry-driven standards.

Contact: Ritch Ramey 

Award No: IT23IA1120001 

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AEM contact: Jason Malcore

Award No: IT20INA1120008

AEM3520

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Connecting Offshore Wind Energy Firms to International Buyers

The Business Network for Offshore Wind (OSW) is recognized as the only organization focused exclusively on developing the U.S. offshore wind industry and its supply chain. Since 2013, it has worked to expand public and private sector knowledge of the offshore wind renewable energy industry and help its members build expertise and contacts in order to competitively participate in the global industry U.S. market. Headquartered in Baltimore, the Network began as a public/private partnership with the State of Maryland but has grown into a national organization

The offshore wind industry is composed of many existing industries including but not limited to environmental planning and resource assessment, civil and electrical engineering, maritime construction and trades, maritime transportation, unmanned systems (ROVs and aerial), manufacturing, maritime and supply chain logistics, cabling, meteorology, welding, and shipbuilding.

The Business Network for Offshore Wind will be assisting companies in making connections in target markets through three means: 1) virtual programming 2) trade missions tied to target markets. 3) preferred registration pricing on the Network’s annual International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF) Conference for trade missions from target markets.

BNOW contact: 

Award No: IT21INA1120007

BNO1520

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Online Standards Resource Center

Support an online resource center — Standards Resource Center — designed to encourage the discoverability, licensing, acceptance, and use of technical standards created by US-based standards development organizations worldwide. By making these science-based technical standards more accessible to global users and fostering  acceptance of their international relevance, we will increase the likelihood that products made according to their specifications by US exporters will be purchased globally and that US-developed technical standards will be adopted internationally. 

CCC contact: Roy Kaufman

Award No: IT21INA1120014

CCC1620

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Trade Accelerator Program

The KC Chamber will utilize a strategy of activities and specific curriculum of the Trade Accelerator Program designed and implemented by World Trade Center - Toronto (WTC-Toronto) and World Trade Center - Buffalo Niagara. The format and curriculum will be offered both fully in-person and virtually. The virtual format allows companies unable to travel to Kansas City or those outside the primary territory to participate in the program in a meaningful way. The in-person sessions will be held in the KC Chamber Board Room and all virtual sessions will be via Zoom. A business must commit to send their employee(s) who will be running their international expansion and/or their CEO or equivalent. A business will contractually agree to attend all required sessions and share their financials for 5 years following their program graduation. 

NHDBEA contact  Melissa Miller 

Award No: IT21INA1120010

CCK1620

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Caucus Marketplace

CRUSA Caucus Marketplace: The marketplace will be an annual event providing destinations, attractions, hotels, and other tourism businesses in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC the opportunity to meet face-to-face with overseas tour operators and US-based receptive tour operators in a setting that encourages sales and relationship building. It will be the only trade show dedicated to Capital Region USA organizations looking to increase business from overseas travelers. The inaugural marketplace will be held in the greater Washington, DC area and will rotate between Capital Region USA’s partners, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC annually. The Caucus will include three primary components: Familiarization Tours for the attending tour operators; Educational Session before the marketplace; One-to-one B2B Marketplace.

CRUSA contact: Scott Balyo

Award No: IT21INA1120003

CRU3620

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Women in Global Food Innovation

GlobalSF’s Women in Global Food Innovation will reduce trade barriers for women-owned consumer food and wellness businesses exporting to the Nordic region (Denmark, Sweden, Finland) and Japan by providing ongoing training, consultation, access to global networks, and the opportunity to be a member of a GlobalSF Food Innovation Tour delegations in 2022. The delegations will focus on business matchmaking and events that will lead to quantifiable export success. GlobalSF’s capabilities, network of experts, and resources can systematically reduce trade barriers for women-owned businesses and maximize export success by addressing the issues of insufficient access to finance, limited access to markets, and risk bias in a holistic manner.

GlobalSF contact: Laura Jenkins

Award No: IT21INA1120011

GSF1520

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Removing Barriers to Increase the Flow of Plumbing Product Exports

IAPMO will work with U.S. manufacturers to “Increase the Flow” of plumbing exports to Indonesia and the Philippines by removing onerous export requirements and technical barriers to trade currently in place. IAPMO will focus on conformity assessment processes related to plastic pipes in Indonesia and sanitaryware in the Philippines. By focusing on conformity assessment requirements to include U.S. laboratories and aiding in the enforcement of internationally recognized product standards, this project will increase the competitiveness of U.S. products and create or sustain U.S. jobs. The “Increase the Flow” project is part of a multi-stage, multiyear strategy by IAPMO to align market access requirements for the plumbing industry across Southeast Asia.

IAPMO contact: Christopher Lindsey

Award No: IT21INA1120001

IAP2620

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ICC contact: Judith Zakreski

Award No: IT20INA1120005

ICC1520

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Export Promotion Center for Greater Pearl River Delta

iCET will aggressively promote U.S. decarbonization products and services by establishing a US Climate Tech Export Promotion Center in the Pearl River Delta (Greater Bay Area, or “GBA”), providing market updates and analysis, organizing trade missions, IP trainings, and match-making activities focused on the following fields: green building, clean transportation, renewable energy, industrial energy efficiency, and energy storage. Over the four years, iCET will produce four annual reports for decarbonization market demands in China, lead four trade delegations with 70+ U.S. small- and medium-size enterprises to the GBA and other regions in China, organize 300+ business-to-business matchmaking meetings, and generate over $80 million in new sales. The main activities are described as follows: 1) Establish a US Climate Tech Export Promotion Center in the GBA 2) Produce four market studies focusing on climate tech and decarbonization demands in the GBA and China 3) Organize four U.S. trade promotion missions from the US to China 4) Organize online training sessions on IPR protection and overcoming trade barriers 5) Lead hands-on facilitation of matchmaking to sell US products and services in the Chinese market.

iCET contact: Dr. Feng An

Award No: IT21INA1120006

ICE2520

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On-line Scrap Specification Resources

ISRI will update its specifications, create new interactive, on-line scrap specification resources, and support educational outreach to inform stakeholders about industry standards and best practices. Currently published in the ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular (www.isri.org/specs), the Specifications serve both as broad guidelines and as a starting point in discussions between scrap buyers and sellers domestically and globally and are always subject to negotiation between buyer and seller. ISRI is undertaking a wholesale review of the Specifications in order to create a harmonization of the terminology used across all commodities and to convert the Circular to a dynamic, searchable, interactive, and user-friendly online resource. We expect the new resource to be easily understood both by the industry as well as government entities that are taking an increasing role in affirming the quality of scrap imported into their countries.  

ISRI contact: Joe Pickard

Award No: IT21INA1120012

ISR1620

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The Louisiana Office of Tourism (LOT) is a state agency under the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. It is charged with the responsibly to market and promote Louisiana as a travel and tourism destination in domestic and international marketplaces. It is funded through a dedicated sales tax of three-one-hundredths of a percent of all state sales tax. This dedicated fund provides $26 million annually to the Louisiana Office of Tourism to spend on marketing activities

Contact: Sharon Calcote

Award No: IT22INA1120004

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Medical Alley (MA) is a hub recognized globally for its innovative medical technology companies and professionals service providers. MA will help innovators launch their products and develop their clientele.

With the recent implementation of European medical device regulation (MDR), compliance is mandatory for companies seeking to sell their products across the EU. MA will assist businesses in negotiating these rules, providing knowledge of the complexities of the European market, and guaranteeing smooth compliance.

MA’s comprehensive approach includes information sharing, service provision, and strategic initiatives aimed at introducing European regulators to cutting-edge U.S. exports.  

MA will collaborate with four forward-thinking health-tech service providers who have cutting-edge goods ready for international market expansion. These companies will gain unparalleled support in navigating international regulations, accessing new markets, and maximizing their success globally. 

Contact: Frank Jaskulke 

Award No: IT23INA1120002 

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MARPA contact: Ryan Aggergaard

Award No: IT20INA1120009

MRP2520

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Technical Standards for Advanced Manufacturing Systems

NEMA will work to expand U.S. participation on technical standards related to Advanced Manufacturing Systems. Activities include 1) identifying new technical experts for Advanced Manufacturing-related committees, 2) expanding participation on U.S. technical committees, 3) training these experts on the standards making process, 4) supporting international participation of these experts to develop relationships and first-hand experience with committee work, 4) aligning technical outputs with business goals through periodic interactions with the NEMA Advanced Manufacturing Council, 5) collaborate with ITA, other U.S. agencies, and local trade associations to better understand challenges and opportunities for each of the target markets, and with these groups’ support 6) organize marketing and/or trade missions to increase exports of Advanced Manufacturing Systems to these countries. 

NEMA contact: Madeleine Bugel

Award No: IT21INA1120002

NEM6620

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Digital Capacity Building

Establish the New Hampshire eGlobal Institute web platform, connecting businesses with training resources on the importance of digital strategy. Develop partnerships with third-party service providers to assist businesses building digital capacity (i.e., assist with website localization or search engine optimization) and adding free training components to web platform. Issue financial assistance awards to businesses to cover costs relating to the development, refinement, and implementation of a digital strategy. Issue financial assistance awards to businesses to defray costs of using Commercial Service virtual services in foreign markets.

NHDBEA contact: Adam Boltik

Award No: IT21INA1120005

NHB1520

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Boost Exports for Advanced Air Mobility and Commercial Space

Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) will increase exports to target markets through the OAI Education, Training, Technology Development and Export Initiative for Advanced Air Mobility (UAV) and Commercial Space Cluster:

1. Organize seminars and training - work with stakeholders and partners to create education and training in the areas of technology advancement, standards and certifications, ITAR and export controls, IP protection, as well as all export training and development. Pre-trade-mission counseling and overviews will also be included.
2. Co-organize forums for UAV and Space Cluster - (one per year) with trade forums will involve an exchange of ideas and discussion around the industry and how to best advance technologies and opportunities globally. We will co-host with the International Trade Administration stakeholders such as Jobs Ohio. Ohio Federal Research Network as well as OAI’s partners: Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, Midlands Aerospace Alliance, Aero Montreal, and Aerospace Australia.
3. Lead trade missions to target markets.

OAI contact: Kim Holizna

Award No: IT21INA1120008

OAI2520

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To advance U.S. interests and forestall Chinese efforts to dominate the global agri-food sector, PMMI represents the U.S. private sector in ISO Technical Committee 313 “Packaging Machinery,” and in Technical Committee 199, “Safety of Machinery.”  These efforts protect current, strong U.S. machinery and product safety standards at home, and will help to maintain and expand U.S. manufacturers’ market access abroad, thwarting Chinese efforts to create standards that disadvantage premium-quality U.S. equipment.

PMMI contact: Tom Egan

Award No: IT20INA1120007

PMM3520

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RVIA contact: Edward Han

Award No: IT20INA1120001

RVI3520

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SEMA contact: Linda Spencer

Award No: IT20INA1120002

SEM3520

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TMA BlueTech is a San Diego-based non-profit industry association and cluster organizer for the maritime technology community. Founded in 2007, TMA BlueTech supports the creation of blue technology and blue jobs by promoting sustainable, science-based ocean and water industries. TMA BlueTech brings education, policy and technology resources together to promote innovation and economic development in the Blue Economy.

• Aquaculture & fishing
• Biomedicine
• Boat & shipbuilding
• Cables & connectors
• Defense & security
• Desalination & water treatment
• Large floating platforms
• Marine recreation
• Ocean energy & minerals
• Ocean instrumentation
• Ports & marine transportation
• Robotics & submarines
• Telecommunications
• Weather & climate science

TMA BlueTech contact: Matt Classen

Award No: IT22INA1120002

MAR2520

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Getting SMEs on East Asian e-Commerce Platforms

The Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE), part of the University Enterprises Corporation at California State University San Bernardino, with support from the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), the California State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) and its partners will expand its system to simplify and dramatically reduce costs associated with the on-boarding process on leading cross border e-commerce platforms, assisting with the registration of digital assets to prevent trademark infringement and sales of counterfeit products. The project will include comprehensive training and consultation support, brand development and promotional tactics to increase exposure to millions of consumers through cross border e-commerce platforms in China and ASEAN.

UEC contact: Jeff Williamson

Award No: IT21INA1120004

UEC1520

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Certifying U.S. Supply Chain and Finished Goods

U.S. producers of natural health products often have to compete with counterfeit versions of their products in China. ITA is supporting the creation of a distributed ledger system that will enable U.S. firms and relevant authorities to distinguish counterfeit products from true U.S. products. 

The system will also allow supply chain traceability so U.S. firms can distinguish their products with reliable U.S. suppliers from competing products of dubious origin. UNPA is spearheading the effort supported by ITA financial and technical assistance through an MDCP award. 

UNPA contact: Daniel Mabey

Award No: IT20INA1120001

UNP1520

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The U.S.-China Environmental Education Foundation (UCEEF) was formed as a 501 (c) (3) Corporation in January of 2013. UCEEF seeks to establish better understanding of the need for environmental education by supporting students interested in environmental studies, researching projects that further environmental protection, and engaging in public education on environmental awareness and protection. In particular, UCEEF seeks to foster cooperation between U.S. and China environmental organizations and industries through the understanding of cultures and business.

Contact: Yujia Zheng

Award No: IT22INA1120006

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The Western Arts Alliance (WAA) is a trade association serving the field of performing arts touring and presenting in the Western United States and Canada with 460 members and 1,500 affiliated professionals, including presenting organizations, artists, and managers. Serving members since 1967, WAA’s annual booking conference and its year-round programs are essential for artists, artist managers, presenters, and other performing arts professionals in the West.  

Contact: Tim Wilson

Award No: IT22INA1120001

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WIA is the principal trade association representing more than 200 companies that build, own, upgrade, and maintain US telecommunications networks. Our members include major employers, such as consumer-facing companies like Verizon, AT&T, Dish, and T-Mobile, equipment manufacturers, broadband infrastructure owners such as Crown Castle, SBA Communications, and American Tower, and many small and diverse businesses, such as minority-owned Teknogrid and woman-owned Neptuno, USA Corp. WIA regularly works with employers, employees, training participants, government agencies, and other stakeholder organizations to solve workforce problems within the telecommunications sector.   

Contact: Brent Weil

Award No: IT22INA1120003