Last Chance to Receive 2012 Branded Products Promotion Funds
Published: Aug 14, 2012
Brand names are of increasing importance to global consumers looking for quality and consistency. Small U.S. meat companies, however, may have an uphill battle promoting their brand names to international buyers. The USDA’s Branded Products Promotion Program – the red meat portion of which is administered through the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) – has had success in helping small companies gain entry and establish the identity of their branded products in international markets.
As the FY12 branded program year winds down, USMEF still has funds remaining for companies that wish to hold international promotions or attend domestic/international trade shows for their products. Companies participating in the USMEF Branded Products Promotion Program use their own money, leveraged with matching funds from the branded products program, to develop export markets for their U.S. red meat exports. Participation in the program is limited to small companies as defined by the Small Business Administration, i.e., eligible companies with 500 or fewer employees, producer cooperatives and associations.
Funds from this program can help companies offset costs for a variety of activities in international markets, including:
Please note:
The branded program is a small part of the larger coordinated USMEF effort that includes generic funding from USDA’s Market Access and Foreign Market Development programs, private industry funds and funding from the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoffs to promote foreign sales of U.S. red meat.
Companies interested in the program should contact Tracey Zarlengo at the USMEF Denver office — (303) 623-6328 — or by e-mail at tzarlengo@usmef.org for guidelines and proposal format. The application and information on the program also are available on the Branded Products page on the USMEF Web site.
As the FY12 branded program year winds down, USMEF still has funds remaining for companies that wish to hold international promotions or attend domestic/international trade shows for their products. Companies participating in the USMEF Branded Products Promotion Program use their own money, leveraged with matching funds from the branded products program, to develop export markets for their U.S. red meat exports. Participation in the program is limited to small companies as defined by the Small Business Administration, i.e., eligible companies with 500 or fewer employees, producer cooperatives and associations.
Funds from this program can help companies offset costs for a variety of activities in international markets, including:
- Attending international trade fairs and exhibits and U.S. domestic trade shows with large international attendance;
- Promotional materials used in connection with a promotion;
- Retail promotions, including fees for chefs, demonstration staff, costumes, signs, and displays;
- Seminars, including interpreters, seminar materials, set-up costs/room rental, slides and production;
- Translation of educational materials such as company brochures and product sheets; and
- Retail and HRI promotions.
Please note:
- Promotions funded under this program must be conducted before Dec. 31, 2012. Applications will be accepted as long as funds are available.
- Companies that receive funding from USMEF will be charged a 5 percent administrative fee for participation in the program. The fee is 5 percent of USMEF’s financial contribution to the activity budget.
- USMEF requires a $100 submittal fee to accompany the company's request for funding. If the company completes the contracting process, these funds will be applied toward the 5 percent administrative fee.
The branded program is a small part of the larger coordinated USMEF effort that includes generic funding from USDA’s Market Access and Foreign Market Development programs, private industry funds and funding from the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoffs to promote foreign sales of U.S. red meat.
Companies interested in the program should contact Tracey Zarlengo at the USMEF Denver office — (303) 623-6328 — or by e-mail at tzarlengo@usmef.org for guidelines and proposal format. The application and information on the program also are available on the Branded Products page on the USMEF Web site.