USDA Market Access Program (MAP) Grant

Announcement Type: New.

Award Instrument: Grant.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.601.

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Authority: The MAP is authorized under Section 203 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 5623), as amended. MAP regulations appear at 7 CFR part 1485.

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Purpose: The MAP is designed to encourage the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial export markets for United States agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Under the MAP, FAS enters into agreements with eligible Participants to share the cost of certain overseas marketing and promotion activities. Financial assistance under the MAP is made available on a competitive basis, and applications are reviewed against the evaluation criteria contained herein and in the MAP regulations. All U.S. agricultural commodities, except tobacco, are eligible for consideration.

FAS allocates funds in a manner that effectively supports the strategic decision-making initiatives of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993. In deciding whether a proposed project will contribute to the effective creation, expansion, or maintenance of foreign markets, FAS considers whether the applicant provides a clear, long-term agricultural trade strategy and an effective program time line against which results can be measured at specific intervals using quantifiable product or country goals. FAS also considers the extent to which a proposed project targets markets with the greatest growth potential. These factors are part of the FAS resource allocation strategy to fund applicants who can best demonstrate performance and address the objectives of the GPRA.

Funding Available: The Agricultural Trade Act of 1978, as amended, provided up to $200 million annually for MAP through FY 2018. Congress has not yet determined funding levels for FY 2019. This NOFA is being released prior to Congress appropriating funding for the MAP program for FY 2019. USDA makes no commitment to fund any particular application or to make a specific number of awards regardless of whether or at what level program funding for FY 2019 is provided.