2027 Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program

The Foreign Market Development Cooperator Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Foreign Agricultural Service. This program reflects the agency’s long-standing mission to expand international markets for U.S. agricultural products and strengthen the global competitiveness of American producers. By partnering with nonprofit agricultural trade organizations, the program supports coordinated efforts to build, maintain, and expand export opportunities across a wide range of agricultural commodities. The initiative is designed to foster long-term market development rather than short-term sales, emphasizing sustained engagement in foreign markets. The primary purpose of the program is to share costs with eligible nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, referred to as Cooperators, to support activities that promote U.S. agricultural exports abroad. These activities may include market research, consumer promotion, trade servicing, technical assistance, and other strategic efforts aimed at increasing demand for U.S. commodities. All U.S. agricultural commodities are eligible for support under the program except tobacco. The program prioritizes a broad representation of commodities to ensure diverse sector participation and global reach. Funding is provided on a competitive basis, with USDA/FAS entering into agreements with selected Cooperators. The program requires cost sharing, meaning recipients must contribute a portion of the total project costs. This shared investment model ensures that participating organizations have a vested interest in the success and sustainability of their proposed activities. While specific allowable costs are not detailed in the summary, they generally align with activities that directly support foreign market development and export promotion. Eligibility is restricted to nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations that promote the export of one or more U.S. agricultural commodities. These organizations must not have a direct business interest in specific sales transactions or receive remuneration tied to individual sales. Additionally, all applicants must maintain an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) prior to the application deadline. Organizations with inactive, expired, or pending registrations are considered ineligible, and no exceptions or extensions are granted. The application process requires submission through the designated federal grant systems, with all required registrations completed in advance. While no pre-application phase is specified, applicants must ensure compliance with all submission requirements and deadlines. The application deadline for this funding opportunity is August 14, 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. The program is expected to make approximately 20 awards, with a total estimated funding pool of 69 million dollars. Evaluation of applications is conducted competitively, with USDA/FAS seeking to fund proposals that demonstrate strong potential for expanding export markets and delivering measurable results. Although specific evaluation criteria are not outlined in the summary, they typically include factors such as strategic alignment, organizational capacity, market impact, and cost effectiveness. Selected organizations enter into cooperative agreements with USDA/FAS and implement approved activities over the designated performance period. For questions or technical assistance, applicants may contact the program representative listed in the announcement. The program operates on a recurring basis, typically offered annually, allowing organizations to plan for future participation. The timeline includes the posting date of June 10, 2026, and a firm closing date in mid-August 2026, with awards expected to follow after the review and selection process is completed.