Food Export Association’s Branded Program:  A Cost-Share Funding Program   

How Do You Meet the Export Challenge?  

To become a successful exporter, you must have the resources to adequately promote your products overseas.  Funding available through Food Export Association’s Branded Program can help!  

What is Food Export Association’s Branded Program?  

Food Export Association’s Branded Program is a cost-share funding program that supports the promotion of branded and private label food and agricultural products in foreign markets.  

Participant companies receive 50% cost reimbursement for a wide variety of eligible international marketing and promotional activities. 

What Types of Activities Are Eligible?  

Many international marketing and promotional activities are eligible for 50% cost reimbursement through the program, including:

  • Advertising and public relations

  • Trade and consumer product demonstrations 

  • In-store and food service promotions

  • Eligible expenses at overseas trade shows (exhibiting fees, rental and set-up costs, freight, etc.) 

  • Product literature and point-of-sale materials  

  • Exhibiting fees at approved domestic trade shows (first-time exhibitors only) 

  • Package and label redevelopment (if the change was necessary to meet foreign importing requirements). 

  • Freight costs for samples 

 Note: Eligible promotional expenses incurred by overseas importers and distributors on behalf of U.S. program participants may also qualify for reimbursement under the program.  

Is Your Company Eligible?  

Unfortunately, the program isn’t available to everyone.  To be eligible, your company must: 

1.        Be a small company (according to Small Business Administration guidelines) or be an agricultural producer cooperative.

2.        Have a corporate office, production facility or significant product originating from Food Export Association’s 12-state region.

3.        Have products that contain at least 50% U.S. agricultural product, exclusive of added water and packaging. (Products must not be covered by another industry group.)

4.        Be a registered business entity in the United States.

5.        Have a brand name (or rights to a brand name).

What About the Nuts and Bolts of the Program?  

For a detailed program overview, you can access our one page overview of the program (which runs October 1 - September 30).

You can also access our detailed Branded Program Manual  to further familiarize you with the ins and outs of the program.  

If you have specific questions about the program, please contact Food Export Association’s Michelle Rogowski .  

Yes, I’m Interested in Applying!  

Your first step, if you’re interested in applying, is to officially determine if your company is eligible. To do this, you’ll need to submit a  Branded Program Pre-Qualification Worksheet.

Once we have received your completed “Worksheet” and determined that your company is eligible, we will e-mail you a 'User ID' and 'Password' that you will need to initiate the on-line application located at www.brandedprogram.org.* We will also send you a printed copy of the Branded Program Manual, which will provide more detailed program information and facilitate the application process.  

* New participants should click on the Create Pre-Qualification Application link at the top of the page.  Existing participants should log in with their 'User ID' and 'Password" before clicking on the Create Pre-Qualification Application' link.