Thursday, May 29, 1997

USMEF taking applications from small meat companies

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is taking applications from small American companies interested in receiving funds to promote branded products of U.S. red meat in foreign markets.

For this application, small companies are defined as those having 500 or fewer employees.

This is a matching-cost program where private company costs for approved activities are matched with program funds.

Allocations to private companies are based on the expected effectiveness of the proposed activities and also adherence to regulations of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

The branded program for red meats is part of USDA's Market Access Program, administered by USMEF. The program is part of a larger coordinated USMEF effort that includes generic funding and an expanding pool of private industry funds to promote foreign sales of U.S. red meats.

During this current funding cycle, some $250,000 will be available.

The deadline for submission of proposals is June 1.

Promotions funded under this program will run from about August of this year until June 30, 1998.

Companies that receive funding from USMEF will be charged a 15 percent submittal fee or participation in the program. The 15 percent fee is based upon the total amount of award received through USMEF. The fee is non-refundable and is not prorated if the company does not spend the full level of its award.

Any companies interested in the program can contact Barbara Watson at USMEF's Denver office for guidelines and proposal format: telephone 303-623- MEAT, or FAX 303-623-0297. There's only a couple of days left to apply.