For purposes of this subpart the following definitions apply:

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Activity means a specific foreign market development effort undertaken by a MAP Participant.

Administrative expenses or costs means expenses or costs of administering, directing, and controlling an organization that is a MAP Participant. Generally, this would include expenses or costs such as those related to:

(1) Maintaining a physical office (including, but not limited to: Rent, office equipment, office supplies, office décor, office furniture, computer hardware and software, maintenance, extermination, parking, and business cards);

(2) Personnel (including, but not limited to: Salaries, benefits, payroll taxes, individual insurance, and training);

(3) Communications (including, but not limited to: Phone expenses, internet, mobile phones, personal digital assistants, email, mobile email devices, postage, courier services, television, radio, and walkie talkies);

(4) Management of an organization or unit of an organization (including, but not limited to: Planning, supervision, supervisory travel, teambuilding, recruiting, and hiring);

(5) Utilities (including, but not limited to: Sewer, water, and energy);

(6) Professional services (including, but not limited to: Accounting expenses, financial services, and investigatory services).

Affiliate means any partnership, association, company, corporation, trust, or any other such party in which the Participant has an investment, other than a mutual fund.

Agreement means a legally binding grant entered into between CCC and a MAP applicant setting forth the terms and conditions to implement approved activities under the MAP program, including any subsequent amendments to such agreement.

Approval letter means a document by which CCC informs an applicant that its MAP application for a program year has been approved for funding. This letter may also approve specific activities and contain terms and conditions in addition to the agreement. This letter requires a countersignature by the MAP Participant before it becomes effective.

Attaché/Counselor means the FAS employee representing USDA interests in the foreign country in which promotional activities are conducted.

Brand participant means a small-sized U.S. for-profit entity or a U.S. agricultural cooperative that owns the brand(s) of the eligible commodity to be promoted or has the exclusive rights to use such brand(s) and that is participating in the MAP brand promotion program of another MAP Participant. This definition does not include any U.S. agricultural cooperatives that are MAP Participants that apply for MAP funds to implement their own brand programs.

Brand promotion means an activity that involves the exclusive or predominant use of a single U.S. company name, or the logo or brand name of a single U.S. company, or the brand of a U.S. agricultural cooperative, or any activity undertaken by a MAP Participant in the brand program.

Constraint means a condition in a particular country or region that needs to be addressed in order to develop, expand, or maintain exports of a specific eligible commodity.

Contribution means the funds, e.g., money, personnel, materials, services, facilities, or supplies, provided by a MAP Participant, State agency or entities in the MAP Participant’s industry (“U.S. industry”) in support of a MAP Participant’s generic promotion program as well as funds provided by the MAP Participant, U.S. industry, or State agency in support of related promotion activities in the markets covered by the MAP Participant’s agreement.

Cost share means the funds, e.g., money, personnel, materials, services, facilities, or supplies, provided by a MAP Participant, entities in the MAP Participant’s industry, or State agency in support of an approved activity.

Credit memo means a commercial document, also known as a credit memorandum, issued by the MAP Participant to a commercial entity that owes the MAP Participant a certain sum. A credit memo is used when the MAP Participant owes the commercial entity a sum less than the amount the entity owes the Participant. The credit memo reflects an offset of the amount the MAP Participant owes the entity against the amount the entity owes to the MAP Participant.

Demonstration projects means activities involving the erection or construction of a structure or facility or the installation of equipment.

Eligible commodity means any agricultural commodity or product thereof, excluding tobacco, that is comprised of at least 50 percent by weight, exclusive of added water, of agricultural commodities grown or raised in the United States.

Expenditure means either payment via the transfer of funds or offset reflected in a credit memo in lieu of a transfer of funds.

FAS website means a website maintained by FAS providing information on the MAP. It is currently accessible at www.fas.usda.gov/programs/market-access-program-map.

Foreign subrecipient means a foreign entity that a MAP Participant works with, in accordance with this subpart, to promote the export of an eligible commodity under the MAP program.

Generic promotion means an activity that is not a brand promotion but, rather, promotes an eligible commodity generally. A generic promotion activity may include the promotion of a foreign brand (i.e., a brand owned primarily by foreign interests and being used to market a commodity or product in a foreign market), if the foreign brand uses the promoted eligible commodity or product from multiple U.S. suppliers. A generic promotion activity may also involve the use of specific U.S. company names, logos, or brand names. However, in that case, the MAP Participant must ensure that all U.S. companies seeking to promote such eligible commodity in the market have an equal opportunity to participate in the activity and that at least two U.S. companies participate. In addition, an activity that promotes separate items from multiple U.S. companies will be considered a generic promotion only if the promotion of the separate items maintains a unified theme (i.e., a dominant idea or motif) and style and is subordinate to the promotion of the generic theme.

MAP is the acronym for the Market Access Program.

MAP Participant or Participant means an entity that has entered into an agreement with CCC.

Market means a country or region targeted by an activity.

Notification means a document from the MAP Participant by which the MAP Participant proposes to CCC changes to the activities and/or funding levels in an approved agreement and/or approval letter.

Product samples means a representative part of a larger whole promoted commodity or group of promoted commodities. Product samples include all forms of a promoted commodity (e.g., fresh or processed), independent of the ultimate utilization of the sample. Product samples might be used in support of international marketing activities including, but not limited to: Displays, food process testing, cooking demonstrations, or trade and consumer tastings.

Program notice means documents that CCC issues for informational purposes. These notices are currently made available electronically through the FAS website. These notices have no legal effect. They are intended to alert MAP Participants of various aspects of CCC’s current administration of the MAP program. For example, CCC issues notices to alert Participants of applicable Federal pay scale rates and lists of economic and trade sanctions against certain foreign countries.

Program year means, unless otherwise agreed to in writing between CCC and a MAP Participant, a 12-month period during which a MAP Participant can undertake activities consistent with this subpart and its agreement and approval letter with CCC. This is also known as a project period, which in multiple year awards will be divided into budget periods.

Promoted commodity means an eligible commodity the sale of which is the intended result of a promotional activity under the MAP.

Sales and trade relations expenditures (STRE) means expenditures made on breakfast, lunch, dinner, receptions, and refreshments at approved activities; miscellaneous courtesies such as checkroom fees, taxi fares, and tips for approved activities; and decorations for a special promotional occasion that is part of an approved activity.

Sales team means a group of individuals engaged in an approved activity intended to result in specific sales.

Small-sized entity means a U.S. commercial entity that meets the small business size standards published at 13 CFR part 121, Small Business Size Regulations.

SRTG is the acronym for State Regional Trade Group. An SRTG is a nonprofit association of state-funded agricultural promotion agencies.

Supergrade means a salary level above the reimbursable salary range generally allowable under the MAP, which CCC may approve on a case by case basis. This salary level is available only for certain non-U.S. employees who direct MAP Participants’ overseas offices.

Temporary contractor means a contractor, typically a consultant or other highly paid professional, that is hired on a short-term basis to assist in the performance of an activity.

Trade team means a group of individuals engaged in an approved activity intended to promote the interests of an entire agricultural sector rather than to result in specific sales by any of its members.

Unified Export Strategy (UES) means a holistic marketing plan that outlines an applicant’s proposed foreign market development activities and requested funding under each of the FAS market development programs.

Unified Export Strategy (UES) system means an online internet system maintained by FAS through which applicants may currently apply to the MAP and other FAS market development programs. The system is currently accessible at https://apps.fas.usda.gov/ues/webapp/. FAS may prescribe a different system through which applicants may apply to MAP and will announce such system in the applicable Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

U.S. agricultural commodity means any agricultural commodity of U.S. origin, including food, feed, fiber, forestry product, livestock, insects, and fish harvested from a U.S. aquaculture farm or harvested by a vessel (as defined in Title 46 of the United States Code) in waters that are not waters (including the territorial sea) of a foreign country, and any product thereof.

U.S. for-profit entity means an organized or incorporated firm, association, or other entity that is located and doing business for profit in the United States and is engaged in the export or sale of an eligible commodity.