Every year, the U.S. government allocates significant budget to help American agricultural producers sell their products overseas. Most commodity boards and agricultural trade associations know this funding exists. Fewer know how to use it effectively.
The Market Access Program (MAP) is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools for agricultural export promotion. This guide explains how MAP works, who qualifies, and how to maximize the return on MAP-funded activities.
What is the Market Access Program?
The Market Access Program is a USDA initiative that provides cost-share funding for overseas marketing and promotional activities. Administered by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), MAP helps U.S. agricultural trade associations, cooperatives, state-regional trade groups, and small businesses promote American food and agricultural products in international markets.
MAP operates on a cost-share basis—the government provides matching funds for eligible promotional activities, reducing the financial risk of international market development.
The program supports a wide range of export promotion activities:
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Consumer advertising and public relations
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Trade show participation
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Point-of-sale demonstrations
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Trade servicing and technical assistance
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Market research
For commodity boards and trade associations, MAP funding can significantly extend the reach of checkoff-funded export promotion.
Who Qualifies for MAP Funding?
MAP participants fall into several categories:
Nonprofit U.S. Agricultural Trade Organizations
Trade associations, commodity boards, and cooperatives organized to promote U.S. agricultural exports. This includes:
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National commodity boards (beef, pork, dairy, grains, etc.)
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Trade associations representing agricultural sectors
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State and regional trade groups
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Agricultural cooperatives
Small Businesses
Companies with annual sales of less than $250 million (adjusted periodically). Small businesses typically work through State Regional Trade Groups (SRTGs) rather than applying directly.
U.S. Agricultural Cooperatives
Producer-owned cooperatives involved in international marketing.
What Activities Does MAP Fund?
MAP covers a broad range of export promotion activities:
Consumer Promotion
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Advertising campaigns in target markets
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Public relations and media outreach
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Social media and digital marketing
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Point-of-sale demonstrations
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Retail promotions and sampling
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Consumer education campaigns
Trade Promotion
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Trade show participation and booth expenses
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Trade missions and buyer delegations
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Trade servicing (distributor support, buyer education)
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Technical assistance to buyers and end-users
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Menu and product development support for foodservice
Market Research
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Consumer research in target markets
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Market assessments and feasibility studies
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Competitive analysis
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Tracking studies to measure program effectiveness
Public Relations and Communications
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Media relations in target markets
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Influencer and chef partnerships
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Educational content development
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Brand building for U.S. commodities
How MAP Funding Works
Cost-Share Basis
MAP operates as a cost-share program. The government reimburses a portion of eligible expenses—typically up to 50 percent, though the ratio varies by activity and participant size.
Participants must provide matching contributions, which can include:
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Cash contributions
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In-kind contributions (staff time, materials, etc.)
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Third-party contributions
Annual Allocations
FAS allocates MAP funds annually to approved participants based on submitted Unified Export Strategy (UES) proposals. Allocations consider:
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Past program performance
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Market potential
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Strategic alignment with USDA priorities
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Quality of proposed activities
Reimbursement Process
MAP operates on a reimbursement basis. Participants pay for activities upfront, then submit claims for eligible expenses. This requires:
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Documentation of expenses
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Proof of activity completion
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Evidence of cost-share contributions
The Application Process
Unified Export Strategy (UES)
Participants submit annual UES proposals to FAS outlining their planned export promotion activities. The UES includes:
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Situation Analysis: Market conditions, challenges, opportunities
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Goals and Objectives: What the program aims to achieve
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Strategy: How activities will build demand and expand markets
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Tactics: Specific activities planned for each market
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Budget: Projected expenses and cost-share allocation
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Evaluation: How success will be measured
Review and Allocation
FAS reviews UES proposals and allocates funding based on merit and available resources. Strong proposals demonstrate:
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Clear connection between activities and market development
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Measurable objectives
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Reasonable budgets
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Track record of effective program implementation
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Strategic use of consumer research to inform activities
Compliance Requirements
Participants must comply with FAS regulations, including:
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Prior approval for certain activities
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Branding requirements (U.S. origin identification)
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Documentation and record-keeping
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Periodic reporting
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Annual compliance reviews
Maximizing MAP Investments
MAP funding is valuable but finite. Here's how leading organizations maximize return:
Ground Strategy in Research
MAP dollars go further when activities are informed by solid market intelligence. Before committing to campaigns, trade shows, or promotions:
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Understand target consumers in each market
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Identify which claims and messages resonate
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Know the competitive landscape
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Assess channel dynamics (retail vs. foodservice, modern vs. traditional trade)
Research upfront prevents wasted spend on activities that miss the market.
Focus on Priority Markets
Spreading resources too thin across many markets dilutes impact. Leading MAP participants focus investment on priority markets where:
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Demand potential is strong
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Market access is favorable
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The competitive position is defensible
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Infrastructure supports promotional activities
Integrate Promotion and Trade Servicing
Consumer promotion without trade support wastes pull. If advertising drives consumer demand but products aren't available or visible, the investment fails.
Effective MAP programs integrate:
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Consumer promotion (building demand)
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Trade servicing (ensuring product availability)
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Technical assistance (helping buyers succeed)
Measure and Optimize
MAP requires reporting on program effectiveness. Beyond compliance, measurement enables optimization:
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Track awareness and preference metrics in target markets
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Monitor sales and export data
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Assess campaign performance and adjust tactics
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Build institutional knowledge for future planning
Leverage Partnerships
MAP activities can be coordinated with:
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Checkoff-funded programs
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USDA cooperator programs (Foreign Market Development, Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops)
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In-market partners (importers, distributors, retailers)
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State and regional export programs
Coordinated efforts multiply impact.
Common Challenges (And How to Address Them)
Challenge: Outdated Market Intelligence
Many MAP proposals rely on stale research—last year's study applied to next year's activities.
Solution: Invest in current market intelligence. Traditional research takes time, but emerging approaches (AI-powered synthetic research, real-time tracking) can provide current insight within MAP timelines and budgets.
Challenge: Difficulty Measuring ROI
Demonstrating that promotional activities caused export growth is genuinely hard. Many factors influence trade.
Solution: Use a measurement framework that tracks leading indicators (awareness, preference, purchase intent) alongside lagging indicators (export volume, market share). Attribution won't be perfect, but directional evidence supports continued investment.
Challenge: Compliance Burden
MAP paperwork is substantial. Documentation requirements can strain staff capacity.
Solution: Build compliance into program design. Create systems for tracking expenses, documenting activities, and archiving materials. Some organizations work with specialized consultants to manage MAP administration.
Challenge: Reaching Consumers in Unfamiliar Markets
Promoting U.S. commodities in culturally distinct markets requires nuance. What works in domestic campaigns may not translate.
Solution: Localize, don't just translate. Work with in-market partners who understand local consumers. Conduct market-specific research rather than assuming domestic insights apply.
MAP and Consumer Research
Consumer research is an eligible MAP expense—and one of the highest-leverage investments participants can make.
Research helps answer critical questions:
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Which markets deserve focus? Prioritize based on demand potential, not assumption.
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What do consumers want? Understand preferences, occasions, and purchase drivers.
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Which messages work? Test claims and positioning before campaign investment.
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How is the market shifting? Track changes over time to adapt strategy.
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Is the program working? Measure awareness, preference, and behavior change.
Traditional international research is expensive and slow. Recruiting panels in overseas markets takes time. Fieldwork is logistically complex. Results arrive months after markets have moved.
AI-powered approaches offer an alternative. Synthetic research can simulate consumer populations in target markets, providing insight in days rather than months. This enables:
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Faster market assessment before UES submission
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Real-time testing of messaging and creative
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Agile optimization during campaign execution
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Continuous intelligence without continuous fieldwork
For MAP participants operating on annual cycles, speed matters.
Working With Export Promotion Programs
If you're a commodity board, trade association, or cooperative exploring MAP participation:
Start With Strategy
Before applying for MAP, clarify your export strategy. Which markets? Which products? What's the growth thesis? MAP is a funding mechanism, not a strategy.
Align Checkoff and MAP
For commodity boards, MAP and checkoff programs should be coordinated. Use checkoff funds for domestic demand-building; leverage MAP for export market development. Ensure messaging, branding, and research support both.
Invest in Research
Consumer insight should inform MAP planning, not validate it after the fact. Build research into your UES—both upfront strategy work and ongoing measurement.
Build Compliance Capacity
MAP administration is demanding. Ensure you have staff capacity or external support to manage documentation, reporting, and review processes.
Measure Relentlessly
Track program performance beyond compliance requirements. Build the evidence base that justifies continued MAP investment—and informs continuous improvement.
Key Takeaways
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MAP provides cost-share funding for international marketing and promotion activities
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Eligible participants include trade associations, commodity boards, cooperatives, and small businesses
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Activities covered range from consumer advertising to trade shows to market research
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Funding operates on reimbursement basis—participants pay first, then claim eligible expenses
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Strong UES proposals ground activities in research and demonstrate measurable objectives
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Consumer research is an eligible expense—and one of the highest-leverage MAP investments
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Speed matters—AI-powered research approaches can provide insight within MAP timelines
How 6 Seeds Supports MAP Participants
6 Seeds Consulting helps commodity boards and trade associations maximize MAP investments through:
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Market assessment research for UES planning and market prioritization
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Consumer research in target markets using AI-powered digital twin methodology
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Message and claims testing before campaign investment
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Trade mission preparation with current market intelligence
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Program measurement to demonstrate effectiveness and optimize spend
Our research approach delivers international consumer insight in days rather than months—aligned with the timelines MAP participants operate within.
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