| U.S. Government advocacy
support is a key component of the President's
National Export Strategy. Within this strategy,
the Advocacy Center plays a unique role among
the array of U.S. Government trade promotion services.
Since its creation in 1993, the Advocacy Center
has helped hundreds of U.S. companies--small,
medium and large enterprises--in various industry
sectors win government contracts across the globe.
Advocacy assistance
is wide and varied but often involves companies
that must communicate a message to foreign governments
or government-owned corporations.
The following is a brief synopsis of the commercial
advocacy process and what you need to know to
put U.S. Government resources and authority behind
your company in foreign project or procurement
competitions.
The Advocacy
Application Process
Advocacy
Center Services
Why We Advocate
Value-added to
U.S. Firms
Outside the Center's
Scope of Work
The Advocacy
Application Process
1) The Advocacy Center grants U.S. Government
(USG) commercial advocacy assistance on a case-by-case
basis in response to requests made by firms
pursuing foreign government procurements and/or
projects.
a. Companies seeking USG support in specific
commercial competitions must submit completed
advocacy
questionnaires to the Advocacy Center
for review.
- The questionnaire must be signed by an
officer of the filing company.
- In cases involving joint-ventures, consortia
and teaming arrangements, the documents
must be cosigned by an officer of the Bidder-of-Record.
- Lastly, the submitted advocacy questionnaire
must be accompanied by a completed and signed
agreement concerning bribery.
b. Together with the U.S. Embassy and relevant
USG agencies, the Advocacy Center will conduct
due diligence on the requesting company, bid/project
and the competition.
c. On a case-by-case basis, following the
due diligence process, the Advocacy Center
and, if necessary, the USG Advocacy Network
will make a national interest determination
to identify whether the project qualifies
for USG support. Typically, companies must
demonstrate how supporting their bid will
positively benefit the U.S. economy, primarily
in the form of exports of goods and services.
(Yet, other factors may also be taken into
consideration. Please see the Advocacy
Guidelines for a list of these factors.)
Advocacy
Center Services
2) Once a company's request has been qualified
for USG advocacy assistance, the Advocacy Center
will work with relevant agencies to devise an
appropriate advocacy strategy.
a. USG advocacy ranges from U.S. Embassy
and Consulate assistance to Sub-Cabinet and
Cabinet messages delivered through a variety
of media (e.g., letters, phone calls, or face-to-face
meetings).
b. Typically, the Advocacy Center, working
in unison with the company, plays a prominent
role in coordinating both the message and
the medium.
c. Recently, the Advocacy Center has developed
a new role in marshaling U.S. export credit
agency financing support, where appropriate,
to relevant and qualified U.S. companies.
The Advocacy Center has relationships with
Ex-Im Bank, the Trade and Development Agency
and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
that can aid U.S. competitiveness overseas.
(For more information, see Coordinated
ECA Support and Early
Project Development.)
Why We Advocate
3) These are the principal reasons why the
USG provides advocacy services to U.S. firms
in foreign government project or procurement
competitions.
a. USG advocacy assistance promotes U.S.
exports, supports U.S. employment and increases
global market share for U.S. businesses.
b. In many cases, USG advocacy counters foreign
government advocacy and political pressure,
thus "Leveling the Playing Field"
for U.S. companies.
c. USG advocacy encourages transparency,
promotes fair treatment of U.S. companies
and addresses bribery and corruption in tender
processes.
Value-added
to US Firms
4) There are a number of services the Advocacy
Center provides which offer a competitive advantage
to US companies competing in foreign competitions.
a. Within the large US Government bureaucracy,
the Advocacy Center centralizes commercial
advocacy services in one office.
b. The Center offers an ability to mobilize
resources in support of US company proposals
and business opportunities.
c. The Center also offers institutionalized
process to support of the US national interest,
creating and retaining US jobs and expanding
the US export base.
Outside the Center's
Scope of Work
5) There are certain company requests that fall
outside the Advocacy Center's scope of work.
a. The Advocacy Center is focused almost
exclusively on foreign business opportunities
which involve foreign government decision-makers
and does not typically become involved in
private sector commercial transactions.
b. The Advocacy Center's focus is on specific
commercial transactions, not policy advocacy.
There are other offices in the International
Trade Administration that handle policy-related
or market
access and trade compliance advocacy assistance.
|
