FAS will publish a Notice in the Federal Register that it is accepting applications for participation in the Cooperator program for a specified marketing plan year. Applications shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and requirements specified in the Notice. An application shall contain basic information about the applicant and the proposed program, a strategic plan, and performance measures. FAS may request any additional information which it deems necessary to evaluate a Cooperator program application.

Basic applicant and program information. All Cooperator program applications shall contain:

The name and address of the applicant;

The name of the Chief Executive Officer (or designee);

The name and telephone number of the applicant's primary contact person;

A description of management and administrative capability;

The name(s) of the person(s) responsible for managing the program;

A description of prior export promotion experience;

A description of the organization, its membership, and membership criteria;

A list of affiliated organizations;

The applicant's Federal Tax Identification Number;

The dollar amount of FAS resources requested under the Cooperator program;

The value of the applicant's contribution, stated in dollars or as a percentage of paragraph (a)(10) of this section;

The value of contributions from other sources, stated in dollars or as a percentage of paragraph (a)(10) of this section;

A description of the eligible commodity(s); the associated commodity aggregate code(s), obtained from FAS; and the percentage of U.S. origin content by weight, exclusive of added water; and

A certification statement, and, if requested by the Deputy Administrator, a written explanation supporting the certification, that any funds received will supplement, but not supplant, any private or industry funds or other contributions to program activities. The written explanation, if necessary, shall indicate why the Cooperator is unlikely to carry out the activities without Federal financial assistance. The certification shall also state that information contained in the application is true and accurate and that all records supporting the claim that project funds do not supplant other funds will be made available to authorized officials of the U.S. Government.

Strategic plan and performance measures. All Cooperator program applications shall also contain:

A description of the U.S. and world market situation for the eligible commodity;

Data summarizing historical and projected U.S. production, U.S. exports to the world, world trade, and U.S. market share;

A summary of proposed activity budgets by country or region;

A summary of proposed administrative budgets by country or region;

A list of all countries that define any designated region;

For each country or region for which activities are proposed:

A market assessment, including the constraint(s) impeding U.S. exports, the export growth opportunities, the performance of competing suppliers, expected changes in demand, etc.;

The long-term strategy that will be used to counteract the constraints and achieve additional U.S. exports;

Previous activities, performance, and evaluation results;

Projected export goals and U.S. market share; and

Performance indicators against which future success in addressing the constraint(s) or opportunities may be measured;

A description of all proposed activities, including the requested FAS resources and the specific goals and benchmarks to be used to measure the effectiveness of each activity;

A justification for any new overseas office, including a list of job titles, corresponding position descriptions, salary ranges, and any request for approval of salaries above the Foreign Service National (FSN) salary plan. To request approval of a salary above the FSN salary plan, the Cooperator shall include a detailed description of both the duties and responsibilities of the position, and of the qualifications and background of the individual concerned. The Cooperator shall also justify, based on a verifiable local salary survey or other documented local salary information, why the highest FSN salary level is inappropriate.