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<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="_MailEndCompose"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">Forwarding on behalf of Sangita Pawar:<o:p></o:p></span></i></a></p>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:pt_sansregular;color:#124C79">Stakeholder Announcement USDA Makes Grant Funding Available to Support New Market Opportunities for U.S. Food and Agricultural Products<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:15.6pt;background:white"><span class="date-display-single"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:pt_sansregular;color:#282828">March 10, 2016</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:pt_sansregular;color:#282828"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:15.6pt;background:white"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:pt_sansregular">The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is making approximately $1 million in grant funding available to support research
projects addressing challenges and opportunities in marketing, transporting, and distributing U.S. agricultural products domestically and internationally.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:15.6pt;background:white"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:pt_sansregular">The Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program (FSMIP), administered by AMS, provides nearly $1 million in matching funds to state departments of agriculture,
state colleges and universities, and other appropriate state agencies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:15.6pt;background:white"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:pt_sansregular">Grant applications must be submitted electronically through
<a href="http://www.grants.gov/">www.Grants.gov</a>. Applicants should start the Grants.gov registration process as soon as possible to ensure that they meet the deadline. Applications for FSMIP are due by 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time) on May 12, 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:15.6pt;background:white"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:pt_sansregular">AMS will host a teleconference for FSMIP applicants on March 24, 2016, at 2 p.m. (Eastern Time). For more information about webinars, visit the AMS grants website:
<a href="http://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants">www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:15.6pt;background:white"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:pt_sansregular">In addition, AMS will host
<a href="http://www.Grants.gov">www.Grants.gov</a> webinars on March 22 (<a href="https://amsfv.webex.com/amsfv/onstage/g.php?MTID=ecfc9487a75b30e7bfbb3f037dfc8b496">registration link</a>) and March 29 (<a href="https://amsfv.webex.com/amsfv/onstage/g.php?MTID=e8e777db92f347f067f97369d93e1b65d">registration
link</a>), both at 2 p.m. (Eastern Time), to explain how to submit grant applications via
<a href="http://www.Grants.gov">www.Grants.gov</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="line-height:15.6pt;background:white"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:pt_sansregular">For more information about this grant programs, including program background, visit the FSMIP website:
<a href="http://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/fsmip">www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/fsmip</a>. The website also contains a link "<a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Combined%20Grants%20Decision%20Trees.pdf">What AMS Grant is Right
for Me</a>?" under which applicants can use a grants decision tree to determine which AMS grant fits their project best.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Trista Etzig, PMP<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Director, Grants Division<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">AMS, Transportation and Marketing Program<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Room 4552-S<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(202) 720-8356<o:p></o:p></p>
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