Colorado receives federal grant for cleantech exports

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced on Nov. 12, 2009 that the Colorado International Trade Office (ITO), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (COEDIT), is one of five recipients of the Market Development Cooperators Program (MDCP) for 2009. The ITO will receive $363,135 in matching funds over the next three years to support Colorado company exports of clean and environment-related products and services to China and Mexico.

"Colorado's Office of International Trade has developed a comprehensive export promotion program that will lead to job creation and retention in one of our leading industry sectors, cleantech," said Gov. Bill Ritter. "The fact that they have been selected for an MDCP award from the Department of Commerce reinforces the value of the program and provides additional financial support to make it successful."

The ITO applied for the grant in an effort to support a targeted export development program called CO-EXist, or Colorado Export of Innovative and Sustainable Technologies. CO-EXist was designed to provide financial and business support to Colorado-based small and medium sized companies that manufacture products and/or provide services promoting sustainability, such as water and wastewater infrastructure, air pollution control, energy efficiency, clean and renewable energy infrastructure and generation, waste and hazardous waste management, recycling, monitoring and compliance, green building practices, transportation technologies, and materials and packaging.

Program elements include:

• Marketing cleantech companies at industry trade shows in China and Mexico;
• Hosting missions of in-bound buyers from China and Mexico in Colorado;
• Initiating meetings that partners Colorado companies with Chinese and Mexican buyers during outbound and inbound missions;
• Matching travel funds for Colorado exporter and foreign buyer missions;
• Customizing export counseling and market research for Colorado companies;
• Providing technical assistance to exporters, including: legal consultation, business document translations, manufacturing assessments, and other professional services.
  
  

The CO-EXist program is expected to help generate over $38 million in cleantech products and services exports over the next three years, supporting hundreds of jobs in Colorado.

The MDCP is administered by the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA). Colorado's CO-EXist program aligns well with other existing state-wide initiatives, as well as ITA's priorities to advance market-based approaches to the energy industry, to the clean development and commercialization of alternative energy technologies, to increasing the competitiveness of U.S. industries, in particular in large markets such as China, and to capitalizing on trade opportunities resulting from trade agreements such as NAFTA.

"The Commerce Department looks forward to a fruitful partnership with the State of Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade (COEDIT)," says Ms. Mary Saunders, Acting Assistance Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and Services. "With its focus on renewable energy and environmental technologies, COEDIT's project will help U.S. industry maintain its competitiveness in key markets, especially in China and Mexico."

While the ITO is the lead organization for the CO-EXist program, the following partners will also play an integral role: The Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA); the U.S. Export Assistance Center, Denver; the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service Offices in Mexico and China; Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy (CORE); the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT); the Colorado CleanTech Industry Association (CCIA); and the City of Denver Office of Economic Development. Other support organizations include the World Trade Center, Denver and the Colorado Springs Office of International Affairs.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade offers a host of programs and services tailored to support business development at every level. They include business retention and relocation services, a bioscience and emerging industries program, business finance programs like the Venture Capital Authority and CAPCO, the Colorado Tourism Office, the Colorado Council on the Arts, the Colorado International Trade Office, the Colorado Small Business Development Centers, minority and women-owned business services and economic research. For more information or to register for OEDIT's free eNewsletter, visit www.AdvanceColorado.com