INTEREST AND PLANS

Please provide adequate information for USDA staff to fully understand your interest in this program and your plans for the visiting manager. (three to five pages is sufficient)

1. Please describe your agribusiness: the history, size, areas of emphasis, major customers and target markets, resources, and prior involvement overseas.
   
2. Please provide a statement of what your company hopes to achieve through the linkage, and specifically, what joint activity you might develop with the counterpart company (trade, investment, joint venture, etc.).
   
3. Please provide the name and position of the staff person who will coordinate the activities of the visiting manager. This person will be responsible for ensuring that adjustments to the training plan are made as needed and that arrangements are made for housing, cultural events, etc.
   
4. Please describe in general terms what you have in mind for the on-the-job training program. The visiting manager needs to learn comprehensive management skills to operate a successful private business and to operate effectively as a partner in an international environment. We hope you have some good ideas on the types of experiences needed. It would be helpful if the visiting manager could have a wide-ranging look at the various functional areas involved in making a private business run, along with specific experience in appropriate departments. In addition, the visiting manager should develop a business plan for the company, under the guidance of your staff, taking into account the particular constraints of the international business environment.
   
5. Please describe the housing arrangements you will provide. Home-stays, apartments and dorms are all acceptable.
   
6. Please describe cultural activities that you may be able to program to allow the visiting manager to experience different aspects of American life. Examples include the following: local government activities, school concerts, community theater and sports events.

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

The U.S. agribusiness is expected to provide housing while the visiting manager is with their firm and is responsible for the costs. As indicated, housing arrangements may include an apartment, dorm of a nearby university, homestays or a combination of these.

USDA will provide the counterpart manager's air travel, per diem supplement ($30/day), and medical insurance for his/her stay in the U.S. In addition, USDA will fund two trips to the overseas company for the U.S. agribusiness manager and an in-country management seminar for the foreign company if necessary.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Upon completion of each phase of the Worldwide AgLink Program, the participating US company participant is required to submit both an evaluation of the Worldwide AgLink program, and a trip report describing the activities that Worldwide AgLink supported. In addition, the US company representative must submit a final report, 6-months after the completion of Worldwide Aglink, listing any direct impact the Program had on market expansion and overall sales.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

Please send completed applications to:

Brian V. Guse
Worldwide Agribusiness Linkage Program (AgLink)
Research and Scientific Exchanges
ICD/FAS, Rm. 3222
United States Department of Agriculture
Washington, DC 20250-1084
Tel. (202) 690-2870
Fax (202) 690-0892
Email: GuseB@fas.usda.gov 

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Last modified: Tuesday, February 22, 2005