Advocacy Center Services

How Advocacy Can Help

The Advocacy Center helps U.S. companies to win foreign government contracts across the globe. We work with your company to pursue foreign government contracts when you are competing against foreign firms. Advocacy assistance is provided to businesses of all types and sizes, but you must apply and qualify to receive advocacy services.

Advocacy assistance may involve:

Meetings between key foreign decision-makers and high-ranking U.S. Government (USG) officials
Direct support from USG officials stationed abroad
Letters to foreign decision-makers
Coordinated action by USG agencies

Our mission is to marshal USG resources and authority in order to level the playing field on behalf of U.S. business interests as they compete against foreign firms for specific international contracts or other U.S. export opportunities. In doing so, the Advocacy Center helps create and retain U.S. jobs through exports.

Contact the Advocacy Center

We recommend you contact us early:

When considering pursuing a foreign government procurement
When concerned about getting fair treatment in the procurement process
Before applying for advocacy assistance
Advocacy Center Contacts by Region and Country
Contact Multilateral Development Bank Liaison Officers

Benefits to U.S. Firms

Advocacy Center services offer a competitive advantage to U.S. companies by:

Centralizing commercial advocacy services in one office
Mobilizing resources in support of U.S. company proposals and business opportunities
Offering an institutionalized process in support of the U.S. national interest, creating and retaining US jobs, and expanding the U.S. export base

How We Work With You

The Advocacy Center coordinates the actions of 14 USG agencies involved in international trade. Once a company’s application has qualified for Advocacy assistance, we work with relevant agencies to devise an appropriate advocacy strategy.

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).
We work in unison with the U.S. company, and often play a prominent role in coordinating both the message and the medium.
We work with EXIM Bank, the Trade and Development Agency, and the International Development Finance Corporation to marshal USG financial support, where appropriate, to relevant and qualified U.S. companies.
We have Commercial Liaison Officers at the five major Multilateral Development Banks to assist U.S. firms and advocate on their behalf when they compete for Bank tenders.

Why We Advocate

USG advocacy:

Promotes U.S. exports, supports U.S. employment, and increases global market share for U.S. businesses
Counters foreign government advocacy and political pressure, thus “leveling the playing field” for U.S. companies
Encourages transparency, promotes fair treatment of U.S. companies, and addresses bribery and corruption in tender processes

Outside the Center’s Scope of Work

The Advocacy Center’s mission specifically focuses on procurements with foreign government decision-makers, and business-to-business transactions and commercial policy are outside of our purview.