KC Chamber and World Trade Center Kansas City Receive Grant to Boost U.S. Exports and Support High Quality Jobs

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s World Trade Center Kansas City will be able to help even more KC businesses strengthen their global trade presence and create high quality jobs. United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo has awarded the Chamber a 2021 Market Development Cooperator Program grant to boost international exports.

The three-year grant is just under $100,000 and will support the WTCKC’s Trade Accelerator Program (TAP). This export assistance program includes training sessions designed to accelerate export planning into international markets like Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Singapore. TAP will also curate business connections to top industry experts for personalized coaching.

“At a time when global supply chain issues are negatively affecting us all, this grant is a resource for WTCKC to help our region’s design and construction and bio/agtech businesses grow in international markets, and remove, reduce, or prevent barriers to trade,” said Melissa Miller, Director, World Trade Center Kansas City.

“The KC Chamber’s proposal to develop the Trade Accelerator Program is the kind of resource American companies need to be competitive and I’m proud to partner with the Chamber and support this important work,” said Secretary Raimondo. 

As part of a network of 330 World Trade Centers, WTCKC offers a variety of programs and resources to stimulate international trade. The KC Chamber is one of only three chambers in the U.S. to operate a licensed World Trade Center.

The MDCP competition awards non-profit industry groups with up to $300,000 in federal funding for innovative and sustainable projects that help U.S. businesses generate or expand exports and create or sustain jobs. The KC Chamber and WTCKC, and the additional 12 awardees, will collaborate with the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration staff around the world to overcome trade barriers and promote U.S. exports.

On average, MDCP projects generate $334 in American exports for every $1 awarded. In an average year, MDCP projects create or sustain more than 14,000 American jobs.