USDA/FAS is requesting the design and delivery of a training program for marketing U.S. poultry meat for 8 Georgian participants who are expected to be mid- to senior-level private sector actors from the South Caucasus Region’s leading firms involved with poultry importation, marketing and transshipment in and through the country of Georgia. The purpose is to promote imports to Georgia. The training program is envisioned as being 1-2 consecutive weeks in duration, to be completed before June 30, 2026. The host institution shall propose the place(s) of performance within the United States. USDA/FAS will be entirely responsible for the recruitment of the Georgian participants, which will be completed after the close of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The goal of this program is to make America more prosperous by increasing U.S. poultry meat exports to Georgia. Georgia’s poultry meat market has been seeing high rates of growth, with opportunity for increased U.S. exports. Georgia relies on imports for 72% of its poultry meat consumption, with the U.S. supplying $12.6m of poultry products in 2024. U.S. poultry products have a significant presence in Georgia, but face competition from other countries, including Brazil, China and Ukraine. Additionally, Georgia serves as an important transshipment point for U.S. poultry meat among the South Caucasus and Central Asian countries. U.S. exports are often challenged by Georgian food safety requirements and quality standards; to the extent feasible, within the training program the recipient should underscore the U.S. poultry industry’s ability to comply with these standards. USDA/FAS’s objective for this program is to increase importer and processor knowledge of the benefits of the U.S. poultry industry, with the goal of increasing the sale of U.S. poultry meat for export to Georgia and the neighboring region. The training program implemented by the recipient should increase the Georgian participants’ capacity for participation in Georgian trade with U.S. exporters.

The training program should provide an in-depth overview of the U.S. poultry industry, ranging from production to consumption. The program should include education on processing, distribution, and marketing, with emphasis on quality control, supply chain management, compliance with local and Georgian food safety regulations, food safety certification, and the benefits of sourcing U.S. poultry meat. The recipient must facilitate business-to-business meetings between U.S. poultry industry actors and the Georgian participants, and/or participation in a related trade show to foster linkages with U.S. businesses, done in coordination with USDA/FAS, who will manage coordination with USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC). The emphasis of the training is expected to be on chicken meat as well as turkey meat.

The recipient shall educate the Georgian participants in the following areas:

1. The benefits of poultry meat from U.S. suppliers;

2. The United States’ innovative and advanced poultry production, processing and marketing;

3. Connections to U.S. suppliers of poultry meat and other products/ingredients;

4. U.S food safety and other regulations related to the poultry industry and quality control; and

5. U.S. poultry export, distribution and promotion.

Miscellaneous

• Other