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The Markets Division of the Colorado Department of Agriculture assists business owners who sell Colorado food and agricultural products in local, regional, national and international markets. The Division offers assistance in the areas of promotion, research, exporting, business startups and expansion. Representatives are available to meet with you on an individual basis to help you develop or enhance your marketing program. The Markets Division sponsors and co-sponsors several marketing related workshops and seminars each year. It also publishes numerous directories and resource materials to help you market your products successfully. This division’s services are available to any company that grows or processes a food or agricultural product in Colorado. Non- food products may also qualify if 50 percent of their ingredients, by weight, are Colorado agricultural goods. Visit www.ag.state.co.us for more in-formation. The division is located at 700 Kipling St., Ste. 4000, Lakewood, CO 80215-8000.
The International Trade Office (ITO), part of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), provides two critical functions: assisting Colorado companies export their products and services to international markets, and attracting foreign investment into the state. Specialists offer export counseling in several areas including sales and marketing, foreign contacts, and shipping and documentation. Staff members are also available to speak at seminars concerning Colorado export-related topics. Through participation in international trade shows and missions, Colorado companies are given opportunities to expand their businesses overseas, while foreign companies are encouraged to invest in Colorado. With representatives in Japan, Europe and Mexico, ITO facilitates both Colorado’s inward investment, as well as export promotion. Visit www.advancecolorado.com.
The Denver U.S. Export Assistance Center provides businesses, at one location, the trade promotion and marketing programs of the U.S. Department of the Commerce and the trade financing pro- grams of U.S. Small Business Administration and the Export-Import Bank of the United States. At some USEAC locations, additional information is also available on the international programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Agency for International Development.
Designed to streamline the delivery of export assistance programs to small and medium-sized businesses, USEACs are the federal government’s response to the growing competition that American businesses face in the global marketplace. The USEAC provides consulting and training programs on international marketing and trade financing subjects to clients throughout the region, in addition to being able to introduce businesses to potential buyers overseas through its worldwide network of commercial offices. The Denver USEAC works closely with other federal, state and local government agencies in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico to better meet the needs of their mutual clients. For additional information on the programs offered by the major USEAC partners, visit www.sba.gov/oit; www.export.gov; www.exim.gov or contact the USEAC at: 1625 Broadway, Suite 680, Denver, CO 80202.
The World Trade Center offers classes, seminars and workshops on international trade in partnership with Metropolitan State College of Denver. For more information, visit www.wtcdenver.org, 1625 Broadway, Suite 680, Denver, CO 80202.
The State of Colorado has a long list of programs and responsibilities including highways, hospitals, colleges and universities, parks, prisons, courts, museums, libraries, law enforcement and administrative functions. If you have goods or services to sell, government procurement may be a part of your marketing strategy. Open, competitive bidding is the key to the state purchasing system. When choosing a vendor, the state considers the types of goods and services that can be supplied, the needs of the re-questing agency, how well each vendor’s goods and services meet the needs of the requesting agency, the date of delivery and the total cost. Vendors are responsible for checking the website for purchasing opportunities in their areas of business. The federal government is an even larger purchaser of goods and services.
For certifications and contract opportunities go to https://choosecolorado.com/programs-initiatives/minority-business-office/.
Colorado Business Development Foundation
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All information within this resource book and website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal, tax, business or other professional advice. It is current to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication. You should contact an appropriate professional to discuss any issue particular to you or your business and only rely upon your own research into those issues. Use of and access to this resource book or the associated website does not create any relationship between the publisher, authors, and the reader, or any other individual or entity. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAWS, THE MATERIALS AND INFORMATION IN THIS RESOURCE BOOK AND WEBSITE ARE DISTRIBUTED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.