(a) General. CCC will, subject to the availability of funds, approve those applications that it considers to present the best opportunity for creating, maintaining, or expanding export markets for U.S. agricultural commodities. CCC will review all proposals for eligibility and completeness. CCC will evaluate and score each proposal against the factors described in the NOFO. The purpose of this review is to identify meritorious proposals, recommend an appropriate funding level for each proposal, and submit the proposals and funding recommendations to appropriate officials for decision. CCC may, when appropriate to the subject matter of the proposal, request the assistance of other U.S. Government experts in evaluating the merits of a proposal. When considering eligible nonprofit U.S. trade organizations, CCC may weigh which organizations have the broadest producer representation and affiliated industry participation of the commodity being promoted. All reviewers will be required to sign a conflict of interest form, and when conflicts of interests are identified the reviewer will be recused from the objective review process.

(b) Approval review criteria. CCC follows results-oriented management principles and considers the following criteria when assessing the likelihood of success of the applications it receives, determining which applications to recommend for approval, and developing preliminary recommended funding levels:

(1) Strategic planning (25%);

(2) Program implementation (25%); and

(3) Program results and evaluation (50%).