By Amy Austin, Branded Program Coordinator, Food Export-Northeast

Branded Program applications go through a thorough, multi-level review process at Food Export.  A participant can check the status of their application at any time in their Food Export portal.  To help you understand what the different statuses mean as your application is reviewed, we have prepared this short guide:

• Pre-qualification:  Your pre-qualification submission is being reviewed by Food Export staff to determine your company’s eligibility to apply.  If we have requested additional information from you, please provide it promptly. 
• Pre-qualification approved:  Your company submitted a pre-qualification form to determine your company’s eligibility to apply, and it has been determined that your company is eligible.  At this stage, you need to complete your Branded Program application.
• Denied:  Food Export has determined that your pre-qualification contains elements which disqualify your company and/or products from the Branded Program.  Your company is not eligible to apply.
• In process:  An application is started but has not been finalized and submitted to Branded staff for review.  At this stage, a participant can still make edits to their application.  Applications which are “in process” are not processed by Food Export staff, it must be submitted to be reviewed.
• Submitted: The application has been submitted to Branded Program staff for review.  No further edits can be made at this stage.  The application fee must be paid before an application can be submitted.
• Internal Review Approved: The application has passed the first step in the Food Export review process.
• More information required:  There are questions about your application that must be addressed before it can be processed further.  Branded Program staff will contact you in this situation and if a timely response is not received, your application may be dropped.
• Application Dropped:  The application is not being processed any further.  There are a few situations when an application may be dropped:
  • If it remains in “in process” status for a long period of time
  • If more information is needed to continue the review and not provided after a reasonable time period
  • If the applicant changes their mind about participating and requests to be dropped
• State Rating Approved:  At this stage, applications are reviewed by a representative from your state’s Department of Agriculture.
• Application Approved:  The application has been approved, and the necessary contract documents will be sent by email to the application contact.  A company has 30 days to return the signed documents and administrative fee to secure their allocation, otherwise the application will be dropped.  The required documents include:
  • Branded Program Agreement
  • IRS Form W-9
  • Brand Ownership Form (if applicable, when promoting brands you do not own)
  • Invoice for the Administrative Fee
  • Conflict of Interest Form
  • ACH Form (so that you may receive reimbursements by ACH)
• Contract Pending: The contract documents have been sent to you and Food Export is waiting for you to return the signed and completed documents and administrative fee.  Internally, the agreement also needs to be signed by Food Export’s Executive Director and the contract is pending until both parties have signed. 
• Contracted: Your company is officially a participant in the Branded Program!  As you complete your marketing activities and trade shows, remember that you need to submit your claims to Food Export within 60 days of the activity’s completion.  Claims submitted beyond that point may be denied.
• Waitlist:  Food Export is presently out of program year funding, so your application is on hold.  Should additional funds become available you will be notified, and we will move your application through the review stages. 
• Amendment in Process:  You have started to make a change to your marketing plan(s) but have not fully submitted it.  (Sometimes this happens by mistake, if that is the case, please contact Branded Program staff.)
• Amendment Pending:  Your contract change request has been submitted for review.  If approved, you will receive an email with the new Branded Program agreement to sign and return along with an invoice for the additional administrative fee (only when additional funds are approved).  Only after Food Export receives your signed Branded Program agreement (and fee as applicable), and it is also signed by our Executive Director, will the contract change be finalized.
• Contract Amended: Your contract change request has been finalized by Food Export and your marketing plan(s) have been amended accordingly. 

Never hesitate to contact Branded Program staff about your application or contract change- we are here to assist!