US companies that have been in business at least two years and have experienced at least a 5% decline in both sales and employment. A significant portion of these declines must be the result of increased imports of directly competitive products. There are several alternative eligibility criteria and our staff are adept at helping impacted companies qualify. Please see qualification requirements.
Call or email us. In most cases, it takes less than five minutes on the phone to figure out if you’re likely to qualify. The Great Lakes TAAC has decades of experience helping companies access the TAAF program. Although the basic eligibility criteria are fairly straightforward, several variations and alternatives exist – we will guide you through all the options and help determine if your company qualifies.
Initially, there is no cost to apply for the program, and the help we provide to prepare the application (called a Petition) is done at no charge. After application to the program, the Adjustment Plan process has a cost. The cost is shared between the company and the Economic Development Administration. Companies pay 25% of the cost of developing their Adjustment Plan (typically $1,000 – $2,000). There are no further fees for the program. When using co-funding, the firm is required to spend its 50% share on the projects
Firms can qualify for up to $75,000 for project assistance.
You do. We will offer suggestions and advice based on our experience and expertise, but the final decisions are yours.
It varies based on the EDA’s workload, but the average time is five to six months. This includes the amount of time needed for EDA to review and certify the Petition, the time needed to develop and draft your Adjustment Plan, and the time required by EDA to approve the AP.
No. The Adjustment Plan serves as the justification for all of the projects a firm wishes to do through the program. Each project must improve the competitiveness of the company; and together they must address all of the most pressing issues facing the firm. The Plan is thus an integral component of the program. Importantly, most companies say the planning process in-and-of-itself is worth the time and money required.
One of TAAF’s strengths is the wide variety of projects it can support. (Some examples include lean manufacturing, sales training, market diversification, and ERP selection.) The core requirements are that (1) work must be performed by outside, third party service providers, (2) projects must be of limited duration, have clear deliverables, and a well-defined project plan, and (3) projects must be focused on the company itself (not an affiliate or supplier). TAAF co-funding cannot be used for regular ongoing business expenses such as tax preparation, advertising costs, or organizational memberships. See “Projects We Fund” for more information.
No. You can only use the program for services provided by external consultants, trainers, or other service providers. The program cannot be used for capital equipment, software, or other goods.
No. The program can only help assist with contract-based work performed by outside consultants and service groups.
You can do it, but we will help if needed. Many firms already know of potential providers for some of their projects, and these consultants can be included in your selection process. However, if you don’t, GLTAAC has worked with hundreds of consultants over the years. We also are experienced at identifying new providers that might be a good fit for your specific needs – so we can offer alternatives. Importantly, the Great Lakes TAAC does not utilize preferred providers or have any special certification requirements. This means you aren’t limited in who you can use for a job. It also means we have no incentive to recommend any particular consultant for a project. Our only goal is to help you find the provider that can best meet your own specific needs.
You do, in conjunction with GLTAAC staff. See Implementation/Consultant Selection for more information.
No. GLTAAC believes in finding the best value for each project. This entails also considering each consultant’s experience and expertise, the fit of their project plan to your needs, and timing.
GLTAAC does. For example, we compile and circulate the final contract. GLTAAC will also manage the front-end administrative functions, like finalizing and releasing the RFP,if needed, leaving you free to concentrate on running your business.
Though this rarely happens, GLTAAC is there to help if it does. And our contract permits you to cancel a project at any time if your firm is dissatisfied with the consultant’s work.
Yes, most companies do. The vast majority of company Adjustment Plans include at least one top-line and one bottom-line project. Also, many significant initiatives require multiple projects, with multiple providers (for example, market diversification). The TAAF program is well structured to accommodate such needs.
Up to five years to use their TAAF project assistance. However, most use the assistance within 3-4 years of Adjustment Plan approval. Faster use of the program (less than 3 years) usually cannot be supported by GLTAAC due to budgetary constraints. Such requests can be considered and will depend on current funding availability.
