NJDEC - New Jersey District Export Council

What NJDEC - New Jersey District Export Council does

The New Jersey District Export Council (NJDEC) is a private, non-profit organization established in 1973 and one of more than 60 federally chartered District Export Councils appointed by successive U.S. Secretaries of Commerce. NJDEC is staffed by approximately five core personnel (including Executive Secretary Susan Widmer) supplemented by roughly twenty volunteer DEC members who are senior executives from New Jersey companies in manufacturing, financial services, logistics, education, and consumer goods. The organization provides free export counseling, mentoring, market research support, export financing guidance, and connections to overseas partners for New Jersey small and medium businesses, with a formal operating relationship to the U.S. Commercial Service offices in Newark and Trenton and, by extension, to U.S. embassies in nearly 80 countries.

NJDEC's core technology stack is modest: a WordPress-based website at njdec.org hosting resource guides, downloadable export documentation templates (Certificate of Origin, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Pro Forma Invoice, Shipper's Letter of Instruction), an event calendar, and success-story content, supplemented by a partnership with Export-U (export-u.com) for webinars, articles, and the Exporter's Resource Database covering 150+ country markets. The annual New Jersey International Trade Awards (NJITA) is a flagship program recognizing exporters across four categories: Exporter of the Year, Service Exporter of the Year, New Exporter of the Year, and Minority/Diverse Exporter of the Year.

The business model is non-commercial at the point of delivery. Core services are provided free of charge to New Jersey businesses, funded by a mix of corporate sponsorships (Rosenthal & Rosenthal, SprinJene Natural, CLA), in-kind volunteer labor from DEC members, federal partnership support via the U.S. Commercial Service, and modest event-ticket revenue from NJITA ($90 early bird, $125 after April 11). There is no pricing model applied to end-beneficiary services, no SaaS product, and no monetized data asset; the organization functions as a public-private trade-promotion intermediary rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

NJDEC - New Jersey District Export Council

Legal name

New Jersey District Export Council

Website

https://njdec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The New Jersey District Export Council is a federally chartered, volunteer-driven non-profit that provides free export counseling, mentoring, and training to New Jersey small and medium businesses, operating in partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service since 1973.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Trade Consulting and Export Assistance Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Trade & Customs / Trade Compliance (BPAHAHAG)

Keywords

• Export assistance services
• International trade consulting
• Export counseling
• Trade promotion programs
• Export training webinars

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Federal/State Support: NJDEC operates as a private, non-profit organization supported by sponsors who provide financial resources to create, operate, and expand trade assistance programs. The organization also receives support through its partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service (part of U.S. Department of Commerce).
2. Event Fees: NJITA event generates revenue through ticket sales ($90 early bird, $125 after April 11 for the 2025 ceremony).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NJDEC provides free export counseling, mentoring, and guidance to New Jersey businesses seeking to enter or expand in international markets. Services include one-on-one mentoring from experienced international trade professionals, export training webinars, market research support, export documentation templates, overseas partner identification, finance and insurance guidance, and the annual New Jersey International Trade Awards (NJITA) recognition program. The organization connects businesses with U.S. Commercial Service offices, federal export assistance programs, and state/local trade resources.

Product overview

NJDEC is a non-profit export assistance organization that provides a comprehensive suite of services to help New Jersey businesses expand into international markets. Rather than a traditional software product with modules, NJDEC offers a portfolio of service programs including direct export counseling and mentoring from experienced international trade professionals, access to the Exporter's Resource Database (a curated collection of trade information and export tools), export training webinars and educational programs, downloadable export documentation templates, the annual New Jersey International Trade Awards recognition program, trade events and networking opportunities, overseas partner identification assistance through the U.S. Commercial Service, global market research support, export finance guidance, and connections to federal export assistance programs. These services work together to provide end-to-end support for businesses at various stages of their export journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual NJITA recognizes and honors NJ companies that have expanded exporting efforts, contributing to new jobs and economic growth
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen)minorOthers · 1 February 2023Professional services firm (audit, tax, consulting) with over 8,500 people; provides sponsorship and expertise in financial services and accounting for exporters.
• U.S. Commercial ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1973Formal partnership with U.S. Commercial Service (part of U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration). USCS offices in Newark and Trenton serve NJ and are directly connected with Commercial Sections of American Embassies in nearly 80 countries. NJDEC works closely with USCS professionals to provide export assistance.
• Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal export credit agency providing financing tools for American businesses. EXIM offers export financing and export credit insurance when private lenders cannot. NJDEC connects businesses with EXIM resources and contacts including Regional Export Finance Centers.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBA offers export loan programs through banks, with guarantees up to 90% of loan amounts for direct or indirect exports. NJDEC provides connections to SBA Office of International Trade covering NJ.
• Food Export Association of the Northeast USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four State Regional Trade Groups funded by USDA, offering export training and financial assistance programs for the agricultural sector.
• USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides trade finance solutions for exporters of U.S. agricultural products to developing markets, with network of overseas offices covering 171 countries.
• NJ Business Action Center (NJBAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing global insights and connections to help companies grow export sales. Administers NJSTEP grants for eligible small businesses.
• NJ Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPart of America's SBDC network, helping companies at every stage of business lifecycle including those interested in expanding to overseas markets.
• NJ Business & Industry Association (NJBIA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew Jersey's largest employers' organization advocating for businesses; NJDEC collaborates on trade policy and business development initiatives.
• Commerce and Industry Association of NJ (CIANJ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of businesses committed to improving free enterprise in NJ; partner on events and trade initiatives.
• NJ Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState's premier training and consulting provider offering innovations in technology, standards, and practices for manufacturers.
• Export-U (Exporter's Resource Database)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform providing comprehensive export resources including webinars, trade articles, database, and guides. NJDEC directs members to this platform for training.
• ROI-NJcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partner for NJITA event, helping promote the annual International Trade Awards ceremony and exporter recognition program.
• Rosenthal & RosenthalminorOthersLeading factoring and asset-based lending firm; Delegated Authority Lender under EXIM's Working Capital Guarantee Program; provides financial support enabling NJDEC programs.
• SprinJene NaturalminorOthersOral care company; provides financial sponsorship supporting NJDEC export assistance programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NJ Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC): America's SBDC network affiliate providing free business counseling to NJ companies including export-related support; sits alongside NJDEC as a core referral and co-delivery partner for NJ SMEs.
• Export-U (Exporter's Resource Database): Online platform that hosts the webinars, Exporter's Resource Database, articles and training content NJDEC distributes to NJ businesses; functionally the digital content layer that NJDEC's services are built on top of.
• NJ Business Action Center (NJBAC): State of New Jersey agency that supports business growth including export promotion and administers NJSTEP grants; operates in the same NJ export assistance ecosystem as NJDEC and is a core partner.
• Food Export Association of the Northeast USA: USDA-funded State Regional Trade Group that delivers export training, trade missions and financial assistance for Northeast U.S. food and agricultural exporters; explicitly partnered with NJDEC and serves a comparable SMB export-assistance mission.

Regional players

• World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (serving NJ): Regional trade promotion organization hosting trade missions, training and matchmaking for Mid-Atlantic exporters; offers a comparable suite of international trade services to a partially overlapping NJ/PA audience.
• NJ Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP): New Jersey's MEP center providing training and consulting for manufacturers including support for entering export markets; serves a partially overlapping NJ manufacturing client base with NJDEC's exporter counseling.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Commercial Service (International Trade Administration): Federal export promotion agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that NJDEC formally partners with; provides the embassy-connected network, market research, and Gold Key matchmaking that NJDEC channels to NJ businesses.
• Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM): Federal export credit agency providing financing and insurance for U.S. exporters; NJDEC connects businesses to EXIM programs but EXIM itself is the underlying institution offering working capital guarantees and trade credit insurance.
• U.S. Small Business Administration Office of International Trade: Federal agency that administers SBA export loan guarantees (up to 90%) and export working capital programs; NJDEC refers NJ exporters to SBA-OIT, making it a parallel federal export assistance channel.
• Sandler Trade (Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg): Large private international trade and customs law/consulting firm; represents the paid private-sector alternative to NJDEC's free volunteer counseling, particularly for companies needing deeper customs and trade compliance work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@njdec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-jersey-district-export-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NJDEC - New Jersey District Export Council