Trade Adjustment Assistance Center

What Trade Adjustment Assistance Center does

Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (TAAC) is a federally chartered non-profit regional center founded in 1978 that administers the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program across New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. The organization operates under the institutional umbrella of The Research Foundation for The State University of New York at Binghamton University, with a small professional staff (2–5 employees, including a Director and Junior Project Manager) headquartered at 120 Hawley Street, Suite 297, Binghamton, NY. Its sole mission is to help manufacturing and service firms adversely impacted by foreign trade competition access federal cost-share funding for business improvement projects.

TAAC delivers a three-phase service model — Qualify (free application assistance), Plan (diagnostic review and adjustment proposal), and Implement (funding disbursement and consultant management) — across five core service modules: Marketing & Sales, Manufacturing Certification (ISO, QS, CE, UL), Financial/General Management, Information Technology, and Engineering/Product Development. The technology stack is minimal: TAAC does not build proprietary software, relying instead on an online application portal (portal.tradeadjustment.org) for intake, document submission, and project management. There are no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or SDK offerings.

The business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. TAAC receives federal appropriations from the U.S. EDA, which it channels to eligible client firms as cost-share subsidies — either 50/50 up to a $150,000 project cap or 25/75 up to a $30,000 cap — with the firm paying the smaller share. Since 1978, TAAC has assisted over 1,200 firms and disbursed more than $53 million in cumulative assistance. Customers are exclusively firms in NY, NJ, and PR with demonstrated import impact (≥5% sales decline, ≥5% employment decline, or lost customers to foreign competition). Marketing is conducted through direct outreach, trade association presentations, and the organization website.

Name

Trade Adjustment Assistance Center

Legal name

Trade Adjustment Assistance Center

Website

https://tradeadjustment.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trade Adjustment Assistance Center is a federally funded non-profit that administers the U.S. EDA's TAAF program for manufacturing and service firms in New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico impacted by foreign trade, providing cost-share grants up to $150,000 for business improvement projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Assistance

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Facilitation & Customs Modernization (BPADAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Assistance, Policy Lending & Capacity Building Programs (BPADACAN)

Keywords

• Trade adjustment assistance
• Federal cost-share funding
• Manufacturing consulting services
• Business certification programs
• Economic development grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Binghamton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Funding: TAAC operates as a non-profit regional center funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) through the Department of Commerce. The organization receives federal grants to provide cost-share funding to eligible manufacturing and service companies. TAAC does not charge clients for certification application assistance and facilitates funding that is shared between the client company and the federal government on either a 50/50 or 25/75 cost-share basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (TAAC) is a federally funded non-profit regional center that administers U.S. Economic Development Administration cost-share grants to manufacturing and service companies in New York, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico that have been adversely affected by foreign trade competition. The organization delivers five consulting program areas—Marketing & Sales, Manufacturing Certification, Financial/General Management, Information Technology, and Engineering/Product Development—via a three-phase qualification, planning, and implementation process, with approved projects funded on a 50/50 basis up to $150,000 or 25/75 basis up to $30,000.

Product overview

TAAC operates as a unified federal grant assistance program offering six interconnected service modules under the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program. The core services include Marketing & Sales Assistance, Manufacturing Certification Assistance, Financial/General Management Assistance, Information Technology Assistance, and Engineering/Product Development Assistance—all funded through cost-share grants. These services are delivered through a three-phase process (Qualify, Plan, Implement) and supported by an online application portal at portal.tradeadjustment.org. Companies receive customized project assistance including strategic planning, lean manufacturing implementation, certification preparation, website development, and new product development, with federal funding covering 50-75% of consultant costs up to $150,000.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing & Sales Assistance Provides TAAC-eligible firms with consulting assistance covering market research, product positioning, branding, traditional advertising, internet marketing, direct marketing, public relations, and sales collateral development to improve competitive positioning against imports.
• Manufacturing Certification Assistance Helps qualifying firms implement lean manufacturing processes and achieve quality certifications (ISO, QS, CE Marking, UL Listing) that are commonly required as contractual prerequisites for manufacturing supplier relationships.
• Financial/General Management Assistance Assists qualifying firms with organizational analysis, financial planning, cost-accounting systems, human resources planning, and succession planning to establish more exacting and profitable methods for controlling the business.
• Information Technology Assistance Provides evaluation, application, and integration of computer hardware, software, and related systems for qualifying firms, including system conversions, custom programming, electronic data interchange, e-commerce, and website development.
• Engineering/Product Development Assistance Provides equipment, facilities, workforce expertise, processes, procedures, and technology support needed for product development, including target customer research, product design, process engineering, machine prototyping, and statistical process control.
• TAAF Program Application Services Three-phase qualification, planning, and implementation service for federal TAAF funding eligibility, including petition preparation, adjustment plan development, and project implementation assistance; provided at no cost to qualifying firms.
• Online Application Portal Web-based secure portal where qualifying firms submit applications, upload documents, and manage the qualification inquiry process for TAAF funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,200 firms assisted since 1978
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

One partnership is on record.

• The Research Foundation for the State University of New York at Binghamton UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAAC is administered by the Research Foundation for SUNY at Binghamton University. The Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit educational corporation that has facilitated research, education, and public service at 30 state-operated SUNY locations since 1951.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Florida Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (FloridaTAA): Another of the eleven national regional TAACs administering TAAF funding for Florida-based manufacturers and service firms. Direct peer offering the same federal program in a different territory.
• APEX Accelerators (formerly PTAC): DOD-funded national network providing procurement and contracting assistance to businesses seeking government work. Comparable as a federally sponsored technical assistance intermediary that helps firms access government programs and funding.
• NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP): Federally funded national network of centers providing technical assistance, consulting, and modernization support to U.S. manufacturers. Highly comparable to TAAC's manufacturing-focused service delivery model and federal funding linkage, though MEP is broader in scope and national in reach.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) - SBDC Network: SBA-funded Small Business Development Centers deliver no-cost consulting, training, and advisory services to small businesses. Highly comparable in delivering federal-subsidized business consulting, though broader in scope and not trade-specific.
• California Trade Adjustment Assistance Center: Sibling regional TAAC administering the same federal TAAF program in California. Direct peer with identical mandate, funding model, and service offerings, operating in a different geographic territory.
• SCORE: Nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors providing free consulting and advisory services to small businesses nationwide. Comparable in mission and delivery model as a no-cost consulting resource for small and mid-sized firms, though privately funded rather than federally sponsored.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA): Federal agency within the Department of Commerce that funds TAAC and operates a much broader portfolio of economic development programs. Comparable as the parent funding authority, though EDA's scope extends well beyond trade adjustment assistance.
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA): Federal agency supporting the growth and competitiveness of minority-owned businesses through grants and centers. Comparable as a federal business-assistance program administrator, though focused on a specific demographic segment.
• Research Foundation for the State University of New York: Parent administrative entity of TAAC and a much larger nonprofit corporation facilitating research and public service across SUNY campuses. Comparable as an academic-affiliated nonprofit administering federal grant programs, though vastly broader in scope.

Regional players

• Empire State Development (ESD): New York State's principal economic development agency, providing grants, loans, and tax incentives to businesses across the state. Comparable as a regional economic development assistance provider, though state-funded and broader in scope than TAAC's trade-specific federal mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trade-adjustment-assistance-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Trade Adjustment Assistance Center