Innovative Technologies for Urban Infrastructure Development Mission to the Philippines and Indonesia

About

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA), is organizing the Executive-Led Innovative Technologies for Urban Infrastructure Development Mission to the Philippines and Indonesia from November 12th, 2024, to November 20th, 2024. We are excited to share that Under Secretary Marisa Lago will lead the Mission.

Under Secretary Lago has extensive experience on urban and economic development in the State and City of New York and the City of Boston, and we are thrilled to have her represent the U.S. Department of Commerce on this mission.

The Mission aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange between mission delegates and local stakeholders in smart city development, digital ecosystems, and sustainable urban infrastructure. The mission will provide delegates with a comprehensive understanding of the urban infrastructure landscape in the Philippines and Indonesia, fostering collaboration, innovation, and sustainable development opportunities.

The mission will make four stops: two in the Philippines (Manila and New Clark City) and 2 in Indonesia (Denpasar, Jakarta) with an optional fifth stop in Nusantara, Indonesia. More information about the Trade Mission schedule can be found in the "Proposed Schedule" tab.

Who Should Apply

Companies involved in Urban Infrastructure Development, or related industries, are encouraged to apply. This includes AI, Cybersecurity, Digital Economy, Energy and Environmental Technology, Building Technology, ICT, Smart City Technologies and Services, Telecommunications, Transportation and Urban Mobility.

Companies of all sizes are encouraged to apply.

Registration

To apply, you must register for an account or sign in using an existing account. During this process you may be prompted to check your email for a verification code. Please check your spam folder for this code as some users have found that it does not appear in the general inbox.

Contact Us

Samantha Feder
International Trade Specialist
Samantha.Feder@trade.gov
+1 (857) 289-1565

The Philippines

The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing economies in the ASEAN region, characterized by a large and young population, a growing middle class, upward consumer spending, significant growth in private and public investments, and rising urbanization.

The Philippines has developed several initiatives to address urbanization issues and undergo digital transformation. For instance, the Philippines Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has committed an initial budget of about $1.8 million for a project transforming 80 urban communities into smart cities, including through technology adoption. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is leading a parallel program to support the growth of digital jobs in the countryside.

Learn more about exporting to The Philippines.

Indonesia

Indonesia—the world’s third largest democracy and fourth most populated country—is pursuing an ambitious digital transformation agenda to become one of the world’s top ten global economies by 2030. The country is at the forefront of digitization with sophisticated technologies in areas such as e-commerce, financial technology, social media and smart phone applications.

Local government administration is another promising area in Indonesia’s digital transformation agenda. The Government of Indonesia seeks to develop smart city infrastructure in 100 cities through the leadership of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (Kominfo) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemandagri) among other agencies. The Indonesian Government is also pursuing plans to build a $35 billion megaproject with the development of Nusantara, the new capital city project on the island of Borneo, which it hopes will serve as an international model for sustainable urban development and help advance its national climate change targets.

Learn more about exporting to Indonesia.

Proposed Schedule

Philippines

Manila: November 12-13^th

• Limited Country Team (LCT) Briefing for Mission Delegates: Overview and essential information about the mission's objectives and schedule.

• B2G Roundtable: Discussions with government representatives on innovative urban infrastructure technologies.

• Visit to Manila/Makati City Hall: Exploring local governance practices and urban development strategies

• Dinner Networking Reception: Informal networking opportunities for delegates.

New Clark City: November 14th

• Briefing with BCDA(Bases Conversion & Development Authority) & CDC(Clark Development Corporation): Learning about regional development projects and collaboration opportunities.

• Site Visit in the Luzon Economic Corridor: Observing economic activities and infrastructure.

Indonesia

Denpasar – Bali: November 14-17th

• Visit to Badung Command Center: Understanding local command and control operations.

• Bali Blockchain Center: Exploring blockchain technology applications in urban development.

• Networking Event at Locca Sea House: Meeting with local smart city stakeholders and governments.

• Digital Ecosystem Tour of ASECH Center: Exploring digital ecosystem advancements and smart city innovations.

• Smart Sustainability Project Tour at Potato Head Village: Viewing sustainable project implementations.

Jakarta: November 17-18^th

• Limited Country Team (LCT) Briefing for Mission Delegates: Briefing delegates on mission progress and insights.

• B2G and B2B Matchmaking: Facilitating government and business interactions for potential partnerships.

• Visit to Ministry of Home Affairs: Discussing national policies and urban infrastructure frameworks.

• Visit to Ministry of Communications and IT: Engaging with officials on digital infrastructure and technologies.

• Networking Reception: Concluding with further networking opportunities.

Optional Visit to Nusantara: November 19-20th

• Meeting with Nusantara Capital City Authority (NCCA): Discussing the development of the new capital.

• Full-Day Tour of Nusantara: Visiting key sites like Zero Point, Techno House, and the Presidential Palace to see the new capital's development progress.

*Note: The final schedule and potential site visits will depend on the availability of host government and business officials, specific goals of mission participants, and ground transportation.

Fees & Expenses

After a firm or trade association has been selected to participate in the mission, a payment to the Department of Commerce in the form of a participation fee is required. The participation fee for the Trade Mission will be:

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises - $4,750.00
Large Firms - $5,000.00
Each Additional firm representative (large firm or SME/trade organization) - $800.00
Optional Stop in Nusantara: $500.00
Upon notification of acceptance to participate, those selected have 5 business days to submit payment or the acceptance may be revoked.

Participants selected for a trade mission will be expected to pay for the cost of personal expenses, including, but not limited to, international travel, lodging, meals, transportation, communication, and incidentals, unless otherwise noted. Delegation members will be able to take advantage of U.S. Embassy rates for hotel rooms. Ground transportation will be arranged by the local Embassies in each stop to facilitate the group’s participation in official meetings. Additional driver and interpreter services can be arranged for additional cost.

In the event that a mission is cancelled, no personal expenses paid in anticipation of a mission will be reimbursed. However, participation fees for a cancelled mission will be reimbursed to the extent they have not already been expended in anticipation of the mission.

If a visa is required to travel on a particular mission, applying for and obtaining such a visa will be the responsibility of the mission participant. Government fees and processing expenses to obtain such a visa are not included in the participation fee. However, the Department of Commerce will provide instructions to each participant on the procedures required to obtain business visas.

Trade mission members participate in trade missions and undertake mission-related travel at their own risk. The nature of the security situation in a given foreign market at a given time cannot be guaranteed. The U.S. Government does not make any representations or guarantees as to the safety or security of participants. The U.S. Department of State issues U.S. Government international travel alerts and warnings for U.S. citizens available at https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html.

Any question regarding insurance coverage must be resolved by the participant and its insurer of choice.

Travel and in-person activities are contingent upon the safety and health conditions in the United States and the mission countries. Should safety or health conditions not be appropriate for travel and/or in-person activities, the Department will consider postponing the event or offering a virtual program in lieu of an in-person agenda. In the event of a postponement, the Department will notify the public, and applicants previously selected to participate in this mission will need to confirm their availability but need not reapply. Should the decision be made to organize a virtual program, the Department will adjust fees, accordingly, prepare an agenda for virtual activities, and notify the previous selected applicants with the option to opt-in to the new virtual program.

Conditions for Participation

Applicants must submit a completed and signed mission application and supplemental application materials, including adequate information on their products and/or services, primary market objectives, and goals for participation that is adequate to allow the Department of Commerce to evaluate their application. If the Department of Commerce receives an incomplete application, the Department may either: reject the application, request additional information/clarification, or take the lack of information into account when evaluating the application. If the requisite minimum number of participants is not selected for a particular mission by the recruitment deadline, the mission may be cancelled.

Each applicant must:

Certify that the products and services that it wishes to market through the mission would be in compliance with U.S. export controls and regulations;
Certify that it has identified any matter pending before any bureau or office in the Department of Commerce;
Certify that it has identified any pending litigation (including any administrative proceedings) to which it is a party that involves the Department of Commerce; and
Sign and submit an agreement that it and its affiliates (1) have not and will not engage in the bribery of foreign officials in connection with a company’s/participant’s involvement in this mission, and (2) maintain and enforce a policy that prohibits the bribery of foreign officials.

In the case of a trade association/organization, the applicant must certify that each firm or service provider to be represented by the association/organization can make the above certifications.

In addition, each applicant must certify that the products and services it seeks to export through the mission are either produced in the United States, or, if not, are marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51 percent U.S. content by value. In the case of a trade association or organization, the applicant must certify that, for each firm or service provider to be represented by the association/organization, the products and/or services the represented firm or service provider seeks to export are either produced in the United States or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51 percent U.S. content by value. A trade association/organization applicant must certify to the above for all of the companies it seeks to represent on the mission.

In cases where applicants cannot certify 51 percent U.S. content, especially where the applicant intends to pursue investment in major project opportunities, the following factors may be considered in determining whether the applicant’s participation in the mission is in the U.S. national interest:

U.S. materials and equipment content;
U.S. labor content;
Contribution to the U.S. technology base, including conduct of research and development in the United States;
Repatriation of profits to the U.S. economy; and
Potential for follow-on business that would benefit the U.S. economy.

Selection Criteria

Targeted mission participants are U.S. firms, services providers and trade associations/organizations providing or promoting U.S. products and services that have an interest in entering or expanding their business in the mission’s destination countries. The following criteria will be evaluated in selecting participants:

Suitability of the applicant’s (or in the case of a trade association/organization, represented firm’s or service provider’s) products or services to these markets;
The applicant’s (or in the case of a trade association/organization, represented firm’s or service provider’s) potential for business in the markets, including likelihood of exports resulting from the mission; and
Consistency of the applicant’s (or in the case of a trade association/organization, represented firm’s or service provider’s) goals and objectives with the stated scope of the mission.

Balance of company size and location may also be considered during the review process.

Referrals from a political party or partisan political group or any information, including on the application, containing references to political contributions or other partisan political activities will be excluded from the application and will not be considered during the selection process. The sender will be notified of these exclusions.

Timeline for Recruitment and Applications

Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce Department trade mission calendar (http://export.gov/trademissions) and other Internet web sites, press releases to general and trade media, direct mail, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude no later than Friday, September 6, 2024. The U.S. Department of Commerce will review applications and inform applicants of selection decisions on a rolling basis. Applications received after September 6, 2024 will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.