Objective

Through the Gold Key Service, the US&FCS provides U.S. firms with prequalified and prescreened appointments with potential overseas agents, distributors, sales representatives and strategic business partners. Additional services such as transportation, translation, and others are available for an additional fee. 

Fees

*A Small- or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or self-certified as a small business under SBA regulations.  A large company is defined as a firm with more than 500 employees.  Subsidiaries will be classified based on the size of the parent company.

We respectfully ask our clients to note that all Participation Agreements, once signed, are final, and that payments made are non-refundable. 

Gold Key Service Overview

Clients requesting a Gold Key Service will receive:

• Appointments with pre-screened and pre-qualified sales representatives and partner;
• Background and contact information on each potential partner, such as the size of the company, the number of years the company has been in business, its product or service lines, and after-sales services;
• Customized market and industry briefing with U.S. Commercial staff in advance of business meetings;
• Market research on the relevant industry sector;
• Assistance with travel, accommodations, interpreter service, and clerical support;
• A video-conference option, at an additional cost, if your schedule doesn’t permit international travel; and 
• Post-meeting debriefing with U.S. Commercial Service staff to discuss results of meetings, and assistance in developing appropriate follow-up strategies.

Delivery Time

CS Saudi Arabia normally requires six weeks’ advance notification to set up an effective Gold Key Service agenda.  Due to overstretched staffing resources and increased interest in the Saudi market, however, we are experiencing long delays in service depending on the volume of requests.  Please check with us directly for precise delivery schedules.

U.S. Commercial Service Responsibilities

• The domestic or overseas field office trade specialist receiving the request will ensure that the U.S. client company is export ready (e.g., the U.S. firm must be ready to fill orders for its products or services in a reasonable timeframe);
• prior to placing the order for the GKS, the trade specialist will counsel the client concerning program logistics, i.e., response time, preparation by host country vs. contractor , and availability of service;
• prior to placing the order for the GKS, the domestic trade specialist will contact the relevant overseas Commercial Service office to notify them of the request;
• for expedited requests, the domestic trade specialist will obtain advance approval from the overseas Commercial Service office for the expedited request; and
• for add-on work, the domestic trade specialist will obtain advance approval from the overseas Commercial Service office for the additional work and will inform the U.S. client of all fees up front.

Client Responsibilities

The most effective Gold Key results require substantial client involvement and follow-up.  We strongly suggest that you work closely with your local Trade Specialist and the CS Commercial Specialist overseas to clearly outline the type of international partner that you believe will be most useful to your company and to establish an effective strategy for continuing communication with potential international partners.

Clients are responsible for:

• Providing timely responses to email and/or other queries from the domestic or overseas commercial specialists working on the Gold Key Service.

U.S. Commercial Service Quality Assurances

The U.S. Commercial Service assures that:

• A domestic or overseas trade specialist will serve as client’s primary point of contact, and will respond in a timely manner to all client inquiries;
• The overseas commercial specialist receiving the request will immediately contact the company ordering the GKS to ensure that he/she has a complete understanding of the client’s needs and expectations;
• The overseas commercial specialist responsible for preparing the GKS will thoroughly screen all overseas companies to ensure a good match with the client’s needs; and
• The domestic or overseas trade specialist who takes the order will follow up with the client to ensure satisfaction with the Gold Key Service, focusing on its relevance and results.