Cooperative Will Promote U.S Small Business Exports

Washington D.C – December 16th, 2005– Diligence, the corporate intelligence and risk management consulting firm, announced today a partnership with the U.S Commercial Service (the division of the Department of Commerce responsible for all international trade activities). This initiative is aimed at boosting exports from U.S. small and medium-sized businesses and promotes international commerce through cooperative public-private sector export marketing tools and awareness programs.

“Diligence is delighted to team with the U.S. Commercial Service to provide commercial information services that are an essential component of international trade,” said Ambassador Richard Burt, Executive Chairman of Diligence. “We expect to bring our global network of information resources to this project and look forward to working with the U.S. Commercial Service offices around the United States and in Embassies abroad to help firms expand their international trade,” Burt added.

Through the agreement, a wide range of information programs will be jointly conducted, including participation at selected trade shows and targeted export awareness seminars. The program is designed to generate greater public awareness of the availability of U.S. Commercial Service export promotion activities and Diligence’s expertise in providing commercial intelligence, due diligence, and risk management services.

Diligence was founded in 2000 by an international group of former intelligence officers. The firm's mission is to bring to bear the founders' expertise, experience and network of relationships to provide clients with a higher standard of business intelligence and analysis, risk assessment and due diligence support for transactions. In this role, Diligence provides companies with both the information and analysis to enable them to identify, manage, and mitigate risks stemming either from the normal flow of business or from unanticipated contingencies.

Diligence’s headquarters are in Washington, DC. The firm also has offices in New York City, Miami, London, Berlin, Brussels, and Moscow.