FTP Advocacy Intelligence Provides Advanced Message Testing and Legislative Monitoring Tools That Leverage the Firm’s Policy, Politics, and Public Affairs Expertise
WASHINGTON, D.C. — FTP, a leading bipartisan public affairs and government relations firm, unveiled FTP Advocacy Intelligence (FTP AI), the organization’s newest initiative, focused on developing AI-enabled solutions that help clients stay ahead of the policy curve.
“FTP Advocacy Intelligence is a force multiplier,” said Robert Mathias, Managing Partner at FTP. “It enables our seasoned practitioners to keep even closer tabs on critical legislation, deliver sharp and strategic policy insights, and test high-impact messaging and narratives in real time – a tremendous boon to any organization in every industry.”
FTP AI’s initial projects include:
- 2026 Election Dashboard – A real-time polling, prediction market, and candidate fundraising tracker that captures data from every major U.S. House and Senate race, all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Artificial Intelligence Dashboard Edge (AIDE) – An AI-fueled policy dashboard that mitigates information overload by organizing daily deluges of bills, hearings, news, and market-moving events into clear, focused intelligence. AIDE provides clients with a custom interface tailored to specific issue areas, keeping policy teams sharp and informed.
- Synthetic Created and ai-Optimized Respondent Ecosystem (SCORE) – Custom synthetic audiences to help clients better understand how different stakeholders respond to crisis events messages, test campaign strategies, and seek a better understanding of issues, audience beliefs, and behaviors. The real-time approach pairs advanced audience models with our deep experience in advocacy, policy, and public affairs to pressure test narratives, refine language, and anticipate problems and opportunities before campaigns go live.
FTP Advocacy Intelligence augments the firm’s long-running data and insights offerings, including Beltway Social, a proprietary listening and analysis tool that cuts through the clutter of social media and news conversations to provide clients with a clear picture of emerging issues in key markets. FTP plans to launch a custom Beltway Social report on data centers soon.
FTP recently launched a new website that offers a one-stop shop for FTP Advocacy Intelligence, Beltway Social, and the firm’s other tools and resources. Learn more at ftpadvocacy.com.
About FTP
FTP is a bipartisan, full-service government relations and public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2012, FTP offers a comprehensive suite of services – including government relations, strategic communications, grassroots advocacy, and digital strategy. Recognized as one of Bloomberg Government’s top-performing lobbying firms and a PRNEWS Top Elite 120 agency, FTP provides exceptional service to its clients across various industries.
For more information, please visit ftpadvocacy.com/.
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This piece originally appeared in Fast Company on July 28, 2023.
Tech startups are leading the innovation revolution, driving economic growth, and changing the world around us. But the elephant in the room is how federal and state government policies, rulemakings, and politics affect how entrepreneurs grow their businesses and get their products into the hands of consumers.
From immigration issues to intellectual property, Congress, the White House, and literally hundreds of regulatory bodies can make or break your day. As a tech entrepreneur, you have an important role in determining which way it goes.
Here are four areas where the federal government and politics impact new tech businesses and some tips for how business leaders can effectively navigate these changing dynamics.
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES
Legislative activities on Capitol Hill, including bills related to taxes, technology, infrastructure, workforce development, and climate change, shape the policy framework within which tech startups operate.
Tax policies can directly impact a startup’s financial viability and investment decisions, while legislation related to technology and innovation can influence market access, competitive standing, and business practices related to intellectual property rights, data privacy, and more.
One proactive—and attainable—goal business leaders should consider is building direct relationships with members of Congress to establish themselves as policy resources. Tech innovation dramatically outpaces policymaker understanding. As elected officials and staff struggle to catch up, directly sharing your experiences will help ensure that the very decision-makers who are shaping industry-governing policies will craft them thoughtfully to aid—not hinder—your industry.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
Thousands of federal regulations issued each year by various agencies have significant implications for tech startups.
Ask any established C-suite in America today, and they will tell you regulations related to data protection, cybersecurity, product safety, and industry-specific compliance requirements have a tremendous effect on operational procedures, costs, and market viability. Being aware of and staying in front of federal rulemaking can alter a company’s bottom line, particularly when there is an opportunity to submit comments from your perspective in response to an agency rulemaking process or request for information.
While startups should not waste their time scouring the Federal Register every day, it is essential to stay informed about the rulemaking process in general and be on the lookout for trends. Monitoring industry publications, engaging legal experts, and leveraging industry networks can help startups proactively assess and adapt to evolving regulatory requirements, avoiding unexpected hurdles.
FREE MONEY
Federal government policies and programs play a crucial role in shaping the funding landscape for tech startups.
Initiatives such as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants provide critical funding for early-stage research and innovation. Additionally, federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of Energy (DOE) offer specific grant programs for startups in those industry sectors, from machine learning and AI to water reuse technologies and biofuel production.
Do not overlook the role of non-dilutive capital coming from federal government funding opportunities. Grant writing experts can help you understand the criteria and application processes and provide logistical support and guidance, giving your company an upper hand in securing funding and growing your business.
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
Tech startups can benefit from collaboration and partnerships with the federal government. Government agencies often seek innovative solutions from startups through challenges, pilot programs, and procurement contracts. These collaborations provide startups with opportunities for revenue growth, market validation, and access to government resources.
Tech startups should actively explore government procurement opportunities and leverage resources such as the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) to navigate the procurement process effectively. Networking with government agencies, participating in industry conferences, and forming partnerships with established contractors can increase the chances of success in the government sector.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Here’s the bottom line: take control of your story and don’t hope decision-makers are hearing you; make sure they are listening to you. Treat lawmakers and regulators as you would a customer by showcasing how you support local economies and families, create value in the market, and serve their interests.
In some circumstances, membership in a relevant trade association or coalition of companies can add value to your efforts, provided you engage and fully leverage it. Don’t simply send a check and assume your problems will be resolved.
But for many, that is not enough. Find a partner on the ground in D.C. who will help you navigate this space, be honest about what your precious dollars are worth, and be creative in separating yourself from a sea of other startups. By staying informed, engaging with decision-makers, and actively participating in shaping policies, your startup can navigate the dynamic regulatory landscape and policy environment and leverage opportunities for growth.
This article originally appeared in ND xPlains.
In 2015, the legislature’s Republican Supermajority passed a repeal of North Dakota’s ban on corporate ownership of dairy and swine production – the so-called “ham and cheese bill.”
North Dakota voters petitioned to refer this bill to the ballot, and during the June 2016 primary elections, it was overwhelmingly rejected. 76-percent of North Dakotans, including a majority of voters in all 53 of the state’s counties, voted to uphold the state’s longstanding ban on corporate owned farms.
One would think such a resounding rejection by North Dakotans would be the final word on the matter. Sadly, that is not the case. The Republican Supermajority is once again pushing a repeal to the state’s corporate farming ban. This version – HB 1371 – is even more aggressive than its predecessor.
HB 1371 would remove production and feeding of dairy, swine, poultry, and cattle from the list activities that fall under the definition of a farm or ranch in the North Dakota Century Code. A repeal would pave the way for the corporate ownership of livestock operations in North Dakota.
State law already permits the formation of LLCs and other business entities, allowing greater accumulation of capital and shared ownership amongst North Dakota farm families. HB 1371 would further allow out-of-state multinational corporations to have sole ownership of hog, dairy and poultry farms, and cattle feedlots. The bill doesn’t even require corporate shareholders to be farmers or require these corporations to partner with in-state farmers and ranchers.
At the same time many North Dakota Republicans are breathlessly spreading conspiracy theories about Bill Gates buying farmland, they are intentionally paving the way for foreign corporate ownership of North Dakota farmland. We do not have to look too far to see the impact Chinese corporate ownership has on local communities.
In a rare act of bipartisan unity, Senators John Tester of Montana and Mike Rounds of South Dakota have introduced the Promoting Agriculture Safeguards and Security Act of 2023. The PASS Act would amend the Defense Production Act to add the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and trigger a review of foreign purchases of farmland and other agricultural transactions with foreign entities.
The North Dakota Republican push to repeal the ban on corporate farming follows closely on the heels of another agricultural ownership kerfuffle that has been in the news recently. In this instance it was a proposed corn-milling plant near Grand Forks – and the Grand Forks Air Force Base. Construction of that plant has been blocked over national security concerns related to the plant’s Chinese-based ownership group.
While they breathlessly cheer that outcome, North Dakota Republicans are at the same time paving the way for foreign owned corporate farming all over the state. Smithfield Foods is owned by the Chinese corporation WH Group and controls over 20-percent of the hog and swine business in America.
It makes one wonder where the Republican Supermajority draws the line over corporate foreign ownership. Is it when they stand to personally benefit?
No matter the motive of those pushing the repeal of North Dakota’s corporate farming ban, it’s just plain wrong. And there can be no room for compromise on this matter.
North Dakota Republicans pushed for years to lower the state’s oil extraction tax but were continually rebuffed by the overwhelming public antipathy to that push. In 2015 the North Dakota Republicans finally succeeded in pushing that oil extraction tax cut through, claiming it would be a one-time thing and not part of an ongoing push to continually give away North Dakota’s resources without proper compensation. That one-time thing has now been revisited and expanded just eight years later, as the North Dakota Republicans have just passed a further cut to the state’s oil extraction tax.
Now we are told that the changes to the ban on corporate farming are limited and will only apply to certain small sectors of the state’s agricultural economy. Hogwash. This is just the first step for this Republican supermajority. If HB 1371 passes it might take as many as two or three more legislative sessions before the entirety of the state’s corporate farming ban is completely erased. Again, there can be no room for compromise on this matter.
Ask any North Dakota farmer or rancher and they will tell you the biggest problems they face are not production related. The big issue is processing. Specifically, the lack of market access and the lack of competition among processors, trapping farmers in a system where processors set the market and farmers are left to squeeze out a living.
Flooding our state with more corporate ownership will do nothing to solve those problems. It will just accelerate the decline of small towns and shutter even more family farms. North Dakota’s corporate farming ban has served us well for over 90 years. There’s no reason to change course now.
Tell your legislator to reject corporate farming and vote “NO” on HB 1371.
Forbes Tate Partners believes every child deserves a joyful holiday experience, regardless of where they live or the situations they face at home. Giving back to local students at Wheatley Education Campus is our way of helping to ensure this happens, and we are thrilled the Wheatley Toy Drive is back for its sixth year. We invite you to join us in meeting our goal of 1,000+ toy donations for Wheatley scholars ages 3-15
How to Get Involved:
FTP has created gift registries at Target, Walmart, and Amazon. All toys purchased through the registry links below will ship directly to Wheatley Education Campus:
Participants may also choose their own toys. All gifts will be mailed by participants directly to the school for scholar pickup prior to the end of the school semester. For more information, please contact Jessica Williams at jwilliams@forbes-tate.com .
About Wheatley Education Campus
Wheatley Education Campus is a public school in northeastern Washington, D.C., serving 350 students from pre-K3 through 8th grade. Located in Ward 5, the school serves a student population wherein 100% of students qualify to receive federal, state, and/or local aid. Moreover, many Wheatley students and their families live in homeless shelters or other transitional housing. Wheatley serves one of D.C.’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods in which residents often lack resources to meet the basic needs of their children.
Many Wheatley families are unable to provide even a small gift for their kids during the holiday season. In previous years, local volunteers donated toys and teachers used their own money to purchase the rest of the gifts for students. In 2016, these volunteer efforts turned disastrous when there was a severe shortage of donations and many of the items provided (half empty box of crayons, dried up markers) were not appropriate gifts. To save the holiday, teachers and local government officials scrambled to distribute additional gifts donated by local churches. After hearing about this story, Forbes Tate Partners started our Toy Drive initiative in 2017 and has volunteered each holiday season since. Read FTP Founding Partner Dan Tate’s blog post about starting the Toy Drive here.
