Looking to export? Your small business may be eligible for a grant through the SBA’s State Trade and Expansion Program (STEP). Through the STEP grant, your business may be eligible for reimbursement for costs incurred for trade show fees and related travel expenses, product sample shipments, export credit insurance feeds, translation services, company promotions/marketing plans and more.
Review what the STEP grant covers, determine your eligibility, and apply.
STEP Client Services
Available Services for Eligible Export Clients*:
The Florida SBDC will use STEP funding to provide reimbursement of up to $2500 in export/trade show related travel costs for export clients attending approved trade/export related events. Allowable costs include airfare, lodging, trade show fees, transportation, & sample shipment fees (not to exceed $2000).
The FSBDC will use STEP funds to provide a comprehensive background report on a specific foreign company through the U.S. Commercial Service: https://www.trade.gov/international-company-profile-0
Through STEP funds, the FSBDC will also provide customized market research to offer eligible companies with answers to questions specific to the client’s products/services in a market; including market structure, trends and size, customary distribution and promotion practices, and key competitors and agents, distributors, or strategic partners in the market. We will utilize the service provided by the U.S. Commercial Service: https://www.trade.gov/customized-market-research-0
The FSBDC will reimburse export clients with up to $500 in allowable costs related to translation services in conjunction with attendance at trade show events. These services may include translation of digital assets, websites, printed marketing materials, order forms, product packaging, etc.
The FSBDC will reimburse export clients with up to $2100 in allowable costs related to website localization for firms to enter or do further business in one or more global markets.
The FSBDC will utilize data research analysts and trade specialists to prepare a data rich multi-page plan specifically tailored to new-to-export businesses to explore possibilities and the appetite of an ESBC to export.The plan will have an executive summary outlining the data and a next steps section for further action if desired. FSBDC will utilizes STEP funding to reimburse $500 to cover cost of report.
Customized Export Marketing Plan prepared by a certified FSBDC International Trade Consultant; each EMP
includes a thorough readiness assessment, Industry/Market/SWOT analysis, review of trade opportunities, and an action plan. Export Marketing Plans are valued at $7,500. Operating as a partner of FSBDC, Enterprise Florida, Inc. subsidizes $4,500 of that cost through the state international trade program, FSBDC utilizes STEP funding to cover $2,500 of the cost, and the export client would be responsible to pay a $500.00 fee.
STEP Eligibility
Federal funding guidelines state that to be eligible to receive monetary reimbursement using FL STEP funds, FSBDC consultants must verify the following for each export client.A company/firm meets and adheres to the following criteria:
- Is organized or incorporated in the United States;
- Is operating in the United States;
- Size standard requirements: o The applicable industry-based small business size standard established under section 3 of the Small Business Act; or o The alternate size standard applicable to the program under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act and the loan programs under Title V of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 695 et seq.); o The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards are found at 13 C.F.R. Part121 or via the following link: https://www.sba.gov/document/support-table-size-standards
- Has been in business for not less than 1 year, as of the date on which assistance using a grant under this subsection commences; and,
- Has access to sufficient resources to bear the costs associated with trade, including the costs of packing, shipping, freight forwarding, and customs brokers.
- Must be listed as an Active Corporation on the Florida Division of Corporations Sunbiz website.
- Must have a Federal Identification Number tied to a Florida address.
- Must have a product/service manufactured, produced, processed or value-added in Florida. (SBA requires 51% US content)
- Must be either “new to export” or “market expansion”; the event/activity must help them to enter a new market or segment, where they do not already have significant export sales.
- Prospective export clients must be in business (domestically) for at least 2 years in order to be eligible for EMP - Export Marketing Plan services, as per funding agreement with SelectFlorida.
Proof of Payment & Completion of Eligible Service/Activity will be required prior to any reimbursementFor travel reimbursement:
- Any costs incurred that would be considered "Local travel" are not reimbursable.
- Airfare fees must be consistent with "Fly America Act" Guidelines.
- Lodging rates cannot exceed GSA/State Dept per diem rates.
Apply Now
Interested in applying for the STEP grant? To get started, fill out an electronic request for consultation:
Featured Success Stories
“Our consultants have been a tremendous level of support and they’re happy to see you succeed so it’s a win-win scenario.”
Pauline Sevigny, Grace Aerospace
“Working with Selma at the Florida SBDC at USF, she told us about the STEP funds. We really had no idea that these were available to us. Starting with the export marketing plan and then working up on the website and having some of that paid for, takes a lot of the burden off.”
Tim Robinson, American Fabric Filter Company
“Being able to connect with the FSBDC and take advantage of the Export Marketing Plan and the consulting services they offer was a huge help in getting us where we needed to be to export. Since connecting with the FSBDC, our export volume has increased by 400% and we’re expecting to grow even faster from there. We’ve been extremely lucky to have the support of the FSBDC. For any entrepreneur, I would highly recommend reaching out to them for the breadth of their services, their support, and the knowledge that they can provide.”
Jeff Woodson, CURIS System
Funded [in part] through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
