Opportunity Information: Apply for OIT STEP 2019 01
The State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) is a federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help states and U.S. territories strengthen small business exporting. It was made a permanent part of the Small Business Act by the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (HR 644), which was signed into law on February 24, 2016. The basic idea behind STEP is to fund practical, state-level export development projects that help eligible small business concerns (often referred to as ESBCs) start exporting for the first time or expand their existing export sales into new markets.
The main goals of STEP are straightforward and measurable: increase the number of U.S. small businesses that export, raise the total dollar value of small business exports, and push small firms to explore meaningful new international trade opportunities. Rather than giving money directly to individual companies through this announcement, the SBA provides grants to state governments (and the equivalent entities in certain territories), which then use the funds to design and deliver programs that reduce the cost and complexity of exporting for small businesses. In practice, these projects commonly support activities that help small businesses enter foreign markets, such as export training, market research assistance, participation in trade missions, and other export-readiness or market entry efforts, depending on each state or territorys strategy.
This particular funding opportunity is identified as "STATE TRADE EXPANSION PROGRAM" with Funding Opportunity Number OIT STEP 2019 01. It is a discretionary grant under the Business and Commerce funding activity category and is listed under CFDA 59.061. Eligible applicants are limited to state governments, meaning the applicant must be a U.S. state or one of the specifically named jurisdictions invited by SBA: the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The SBA explicitly limits submissions to one application per state or equivalent jurisdiction, which means each state must coordinate internally and submit a single consolidated proposal rather than multiple competing applications from different agencies.
Awards are made competitively, so applications are evaluated against one another rather than being funded automatically. The anticipated maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $900,000, and SBA expected to make around 50 awards. The period of performance for funded projects is two years, giving recipients time to build programming, recruit eligible small businesses, and deliver export assistance that can translate into actual export activity and sales growth over a realistic timeline. The announcement was created on May 1, 2019, with an original closing date of May 31, 2019, indicating a relatively short application window for states to prepare and submit their proposals.
Overall, STEP is designed as a capacity-building and export acceleration tool: SBA funds flow to states and territories, and those recipients implement targeted export assistance that helps small businesses overcome barriers like limited international market knowledge, the upfront cost of pursuing foreign buyers, and the operational challenges of entering new countries. The outcome SBA is aiming for is not just more participation in export-related events, but more small firms successfully exporting and increasing export revenues over time.Apply for OIT STEP 2019 01
- The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "STATE TRADE EXPANSION PROGRAM" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 59.061.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 01, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 31, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $900,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 50 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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