The Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment (“MOITI”), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network (“MSBDC”) and the Massachusetts Export Center, is pleased to announce the Massachusetts State Trade Expansion Program (“STEP”).
Donor Name: Massachusetts Export Center
State: Massachusetts
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/30/2022
Size of the Grant: $15,000
Details:
MOITI, through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), will provide grants to eligible, approved Massachusetts small businesses for the purpose of increasing export sales of their goods and services.
The STEP Program is intended to help offset international business development and related marketing costs for small businesses. Grant proceeds may be used for specific international business development and marketing costs, including:
- Overseas trade show or conference exhibition and directly related expenses (e.g., booth space, shipping charges, carnets, attendance in conjunction with exhibiting, space to deliver technical sales seminars, etc.)
- U.S. Department of Commerce international business development services (e.g., Gold Key Service, International Partner Search with Virtual Introductions, Single Company Promotion, International Company Profile, trade missions and other export matchmaking services, etc.)
- Cost of compliance testing an existing product for entry into an export market
- Design of export market-specific marketing media (including design and translation of brochures, targeted advertising in industry-appropriate media, etc. – does NOT include printing)
- Localization of websites for target export markets (including translation of websites, technical localization, and search engine optimization for export markets)
- Research tool subscription for targeted export market research
- International intellectual property protection filing fees with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
- Export credit insurance policy fees through the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
Funding Information
Eligible businesses may apply for grants ranging from a minimum of $6,000 to a maximum of $15,000 per business to reimburse for costs associated with pre-approved projects, activities or services undertaken during the period October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria
- To qualify for STEP program funding, a business must meet the definition of an “eligible small business concern” under Section 503 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015.
- Section 503 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 defines the term ‘eligible small business concern,’ as a business concern that:
- Is organized or incorporated in the United States;
- Is operating in the United States;
- Meets
- The applicable industry-based small business size standard established under section 3 of the Small Business Act; or
- 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.);
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards are found at 13 C.F.R. Part 121.
- 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.
For more information, visit MEC.
