The Small Business Administration is accepting proposals for funding from eligible state entities interested in and capable of providing assistance and guidance to eligible small business concerns to increase the number of such firms that export and the dollar value of small business exports.
Donor Name: Small Business Administration
State: All States
County: All Counties
U.S. Territories: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/19/2023
Size of the Grant: $1,400,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
The objective of STEP is to increase (1) the number of U.S. small businesses that export, (2) the dollar value of exports, and (3) the number of U.S. small businesses exploring significant new trade opportunities
Allowable Statutory Activities Guidance
- Participation in foreign trade missions.
- Subscription to services provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
- Payment of translation fees.
- Design of marketing media
- Trade show exhibition
- Participation in export training workshops
- Reverse trade mission
- Procurement of consultancy services
- Other export initiatives
STEP Priorities
To ensure the full utilization of all STEP funds, it is strongly recommended that every non-Federal entity request a federal award amount that can be managed and realistically expended within a two-year period of performance. A non-Federal entity’s technical proposal and budget should be clearly focused and targeted based on the TOP PRIORITY exporting needs of small businesses in the non-Federal entity’s state that addresses the key performance measures.
Key Performance Measures:
- Reach 100% utilization of the award.
- Increase the number of eligible small business concerns in the State that export.
- Increase the value of exports by eligible small business concerns in the State.
- Increase the number of eligible small business concerns exploring significant new trade opportunities.
- Increase the number of eligible small business concerns in Small Business Communities that export.
SBA Roles and Responsibilities
- STEP is the statutory responsibility of the Associate Administrator, Office of International Trade. The STEP Director:
- Establishes program policy, planning, review, coordination, and evaluation;
- In collaboration with the Office of Grants Management, manages STEP in accordance with a competitive merit-based review process;
- Directs program management and monitoring activities executed by SBA Program Managers and other agency resources;
- Ensures effective use of program funds
- Resolves issues, problems, and/or disputes.
The STEP Program Manager
- Has the delegated authority for programmatic execution and financial management of the program; .
- Serves as the Grants Officer’s Technical Representative (GOTR);
- Serves as liaison between OIT and his or her assigned STEP non-Federal entities;
- Maintains communication with the District International Trade Officer;
- Receives copies of all official project documents and maintains project files containing copies of the applications, proposals, budgets, notices of award, web-site information, client follow-up plans, financial, statistical, and narrative reports, correspondence, modification requests, payment requests, notes, etc.
- Recommends for actions pertaining to programmatic and budgetary changes to awards and requests for advance of Federal funds and reimbursement of expenditures to the Grants Management Officer.
The Grants Management Officer, Office of Grants Management
- Has full responsibility for financial management of grants; .
- Is responsible for issuance of the notices of award, terms and conditions, and approval of programmatic and budgetary modifications.
- Reviews and approves all requests for advance of Federal funds and reimbursement of expenditures incurred under the grant.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $20,000,000
- Award Ceiling: $1,400,000
- Award Floor: $100,000
Period of Performance
An award under this announcement will be made for a two-year period of performance (eight quarters).
Eligible Non-Federal Entity (Eligible Applicant)
The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 provides that STEP grants may be awarded only to “States,” meaning any of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Therefore, only non-Federal entities that meet this definition are eligible to apply for and administer an award under this Notice of Funding Opportunity.
For purposes of this Notice of Funding Opportunity, the term “eligible non-Federal entity” means a State agency or other entity that, prior to the date of application for this Announcement, has been officially designated by the State Governor, or equivalent thereof (e.g., Mayor of the District of Columbia), as the sole applicant and lead entity for conducting the State’s trade and export activities.
- The organizational structure of the State’s designated international trade arm must show an official agency relationship with State government, and the State must provide financial backing in meeting the required match amount and show support for program activities.
- Only those proposals accompanied by the written designation of the State Governor, or his/her designee, may apply for funding consideration.
- Should the Governor, or equivalent thereof, assign to a designee the signatory responsibility for the designation letter, the designation letter must include an acknowledgement that the Governor, or his/her equivalent, has authorized the designee to sign the letter on his/her behalf.
- For insular areas, the equivalent of a State Governor is the appropriate signatory.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
