Amount: 75% of eligible costs up to $20,000.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant initiative provides funding to states and U.S. territories to increase the number of businesses that export.

Administered by Maine International Trade Center (MITC), the objective of the STEP Financial Assistance Award is to encourage Maine companies to seek new international sales through financial support for costs associated with such activities.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply, companies or firms must:

  • Manufacture or perform at least 51% of the covered good or service in Maine
  • Have been in business for at least 1 year
  • Have access to sufficient resources to bear the costs associated with trade
  • Meet the U.S. Small Business Administration’s definition of small business

Eligible Projects

MITC will reimburse 75% of eligible costs associated with activities in the following categories:

  1. International business development services awards will reimburse up to $10,000 in costs associated with business matching services or international trade show participation, plus associated expenses such as shipping, interpretation, or transportation.
  2. Export skills development awards will reimburse up to $6,000 in costs associated with private or public training and export compliance and consulting services.
  3. Export marketing assistance awards will reimburse up to $8,000 in costs associated with developing international marketing material. This includes costs associated with hiring consultants and marketing agencies to improve international marketing strategies.
  4. E-commerce and digital marketing awards will reimburse up to $10,000 in costs associated with Ecommerce platform hosting and website development fees. This includes costs for search engine optimization targeting foreign markets, online market listings, and online international payment solutions.

Reimbursements Schedule

The typical processing time for applications is two weeks from date of submission to notification. Once a company is approved for a STEP Financial Assistance Award, the company must conduct the activity within the timeframe stated in the grant.

Eligibility Timeline

Applications must be received by December 15, 2023. Funded activities must be completed before December 31, 2023.

Amount of the Grant

Eligible businesses may receive a maximum of five STEP Financial Assistance Awards for up to $20,000 per year.