U.S. SBA Names California as 2023 State Trade Expansion Program Awardee
Sacramento, CA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that a grant totaling $700,000 has been awarded to the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) as part of the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). STEP is a federally funded grant program that aims to increase export activities among small businesses. The program has helped thousands of small businesses across California sell their products and services overseas by covering various costs associated with entering and expanding into international markets.
Since the inception of the program in 2011, the State of California has received approximately $9 million in STEP funding to support small businesses with exporting activities. These activities can include participating in foreign trade missions and international trade shows, globalizing websites and engaging in ecommerce, designing international marketing campaigns, and other important means of engagement.
Emily Desai, Deputy Director of International Affairs and Trade at GO-Biz said, “Since 95% of the world’s consumers and two-thirds of all purchasing power are located outside the United States, this grant program plays a critical role in providing access to capital, access to markets, and access to buyers. Helping our small businesses in accessing the benefits of exporting, and the economic resiliency it can support, is one of our team’s primary goals. This new round of STEP funding will help ensure those benefits are made available to even more California small businesses, particularly those that have historically lacked access to economic opportunity.”
Visit GO-Biz’s California STEP website for more information about how California small businesses can participate in our STEP events and qualify for up to $10,000 in reimbursement funding for export promotion activities.
About GO-Biz
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth and economic development efforts. GO-Biz offers a range of services to business owners including: attraction, retention and expansion services, site selection, permit streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, international trade development, assistance with state government, and much more. For more information visit the GO-Biz website.
About California STEP
The California State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) provides funding and assistance to California small businesses that aim to initiate or expand their export activities. For more information, visit the California STEP website.
Explore more articles by category: GO-Biz News | CalOSBA News | Press Releases | Opinion Editorials | Statements
