Export grants from the SBA
The U.S. Small Business Administration is providing grants (free money!) of up to $5000 for qualified small businesses under the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP). The grants are intended to help small businesses launch or expand their export programs. In Texas these grants are being administered by the state Department of Agriculture, but recipients are not required to be in an agriculture-related business.
To qualify, a company must be a “small business” under SBA rules and produce a product or service in Texas.
The grants are provided as post-completion reimbursement for export-related activities. These can include a range of services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service, translations and design of export marketing collateral or websites, travel and tradeshow participation, among others. (And I’d be remiss not to mention that we offer many of the eligible services at Swift Passage.)