To be eligible for the SBA STEP Grant, businesses must meet the following criteria:

• Be a small business in accordance with the SBA Small Business Size Standards.

• Be a for-profit business registered in Utah.

• Be physically located and operational in Utah for at least one year.

• Not be barred from federal funding.

• Have one or more full-time employee(s).

• Be an export-ready company seeking to export goods or services of U.S. origin or have at least 51% U.S. content. Companies cannot have more than 49% foreign ownership or be foreign-based.

• Have sufficient resources to bear the costs associated with trade activities.

The following businesses are NOT eligible for SBA STEP funding:

• Consulting agencies

• Law firms

• Real estate developers or groups

• Distributors representing a client

• Educational institutions or for-profit schools recruiting students

• Nonprofit organizations

• Foreign direct investment recruiters

• Multi-level marketing companies

• Network marketing companies

SBA STEP funds can be used for the following options:

1. Participation in foreign trade missions. Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to participate in governor-led trade missions. Trade missions are defined as travel to a foreign country to explore or expand international business opportunities.  

2. A foreign market sales trip. Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to participate in foreign market sales trips, which are defined as travel to a foreign market for the purpose of exploring or expanding international business opportunities. 

3. Participate in reverse trade missions/shows. Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to participate in reverse trade missions or shows, which are defined as bringing foreign buyers to the United States to meet with potential suppliers of U.S. manufactured goods and services. STEP Grant funding can only be used to cover participation costs directly incurred by the eligible business, such as facilitation, meeting space, audio/visual support and other related costs. Please note that STEP Grant funding cannot be used for any costs associated with travel for foreign buyers. 

4. Participate in commerce subscription services. Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to utilize the services from the U.S. Commercial Service, the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, to assist them with entering or expanding their markets. 

5. Website and product translation, SEO, localization. Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to cover the cost of website translation, foreign market localization, and search engine optimization (SEO). 

6. International marketing media design. 
   Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to strengthen their export sales potential, using any of the following: brochures, social media platforms, websites, billboards, newspapers, posters, or other branding and advertising materials as approved by WTC Utah. 

7. Participation in trade show exhibition. 
   Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to participate in trade shows, which are defined as expositions that provide opportunities to showcase products and services during the grant cycle. This includes foreign trade shows, appropriate export development, and domestic trade shows with strong international attendance according to the domestic trade show policy: 

   Domestic Trade Show Policy  A strong emphasis of the SBA STEP Program is assisting STEP Grant recipients to travel to new foreign markets to develop key contacts, establish distribution channels, and negotiate export sales in the market. However, new-to-export companies could discover their first international trade partners and make export sales at domestic trade shows that attract a strong international buyer attendance. In addition, experienced small businesses seeking to expand their export markets and sales could make considerable progress at a domestic trade show that serves as the premier international exhibition for their industry.  

8. Participation in export training workshops. Eligible businesses may use STEP Grant funding to participate in export training workshops and education courses that directly benefit business owners, ensuring they gain credible knowledge of export policies, regulations, or best practices.  

   Export certification or training workshops offered by SBA resource partners, such as Small Business Development Centers, Women Business Centers, and SCORE are encouraged. Additionally, ExporTech is a structured program jointly offered by the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the U.S. Commercial Service that assists companies entering new markets and executing strategic export plans. 

9.  Any other initiative determined appropriate by the Associate Administrator. Eligible business may use STEP Grant funding to participate in other export initiatives as determined appropriate by SBA’s Associate Administrator (or the deputy associate administrator) of the Office of International Trade. Please note that these initiatives cannot duplicate the services available from SBA, SBA resource partners, or other applicable federal trade agencies.  

   For example, payment for services provided by federal agencies such as export credit insurance policy fees, intellectual property protection, shipping products for trade shows, compliance testing, and or foreign market sales trips have been determined by STEP as appropriate use of STEP funds and are considered item 9 activities. 

   Please note: Eligible businesses who utilize STEP funds are expected to yield tangible outcomes, such as connecting to potential buyers or increasing export sales volume.   

Individual awards will vary depending on the nature of the activity. All grant awards require a 25% cash match by the grant recipient.

Eligible Expenses

Regarding foreign travel and other expenses, the following costs are allowable for STEP-eligible small businesses:

• Airfare and baggage fees (consistent with Fly America Act guidelines, economy rate only)

• Ground transportation fees

• Parking fees

• Meal and lodging (based on U.S. GSA’s Department of State per diem rates)

• Registration fees and booth space for trade shows*

• Trade mission fees

• Currency exchange fees

• Other associated and allowable travel expenses 

• Fees for shipping sample product

• Cost of compliance testing an existing product for entry into an export market

• Export research tool subscription used to assist your business with market research

• Fees associated with other allowable federal services that assist your business with export activities

• Translation into foreign languages, search engine optimization, and localization services

• Design of marketing media

• Trade data subscription services for states

• Attorney fees for review of international distributor agreements

• Travel insurance and visa expenses

* Does NOT include the WTC Utah participation fee.

Ineligible Expenses

Eligible STEP companies are NOT permitted to include costs associated with any of the following items or activities: 

• Transactions with suspended or debarred entities

• Construction or renovation of facilities or acquisition of real estate

• Litigation, whether civil, criminal, or administrative

• Providing matching contributions to any other federal awards

• Travel by elected officials

• Meals, lodging, per diem, or other subsistence expenses associated with local travel

  • Local travel is defined as any travel conducted entirely within a 50-mile radius of your organization’s address of record. (Note: funds may be used to pay transportation expenses for local travel.) 

• Costs associated with printing materials

• National and regional association dues, travel to association events

After the approved STEP activity is completed, you will be asked to fill out four SBA compliance forms and a cost report. Additionally, we will ask you to provide receipts that match the cost report and fill out a business assessment/client impact statement.

To expedite reimbursement, all required forms and eligible receipts are due within 30 days following the activity. Following review and approval of all required materials, recipients can expect reimbursement within two weeks.