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California STEP Grant – Y11 Round 3

Grantor:
Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development
Departmental Grant ID:
0509
Portal ID:
85322
Status:
Closed
Open Date:
3/1/25 00:00
Opportunity Type:
  • Grant
Last Updated:
 | 
Categories:

Details

Purpose:

The California State Expansion Program (STEP) grant offers financial assistance to eligible California small businesses seeking to expand into foreign markets through STEP Events and Export Vouchers. 

Description:

STEP aims to boost the number of qualified small business exporters and increase the volume of goods and services they export. Eligible California small businesses can participate in up to two (2) STEP events per federal fiscal year, with potential participation in additional events based on space and funding availability. For the Export Voucher, eligible businesses can receive reimbursement for up to 75% of pre-approved expenses, capped at $10,000 per federal fiscal year of October 1, 2024 – September 28, 2025.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

  • Business

For-profit; Business Organized or incorporated in the U.S; Exporting goods or services of U.S. origin or that have at least 51% U.S. content; Meet SBA small business size standards; In business for at least one year

See detailed eligibility.

Eligible Geographies:

Must be organized or incorporated in the United States of America; Must have significant business operations in California. (Substantial presence in terms of workforce, facilities, and economic impact within that state); Must be registered to do business in the State of California and have a good standing with regulatory agencies; GO-Biz will assess the operating status of a company based on the business type:

See detailed eligibility.

Matching Funding Requirement:

See page 7 of the Program Guidelines.

Important Dates

The date (and time, where applicable) by which all applications must be submitted to the grantmaker. Time listed as “00:00” equates to midnight.
The date on which the grantor expects to announce the recipient(s) of the grant.
Ongoing
The length of time during which the grant money must be utilized.
Apr 1 – Aug 31, '25

Funding Details

The total projected dollar amount of the grant.
See Notes Below
A single grant opportunity may represent one or many awards. Some grantors may know in advance the exact number of awards to be given. Others may indicate a range. Some may wish to and wait until the application period closes before determining how many awards to offer; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
Dependent
Grant opportunities representing multiple awards may offer awards in the same amount or in varied amounts. Some may wish to wait until the application period closes before determining per-award amounts; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
$500 – $10,000
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) provide a letter of intent.
No
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) be able to fully or partially match the grant award amount with another funding source.
25%

Available Funding Notes:

STEP Events funding is predetermined and varies by event. GO-Biz may either subsidize most of the participation fee or set a specific funding amount. Export Vouchers are competitive, and GO-Biz may award less than requested based on factors such as application strength, number of applicants, and available funding. Awards are reimbursement-based and aim to support small businesses effectively within funding limits.

The funding source allocated to fund the grant. It may be either State or Federal (or a combination of both), and be tied to a specific piece of legislation, a proposition, or a bond number.
  • Federal and State

Funding Source Notes:

The California State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) is administered by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

The manner in which the grant funding will be delivered to the awardee. Funding methods include reimbursements (where the recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor) and advances (where the recipient spends received grant funds directly).
  • Reimbursement(s)

Funding Method Notes:

See Program Guidelines.

How to Apply

State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.

Resources

For questions about this grant, contact:
Jonathan Gasca, 1-916-857-9847, STEP@gobiz.ca.gov

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