World Trade Center Arkansas Receives STEP Grant

The World Trade Center Arkansas is proud to be named a recipient of the State Trade and Export Promotion Program (STEP) grant. As authorized by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing $30 million in STEP grants to states and territories for the purposes of increasing small business exports in the next 12 months. This is directly in accordance with President Obama’s National Export Initiative, which seeks to double U.S. exports in five years – and in so doing, supporting two million jobs. The program provides federal government funding for 65 to75 percent of program costs. States will provide the remainder.

Specifically, the funding is intended to support participation in foreign trade missions, foreign market sales trips, subscriptions to services provided by the Department of Commerce, website translations fees, design of international marketing media, trade show exhibitions, participation in training workshops and other critical export initiatives.

In order to more effectively implement the grant towards these ends, WTC Arkansas will partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE, Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), US Department of Commerce (USDOC), the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC).

For additional information about the STEP grant program, visit

http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-content/1/2889/resources/14315.