Empire State Development (ESD) is working in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to increase the number of small businesses that begin to export; increase the value of exports for small businesses that currently export; and increase the number of small businesses exploring significant new trade opportunities.

As of June 16, 2025 all STEP funding has been allocated. Any applications submitted on or after June 16, 2025 will be placed on a waiting list. If funds become available in the future, the company will be contacted.

Approved STEP funds can assist New York State businesses with:

• Participation in programmed foreign trade missions
• Subscription to services provided by the Department of Commerce
• Trade show exhibition (international and qualified domestic trade shows)
• Participation in export training workshops
• Qualified foreign market sales trips
• Website Content/Foreign Language Translation
• Development of International Marketing Campaign(s)
• Compliance Testing
• Consultancy Services
• Export Credit Insurance Premium Reimbursement

* Speaking engagements at a conference is an ineligible activity

Eligible Companies

New York companies must meet the following eligibility criteria to qualify for STEP funds:

• A for-profit business headquartered and registered to do business in New York State with the New York State Department of State (NYS employee presence required)
• Manufacture, assemble and/or distribute a product or provide an exportable service. If you are not the manufacturer of the product you must have the rights to export as an authorized distributor.
• The product(s) or service(s) must be export ready and already selling in the U.S. market and/or internationally.
• In business for at least one year ending on the date on which assistance is provided (start date of activity)
• Qualify as an “eligible small business concern” and meet SBA size standards.
• Have access to sufficient resources to bear the costs associated with trade.
• Have a product or service for export that contains at least 51% United States content (see calculation table on following page).
• Not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for disbarment, declared ineligible and/or voluntarily excluded from participation by any federal department or agency.
• In good standing with all New York State government agencies.
• Site visits and/or telephone interviews may be conducted to further determine a company’s eligibility. 

Ineligible Industries (include but are not limited to)

1. Businesses acting as intermediaries for other companies
2. Law firms
3. Non-profit organizations
4. Educational institutions
5. Companies involved with cannabis
6. Retail
7. Companies that are recruiting foreign investment

The funding period for the STEP 12 program is September 30, 2024 – April 30, 2026.  Each company may receive a maximum combined award total of up to $10,000 per funding period. STEP awards are issued on a first-come, first-served basis until the program funds are expended.

Click here to download the guidelines

As of June 16, 2025 all STEP funding has been allocated. Any applications submitted on or after June 16, 2025 will be placed on a waiting list. If funds become available in the future, the company will be contacted.

ESD staff will review all applications and make a determination regarding the applicant's eligibility within 30 business days of receipt of the application. The grant is awarded in the form of a reimbursement. Reimbursement for expenses is limited to one company representative and is based on 50% of the total eligible costs. This program does not allow for reimbursement of retroactive trade activities that have already been completed. If changes occur to a company’s planned arrangements, failure to provide adequate notice to ESD officials of the changes may void any awarded funds.

1.    Q: When should I submit an application?
A: You should submit your application as soon as possible and no less than 30 days prior to the anticipated activity start date. This program does not allow for reimbursement of retroactive trade activities that have already been completed. 

2.    Q: What is the amount of funding that is available to me?
A: Grants range from $2,000-$5,000 depending on the activity selected. You cannot receive more than $10,000 over the course of STEP funding period.

3.    Q: When should I expect to hear back on my application status?
A: Within 30 business days of receipt of the application. 

4.    Q: If I am approved to travel, are there restrictions on flights?
A: Yes, reimbursement is available for one round trip economy (coach) airfare, ticketed through a U.S. carrier; the airline must comply with the Fly America Act.

5.    Q: If I am approved to travel, are there limitations on lodging costs? 
A: Yes, the reimbursement rate cannot exceed the per diem lodging rate. Click here for international rates and here for domestic rates. One employee may be reimbursed for lodging and travel costs.
*Subject to change
 

Complete the electronic STEP 12 application by clicking here. The application will take about 45 minutes to complete and must be completed in one session, there is no option to save and complete later. Click here to review important information, including a preview of the required questions, prior beginning the application. 

As of June 16, 2025 all STEP funding has been allocated. Any applications submitted on or after June 16, 2025 will be placed on a waiting list. If funds become available in the future, the company will be contacted.

Upon completion of an awarded trade activity, a company will be required to submit all eligible expense receipts and proof of payment electronically, combined into one PDF file. Do not submit expense receipts until the activity is fully completed, we do not provide partial reimbursements. 

Reimbursement requires expense receipts and/or invoices to be on a formal letterhead, issued to your company (name and address), outline a scope of work, include a date, include an invoice number, include total cost, etc. Proof of payment can be a bank statement, credit card statement or wire transfer confirmation, with charges highlighted from the financial business account of the NY based STEP grantee. These documents should be emailed to Global NY upon completing the awarded activity, along with the completed Project Impact Report (PIR) for data collection purposes. A follow-up PIR will also be requested to obtain additional statistics.

After review of the expenses, reimbursement will typically take 6 weeks to process. A company may also receive a 1099 tax form in connection with this grant.  Global NY reserves the right to require additional documentation to support payment requisitions and void grants if documents appear to be altered. All submitted expense documentation is subject to approval and may be denied at Global NY’s discretion.

Companies should assess their export readiness before entering their first markets, expanding into additional markets, or taking on more challenging, high-growth export markets.  

The following links may be helpful when determining the export readiness of a company and gaining additional export education: Exporter Assessments, International Trade Administration, Global Trade Helpdesk, Connect Americas Academy, SheTrades, Export-U and Learn How To Export.

If you have any questions please contact us: (212) 803-2300 or [email protected].

Funded in part through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.