Mississippi State Trade Expansion Program

With funding under a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and matching funds contributed by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), MDA has launched Mississippi’s State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) program.

The STEP program assists Mississippi small businesses to enter export markets for the very first time or to expand into new markets. This enables these businesses to increase their revenues via international sales and to thereby be even more significant engines for job creation and economic growth in the state. Funds are mostly utilized to reimburse Mississippi small new to export and new to market businesses for many of their expenses related to their export readiness or export marketing and promotion costs. The grant was created as a component of the National Export Initiative to double U.S. exports in the next 5 years.

 

Eligibility

• Meet the small business standards as set by SBA complete  definition can be found at www.sba.gov/content/table-small-business-size-standards.
• Be in business for not less than 1-year period ending on the date on which assistance is provided under a STEP grant.
• Is operating profitably, based on operations in the U.S.
• Demonstrate understanding of the costs associated with exporting and doing business with foreign buyers.
• Has in effect a strategic plan for exporting.
• Submit complete required STEP documentation.
• Execute the proposed project no later than September 30, 2016.
• Submit all required post-activity documentation to MDA.
• Agree to provide MDA with the export sales from the STEP-funded initiative.

 

Companies wishing to participate in the Mississippi STEP grant may email Rose Boxx at rboxx@mississippi.org or call (601) 359-3045.