New Jersey State Trade Expansion Program

Through the SBA, the New Jersey Business Action Center received funding for the NJ STEP to provide financial awards on a first come, first served competitive basis, to New Jersey eligible small business concerns that are new to export, as well as those businesses who currently sell their goods and services to other countries.

 

STEP Eligibility:

• Company must be considered a New Jersey small business as defined by the SBA
• Your company must be in business for at least one year as of the date of the application
• Company must be NJ tax compliant
• Your product or service must contain at least 51% U.S. content
• Must be a registered business in NJ

 

Eligible businesses will be considered to receive financial awards to partially offset export promotion costs such as the following:

• Participation in International and U.S. Trade Events
• Participation in Department of Commerce Organized Trade Missions
• Fees for services provided by the U.S. Commercial Service (USCS)
• Translations of websites and marketing literature
• Application Requirements: New for 2019-2021

 

Application

To apply for a NJ STEP Grant, the following forms must be completed and included in your application packet. In addition, you must also furnish proof of your business' Vendor Number provided through NJSTART, the State of New Jersey’s new eProcurement system. If you have not yet registered your New Jersey business please do so at NJSTART.

1. NJ STEP Information Survey
2. NJ STEP Projected Return on Investment
3. U.S. SBA - Eligible Small Business Concern Form
4. U.S. SBA – SF 1624 Form
5. Copies of invoices and proof of payment for the export activities that will be considered for reimbursement through the NJ STEP grant.
6. A copy of a Business Assistance or Incentive Clearance Certificate for the New Jersey Secretary of State – Available online for free through the New Jersey Premier Business Services portal.

All grant recipients, when requested, must complete the NJ STEP Cumulative Export Results Form.

 

Companies wishing to participate in the New Jersey STEP grant may email Eddy Mayen at eddy.mayen@sos.nj.gov or call (609) 633-1182.