North Dakota State Trade Expansion Program

STEP ND is North Dakota’s exporter reimbursement program funded in part through a grant from the Small Business Administration’s State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) and administered through the North Dakota Trade Office (NDTO). The STEP ND grant program is available through December 31, 2020. Qualified activities and programs include:

• Foreign trade missions
• Foreign trade shows
• Foreign market sales trips
• Subscription to services of the US Commercial Services
• ExporTech
• RAISE Program Research
• Website translation to a foreign language
• Foreign marketing materials
• Shipping of sample materials/products to trade show/sales trip

 

Eligibility

Participation in STEP ND is open to any ND small business as defined under SBA guidelines meeting the operational definition as required by the State Trade Expansion Program as follows:

1. Is organized or incorporated in the United States;
2. Is operating in the United States;
3. Meets
   • The applicable industry-based small business size standard established under section 3 of the Small Business Act; or
   • The alternate size standard applicable to the program under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act and the loan programs under title V of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 695 et seq.);

   The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards are found at 13 C.F.R. Part 121. Use the following sba.gov link for information on size standards for your business (https://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/contracting/contracting-officials//small-business-size-standards);

4. Has been in business for not less than 1 year, as of the date on which assistance using a grant under this subsection commences; and
5. Has access to sufficient resources to bear the costs associated with trade, including the costs of packing, shipping, freight forwarding, and customs brokers.

In addition, applicants must:

1. Be a ND registered company in good standing and have a significant on-the-ground presence in ND
2. Have a current commercialized product or service with domestic and/or foreign sales history,
3. Apply directly to receive program funds – no third party representatives may apply on behalf of the company,
4. Not be debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in receiving these funds by any federal department or agency,
5. Submit the Company Application to NDTO only once for approval. Separate Activity Applications must be submitted for each planned event by participant, and
6. Sign the Company Application and all accompanying attachments to it.

NDTO reserves the right to approve or disapprove any application and associated expenses, determine eligibility matters, approve or disapprove reimbursement of expenses to a company and interpret STEP ND guidelines and requirements.

 

Companies wishing to participate in the North Dakota STEP grant can email Rebecca Espinoza at rebecca@ndto.com or call (701) 929-6703.