1,000+ Opportunities
Find the right grant
Search federal, foundation, and corporate grants with AI — or browse by agency, topic, and state.
This listing may be outdated. Verify details at the official source before applying.
Find similar grantsState Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Grant is sponsored by Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) / U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). This matching grant program is designed to help Connecticut small businesses expand their export options and increase global visibility.
Get alerted about grants like this
Save a search for “Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) / U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)” or related topics and get emailed when new opportunities appear.
Search similar grants →Extracted from the official opportunity page/RFP to help you evaluate fit faster.
State Trade Expansion Program - STEP State Trade Expansion Program - STEP If you are viewing this version of CT. gov, you are using an unsupported browser or you are in Internet Explorer 9 using compatibility mode. This means that the design and layout of the site is not fully supported, however the content of the site is still fully accessible and functional.
For the full website experience, please update your browser to one of the Internet Explorer 10 or higher.
High Contrast Mode On or Off switch State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) The State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant is designed to help Connecticut’s small business community thrive in the global marketplace by increasing the value of small business exports, increasing the number of businesses that export and increasing the number of businesses exploring significant new trade opportunities.
This program is open to businesses that: operate a registered business in Connecticut to manufacture, assemble and/or distribute a product, or provide an exportable service; qualify as an “eligible small business concern” per one’s NAICS code and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) size standards; have been in business for not less than one year ending on the date on which assistance is provided under the STEP program; have demonstrated an understanding of the costs associated with exporting and doing business with foreign purchasers, including the costs of freight forwarding, customs brokers, packing and shipping; seek to export goods or services of U.S. origin or have at least 51% U.S. content; and, are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for disbarment, declared ineligible and/or voluntarily excluded from participation by any federal department or agency.
Funds may be used for a variety of activities: Trade mission/Trade show cost including registration/booth fee, furniture, graphics, signage, shipping (not baggage) Translation/Interpreter fees USDOC commercial services fees International materials/Collateral translation Export training registration fees B2B matchmaking registration fees Funds may NOT be used for the following: air/ground transportation, lodging, meals/beverages/gratuity, alcohol, compensation, wages or salary for any employee, capital goods/product samples/supplies, product giveaways/promotional items, phone/internet usage, website development, passport or visa fees, printing cost, new product development, expenses related to entertainment of clients, association/membership dues or sponsorships.
There may be other ineligible expenses. For information on this program, contact Laura Jaworski at (860) 500-2368 or via email laura. jaworski@ct.
gov or Kerron Vernon at (860) 500-2446 or via email at Kerron. vernon@ct. gov .
To begin an application and review STEP FY 2024-2025 To begin an application and review STEP FY 2024-2025 Program Guidelines visit www. stepgrant. smapply.
io Funded in part through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration In accordance with Section 632 of Public Law 117-328: Federal Funding Disclosure:
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Businesses need to operate in Connecticut, have been in operation for at least a year, and seek to export goods and services of US origin. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) Grant is funded by Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) / U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in Connecticut. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation's 2026 Open Call opened June 1 and closes July 3, across three focus areas: Global Health, K-12 STEM Education, and Economic Mobility. But two of the three only fund Marion County, Indiana. Here is how to read the geographic fine print, why the funder's commercial identity shapes what wins, and how to position a proposal that actually fits.
Read articleThe Lilly Foundation's 2026 Open Call accepts pre-applications June 1 through July 3. Its three priorities — Global Health, K-12 STEM Education, and Economic Mobility — look national, but the education and mobility tracks concentrate heavily in Marion County, Indiana, while the health track funds cardiometabolic work abroad. Here's how to read the geography before you spend a week on a pre-application you can't win.
Read articleThe Small Business Administration's Manufacturing in America Empower to Grow initiative funds up to ten technical-assistance organizations with $5M each to deliver hands-on training to small manufacturers in aerospace, shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing, and seven other priority sectors. Applications close June 15, 2026 — and the three-year continuous-operation requirement is the rule that ends most LOIs before they start.
Read article