Small Business Administration
State Trade Expansion Program 2026
Key facts
- Deadline
- Next round: about Jul 10 – Aug 18, 2027 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder ?
- Award size
- $100K – $900K
- Match ?
- Required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Private college or university, Public college or university, Nonprofit with 501(c)(3), State government
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
How this fits you
- Available in Tennessee (nationwide program)
- Needs a match (see how much in the notice)
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 1
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/83f7a3f7-9a94-46dc-b9da-d8300efb69c1 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/6fc73e79-228f-472b-a5ba-6663f164f461
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
More from Small Business Administration
- Manufacturing in America E2G Grant Initiative · Next round: about May 4 – Jun 18, 2027 Estimate, not confirmed by the funder
About this grant
State Trade Expansion Program
Who can apply, from the official notice
The Small Business Act provides in § 22(l)(1)(E) (15 USC § 649(l)(1)(E)) provides that STEP grants may be awarded only to “states,” meaning any of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Therefore, only non-federal entities that meet this definition are eligible to apply for and administer an award under this Notice of Funding Opportunity.For purposes of this Notice of Funding Opportunity, the term “eligible non-federal entity” means a state agency or other entity that, prior to the date of application for this announcement, has been officially designated by the state governor, or equivalent thereof (e.g., mayor of the District of Columbia), as the sole applicant and lead entity for conducting the State’s trade and export activities.i. The organizational structure of the state’s designated international trade arm must show an official agency relationship with state government, and the state must provide financial backing in meeting the required match amount and show support for program activities.ii. Only those proposals accompanied by the written designation of the state governor, or his/her designee, may apply for funding consideration.iii. Should the governor, or equivalent thereof, assign to a designee the signatory responsibility for the designation letter, the designation letter must include an acknowledgement that the governor, or his/her equivalent, has authorized the designee to sign the letter on his/her behalfiv. For insular areas, the equivalent of a state governor is the appropriate signatory.
Who in Tennessee has won this program
1 award to Tennessee groups in 1 county since 2024. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont University | Nashville, Davidson County | $7,649 spent that year | 2025 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
About the federal program
State Trade Expansion, also called “STEP”
Program number 59.061 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · Small Business Administration · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
How applications are judged
Awards are competitive. Selection is made based on the eligible applicant�s written ability to meet the criteria stated in the program announcement in a merit-based, competitive award process with other eligible applicants; and the applicants ability to match funds.
Match
The 10 states with the highest percentage of exporters that are small business concerns based upon the latest data available from the Department of Commerce shall receive no more than 40 percent of the total Federal Fiscal year appropriation. The Federal Share of project cost for a State that has a high export volume will be 65%. The Federal share of project cost for a State that does not have a high export volume will be 75%. (The Associate Administrator for the SBA Office of International Trade will determine which States are high volume). The State must match the remainder of project cost. The match must be comprised of not less than 50% cash and not more than 50% of in-kind contributions. Matching funds may not be derived from any Federal program.