To help small businesses start or grow their exports, the Washington State Department of Commerce offers eligible small businesses export vouchers up to $5,000 to defray the costs of qualified export-related expenses. Due to the tremendous success of the program, which started last October through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s State Trade and Export Promotion program (STEP), new funds have been allocated to keep this valuable program going until the end of the current grant year on September 30.
Qualifying businesses may use export vouchers for:
- Trade show travel, fees and registration
- Interpreter fees
- Translation services (website, marketing materials)
- Export training programs
- And more…
To review the full list of eligible expenses and check if your company qualifies, visit the Washington State Department of Commerce Export Voucher page. If you have questions, please contact Danielle Ellingston, STEP Export Voucher Program Business Development Manager, at 206-256-6143.
Stay tuned for details about FY 2012/2013. The Department of Commerce recently submitted its application to SBA for a second year of STEP support and we hope to continue providing export vouchers to small businesses through September 2013. Look for more details from Commerce later this summer.