The New Hampshire Office of International Commerce (OIC) administers the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP), which provides direct funding to eligible small businesses to defray costs of exporting. Small businesses can apply for a grant up to $8,000, which will reimburse 80 percent of the costs of these activities that aid in accessing international markets.
The funding is flexible and can be used for activities including attending an international trade show, designing marketing materials, conducting market research, getting products certified to ISO or other standards, and more.
Over the past decade, New Hampshire companies have successfully used the funds to enter, or expand, into global markets. For the grant period that ended in September 2021, OIC clients turned $217,453 of STEP funding into export sales valued at $15.8 million; for each dollar spent, sales worth $72.80 were generated.
The success companies find in domestic markets may also be found in overseas markets. For more information and an assessment of potential export destinations, contact
Adam Boltik, NH OIC program manager.