The State of Illinois has a new program to financially assist Illinois businesses in exporting their products. The STEP Program will provide grants to businesses who attend one of ten Trade Missions sponsored by the State. Additionally, if a Trade Mission does not align with your product, you may be eligible to receive a $1500 grant to create an individual trade mission designed specifically for your company. The State will arrange meetings with potential trading partners and reimburse 75% of your hotel and airfare. The State has $1.25 million allocated for this program. Their goal is to double exports by 2014.
This is a rare opportunity and we hope that many of our businesses take advantage of the availability of these funds. Please contact the GLCEDC staff for more information regarding this program. More information can also be found on the State's website: http://www2.illinois.gov/gov/exports/Pages/STEP.aspx
