Eligible Connecticut small businesses will again split federal dollars allocated to support their trade-export activities, with this year’s allotment totaling $350,000, authorities say.
The Nutmeg State’s latest slice is part of the $17.4 million State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) funding pie that the U.S. Small Business Administration is putting up to assist small-business exporters nationwide, the federal agency said Tuesday.
“This year alone with the $350,000 STEP grant, the [state] Department of Economic and Community Development anticipates assisting over 98 eligible companies in the state of Connecticut,” says Aaron Knight of the Office of International & Domestic Business for DECD.
In Connecticut, over the last three years the STEP grant has provided 273 grant awards to eligible companies.
To promote it, Connecticut’s U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and SBA New England regional administrator Seth Goodell were scheduled at 2 p.m. Tuesday to tour AMK Technical Services in South Windsor, a past STEP grant recipient.
Recipients in the first two rounds of STEP awards, in fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2012 have reported a strong return on investment, officials say.
