Opportunity Information: Apply for SB OITST 23 001

The FY 2023 State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) for South Dakota is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under CFDA 59.061. The program sits in the Business and Commerce funding category and is designed to support state-level efforts that help small businesses expand into international markets. The core idea behind STEP is to strengthen export promotion and trade development activities by providing grant funding to the state entity that leads South Dakota's export and trade facilitation work.

Eligibility for this opportunity is intentionally narrow because of the governing statute, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015. Under that law, STEP grants can only be awarded to "States," a term that is defined broadly to include U.S. states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. For this specific notice, the opportunity is explicitly limited to South Dakota. That means the applicant cannot be an individual business, a private nonprofit, or a local government acting on its own. Instead, the eligible applicant must be a non-federal entity that qualifies as the State for purposes of STEP: a South Dakota state agency or another organization that has already been formally and officially designated by the Governor (or equivalent authority) as the single, sole applicant and lead entity responsible for conducting the state's trade and export activities. In practice, this designation requirement is meant to ensure there is one clear statewide administrator that coordinates export assistance rather than multiple competing applicants.

From a funding standpoint, the notice lists an award ceiling of $175,000. The opportunity also indicates an expected five awards, which in the context of STEP generally reflects that the SBA is making multiple state or territorial awards under the broader national program, even though this posting is tailored to South Dakota. The funding instrument is a grant, and the overall opportunity category is discretionary, meaning applications are competitively reviewed and selected rather than awarded automatically based on a formula.

Timing details in the source data show that the opportunity was created on March 16, 2023, with an original closing date of March 17, 2023, and no explanation provided for that very short window. That kind of timeline often indicates a targeted or administrative posting tied to an already-identified designated state entity, or a situation where the intended applicant had advance notice through program channels. In any case, the key operational takeaway is that only the governor-designated statewide lead for export promotion in South Dakota would be positioned to apply and administer the award on behalf of the state.

Overall, this STEP notice is best understood as funding aimed at building and delivering statewide export assistance infrastructure and services, with the state-designated lead entity serving as the applicant and administrator. The grant is not directly open to individual South Dakota companies; rather, it is structured so the designated state entity can use the funds to run or expand programs that help small businesses pursue exporting and international sales opportunities.

  • The Small Business Administration in the business and commerce sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2023 STATE TRADE EXPANSION PROGRAM (STEP) for South Dakota" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 59.061.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Mar 16, 2023.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 17, 2023 No Explanation. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $175,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 5 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
Apply for SB OITST 23 001

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FY 2023 State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) for South Dakota - FAQs

What is the FY 2023 STEP grant for South Dakota?

The FY 2023 State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) for South Dakota is a discretionary federal grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under CFDA 59.061. It is designed to support state-level efforts that help small businesses expand into international markets by strengthening export promotion and trade development activities.

Who administers this grant opportunity?

This opportunity is administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

What is the CFDA number for this program?

The CFDA number listed for the STEP program in this notice is 59.061.

What funding category does this opportunity fall under?

The notice places this program in the Business and Commerce funding category.

Is this a discretionary or formula grant?

This is a discretionary grant opportunity, meaning applications are competitively reviewed and selected rather than awarded automatically through a formula.

What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?

The funding instrument is a grant.

What is the main purpose of STEP funding in South Dakota?

The core purpose is to provide grant funding to the state entity that leads South Dakota's export and trade facilitation work, enabling statewide export promotion and trade development activities that help small businesses pursue international markets.

Who is eligible to apply for this specific STEP notice?

Eligibility is intentionally narrow. For this notice, the opportunity is explicitly limited to South Dakota, and the eligible applicant must be a non-federal entity that qualifies as the State for purposes of STEP: a South Dakota state agency or another organization that has been formally and officially designated by the Governor (or equivalent authority) as the single, sole applicant and lead entity responsible for conducting the state's trade and export activities.

Can an individual South Dakota small business apply directly?

No. The notice indicates the grant is not directly open to individual South Dakota companies. Instead, it is structured so the state-designated lead entity can use the funds to run or expand programs that help small businesses pursue exporting and international sales opportunities.

Can a private nonprofit apply on its own?

No. The notice states the applicant cannot be a private nonprofit acting on its own. Only a qualifying statewide entity (a state agency or a governor-designated organization serving as the single, sole statewide applicant) is eligible.

Can a local government apply independently (for example, a city or county)?

No. The notice states the applicant cannot be a local government acting on its own. The application must come from the qualifying statewide lead entity designated to conduct the state's export and trade activities.

Why is eligibility limited to a single statewide applicant?

The designation requirement is meant to ensure there is one clear statewide administrator that coordinates export assistance, rather than multiple competing applicants.

What law governs who can receive STEP grants?

Eligibility is constrained by the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, which limits STEP awards to "States" as defined in that law.

How does the STEP statute define "States"?

In the governing law described in the notice, "States" is defined broadly to include U.S. states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

If STEP can apply to multiple states and territories, why does this posting focus on South Dakota?

This specific notice is explicitly limited to South Dakota. While the broader STEP program makes multiple awards nationally, this posting is tailored to the South Dakota statewide lead entity.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The notice lists an award ceiling of $175,000.

How many awards are expected?

The opportunity indicates an expected five awards. In the STEP context described, this generally reflects multiple state or territorial awards under the broader national program, even though this posting is tailored to South Dakota.

What are the key posted dates for this opportunity?

The source data indicates the opportunity was created on March 16, 2023, with an original closing date of March 17, 2023.

Why is the application window so short?

No explanation is provided in the notice for the very short window. The information notes that timelines like this often indicate a targeted or administrative posting tied to an already-identified designated state entity, or a situation where the intended applicant had advance notice through program channels.

What is the practical takeaway for who should apply?

The key operational takeaway is that only the governor-designated statewide lead for export promotion in South Dakota would be positioned to apply and administer the award on behalf of the state.

Does this funding directly pay for exporting activities of one company?

The notice characterizes this funding as aimed at building and delivering statewide export assistance infrastructure and services. It is not positioned as a direct grant to an individual company; instead, the designated state entity uses the funds to support programs that help small businesses pursue exporting and international sales opportunities.

What kind of activities does STEP support according to this description?

The notice describes STEP as supporting export promotion and trade development activities and strengthening state-level efforts that help small businesses expand into international markets, delivered through the statewide lead entity responsible for trade and export facilitation.

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