MO STEP=UP (Missouri State Trade & Expansion Program)

MO STEP=UP

Offers Missouri small businesses support for export growth through SBA-linked program funding.

MO STEP=UP (Missouri State Trade Expansion Program) is an export-development assistance program co-funded by the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the federal State Trade Expansion Program framework. The program provides cost-sharing grants to eligible Missouri small businesses undertaking activities designed to initiate or expand export sales to international markets. Funded activities typically include participation in international trade shows, foreign market sales trips, export training, and related market-entry activities.

Eligibility is restricted to small businesses meeting SBA size standards that are incorporated or otherwise registered to do business in Missouri and have been in operation for at least one year. Companies must be export-ready, meaning they have a product or service capable of being exported, and must use program funds for activities that directly support export sales rather than domestic operations. The program is designed for firms that are either new to exporting or seeking to enter new international markets, and it specifically targets companies that lack the resources to absorb the upfront costs of international market development independently.

MO STEP=UP is funded on a year-to-year basis through federal SBA allocations to Missouri DED, and specific award amounts, application periods, and available funding levels vary depending on the federal grant cycle. Missouri businesses interested in applying should contact DED directly, as program parameters and application windows are announced as funding is confirmed. The program is administered within DED's trade assistance portfolio alongside the Global Market Access Program and other internationalization support instruments.