About California STEP

Introduction:

The California State Trade Expansion Program has two goals:

• Assist small businesses to begin to export
• Help companies to expand exporting into new markets

Activities include support for qualified small businesses to participate in:

• International trade shows
• Trade missions
• Other export promotion activities

• The California STEP Program
• Network

• The California State Trade Expansion Program (California STEP) project leverages a statewide network of state, federal, private and non-profit trade promotion organizations to facilitate export promotion, activities, serving targeted industries, to drive exports for small businesses.
  
  

  Our goals are simple:

  • If you are exporting, we’d like to help your business export more.
  • If you are not exporting, then we’d like to help you get started.
  
  
  

  California STEP can help you answer:

  • What opportunities are there for my firm to connect with overseas buyers in California?
  • How can my firm maximize our marketing efforts through trade shows abroad?
  • Who can I contact to shorten my time for export assistance?
  • What opportunities exist for my firm to get specialized export training and assistance?
  
  
  

  How Will STEP Help Small Businesses?

  • Support for small business participation in foreign trade missions and foreign market sales trips
  • Subscription to services by the Department of Commerce
  • Trade show exhibitions;
  • Participation in training

• The California STEP Network

  This network is unparalleled in experience and success; including four (4) Presidential “E-awards” for exporting, and six (6) successful U.S. Department of Commerce, Market Development Cooperator Awards over the past decade carrying out small business export promotion programs.
  
  Managed by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office Centers for International Trade Development (CITD), the network of STEP Partners implement a range of export promotion programs serving multiple sectors, including: Information & Telecommunications Technologies, Green Technologies, Food and Agricultural Products, California Lifestyle Products, Water Technologies, Scientific Instrumentation, Transportation Equipment and Industrial Machinery.
  
  

  • California STEP Partners

    • California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)
    • California Department of Food & Agriculture
    • California Community Colleges' Chancellors Office
    • Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
    • Riverside Community College District, Center for International Trade Development (CITD)
    • Riverside Community College District
    • Los Rios Community College District, Center for International Trade Development (CITD)
    • San Mateo Community College District, Center for International Trade Development (CITD)
    • State Center Community College District, Center for International Trade Development (CITD)
    • Rancho Santiago Community College District, Center for International Trade Development (CITD)

  • Resource Partners

    Export promotion services will be integrated with our resource partners to expand market reach and leverage resources and expertise to enhance the economic outcomes for the companies served by California STEP.

    
    
    Government and Public Partners

    • U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of International Trade
    • Small Business Development Centers
    • U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service
    • Export Import Bank of the United States
    • Overseas Private Investment Corporation
    • Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
    • California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program

    
    
    Private Sector Partners

    • United Parcel Service (UPS)