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omb -- GO-Biz and Community Colleges Announce $844,000 Federal Grant for Trade and Export Initiative

Posted: 10 Oct 2016 08:48:32
State Receives Federal Funding to Help California Small
Businesses Boost Exports Globally. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 7, 2016
Brook.Taylor@gov.ca.gov
(916) 322-0667 

GO-Biz and Community Colleges Announce $844,000 Federal Grant for
Trade and Export Initiative


Sacramento, Calif. – The Governor’s Office of Business and
Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the California Community
College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) today announced that
California received an $844,214 grant from the federal government
to help small businesses boost trade and exports abroad. GO-Biz
and the CCCCO will use the funds to help small businesses
participate in activities like foreign trade missions and access
foreign markets through trade promotion initiatives.
 
“The success of last year’s program demonstrates the
effectiveness of the STEP grants in helping more small business
become international exporters," said GO-Biz director Panorea
Avdis. "We look forward to further expanding this program to
bring even more California business into the global economy.” 
 
The grant is part of the US Small Business Administration (SBA)
State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) which awarded grants to 44
states and territories to support activities to increase exports
by US small businesses. Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, the
head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and member
of President Obama’s Cabinet, announced the grant award this week
in Washington D.C.
 
“Exporting provides tremendous opportunities for America’s small
businesses and entrepreneurs.  Two-thirds of the world’s
purchasing power can be found outside of the United States, but
only about one percent of America’s 28 million small businesses
are reaching customers beyond our borders,” said Administrator
Maria Contreras-Sweet. “Exporting is an important growth
opportunity for our small businesses that are ready to expand
their reach into new and increasingly borderless global markets. 
These STEP awards, in addition to SBA's export loans and U.S.
Export Assistance Centers, help small businesses across our
nation have the tools, resources and relationships they need to
take their businesses global.”
 
STEP awards were created to advance key priorities identified in
the President’s National Export Initiative, namely to expand the
base of small businesses that become exporters and to make the
exporting process as easy as possible for small businesses.
 
“Supporting global trade through our community colleges is
important for jobs and the economy,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, Vice
Chancellor of Workforce & Economic Development of the California
Community Colleges. “It is really important for companies to get
a firsthand observation of the market, the competitors and
customer responses to their products/services – go to market,
participating in an international trade show, provides this
valuable perspective.”
 
California has received STEP funding in previous years, and this
is the second year GO-Biz and the CCCCO will jointly administer
the program. GO-Biz and the CCCCO will work with other partners
including the California Community Colleges Centers for
International Trade Development (CITD) at the Riverside Community
College District, Rancho Santiago Community College District,
State Center Community College District, the  Los Rios Community
College District, and San Mateo Community College District, 
California Department of Food and Ag (CDFA), Los Angeles Area
Chamber of Commerce,  and the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce in
providing grants to qualifying small businesses and trade
promotion programs.

GO-Biz and the CCCCO will use the funds to help small businesses
participate in activities like foreign trade missions and access
foreign markets through trade promotion initiatives,
participation in foreign trade missions, foreign market sales
trips, subscription services provided by the U.S. Department of
Commerce, as well as design of international marketing campaigns,
export trade show exhibits, training workshops, and more.
 
For more information on the California STEP program, visit
www.citd.org/castep, and for additional information on SBA’s STEP
program and the FY 2016 awardees, visit
https://www.sba.gov/managing-business/exporting/step. 


What They Are Saying 
 
“Our wine and beverage export business to China is booming. We
launched our China marketing effort through participation in a
California STEP sponsored event in Hong Kong, and it all began
from there. The assistance was instrumental in building key
relationships. We are now shipping hundreds of thousands of cases
each month to Asia!”
Mike O’Brien, CEO, WineExport.com (San Diego, CA)
 
“We participated in a California STEP event in Asia and collected
good leads, secured sales orders and obtained media coverage. We
were really pleased with the results”
Jeff Jankovic, CFO Initiative Foods (Sanger, CA)
 
“Not only were we able to meet our potential future partner in
Spain and strengthen our relationship with our current Italian
distributor, but we are also pleased to have met great leads for
other countries such as Slovenia/Croatia, Finland, Czech Republic
and interestingly enough, Colombia! Overall, Cosmoprof Bologna
was a successful venture for our company."
Chris Birchby, COOLA (Carlsbad, CA)
 
“The California STEP program was instrumental in supporting our
company’s ability to grow international sales.  The export
promotion funds enabled us to participate in the Gold Key
Services offered by the U.S. Commercial Service in Russia,
Thailand and Mexico.  As a result, we will soon be shipping our
MD innovative hair, skin and wellness products to these markets
and already signed a distribution partnership in Russia.  We have
hired 2 additional staffing as result of business growth from our
participation in the Gold Key and STEP program and look forward
to creating more US jobs in upcoming year.
Susan F. Lin M.D., CEO, La Canada Ventures Inc. (San Mateo, CA) 
 
About the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
(GO-Biz) 
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development
(GO-Biz) serves as California’s single point of contact for
economic development and job creation efforts. GO-Biz offers a
range of services to business owners including: attraction,
retention and expansion services, site selection, permit
streamlining, clearing of regulatory hurdles, small business
assistance, international trade development, assistance with
state government, and much more. For more information visit:
www.business.ca.gov.
 
About the California Community College Chancellor’s Office
(CCCCO) Centers for International Trade Development (CITD)
The California Centers for International Trade Development (CITD)
are funded by the Chancellor’s Office of the State of California
to promote the state’s international trade and competitiveness,
assist exporters and importers, and advance economic and job
growth. The CITDs assist California business to expand
internationally as well as help colleges become more globalized.


                                                                





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