SBA Grants Available for State Trade, Export Promotion

Starting March 1, 2011, state governments can apply for grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support efforts to increase exporting by small businesses.

The program is called The State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP), and it will award $90 million in business grants to all 50 states over the next three years, on a competitive basis. The goal is to increase the number of small businesses that want to export, and to increase the value of exports for those small businesses that currently export.

Chase Gives $19 Million In Small Business Grants

JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the world's largest banks, is distributing over $19 million in grants to help small businesses in distressed neighborhoods across the U.S. The business grants are a part of their $25 million pledge to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) that serve neighborhoods in Texas, Louisiana, California, Delaware and Washington-Oregon.

The grants will nearly double the existing capital bases of these organizations, allowing them to grow and help as many entrepreneurs as possible. Additional grants will be announced at a later date. Chase says the grants, when combined with other private and government funding, will make up to $250 million available for small business lending.