Development offers grant programs to help Ohio companies export their goods and services, gain export knowledge, and participate in trade missions. Development's export grants are partially funded through the U.S. Small Business Administration's State Trade Expansion Program (STEP).

International Market Access Grant for Exporters 
(IMAGE)

Ohio Export Grant Boosts International Sales

Company Eligibility

IMAGE provides eligible companies a 50% reimbursement of up to $10,000 in grant funds (i.e., 50% of $20,000 in eligible expenses) to engage in activities to increase export sales. Companies can receive up to $10,000 in reimbursement per program year.

For more detailed information, please see the IMAGE Handbook below.

View Handbook

• Company operates a licensed for-profit business in Ohio to manufacture, assemble, and/or distribute a product or provide an exportable service.
• Company certifies that the products to be promoted contain a majority (at least 51%) of U.S. content.
• Company has identified qualifying and achievable export activities or initiatives requiring financial support and has, in effect, a strategic plan for exporting.
• Company asserts that it meets the requirements of the Table of Small Business Size Standards set forth by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
• Company has been in business for no less than one year at time of application.
• Company attests that it shall not knowingly enter into any transactions with a person in the Excluded Parties List System.
• Company must be in good standing with all state of Ohio agencies.

Grant Activity Information

• Activities must be approved before the activities are conducted.
• The earliest date that an activity can begin is the application approval date or Oct. 1, 2023, whichever date is later.

Eligible Grant Activities

• Exhibiting at International Trade Shows
• EXIM Credit Insurance Premiums
• U.S. Commercial Service Programs
• Trade Missions
• Supported Individual Market Visit
• Exhibiting at Eligible Domestic Trade Shows*
• Compliance Testing*
• Designing and Translating of Marketing Materials

For more detailed information, view the IMAGE Handbook

Funding Opportunity

IMAGE will cover activities starting Oct. 1, 2024, (or when application is approved, whichever is later) and end on September 29, 2025, or when funds have been exhausted. Funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Companies with application issues will be given 10 days to remedy their application. 

Should funds be exhausted, Development will place only eligible applications on a wait list and will approve them should additional funds become available.

Apply for IMAGE

Export Training

Receive 50% reimbursement on export training, up to $5,000 per grant year. Training must be successfully completed to be reimbursed. Grant year runs from October 1, 2024 through September 29, 2025. Company eligibility listed under the IMAGE section applies to the Export Training Grant. Reimbursement requests are due within 30 days of training completion.

Currently accepting applications for:

• Export training opportunities that are proposed in the grant applications, subject to the approval of the program manager.

Additional training opportunities will be added to the application as registrations open. All IMAGE eligibility criteria apply to the Export Training Grant.

How to Apply

• Click the button below
• Scroll down to the Export Section
• Select and complete Export Training Grant

Apply for the Export Training Grant