South Carolina Export Incentives Program (STEP/SCOPE)

The South Carolina Department of Commerce offers an Export Incentives Program to support small businesses with their export efforts. The program reimburses eligible South Carolina companies for pre-approved export-related expenses. Companies may apply for up to two activities during a grant year.

Eligible Companies • Meet SBA’s size standards for a small business. • Organized for-profit, in business for at least two years. • Headquartered or with a presence in South Carolina • Have an export-ready product or service with at least 51% U.S. content. • Understand the costs associated with exporting and doing business with international clients. • In good standing with the S.C. Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service and able to certify eligibility for federal grants. • Willing to report activity outcomes (including sales data), if funded is awarded.

Eligible Activities •  Select Trade Missions •  International Trade Shows •  U.S. Commercial Service programs •  Website Upgrades (localization, translation, and SEO); translation of marketing materials       If approved for funding, the S.C. Department of Commerce will notify applicants. To learn more, contact  export@sccommerce.com

The South Carolina Export Incentives Program reimburses eligible South Carolina small businesses for approved export-related expenses through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) or the South Carolina Opportunities for Promoting Exports (SCOPE) grants. Companies may apply for up to two activities during the grant year. Companies should not apply if receiving funding from other sources for the same event. Activities completed before application approval will not be funded.

This application may be shared with the U.S. Commercial Service. After submitting the application, please email any supporting materials (company marketing materials, copy of export business plan, etc.) to export@sccommerce.com.  Not all applicants will qualify for the Export Incentives Program, and not all applications will be approved.

Products must be of U.S. origin or have a content consisting of 51% or more of U.S. produced or manufactured parts, labor, or value-added or any combination thereof for a company to be eligible for funding.

*Limit of 2 travelers. Funding for travel only cover employees of the company (distributors, consultants, etc. are not eligible).

All funds are reimbursed to the company not individuals.

Please note: if a company has an outstanding tax lien with the South Carolina Department of Revenue or the Internal Revenue Services, in lieu of reimbursement to the company, payments will be remitted to these entities on behalf of the company.

Applications are reviewed by an evaluation committee (to determine export potential) on a rolling basis until all funds are expended. Applications should be submitted prior to any activity for which funds are requested.  Incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible. Applications will be disqualified if a company has received or is receiving funding from other source for the same activity.

The SCDOC will notify applicants if they are approved for funding, and the dollar amount for which they may be reimbursed. To receive reimbursement, companies must complete all required items – SBA’s Self-representation and Certification Regarding Debarment forms, IRS W-9 “Request for Taxpayer ID and Certification, S.C. vendor number, etc., - execute the proposed event/activity, and submit the completed reimbursement package and post-event survey.

Applications must be signed and dated. By signing below, the signer certifies that the company meets all the requirements for the South Carolina Export Incentives Program, and that all information provided in this document, and any accompanying documents is true and complete. In addition, he/she agrees to complete reporting requirements including disclosure of export sales and leads generated.

Funded in part through a Grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Self-Representation as an ‘Eligible Small Business Concern 

The undersigned seeks services from a State grant recipient under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (HR 644) which authorized the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP).

Section 503 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 defines the term 'eligible small business concern,’ as a business concern that:

1.  Is organized or incorporated in the United States;

2.  Is operating in the United States,

3.  Meets

a. The applicable industry-based small business size standard established under section 3 of the Small Business Act; or

b. The alternate size standard applicable to the program under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act and the loan programs under title V of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 695 et seq.);

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards are found at 13 C.F.R. Part 121. Use the following sba.gov link for information on size standards for your business (https://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/contracting/contracting-officials//small- business-size-standards)

4.   Has been in business for not less than 1 year, as of the date on which assistance using a grant under this subsection commences; and

5.   Has access to sufficient resources to bear the costs associated with trade, including the costs of packing, shipping, freight forwarding, and customs brokers.

 

The undersigned certifies that this is an export ready U.S. company seeking to export goods or services of U.S. origin or have at least 51% U.S. content.

Submitting false information in order to obtain services from a STEP grant recipient is a violation of Federal law. If you submit false information the Government may seek criminal, civil, and/or administrative remedies against you, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 1001, 1040; and 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733. The Government may elect to exclude you from further participation in certain Federal programs and contracts if you submit false information in connection with receiving services from a STEP grant recipient.

 

I hereby certify that the business I represent is seeking services from a STEP grant recipient and is an eligible small business concern,* pursuant to the above definition.

All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Certification Regarding
Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion Lower Tier Covered Transactions

 

This certification is required by the regulations implementing Executive Order 12549, Debarment and Suspension, 13 CFR Part 145. The regulations were published as Part VII of the May 26, 1988 Federal Register (pages 19160-19211). Copies of the regulations may be obtained by contacting the person to which this proposal is submitted.

 

 (BEFORE COMPLETING CERTIFICATION, READ INSTRUCTIONS ON THE NEXT PAGE)

 

 (1)   The prospective lower tier participant certifies, by submission of this proposal, that neither it nor its principals are presently debarred, suspended, proposed for disbarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency.

 (2)   Where the prospective lower tier participant is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, such prospective participant shall attach an explanation to this proposal.

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CERTIFICATION

  

1.    By signing and submitting this proposal, the prospective lower tier participant is providing the certification set out below.

 2.    The certification in this clause is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when this transaction was entered into. If it is later determined that the prospective lower tier participant knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.

 3.    The prospective lower tier participant shall provide immediate written notice to the person to which this proposal is submitted if at any time the prospective lower tier participant learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances.

 4.    The terms "covered transaction," "debarred," "suspended," "ineligible," "lower tier covered transaction," "participant," "person," "primary covered transaction," "principal," "proposal," and "voluntarily excluded," as used in this clause, have the meanings set out in the Definitions and Coverage sections of the rules implementing Executive Order 12549. You may contact the person to which this proposal is submitted for assistance in obtaining a copy of those regulations (13CFR Part 145).

 5.    The prospective lower tier participant agrees by submitting this proposal that, should the proposed covered transaction be entered into, it shall not knowingly enter into any lower tier covered transaction with a person who is debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this covered transaction, unless authorized by the department or agency with which this transaction originated.

 6.    The prospective lower tier participant further agrees by submitting this proposal that it will include the clause titled "Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion--Lower Tier Covered Transactions," without modification, in all lower tier covered transactions and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions.

 7.    A participant in a covered transaction may rely upon a certification of a prospective participant in a lower tier covered transaction that it is not debarred, suspended, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from the covered

transaction, unless it knows that the certification is erroneous. A participant may decide the method and frequency by which it determines the eligibility of its principals. Each participant may, but is not required to, check the Nonprocurement List.

 8.     Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render in good faith the certification required by this clause. The knowledge and information of a participant is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings.

 9.    Except for transactions authorized under paragraph 5 of these instructions, if a participant in a covered transaction knowingly enters into a lower tier covered transaction with a person who is suspended, debarred, ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from participation in this transaction, in addition to other remedies available to the Federal Government, the department or agency with which this transaction originated may pursue available remedies, including suspension and/or debarment.

 

 

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