STEP Product Modification/Certification Support Program

Insider Tip

Three things decide this one. First, timing: the budget is fixed, adjudication is first-come first-served, and STEP stops accepting applications the moment funds are earmarked — file early in the fiscal year rather than waiting until the consulting work is scoped perfectly. Second, geography: this program explicitly excludes the United States. If your new market is American, you are on the wrong page — STEP runs separate U.S. Market and U.S. Agri-Food programs for that. Third, the consultant: STEP is strict that they be a genuinely independent contractor, at arm's length, at fair market value, with expertise not otherwise available inside your company. Retainers and monthly instalment arrangements are rejected outright, as are contracts running past 12 months, so structure the engagement as a defined deliverable with a defined end. One consultant per application, and the guide allows one application per fiscal year — so put the single most market-critical certification or modification through it rather than splitting a program of work. Consultant travel and per diems are never reimbursed, so ask for a fee quote that excludes them. Finally, calendar the 21-day reimbursement window the day the work is signed off; missing it means default, loss of eligibility and forfeiture of the reimbursement on work you have already paid for.

Rejection Pitfalls 11

• Program funds were already fully earmarked — STEP stops accepting applications at that point regardless of merit
• The application was incomplete or late (STEP states these will not be processed)
• The target market is in the United States, which this program explicitly excludes

Success Profile

A Saskatchewan exporter, at least two years old with $25,000-plus in annual sales, that has hit a concrete, nameable barrier — a foreign regulator or buyer requires a certification it does not hold, or a product needs a specific modification before a new market will import it. The strongest applications are narrow and evidenced: one external specialist, a defined deliverable (a certificate, a documented procedure, a completed modification spec), a target market outside the United States, and a clear line from that deliverable to a market that opens as a result. Because the reimbursement caps at $5,000, the program fits a single targeted engagement rather than a broad consulting program.

Evaluation Criteria

An eligibility screen followed by a first-come, first-served queue against a fixed budget — not a comparative scoring exercise. STEP checks that the applicant is a Saskatchewan-based company with an exportable product or service, is an incorporated business, partnership or proprietorship registered federally or provincially and operating in Saskatchewan for at least two years, has at least $25,000 in annual sales, and is in full compliance with government laws and regulations. The project itself must involve product modification or certification for a new market outside the United States, and the application must clearly describe the consultant's work and demonstrate how it will directly support expansion into new markets. STEP also assesses the consulting arrangement: the consultant must be an independent contractor at arm's length and fair market value, with expertise not otherwise available in-house. Only complete applications are assessed, applications are approved based on available funding, and STEP states that submission of a completed application does not guarantee funding.

Application Steps

Required Documents 7

Eligible Expenses 3

• Fees for services provided by a third-party consultant or external service provider for product modification
• Fees for services provided by a third-party consultant or external service provider to obtain a certification required by a new market
• Consultant work performed in relation to Saskatchewan operations, evidenced by contracts, scopes of work and deliverables

Ineligible Expenses 13

• Website upgrades
• External staff training courses
• Consulting contracts that exceed 12 months
• Outsourced operational duties
• Retainer fees and monthly instalment arrangements
• Operational expenses and staff wages
• Management or staff travel and per diem costs
• Consultant travel and per diem costs
• Consultant administration or management fees
• Meeting expenses such as equipment rental and refreshments
• Purchase of equipment or tools
• In-kind volunteer labour, or donated services or materials
• Any costs already covered by other Canadian government programs

Intake Periods

Rolling intake against a fixed budget, tied to STEP's fiscal year (April 1 – March 31). Eligible projects must fall within the program window running to March 31, 2028 (the Application Guide requires completion by March 1, 2028). Applications are adjudicated first-come, first-served until funds are fully earmarked, at which point STEP accepts no further applications. The Application Guide states funding is provided for one application per fiscal year, to a maximum reimbursement of $5,000.

Deadline Notes

There is no calendar application deadline. STEP states plainly that all funding programs operate on a fixed budget, that applications are adjudicated first-come, first-served, and that "once the program funds are fully earmarked, we will not accept additional applications" — so the practical deadline is the moment the money runs out, and applying early in the fiscal year materially improves your odds. Meeting the eligibility criteria does not imply automatic access to assistance, and incomplete or late applications are not processed at all. The program is temporary and ends March 31, 2028. ⚠ Two official STEP documents disagree on the project window: the program web page says "eligible projects must take place between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2028," while the Application Guide (February 2026) says "this temporary program ends March 31, 2028, all projects must be completed by March 1, 2028." Plan to the stricter of the two — have the consulting work finished by March 1, 2028. Separately, reimbursement documentation is due within 21 days of project completion.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Businesses that have operated in Saskatchewan for less than two years
• Businesses with annual sales under $25,000
• Companies without an exportable product or service
• Companies pursuing the United States market — STEP directs U.S. market development to its separate U.S. Market Funding Program and U.S. Agri-Food Funding Program

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Clawback Risk

Low Risk

Payment only happens after the work is complete and the documentation is accepted, so there is little to recover afterwards. The equivalent exposure sits before payment: failing the documentation requirements or the 21-day submission deadline puts the applicant in default, eligibility is rescinded and the reimbursement is forfeited — meaning the full cost of consulting work already paid for. A claim may also be deemed ineligible if the applicant cannot demonstrate that the work was completed in accordance with the contracted deliverables and timelines.