STEP U.S. Market Funding Program

Insider Tip

Two things decide this one, and neither is the quality of your write-up. First, timing: the budget is fixed, adjudication is first-come first-served, and STEP stops accepting applications the moment funds are earmarked — so file early in the fiscal year rather than 45 days before your show, which is only the latest you may apply, not the best time. Second, the market must be genuinely NEW to you: you cannot have used any previous STEP funding program to enter that market, though STEP defines a new market broadly enough to include a new region or even a new segment within a market you already sell into. Know your tier before you plan the spend — Pre-Market Members cannot claim booth or exhibiting costs at all and are capped at $1,000, while Regular and Premium Members get the full $2,500 and Premium Members can additionally fund business development outside trade shows. Watch the funding-exclusivity rule: you may not put any other federal, provincial or municipal money against the same travel, accommodation, transport, booth, shipping, translation or interpretation costs. And calendar the 21-day reimbursement window the day your flight lands — missing it means default and no payment at all. If you are agri-food or agri-value, this is the wrong program; use STEP's U.S. Agri-Food Funding Program.

Rejection Pitfalls 10

• Program funds were already fully earmarked — STEP stops accepting applications at that point regardless of merit
• Application arrived later than 45 days before the trade show, event or mission, or was incomplete (late or incomplete applications are not processed)
• Applicant is not a STEP member, or the activity is not a STEP-led trade activity

Success Profile

Saskatchewan for-profit businesses that have been operating at least two years, clear $25,000 in annual sales, already hold a STEP membership, and are joining a STEP-led trade mission or show to open a U.S. market they have never sold into. The program is deliberately small and tactical — it offsets the travel, booth and translation costs of showing up, not the cost of a market-entry strategy. Regular and Premium Members get the most from it because they can claim exhibiting costs and reach the $2,500 cap. Businesses headquartered outside the province can still qualify if 30% or more of revenue comes from Saskatchewan facilities.

Evaluation Criteria

Eligibility screening plus a first-come, first-served queue against a fixed budget — not a comparative scoring exercise. STEP checks that the applicant is a member, 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, is in full compliance with government laws and regulations, is pursuing a genuinely new U.S. market it has not entered with prior STEP funding, and is participating in a STEP-led trade activity. Applicants must also demonstrate proof of impact — how the activity will contribute economic benefit to Saskatchewan through increased sales, exports or employment — and out-of-province applicants must show 30% or more of revenue comes from Saskatchewan facilities. STEP notes it also considers whether a broad number of Saskatchewan sectors benefit. Meeting every criterion does not guarantee assistance: funding availability is limited and applications stop being accepted once funds are earmarked.

Application Steps

Required Documents 9

Eligible Expenses 8

• Return economy airfare, or mileage at the provincial rate based on Google Maps distance, for up to two applicant employees
• Hotel accommodations for up to two employees, excluding incidentals
• On-ground local transportation, excluding personal or company vehicles
• Trade show booth space and standard booth furnishings — carpet, power, Wi-Fi, display case, table, chairs
• Trade show registration fees
• Shipping of trade show booth materials
• Translation of marketing materials for the specific trade event
• Accredited interpreters for the target market, who must not be a company employee

Ineligible Expenses 10

• Flights purchased with points, business or first-class airfare, seat selection and travel insurance
• Online vacation or group packages, and any personal travel beyond the approved activities
• Timeshares and accommodations paid with points
• Parking expenses, and rental vehicles paid with points
• Memberships and sponsorships associated with trade shows
• Shipping of products or samples
• Printing of marketing materials
• Travel and per diem expenses an interpreter does not include within their overall fee
• Trade show booth and exhibiting costs, for STEP Pre-Market Members specifically
• Any cost already covered by other Canadian federal, provincial or municipal government funding

Intake Periods

Rolling intake against a fixed budget, tied to STEP's fiscal year (April 1 – March 31). Current funding covers activities between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. Applications must reach STEP at least 45 days before the activity, and are adjudicated first-come, first-served until funds are fully earmarked, at which point no further applications are accepted. One application per member per fiscal year.

Deadline Notes

There is no calendar deadline. The binding rule is relative to your event: a completed application must be submitted no later than 45 days before the proposed trade show, trade event or trade mission. Two other timing facts matter more than most applicants expect. First, the budget is fixed and applications are adjudicated first-come, first-served — STEP states that once program funds are fully earmarked it will not accept additional applications, so applying early in the fiscal year materially improves your odds and meeting the eligibility criteria does not imply automatic access. Second, eligible activities must take place between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, and the program is described as temporary. After the activity, you have 21 days to submit reimbursement documentation; missing that window puts you in default and no reimbursement is issued.

Ineligible Organizations

• Government entities and government employees
• Associations
• Educational institutions
• Not-for-profit organizations
• Brokers, agents and distributors
• Research institutions
• Agri-value and agri-food companies — these must apply to STEP's separate U.S. Agri-Food Funding Program
• Businesses operating in Saskatchewan for less than two years
• Businesses with annual sales under $25,000
• Non-members of STEP

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

Because payment only happens after the activity and after documentation is accepted, there is little to recover afterwards. The equivalent risk sits before payment: failing the documentation requirements or the 21-day submission deadline puts the applicant in default, eligibility is rescinded, and no reimbursement is issued at all — so the exposure is the full unreimbursed cost of a trip already taken. STEP may also request an outcomes report up to six months after the applicant's return.