California Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz)

California STEP (ExportCalifornia) Grant & FTZ Guide (2026–2027)

Max Cap: $10,000 max at 75% reimbursement Match Rate: 75%

Baseline Eligibility Floor: Registered and operating in California 1+ year; SBA small business size standard; and ≥ 51% U.S. content across physical goods, connected hardware, B2B software, or U.S.-performed engineering and technical services.

Calculate My California STEP Grant & Cash Float → Start My Custom CA 6-Step Export Plan → Official ExportCalifornia Portal ↗ CA SBDC Global Trade Network ↗

2026–2027 Reimbursable Caps & Sub-Limits

$10,000 annual aggregate reimbursement ceiling per company at up to a 75% match rate.
$5,000 sub-cap for website localization, international SEO, and cross-border DDP e-commerce checkout.
$2,500 sub-cap for international IP, Madrid Protocol trademark, and foreign patent filing fees.

California Audit Traps (Read Before Spending)

Strict Quarterly Application Windows: Expenses paid even 24 hours before formal grant agreement execution are ineligible.
Combined $10,000 Ceiling: Website localization ($5k cap), international IP ($2.5k cap), and trade show booths cannot exceed $10,000 combined per year.
45–75 Day Cash Float: Exporter must float 100% of vendor invoices up front and wait 45–75 days post-claim audit for ACH payout.

SAM.gov Anti-Spam Privacy Tip (CA): Opt out of the SAM.gov Public Search listing during UEI registration — California state reviewers can still verify your active UEI privately via government login without exposing your entity on public FOIA/scraper directories. For confidential 1-on-1 prep before applying, California SBDC Global Trade advisors are protected under 15 U.S.C. § 648(a).

Industry Eligibility & Transpacific / USMCA Gateways

How California Industries Use GO-Biz STEP & Foreign-Trade Zones

From Central Valley AgTech and specialty crops to Bay Area SaaS/AI, Southern California MedTech, and San Pedro Bay marine/industrial trade, California offers layered export incentives.

Eligible Expenses Across Tech, AgTech, MedTech, Maritime & Goods

MedTech, Robotics & Connected Hardware: Subsidizes Medica/Arab Health/Farnborough booths, CE MDR / UKCA / RF compliance testing, and $2,500 Madrid Protocol trademark protection.
AgTech vs. Specialty Crop Food/Wine: AgTech sensors, drones, and biologicals claim California STEP for foreign homologation and Agritechnica booths, while physical almond, wine, dairy, and produce exporters stack WUSATA FundMatch (50% up to $300k/yr) on separate non-overlapping marketing invoices.
SaaS, AI & Engineering Services (≥ 51% U.S. Value): Uses the $5,000 localization sub-cap for multi-language UI/checkout plus U.S. Commercial Service Gold Key ($3,250) enterprise matchmaking.

California Foreign-Trade Zones (Transpacific & USMCA Duty Deferral)

Importers and assemblers moving components through California ports or cross-border maquiladora supply chains defer duties, consolidate weekly CBP entries, and eliminate tariffs on re-exported inventory across 4 major FTZ hubs:

FTZ #3 — Port of San Francisco Bay Area Tech & Cold Chain

FTZ #50 — Port of Long Beach Southern California Transpacific Gateway

FTZ #202 — Port of Los Angeles San Pedro Bay Duty-Deferral Corridor

FTZ #153 — City of San Diego / Otay Mesa Maquiladora & USMCA MedTech Cross-Border

California Export Grant & FTZ FAQs

What is the maximum California STEP (ExportCalifornia) grant for 2026–2027?

Administered by the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), California STEP reimburses up to 75% of pre-approved export promotion expenses up to a $10,000 annual aggregate ceiling per qualified California small business.

What are California STEP's sub-caps on website localization and international IP?

Within the $10,000 annual company limit, California STEP enforces a $5,000 maximum reimbursement sub-cap for website localization, international SEO, and cross-border e-commerce checkout, and a $2,500 sub-cap for international IP, Madrid Protocol trademark, and patent filing fees.

How long does California STEP take to reimburse approved claims?

California exporters must float 100% of vendor invoices up front—strictly after executing a formal quarterly grant agreement—and typically wait 45 to 75 days after post-activity claim audit for ACH reimbursement.

Do California SaaS, MedTech, AgTech, and engineering companies qualify for GO-Biz STEP?

Yes. Businesses registered and operating in California for 1+ year that meet SBA small business size standards and maintain ≥ 51% U.S. content (across manufactured hardware, software development, or U.S.-billed engineering services) can apply for overseas trade shows, Gold Key matchmaking ($3,250), localization, and compliance/IP sub-caps.

Next Steps for California Exporters

Run Free California Export Calculators

Pre-Filled for California ($5k Web / $2.5k IP Caps) Open California STEP Grant & Cash-Float Calculator → Model GO-Biz 75% match, automatic $5,000 localization & $2,500 IP sub-caps, and 45–75 day working-capital float. LA / Long Beach / Oakland B/L Privacy CBP 19 CFR § 103.31 Ocean Manifest Confidentiality Letter → Block competitors from scraping your San Pedro Bay & Oakland ocean Bills of Lading ($0 CBP filing). SaaS Gross-Up & DDP Checkout Cross-Border FX, DDP & Withholding Tax Calculator → Compare Zonos vs. Global-e DDP parcel fees and calculate exact SaaS/AI foreign withholding gross-up invoices. BIS Entity List & ENC Check Consolidated Screening List & 50% Ownership Check → Screen foreign distributors and enterprise tenants against BIS/OFAC 50% ownership rules in your browser.