Ohio International Market Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE)

October 25, 2019
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Ohio International Market Access Grant for Exporters (IMAGE) supported by the Small Business Administration (SBA) through the State Trade Expansion Program (STEP)

Timeline: Application through Reimbursement

Grant Year: 09/30/2019 – 9/29/2020

Step 1 Application. The application is available online. Application must be conditionally approved prior to commencement of activities (see Step 2).

Step 2 Initial Review. IMAGE program administrator reviews the application for completeness, evaluates the proposed activities and checks the availability of program funds (approx. 5 days). The applicant will receive a follow-up email from the IMAGE program administrator with conditional approval* or application feedback.
*The applicant may proceed to perform the proposed activities prior to receiving Official Authorization while the background check is performed. If outstanding liabilities are found, the IMAGE program administrator will inform the applicant, who must resolve all outstanding liabilities prior to Official Authorization.

Step 3 Background Check. The applicant is reviewed by the Ohio Department of Taxation and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for outstanding liabilities (approx. 4 to 6 weeks).

Step 4 Final Approval. Upon clearance of the background check, the applicant will receive final approval notice and a grant agreement to sign from the IMAGE program administrator, subject to Official Authorization below.

Step 5 Grant Agreement. Applicant reviews and returns the signed grant agreement to the IMAGE program administrator.

Step 6 Official Authorization. The grant agreement is countersigned by an authorized representative of the Ohio Development Services Agency (approx. 2 weeks). Once completed, a copy of the fully executed grant agreement will be sent to the grantee.

Step 7 Reimbursement Request. The grantee may submit for reimbursement upon receiving the fully executed grant agreement and completing the proposed activities listed on the IMAGE application and outlined in the grant agreement.

Step 8 Reimbursement. The IMAGE program administrator will review and process the reimbursement request (approx.
45 days). The IMAGE program administrator will notify the grantee of any deficiencies in the reimbursement request.
The total amount reimbursed shall not exceed the amount listed in the grant agreement. The grant is complete once all funding is expended.

Note: A grantee must notify the IMAGE program administrator prior to May 1, 2020 (“Deadline Date”) if the grantee does not anticipate completing the proposed export-related activity or using the allocated grant funds by the Project Completion Date (September 29, 2020). If a grantee fails to
(i) notify the IMAGE program administrator prior to the Deadline Date that it is not moving forward with the project, or (ii) complete the project by the Project Completion Date, Grantee may be deemed ineligible for the IMAGE Program in the FY 21 IMAGE grant year.

For more information and to apply, visit IMAGE.development.ohio.gov

Funded in part through a grant with the U.S. Small Business Administration

The State of Ohio is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider of ADA.