Dahlkemper Introduces New Plan to Help Small Business Increase Exports, Expand into New Markets

[From Rep. Dahlkemper's website] Friday, 23 July 2010
Washington—Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3) has introduced new legislation to help small businesses expand through exports. The Small Business Export Enhancement Act of 2010 will help small businesses gain access to new markets and increase their exports by strengthening and improving Export Assistance Centers.

Export Assistance Centers, operated jointly by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Export-Import Bank, provide small- and medium- sized businesses with direct, personalized support with exporting. Rep. Dahlkemper’s bill will ensure that the Centers are fully staffed with export finance specialists and expand the number of specialists available to small businesses within two years. The legislation also directs the SBA to analyze the gaps in coverage by the export finance specialists to ensure that all areas are being served by the Export Assistance Centers.

“Exporting has allowed our business to grow by a significant margin,” said Michael L. Noble, President of HERO BX in Erie. “Helping small- and medium- sized businesses break into exporting accelerates growth and gives businesses access to an entirely new consumer and client base. Rep. Dahlkemper’s plan will surely help businesses in Western Pennsylvania.” Hero BX was recently awarded the U.S. Commercial Service’s Export Achievement Award.

Currently, less than one percent of our nation’s nearly 29 million small businesses export their goods and services; yet, that one percent accounts for about 31.3% of our nations export volume, totaling more than $311 billion in FY2009. According to a study by Comptia, the Computing Technology Industry Association, 86% of small businesses that are exporting reported their export sales are growing faster than their domestic sales.

In FY 2009, the SBA provided over 1,500 loans totaling over $600 million to exporters. On average, over the last five fiscal years, every dollar invested in SBA Export Assistance programs has resulted in $382 in export sales.

Services offered through Export Assistance Centers include three SBA trade and export loan programs targeted towards small business:

* International Trade Loan Program (ITL): The ITL program offers term loans to small businesses that plan to start or continue exporting, as well as to small businesses that have been adversely affected by competition from imports.
* Export Working Capital Program: SBA’s Export Working Capital Program (EWCP) loans are targeted to small businesses that are able to generate export sales and need additional working capital to support their sales.
* Export Express Loan Program: SBA Export Express helps small businesses develop or expand their export markets. The program provides exporters and lenders a streamlined method to obtain SBA-backed financing for loans and lines of credit up to $250,000.

DOE Announces $30 Million in New Small Business Funding to Help Commercialize Clean Energy Technologies

Washington, DC- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that $30 million in funding from the Recovery Act and FY 2010 budget appropriations will be made available to qualified small businesses to support the commercialization of promising new technologies. Today's funding announcement builds on the Department's existing efforts under the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) to develop near-term clean energy technologies and support American small businesses that will play an important role in building the clean energy economy of the future. This is the first time DOE has offered Phase III awards under these small business programs.

Small companies previously awarded Phase II grants through DOE's Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) or the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) are eligible. Projects that include developed technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and impact on U.S. manufacturing and job creation are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants may receive up to $3 million over 3 years to research, develop and deploy new technologies.

Applications are currently being accepted for the following technology areas of interest:

Biomass Technologies; Buildings Technologies; Fuel Cell Technologies; Geothermal Technologies - High Temperature Tools and Sensors; Industrial Technologies; Solar Technologies - Lowering the Cost of Photovoltaics through Innovative Augmentation;
Vehicle Technologies; Wind Technologies; Fossil Energy; Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability; and Nuclear Energy.

The deadline for submission of applications is August 4, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. EST.
For more information about the DOE FY 2010 Phase III Xlerator Program please visit the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.