The Idaho Department of Commerce is accepting applications for State Trade and Export Promotion grants.

This is the second year STEP grants have been available to qualifying Idaho companies that export products.

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to companies that meet small-business standards established by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The grants are designed to support companies in any industry that are already exporting internationally.

Idaho companies previously awarded STEP grants have found success in their trade and export efforts, the Commerce Department says.

One is Ground Force Manufacturing, a mining support equipment-manufacturing company in Post Falls, which received a $7,000 grant in 2012 to support market expansion efforts in Latin America.

“This matching grant, in combination with a superbly timed lieutenant governor’s trade mission to Brazil and Mexico, gave our growing company the perfect opportunity to conduct key market development in these two nations and also in three additional countries in the immediate region,” says Ron Nilson, Ground Force Manufacturing president and CEO.

The first STEP grant application deadline is Jan. 25. Money received must be used by Sept. 29.

The second application deadline is July 9, with a corresponding use deadline of Oct. 3.

Details and an application for the grant are available at http://bit.ly/UWgPMR.