The Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board, or CERB, has selected 10 finalist projects that will compete for $3 million in loans and grants as part of Gov. Christine Gregoire's state export initiative.
Each of the finalists will receive a formal Request for Proposal from the new Export Assistance Program, a key component of the state export-boosting plan that seeks to meet President Barack Obama's call to double national export levels in five years.
All 10 finalists were selected from a field of 31 applicants by a review panel of CERB members and experts in the promotion of state exports. CERB is looking to boost programs that can achieve substantial, profitable results.
Completed RFP's are due by Aug. 23, 2010 and CERB is expected to make a final determination by September 2010.
The 10 projects selected to submit a full proposal for further consideration are:
City of Bellevue – $157,000 – Asia Target Markets Trade Development: Trade Promotion Strategy for China, Korea, and Japan using Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Platforms;
City of Bellevue – $70,000 – Insights on India: Educational Materials and Case Studies on Culture, Communications, Management and Negotiations related to Doing Business from Washington State with Companies in India;
Clark College/Association of Washington Business Institute – $840,750 – Exports Zone Resource Center/Green Building Material Manufacturing Pilot Program;
Highline Community College – $413,360 – T.R.A.D.E. Training-Ready to Advance Development of Exports: A Business Export Readiness Model;
Port of Clarkston – $100,000 – Snake River Boat Builders Export Program;
Tacoma Community College – $298,857 – Technical Assistance with Global Exporting: Creation of a Professional-Level Instructional Certificate Program in Global Exporting;
University of Washington – $1,560,000 – Building Export Competence in Washington State Businesses;
Washington State University/Small Business Development Centers – $1,291,097 – SBDC New-to-Export Initiative;
Western Washington University – $585,726 – Jump Start Washington Exports (JustWaEx);
World Trade Center Tacoma/Tacoma Community College – $248,000 – Export China Initiative.
tags: Washington state, exports