Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) is launching a new trade grant program to help the state’s small and medium-sized companies continue doing business overseas even as international travel is restricted. The Virtual Business Matchmaking program will allow the state’s business community to reach new and existing customers overseas and keep moving forward.
The new program includes virtual introductions via teleconference or videoconference of up to five interested agents, distributors or partners in various given target markets who have been pre-screened and pre-qualified. EFI’s trade grant will cover the full cost of the matchmaking on a reimbursable basis, making the service completely free.
“As small and medium-sized companies in Florida begin to reopen and recover from the impacts of Covid-19, this grant will allow them the opportunity to engage in new markets,” said Jamal Sowell, Florida Secretary of Commerce and President and CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc.
Florida companies have two options to choose from, depending on the market of interest.
- Businesses that want access to markets in Europe can be matched with EFI’s international representatives in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Markets in other world regions include Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Japan, Taiwan, and Singapore.
- Businesses that want access to additional markets can be matched with EFI’s partnership with the U.S. Commercial Service’s International Partner Search Plus Virtual Introductions program. This service also includes virtual introductions with up to five pre-qualified contacts, and there are options for additional introductions.
As the world’s principal commercial gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, Florida is a global trade hub. Goods valued at $153.6 billion flowed through Florida’s airports and seaports in 2019. The state is also a major producer of high-value products for the aviation, telecommunications and medical devices sectors, and is the 7th largest export state in the U.S. with Florida-origin exports of $56 billion.
Please contact one of Enterprise Florida’s regional trade managers if your business is interested in learning more about the new Virtual Business Matchmaking service or the trade grant.