Alberta Export Expansion Program (AEEP)
$15,000.00
Grant
Description:
The Alberta Export Expansion Program offers funding to help export-ready companies and non-profit organizations enhance access to international markets and attract global buyers. The Alberta Export Expansion Program (AEEP) supports Alberta’s small- and medium-sized enterprises, industry associations, Indigenous organizations, economic development organizations that promote Alberta exports through international travel to formal outbound trade events.
Comments on Funding:
Funding will be provided as a grant on a first-come, first-served basis, based on per diem or event registration:
Per diem
–CAD$400 per day for the first traveler
–CAD$200 per day for the second traveler
Per diems are provided for the duration of the formal event(s) the applicant organization attends, plus 2 days per application to accommodate air travel (proof of travel required). Per diems are only calculated for dates of formal international trade event participation.
Event registration
50% reimbursement of formal event base entry registration fees up to a maximum of CAD$1,000 per organization for each formal trade event.
Continuous Intake
Eligibility:
Applicants must:
For all organizations
1. Be an incorporated legal entity in Alberta;
2. Be in good standing with the province, and meet or have met all obligations to the province under other grant agreements;
3. Be operating in and have a permanent physical presence in the province for at least one year;
4. Have a minimum of one full-time equivalent employee working in Alberta;
5. Have undertaken outbound international travel from Canada on or after April 1, 2024;
6. Have attended international formal trade or export-related event(s) in another country and can provide proof of registration;
7. Have sent traveler(s) based in Alberta to the above noted formal trade-related event(s);
8. Disclose all sources of federal and/or provincial government assistance from AEEP grant funding that may be awarded, whereby the government assistance may not exceed 75 percent of the total trip cost (accommodation, flights, event registration, booth and translation costs) specified in the application;
9. Apply no later than two months after the first day of participation in a formal event included in the application.
For-profit applicants
1. Have annual gross sales between $250,000 CAD and $25 million CAD;
2. Employ fewer than 500 full-time equivalent staff in the last fiscal year;
3. Be seeking to enter a new market for their organization (defined as a country or US state representing $150,000 CAD or less of gross annual sales in its last complete tax reporting year, or last 12 months for monthly and quarterly filers. If sales generated in the target market were greater than $150,000 CAD then sales for that market must be less than 15 per cent of the company’s total annual sales); and
4. Be export ready.
For the purposes of AEEP eligibility, export readiness includes that the organization:
1. has developed product(s) or services(s) that can be exported;
2. has a plan for how to enter the new target market(s) included in the application (latest business plan, annual report,
market entry plan and/or strategy);
3. is willing and able to meet increased demand for their product(s) or service(s) in the new target market(s); and
4. is committed, willing and able to dedicate staff, time and resources to the process of developing the new target market(s).
Application Steps:
Applicants must:
1. Read the Alberta Export Expansion Program (AEEP) Guidelines
2. Prepare the application in the Alberta.ca online application portal;
a. All travelers from the applicant organization must be included in the same application for AEEP funding for that event.
b. The application portal is designed for Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers on personal computers. It is not currently supported for Safari or any mobile device browsers.
c. A separate application must be submitted for each trip (see program guidelines).
d. An applicant may submit multiple applications at any given time.
3. Submit the application in the portal.
Documentation Needed:
Applicants must submit:
1. financial statements;
2. corporate registration documents;
3. boarding passes;
4. proof of event attendance or other documentation to verify the information provided in the application.
Other Things to Note:
Applications must be submitted within 2 months after the first day of international formal trade-related event participation and within the corresponding funding fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). Once available funds are fully allocated, intake will close and the program will no longer accept applications for that fiscal year.
About the author
Maurice
