Funding Resources
The federal programs we help clients navigate.
Why Capital Is Often the Real Gap
Companies that fail at international expansion don't fail because of bad products or bad markets.
They fail because they ran out of working capital before the first shipment cleared customs, or couldn't fund certification and compliance work, or couldn't underwrite the trade show or partner development work that opens the first buyer relationship.
The federal government runs dozens of programs designed to close those gaps — most of them dramatically underused because companies don't know they exist.
This page is the curated set of programs we work with most often, organized by industry.
How Rural Exports
Works With Funding Programs
We don't write your grant for you
We coordinate the work the grant funds
Federal programs have application windows, eligibility requirements, award timing, and reporting obligations that vary widely. The wrong program at the wrong time wastes months. We help clients identify which programs match their project, timing, and operational capacity.
Grant writing is its own specialty. We help you decide whether a program is worth pursuing, what it requires, and how to structure your project to fit the program's criteria — then we refer you to grant writers or technical assistance providers who can write the application.
When a client wins a USDA market development grant, an EXIM working capital line, or a USTDA feasibility study, they still need the coordination work the funding pays for. That's where Rural Exports operates directly, often with grant funds covering part or all of the engagement.
Not sure where you stand on export readiness? Take the assessment first.