U.S. Commercial Service Gold Key Service
U.S. Commercial Service — International Trade Administration (ITA), Department of Commerce
$950 service (small business)
Vetted overseas buyer matchmaking
A fee-based export-matchmaking service from the U.S. Commercial Service (the trade-promotion arm of the International Trade Administration). For an export-ready U.S. company, Commercial Service staff in the target country identify and vet up to five interested potential partners — distributors, agents, or buyers — arrange in-market business appointments, attend the meetings, and deliver a report with profiles and contact information. It is not a grant; it is a heavily subsidized, low-cost government service ($950 standard fee for small companies) that gives small exporters on-the-ground market access they could not assemble alone. STEP grants can often reimburse the fee.
- Funding type
- Program
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $950 service (small business)
- Realistic amount
- A typical small exporter pays the $950 standard fee for a set of up to five vetted appointme…
- Deadline
- Rolling — request any time through your local U.S. Commercial Service office / trade specialist.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- in-kind
Who qualifies
- Export-ready U.S. company
- Exporting goods or services of U.S. origin or that have at least 51% U.S. content
- Has a product/service and the capacity to fulfill international orders
- Targeting a specific foreign market for partner/buyer matchmaking
How to apply
-
1
Contact your local U.S. Commercial Service office
Use trade.gov to find your local office / trade specialist and confirm you are export-ready and meet the 51% U.S.-content requirement.
~1 hrs
-
2
Define the target market and ideal partner profile
Work with the trade specialist to specify the country, the type of partner (distributor, agent, buyer), and selection criteria so overseas staff can identify and vet matches.
~3 hrs
-
3
Pay the fee and let staff arrange appointments
Pay the $950 small-company standard fee (plus any add-ons). Overseas Commercial Service staff identify and reach out to potential partners and schedule up to five appointments.
~1 hrs
-
4
Attend the meetings and receive the report
Commercial Service staff attend the in-market appointments with you and deliver a report with profiles and contact information for interested firms.
~2 hrs
Use a STEP grant to cover the Gold Key fee — export credit insurance, trade-show, and matchmaking fees are commonly STEP-reimbursable, so a $950 Gold Key can be largely or fully offset. Brief your trade specialist with a tight ideal-customer profile; the vetting quality you get out is only as good as the criteria you put in.
Deadline & timing
No application cycle. You engage a domestic U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist, who coordinates with overseas posts to schedule the matchmaking; lead time depends on the target market.
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Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.