Can the Economic Development Alliance Skagit County help expand my trade business?

If your business is further along in developing its export strategy, or looking to enter new international markets, EDASC can help get you connected with our key state and federal government partners, including: Export Washington (Washington State Department of Commerce) Washington State Department of Agriculture – International Marketing Program U.S. Export Assistance Center Seattle U.S. Foreign Commercial Service

Can the Economic Development Alliance Skagit County help finance my trade business?

Skagit County businesses have access to valuable state and federal export finance opportunities, including through: Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington U.S. Export-Import Bank U.S. Small Business Administration

Business Retention & Expansion in Skagit County

Q: Are there any grants in Skagit County that can help finance my trade business?

The State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant , offered through the Washington State Department of Commerce, offers qualifying businesses up to $5,000 for export-related activities, ranging from participating in international trade shows to marketing activities. However, beginning Oct. 1, 2025, applications for the STEP grant export vouchers were temporarily halted. Check back for an update.

At its core, the EDASC’s business retention and expansion (BRE) program is a planning-to-action initiative that continually reaches out to existing businesses to:

Understand their needs
Directly engage in problem solving
Increase their awareness of resources to help resolve issues
Take advantage of opportunities to thrive and expand, including usage of our no-cost market research tool

We do this by identifying, analyzing, proposing, and implementing programs and practices that facilitate the expansion and retention of existing businesses.

We also offer tailored support for small businesses at every stage in an effort to strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Export and Trade Assistance

Skagit County businesses and farmers export their goods and services to just about every country in the world.

EDASC offers support to Skagit County businesses looking to export their products and expand their international market presence. Our staff has extensive international experience, including in Europe, Asia, and Central and South America, and are eager to assist businesses and communities looking to connect with foreign partners.

Export and Trade Assistance FAQs

Yes! EDASC works in partnership with the Washington Export Resource Center to hold informational workshops in Skagit County, one-on-one consultations for businesses, and to assist in market research and developing export and business plans.

The State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) Grant, offered through the Washington State Department of Commerce, offers qualifying businesses up to $5,000 for export-related activities, ranging from participating in international trade shows to marketing activities. However, beginning Oct. 1, 2025, applications for the STEP grant export vouchers were temporarily halted. Check back for an update.

If your business is further along in developing its export strategy, or looking to enter new international markets, EDASC can help get you connected with our key state and federal government partners, including:

Skagit County businesses have access to valuable state and federal export finance opportunities, including through:

Workforce Development

Chief among EDASC's BRE work is a focus on workforce development.

This includes partnering with other economic development organizations for a variety of events and workshops throughout the year.

Our other key initiatives include:

NW Regional Job Fairs

Challenge/Need: Across all industries, businesses are having a hard time attracting and retaining talent.

Solution: EDASC regularly hosts job fairs connecting job seekers with local employers. EDASC traditionally hosts two job fairs each year, each drawing 30-60 employers (dependent upon venue) and averaging 100+ job seekers at each event.

Our role: EDASC hosts each job fair in partnership with Skagit WorkSource, which helps market and amplify the events to job seekers. EDASC and WorkSource collaborate to recruit employers to the event from Skagit and neighboring counties.

Workforce Summit

EDASC’s Workforce Summit is a half-day event bringing together educators and industry leaders to strengthen the school-to-work pipeline. Through EDASC’s efforts to convene these summits, the number of internships for high school students has increased more than tenfold. The next Workforce Summit is scheduled for late 2026.

Leadership Skagit

Since 2004, Leadership Skagit, a program of EDASC in partnership with Skagit Valley College, has been the cornerstone for professional growth in Skagit County.

Over the past two decades, local employers haven’t just witnessed the program’s value, they’ve experienced it. Many business leaders begin as participants themselves, going on to sponsor their employees year after year. This in-depth look at the interrelation of industry sectors in Skagit County through a leadership lens has proven to be an excellent way to invest in and retain talent.

Ready to lead? Submit your application to Leadership Skagit today!