The Massachusetts Office of International Trade & Investment (MOITI) was awarded a $614,025 grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration to increase exports.

The grant is part of the State Trade and Export (STEP) pilot grant initiative created by the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 and is designed to increase the number of small businesses that want to export as well as increase the value of exports for small businesses already exporting.

The award will be used to support MOITI’s Massachusetts Export Initiative (MEI). The program will emphasize both the leading export sectors in Massachusetts, as well as the high priority target markets such as China, India, Israel, Brazil and Western Europe.

The MEI will expand the reach of the state’s export promotion by integrating Massachusetts quasi-public corporations and state agencies that work with companies in the commonwealth’s leading technology sectors, including biotechnology and medical devices, clean energy, digital industries and advanced manufacturing.

"We are delighted to receive this grant from the Small Business Administration and look forward to working with the commonwealth’s business community to further facilitate global trade and investment and job creation here in Massachusetts," said Ken Brown, executive director of MOITI.

Massachusetts currently exports more than $28 billion per year globally.