What SelectFlorida does

SelectFlorida, Inc. is a private non-profit organization established in 2023 as a Direct Support Organization (DSO) for the Florida Department of Commerce (FloridaCommerce). It operates as Florida's official international trade and investment promotion agency, succeeding Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI) in absorbing the state's international commerce functions. The organization operates as a public-private partnership, governed by a board of business and government leaders, and is headquartered in Coral Gables with regional offices in Orlando and Tallahassee, plus six statewide trade offices and 18+ international representative offices spanning 12+ countries.

SelectFlorida's core service portfolio includes business development assistance (confidential site search, permitting, regulatory navigation, and incentive coordination), export counseling and trade grants (the Florida Export Diversification & Expansion program), trade missions and export sales programs, fee-based certification services (Certificates of Free Sale at $35-$45 and Good Manufacturing Practices Certificates at $125-$135), and a GIS-based Site Selection Tool. Its primary customer segments are (1) international companies evaluating Florida for FDI or expansion, and (2) Florida-based exporters seeking to enter or expand in foreign markets, with secondary focus on aerospace/aviation, defense, financial services, corporate headquarters, IT, life sciences, logistics, and manufacturing verticals.

The business model is non-commercial: the majority of services are provided free of charge, with fee-based services limited to certificate issuance and trade grants funded through state appropriations. The organization is not venture-backed or private-equity owned; funding derives from state appropriations through FloridaCommerce and private-sector partnerships. Recent materials document successful trade missions generating $152M (Singapore Airshow 2026) and $49M+ (Honduras/El Salvador) in export sales, alongside named enterprise wins including Kaseya, SIMCOM, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Cantor Fitzgerald, and KPMG. Florida's structural advantages — a $1T+ economy, 0% state personal income tax, 22M residents, 11M workforce, and gateway position to Latin America — are the underlying assets SelectFlorida is chartered to monetize.

Name

SelectFlorida

Legal name

SelectFlorida, Inc.

Website

https://selectflorida.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SelectFlorida is Florida's official international trade and investment promotion agency, a non-profit Direct Support Organization that provides business development, export assistance, trade missions, and certification services to attract foreign investment and support Florida exporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Economic Development & Trade Promotion Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Facilitation, Customs & Border Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Foreign direct investment
• Trade promotion
• Export assistance
• Site selection

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Gables

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Funding / DSO Structure: SelectFlorida operates as a Direct Support Organization (DSO) for the Florida Department of Commerce, funded through public appropriations and private sector partnerships.
2. Trade Grants Administration: Administers the Florida Export Diversification & Expansion program, providing grants to qualified Florida companies for export activities including trade shows, trade missions, and export marketing plans. Fee-based services include Certificates of Free Sale ($35 digital, $45 paper) and Good Manufacturing Practices Certificates ($125 digital).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SelectFlorida is Florida's official international trade and investment promotion agency, providing consultative business development assistance, export counseling, and trade representation to companies looking to expand or locate in Florida and to Florida-based companies seeking to export globally. Its deliverables include confidential site search, permitting and regulatory navigation, workforce development coordination, trade grants administration, issuance of Certificates of Free Sale and Good Manufacturing Practices Certificates, and on-the-ground representation through a network of six statewide trade offices and 18+ international offices across multiple continents.

Product overview

SelectFlorida operates as Florida's official international commerce organization and economic development catalyst, offering a portfolio of interconnected services rather than a traditional software product. The core offerings include business development assistance with confidential site search and permitting support, comprehensive export assistance through a network of six regional trade offices and 12 international offices spanning multiple continents, trade grants for market expansion, and certification services (Certificates of Free Sale and Good Manufacturing Practices Certificates). Additional services include a site selection tool and a partner program network. These services work together to attract businesses to Florida, support Florida companies in global expansion, and facilitate international trade and investment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Development Services Personalized consultative service from SelectFlorida's Business Development Team that helps companies expand, relocate, or launch new ventures in Florida — providing confidential site search, regulatory and permitting navigation, incentive coordination, and connections to state, regional, and local resources. Targeted at companies of all sizes evaluating Florida for new or expanded operations.
• Export Counseling and Assistance Free export counseling services for Florida manufacturers, export intermediaries, and services providers covering market readiness evaluation, target market selection, distribution channel information, and trade documentation guidance.
• Statewide Trade Offices Network Six regional trade offices spanning Florida provide localized export assistance, market research, and on-the-ground support for Florida exporters in their respective territories.
• Florida Export Diversification & Expansion Trade Grants Program Provides grant funding to eligible Florida companies for trade shows, trade missions, Export Marketing Plans, and website localization to support entry and expansion into overseas markets. Available free to qualified small and medium-sized Florida manufacturers and professional services providers (minimum 2+ years in business, 3+ FTE, $250,000+ annual sales).
• Certificates of Free Sale Issued by SelectFlorida to verify that products (typically foods, cosmetics, medical devices) are freely marketed without restriction and approved for sale in the United States. Required by some importing countries for entry into their markets. Available in digital ($35) and paper-with-embossed-notary ($45) formats.
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Certificates Certificates issued by SelectFlorida attesting that products intended for export are produced in compliance with published Good Manufacturing Practice standards set forth by U.S. state and federal authorities. Available in digital ($125) and hard copy ($135) formats.
• International Offices Network Network of 18+ SelectFlorida representative offices outside the United States (Brazil, Benelux, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Spain, UK and additional locations) that assist foreign companies investing in Florida and Florida companies exporting to foreign markets.
• Site Selection Tool Online GIS-based tool that enables businesses to independently search for and evaluate buildings and sites across Florida when assessing expansion or relocation candidates.
• Partner Program A statewide network of economic development partners (regional EDCs, chambers, utilities, and workforce boards) that helps businesses grow and connect in Florida, amplifying SelectFlorida's reach through collaborative regional coverage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Florida exported $78.9 billion in goods in 2025, an 8.9% increase from 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Germany (Joint Declaration of Intent)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Governor DeSantis signed a Joint Declaration of Intent with German Ambassador Jens Hanefeld establishing a framework for cooperation across key sectors including innovative technologies, aerospace and aviation, manufacturing, life sciences and workforce development.
• FloridaCommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelectFlorida operates as a Direct Support Organization (DSO) for the Florida Department of Commerce (FloridaCommerce), collaborating to achieve economic development goals including attracting, retaining, and creating higher-wage jobs for Floridians.
• CareerSource FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide workforce development partnership providing programs such as Quick Response Development and Incumbent Worker Development to help companies recruit, train, and maintain cutting-edge skills.
• VISIT FLORIDAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorida's official tourism marketing corporation, partnered to highlight Florida's quality of life assets that attract businesses and talent to the state.
• Florida Housing Finance CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide partner organization supporting housing initiatives that complement economic development efforts.
• Florida-Israel Business AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly hosts Pitch Day events bringing opportunity to entrepreneurs and driving innovation across the state. To date, more than 130 startups have leveraged pitch days to highlight their businesses to prospective investors.
• Taiwan (Ministry of Economic Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollow-up meetings held with Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs to build on January 2025 Memorandum of Understanding during the 2025 Leadership Mission to Asia, advancing bilateral economic collaboration.
• State of Baden-Württemberg, GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState of Florida and Minister of Economic Affairs Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut signed MOU establishing cooperation framework across aerospace and aviation, manufacturing, life sciences and advanced technologies.
• Lombardy Region, ItalycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned MOU with Lombardy Region as part of Italy trade mission, participating in transportation and infrastructure Italy-Florida Working Group.
• U.S. Commercial ServicecoreTechnology or IntegrationWorks with U.S. Commercial Service to determine product viability in target markets for export assistance eligibility.
• Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer parent organization; SelectFlorida was formed in 2023 to absorb the state's international commerce functions from DEO/EFI.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• North Carolina Department of Commerce - Economic Development: North Carolina's state economic development division performing corporate attraction, export assistance, and FDI promotion — a comparable state-level peer in the Southeast U.S. economic development space.
• Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office: Texas's state-level economic development office performing FDI attraction, export promotion, and corporate relocation services — a direct competitor for corporate relocations targeting the Sun Belt.
• California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz): California's state-level economic development office that manages business attraction, international trade, and incentive programs — a peer at a similar scale and scope, although California competes with Florida for inbound FDI from Asia and Latin America.
• Georgia Department of Economic Development: Georgia's state economic development agency that runs international trade offices, FDI missions, and corporate attraction programs — directly competing with SelectFlorida for aerospace, tech, and logistics investments.
• Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development: Tennessee's state-level economic development agency attracting corporate relocations and FDI, including significant activity in automotive and advanced manufacturing — competing for many of the same Sun Belt corporate relocations as SelectFlorida.
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP): Virginia's state economic development authority performing corporate attraction, site consulting, and international trade promotion — a direct peer in the mid-Atlantic economic development ecosystem.
• JobsOhio: Ohio's private-sector-funded economic development organization that attracts corporate relocations, FDI, and manages site selection — structurally and functionally the closest peer to SelectFlorida's public-private partnership DSO model.
• New York Empire State Development: New York's state-level economic development organization managing corporate attraction, FDI, and export programs — comparable in mission and structure though serving a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Commercial Service (International Trade Administration): Federal U.S. agency under the Department of Commerce that promotes U.S. exports and FDI; SelectFlorida works with the U.S. Commercial Service for export viability assessments, making it an overlapping and partner-organization peer.

Others

• Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau: Miami-based tourism and convention promotion organization — an adjacent peer that promotes Florida (Miami specifically) for business events, tourism, and quality-of-life messaging that supports Florida's overall brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/selectfla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/selectflorida

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SelectFlorida