The Governor’s Exporter of the Year award is the highest honor for an exporting business in Kansas. The process from nomination to selection is eight months.

2026 timeline:

• February 2: Nominations open
• March 30: Nomination deadline
• April 6: Company Data Questionnaire (CDQ) sent to the nominees
  • The CDQ contains 30 questions for the company to detail its export business.
• May 1: Deadline for the company to complete and return CDQ
• May 13: KITCC selects finalists
• May 15: Notification of congratulation or regret sent to the companies
• May/June: KITCC visits on-site with finalist companies
• July 8: Finalists conduct presentations at the Kansas Department of Commerce Docking Building in Topeka
• October: The award recipient will be announced at the annual awards banquet hosted by the Kansas Department of Commerce at the Docking Building in Topeka

Honors of winning the Governor’s Exporter of the Year award:

• The company will receive the Exporter of the Year trophy from the Governor at the annual awards banquet
• The Governor will visit the award-recipient company to congratulate and celebrate their accomplishment
• Invited to become a new member of the KITCC

The Kansas International Trade Coordinating Council (KITCC) oversees the selection process for the Governor’s Exporter of the Year. The council is made up of a diverse group of international business professionals, including representatives from past award-winning companies, trade promotion specialists, trade facilitators, and academics from business schools at higher education institutions throughout the state.

In collaboration with the Kansas Department of Commerce, the KITCC meets several times a year to review written applications, visit company sites, and attend presentations from the finalist companies. This thorough process helps identify businesses that exemplify the best in Kansas exports by increasing export sales, entering new international markets, and developing innovative products.