Regular Membership – Summary of Results

In January 2025, STEP conducted the Annual Membership Survey as part of an ongoing commitment to monitor both the quality and demand for products and services offered to members. The survey and the results received are integral to serving members’ needs as well the desire to deliver them in the most efficient and effective manner.

The survey was distributed electronically to 302 Premium, Regular, and Pre-Market STEP members. At the close of the survey, 69 responses were received accounting for a response rate of 23%, which is a decrease of 5% from the 2023 Membership Survey.

Survey results indicate that STEP’s core services continue to be a strong fit to the unique needs of exporters in Saskatchewan. Results note that uptake of service remains consistent as 83% of members plan to use Customized Market Intelligence and Research Report services, 75% plan to use the Market Access Program (MAP), 68% plan to attend Educational Seminars & Webinars, and 65% plan to attend Outgoing Trade Missions.

96% of respondents indicated they would recommend a STEP membership to other exporters and 88% of respondents indicated that they received very high/high value for their membership investment. This strong endorsement is viewed as an important message of value as it is derived directly from the membership base who are the consumers of the products and services offered.

The 2024 Membership Survey also asked members to rate the level of satisfaction with STEP services. Member respondents are most satisfied with Market Access Program (MAP at 91%, Market Intelligence and Research Reports at 88%, and Outgoing Trade Missions at 88%.

STEP members were asked to identify their top three target market markets.  Survey results indicate that the top target market for 2024 was the USA as identified by 57% of members. The second target market was Canada (17%) with Asia ranking third (7%).

To rate the membership experiences and working relationships with STEP, a similar line of questions was followed from previous years to establish a trend analysis. Primary service utilization responses from 2024 have been noted in a summary format on page 4. The summary also includes the variance levels for comparisons of primary service utilization responses from 2021 – 2024.

Key survey findings are as follows:

  • 96% of respondents indicated a willingness to recommend a STEP membership to other exporters.
  • 88% of respondents indicated that they received very high/high value for their membership investment.
  • 87% of respondents indicated that STEP has worked very effectively/effectively with their company to expand their export market initiatives.
  • 93% of respondents indicated that STEP has a very high/high understanding of their industry or sector.
  • 84% of respondents indicated that STEP has a very high/high understanding of their company’s export requirements.

This year, STEP polled members on their concerns and actions as a result of US tariffs on Canadian imports.  Over 80 per cent of exporters indicate that they will be negatively impacted by US tariffs while around 37 per cent have indicated that they have been accelerating sales and shipments to the US, and 36% will be seeking alternate markets.

The 2024 Membership Survey also included questions pertaining to members’ business activities, a request to seek the dollar value of annual export sales, and export sales projections for 2024. It is noted that for this survey, “export” is defined as all sales originating outside of Saskatchewan. Survey results indicate strong business growth and an increase in export sales in the upcoming year.

Key survey findings are as follows:

  • The total dollar value of export sales in 2024 was reported to be $7,968,279,139.
  • The average dollar value of export sales in 2024 was reported to be $132.8 million.