Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment said recent reforms to export grants would better support Australian exporters to succeed on the world stage, supporting local jobs and businesses.
Applications are now open for the reformed Export Market Development Grants (EMDG). The program has been improved by simplified legislation, a streamlined application process and a shift to a forward-looking grant program which will ensure exporters know how much funding they will receive before they spend.
"The EMDG program has helped support Australian success stories like the Wiggles, Atlassian and Penfolds to become international sensations," Mr Tehan said.
"Our Government provided $214.5 million to more than 4,700 Australian businesses to support their exporting activities through the EMDG program in 2020-21.
"These businesses employed more than 70,000 people and generated around $4.7 billion in export income.
"EMDG is a valuable form of assistance for Australian exporters and these changes will help many new and emerging exporters reach new heights in the years to come.
Since 1974 EMDG has supported close to 50,000 Australian exporters and distributed around $5.7 billion in grant payments.
The top five markets for EMDG grant recipients in 2020-21 were the US (56.9%) followed by the UK (25.3%), China (17.5%), Singapore (8.9%) and Canada (8.6%).
Reforms to EMDG are supported by a new application form which allows for better integration across Austrade services, to deliver an improved client experience and export outcomes.
Appendix
Applying for Export Market Development Grants from 1 July 2021
For export promotional activities from 1 July 2021, EMDG will no longer operate as a reimbursement scheme. Applications open 16 August and close 30 November 2021.
You can still claim reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred up to 30 June 2021 by applying under the final year of the reimbursement scheme. Applications for the reimbursement scheme close 30 November 2021, or 28 February 2022 if you are using a participating EMDG consultant.
The new forward-looking grant program will enable you to plan your marketing and promotional activities with confidence, because you will know how much you will receive over the life of your grant agreement.
Grants are designed to support you during different stages of your export journey:
Tier 1: Ready to export
- First time exporters
- Two year grant agreement with a maximum of $40,000 per financial year
Tier 2: Expanding
- Expanding your export promotion activities
- Three year grant agreement, with a maximum $80,000 per financial year
Tier 3: Expanding and strategic shift
- Expanding your export promotion activities and making a strategic shift, for example targeting a new market or a new type of customer
- Three year grant agreement with a maximum $150,000 per financial year
Eligibility
You're eligible to apply for a grant if:
- your turnover is less than $20 million for the financial year 2020-21
- you're an Australian person (your principal place of residence is in Australia)
- you have an Australian Business Number, and
- you haven't previously accessed 8 years of EMDG grants
Your products are eligible if they're substantially of Australian origin and are:
- goods
- services
- events
- intellectual property or know-how
- software
A simple, streamlined process:
- If you're eligible, Austrade offers you a grant agreement
- You enter into a grant agreement and carry out your plan to market
- You send Austrade milestone reports, requesting milestone payments as outlined in your agreement
- You will need to match the dollar value of the grant monies you receive
Applications are open from 16 August to 30 November 2021: austrade.gov.au/EMDG
