Are you an Australian small to medium enterprise looking to grow its exports?

Austrade’s Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program helps Australian businesses grow their exports in international markets. These grants encourage small to medium enterprises to market and promote their goods and services globally!

Since 1974, EMDG has assisted more than 51,000 unique small and medium size Australian businesses to promote and market their products and services to over 180 countries world-wide. Most of those businesses received multiple grants over 8 years.

EMDG is an eligibility-based, demand-driven program, meaning all eligible applicants receive a grant from the available funds.

Austrade does not base grants on the maximum grant tier caps. The grant amount depends on:

• the number of eligible applications in the round (referred to as demand).
• the available program budget shared among all eligible applicants.

Types of grants for exporters

Grants are for eligible promotional activities undertaken by small to medium sized exporters and representative bodies.

Small to medium enterprise exporters can apply for grants over 8 years in total (not necessarily consecutively).

Representative bodies have no maximum grant years.

Grants for businesses are available in 3 tiers with each providing a different level of support for small to medium enterprises as they grow their export markets. The tiers are:

1. Ready to export
2. Exporting and expanding
3. Exporting, expanding and strategic shift

Businesses do not have to start at Tier 1 and progress to Tier 2 and Tier 3. They can apply for any grant tier at any time depending on the business need.

The lengths of these grants reflect the different stages of an exporter’s journey. Austrade issues Grant agreements in Round 3 for 1 year. There is a possibility of extension subject to the availability of funds, and the maximum allowable grant term for the relevant tier under the EMDG Rules. Businesses can still access EMDG grants for up to 8 years.

How to obtain a grant

The EMDG program bases criteria on edibility, not competition. All eligible applicants receive a grant. The process is as follows:

1. Apply for a grant for eligible promotional activities you plan to undertake
2. After all applications are considered, Austrade will offer a grant agreement to each eligible applicant
3. If you agree, you enter into a grant agreement with Austrade. Grant agreements will clarify the maximum funding amounts per financial year over the term of your grant agreement.
4. You lodge a milestone report to request milestone payments as per your grant agreement. Your grant agreement will state:
   • when Austrade will make your milestone payments
   • what you will need to do to receive these payments

When does Austrade make grant payments?

Austrade set the timing of payments by your grant agreement. Your grant agreement will state when you should provide your milestone report.

How does Austrade distribute funds?

Austrade will calculate how much funding will be given to all eligible applications based on the demand in that round. Each eligible applicant will receive a grant agreement with the grant amount approved.

You must match the dollar value of the grant monies you receive (this means you must spend double the grant amount to receive the grant).

Round 3 applications are now open!!

Applications open from 9am AEST, Wednesday 15 March 2023 and will close 4pm AEST, Friday 14 April 2023.

To learn more, view the following videos:

You can read more about these grants HERE

For more information on how to apply CLICK HERE

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