Funding for Australian businesses to start or grow their exports in international markets

Overview

Small to medium exporting businesses can apply for 3 different grants over 8 years (not necessarily consecutively) for eligible promotional activities.

Grants are available in 3 stages:

Tier 1: Ready to export

• first time exporters
• 2 years and maximum of $40,000 per financial year.

Tier 2: Expanding

• expanding export promotional activities
• 3 years and maximum of $80,000 per financial year.

Tier 3: Expanding and strategic shift

• expanding export promotional activities and making a strategic shift, for example targeting a new market or a new type of customer
• 3 years and maximum of $150,000 per financial year.

Eligible promotional activities may include:

• maintaining a representative in a foreign country
• short trips to a foreign country
• engaging a consultant to undertake research or promotional activities
• short trips within Australia
• foreign buyer visits
• soliciting for business in foreign country
• providing free samples
• producing and providing promotional and advertising material
• intellectual property rights
• if you are a Tier 1 applicant, obtaining export readiness training.

A maximum of $770,000 is available per applicant over 8 years. The 8 years do not need to be consecutive. Grant funding must be matched on a 1:1 basis.

What are the eligibility criteria?

To be eligible, you must:

• have a turnover of less than $20 million for the last financial year
• be an Australian person within the meaning of the EMDG rules
• have an Australian business number (ABN).

Funding must be used to market eligible products. To be eligible, a product must be of substantially Australian origin and be one of the following:

• goods
• services
• events
• intellectual property or know-how
• software.

How do you apply?

You can find out more about eligibility and how to apply at Export Market Development Grants.