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

The EMDG program provides upfront funding to help businesses market and promote their goods and services internationally.

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 financial year 2020-21
• 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:

• 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.