The third round of the Export Market Development Grants program (EMDG), run by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), is designed to encourage SMEs to market and promote their goods and services globally. The aim is to increase export promotion for eligible products in foreign markets by grant recipients.

Applications open on Wednesday 15 March at 6am (WST) and run for four weeks, closing on Friday 14 April 2023 at 1pm (WST).

The program is eligibility-based, so all applicants who are eligible will be awarded a grant agreement. Grants are not based on maximum tier caps.

EMDG has been running since 1974 and assisted more than 51,000 businesses in marketing their products and services for export. Most recipients have received multiple grants across the years for up to eight years.

The updated EMDG Grant Guidelines and supporting documents are now available so that applicants can prepare to apply ahead of the EMDG online portal opening to applications. Information on the application process can be found here.

Changes made since round two of grants

This is the third round of EMDG and grant agreements in this round will be for one year, with the possibility of extension subject to the availability of funds.

Since the previous round of grants, Austrade has updated the definition of strategic shift for Tier 3 grantees, as their plan to market must show how they are expanding their export promotion activity and making a strategic shift in marketing eligible products in a foreign country. This change was based on feedback received during the EMDG Operational Review that the definition needed to be clearer and to focus on market diversification.

Austrade requires that businesses meet its taxation obligations, meaning they comply with all the relevant Australian Taxation Office (ATO) legislation, rulings and guidelines. During the assessment process, businesses may be asked by to provide a Statement of Tax Record from the ATO. This will help Austrade to check compliance prior to issuing grant agreements and ensure grants funds go to exporting not paying tax debts.

NOTE: Exporters cannot apply in round three of the program if they have an executed grant agreement and there is more than one year remaining in the term of their grant agreement. For more information visit Eligibility or contact Austrade at [email protected].

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