Government Grants

Grants and Government Funding 

There are a number of State and Federal grants and schemes that qualified Australian exporters can apply for as a part of participating in an International Trade Fair. Link her for more Federal and State Grants information.  

1. Export Market Development Grant (EMDG)

The Export Market Development Grants scheme is a key Australian Government financial assistance program for aspiring and current exporters. It encourages small and medium-sized Australian businesses to develop export markets by reimbursing up to 50 per cent of eligible export promotion expenses above a threshold of $10,000. The scheme is administered by Austrade.

For exporters planning to attend a trade event overseas, this grant covers the following expenses;

Eligible expenses are categorised into seven areas that are:

    * overseas representation;
    * marketing consultants
    * overseas market visits;
    * communications;
    * free samples;
    * trade fairs, public relations, seminars, international forums, private exhibitions and in store promotions.
    * promotional material and advertising
    * overseas buyers visits
    * patents and trademarks

Only expenses in the eight categories of eligible expenditure may be claimed.

The main exclusions include:

    * sales related expenses;
    * capital costs;
    * reimbursed expenses; and
    * costs related to trade with New Zealand, North Korea and Iraq.
    * the GST component of incurred expenses cannot be claimed under EMDG.

In both circumstances half of these costs can be reimburse after deducting a non-claimable component of $10,000 of eligible expenditure and provided expenses exceed $20,000.  The first claim can cover a 2 year period.

For further information about the EMDG, see the Austrade website. 

Each State also offers export assistance. Their schemes and offers change regularly, so link directly to their sites to check the latest details.

This Business Victoria website provides a Wizard for determining eligibility for funding, grants, and education and training programs

NSW