Do you own, or are you a part of a small – medium Australian business that exports Australian goods? The Export Market Development Grants scheme could be for you!Â
Gaining a grant can be crucial to the survival and success of your business. If you are planning to or do export Australian products, Pack & Send can support your business in providing shipping solutions from Australia to anywhere.
The EMDG scheme is an Australian Government Financial assistance program for aspiring and current exporters. The scheme, which is administered by Austrade, supports a wide range of industry sectors, providing up to 50% rebate on export marketing and promotional expenditure, as long as it fits certain criteria. Grants are available on a continuous basis for up to 8 years and require certain levels of export sales to be generated after the second grant year.
Outlined in the EMDG legislation are nine eligible categories which small to medium businesses can apply for:
- Overseas representatives
Costs associated with a long-term overseas representative who works to market/promote your product, as well as promotional activities.
- Marketing consultants
Expenses of consultants who undertake export market research or marketing activities.
- Marketing visits
The cost of travel during marketing visits, including air fares, taxi fares and departure taxes, etc.
- Communications
You can also claim the costs of telephone, fax, e-mail and internet access for marketing purposes.
- Free samples
The costs of promoting your product for export with the use of free samples.
- Trade fairs, seminars, in-store promotions
The costs incurred for participating in international trade fairs, seminars, in-store promotions, forums, private exhibitions, etc.
- Promotional literature & advertising
External expenses of promotional material, website development and other advertising media.
- Overseas buyers
Costs of bringing potential buyers who are non-residents to Australia for an approved export promotion purpose.
- Registration and/or insurance of eligible intellectual property
Costs associated with applying for, registering and extending patents and trademarks for countries other than Australia or New Zealand.
To qualify for an EMDG grant, your business must satisfy grant entry requirements, which involves providing financial statements as well as having a product that has been promoted for export. Furthermore, your product must be one of the following:
- a good made in Australia
- a good made outside Australia where Australia will derive a significant net benefit from its sale overseas
- a tourism service (including accommodation, passenger transport or tours)
- a conference or event held in Australia
- an intellectual property right that mainly resulted from work done in Australia
- a trademark that was owned, assigned or first used in Australia, know-how that mainly resulted from work done in Australia
This is just a brief outline of the EMDG scheme. For further information, publications and how to apply visit the EMDG scheme website.