The Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program is Austrade's matched-funding scheme for Australian SMEs promoting their products, services or IP overseas. Grants of $20,000 to $80,000 per financial year, matched dollar for dollar against your own export marketing spend.
Where the program is at
Round 4 is closed. It funded eligible activity across 2025-26 and 2026-27 and was allocated first come, first served until each tier's funding ran out.
Round 5 has not been announced. On the program's two-year cycle it is expected around mid-2027, covering 2027-28 and 2028-29. An independent statutory review has recommended moving from first come, first served to merit-based assessment, with applications judged on quality, business capability, likely impact and alignment with trade priorities. Final guidelines have not been released, so treat the changes as likely rather than confirmed.
What that means in practice: the businesses that do well in Round 5 will be the ones with a documented plan to market, clean cost tracking and a clear export story ready before the round opens.
What the grant offers
- Tier 1 (ready to export) – $20,000 to $30,000 per financial year for businesses new to exporting
- Tier 2 (expanding in existing markets) – $20,000 to $50,000 per financial year
- Tier 3 (entering new key markets) – $20,000 to $80,000 per financial year for established exporters making a strategic shift into markets such as India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US
- Representative bodies – up to $50,000 per financial year to support SME members
- Matched funding – the grant matches your eligible spend 1:1, so a $30,000 grant means $60,000 of total marketing activity
- Agreement length – two financial years under Round 4; the review has recommended annual rounds for Round 5
Who should apply
- Australian businesses with a valid ABN and annual turnover under $20 million
- Minimum turnover by tier under Round 4 rules: $100,000 (Tier 1), $500,000 (Tier 2), $1 million (Tier 3)
- Capacity to spend at least $20,000 of your own money per financial year on eligible export promotion
- An eligible product: goods made or substantially transformed in Australia, Australian-delivered services, tourism, IP, or software and know-how
- A credible plan to market, backed by financial statements. Tier 1 applicants also need export training or a completed export plan
What you can claim
Eligible expenditure falls into defined categories. The main ones:
- Overseas representatives – salaries, office costs and marketing for a long-term rep or team member based offshore (commissions excluded)
- Marketing consultants – independent market research, market-entry strategy, PR and digital campaigns run on your behalf
- Marketing visits – airfares and a daily allowance for promotional travel, capped at 21 days
- Promotional material and advertising – international social media, website localisation, brochures, translation, video
- Trade fairs, seminars and promotional events – registration, stand hire, freight, display materials
- Free samples – product and freight costs for samples sent to prospective overseas buyers
- Overseas buyer visits – travel and accommodation for bringing prospective buyers to Australia
- Intellectual property – registering and insuring trademarks and patents in foreign markets
- Export training – Tier 1 and representative bodies only
Why it is worth your time
- Halve the cost of going offshore – every dollar of eligible marketing is matched
- Two years of certainty – a grant agreement lets you plan trade shows, agents and campaigns in advance
- Broad eligibility – manufacturers, food and beverage, software, services, tourism and education all qualify
- Repeatable – businesses can progress through tiers over successive rounds as they grow
How Grant Savvy helps
Eligibility check. We confirm turnover, product eligibility, tier fit and capacity to spend before you commit any time.
Plan to market. We build the export plan Austrade wants to see: target markets, channels, activity schedule and budget, written to the assessment criteria.
Cost mapping. We map your intended spend to the eligible categories and set up the records you will need at milestone reporting.
Round 5 readiness. If the round moves to merit-based assessment, the strength of the application will decide who gets funded. We prepare it properly, ahead of time.
Lodgement and reporting. We lodge through the Austrade portal, track milestone dates and prepare the reports that release each payment.
Our process
- Discovery call – 15 minutes to confirm eligibility and timing.
- Scope and quote – fixed price, defined deliverables.
- Information gathering – financials, marketing budget, current export activity.
- Drafting – plan to market, activity schedule, supporting evidence.
- Review – one consolidated feedback round and compliance check.
- Lodgement – portal submission with confirmation.
- Post-award – milestone reporting and variation support.
Not sure which tier you fit, or whether to wait for Round 5? Book a call and we will tell you straight.
Ready to take your product offshore?