EMDG Support
The Export Market Development Grant is Australia’s flagship rebate for companies taking their products, technology or services to the world. Since FY 22 the scheme has moved to a forward-looking, multi-year model. That means you apply once, commit to an export plan and then draw down reimbursement over three years. Sounds simple—yet many otherwise smart businesses stumble on the paperwork, the forecasting and the strict timing rules.
What the EMDG actually does
- Reimburses up to 50 per cent of eligible international marketing and promotion costs.
- Runs across four tiers—Tier 1 for first-time exporters through to Tier 4 for strategic international expansion.
- Accepts costs such as overseas advertising, trade shows, in-market consultants, e-commerce platform fees and IP protection.
- Requires a forward export marketing budget, evidence of previous spend (where relevant), and a signed funding agreement with milestone reports.
Handle those elements properly and you have a government partner effectively co-funding your international growth.
Common pitfalls we see
- Plans built around “aspirational” numbers the finance team cannot justify.
- Expenses that look export-related but fall outside the eligible categories.
- Timing errors—costs incurred before the agreement date or after the milestone period.
- Missing evidence such as contracts, bank statements or proof of payment.
- Cash-flow shocks when businesses do not realise the grant is paid in arrears.
Each mistake turns into a claw-back risk or, worse, a rejected claim.
How Grant Savvy helps
Eligibility snapshot
Fifteen-minute call to confirm your tier, turnover limits and ownership structure, saving hours of guesswork.
Export plan that makes sense
We build a concise, three-year marketing strategy—channels, markets, budgets, milestones—written in the template Austrade wants and backed by data your board can sign off.
Cost mapping and evidence builder
Every dollar you intend to claim is tagged to an eligible category and matched with proof. No more digging for invoices six months down the line.
Milestone management
We set calendar reminders, draft progress reports and keep your documentation audit-ready. The program team gets what they need on time, and you keep the cash flowing.
Dispute and variation support
Currency crashes, freight blowouts or cancelled trade shows? We prepare variation requests so funding keeps pace with real-world changes.
Who we work with
- Food and beverage manufacturers entering Asia-Pacific supermarkets.
- Med-tech and diagnostics companies targeting US FDA clearance and distribution.
- Software as a Service scale-ups expanding into North America or Europe.
- Fashion, design and e-commerce labels opening overseas fulfilment hubs.
- Niche engineering firms chasing defence or resources supply contracts abroad.
If your turnover is under $20 million and at least one director is an Australian resident, chances are the EMDG can help—and so can we.
Our process
- Kick-off call
Confirm grant year, tier eligibility and key export goals. - Data gathering
You upload past marketing spend, quotes and market research to a secure drive. - Plan drafting
We craft the three-year export plan, expense schedule and milestone targets in plain language. - Review and sign-off
You check numbers, we refine, then generate final PDFs ready for the Austrade portal. - Lodgement
We submit, track and respond to any requests for information. - Milestone support
When reporting time rolls around, we populate the forms, compile evidence files and chase signatures.
Standard turnaround from kick-off to submission is two to three weeks, depending on how quickly invoices and quotes come through.
Why choose Grant Savvy
- Specialist focus – Export, grant and tax knowledge in one place; no bouncing between advisors.
- Proven track record – Over $40 million secured in grants and rebates, including EMDG claims across all four tiers.
- Senior attention – Work directly with our principal consultant, not junior staff.
- Straight answers – If the EMDG is not the right fit, we tell you before you spend a cent.
- End-to-end support – From first plan to final milestone acquittal, we stay on call.
Ready to grow offshore with government support?
Book a free fifteen-minute eligibility check and find out exactly how much you could claim.