The Export Market Development Grant is Australia’s #1 grant to support our home grown Aussie Exporters (of which we boast some of the best the world has to offer!).
To qualify for the EMDG scheme, you need to first answer the following questions:
_1. Am I promoting an Australian product, service, or IP to overseas clients?
2. Did I design the product, service, or IP in Australia?
3. Did I incur expenses to promote my product, service, or IP internationally?
Think you might be eligible? We have put together some basic questions for you to quickly find out!
If the answer to those questions is ‘Yes’, it is likely that you are eligible for the EMDG grant, and may be eligible to receive a 50% rebate for your overseas marketing expenses, including the following:
- Overseas Representatives: When looking to expand overseas, you may employ an overseas salesperson to target overseas clients. Expenses such as retainer fees and reimbursements paid to the representative can be claimed (maximum of $200,000). However, commission payments are ineligible expenses as they are considered ‘post sale’ expenses
- Marketing Consultants: Often companies outsource their marketing to a third-party consultant that assists in establishing and implementing overseas marketing strategies such as online marketing, SEO, or lead generation. In this category, you can claim a maximum of $50,000. Similar to an overseas representative, only retainer fees and marketing expenses are claimable.
- Marketing Visits: This includes any overseas trip to meet with potential clients, attend an overseas conference, or general business development. This category reimburses the costs of airfare and a $350 daily allowance to help defray additional expenses (accommodation, transport, food etc.) for each day overseas that you were involved in eligible marketing activities.
For example, let’s assume you spent 10 days overseas, of which 5 days were dedicated to marketing, and the airfare was $1000. You will be able to claim 5 out of the 10 days as marketing related, which is equal to 50% of your time. Therefore, your claim for this particular trip will be (50% of $1000) + ($350 x 5 days) = ($500) + ($1750) = $2,250 total.
- Free Samples: Companies often gift their products to overseas influencers who subsequently market the business through social media channels. The cost of freighting the items and the products themselves which have been gifted to influencers or to potential overseas clients (perhaps at trade shows) are claimable. Maximum of $15,000 claim for free samples.
- Trade Fairs: Whilst on an overseas trip, you may attend an overseas trade fair or conference. In this category, you can claim the attendance costs, expenses to set up a booth to promote your company, or marketing collateral printed to give to potential overseas clients.
- Promotional Literature & Advertising: This category includes expenses incurred to promote your products globally such as online marketing, social media advertising, website development and marketing materials. Typically, these expenses require an apportionment to reflect that these generic marketing campaigns are viewed both within Australia and overseas. At Rimon, we assist our clients to find the most accurate and compliant apportionment method.
- Overseas Buyers: This category includes the costs associated with bringing an overseas buyer to Australia (maximum of $7,500 per visit, and $45,000 per application).
- Intellectual Property and Insurance of IP: If you have incurred expenses to register or extend IP rights overseas, including insurance to protect these rights (maximum of $50,000 per application), you may claim these expenses in this category.
In a COVID world where funding is especially critical to a company’s longevity, reach out to the Rimon Team today to discuss the EMDG grant in further detail.
Your business may be on the brink of receiving the funding it craves to elevate it to the next level.
Michael Subel has 4 years of experience working on EMDG claims with hundreds of Australian start-ups, SMEs, and listed companies.
Michael has a flair for entrepreneurship and treats each client with absolute care. Michael is also currently studying his MBA at UNSW.
You may be interested to know if your business could use the Export Market Development Grant.
We have put together a few quick questions for you to be able to assess your eligibility.
Click below if you want to know more: