All posts by : Stuart

As per the email advice from Austrade yesterday, applications for EMDG support per the current lodgement cycle close on November 30, 2021.

That is for EMDG Future – 2022 applications covering marketing costs from July 1, 2021, and beyond.

It’s time to get your skates on. We might look unruffled on the surface, but underneath we are paddling like mad!

Read our November Newsletter here to find out more.

It’s still about EMDG OLD and EMDG NEW – really, we have nothing else to talk about. We do lead a bit of a sheltered life here in the office.

Forget COVID, forget the trade war with China, forget zero emission targets or pondering about how much the new subs, why, when, how many, etc. It’s all about answering the big question of life as asked by one of our clients just yesterday.

“What are the hard target dates to lodge an EMDG application for the past and for the future?”

The short answer is call us now before the ship sails away!

Read our recent Newsletter here to find out more.

As we mentioned in our May 2021 Newsletter, we have now made a Submission on behalf of our client base to the New EMDG Guidelines. That is, for EMDG Future. 

If you want to send in your own Submission, you have until 11th June to do so. 

You can read about our thoughts on some key points in the Guidelines, including first class airfares, in our full Submission Letter, here.

Picture credit: Qantas Airways Limited 

Exporters have been bowled over by the recent Austrade announcements regarding EMDG Past and Present.

Read about the updates in our May 2021 EMDG News Flash here.

We continue to meet with our client base via Zoom about EMDG Past, Present, and of course EMDG Future.

Talk to us today about how we can help you to maximise your grant success.

Image credit: CricAmerica.com

Last week Trade Minister Dan Tehan put out a Press Release regarding a funding boost for exporters.

At around the same time, Austrade released the Draft EMDG Guidelines for the new EMDG program for applications post July 1, 2021.

Both of the above contain some facts, and some fiction. Some good news and some not so good news for exporters.

The Press Release deals with EMDG Past, while the Guidelines deal with EMDG Future. They are both silent on EMDG Present.

You can read our spin on all three – EMDG Past, Present and Future in our May 2021 Newsletter, here.

Image credit: Shane Warne’s 1993 spin Ball of the Century (www.wisden.com)

At the beginning of the year, Stuart flew to Canberra to meet with Minister Dan Tehan’s Senior Trade Advisor, in his role as Deputy Chair of the Export Consultants Association, which represents close to 3,000 exporters Australia wide.

Following the meeting, Stuart wrote to the Minister directly, urging him to provide immediate answers to the unknowns regarding the new EMDG. 

We have now received a response to that letter and we share it with you here:

Trade Minister response to our letter 19032021

We appreciate and thank the Minister for his response, and will continue to ask questions and lobby on behalf of our champion exporters!

This month we continue to channel the likes of Doris Day, Donald Rumsfeld, former US Defence Secretary, and Bruce Springsteen, “The Boss”.

What do these three unlikely characters have in common, and what’s it got to do with Export Market Development Grants, you ask?

Trust us, they are all relevant to EMDG…so read our Mitchell&Co EMDG March 2021 Newsletter to find out more!

Image credit: Defense.gov News Photo – Rumsfeld during a Pentagon News Briefing in February 2002.

We continue to lobby as the  voice for our exporters, and to find the answers to the “known unknowns” in regards to the imminent future of the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme.

With that promise, Stuart recently flew to Canberra to meet with Minister Tehan’s Senior Trade Advisor, in his role as Deputy Chair of the Export Consultants Association, which represents close to 3,000 exporters Australia wide.

Following the meeting, Stuart wrote to the Minister directly, urging him to provide immediate answers to the unknowns regarding the new EMDG scheme. 

You can read the full submission letter here: Mitco -Trade Minister Letter19032021.

As always, we wish you the best in your export endeavours during these unknown and challenging times.

Image credit: qt.com.au (Queensland Times)

The gate is almost shut on 2020 EMDG applications, that is for the period ended 30 June, 2020. 

The old rules apply, no export earnings required and a guaranteed grant entitlement up to $100,000. 

These applications MUST be prepared, finalised, and lodged by March 2nd. No ifs, no buts, no extension- the excuse my dog ate my homework will just not work.

We discussed the old rules versus new rules in our recent client Newsletter, and one famous line came to mind…hence the face of Doris Day!

“Que Sera, Sera!

Whatever will be, will be…”

Read on via our Newsletter link here to find out more!

Image credit: discogs.com/Doris-Day-Whatever-Will-Be-Will-Be-Que-Sera-Sera/release/1168631

The Ministerial Determinations behind the new EMDG legislation have been passed. The new rules were tabled late December and open for comment, and comment we did.

The actual Administrative Guidelines, i.e. how to lodge, and when to lodge by, are yet to be released.

We discussed our thoughts of this much awaited beast in our December 2020 Newsletter.

Click here to read our December Newsletter.

We have made our thought processes very clear to Austrade Deputy CEO, Kelly Ralston, in our subsequent Submission to the proposed EMDG rules.

Read all about them here.

If you haven’t yet lodged your 2020 EMDG application, the time to call is now.

We look forward to hearing from you.