The 2018–19 Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme attracted 4019 applications from Australian businesses, the highest number of applicants in nearly a decade.
Last year’s processing of applications was a mixed bag of things to say the least.
Many applications were actually paid by Austrade in a great rush before the end of the financial year.
We only have a handful not processed/carried over to this year from last year, less than 2% of 2018 lodgements. We have some in the appeal stage as well. Some are already being started.
If you grant payment was above $40,000, you have the issue of the dreaded “second tranche payment”.
Last year that payment was the lowest on record, a terrible 24.59%.
This is simply a result of chronic under funding by the Abbott / Turnbull / Morrison government over the last 5 years or so. Not enough ink in Senator Birmingham’s pen!
See more about the payout factor here:
https://www.austrade.gov.au/Australian/Export/Export-Grants/news
We had an election of course and an extra $20 million was injected into the program for the next three years, starting from July 1.
The extra funding kicks in for 2018/2019 applications (the one to lodge now).
The extra $20 million will not go far enough, in our lobbying campaign we asked for $50M, but as have said before “beggars/exporters cannot be choosy”. The second tranche payout rate will go up to around 50-60%, not full payment but at least on the up.
To take advantage of this and find out if you are eligible, get in touch.