EMDG March Newsletter
It is all about Round 4 of the EMDG program.
First a sermon about the Iran conflict and EMDG
In recent months I have always started the email with a comment about President Trump.
In terms of the Iran conflict, words simply fail me and I can’t think of anything meaningful to say, without getting me into real trouble should I choose to visit the USA sometime in the future.
The conflict is an external threat (one of the SWOT terms, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) that you have no control over whatsoever.
It impacts big time in regard to your ability for you to travel and produce your goods given fuel price increases & pending shortages.
One of our clients was on the ABC news yesterday stating they had no diesel fuel supplies for their fishing fleet to put to sea. You cannot market and sell fish if you cannot catch it in the first place.
For tourism there is no point in marketing overseas to Europe if your customer does want to travel in the Middle East airspace – totally understandable if you ask me.
Hells Bells, it also hit me hard when I had to pay $2.47 per litre for petrol and I only sit behind a computer and press buttons.
EMDG Round 4 is not helpful in terms of dealing with this current threat to your export activities.
- You are locked into markets that you had to choose back in November 2024.
- You cannot change them to suit the change in market conditions as is happening now.
- You must spend at least $40,000 in the 25/26 year or no grant entitlement will be assessed, you will have to repay the prepaid $20,000 grant payment paid back in June 2025. (Representative bodies excluded).
- You can only claim economy-based airfares.
- You must still show export activity / sales in 2025/2026, notwithstanding the roadblocks in the way now, nor forgetting the “TTT’s – Trump’s Tariff Tantrums – Oops – there goes my USA visa!
If your overseas travel plans and marketing strategies have been impacted by either the tariffs or the Iran conflict, please tell let us know.
Tell us your own story so I can write directly to Minister and CEO of Austrade and raise it on your behalf.
Real examples carry more weight than an old bloke that seems to always shouting from the sideline.
Second – back to EMDG Round 4 basics.
We both have an obligation to lodge your milestone report before June 15th, and we have already started the process for clients.
All the milestone reports we have submitted so far have paid in full by Austrade.
It is about getting in early, so long as you have spent enough to do so.
If you have submitted your 2025/2026 milestone report, there is nothing to do now. Job finished until June 2026 grant prepayment cycle (for 26/27 grants) and a possible Round 5 application in November.
If you have not been in contact with us or responded to Wayne’s recent email blasts, please do so as soon as you can.
Call us panic merchants, but from where we sit the clock has already started ticking.
Third – No news yet on the EMDG review of last year or Round 5 details.
We expect this will happen in mid year. Not sure if it will be an opportunity or threat to your future export efforts.
All the best,
Stuart & Wayne