Special Edition – EMDG 2025 Review process.
We write to you as you are in our database as either a past or current client of ours accessing the EMDG (Export Market Development Grants) program.
Austrade sent out an email broadcast to its own client base yesterday seeking submissions to the formal five yearly review of EMDG.
You may or may not have been sent an email. Hence one from us.
Here is a link to Austrade’s website and more details of the review process:
https://www.austrade.gov.au/en/how-we-can-help-you/working-groups-and-engagement/independent-review-emdg-program-have-your-say
This review is about the future of EMDG going forward from July 1, 2027, if the scheme continues or not and in what form and fashion, what will be the rules of engagement of the program and the timing for Round 5 of the program (the terminology used when the program was changed back in 2019/2020).
It will have no impact on the current Round 4 which we have already expressed our dismay with what a cock-up it has been on a number of fronts, we have already made our views clear to the Minister and CEO of Austrade as follows:
- The reduction in funding per year, the lowest since the program began in 1975 – 50 years ago.
- The non funding of 2024/2025 expenditure for most exporters, with only a small percentage (less 5%) being able to access the program for that year.
- The “first in – first served process” which created a nightmare for many applicants back in November.
- The general change in rules has excluded more exporters than those that are to be paid funding by a government help program working in reverse.
- If you did not apply for Round 4, you are excluded from accessing the program till Round 5, pending the review which will cover the 2027/2028 and 2028/2029 years, that’s a long time in the future for sure!
Most to the above problems can be fixed with more money in the program, back to $150M per year, as it was until recent budget changes.
We are a bit skeptical about the survey process, given how the questions were constructed and answers taken in the context of what Austrade wanted itself to achieve.
A 23% acceptance of a “first in first serve” approach was used to say this is what exporters wanted. What about the other 77% who did not?
An answer that any grant offer should cover 2 years (not a bad idea) was not explained as meaning you could only apply every two years.
A current change is that for Round 4 – you do not have a full 12 month coverage in the 2025/2026 year – you must have your milestone report submitted by June 15th 2026 – please.
Austrade should seek to change the Georgian calendar to 350 days not 365 we are all used to.
In my own submission we will be pushing the barrow of:
- Increased funding to $150M – back to the level it was before.
- Drop the first in first served approach.
- The ability to apply every year.
- The grant agreement period to be yearly as well.
- Simplification or removal of the “Tier” approach.
- To make the application process a simple one step process, not the current three step one.
- To be able to change your selected markets to deal, changing world trading conditions like the 3 T’s – Trump’s Tariff Tantrums!
- To allow common sense to apply – to be able to market to the world (except Russia, North Korea, not just selected countries approved by government, to allow a regional focus like Europe, Asia etc. – not to have list each and every country within a selected region.
- To re-instate the previous ‘export performance test” to tie with the grant amount to real export performance.
Enough said by me.
I do encourage you to make a submission and to speak your mind in a full and frank fashion.
In addition, please, if you can spare the time attend the in-person sessions as well, due to happen sometime in August. I will be there.
I am yet to complete my own submission, a job to do in the coming days.
I will send you a copy of it, so you can use it as a guide if you like.
Happy to take your call to discuss.
All the best,
Stuart