Export Grants

Overseas Representatives

The costs of running your own overseas representative office or paying an overseas representative qualify, other than capital expenditure. A minimum 12 months representative contract is necessary.

Salaries, rent, vehicle hire, office expenses all qualify up to a maximum of $200,000 per year.

If the overseas representative is independent to you i.e. not a related company an additional $50,000 is able to be claimed (i.e. to a total of $250,000).

Marketing Consultant

Independent arms length marketing consultants qualify up to $50,000 per application. Consultants may be based in either Australia or overseas. Their activities may include market research, advice on markets and pricing strategies, as well as direct promotion.

Overseas Travel

For overseas travel, you are allowed international and internal airfares together with a daily allowance of $350 per day, per person up to 21 days per trip. First class airfares are discounted by 35%. The daily allowance of $350 is in lieu of actual costs incurred for accommodation, ground transport, travel insurance, meals and general living expenses. If any part of any trip is not for export promotion (i.e. a holiday), that part of the trip will not be eligible for the rebate. Relatives travelling together must be directors or full time employees for 12 months prior to the overseas travel, for both travellers to qualify.

Product Samples

Product samples (at cost price to you) can be claimed. The samples must be given away without charge to potential overseas buyers. Freight costs for the samples, do not qualify.

Trade Fairs, Seminars & Promotional Events

All costs paid to third parties to participate in a trade fair or to stage a promotional event or private exhibition qualify. Any in-house internal costs (such as staff time) do not qualify.

Publicity & Advertising

Costs paid to external contractors to create marketing brochures, websites, electronic press kits, paid advertising or any other form of promotion qualify. In-house salaries, do not qualify.

Bringing an Overseas Buyer to Australia

Costs incurred in bringing an overseas buyer to Australia are eligible (excluding entertainment) up to;

• $7,500 per buyer per visit
• a maximum of $45,000 per application

Patent Trademark & Copyright Registration Costs

Costs paid to protect intellectual property in overseas markets may be eligible, if it can be established the costs were incurred for export promotion and not solely for intellectual property protection. This category of expenditure is now capped at $50,000. Insurance against costs to be incurred protecting intellectual property in foreign market may also be eligible. Please consult us regarding these expenses.

Goods Manufactured Offshore

If you have undertaken design and research in Australia but manufacture offshore, you may still qualify for export grant rebates. To do so, your ‘mark up’ on goods sold, must exceed 50% and you must have employees in Australia. Austrade look to the size of your ‘footprint’ in Australia to establish whether the net benefit to Australia from your activities is sufficient.

Related Companies

If overseas marketing is undertaken by a related company in your group, this may be eligible. Please discuss this with us.

Export Earnings Test – Year 3 Onwards

Your Export Grant entitlement from your 3rd grant payment onwards, is subject to a ‘cap’ based on export earnings. The EMDG payment will be initially based on eligible expenditure (i.e. expenditure less $5,000 x 50%), however your grant payment cannot exceed the following percentage of your export earnings:

• Year 3 – 40%
• Year 4 – 20%
• Year 5 – 10%
• Year 6 – 7.5%
• Year 7 – 5%
• Year 8 – 5%

Maximum Number of Claims

The maximum number of claims is 8.

Exclusions from Export Grant Eligibility

• Any expenditure not paid (on a cash basis) by 30 June
• Commissions/success fees
• Salaries (except for overseas representatives and product samples)
• GST or Australian taxes
• Any marketing to New Zealand
• Any cash payments in excess of $10,000
• Any expenditure or export earnings which are not in your financial accounts and/or tax returns
• Any costs incurred by an overseas subsidiary, which are not charged back to the Australian parent company

Additional Points

• Any marketing costs initially incurred by a third party licensee (such as a distributor) which are charged back against your revenue/royalties, can be claimed upon recoupment.
• Where a promotional event/trade fair is held in Australia (such as Australian Fashion Week), if overseas buyers attend the event, part of your participation costs may be eligible.
• If you create marketing items which are used locally and internationally (such as a website, business cards, electronic press kit etc), the proportion which relates to overseas marketing can be claimed.