The Australian Government has expanded support for local exporters through the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program, allocating over $74 million in grant agreements to more than 700 businesses since the latest funding round opened in November 2024.
The average grant value in this round has increased to $53,000 – more than double the previous amounts provided under the former coalition government, as revealed in a media release.
The government stated that the declining size of grants in past years had diminished the program’s impact, prompting reforms to enhance support for exporters and improve program effectiveness.
Since its establishment in 1974, the EMDG program has aided over 51,000 Australian businesses in promoting their products and services in more than 180 countries.
The program is administered by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission.
To ensure continuous improvement, the government has appointed trade expert Timothy Yeend to lead an independent review of the EMDG program under section 106A of the Export Market Development Grants Act 1997.
Yeend, who has over 30 years of experience in trade and international business, serves as a board member of Tourism Australia and previously held the position of Associate Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The government expects his expertise to strengthen the program’s legislative framework and ensure it meets the needs of exporters competing globally.
Consultations for the review are scheduled to begin in May 2025, with a final report to be submitted to the government by November 2025 in line with legislative requirements.
