The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.

Eligibility for Tier 3 – exporting to new key markets

Diversify your marketing activities to new key export markets.

Eligibility criteria for Tier 3

In Round 4, you may be eligible for Tier 3 if you are both:

  • already exporting
  • seeking to diversify your marketing and promotional activities into new key markets (economies). Key markets are a new requirement for Round 4.

Your business must:

  • have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN)
  • have conducted your business under the same ABN for at least 2 years
  • have an annual turnover more than $1 million but less than $20 million
  • have the capacity to spend at least $20,000 per financial year, exclusive of the grant amount, of your own money. This cannot be funding from other Commonwealth, state, territory or local government sources
  • have evidence of recent export sales
  • have a high-quality plan to market that is specific to your business. It must not be copied from another business, another EMDG application or a generic marketing plan
  • be tax compliant and fit to receive a grant
  • meet all other eligibility requirements.

For more information about Tier 3 eligibility:

Strategic shift

A strategic shift is targeting your marketing or promotional activities to a new export market. A market is defined as an economy.

Definition of a new market and how it is assessed

​A new market is one that you have not exported to before. It’s one in which you have not made any sales. This definition aligns with the Export Market Development Grants Act 1997 (the Act) and the EMDG Grant Guidelines for Round 4 (the guidelines).

If you have achieved or reported export sales in a market, then this market will not be considered a new market for you.

To comply with the Act and the guidelines, you need to provide evidence of an expansion of marketing and promotional activities that are specific to new key markets. For example, if you have never promoted to that market nor undertaken marketing and promotional activities in that market.

Austrade is assessing each application on a case-by-case basis. For example, you may be considered eligible if you:

  • have undertaken some explorative marketing and promotional activities to help determine if the market is right for your business and have not achieved export sales in the market; and
  • can demonstrate that you are changing your business strategy and now plan to undertake more marketing and promotion than before (expanding) in line with the definition of a strategic shift.

Key markets

For your strategic shift, you must target one or more of the key markets below.

You cannot already be exporting to another part of that economy.

  • Bangladesh
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Canada
  • China
  • Fiji
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Laos
  • Malaysia
  • Netherlands
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Timor-Leste
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Vietnam

These markets represent exporters’ diversification interests and preferences. They also prioritise Southeast Asian countries as recommended in Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

More information about Tier 3 eligibility is in the EMDG guidelines on Guidelines and legislation.

Grant amounts and duration

For Round 4, Tier 3 offers grants of $20,000 up to $80,000 per financial year.

Grant agreements will be for up to 2 financial years for 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Matched funding

You must be able to match the grant funding with your own money. You must also demonstrate the minimum capacity to spend $20,000 per financial year.

Grant limits

Across multiple EMDG grant rounds, you can receive:

  • Tier 3 grants for up to 4 financial years
  • EMDG for up to 8 financial years, which do not have to be consecutive.

From Round 4, calculations for your 8 years will include each financial year you enter a grant agreement or the number of grants previously paid. This includes years when you:

  • report nil activity
  • don't receive a grant payment.

Prepare to apply

If Tier 3 is right for your business, read the EMDG guidelines on Guidelines and legislation and apply.

Templates and sample documents are available at Apply for Tier 3.

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