Changes to EMDG grants reduce grant amount but extend availability through to 2015/16.

Recent changes to the Export Market Development Scheme (EMDG) reduce the maximum grant available, however extend the availability of the scheme through to 2015/16.

These changes apply to grants for the 2010/11 grant year. Clients are advised to consider their export market activity this year to maximise any grants they are eligible for, before the changes take effect.

The changes include:

• Extending the EMDG scheme to apply to all grants years from 2011/12 to 2015/16 inclusive
• Reducing the maximum grant from $200,000 to $150,000
• Reducing the number of grants an individual recipient can receive, other than an approved body or joint venture from 8 to 7
• Caping intellectual property registration expenses at $50,000 per application
• Increasing the minimum expenses threshold from $10,000 to $20,000
• Increasing the income limit for members of approved joint ventures/consortia from $30 million to $50 million.
• Removing approved trading houses as an eligible special approval applicant category
• Reinstating disqualifying conviction provisions in the Act that were unintentionally removed when Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2000 rules replaced earlier disqualifying conviction provisions.