Deadline: 1-Oct-21
The ConnectPlus is offering South Australia Export Accelerator (SAEA) grant program to support South Australian small to medium-sized enterprises to expand into international markets.
Funding Streams
- Grant funding is available under three streams:
- Export Accelerator: Funding of up to $30,000 (minimum $5,000) for SMEs to export. SMEs are required to match the grant funding dollar for dollar. SMEs can apply multiple times to a maximum cumulative amount of $30,000. Once this funding has been exhausted, SMEs can apply for the New Market Entry stream.
- New Market Entry: Funding of up to $15,000 (minimum $5,000) for SMEs to export into a new market. SMEs are required to match the grant funding dollar for dollar. Applicants can apply for the New Market Entry funding when they have exhausted their $30,000 allocation under the ‘Export Accelerator’ stream.
- Consortium (New funding stream): Funding of up to $200,000 (minimum of $50,000) for consortiums of at least three SMEs to undertake collaborative export activities, on a matched funding dollar for dollar basis.
- The grant will cover a 12-month funding period.
Eligible Activities
- Market access
- Market entry requirements e.g. registrations, documentation and compliance
- Professional advice (accounting, financial, legal) on contract negotiation related to selling your goods or service in international markets
- International IP advice, counterfeit protection, international IP registration fees, international IP insurance (Maximum cap of $5,000 for IP related expenses in principle, but the amount can be negotiable depending on the nature of IP issues)
- Product testing and redesign, packaging and labelling required to meet an export market requirement
- Support to gain export accreditation, including auditing and product registration fees (e.g. Halal accreditation)
- Product approvals, installation and training required for a new client or market.
- Marketing, branding and promotion
- Internationalisation of your website, such as language translations, product and expertise details
- Ecommerce development, including the development and implementation of an ecommerce platform
- Pivoting to online delivery: Converting face-to-face training content to online delivery including design, development, production and accreditation of online content for international audiences
- Marketing materials: Design, Trademark, copyrighting and printing for business cards, brochures, product sheets, presentations, promotional collateral, banners and signage specifically for overseas markets
- Production of corporate videos and online presentations
- Overseas social media marketing (in target markets).
- Freight and logistics optimisation
- Activities to optimise and achieve economies of scale in freight (e.g. freight and logistics cost and optimisation analysis, freight consolidation planning and implementation)
- Purchasing or development of a product traceability and/or freight consolidation platform
- Purchasing or development of a demand forecasting tool(s) for freight optimisation.
- Export training, mentoring and coaching
- Export-focused training, mentoring and coaching to help support your business’ export journey
- Training in relation to digitisation, business process improvement and B2B and/or B2C marketing related to exporting.
- Outbound business support (virtual and physical)
- Participation in international tradeshows and trade missions held within Australia and overseas (in cases where there is no international border restriction)
- Eligible activity costs include: Economy airfares; basic accommodation (standard room only); on-ground transfers for no more than two people to attend an international trade show; business programs or accompany a business mission to a relevant market or as detailed in your export plan; hiring exhibition space at an international trade show; entry and project management fees; freight and other costs associated with display products including carnets; and freight of free samples
- Standard administrative costs of obtaining a visa directly from consulate/embassy are eligible, but priority processing, third party fees and travel and accommodation are not eligible.
Eligibility Criteria
- Be a registered South Australian business or have significant business operations based in South Australia.
- Have an ABN, be registered for GST and have a minimum annual turnover of $75,000.
- Be from, or supporting, one of the following Growth State priority sectors (a consortium bid does not require the companies to be from the same sector):
- Creative industries
- Defence industries
- Energy and mining
- Food, wine and agribusiness
- Health and medical industries
- Hi-tech
- International education
- Space industries
- Tourism
- Have less than 200 FTE employees working for their business.
- Have generated sales revenue for a minimum of 24 months in South Australia.
- Be willing to provide information and data, including financial information (e.g. financial statements) for the past 24 months as required.
- Have a tradeable, export-ready good or service that is produced in South Australia.
- Be able to enter into a legally binding grant agreement with the South Australian Government.
- Be able to commit and make a financial contribution that matches the grant funding requested dollar for dollar, with evidence of available matched funding.
- Have not received or sought funding from another source (such as local, state or the Australian Government) to support proposed activity.
- Have met, if relevant, all grant agreement obligations associated with active SA Export Accelerator Grants from previous rounds.
For more information, visit https://connectplus.sa.gov.au/programs/sa-export-accelerator