Before you decide on costs
When it comes to deciding how much it will cost to finance your export, consider the following questions:
- What are the costs associated with market entry, such as regular visits to your target market, market entry consultants and/or legal or business advisory services?
- What is the political and economic stability of the buyer's country? A nation with a high risk rating will usually mean higher costs.
- What is the potential impact of interest rates and fees, as well as fluctuations in exchange rates?
Grants, assistance programs and venture capital
While banks and export credit agencies remain the easiest and most approachable sources of funding, it pays to research other options available, such as grants and programs, venture capital and equity sharing deals.
Explore some of the current funding programs available for Victorian exporters below.
Victorian Government
Regional Development Victoria (RDV) Jobs Fund Program – Market Access program stream
This Regional Jobs Fund program stream aims to grow regional export potential and access to new markets for business and industry groups. It will do this by supporting investments, projects and activities that enable more comprehensive engagement with new markets, domestically and abroad.
Hamer Scholarships
The Victorian Government's Hamer Scholarships Program is a language and cultural immersion program designed to build the Asia-engagement capabilities of Victorians and to help strengthen cultural awareness and partnerships between Victoria and Asia.
Boost your Business Program
Boost Your Business Vouchers support Victorian businesses to become more productive, employ more people, improve market access, increase export potential and in general, scale, diversity and profitability.
Visit our Programs and Initiatives page to explore the Voucher Program and find out about application opening and closing dates.
Artisanal Sector Grants
Stage one grants are available to eligible producers to undertake a range of projects including:
- purchasing essential small-scale equipment
- undertaking training in specialist food/agricultural techniques or business-related skills, and
- consultancy services that support and build business capability.
Federal Government
Australian Small Business Advisory Services Digital Solutions
ASBAS Digital Solutions provides small business with low cost, high quality advice on a range of digital solutions to help them meet their business needs and grow their digital capabilities.Services are delivered through a mix of one-to-one and group sessions, including face-to-face and online. Assistance is available until June 2021.
Services can be accessed in the following areas:
- websites and selling online
- social media and digital marketing
- using small business software
- online security and data privacy.
Australian Trusted Trader
Provides Australian businesses involved in importing and exporting with an accreditation which enables them to streamline and simplify customs processes.Export Finance and Insurance Corporation
The Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (Efic) is the Australian Government’s export credit agency, and has been providing Australian businesses with export finance solutions so they can take on the world.
Efic bond facilities
If you need to provide bonds (or guarantees) as part of a contract and your bank is unable to provide a bond or requires security you are unable to provide, Efic may be able to help you.
The types of bonds available are:
- advance payment bonds
- performance bonds
- warranty bonds
- US Surety bonds.
Bonds from $100,000 are available.
Efic export contract loan
Efic's Export Contract Loan helps small and medium sized businesses secure the finance required to meet specific export contracts or purchase orders when traditional lenders are unable to help.
Flexible loans from $100,000 are available.
Efic small business export loan
Efic's Small Business Export Loans helps businesses looking to grow through exporting.
The loans are designed to meet the specific needs of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), to help them take advantage of export opportunities when financial institutions can't help.
Loans of $20,000 - $350,000 are available, to cover up to 80% of your export contract/s or purchase order/s.
Export Market Development Grants
The Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) reimburses expenses incurred for export promotional activities to existing and potential Australian exporters.
Funding is provided to compensate eligible export businesses up to 50 per cent of their promotional expenses over $15,000. The minimum grant is $5000, the maximum $150,000. Each successful applicant may be entitled for up to eight consecutive grants.
Tradex Scheme
The Tradex Scheme provides an upfront exemption from Customs duty and GST for eligible goods imported to Australia that are then exported within one year or other approved period.This provides a cash-flow benefit to the importer. The goods may be:
- exported in the same condition as imported processed or treated then exported
- incorporated in other goods which are exported.
Export may be carried out by the importer or a third party. The goods must be exported within one year although approval can be sought to extend this period. The Tradex Scheme is an alternative to the duty drawback arrangements under the Customs Act 1901. Duty drawback allows the importer to claim back Customs duty paid on goods that are then exported.
Wine export grants
Wine Australia's wine export grants are designed to support small to medium wine exporters in capturing export opportunities in China and the USA by offering reimbursement grants for specific export promotion activities from January 2018.
Defence Global Competitiveness Grants
Defence-related small and medium sized businesses may be eligible for a grant of up to $150,000 in matched funding to invest in projects that overcome barriers to export opportunities.
Venture capital
If you're comfortable with a third-party taking an equity stake in your business, and a share of the profits, venture capital could be an option to finance your exporting business.The Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCAL) represents Australia's private equity and venture capital industries. Its members comprise mostly of the country's active private equity and venture capital firms and provide capital for early stage companies, as well as later stage expansion.
Serious about exporting?
Whether you’re a Victorian business looking at entering new markets, expanding into additional markets, or taking on more challenging high-growth markets, our free online self-assessment tool, Go Global will show you how to get there.
Through a series of export-focused questions, Go Global works by measuring your business’s capability and capacity in nine key areas. Nominate yourself and up to five key stakeholders from your business to take part in the self-assessment to receive a holistic overview of your business's export-readiness.
Once all nominees have completed their self-assessments, you'll receive a comprehensive report highlighting your business's strengths and capabilties, and recommended next steps to help you go global.
Go Global is a useful tool for the development or refinement of your market entry strategy:
- Identifying strengths
- Identify gaps in capabilities
- Recommending the next steps to bridge those gaps and support your export journey.
