EMDG Round 4 Has Closed — What to Do Now to Be Ready for Round 5

EMDG Round 4 Has Closed — What to Do Now to Be Ready for Round 5

Round 4 of the Export Market Development Grant closed once funding was allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. That means most Australian businesses looking at EMDG today aren't applying — they're waiting. The question isn't 'how do I get one now', it's 'how do I be the kind of applicant who's ready the moment Round 5 opens'. Here's how we'd think about that at KP Retail.

Where EMDG sits in 2026

EMDG is a program administered by Austrade that reimburses eligible Australian SMEs for money spent promoting their products or services to overseas markets. Round 4 covers eligible activity in 2025–26 and 2026–27. Applications closed as funding was allocated, and the next intake — Round 5 — isn't expected until around mid-2027, covering the 2027–28 and 2028–29 financial years.

That gap matters. Businesses that wait until Round 5 opens to start preparing will be competing against businesses that have spent two years getting ready. Given Round 4's first-come-first-served structure, early and well-prepared usually beats late and polished.

What the program supports

EMDG operates in three SME tiers — Tier 1 for businesses ready to export, Tier 2 for businesses already exporting to existing markets, and Tier 3 for those expanding into new key markets. Round 4 grant amounts ranged from $20,000 up to $30,000 per financial year for Tier 1, up to $50,000 for Tier 2, and up to $80,000 for Tier 3.

Eligible spend categories have included things like overseas marketing visits, trade fairs, free samples sent abroad, IP protection in overseas markets, and certain consultants engaged for export-related marketing work. The program is reimbursement-based, so the documentation behind that spend matters enormously.

Founder tips for the 18-month lead-up

First, complete the Export Readiness Test on the Austrade website, or an Austrade-recognised export training course. Tier 1 applicants need evidence of one or the other before they can apply. This is free to do, and it's something a business can knock over in a quiet week.

Second, build a real export plan. Not a brochure — a working document with specific target markets, channels, activities, indicative budgets, and timing. The Round 4 guidelines explicitly required Tier 1 applicants to have a high-quality plan specific to their business, not copied from another business or a generic template. That standard will almost certainly carry into Round 5.

Third, start your evidence trail now. Photos of product in market, screenshots of overseas press, inbound enquiries from international customers, distributor conversations, trade event participation. All of this is grant gold when round opens and almost impossible to reconstruct later.

Where KP Retail fits in

We've spent years working alongside Australian businesses through EMDG rounds. The pattern is clear: the businesses that have done the foundational work — clean financials, a credible export plan, documented marketing activity by market — submit calmly and compete well. The businesses that scramble in the final weeks send something weaker than they should.

Right now, with Round 4 closed, is the calm preparation window. We help founders use it well — assessing fit across the three tiers, getting the underlying business documents into the shape Austrade expects, and building the kind of evidence base that turns a Round 5 application from a panicked draft into a well-rehearsed submission.

EMDG is one of the most useful programs available to Australian exporters, but it rewards preparation more than ambition. If your business has genuine international plans, the work to be ready for Round 5 starts now — and we'd be happy to talk you through it. Get in touch with KP Retail to map out where you sit and what the next 18 months should look like.

Related reading: If you're planning ahead for EMDG Round 5, our plain-English overview of what the EMDG actually covers is a good starting point, and our EMDG Tier 1 deep dive covers the specifics of the first grant tier. You can also visit our dedicated EMDG program page or speak with KP Retail about registering your interest for the next round.