Trade Connect Guidelines for ApplicantsThe ACT Government’s Trade Connect grant program is designed to help small and medium sized Canberra based businesses with a range of export market development activities.

Funding can be used towards reasonable costs directly associated with international development activities such as market visits, developing marketing material, promotion and advertising, participation in trade shows, supporting incoming buyer visits, market research and undergoing mentoring.

This is a competitive grant program. Your application will be assessed initially against the program criteria and also against the merits of other applications.

1. Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for Trade Connect funding your business must be prepared to enter into a formal agreement with the ACT Government and meet all of the following conditions:

Be a registered Australian business or approved body.

Organisations already receiving ongoing ACT Government financial support will need to justify why additional funding from Trade Connect is needed before their applications are accepted for assessment.

Have a main business location in the ACT.

Have an annual income of not more than $10 million.

Have tradeable goods or services for the export market to be developed.

Have a current Export Development Plan.

The amount of funding sought must be at least $2,000; i.e. the total amount of eligible export promotion expenses for the proposed activity must be at least $4,000.

2. Assessment Criteria

Your application will be assessed against the following criteria:

The quality of your Export Development Plan and the level of export readiness of your goods or services.

The relevance of your proposed activity to the Export Development Plan.

The competitiveness of your company’s tradeable goods or services.

The financial stability of your company.

The likely outcome of your funded activity and its potential for long term economic benefit to the ACT

INNOVATE CANBERRA | CHIEF MINISTER, TREASURY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE● GPO Box 158 Canberra ACT 2601 ● 13 22 81 ● business.act.gov.au

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As a competitive grant program, preferences will be given to emerging exporters and first time applicants.

3. Funding Limits and Conditions of Funding

The total amount of funding available to each eligible business will be limited to $45,000 over the life of the Trade Connect program.

A maximum of $15,000 in funding reimbursement is available per business per financial year (ie half of total export market development expenditure up to $30,000 per year).

A maximum of $7,500 in funding is available per application.

No limit applies to the number of applications per business per year, within the $15,000 overall limit. For example, an eligible business could submit two applications seeking $7,500 each, or three seeking $5,000 each.

Assessment of your subsequent applications will take into consideration the outcomes of previous Trade Connect funded activities, willingness to engage with the ACT Exporters’ Network, and ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards in due course.

All Trade Connect grants are awarded on a 50/50 matched-funding basis. For example, if the total approved expenditure of the funded activity is $15,000 then you will be eligible for $7,500 of Trade Connect funding.

Support for eligible travel and living expenses (ie accommodation, meals excluding alcohol, and local transport) is limited to one (1) person per application. Funding can be used to cover 50 per cent of economy class fares and 50 per cent of living expenses to a maximum amount of $300 per day (ie maximum reimbursement for living expenses is limited to $150 per day). This can be provided up to a maximum of 14 days.

Once your application is approved, you will sign and return a funding agreement with the ACT Government within two (2) weeks from the date of the letter of offer or prior to the commencement of the funded activity, whichever is the sooner, or the approval will be withdrawn by default.

From time to time Trade Connect funding may be made available to participants in designated trade missions or industry delegations. Standard Trade Connect guidelines including eligibility and assessment criteria will remain in force however the maximum amount of funding allowed for each application may vary.

You will need to pay all costs incurred in advance. Reimbursement of approved expenditure will occur following your funded activity. Funding will not be provided in advance of any activities.

To claim approved funding, you will be required to provide a Funded Activity Report (available at www.business.act.gov.au/tcon) within three (3) months of the completion of your funded activity.

The Funded Activity Report should include funding you have received from other grant programs and a Statement of Expenditure, supported by invoices and receipts.

The ACT Government may disclose your application details with other organisations, where grant funding has been received or expected for the same activities.

INNOVATE CANBERRA | CHIEF MINISTER, TREASURY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE● GPO Box 158 Canberra ACT 2601 ● 13 22 81 ● business.act.gov.au

Trade Connect Guidelines for Applicants – 27.10.2016Page 2 of 3

No reimbursement will be made unless funding recipients have satisfied all the terms of the funding agreement.

Applications for markets in which Australian sanctions or export controls apply will need to demonstrate necessary approvals or exemptions.

Applicants may be required to provide information and photos related to their business and the export activities for the development of export related case studies for Invest Canberra

Applicants are welcome to contact us to discuss any special needs not covered under the guidelines.

The ACT Government reserves the right to vary or amend these guidelines from time to time without prior notice.

4. Application Process

To allow adequate time for processing and assessment, your application should be submitted at least four (4) weeks before the commencement of your funded activity.

No application submitted after related activities have already commenced or completed will be eligible for consideration.

The completed and signed Application Form (available at www.business.act.gov.au/tcon), together with all required supporting documents, should be emailed to business.mailbox@act.gov.au for lodgement.

5. ContactFor more information contact a Trade Connect Client Manager:

Phone: 13 22 81Email: business.mailbox@act.gov.au

INNOVATE CANBERRA | CHIEF MINISTER, TREASURY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORATE● GPO Box 158 Canberra ACT 2601 ● 13 22 81 ● business.act.gov.au

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