Australian Export Grant Scheme Reviewed For SMEs
Improving the export performance of small and medium sized businesses will be a key focus of a Government review into export policies, under a new issues paper released on the weekend.
The paper was prepared and released by the Mortimer Review, an inquiry into the Government’s export policies and programs launched by Trade Minister Simon Crean in February.
Along with small and medium enterprise export performance, the $150 million Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) scheme will be subject to extensive scrutiny by the review.
Better funding for programs designed to help small and medium sized business owners get advice and develop skills needed to start exporting should be considered by the review, according to Australian Institute of Export executive director Ian Murray.
Austrade’s TradeStart program, which funds private sector organisations to employ export experts to advise business owners on how to launch into export markets, has been highly effective and should receive more funding, Murray says.
“More emphasis on education and training for SMEs is absolutely critical, not just to provide them with the skills but also to give them the confidence to pursue business opportunities overseas by giving them the financial, marketing and negotiating skills you need to deal with distributors, agents and governments overseas,” Murray says.
Export can be very important for small business, and hopefully reviewing the current policies as well as making some changes will help Australian SMEs.
Image from Stock.xchng.
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