EMDG Case Studies | Tobbie Capital Advisory
EMDG engagements from the practice — how exporters structured their claim cycles, what was reimbursed, and the traps avoided. Names withheld for client confidentiality.
Case Study 1
Premium food brand — first EMDG cycle
An Australian premium food producer began selling into Singapore and the UAE. Eligible spend in year one: $148,000 — trade-fair booth in Singapore, in-market representation, digital campaigns, translated packaging.
EMDG reimbursement ≈ $74,000 (50% of eligible spend) — with a three-year claim arc planned so years 2 and 3 compound.
The trap avoided: without planning, the first trade-fair invoice would have landed outside the cycle week and forfeited thousands.
Case Study 2
Machinery exporter — Southeast Asia representation
A family machinery company engaged a marketing representative in Vietnam and exhibited at two regional trade shows across a claim year. Eligible spend: $265,000 (representative fees, booth costs, travel, product samples, technical brochures).
EMDG reimbursement ≈ $132,500 — the largest single cycle in the company's history, lodged inside the window with full evidentiary pack.
The discipline: the representative agreement was structured before signing so the fees fell squarely inside eligible category rules.
Case Study 3
Software scale-up — digital-first market entry
A SaaS scale-up entering New Zealand and the UK ran a digital-heavy export campaign: targeted digital advertising, localised websites, online events, and attendance at one London industry conference. Eligible spend: $96,000.
EMDG reimbursement ≈ $48,000 — with the conference travel planned into the following cycle to smooth the expense pattern.
The discipline: digital spend categorised at the campaign level from day one (eligible promo vs general brand spend) — a boundary Austrade scrutinises.
Case Study 4
Wine exporter — evidence rebuild under audit
A wine exporter had claimed EMDG for two years with thin records; Austrade queried the evidence mid-cycle. We rebuilt the evidentiary pack: distributor agreements, freight records tied to promotions, market-visit diaries, campaign analytics. Most spend was legitimately eligible — the proof simply didn't exist yet.
Outcome: the cycle proceeded with reimbursement of ≈ $61,000 of the originally claimed ≈ $78,000 — the difference being spend that couldn't be substantiated.
The lesson: Austrade checks evidence after payment too. Every invoice from day one goes in the cycle folder.
"The exporters who gain most from EMDG plan the claim cycle before they book the trade fair."
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