SA Export Accelerator Bushfire Response Grants (SAEA-BR)

This program aims to provide financial assistance for South Australian businesses impacted by the bushfires. It is a targeted round of the South Australia Export Accelerator (SAEA) Grant Program which will concentrate on getting businesses who have suffered economic impact from the fires, up and running again, reconnecting with export markets, international commercial connections and achieving sustainable revenues and employment.

There are three funding components available:
- Emerging Exporter: Grants up to $5,000 are available to South Australian businesses that are exporting for the first time.
- Export Accelerator: Grants up to $30,000 are available to help fund business seeking to maintain or create new sales through export.
- New Market Entry: Grants up to $15,000 are available for mature export companies that have exhausted their grant funding but are looking to enter new export markets.

Applicants are required to provide a dollar-for-dollar matched funding contribution.

Eligible applicants must:
1. Emerging Exporter Grants
- Be new to international export. A new exporter is one that has had no direct international sales in the last five years.
- Have an annual turnover between $50,000 and $1 million.
- Be a registered South Australian business.
- Have an ABN and be registered for GST.
- Have been actively trading for at least 12 months.
- Have a tradeable, export-ready good or service that is made in South Australia.

2. Export Accelerator Grants
- Not be eligible for the Emerging Exporter category or the New Market Entry category.
- Have an annual turnover between $100,000 and $15 million.
- Be a registered South Australian business.
- Have an ABN and be registered for GST.
- Have been actively trading for at least 24 months.
- Have a tradeable, export-ready good or service that is made in South Australia.

3. New Market Entry Grants
- Be entering a new international market (if a significant point of difference can be demonstrated between internal markets in the application it will be considered by the assessment panel).
- Have an annual turnover between $250,000 and $20 million.
- Be a registered South Australian business.
- Have an ABN and be registered for GST.
- Have a tradeable, export-ready good or service that is made in South Australia.

Applicants may be sole traders, companies and trusts.

Eligible activities include:
- Marketing materials
- Market research
- E-commerce development
- Export training and consulting
- Participation in tradeshows and business missions
- Overseas travel and accommodation costs
- Support for inbound buyers

Please refer to the Guidelines for the complete list of eligible activities.

The main assessment criteria include:
- Business: Taking into consideration business structure, and the experience and qualifications of staff.
- Finances: Give the business a financial risk rating noting that the bushfire events and impact on revenues will be a consideration.
- Export plan: Consider if the plan is achievable, robust, specific, viable, sustainable and logical; also consider market selection.
- Product/service: Is the product or service in demand in the international markets and is it capable of meeting that demand?
- Benefit to South Australia: Are South Australian jobs made/retained, how much export revenue will be generated etc? What is the positive impact for the bushfire affected businesses?