What if I told you that the Australian Government will literally co-fund your expansion into overseas markets—even if you don’t sell physical products?
If you’re building apps, websites, platforms, or marketplaces—especially ones used internationally—you could be sitting on tens of thousands of dollars in government incentives.

Welcome to the Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) and a suite of export programs designed to help Aussie businesses like yours go global.

At Digital One Agency, we don’t just help clients build these kinds of businesses—we actively use these programs ourselves to grow internationally and help our clients claim them too. Whether you’re an app startup, a SaaS product, or a marketplace connecting global users, if you’re exporting—even digitally—this is for you.

And yes, we’ll break it all down.
Strap in—this is your ultimate playbook for turning export incentives into real growth.

🌏 The Global Goldmine That Aussie Businesses Are Missing

Right now, thousands of Aussie businesses are building world-class products—but only selling them to locals.

Here’s why that’s a missed opportunity:

• The Aussie dollar is low, making our products globally competitive
• Our tech talent is top-tier
• You don’t need to export physical goods—if you sell services, software, or access to a platform from Australia, you qualify

In fact, some of the best success stories in 2025 are Aussie-built platforms and websites serving global audiences while still being 100% hosted and operated onshore.

Which brings us to one of the most exciting case studies yet 👇

💡 Case Study: Aussie Marketplace, Global Impact

Meet “GlobalTradeConnect.com.au“—a fictional but very real-world example of how an Aussie platform can go global with the help of export incentives.

✅ The Business Model

• Built and hosted in Australia
• 100% owned by an Australian company
• Marketplace connects African agricultural suppliers with European importers
• Monetised via subscription, SaaS fees, and commission
• 99% of users are based offshore
• Developed by Digital One Agency using Flutter, Firebase, and hosted on Australian AWS infrastructure

💥 What’s Being Exported?

Even though nothing physical is shipped, the business is exporting:

• Access to the platform (a service)
• Australian intellectual property
• Licensing and SaaS subscriptions

That makes the business a textbook case for the EMDG.

💸 What is the Export Market Development Grant (EMDG)?

The EMDG is the backbone of Australia’s export incentive system. It’s managed by Austrade and has already helped thousands of Aussie businesses break into global markets.

🔍 At a Glance

You apply with a forward-looking export plan, get approval, and then get reimbursed for eligible international marketing and expansion expenses.

🎯 What Expenses Are Eligible?

Your claim can include:

• International digital marketing (Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn)
• Export strategy consultants
• Website localisation for foreign markets
• Overseas SEO and PR
• Foreign market-specific branding and design
• International events, trade shows, and business travel
• Sample freight (if applicable)
• Overseas partnerships and resellers

And yes—digital-only businesses and service exporters absolutely qualify.

📦 EMDG in Action: GlobalTradeConnect Breakdown

Let’s see how our marketplace example uses EMDG:

💰 Year 1 Spend (All Eligible)

Total International Marketing Spend: $25,000
EMDG Claim (Tier 1): Up to $12,500 reimbursed (50%)

This is non-dilutive, tax-free money straight back to fuel the next growth phase.

🚀 How Digital One Agency Helps Businesses Go Global

At Digital One Agency, we’re not just developers or designers—we’re your go-to-market growth partners.

We’ve used these same grant programs to:

• Launch into the U.S. (with clients in LA, NYC, Miami, Chicago)
• Expand into the U.K. and Europe
• Win international awards
• Scale our team without VC funding

We help our clients:

• Build export-ready platforms
• Prepare EMDG plans
• Target foreign markets with precision
• Automate and localise experiences for international users

Whether you’re an app, SaaS business, eCommerce startup, or B2B platform—we know how to help you unlock global growth with smart tech and smarter strategy.

🧠 R&D Tax Incentive + EMDG = The Power Combo

Did you build your platform from scratch?

Then you may also qualify for the R&D Tax Incentive, which can reimburse up to 43.5% of your development costs—including prototyping, backend logic, AI development, and API integrations.

💡 At Digital One Agency, many of our clients get both R&D and EMDG support—making their business globally competitive and government-backed.

🌍 State-Level Export Grants (Stack These Too!)

Each state and territory in Australia also offers additional export grants. These stack beautifully with EMDG and give your business even more firepower.

🔧 A Few Examples:

• NSW Export Assistance Grant – Up to $10,000
• QLD Go Global Export Program – Up to $25,000
• VIC Export Recovery Package – Up to $20,000
• SA Export Accelerator – Up to $30,000

These grants help you:

• Attend trade shows
• Develop export strategies
• Build international partnerships
• Conduct overseas market research

Digital One Agency helps businesses prepare and apply for these grants alongside platform development and export planning.

📈 Why Exporting Changes the Game

Let’s hit the dopamine button.
Here’s why global is better for your margins, growth, and momentum.

🥇 1. You Charge in Stronger Currencies

U.S. clients pay in USD. Europeans pay in EUR.
With the AUD low, you’re effectively making more per dollar you earn overseas.

🌎 2. You Build Global Trust

International users = International credibility.

Imagine telling your next Aussie lead:

“We already serve customers in London, Dubai and New York.”

That’s trust on tap.

💰 3. You Unlock Higher Value Clients

International clients pay more, require less hand-holding, and are often easier to scale with.

They’re used to paying $20K+ for projects—so your $8K service feels like a steal with Aussie quality.

🤝 4. You Open Doors to Partnerships and Investment

Once you’re operating internationally, you attract:

• Distributors and resellers
• Investors
• Joint venture partners
• Media attention

It’s a chain reaction—and we’ve seen it play out time and time again.

📣 Who Can Access EMDG?

✅ Any Australian business with:

• An ABN
• Under $20 million in annual revenue
• A product or service sold to foreign customers
• IP or service delivery from within Australia
• A forward-looking plan to expand into export markets

Even sole traders and startups qualify.

✨ Your Export Launch Playbook (Step-by-Step)

1. Identify Your Export Product

Whether it’s an app, a marketplace, or a digital service—you’re exporting if you’re paid by a foreign customer.

2. Write Your Export Plan

This is needed for EMDG approval. Digital One Agency can help create a solid, fundable strategy.

3. Start Your International Marketing

Run Google Ads, build a landing page, launch a LinkedIn campaign—just make sure it’s targeting non-Australian audiences.

4. Track Every Dollar

Save your receipts, reports, and campaign metrics. You’ll need these for claiming.

5. Apply for EMDG

Apply via Austrade or work with a grant consultant.

6. Stack With R&D and State Grants

Talk to us about how to claim multiple incentives together.

🧲 Export-Ready Platforms = Scalable, Saleable, Sexy

At Digital One Agency, we specialise in building:

• Multi-region marketplaces
• SaaS products for foreign niches
• Export-ready apps and platforms
• Secure, scalable hosting in Australia
• SEO-ready websites targeting international search engines

We don’t just build the tech—we build the machine that lets you sell globally and get funded doing it.

🚪 Final Thoughts: The World Is Open. Step Through.

The only thing more expensive than going global is not going global.

Exporting your services, SaaS, platform, or marketplace:

• Increases your profit margin
• Diversifies your revenue
• Adds stability to your business
• Makes you investable, scalable, and sale-ready

And you don’t have to do it alone.

📩 Reach out to Digital One Agency—your export growth partners.

📞 Ready to Build and Export?

Let’s grow your business globally—with a grant-fuelled rocket under it.

🌐 Website: www.digitaloneagency.com.au
📧 Email: contact@digitaloneagency.com.au
📞 Phone: +61 2 9057 9079