origin). If a consultant’s cost is in excess of $5,000 (grant of $2,500 or more sought) the applicant must either:

• attach evidence to their application that competitive bids have been sought or
• explain why competitive bids have not been sought.

Note: Boards have the discretion to require applicants to supply competitive quotes for fees below this $5,000 level; if they do, they will note their reason(s) for this.

No assistance is available for:

• travel;
• in-house market research (in-house research is defined as research undertaken by the applicant’s salaried employees, or by subsidiary/associate/parent companies’ employees or by immediate family members or by anyone with a pecuniary interest in the project).

Component Two : Exploration Visits to New Markets (maximum of $7,500)

The aim of this component is to encourage applicants to visit new markets to explore opportunities for their goods and/or services. The definition of new markets for Component 1 applies here.

This component provides assistance to help meet the applicant’s, or up to two of the applicant’s, full-time salaried employee(s) travel costs associated with such visits. Such visits could cover:

• visits to Trade Fairs
• assessment of competing products
• identification of distribution channels, pricing levels, design and packaging requirements, etc.

Agent(s) can qualify under this Component of the scheme only if the applicant itself did not undertake any overseas promotional work or research but used the agent(s) to do this on their behalf.

No assistance is available for:

• first class and business class travel
• meal and accommodation costs
• costs associated with exhibiting products at Trade Fairs. These could however be eligible under Component 3 of the Scheme; Trade Fair Participation.

Note: i Availability of this component is restricted to those who have had a grant under component one - Market Research into New Markets - or else to those who can provide details of having independently undertaken research into the market they wish to visit.

ii The applicant must supply evidence of the market research undertaken, ie supply a report to the appropriate Business Development Board, together with a schedule of appointments BEFORE the travel is undertaken.

Component Three : Trade Fair Participation (maximum of $10,000).

The aim of this component is to assist the applicant’s potential of increasing sales of their goods and/or services through exhibiting these at Trade Fairs.

This component only provides assistance to help meet the cost of applicants’ participation at Trade Fairs. Groups of individuals/businesses/organisations can apply but such applications must be made in the name of the group’s co-ordinator. Assistance is available for costs of:

• stand hire
• design of stand
• construction of stand
• servicing the stand, ie maintaining product level and person representation for duration of the fair
• placing advertisements in catalogues, publications, etc
• promotion costs which are directly related to participation in the fair

Assistance is provided for participation at fairs that:

• involve participants from more than one country (ie such participants are registered offshore); and
• involve participation by no less than 3 such registered (offshore) participants; and
• are “trade only” for no less than 50% of the fair’s duration.

No assistance is available for:

• travel, accommodation and meal costs.

Component Four : Promotion/Advertising in New Markets (maximum of $4,000)

The aim of this component is to assist applicants to increase the sales potential of their goods and/or services by advertising and/or promoting these. The definition of new markets for Components 1 and 2 applies here too.

This component provides assistance to help meet the costs of:

• media advertising of goods and services in journals, newspapers, radio or television
• production of technical literature on the goods and services
• in-store demonstrations
• shelf-space payments
• making of videos and/or other promotional aids
• product seminars and/or demonstrations for buyers
• supplying samples to potential buyers - freight and distribution costs only
• sponsorship costs.