Only 66 out of 9,610 EMDG grants went to Aboriginal businesses: Is DFAT’s Indigenous Diplomacy Agenda serious?

Despite the Australian Government’s public commitments to empowering Indigenous communities through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Indigenous Diplomacy Agenda, recent statistics reveal a troubling disconnect between rhetoric and reality. According to Austrade’s own reporting, out of a total of 9,610 successful applications across three funding rounds of the Export Market Development Grants (EMDG) program (2021–2023), only 66 grants (just 0.69%) were awarded to Indigenous-owned businesses.

“Austrade delivered three grant rounds receiving over 10,000 applications, that converted to over 9,600 grant agreements.” – Profile of EMDG recipients as of February 2025

This figure is especially concerning when considering the historical economic disadvantages Indigenous enterprises continue to face. In its submission to the current Independent Review of the EMDG program, Barayamal has highlighted that such a marginal number of successful grants starkly demonstrates a significant gap between DFAT’s stated objectives and the practical outcomes being delivered.

Furthermore, the barriers facing Indigenous businesses are widely acknowledged with the Reserve Bank of Australia’s research (2022) identifying major challenges for First Nations entrepreneurs in accessing financial resources and navigating complex administrative processes. Consequently, genuine Indigenous businesses, frequently under-resourced and without extensive administrative capacities, struggle disproportionately with programs like the EMDG.

Given this context, the question remains: how sincere is DFAT in its commitment to Indigenous economic diplomacy if genuine Indigenous businesses are systematically excluded from meaningful financial support?

Therefore, Barayamal is urging not only for a dedicated Indigenous tier within the EMDG program but also encouraging more Indigenous businesses to submit feedback to the Independent Review, which is a critical opportunity to push Austrade and DFAT to move beyond policy declarations and commit genuinely to tangible investments in Indigenous economic empowerment.

Ultimately, unless proactive structural reforms are implemented soon, Australia’s promise of Indigenous economic diplomacy risks remaining merely symbolic.

To have your say and support genuine change, submit your views here:
Independent Review of EMDG program – Have your say