Exporting? Low on Funds? NEW Government grant to the rescue!

By Geetha Kandiah

Less than 2 months left for you to take advantage of MATRADE’s newly expanded Market Development Grant (MDG)!

Small and medium-sized companies – we have good news for you! The Malaysian Government is providing a reimbursable grant through MATRADE for export promotion activities undertaken from 1 January – 31 December 2021, to help companies increase global sales by undertaking eligible export promotion activities.

What types of export promotion activities are allowed under this grant?

Registration of Intellectual Property (IP) for International Market
Advertising & Promotion (A&P) Expenses for Exports
Financial Compensation for Cancellation or Postponements of Trade Fair / Exhibition Locally or Overseas
Reimbursement on Logistic Cost for Sending Malaysian Products Overseas
International Certification for Exports

Who is eligible?

trade and industry associations, chambers of commerce or professional bodies;
small medium enterprises (SME) with at least 60% equity owned by Malaysians;
for product manufacturers, or traders, products must be manufactured and made in Malaysia;
the SMEs must meet the following criteria:

professional service providers, sole proprietor or partnership, with at least 60% equity owned by Malaysians;
the professional service providers must meet the following criteria:

both SMEs and professional service providers must be registered with MATRADE. Log on to http://www.matrade.gov.my/en/online-applications/register-as-matrade-member.

How much is the grant for each category?

RM300,000 is the maximum amount companies can claim for all activities combined.
Companies are not entitled to apply for the MDG for any claimable activities once they have fully utilized the RM300,000 lifetime limit.

Deadlines to remember

There are two deadlines to note:

For all activities undertaken from 1 January 2021 – 14 July 2021, submission must be made before or by 12 August 2021.

For all activities undertaken from 15 July 2021 – 31 December 2021; depending on which grant you are applying for, deadlines vary and are based on the following timelines:

Within 30 calendar days from the start date of activity;
Within 30 calendar days from the start date of activity;
Within 30 calendar days from last date of event;
Within 30 calendar days from shipment date (based on Bill of Lading / K2 Form);
Within 30 calendar days from the date of activity.

Where do you submit your application for grant?

Head to MATRADE’s website www.matrade.gov.my/mdg/ to submit your completed applications.

All documents must be submitted online, and they must be clear, readable, unedited and in colour.

Where documents are submitted in black and white, documents must be certified by an External Auditor, External Chartered Accountants, Commissioner for Oaths or the issuer of the payment document.

Claim documents must be made under either the Company’s name; or if individual, the individual must be listed in the list of directors or shareholders or in EPF statement.

Documents not in the English language require an English translation.

What documents are required?

Companies Act 1965 (Certificate of Incorporation Form 9 / Form 13) or Companies Act 2016 (Section 17 / Section 28)
Companies Act 1965 (Memorandum & Articles of Association – M&A) or Companies Act 2016 (Section 14) or Manufacturing License
Companies Act 1965 (Annual Return of Company Having A Share Capital for the year 2019 or 2020) or Companies Act 2016 (Section 68) for the year 2019 or 2020 (full set)
Company’s Audited Financial Statement for the year 2019 or 2020 (full set)
Latest EPF Statement (Form A is not applicable)
for suppliers or traders, a declaration letter by supplier (manufacturer) and the necessary documents to support the above certification.

What could delay your application?

MATRADE claims that the greatest setback to speedy processing is the submission of incomplete or wrong documents, which can result in a halt to the process or even a disqualification of application.

Need the full guidelines? Contact us at kass@kass.asia and we’ll send it to you!

Want to know more about the expanded MDG?

Note: Details sourced from www.matrade.gov.my/mdg/

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Communications at KASS International Sdn Bhd

KASS International is an established Intellectual Property Firm which offers a one-stop solution for IP matters in Malaysia, South East Asia, and worldwide.