About Tradestart

TradeStart is a national network of export assistance offices, partnerships between Austrade and a range of local private and public sector organisations throughout Australia. These TradeStart Partners employ Export Advisors who are well versed in the needs of exporters and potential exporters and skilled in matters of international trade.

The prime objective is to assist small and medium sized enterprises, particularly in regional Australia and industries that have high growth potential, to commence exporting and to convert irregular exporters to sustainable export activity. TradeStart also provides assistance to established exporters to expand their markets.

TradeStart was established in its original form in July 1998. In the 2002-03 budget the government allocated $21.5 million over four years to continue and expand the program and further extended the program in the 2006-07 budget with $23.3 million over four years to 2010-11.

The TradeStart Program flexibly addresses the needs of individual businesses drawing on the combined resources of Austrade and the TradeStart Partner. The Program contains elements of coaching and action learning; with the goal being to assist each business to achieve long-term success in their first and subsequent export markets.

The TradeStart Program:

* Promotes exporting, international business and the Australian Government’s trade agenda.

* Assists potential exporters to become established exporters.

* Assists established exporters to increase export sales and to enter new markets.

* Works co-operatively with other relevant agencies to maximise the export success of TradeStart clients.

* Represents Austrade and provides access to the full range of its services for both existing and potential Austrade clients.

* There is also access to assistance from Austrade’s 160 overseas offices.

Support for potential exporters is available through Austrade and its TradeStart partner organisations throughout Australia and Austrade's overseas network.

Since 2002 the TradeStart Network has helped more than 2,000 businesses achieve export success worth more than $750 million. TradeStart has built export awareness at the regional level and actively encouraged SME’s to get into export.

Important: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions in this website.