Eligibility

Before considering your application for 2024, please review your businesses eligibility. All businesses can enter multiple categories and refer to activities primarily in the 2023/2024 financial year. Some questions do require up to three (3) years of evidence. 

  • Earn foreign exchange. 
  • Hold an active Australian Business Number (ABN). 
  • Operate as a separate business if part of a larger organisation. 
  • Maintain appropriate business ethics and demonstrate a commitment to legal obligations including anti-bribery laws and laws to combat modern slavery, both in Australia and overseas markets. 
  • Government entities as defined in the “A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999” are not eligible, except where they are registered education and training providers. 
  • Sponsors of a State or Territory Export Awards program or the Australian Export Awards program are not eligible to apply. 

The product or service exported must include significant (at least 50 per cent) Australian content or value-add, this may include: 
 
  • goods made in Australia from Australian primary products; 
  • goods made overseas, mainly using Australian primary products; 
  • goods made in Australia from Australian and imported components; 
  • goods elaborately transformed in Australia; 
  • goods made overseas using substantial Australian value-add, intellectual property (IP) or know-how, including design; 
  • services delivered in Australia to foreign individuals or entities; and 
  • services delivered overseas using substantial Australian value-add, IP or know-how. 

  • The applicant must demonstrate delivery of net foreign economic returns to the Australian economy in terms of profit repatriation and employment in Australia. 
  • Applicants must provide three (3) years of export sales, unless they are applying for the Emerging Exporter Award. 
  • Applications containing inadequate financial details will not be accepted. 
  • Applicants that are unable to provide actual export sales for the 2022/23 financial year must provide estimates that supported their demonstrated export efforts. 

  • The Awards program operates as a two-tier process. Applications are first judged in an individual state or territory Export Awards program. Each state or territory program will have 13 or more categories. Only winners in the 13 national categories will automatically proceed as Australian Export Awards finalists. They will then be judged in the Australian Export Awards against other state and territory national category winners. 
  • An application can only be submitted in the state or territory program where the organisation’s head office is located or where the majority of operations are established. 
  • Applications are only accepted online via the Export Awards application website and must be submitted in full by the closing date to be considered. 

  • Organisations can apply in one or more category but will only be eligible to win one award at the national level. 
  • Winners in a state and territory category (outside of national categories) do not proceed to the National Program. 
Eligibility for award categories that are not sector specific:
 
  • Regional Exporter: organisations with a non-metropolitan Head Office or majority of operations are eligible to apply for this award 
  • Metropolitan areas are define as: any business whose head office located in Brisbane City Council, Ipswich City Council, Logan City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council and City of Gold Coast jurisdiction
  • Small business: organisations with total annual sales not exceeding $10 million are eligible to apply for this award 
  • Emerging Exporter: organisations with three years or less of export sales are only eligible to apply for this award. 

  • Winners from previous years are eligible to apply, except for inductees in the Australian Export Awards national Hall of Fame. 
  • Where an organisation is a state or territory Hall of Fame inductee, please check with your state or territory Awards Coordinator regarding eligibility in applying into a state or territory awards program.