- Cook Government commits $600,000 over three years to support the TradeStart program
- Funding to enhance export advisory services and support regional businesses
- Program aims to capitalise on previous trade outcomes in the South West and Great Southern regions
The Cook Government is pleased to announce a $600,000 funding boost over three years for the TradeStart program in the South West and Great Southern regions.
This initiative aims to enhance trade opportunities and support predominantly small to medium-sized local businesses in expanding their reach to international markets.
The funding has been allocated over 2025-26 to 2027-28 to support the South West Development Commission (SWDC) and Great Southern Development Commission (GSDC) TradeStart Advisor programs.
For more than 20 years GSDC and SWDC have provided export advisory services to regional businesses through direct engagement, including inbound and outbound trade missions. Recent outcomes of the program include exports of over $4.7 million of food and $1.6 million of wine to 8 countries.
This work is undertaken in collaboration with key partners such as Austrade, the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation's Invest and Trade WA offices, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, Wines of Western Australia and other industry bodies to provide substantial value to regional economies by leveraging existing competitive advantages.
The allocation of funding will allow SWDC and GSDC to continue providing export advisory services to a wide range of businesses, offering high-quality specialist business development advice, and supporting international trade capacity and capability through targeted trade activities.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"The Cook Government is dedicated to aiding our regional economies, and ensuring local businesses have the tools they need to succeed on the global stage.
"By supporting export advisory services and specialist business development advice, we are empowering small and medium-sized businesses to achieve success in international markets.
"We are proud to be able to contribute to the provision of essential support to a wide range of businesses, from food and wine to minerals and resources."
