A $6 million grants scheme to boost business links to Asia was announced today by Trade and Competitiveness Minister Craig Emerson.

Although, it's not yet known when the grants program will open or how much money will be offered, the grants will be allocated over four years for projects that assist Australian companies to sell into Asia's growing middle class markets and to participate in regional value chains.

The program will be administered by Austrade. The full media release in available on the Minister's website.

GrantSmart have partnered with the Small Business Centre South East Metro in Gosnells to deliver and informative grants information seminar.

Presented by Principal Consultant Anne Furey, the seminar will cover:

• Where to look for funding?
• Identifying an opportunity - what can you get funding for?
• Examples of current programs.
• Tips for preparing a grant application.

Following yesterday's announcement that the Federal government is re-directing funds away from various grant programs, the mid-year budget review reveals that they are also scrapping $25 million from the already underfunded Export Market Development Grant (EMDG).

In total, the program will loose $100 million over the next four years.

The Government today announced that it had completed its review of Federal grant programs. The "pause" has now been lifted and funding offers will begin to be handed out again.

An outcome of the review is the pull back $157.5 million in funding from various grant programs. This includes $97.8 million that was previously allocated to the Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education portfolio which manages programs such as Commercialisation Australia.

Another $20 million that was previously allocated to the Resources, Energy and Tourism portfolio that manages the Emerging Renewables and TQUAL grant programs has also been re-directed.

All savings relate to the 2012-13 financial year.

The full details of which specific programs will be affected have not yet been made available. The full media release is available on the Finance Minister's website.

SmartCompany has reported that with all Federal grant programs currently on "pause", Business Enterprise Centres (often called Small Business Centres) have been waiting on critical funding since July. Some centres have been forced to wind back business support services to small business while they try to cope with an already difficult economic environment.