Southeast Asia Mutual Recognition of Professional Services (SEAMRPS) Grant Program

Overview

The SEAMRPS Grant Program will facilitate trade in professional services between Australia and Southeast Asia by supporting Australian professional service accreditation, licensing and registration bodies to negotiate mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) with their Southeast Asian counterparts. MRAs make it easier for professionals to practice overseas by recognising equivalent qualifications and licensing standards between jurisdictions.$0.25 million in Budget funding has been allocated for the program over 2024-25 and 2025-26. Individual grants are expected to be between $30,000 and $50,000, with applicants expected to make a cash or in-kind contribution to the proposed activity.A targeted competitive grant model has been chosen because Australian professional service accreditation, licensing and registration bodies are a discrete sub-set of Australian industry organisations with sole responsibility for negotiating MRAs. Given their unique role, the SEAMRPS Grant Program will only accept applications from these eligible Australian bodies. This targeted approach ensures that the program effectively supports the development of MRAs with Southeast Asia.The SEAMRPS Grant Program will support the government’s delivery of recommendation 68 of Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 which highlights the importance of professional services in driving economic growth and innovation in the region.Objective and intended OutcomeThe key objective of the SEAMRPS Grant Program is to liberalise and facilitate the professional services trade between Australia and Southeast Asia and contribute to closer economic integration.The intended outcome of the SEAMRPS Grant Program is to enable Australian professional service accreditation, licensing and registration bodies to negotiate mutual recognition of professional qualifications, licensing and registration with their Southeast Asian counterparts.