Which digital marketing grants are open in Malaysia right now?
One grant that can pay for marketing is open today: MATRADE's Market Development Grant (MDG). We checked each programme on the granting agency's own page on 19 October 2026, and we list a grant as open only when that page shows a live application route.
| Programme | Agency | Status | What it can fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market Development Grant (MDG) | MATRADE | Open: applications through the MADANI Digital Trade Platform since 13 March 2025 | Export promotion, including virtual trade fairs, where items such as a marketing blast and digital marketing tools are covered |
Recently closed: Geran Digital PMKS MADANI (the last day to apply was 5 September 2025) and the Smart Automation Grant (the latest MIDA call ran from 10 November to 31 December 2023). Both are covered below.
Last updated: October 2026. Last checked: 19 October 2026. This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Confirm current terms with the agency, or a licensed adviser, before you budget around a grant.
Who can apply for MATRADE's Market Development Grant?
MDG is open to four groups: SMEs, professional service providers (sole proprietors or partnerships), trade and industry associations, chambers of commerce or professional bodies, and co-operatives. An applicant must also be a registered MATRADE member, according to MATRADE's MDG Guidelines (opens in a new tab) (effective 1 March 2025).
| Test | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Company | Incorporated under the Companies Act 1965 or 2016 |
| Ownership | At least 60% equity owned by Malaysians and Malaysian-registered corporate bodies |
| Product | Made-in-Malaysia products, or services for export that originate from Malaysia |
| Size, manufacturing | Annual sales not over RM50 million, or not over 200 full-time employees |
| Size, trading or services (excluding real estate) | Annual sales not over RM20 million, or not over 75 full-time employees |
| Excluded | Among others, large firms with annual turnover over RM500 million |
How much can MDG pay towards marketing?
MDG is a reimbursable grant with a lifetime limit of RM300,000 per recipient, and payment is subject to the availability of government funds, according to MATRADE's MDG page (opens in a new tab). You pay for the activity first and claim afterwards.
- Virtual international trade fair overseas: up to RM25,000. In Malaysia: up to RM5,000. Covered items include the participation fee, virtual booth, marketing blast, digital marketing tools, exhibitor passes and booth analytics.
- MADANI Digital Trade Platform (owned by MATRADE): up to RM50,000 over five years from 2025.
- Other eligible activities include physical trade fairs, trade and investment missions, overseas conferences, overseas retail listing fees and export certification, each with its own cap in the guidelines.
General online advertising aimed at buyers, such as a standalone Google or Meta campaign, is not listed as a claimable activity. Plan that spend as your own cost, alongside a claimable event.
How do you apply for MDG?
Apply online through the MADANI Digital Trade Platform at madanitrade.com, which MATRADE has used for MDG since 13 March 2025. Submit the claim within 30 calendar days after the activity: after the last day of a trade fair or mission, after the first day of an overseas listing, or after the certification approval date.
MATRADE's MDG Secretariat answers questions on applications. Check the guideline version on MATRADE's page before you claim, because MATRADE says it can revise the guideline without notice.
Is Geran Digital PMKS MADANI still open?
No. The Geran Digital PMKS MADANI application form, which BSN's grant page (opens in a new tab) links to, says the final day to apply was 5 September 2025. We found no new round announced on the BSN page when we checked on 19 October 2026.
When it was open, the grant covered up to 50% of a digital service invoice, to a maximum of RM5,000, through service providers on MDEC's panel. Eligible services included digital marketing, CRM, e-invoicing and cybersecurity. Applicants had to be at least 60% Malaysian-owned, operating for at least six months, with average annual sales of at least RM50,000.
Is the Smart Automation Grant open in 2026?
No open call was found on 19 October 2026. The newest Smart Automation Grant guideline on mida.gov.my, SAG MADANI (opens in a new tab) (as of 24 October 2023), accepted applications from 10 November to 31 December 2023. MDEC's former SAG page now redirects to the MDEC home page.
If you are planning an automation project, ask MIDA whether a new call exists before you commit spend. Under the 2023 guideline, spending incurred before MIDA's Acknowledgement Letter was not eligible for reimbursement.
Can shakalakaa help with a grant-funded marketing project?
shakalakaa is a marketing agency in Kuala Lumpur. We are not a grant consultant, we are not an approved vendor or panel provider for any of these grants, and we do not prepare applications or claims. The application and the claim belong to your company.
What we do is plan and run the campaign around a claimable activity, such as bringing buyers to a virtual or physical trade fair and following up afterwards. Planning a grant-funded marketing project? Talk to shakalakaa, or read our guide to what MATRADE MDG covers for export marketing.