A third round of the South Australian Innovation & Investment Fund (SAIIF) is currently open . The purpose of the SAIIF Industry Development Program is to support investment aimed at creating sustainable new jobs in South Australia, with a focus on the southern suburbs of Adelaide. Eligible investment will create new or additional business capacity designed to enhance sustainable employment, business and economic opportunities with a focus on innovative manufacturing and/or technology projects.

The SAIIF Industry Development Program is a $30 million government grant program for innovative job creation projects to strengthen South Australia’s manufacturing and technology base, with a focus on the southern suburbs of Adelaide. It will be jointly administered by the Australian and South Australian governments.

What projects are eligible?

The following conditions apply to project eligibility:

• projects must have at least $500,000 in eligible capital costs (primarily being for plant and equipment directly applied to the production of the outputs of the investment proposal, and excluding land,
• buildings, construction and infrastructure);
• projects which involve MMAL will not receive a government grant;
• government grants will be directed at sustainable job creation in South Australia, rather than community-based projects;
• projects which involve no sustained net increase in economic activity in Australia or involve a relocation of activity to South Australia from other states and territories will not be funded;
• projects that help to diversify the South Australian manufacturing and economic base will be favoured;
• projects which demonstrate the introduction of new innovations or technology (rather than research and scoping studies) will be favoured;
• infrastructure projects will not be considered; and
• government grants will not be provided for retrospective activities (i.e. project expenditure prior to the finalisation of the funding agreement will not be funded).

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants for the government grant are those firms/commercial enterprises:

1. which are legal entities, i.e. with whom the Australian government and the South Australian government can enter into legally binding funding agreements; and
2. which can demonstrate the commitment of funding, exclusive of in-kind contributions, to the investment proposal which is free of other government grants and which at least matches the funding which is being sought from the program.

Applications closing on 10 September 2010

Previous Recipients

A list of previous government grant recipients is detailed below:

Round 2

Round 1

Sixty-three small businesses will share $2.6 million in government grants announced under the Australian Government’s Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Small Business Program.

The government grants, ranging from $17,000 to $50,000, have been awarded to help these businesses become more innovative and strengthen the business culture of Australia’s TCF industries.

Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, said the program was aimed at making TCF small businesses more competitive by developing new processes, especially at the niche, high-value end of the market.

“This round has again been extremely competitive, with over 250 businesses applying for grants,” Senator Carr said.

“The strong response shows that the TCF sector is keen to embrace a culture of innovation and enterprise, and power through the tough market conditions.

“Typical of the innovative approaches of government grant recipients are projects to improve production processes, explore export markets, and embrace the internet as part of their business strategy.

“These small businesses represent the next generation of TCF industries that employ 45,000 people, including many in regional Australia. A vibrant TCF sector will lead to more high-value, high-skill jobs.”

The TCF Small Business Program is providing $25 million in grants over 10 years to Australia’s small designers and manufacturers.

Successful round five projects include:

• Jongs Tailor and Dress House, in the Northern Territory – a grant of $32,165 directed at improving the business’s design and manufacturing capability with strategic business mentoring and the implementation of CAD software and equipment.  [Contact: Mrs Fifi Tse (08) 8947 0654]
• J’Aton Couture, in Victoria – a grant of $43,600 to develop and implement a business strategy for the high-end fashion label, with supporting administrative and business processes. It includes research to identify alternative export and domestic markets. [Contact: Mr Jacob Luppino (03) 9533 8666]
• Besmitten in Tasmania – a grant of $45,920, to mentor the principals and build the capability of the business as producers of superfine merino clothing (Smitten Merino), by implementing communications and marketing plans.  [Contact: Mr Carl Mason 0408 094 594]

The full list of recipients is detailed below:

12 companies have shared in over $2.4 million in government grants from the Re-tooling for Climate Change program. One of the companies includes Rapid Aluminium who received a government grant of $81,622. Rapid is a major distributor and finisher of an extensive range of aluminium profiles and extrusions for the architectural and commercial building industry. They will use the government grant to install a water recovery and reuse for powdercoating pre-treatment production lines.

“The project will ensure the permanent installation of a water recovery system and creation of a closed loop system of water reuse for the pre-treatment lines with the permanent disconnection of the lines from the trade waste system.”

The Re-tooling for Climate Change program will help small and medium sized Australian manufacturers reduce their environmental footprint, through projects that improve the energy and/or water efficiency of their production processes. The program provides government grants of between $10,000 and $500,000, up to a maximum of half of the cost of each project.

Government grant applications may be submitted at any time and will be assessed on a regular basis by Innovation Australia.  An applicant may commence work on their project once AusIndustry has reviewed its application and confirmed that it is complete and eligible. However, there is no guarantee of funding support unless and until an offer of grant is made and a grant agreement signed.

A new design for motorcycle safety helmets to reduce the risk of injury and the creation of light therapy glasses for the treatment of insomnia, jet lag and depression are among the bright new ideas to be supported by Commercialisation Australia.

Commercialisation Australia is the Australian Government’s primary source of assistance for businesses transforming their ideas into commercial realities.

Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, today announced over $2.2 million in government grants for eleven new projects. This follows the $9.6 million in funding announced in April.

The government grants will support an impressive range of innovations from around Australia, including a new livestock management system, a faster and more accurate sepsis diagnosis test, and an innovative joining system for the manufacturing, building materials and construction industries.

“Increasing our focus on innovation, knowledge-based industries, and new business growth is the key to renewing and growing the Australian economy,” Senator Carr said.

“Commercialisation Australia helps bridge the gap between promising ideas and a commercially viable business, which will provide jobs, skills and prosperity.”

In addition to Commonwealth Australia funding, successful applicants will receive the support of a case manager to steer them through the commercialisation process. Case managers will also provide valuable connections to volunteer business mentors, who have direct experience of bringing new ideas to market and will provide helpful input based on specialist knowledge.

Are you missing out on potential grants for your business? Contact us now to discuss your commercialisation projects and see what grants you are eligible for.

The list of Commercialisation Australia Round 2 Recipients is detailed below:

The Automotive Transformation Scheme (ATS) aims to encourage competitive investment and innovation in the Australian automotive industry and place it on an economically sustainable footing.  The ATS is established by the Automotive Transformation Scheme Act 2009. It replaces Stage 3 of the Automotive Competitiveness and Investment Scheme (ACIS).

Overview of the ATS

Applications are open for registration in the ATS from 1 July 2010 from:

• motor vehicle producers (MVPs)
• automotive component producers (ACPs)
• automotive machine tool and automotive tooling producers (AMTPs)
• automotive service providers (ASPs).

The ATS will have two stages and will run from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2020 and will include:

• capped assistance of $1.5 billion from 2011 to 2015 (Stage 1)
• capped assistance of $1 billion from 2016 to 2020 (Stage 2)
• uncapped assistance of approximately $847 million.

Government grants will be progressively phased down over the period. Modulation of payments will occur to ensure that assistance does not exceed $300 million per ATS year in ATS stage 1. Participants in the ATS will be required to demonstrate progress towards achieving:

• economic sustainability
• improved environmental outcomes
• workforce skills development.

What are the benefits?
Participants will be entitled to receive government grants in the form of quarterly cash payments from 1 January 2011. All participants will be able to claim assistance for:

• 50 per cent of the value of eligible investment in R&D
• 15 per cent of the value of eligible investment in P&E.

MVPs will also be able to claim assistance for allowable production of motor vehicles, engines and engine components for local and export markets.
Capped funding will be split 55 per cent to motor vehicle producers and 45 per cent to non-MVPs. The 20 per cent loading for non-MVPs under ACIS to cover labour and other costs associated with investment in P&E and R&D has been abolished under ATS.

Eligibility and business plans

The same eligibility tests apply for the ATS as for ACIS. ACIS Stage 2 participants will be able to apply for registration under ATS using a streamlined process.

All applicants for registration under the ATS must also forward a Business Plan to AusIndustry that contains:

1. details of the strategies that will enable the applicant to carry on sustainable operations in the Australian automotive industry for a five year period starting on 1 January of the year of registration
2. operational plans, details of financial commitment and controls, financial projections and assumptions on which forecasts in the application form’s business plan are based
3. details about how the applicant will meet the object of the Act to place the industry on an economically sustainable footing in a way that will improve environmental outcomes and promote the development of workforce skills.

Eligible start-up applicants and national interest applicants

The ATS allows entities that have entered into a financial commitment to carry on business for the first time as a motor vehicle producer or supplier to the Australian automotive industry to apply for registration. Other entities that are unable to satisfy the formal requirements for registration under the legislation may seek the Minister’s permission to apply for registration on national interest grounds.

Potential applicants are advised to review the Registration and Registration in the National Interest Customer Guidelines for further information about the registration form and process.

Transitional arrangements from ACIS to the ATS

ACIS participants that wish to apply for registration under the ATS must do so before 1 January 2011 in order to receive assistance in the first quarter of ATS that takes into account up to eleven quarters of allowable investment previously claimed under ACIS

Management and recruitment activities are not allowable research and development activities under the ATS and must be removed from the investment history of ACIS participants.

The 20 per cent uplift for administrative overheads of investment is not available for non-MVPs under the ATS and will be removed by AusIndustry from the investment history of ACIS participants.

ACIS Stage 2 participants must submit a completed ATS Application form for ACIS participants to register in the ATS and are advised to review the customer guidelines accompanying the form.

Application deadline

Applicants must apply for registration before 1 January 2011 to be considered for registration in 2011. An application received after 1 January 2011 and before 1 January 2012 will be considered for registration in 2012. Once registration is granted, it has effect for the entire scheme unless a participant is deregistered.

For assistance with the government grant application process in particular the business plan contact us to discuss further. We are also able to obtain grants to offset the cost of developing a business plan

Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr announced 22 successful applicants will receive government grant offers totalling $5.5 million to help them reduce their environmental footprint under the Re-Tooling for Climate Change scheme.

Government grant recipients include:

• Spring Gully Foods, of South Australia, which manufactures pickles, preserves and premium honey; it will use the funds to replace existing boilers with a high-efficiency, low-emissions boiler;
• SEC Plating, of New South Wales, which offers electroplating and electrochemical processing services to a diverse range of industry sectors; it will implement a custom-built water recycling system; and
• Ronstan International, of Victoria, which supplies innovative sailboat hardware to the domestic and export markets; it will introduce advanced production processes that reduce energy use and water consumption.

“This program is all about the Government working with industry to support a sustainable manufacturing sector, now and into the future,” Senator Carr said.

“The projects awarded government grants involve harnessing solar energy, water recycling, reusing waste heat, and various other process improvements.”

Re-tooling for Climate Change offers dollar-for-dollar government grants from $10,000 to $500,000 to help small and medium Australian manufacturers improve the energy and water efficiency of their production processes.

The program is part of the Rudd Government’s Clean Business Australia – a partnership with industry to tackle climate change.

Senator Carr said that businesses could submit an application at any time.

“We have moved to continuous assessment of applications, so manufacturers can get the fastest possible turnaround on their proposals,” Senator Carr said.

If you require assistance in preparing your Re-tooling for climate change application, please contact us.

A full list of government grant recipients is detailed below:

Thirty-nine commercial office buildings have shared in $18 million in government grants through the Green Building Fund. The offices  will have their greenhouse gas emissions cut by 30,000 tonnes a year as a result of the latest grants under the Rudd Government’s Green Building Fund.

The Green Building Fund reduces energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by helping building owners to retro-fit commercial office buildings.

Announcing the government grants for Round 5, Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr said that the recipients were reducing their greenhouse emissions and producing more energy-efficient buildings, which meant ongoing savings for business.

“Collectively, the projects funded in this round will result in projected savings of more than 30,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year,” Senator Carr, said.

“This brings total expected reductions from projects funded under the program to almost 158,000 tonnes annually.

“The Green Building Fund is an example of the practical and immediate steps being taken by the Rudd Government to address climate change.”

The government grants will be used to support investment of $73 million by building owners, in a range of building improvements, including:

• upgrading, replacing or retro-fitting building management systems;
• upgrading heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems,
• installing external shading; and
• installing energy-efficient lighting.

In addition, three industry associations have been offered government grants under the second round of the program’s Stream B. These government grants will improve the capability of the commercial office sector to reduce emissions by managing buildings more energy-efficiently.

For assistance with government grant applications or to discuss you eligibility for other grants please contact us.

The Green Building Fund round 5 recipients are detailed below:

Eligible home ceiling insulation businesses, including manufacturers, distributors, importers and installers of approved insulation products will be able to seek a government grant of 15 per cent of the dollar value of their ceiling insulation stock holding at 30 April 2010 subject to meeting eligibility criteria.

Government grant assistance will not be provided for foil insulation products. The maximum assistance payment to any one company will be $500,000.

The government grant will help offset the industry’s inventory costs prior to the roll-out of significant inspection and rectification work opportunities for long-standing and reputable companies under the Home Insulation Safety Program.

The criteria for receiving a government grant include holding an Australian Business Number and being either a manufacturer, distributor, importer, or installer of eligible ceiling insulation stock.

Installer businesses need to have met the 12 February 2010 registration requirements of the Home Insulation program register and have completed ten or more fully compliant installations between 1 December 2009 and 12 February 2010.

What does it offer?

Government grants to assist with the costs of inventory will be provided to eligible applicants. The assistance payment will be 15% of an applicant’s eligible ceiling insulation stock holding dollar value as at 30 April 2010. The maximum Government grant for each successful applicant is $500,000. Where the amount calculated is less than $750 (exclusive of GST) no assistance payment will be made.

The Insulation Industry Assistance Package comes on top of the $41 million Insulation Workers’ Adjustment Package announced in February 2010, and brings the total of direct government assistance to the insulation industry to $56 million.

The Government has also deferred GST payment obligations for eligible insulation companies.

• Customer Guidelines
• Application Form
• FAQ
• Fact Sheet
  

Applications close 5pm 4 June 2010

• BiVacor, of Queensland, which is commercialising the BiVacor artificial heart. This device can take over the work of a failing heart for up to 10 years, prolonging and improving the quality of life for patients with severe heart failure, who cannot have a transplant due to the scarcity of organ donors. [Contact: John Fraser 0407 128 039]
• Extron Design Services, of Victoria, which has developed ‘Smartbrake’, an advanced electronic control system that will automatically activate a vehicle’s park brake in the event that the driver exits the vehicle and neglects to apply the park brake. [Contact: Mark Barber 0414 993 293]
• Aerofloat, of NSW, which has developed a product to treat grey water using a process known as dissolved air floatation (or DAF) which automatically separates fats, oils, food scraps, household chemicals, soaps, detergents, bacteria and viruses and allows the discharge or re-use of high-quality water. [Contact: Ray Anderson 0419 223 293]
• Delta Development, of Queensland, which is marketing a lightweight, diesel-powered, two-seater utility helicopter (called Delta D2) specifically designed for remote conditions such as regional Australia.  This will be the world’s first diesel engine helicopter. [Contact: Graeme Smith 0412 741 742]

COMET is now closed for applications. Government grant applications for commercialisation are now being sought under the new, $196 million Commercialisation Australia.

Commercialisation Australia is providing hands-on assistance to help innovative businesses and researchers turn their ideas into dollars through a range of tailored assistance measures. These measures include funding to access specialised advice and services.

If you require assistance with Commercialisation Australia applications or with any other Government grants, please feel free to contact us.

The full list of COMET government grant recipients are detailed below:

More than 400 jobs will be created under the North West and Northern Tasmania Innovation and Investment Fund, with the announcement of the 36 successful projects by the Prime Minister, Premier of Tasmania and Federal Innovation Minister.

The joint $17 million government grant initiative of the Australia and Tasmanian Governments was launched in response to factory closures in the region and to provide families and communities with sustainable jobs and economic stability.

In total, the 36 projects will result in an additional $34 million investment in the region and will create high-wage, high-skill jobs in a diverse range of industries, including agriculture, meat processing, manufacturing, transport, construction, biotechnology and printing.

The strong response from local businesses, which had to match government  grant, is a measure of the confidence in this region.

Government grants ranged from $50,000 to over $2 million. The successful projects were:

1. Greenham Tasmania $1,133,750 – Smithton Expansion Project- expansion of Smithton meat processing facility to increase capacity by 40%
2. Charlton Farm Produce $225,050 – Business expansion – new onion grading and packing lines development
3. NUBCO $67,000 – Civil Construction – Reinforcing Manufacturing and Delivery Facility
4. Haywards Steel Fabrication and Construction $307,400   – Extension of existing Wynyard facility to increase capability and capacity, purchase new manufacturing technology and lifting equipment
5. Petuna $881,105 – Upgrade of salmon processing facility and purchase of equipment to increase yield and quality of product
6. Harvest Moon $2,056,600 – A new grading and packing facility to increase fresh market broccoli and bean production in NW Tasmania
7. Jebsens Logistics Services $50,000 – A new Grain Container Transfer Station on Burnie wharf to facilitate bulk storage and transport
8. Tamar Valley Dairy $600,000 – Tamar Valley Dairy Expansion & Upgrade Project
9. TasSpan $152,500 – Acquisition of a specialised/innovative pile driving machine with small environmental footprint to increase the scope and size of the projects TasSpan can undertake
10. Highco Australia $116,012 – Construct a purpose built manufacturing facility for ice replacement product Thermoguard
11. Performance Cutting Supplies $140,000 – A new warehouse and manufacturing facility expansion to expand business that produces innovative sludge removal systems for the mining industry
12. Premium Fresh Tasmania $260,000 – New packing and storage equipment to facilitate the export of echalions to Europe
13. Allcover Products $200,375 – Specialised manufacturing equipment to meet demand for mining equipment and to develop a new product range
14. Southern Prospect $1,523,279 – New manufacturing facility to allow expansion of existing manufacturing and service business and to provide scope for new product development
15. Nichols Poultry $700,000 – Business expansion incorporating increased processing area to meet rising poultry product demand including export ready status
16. Sharman’s Butchery $63,272 – Increase capacity and efficiency of small goods production and sales through the development and installation of new freezer room facilities, smoking oven and meat slicer.
17. Penguin Composites $1,275,468 – Workshop expansion to allow for increased production of composite products and also expanded product range
18. Pandani Select Foods and Hygienic Butchery $127,000   – Purchase of specialised machinery to enable the manufacture of an expanded premium meat product
19. S.E.R.S Sheetmetal Works $1,754,356 – An expanded workshop and powdercoating facility to meet needs of global supply chain
20. Island Block & Paving $187,500 – A new etching machine and vertical retaining wall system to expand product range
21. Australian Therapeutic Proteins $524,085 – Expansion of serum production and processing facilities
22. VEC Civil Engineering $1,093,827 – Expansion and development of the company’s support services in Ulverstone – precast yard and piling
23. Confidyne $75,000 – Completion of performance vehicle engine testing facility
24. Norfolk Blinds $212,139 – Infrastructure to allow the manufacture of DNV approved marine blinds
25. Megavar $171,886 – New specialist equipment for the provision of innovative services to the power industry
26. Tyco Flow Control Pacific $329,400 – Expansion of renewable energy hydro manufacturing facility
27. Sturdybilt Agencies $135,000 – Factory extension and installation of powder coating equipment
28. Stornaway $145,000 – New bagged stone and sand product expansion
29. Sunrise Bakery $60,000 – Equipment upgrades to facilitate move into mainland and export markets and new product range for major customer
30. Hivotech $235,000 – Workshop expansion to allow for increased production of safety equipment for the high voltage industry
31. Tasmanian Quality Meats $500,000 – Expansion of current operations to include a boning room
32. Cloverlea Nursery $102,430 – Design and construct a contemporary, large-scale, commercial plant propagation facility
33. Selborne Biological Services Australia $431,410 – Upgrade of Longford lipoprotein production facility using Smithton blood by-product. Increasing capacity and flexibility for new customer and future sales.
34. Print Domain & The Circular Head Chronicle $87,845 – Purchase latest digital technology digital printing equipment to establish a digital printing branch in NW Tasmania that will service digital print clients around Australia
35. Badenach Enterprises $97,811 – A mould to build 18 metre displacement fishing vessels
36. West Winds $50,000 – Purchase and installation of additional quail farming infrastructure to increase the capacity and efficiency of existing West Winds operations

Are you missing out on Government grants. Contact us to see how we can assist.