About

The Competitive Business Fund is a Victorian Government initiative to assist businesses to take maximum advantage of new opportunities that are emerging in the global economy.

The Fund supports growing and competitive businesses with the potential to move into new markets, to develop processes and solutions, or to invest further in their business in order to enhance competitiveness and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

Funding in the order of $3 million is available in the second round of grants on a competitive basis.

Nature and level of assistance

The Fund provides two streams of financial assistance on a co-contribution basis:

• Enterprise - up to $250,000 for a project involving one company, to be matched by a minimum of  $3 for every $1 granted; and
• Supply Chain - up to $500,000 for a collaborative project involving multiple companies, to be matched by a minimum of $2 for every $1 granted.

Where a project involves multiple organisations, the lead organisation submits the application and is subject to the financial risk assessment. All participating organisations will be subject to probity checks.

Funding may be used for:

• Investments that increase a company or supply chain’s productivity and competitiveness including, for example:
  • purchase/upgrades of plant and equipment or technology
  • upgrades to existing infrastructure
  • improvement/enhancement of capabilities or skills
  • adoption of new processes
  • development of an innovative product, process or market that will generate broader benefits to the community
  • mergers and acquisitions that will create sustainable growth-oriented entities
• Collaborative projects among multiple businesses that facilitate greater business growth
• Demonstration projects where knowledge is shared across industry, which leads to significant productivity improvement.

Assistance will not be provided for normal “business as usual” operations, such as meeting payroll commitments, for payment of redundancies or for organic growth.

Round 3 Competitive Business Fund

Round 3 of the competitive business fund is yet to be announced. Be sure to subscribe to the weekly newsletter to find out the latest grants on offer.

Eligibility criteria

Competitive Business Fund applicants meeting the following criteria will be eligible for consideration:

• possess an Australian Company Number (ACN)
• be based in Victoria
• achieve a satisfactory financial risk assessment based on financial reports for the past three financial years
• agree to comply with the Department’s performance monitoring and evaluation regime
• meet the co-contribution requirement and have investigated, and/or sought funding from appropriate Commonwealth Government programs and other State Government programs where appropriate before applying to the Fund (funding from such Government programs cannot form part of the minimum co-contribution commitment).

Where a Competitive Business Fund project involves multiple organisations, the lead organisation should submit the application. All participating organisations will be subject to probity checks.

Documentation

Electronic copies of the following documents will need to be submitted with the online Competitive Business Fund application form:

• Audited Financial Reports for the past three years (including Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and notes to the accounts)
• where the Financial Report is more than six months old, a copy of the latest management or interim accounts for the current year
• company business plan incorporating financial projections (Profit & Loss and Cash Flow)
• project business plan or project feasibility study (including projections of incremental Profit & Loss and Cash Flow resulting from the project and, as applicable, forecasts of gross sales, export sales, increase or transition of employees and details of construction arrangements or contracts).

Note: Cash flow projections should include project expenditure and project funding as separate items in cash outflow and inflow. The financial projections should cover a period of at least three years or the life of the project if less than three years and should reflect the financial benefits expected to be generated from the project.

Expert Assistance

We have assisted many Victorian manufacturers access infrastructure funding for growth.

We can assist you to prepare a competitive application that includes demonstrating:

• the potential to deliver a net economic benefit to Victoria
• sustainable increases in productivity
• creation or transition of staff to high value jobs
• how the company will capitalise on opportunities arising from changing global economic conditions
• the contribution to a region or locality in terms of employment
• the increase in competitiveness of your company
• alignment to the Victorian Government’s priority sectors

Contact us on 03 9005 6789 or email to see how we can assist you with your Competitve Business Fund application.

Previous Recipients of the Competitive Business Fund

The successful Competitive Business Fund recipients are below:

What is the aim of the TCF SBP and what funding is available?

The Textile, Clothing and Footwear Small Business Program (TCF SBP) aims to transform the business enterprise culture of established TCF small businesses and boost their capacity to be innovative. A maximum of $50,000 is available for a particular project.

The program is a competitive, merit-based grants program. Funding for the program ends in June 2016, with $2.5 million available each year of the program. AusIndustry calls for grant applications in annual selection rounds.

Who is it for?

It is open to any eligible established TCF small business or to a consortium that includes an eligible TCF small business.

It must be undertaking eligible TCF activities as defined by the TCF Post-2005 Strategic Investment Program (SIP) Scheme.

For example, a TCF business that manufactures, or designs for manufacture, in Australia is eligible to apply for funding under the program. However, a business that solely imports products made overseas, or only undertakes retail activities, is not eligible.

What is the program objective?

The objective of the program is to improve the business enterprise culture of established TCF small businesses that have not received assistance under any of the TCF Strategic Investment Program (SIP), TCF Post-2005 (SIP) or the Clothing and Household Textile Building Innovative Capability (CHT BIC) Schemes.

What is ‘business enterprise culture’?

Business enterprise culture refers to the processes, nature and style of a business. It describes to what extent the values, attitudes and norms within a business are entrepreneurial.

Entrepreneurial behaviour can be reflected in any or all of a business’ management, production (including design), communication, financial and decision-making processes. A business with a strong enterprise culture typically:

• emphasises initiative, self-reliance and creativity
• focuses on maximising commercial returns on products and services
• is skilled at securing and maintaining a competitive market edge
• generates and manages change largely from within, and
• demonstrates goals of financial growth and expansion (emphasises growth).

What are the eligibility criteria?

To be eligible for a grant, the TCF small business should meet the following criteria:

• Have fewer than 20 employees.
• Have not received funding from the TCF (SIP), TCF Post-2005 (SIP) or the CHT (BIC) Schemes, or be entitled to receive funding under the CHT (BIC) Scheme at the time the decision that the applicant is eligible for the grant is made.
• Have had a turnover of not less than $100,000 in the previous year, and must be solvent and not under any administrative arrangements.
• Must make a cash contribution to the project of no less than 25% of eligible project expenditure. This contribution should not  have come from a Commonwealth, State or Territory Government subsidy.
• The project must be aimed at improving the business enterprise culture of the TCF small business.

Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will not be assessed against the merit criteria.

What are the merit criteria?

Applications that meet the eligibility criteria will compete on merit against all other applications, for that round, from across Australia.

The merit criteria are:

• Whether the project’s outcome will meet program objectives, assessed by how the project will:
• contribute to the TCF small business’ willingness and ability to take risks
• contribute to the TCF small business becoming more creative
• improve the flexibility or adaptability of the TCF small business, and
• contribute to the growth strategy of the TCF small business.
• Value for money and commitment. Describe why the small business has a need for government funding and demonstrate your level of commitment to the project, including the level of time and resources that will be contributed to the project.
• Whether the project is capable of being commenced and completed within a 12 month period commencing with the execution of the funding agreement.

What grants are available?

A maximum of $50,000 is available for a particular project. The maximum applies to any project, regardless of its size or the cash contribution made by the applicant.

Expert Assistance

Contact us on 03 9005 6789 to see how we can make your bid competitive.

About

The Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) is a national program to support Australia’s regions and enhance the economic development and livability of their communities. The government grant is administered by the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government (the Department). It is designed to ensure that new investments are targeted to reflect the characteristics, and to address the opportunities and challenges, of our diverse regions.

The Regional Development Australia Fund aims to support localism, and to leverage and better coordinate state, commonwealth, local government and private (including not-for-profit) investments for the long term benefit of communities.

Key changes from Round 1

• A two-stage application and assessment process, including a short paper-based Expression of Interest (EOI);
• A stronger role for Regional Development Australia (RDA) committees;
• Applicants can submit one EOI and application for a single project;
• Maximum grant of $15 million;
• Preference for applications that demonstrate partnership funding of 1:1 for grant requests of $5 million and less, and 1:2 for grant requests of more than $5 million;
• At least 50 per cent of partnership funding must be cash;
• Not-for-profit organisations must have a minimum annual income of $1.5 million; and
• Projects located in capital cities must demonstrate how the proposed project will benefit the broader region, or other parts of regional Australia; and
• Provision of guidance on content of mandatory documents.

Outcomes of Round One

The Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government received a very strong response to RDAF Round One, with 553 applications submitted by local government and not-for-profit organisations. Up to $150 million was approved for investment-ready projects that supported the growth of local communities across the country. This was extended from $100 million due to the strong response from communities.

Under Round One, grants of between $500,000 and $25 million will support 35 projects across the country.

For more information on Round One can be found here

Expert Assistance

In round 1 there was a  total of 553 applications and only 35 were funded. Hence the success rate for an application was only 6%.

An analysis of the Regional Development Australia Fund round 1 results indicates that the percentage of the project funded also varied significantly. Compare Wollongong City Council with a project size of $4.83 M and recieving 48% funding compared with Lismore City Council with a $5.99 M project and receiving 83% of funding. Clearly some councils were not asking for enough from the Regional Development Australia Fund.

We have a 100% success rate with infrastructure funding. In the last 2 years we have raised over $68 M in government grants for infrastructure. We are the largest grant consultancy in Australia.

We can assist in this round with demonstrating:

• the short and long term impacts to the local regions economy
• the extent to which the project will provide community benefit
• the extent to which the applicant leverages additional funding from a variety of sources

If your require a specialist government grant consultant to assist your Regional Development Australia Fund application please call us on 03 9005 6789 to discuss further.

About

The Small Technologies Industry Uptake Program (STIUP) has been developed by the Victorian Government to give Victorian businesses the opportunity to increase their competitiveness by using small technologies in their products, processes and services.

STIUP will allow Victoria’s innovative small technology companies to demonstrate and commercialise their goods and/or services. The Program will provide support through a voucher system, whereby vouchers can be exchanged for access to facilities, goods, services, advice or expertise to explore, adopt and integrate small technologies.

Applications for the second round of STIUP Trial vouchers are currently being accepted. Completed applications (including the required financial information) must be received by 3pm, Friday 18th November 2011.

What categories of vouchers are available through STIUP?

Types of  STIUP vouchers available:

STIUP Voucher 1 – The Small Technologies Feasibility Voucher (STFeas)

The Small Technologies Feasibility (STFeas) voucher has a maximum value of $10,000 and can be used for small fee-based services such as demonstration of coatings, preliminary testing, and consulting services to evaluate feasibility of micro and nanofabrication processes. STFeas voucher applications can be submitted to the Small Technologies Cluster at any time and will be processed as they are received.

The STFeas Vouchers can be used for the following:

• Speciliased business and professional services required to commercialise a product or service (such as those required for protection of intellectual property, development of materials documents or prototypes for commercial feasibility and market studies)
• Specialised services required to obtain pre-commercials and venture capital financing for new or existing micro or nanotechnology based products and services
• Consulting services to evaluate micro and nano fabrication processes and product design

STIUP Voucher 1 -The Small Technologies Technical Voucher (STTech)

The Small Technologies Technical (STTech) voucher has a maximum value of $50,000 and can be used for more substantial micro or nanotechnology-based development activities. This includes assistance for small scale product prototyping, laboratory verification, field testing and fabrication of small technology demonstrators. STTech voucher applications can be submitted to the Small Technologies Cluster at any time and will be processed as they are received.

The STTech Vouchers can be used for the following:

• Access to micro and nanotechnology research and development capability (people, equipment and facilities) within publicly funded institutions and service providers (universities, CSIRO, research institutes).
• The use of technology, equipment or facilities to progress small technology projects from concept to commercialisation stage such as product testing, validating, prototyping, certifying and demonstration of projects to facilitate faster product and/or service to market.
• Access to emerging small technologies from other commercial companies /business sectors that can be transferred into the company to improve products, processes or services.

STIUP Voucher 3 – The Small Technologies Trial Voucher (STTrial)

The Small Technologies Trial (STTrial) voucher has a maximum value of $250,000 and can be used to trial existing small technology based innovations which can improve the competitiveness of a firm / business belonging to a priority Victorian industry (such as advanced manufacturing, biotechnology or ICT) or can improve services which are provided for the benefit of Victorians. STTrial voucher applications will be submitted to the Department of Business and Innovation and will be conducted through funding rounds.

The STTrial Vouchers can be used for the following:

• Development of prototype or types that will be able to demonstrate commercial feasibility, open up markets and or improve current products or processes
• Pilot scale trials that can demonstrate the advantages of adoption of small technologies into products or production processes.
• Applied development and testing of small technologies that can be incorporated into current products and process to improve productivity and or profitability.

Who is eligible for STIUP?

STIUP Voucher recipients:

• are eligible to receive one STFeas, one STTech and one STTrial voucher over the life of the program
• must be able to demonstrate how the successful delivery of the proposed project will deliver productivity gains, improved health or improved sustainability outcomes, and demonstrate how this will be captured for the benefit of Victoria
• are required to make a minimum 25 per cent matching contribution to the project
  • if company turnover is less than $1 million, the matching contribution can be all in-kind
  • if company turnover is between $1 million and $10 million, matching funds must be a minimum 10 per cent cash contribution and up to 15 per cent in-kind
  • if company turnover is greater than $10 million, the 25 per cent matching contribution must be in cash
• cannot redeem vouchers to pay for services already funded through other local or state government grant programs
• may comprise two or more companies – for example, applicants are allowed to pool or bundle their vouchers with other businesses to address a larger problem common to two or more recipients
• must enter into a written agreement that clearly specifies the work to be undertaken by the service provider and the cost of providing these services with the service provider
• must declare any existing relationships between approved supplier and voucher recipient
• must complete the activities within 12 months from the date of issue of STFeas and STTech vouchers and within two years for the STTrial vouchers
• must not make any public announcement or issue any press release regarding the receipt of a voucher, except in consultation and with the approval of the Department of Business and Innovation.

What can the STIUP vouchers be used for?

STFeas vouchers can be used for:

• development of materials, documents or prototypes for commercial feasibility
• specialised services required to obtain pre-commercial and venture capital financing for new or existing micro or nanotechnology based products and services
• consulting services to evaluate micro and nanofabrication processes and product design.

STTech vouchers can be used for:

• access to micro and nanotechnology research and development capability (people, equipment and facilities) within publicly funded institutions and service providers (universities, CSIRO, research institutes)
• the use of technology, equipment or facilities to progress small technology projects from concept to commercialisation stage such as product testing, validating, prototyping, certifying and demonstration of projects to facilitate faster product and/or service to market
• access to emerging small technologies from other commercial companies/business sectors that can be transferred into the company to improve products, processes or services.

STTrial vouchers can be used for:

• development of prototype or types that will be able to demonstrate commercial feasibility, open up markets and or improve current products or processes
• pilot scale trials that can demonstrate the advantages of adoption of small technologies into products or production processes
• applied development and testing of small technologies that can be incorporated into current products and processes to improve productivity and or profitability.

What can’t the STIUP vouchers be used for?

The STIUP vouchers cannot be used as payment for the following expenses:

• business plans
• legal/IP costs
• market studies
• software purchases
• design and production of advertising material
• sales and promotion activities
• costs associated with applying for government grants and programs
• basic professional services such as ongoing, routine accounting, tax and legal business requirements, and financing fees
• routine maintenance
• travel costs and entertainment costs
• any expenditure of time by in-house personnel of the applicant
• any amount paid on account of goods and services tax
• any administrative fee or surcharge for administering such expenditures
• anything else as determined by the Victorian Government discretion not to meet program conditions.

Expert Assistance

We are Australia’s leading provider of government grant assistance. In the last two years we raised over $260M for clients.

For this round of STTrial we will only be working with existing STFeas of STTech recipients. If this is you, then please  contact us to discuss further or call us on 03 9005 6789.

Closing Date

Applications for the second round of STIUP Trial vouchers are currently being accepted. Note that completed applications (including the required financial information) must be received by 3pm, Friday 18th November 2011.

About

The Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund (IRIIF) supports the Illawarra region by stimulating investment and diversifying the economic and employment base.

The Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund is a competitive merit-based grants program jointly announced by the Australian and NSW Governments in response to the restructure of BlueScope Steel Limited at Port Kembla in the Illawarra Region.

For the purposes of Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund, the ‘Illawarra Region’ is defined as the Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama Local Government Areas.

The Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund’s purpose is to support innovative job creation projects that strengthen the Illawarra’s regional economy and employment base. The $30 million Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund is jointly funded by the Australian Government ($20 million), the NSW Government ($5 million) and BlueScope Steel ($5 million) over three years to 30 June 2014.

The minimum grant under Illawarra Region Innovation and Investment Fund will be $50,000. There is no maximum grant limit within the funding available under IRIIF. Grants will be up to 50 per cent of eligible expenditure as described in the IRIIF Guide for Applicants.

What projects are eligible for IRIIF?

An eligible IRIIF application must propose a project that:

• involves eligible expenditure (see Appendix 1), including plant and equipment directly applied to the production of the outputs of the investment proposal;
• has at least $100,000 in eligible project costs;
• generates new, sustainable jobs in the Illawarra Region and does not involve the movement of business activity from other areas of Australia to the Illawarra Region;
• should not compromise competitive neutrality (e.g. by taxpayers subsidising one participant in a market, thereby reducing the competitiveness of other participants) unless it can be demonstrated that the benefits of assistance outweigh the costs; and
• is consistent with Australia’s international obligations, including under the World Trade Organization

 In addition:

• projects which involve no sustained net increase in economic activity in Australia will not be funded;
• infrastructure projects will not be considered;
• research or scoping activities will not be considered;
• projects which demonstrate the introduction of new innovations and/or technology (rather than research and scoping studies) will be favoured; and
• funding will not be provided for retrospective activities (i.e. project expenditure prior to the finalisation of the funding agreement will not be funded).

Government grants will not be provided for retrospective activities, for projects that involve the movement of business activity from other areas of Australia to the Illawarra Region or for activities undertaken after 30 June 2014.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be incorporated, have an Australian Business Number and be registered for the GST.  Applicants must be able to demonstrate that they have committed funding, exclusive of in-kind contributions, to the proposed project that is free of other government funding and which at least matches the funding which is being sought from the IRIIF.

Joint applications are acceptable, provided they have a principal applicant who is both the primary project proponent and an eligible applicant.

The following are not eligible to apply:

• individuals;
• Commonwealth, State and Local Government agencies and bodies (including government business enterprises); or
• entities that do not comply with State or Commonwealth law, such as Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999.

Closing Date

Round 1 of the IRIIF closes at 5.00pm AEST on 16 December 2011.

Specialised Grant Application Assistance

We have assisted many companies obtain over $35 M for structural adjustment and regional infrastructure funding. Typical areas where assist companies is demonstrating :

• the level of net economic benefit the proposed project will bring to the Illawarra Region, including the number of sustainable, new jobs generated through the project.
• the contribution of the project towards the diversification of the region’s economy
• demonstration of the skills, experience and resources to successfully undertake the project;
• projects which demonstrate the introduction of new innovations or technology will be favoured;
• the demonstrated capacity of the applicant to provide matching funding for the project;
• the sustainability of the outcomes of the project over the longer term without the need for ongoing need for government support; and
• the need for funding – would the project go ahead without Government support?

Our success rate is 100% for infrstructure funding. Call us now on 03 9005 6789 to see how we can make your application stand out.

Enterprise Connect

Enterprise Connect, an Australian Government initiative in the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research. Their aim is to connect your business to the knowledge, tools and expertise necessary to improve productivity, increase competitiveness and fully capitalise on the growth potential of your business.

Enterprise Connect focus on 6 core industries:

• manufacturing or related services
• resources technology
• defence
• clean energy
• creative industries
• remote Australia

Enterprise Connect Services

Services available after completing a business review

Eligibility

Who can access these services?

• Businesses in the manufacturing; manufacturing related services; resources technology; defence; clean energy; creative industries and remote Australia
• Turnover between $2m and $100m ($1m for creative/clean tech  industries; $1.5m in regional areas)
• An ACN, trading for three years and solvent.

More detailed information is available in the Client Guidelines.

Enterprise Connect – Free Business Review

Enterprise Connect will allocate eligible applicants with a  Business Adviser who will contact you to agree on a commencement date. You may request a specific business adviser and requests will be met where practicable.

The Business Review is a comprehensive analysis of your business, carried out on-site, by your Business Adviser. A Business Review will generally take three to four working days to complete, which may be spread over several months.  Your adviser will work with you with regard to a suitable timeline.

Business Advisers work with people throughout various operational levels of the business to develop a thorough view of, for example:

• the strengths and weaknesses of your business
• strategic business issues
• potential areas for business improvement
• potential areas for growth.

The Business Review is a collaborative process, with the Business Adviser and key people in the business working together to identify changes that could be made to increase the businesses productivity and competitiveness.

Each business receives a Business Review Report outlining these findings and recommended actions.

The Business Review will cost your business nothing, apart from your time.

Enterprise Connect – Tailored Advisory Service

Once you have had an Enterprise Connect Business Review you can apply for our Tailored Advisory Service (TAS) government grant.

The TAS government grant gives you the chance to engage a consultant/s to make the improvements that your Enterprise Connect Business Adviser recommended in your Business Review.  They will reimburse your business half the cost, up to a maximum of $20,000 (excluding GST), of engaging the consultant/s.

The types of improvements eligible for funding may include, but are not limited to;

• Supply chain management
• Business and quality management systems
• Lean manufacturing/office
• Strategic and business planning
• Resource management
• Waste/resource management
• People and change management
• New product/service development
• Diversification/economies of scope
• Market access and development
• Export strategy

We have a strong track record with assisting clients with strategic and business planning. If you think this government grant may assist your business, please contact us to discuss how we can help you further.

The Australian Government, through the National Partnership, is providing funding of $71.8 million over four years (2009-10 to 2012-13) to the Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) to address the rising prevalence of lifestyle related chronic disease.  This funding will support Local Government Areas (LGAs) in delivering effective community based physical activity and healthy eating programs, as well as developing a range of policy environments to support healthy lifestyle behaviours.

The Healthy Communities Initiative aims to help reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity within participating communities by maximising the number of adults, predominantly not in the paid workforce, who are engaged in proven or innovative physical activity and healthy eating programs.

The Healthy Communities Initiative will utilise the following strategies to achieve these objectives:

• increase people’s awareness of the importance of physical activity and healthy eating;
• increase the availability of proven or innovative physical activity, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle programs;
• increase participation in these community based programs for adults predominantly not in the paid workforce; and
• utilise resources currently available through local government, the community, the non-government and not-for-profit health sectors (including the National Program Grant recipients) and industry to facilitate the expansion of programs.

The Healthy Communities Initiative will be rolled out over three phases:

• Phase 1 (consisting of a Pilot Phase from May 2010 – June 2011 and an optional Extension Phase from July 2011 – June 2013),
• Phase 2 (June 2011 – June 2013);
• Phase 3 (October 2011 – June 2013).

Who can apply?

Only LGAs (defined as local government bodies, either individually, as a member of a consortium or as a member of an established regional organisation of councils) can apply for funding under the Healthy Communities Initiative.

All LGAs are eligible to apply for a government grant under Phase 3, with the exception of those LGAs already funded under Phase 1 or Phase 2. LGAs may apply for funding as a single LGA, as a lead LGA in a small group of LGAs with neighbouring target cohorts, or as a lead LGA partnering with a not-for-profit organisation where a pre-established arrangement exists. The lead LGA, in all instances, will be responsible for the grant.

Healthy Communities Initiative applicants are limited to ONE application only per grant funding round. Multiple applications are not permitted. Applicants that were unsuccessful in Phase 1 and/or 2 may reapply for Phase 3.

Funding and Grant Distribution

Total funding of $566,042 (GST exclusive) will be made available to successful Phase 3 LGAs over a period of 21 months (October 2011 – June 2013).  The amount is based on a base rate of $280,357 (GST exclusive) per annum indexed at 1.019%.

The provisions of the Australian Taxation Office’s GST Ruling GSTR 2006/11 Goods and services tax: Appropriations (“GSTR 2006/11″) enable such payments to be treated as outside of the scope of GST. Therefore, GST is not payable on these grants.

Healthy Communities Initiative applications will be assessed on a jurisdictional basis. Grants for Phase 3 will be distributed proportionally across the jurisdictions as follows:

• New South Wales – 12 grants
• Victoria -  10 grants
• Queensland – 9 grants
• Western Australia – 7 grants
• South Australia – 6 grants
• Northern Territory – 2 grants
• Tasmania -  1 grant
• Australian Capital Territory   nil (sole LGA already funded in the pilot phase)
• TOTAL -  47 grants

If an insufficient number of applications of an adequate quality are received from within a state or territory, grants may be re-allocated to other jurisdictions where demand and application quality exceed expectations.

Selection Criteria

Healthy Communities Initiative funding will be provided on a competitive basis.  The Australian Government will require all applicants to provide information relating to their proposed approach in implementing the grant, their capacity to successfully implement the grant, and an outline of how the proposed approach will link with existing national policies and priorities and the objectives and other components of the Healthy Communities Initiative.

In assessing government grant applications, consideration will be given to:

• population demographics;
• program design;
• utilisation of National Programs;
• capacity, synergies and leadership;
• commitment to related policy; and
• the delivery of quality programs.

Details for each of these assessment criteria are outlined in the Program Guidelines.

How to apply

Healthy Communities Initiative applicants must complete an Application Form to be eligible to receive funding. Prior to submitting the application, applicants should ensure all necessary information has been provided by completing the Application Checklist at the end of this Guide.

Do not exceed the stated maximum word limits.  Note that these are an upper limit only – if you provide all the necessary information using fewer words you will not be penalised.  However, you will be penalised for any question in which you exceed the word limit.  Check you have not exceeded the word limit by highlighting the text for each question and running a word count.

Applications close at 2.00pm Canberra AEST on Friday 19 August 2011

We are specialists in preparing and winning government grants. In the last two years we have raised approximately $300 million for clients. Contact us to see how we can make your application more competitive.

]]> http://www.government-grant.com.au/2011/07/healthy-communities-initiative-phase-3/feed/ 1 http://www.government-grant.com.au/2011/06/regional-development-council-action-agenda-funding-scheme/ http://www.government-grant.com.au/2011/06/regional-development-council-action-agenda-funding-scheme/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:44:35 +0000 Government Grant Guru http://www.government-grant.com.au/?p=3000 About

The Regional Development Council Action Agenda Funding Scheme will support the Regional Development Council to deliver strategic outcomes to the regions.

A total of $75 million is available for individual projects that assist the development of infrastructure or service projects in regional Western Australia.

Who Can Apply?

Government grant applications can be submitted by any organisation or individual business. This includes all State agencies and community organisations. Eligible applicants may include local governments, voluntary organisations, business groups, educational institutions, philanthropic foundations and community organisations.

West Australian State Government and Federal Government agencies may apply but projects deemed to be funded as part of core business functions will not be supported.

The Regional Development Council Action Agenda Funding Scheme is not intended to provide support to individual businesses or private enterprise unless wider community benefits can de demonstrated or where gaps in delivery capacity of other eligible organisations have been identified. Funding to such organisations will be subject to the intellectual property gained from the funded project being made available to the wider community.

What Can Be Funded?

This government grant provides funds for infrastructure (including headworks) or service projects that align with the Royalties for Regions objectives and address the outcomes of the Action Agenda priority areas.

For the purpose of this government grant, headworks is defined accordingly:

Work designated as headworks by essential service providers such as water, power, gas and telecommunications utilities, or local governments, which is undertaken by those organisations to provide service connection to the boundary of a property.

In circumstances where work that would normally be undertaken by an essential service provider is carried out by a contractor nominated by the essential service provider, the work will be considered as eligible for assistance. In addition, funding assistance for ‘on site’ wastewater treatment systems may be considered in instances where the connection to mains sewerage system is not an available option.

Applicants on the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) grid meeting the cost of the Distribution Headworks Charge may also be eligible for a total subsidy from Western Power if located at remote or edge of grid locations. For further details contact Western Power on 13 10 87 or refer to the website http://westernpower.com.au. Applicants should check the availability of this subsidy prior to costing headworks charges into budgets.

Regional Development Council Action Agenda Funding Scheme Applications must be for projects that are considered regionally significant. For the purpose of this Scheme only, regionally significant is defined accordingly:
Projects deemed to be regionally significant are those that have a strategic impact against the Action Agenda for a community or region(s).

The Council has determined a baseline figure of the total project costs to be considered regionally significant for this funding. RDL will only accept projects over this amount and projects under this amount will be deemed ineligible.

For this round overall project costs must be over $500,000.

Applicants can seek funding for up to a maximum of four years. Resubmission of applications for further funding upon conclusion of Royalties for Regions support will not be encouraged.

The costs of audits required under ‘Reporting Requirements’ may be funded from the Scheme. This amount must be clearly identified in the project budget and included in the total amount of funding sought. The costs of signage required under ‘Acknowledgement of the Funding’ may be funded from the Scheme. This amount must be clearly identified in the project budget and included in the total amount of funding sought.

What Cannot Be Funded?

The following items of expenditure are not eligible for government grant funding:

• Retrospectively funding activities already undertaken
• Cost-shifting
• Retiring debt
• Recurrent operating costs once the project is complete
• Ongoing staff salaries – employment of personnel will only be considered for a project with specific outcomes attached to the funding
• Investment for the sole purpose of return (i.e. interest) – any interest accrued as a result of appropriate fund management for projects will need to be declared in progress reports and will need to be reinvested into the project or another Council approved project of a similar nature

Any asset acquired as a result of this funding cannot be disposed of without the written agreement of Council, unless intentions relating to the asset are clearly stated as part of the application.

All Regional Development Council Action Agenda Funding Scheme projects must be approved and grant agreements signed prior to funded activities commencing to be eligible for a financial contribution. No retrospective payments will be made. For this round, project approval is not likely to be given prior to 31 October 2011.

Any Regional Development Council Action Agenda Funding Scheme funds not spent in accordance with these guidelines or not for the purpose in which they were provided – as per the signed grant agreement – must be refunded. RDL reserves the right to undertake spot audits where appropriate to ensure the correct application of funds. The Office of the Auditor General may also undertake sample audits.

Further Information

The 2011 round for the Regional Development Council Action Agenda Funding Scheme applications is currently open. All applications must be submitted to RDL by COB Friday 22 July 2011.

All applications must be supported by a project business case.  If required, business case templates are available by contacting the Department of Regional Development and Lands at councilfunding@rdl.wa.gov.au.

About

The State Government has established the Small and Medium Enterprise Investment Development Program (SMEIDP) to assist local manufacturers to improve their competiveness.
Administered by Innovate SA on behalf of the Department of Trade and Economic Development (DTED), the SMEIDP is a competitive, merit-based government grant that supports the generation and/or acceleration of new capital investment in South Australia to assist innovation, diversification and competitiveness of growth enterprises.

Objectives

The objective of the SMEIDP government grant is to support small to medium sized manufacturing businesses to introduce new technology, new products/services and/or enter new markets. The SMEIDP will directly contribute to the following South
Australia Strategic Plan targets:

• T1.5 Business Investment
• T1.6 Labour Productivity
• T1.10 Jobs
• T1.14 Total Exports

The SMEIDP is available to businesses with a turnover of less than $10 million per annum.

Level of Grant Support

A minimum government grant of $100,000 and up to a maximum of $200,000 (plus GST) is available for claims against eligible expenditure items, on a 1:2 basis, and in accordance with agreed milestones outlined in the SMEIDP Funding Agreement.

Application Process

SMEIDP Applications will be invited through funding rounds which will be advertised by Innovate SA and DTED. Innovate SA may provide advice during the application period to assist those intending to apply for a grant under the program. It is recommended that this assistance is utilised to ensure that there is clarity with regard to the eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria.
SMEIDP Applicants must complete the application form which is available online at www.innovatesa.com.au and submit to Innovate SA.

Eligibility

SMEIDP Projects must involve capital expenditure of a minimum of $300,000. SMEIDP Projects with a bias towards innovation and the introduction of new technology will be given priority.
The applicant must:

• be a small to medium sized enterprise (SME) with a turnover of less than $10 million per annum;
• be directly engaged in manufacturing;
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
• be a legal entity with whom the South Australian Government can enter into a legally binding Funding Agreement;
• have a demonstrated ability to fund the remaining share of the project costs; and
• be willing to formalise the arrangement in a Funding Agreement with nominated milestones.

Ineligible Business Criteria:

• SME with turnover exceeding $10 million;
• local, state or commonwealth government entities;
• businesses not directly engaged in manufacturing a product for sale;
• insolvent;
• has received or is receiving Commonwealth or State Government funding for the same project.

Eligible Expenditure

SMEIDP Program funding supports direct costs relating to:

• purchase of capital items directly related to the production of a new product; and/or
• purchase of capital items directly related toimproving the efficiency and/or capacity of production; and/or
• the cost of training directly related to the new capital item; and/or
• professional services critical to the capital item (eg. engineering, technical, design and development).

Ineligible Expenditure

SMEIDP Program funding will not be provided for:

• operational expenditure, including but not limited to; leasing (operating or finance), marketing, wages, travel, etc
• expenditure incurred by a related entity; and
• costs associated with the preparation of the application.

Selection Criteria

The SMEIDP selection criteria are:

• Management Capability – The management team has the prerequisite skills, experience and commitment to successfully implement the project and maximise the commercial potential.
• Commercial Potential – Applicants need to have a business plan for the expansion. For a product/service diversification project, the market opportunity for the new product or service has been outlined or the actions to perform required market research are clearly understood.
• Financial Viability – A feasibility assessment has been performed to demonstrate the financial viability of the project.
• Innovation and Technology -  The extent to which the project demonstrates the introduction of new innovations or technology, including whether the new innovations or technology is new to the company, new to South Australia or new to Australia.
• Funding & Economic Impact – Applicants need to demonstrate they can fund their portion of the project costs (eg. through cash flow or external borrowings).
• Demonstrate the need for SMEIDP funding.
• Outline the economic benefits of the project to South Australia (eg. new job creation, new sales including exports, supply chain impact, environmental/social benefits, etc.).

Project Evaluation

Successful SMEIDP applicants will be required to regularly report on progress and outcomes of the project against a
number of key criteria in accordance with the Funding Agreement, including, but not limited to:

• new employment or jobs retained;
• new investment; and
• export activity (interstate or overseas).

Failure to comply with the terms of the Funding Agreement may result in the applicant being required to refund some of or the entire grant.

More information

Complete the SMEIDP Application Form available from the Innovate SA website.

Closing date for SMEIDP is 15 April 2011

Collaborative Solutions is a program developed by the NSW Government as part of its Digital Economy Strategy.  The program is managed by Industry & Investment NSW (I&I NSW).

The Collaborative Solutions – Mobile Concierge (“CS-MC”) program is the first of a series of calls for industry to form collaborative consortia to develop innovative and new-to-market ICT solutions in key sectors that demonstrate the benefits of the digital economy.  This first program targets the use of mobile and wireless technologies in the tourism and retail sectors.

Objectives

The objectives of the Collaborative Solutions – Mobile Concierge program are:

• assist in the exchange of ideas between mobile application developers, technology providers, service providers, device manufacturers, research organisations and user organisations in the tourism, hospitality, and retail sectors
• accelerate the development of new-to-market and significantly innovative mobile solutions with significant potential for commercial success, job creation, and export
• drive innovation, productivity and transformation in the tourism and retail sectors through the adoption of compelling mobile solutions.

Definition of “Mobile Concierge”

TheCollaborative Solutions – Mobile Concierge program defines “Mobile Concierge” solutions as “an ICT solution developed for the tourism and retail sector and delivered via a mobile device using mobile technologies that enables a high-level of online service capability.” Specifically:

• An ICT Solution: a product or service that uses information and communication technologies to meet the needs of customers. This is specifically to preclude submissions that are a) of a consultancy nature or b) bespoke development to customer specifications without wide market appeal.
• Developed for the Tourism and Retail sectors: Provides commercial benefits for use in these sectors, which may include new revenue streams and productivity improvements. They may include business-to-consumer and business-to-business services.
• Delivered via a Mobile Device: a solution that is delivered via a mobile device such as hand phones and tablet devices. The solution may be of a native, web, or hybrid application. Submissions may include the development of or use of common API layers and shared services.
• Uses Mobile Technologies: Uses technologies found in mobile devices, such as wireless broadband, mobile computing, m-commerce, location based services, augmented reality, mobile social media, and sensor technologies.
• Enables a High-Level of Online Service Capability: allows the user to achieve a high-level of service capability with the provider beyond simple information functionality. A high-level service capability will likely include payment, reservations, personalisation, recommendations, social networking or user-generated content.

Key requirements

Collaborative Solutions – Mobile Concierge participants should note the following requirements:

• Consortia-backed submissions: Each submission must be backed by a consortium of at least three members. The Consortia Lead must be a NSW-registered business with the capability to commercialise and export the ICT solution being developed. The consortia must include at least one User Organisation to participate in the development and piloting process. The remaining consortia members will provide technologies, content or capabilities to the project. Submissions by single companies or individuals will not be considered. Refer to section 6 for more details on consortia formations.
• Developed and piloted in NSW: Solutions must be predominantly developed in NSW. Submissions with minor components (less than 20 per cent of project costs) developed outside of NSW will be considered, but those components will not be supported by the government grant if one is awarded. The solutions must be piloted in NSW.
• Development has not commenced: The development of the proposed solution must not have commenced before the date of submission. Any grant funding will be for the development and piloting of the proposed solution after the date of submission.

Industry briefing

An industry briefing will be organised to provide details of the Collaborative Solutions – Mobile Concierge program. Attendance at the industry briefing is not a prerequisite for submission, but ICT potential Consortia Leads and ICT businesses are strongly recommended to attend.

Registration for the industry briefing will be required by Friday 28 January.  You can register your attendance here.

Industry networking event

An industry networking event will be organised shortly after the industry briefing to facilitate introductions, exchange of ideas and the formation of consortia.  Businesses will have the opportunity to make brief presentations. Attendance is optional.

Registration for the industry networking event will be made available after the Industry briefing.

Registration

To be kept informed of program updates or to register your attendance at the industry briefing, click here

Timeline

• Mon 20 Dec Announcement and program website launch
• Fri 28 Jan Last day to register for industry briefing
• Wed 2 Feb Industry briefing and program call opens
• Wed 9 Feb Last day to register for industry networking event
• Fri 11 Feb Industry networking event
• Wed 23 Mar Last day for industry inquiries
• Fri 25 Mar Final proposal submission close at noon 12:00 PM
• Early April Short-listed consortia notification and presentations
• Late April Awarding of grants to winning consortia

Incentive Grant

Submissions selected by the Evaluation Panel will be notified by I&I NSW, and the terms and conditions, government grant components, and project deliverables will be negotiated prior to awarding the  consortia with an incentive grant offer.
The amount of the government grant will be determined against the Evaluation Criteria. The following  are general guidelines in determining the quantum and structure of the government grant offer – I&I NSW may  consider options outside of these guidelines with exceptional proposals:

• Only development and piloting activities conducted in NSW will be eligible for funding.
• The period supported by the government grant will not exceed 9 (nine) months, inclusive of development and pilot. The total project duration may be longer than the supported period.
• The government grant offer will be up to a maximum of 35 per cent of total direct project costs or $250,000, whichever is lower.
• The government grant will be itemised to project components, with higher support on core ICT development and piloting activities, such as software development and testing.
• Project components that develop internal ICT skills and capabilities and create ICT jobs in the Consortia Lead will be attract a higher level of support as compared to outsourced components.
• Hardware and software purchases may be supported but will be amortised over three years and two years respectively, and over the project duration.
• Non-ICT development activities, such as legal, business consulting, marketing and normal operational costs will not be supported.
• Costs between consortia members will not be covered.
• Project components already supported through another government grant, subsidy, or funding program will not be eligible for further assistance in this program.

Government grant payments will be made on a reimbursement basis after the successful completion of the  project. If the project duration is longer than 3 (three) months, a quarterly partial payment may be  offered. A complete set of terms and conditions for the government grant will be provided with the offer.

Program information

The following are supporting documentation for the Collaborative Solutions – Mobile Concierge program.

• Program brief
• application form
• detailed budget worksheet.

Contact

All questions regarding the Collaborative Solutions – Mobile Concierge program should be by email and addressed to cs-mc@business.nsw.gov.au. For further information contact the Program Manager at (02) 9338 6706.

Please note that any questions sent before the industry briefing will be responded to collectively at the industry briefing.