Enterprise Connect Grant for Manufacturing Businesses
Enterprise Connect is a Federal Government programme that is available for a number of industries including the Manufacturing industry. The definition of “manufacturing” adopted by the government is:
“The physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components (being the products of agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining or the products of other manufacturing units) into new products or firms whose predominant activity meets this definition are classed as “manufacturing” for the Enterprise Connect Programme. Firms whose dominant business activity is software development, can also be eligible if their business process is a translation of users need into the software product including the process of analysing needs, designing solutions, writing programmes, testing the programmes and implementing the programmes to solve problems. Eligibility requirements depend on the business location and turnover or expenditure”.
For manufacturing or manufacturing related businesses located in the metropolitan areas of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, the minimum turnover or expenditure requirement is, at least, $2 million in the current financial year or one of the two preceding financial years (maximum $100 million).
If the business is located in a regional area the minimum turnover or expenditure is, at least, $1.5 million in the current financial year or one of the two preceding financial years (maximum $100 million). If the manufacturing or manufacturing related business is located in a remote location, the minimum turnover or expenditure is $750,000 in the current financial year or one of the two preceding financial years (maximum $100 million).
An application needs to be lodged with Enterprise Connect. If a business is deemed to be eligible, a Business Advisor, contracted by Enterprise Connect, will conduct a free business review of the business to ascertain the type of assistance that the business may require. The type of assistance made available is virtually any project to be undertaken by an independent third party which will improve the business’ operations. Grants of up to $20,000, on a 50% subsidy basis, can be made available to small businesses that have been reviewed by the Enterprise Connect Business Advisor and then invited to submit a formal application for consulting work to be undertaken. Some of the projects that could be undertaken include:
- business strategy planning
- supply chain management
- human resources issues
- lean manufacturing
- export strategy
- business management systems
- quality management systems
- business plans
- market research
- change implementation to factory layout etc
