who's who in federal government support - Department of Innovation ...

Assistance for Australian
suppliers to the Resources Sector
WHO’S WHO IN FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Are you seeking expert advice
on improving your business
operations?
• Business Review (Enterprise Connect): Experienced,
independent Business Advisers conduct a
comprehensive analysis of the business’ strengths,
weaknesses and business environment. Delivered at no
charge to the business, the Business Review provides
specific recommendations for improvement. A Tailored
Advisory Services grant of up to $20,000 in matched
funding is available to enable businesses to implement
recommendations from the Business Review.
• Continuous Improvement Program (Enterprise
Connect): This is a two year engagement that follows
on from an initial Business Review, to accelerate
the competitiveness and raise the performance of
individual Australian companies through a process
of continuous improvement across the entire range
of its business activity. The program incorporates the
measurement of critical business information that
will be the foundation of the continuous improvement
process with the ability to measure the outcomes
and achievements. It is a facilitated process, with the
Business Adviser and key people in the firm working
together to identify changes that may increase the
firm’s productivity and competitiveness.
• Workshops, Industry Intelligence & Networking
(Enterprise Connect): Provides access to seminars,
workshops, events and networking opportunities
covering a range of industries and themes.
• Commercialisation Australia: A competitive, meritbased
assistance program offering funding and
resources to accelerate the business building process
for Australian companies, entrepreneurs, researchers
and inventors seeking to commercialise new
intellectual property.
• Clean Technology Investment Program (AusIndustry):
Provides assistance to Australian manufacturers
through competitive grants for investment in energy
efficient capital equipment and low emissions
technologies, processes and products. The grants will
help Australian manufacturers maintain and improve
their competitiveness in a low carbon economy.
Is your business seeking to grow
into new markets or expand import
and export activities?
• Exports (Austrade): Austrade provides information
and advice that can help Australian companies reduce
the time, cost and risk of exporting. Austrade provide
a range of services to Australian exporters looking
to expand their business in growth and emerging
markets, including:
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Information and advice on doing business in
international markets
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Help with overseas market selection
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Identification of relevant overseas contacts
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Assistance with market entry and expansion
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Identification and follow-up of specific international
business opportunities
Austrade administer the Export Market Development Grant
(EMDG) scheme – the Australian Government’s financial
assistance program for aspiring and current exporters.
• Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC):
Provides finance solutions for viable export and
onshore export-related deals to help Australian
companies overcome financial barriers. As the
Australian Government’s export credit agency, EFIC
assist businesses where their bank is unable to provide
all the support they need. EFIC supports a business’s
opportunity to win work that may otherwise be out of
reach.
• Tradex Scheme (AusIndustry): An entitlement program
that provides upfront exemption from Customs duty
and GST for eligible imported goods that are to be
subsequently exported. The imported goods may be:
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exported in the same condition as imported; or
subjected to a process or treatment after
importation and then exported; or
incorporated in other goods after importation then
exported.
Export may be carried out by the importer or a third party.
• Certain Inputs to Manufacture Program (AusIndustry):
Provides duty free entry for certain imported raw
material and intermediate goods such as chemical,
plastics or paper goods where it can be demonstrated
that the imported goods provide a substantial
advantage over comparable goods made in Australia.

Are you interested in
increasing your business
research & development?
• R&D Tax Incentive (AusIndustry): Provides a
generous targeted tax offset to Australian businesses
to encourage them to engage in research and
development in Australia. The incentive has two core
components:
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45% refundable tax offset (equivalent to a 150%
deduction) to eligible entities with an aggregated
turnover of less than $20 million per annum.
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a non-refundable 40% tax offset (equivalent to
133% deduction) to all other eligible entities.
• Researchers in Business (Enterprise Connect):
Provides grants of up to $50,000 in matched funding to
place a researcher from a university or public research
agency into a business for 2-12 months to develop and
implement a new idea that has commercial potential.
• Clean Technology Innovation Program (AusIndustry):
The new $200 million Clean Technology Innovation
Program provides grants to innovative businesses
to help them develop new clean technologies and
services. It offers grants from $50,000 to $5 million and
will fund up to 50 per cent of eligible expenditure in a
1:1 basis. Grants are offered on a competitive basis.
Are you looking for support in
engaging with supply chains in
the resources sector?
• Resources Sector Supplier Advocates (Buy Australian
at Home and Abroad): Supplier Advocates work at a
sector level with business suppliers in the resources
industry to enhance their capability and capacity to win
work. For example, the activities of Supplier Advocates
may include coordinating opportunities for companies
to showcase their capabilities and products and
implementing supply chain development activities.
• Industry Capability Network (ICN): ICN works with
procurement and project managers to help identify
competitive local suppliers. ICN receives funding from
the Commonwealth, state and territory governments,
and has offices throughout Australia and in New
Zealand. ICN estimates they have generated more than
$17 billion in orders for local companies that otherwise
may have gone overseas. Registering with ICN
Gateway (a comprehensive online system of project
opportunities and suppliers) is free of charge.
• Supply Chain Continuous Improvement Program
(Enterprise Connect): This is a three year continuous
improvement program aimed at raising the
performance of an industry sector by increasing
the performance of the individual businesses in a
supply chain, this is undertaken on-site by skilled and
experienced Continuous Improvement Facilitators.
It is targeted at small and medium-sized Australian
businesses within the Defence, Resource and Rail
sectors. The program uses a number of common sense
diagnostic tools to identify areas for improvement
within businesses whilst actively engaging employees
and key customers in this journey. These tools are
focused on the following outcomes: modernising
customer and supplier relationships, improving
business communications, encouraging greater
efficiency and simplification in business processes, and
growing product and process innovation.
• Resources Sector Supplier Envoy (Buy Australian at
Home and Abroad): The Resources Sector Supplier
Envoy’s role is to help Australian industry win more
work in major resources projects in Australia and
overseas. This is done by promoting the capabilities
and competitiveness of Australian industry (e.g. by
helping Australian industry access global supply chains
through trade missions) and providing feedback and
advice to Government and industry on opportunities
and strategies for development.
• Australian Industry Participation (AIP) Plans: The
Australian Government has a number of programs
that require an AIP Plan. An AIP Plan outlines the
actions an organisation intends to take to provide
full, fair and reasonable opportunity for Australian
industry, especially smaller firms, to be involved in the
supply of goods and services to a project. AIP Plans
also encourage long term industry development by
undertaking steps to assist Australian industry to
develop capabilities, become more competitive, and
support integration into global supply chains.
Is your business interested
in developing its workforce?
Australian Government Skills Connect: Helps link
eligible Australian enterprises with a range of skills
and workforce development programs and funding. This
integrated approach currently covers initiatives including
National Workforce Development Fund, Workplace
English Language and Literacy, Accelerated Australian
Apprenticeships, Australian Apprenticeship Mentoring, and
Investing in Experience (Skills Recognition and Training).

Contacts
AusIndustry is the Australian Government’s principal business program delivery division in the Department
of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education and has customer service managers in
more than 20 offices across Australia. To contact AusIndustry call the AusIndustry Hotline on 13 28 46, email
hotline@ausindustry.gov.au or visit www.ausindustry.gov.au
The Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) is the Australian Government’s international trade, education and
investment promotion agency. Through a network of offices in over 50 countries, Austrade assists Australian
companies to grow their international business, attracts productive foreign direct investment into Australia and
promotes Australia’s education sector internationally. To contact Austrade call 13 28 78 or visit www.austrade.gov.au
Australian Government Skills Connect is an initiative in the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science,
Research and Tertiary Education. It helps link eligible Australian enterprises with a range of skills and workforce
development programs and funding. To contact Australian Government Skills Connect call 133 196 or visit
www.skills.gov.au/skillsconnect
Buy Australian at Home and Abroad is an Australian Government initiative that aims to assist Australian firms
enhance their competitiveness and link with new business opportunities in the resources sector. To contact
Buy Australian at Home and Abroad call +61 (2) 6213 6703, email BuyAustralian@innovation.gov.au or visit
www.innovation.gov.au/BuyAustralian
Commercialisation Australia is an Australian Government initiative offering funding and business assistance to early
stage businesses, researchers and inventors. To contact Commercialisation Australia please call 13 22 56 or visit
www.commercialisationaustralia.gov.au
Enterprise Connect offers comprehensive advice and support to eligible Australian small and medium-sized
enterprises to help them transform and reach their full potential. To contact Enterprise Connect for information about
their programs call 13 17 91, email enterpriseconnect@innovation.gov.au or visit www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au
Export Finance and Insurance Corporation is the Australian Government’s export credit agency that helps successful
businesses to win, finance and protect export trade or overseas investments where their bank is unable to provide all
the support they need. To contact Export Finance and Insurance Corporation call 1800 887 588, email info@efic.gov.au
or visit www.efic.gov.au
Industry Capability Network is a network of organisations that introduces Australian and New Zealand companies
to the supply chains of major projects. To contact the Industry Capability Network call 1300 961 139, email
info@icn.org.au or visit www.icn.org.au
You may also wish to visit www.grantslink.gov.au, www.business.gov.au or call the Small Business Support Line
GrantsLINK is an Australian Government website that provides links and contact details for funding programs.
Business.gov.au is the Australian Government’s principal business resource offering whole-of-government essential
information on planning, starting and growing your business. Businesses are also able to locate expert advisors in
their local area through the AdvisorFinder service on the business.gov.au website.
Small Business Support Line provides small business owners with a first point of contact to access information and
referral services to improve their business sustainability and help better manage their business, call 1800 77 7275 or
email sbsl@innovation.gov.au.
Note: This document is intended as a guide only and is not an exhaustive list of all government programs and initiatives. This document is not
meant to imply that individuals or businesses will definitely receive support from these initiatives. Information accurate as at 5/9/2012