Deadline: 13-Jan-23
The Government of Western Australia has launched the Local Capability Fund (LCF), a funding program under the Industry Facilitation Scheme.
Objectives
- The objective of the LCF is to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with funding support to enhance their capacity, capability and competitiveness to supply major projects and markets in Australia and overseas.
- The objective of the Great Southern Regional Round is to provide Western Australian businesses in the Great Southern with funding support to enhance their capacity, capability and competitiveness to participate as suppliers of products, services and works to Western Australian State or Local Government agencies, the Australian Government and the private sector.
- Assistance provided under the LCF may include:
- upgrading plant and equipment;
- staff training and upskilling;
- implementing improvements to internal business infrastructure;
- overcoming barriers and constraints impacting on business viability;
- and engaging specialist advice on eligible activities (such as business and market planning and improvements to internal business systems).
Funding Information
- A grant pool of $100,000 is available for this round. The level of funding support is 75% of eligible costs (excluding GST) up to a maximum contribution of $20,000 per successful applicant. For example, to be eligible for the full $20,000 your business would need to expend, at a minimum, $26,667 (excluding GST) of eligible costs.
- Duration: Activities funded under the LCF must be completed, and the claim for payment submitted to JTSI, no later than six months following the approval of the grant.
Eligible Activities
- External expertise for the purposes of:
- Planning and business advice, including, and not limited to:
- Strategic and business planning
- Development and implementation of marketing plans
- Supply chain facilitation
- Tender submission advice and preparation
- Preparation and submission of applications for other government and international grants
- Improvements to internal business infrastructure / systems, including, however not limited to:
- Production systems
- Transportation and distribution systems
- IT and communication systems including cyber security
- Implementation and certification of national and international standards and management systems
- Operational and other activities identified as necessary to meet the pre-qualification requirements of the target market
- Training, including, however not limited to:
- Up-skilling of employees which leads to improved operational processes
- Training that is part of the employer’s staff development program
- Travel and accommodation costs associated with training – where local options are not available
- Costs involved in bringing registered trainers to deliver local group training
- Planning and business advice, including, and not limited to:
- Plant and Equipment, including, however not limited to:
- Acquiring new equipment or machinery
- Acquiring second-hand equipment or machinery through a dealer
- Modifying existing equipment or machinery
- Upgrades or expansions to applicant owned business operating facilities
- Specialised motor vehicles. These are vehicles which perform specific and specialised functions and are used exclusively for business purposes (e.g. bobcats, forklifts, cherry pickers, back hoes, bucket trucks etc.)
- Specialised computer hardware and software (e.g. tender management software; project management software; on-line sales and marketing systems)
Ineligible Activities
Ineligible activities include, and are not limited to:
- Works carried out by consultants without the appropriate expertise to deliver the service
- Works carried out by third parties that are perceived by JTSI not to be at arm’s length from the business
- Support of any legal action
- Equipment and machinery acquired second-hand through a private sale
- Motor vehicles which are not specialised
- General computer hardware, software and office equipment upgrades and purchases e.g.
- Microsoft Office/Windows operating systems, photocopiers etc.
- Land and property acquisitions
- Upgrades or expansion to leased or rented property
- Internal research and development activities
- Expenditure of an operational nature
- In-house training (training delivered by employees of the business)
- Training by organisations without the appropriate expertise and experience
- Tertiary education – this includes certificate level courses at TAFE or private colleges In-kind contributions are not considered as part of the business commitment to activity costs and are not funded under the LCF Retrospective activities will not be funded.
- The activity or expenditure on the activity must not be undertaken prior to submitting this application
- Activities for which other Federal, State or Local Government funding has been, or is likely to be granted
- Activities implemented outside of Western Australia
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must meet the following provisions:
- Be registered for GST;
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
- Be a for-profit organisation or business (Not-for-profits and charities are ineligible);
- Only one application per round per financial year is allowed for each applicant. Unsuccessful applicants may not reapply in the same financial year for the same round.
- This is also subject to the applicant having received no more than $300,000 through the LCF program in the last five years, including this application.
For more information, visit Government of Western Australia.