Deadline: 20-Jan-23
The Government of Western Australia is seeking applications for Pilbara Regional Round 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 Local Capability Fund (LCF) is a funding program under the Industry Facilitation Scheme (The Scheme). The Scheme is an approved guideline under section 10 of the Industry and Technology Development Act 1998.
Objectives
- The objective of the Pilbara Regional Round is to provide Western Australian businesses in the Pilbara 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.
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).
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);
- Have its principal place of business reside in one of the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Pilbara region as described in Schedule 1 of the Regional Development Commission Act 1993 (see Appendix 1);
- Have been operating, and continue to operate, in that region for at least 12 months prior to and following application submission date; and
- Employ less than 200 people.
For more information, visit https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-jobs-tourism-science-and-innovation/local-capability-fund
