Business and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities - December 2018

Welcome to our new Business and Infrastructure Funding Opportunities Newsletter where you will find details of selected grant submissions from around the region for Business and Infrastructure projects.

Due to the number of grants that are available, we now send two funding opportunities newsletters a month; one for Business and Infrastructure and another for Community Projects and Award Programs, rather than the one combined newsletter. 

We wish you all the best with the Funding Opportunities below and if you are looking for a grant between newsletters, have a look at the grants area of our website which is updated weekly: www.rdani.org.au/our-region/grants-and-funding-opportunities.php

If you need some facts and figures for your applications, a range of data for our region is also available on our website here: www.rdani.org.au/our-region/regional-data.php

Featured Grants

Increasing Resilience to Climate Change
Closes: 1st of March 2019
Value: $30,000 to $120,000 for individual projects and $50,000 to $300,000 for regional projects
Run By: Local Government NSW and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) will assist councils to increase their resilience and adapt to climate change in NSW by directing financial assistance to address identified climate risks and vulnerabilities.

IRCC has been established with the following objectives:

• Implementation of treatments for identified climate risks, reducing future climate impacts and reducing potential liability for local and regional decision makers
• Regional and/or sectoral consideration of climate change impacts in decision making
• Implementation of climate change adaptation actions beyond business as usual projects and programs
• Enhanced adaptive capacity through the development of a community of practitioners and resources from across sectors and disciplines with practical experience in implementing adaptation responses  across NSW.

Low Cost Loans Initiative for Councils
Closes: 16th of May2019 5pm
Value: 50% of the costs of Council’s interest payments on loans for eligible infrastructure
Run By: NSW Department of Planning and Environment

The Low-Cost Loans Initiative (LCLI) assists councils with the cost of borrowing to fund new infrastructure by providing a 50% refund of the interest paid on loans. This will help councils to bring forward the delivery of infrastructure they have been planning to support their growing communities in new housing areas.

The key aim of the LCLI is to enable new housing supply. The essential elements are:

• The NSW Government will refund 50% of the costs of council’s interest payments on loans for eligible infrastructure
• The council is responsible for repaying the loan which is funded by TCorp, or another financial institution of the council’s choice, on their standard terms and prudential requirements.

NSW Regional Business Event Development Fund
Closes: Onoing until 30th of June 2019 or until pool of $500,000 is expended
Value: Up to $60,000 depending on the number of delegates expected
Run By: Destination NSW

The NSW Regional Business Event Development Fund is designed to help stakeholders create, attract and support exciting business events for Regional NSW and to support new business event initiatives aimed at enriching the events with opportunities offered by iconic towns and regions while helping secure successful conferences and business events for their future.

The four streams of the program are:

• Creation of a New Business Event
• Attraction of an Existing Business Event
• Support for an Existing Business Event
• Support for a Business Event Project

Regional Employment Trials Program
Closing date: 30th of June 2020
Value: $7,500 to $200,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Jobs and Small Business

The Northern Inland is one of only ten regions across Australia to be selected for the Regional Employment Trials Program. The Regional Employment Trials program provides local stakeholders in selected regions, including businesses, not-for-profits and local government agencies, with grants to trial local approaches to delivering employment related projects.

The objectives of the program are to deliver:

• strong connections between regional stakeholders, including employment services providers
• employment initiatives that meet local needs
• improved awareness of local labour markets
• the potential for improved regional employment outcomes

Grants are for between $7,500 and $200,000, for up to 75% of eligible project costs. Projects must be completed by 30 June 2020.

Applicants should contact the Employment Facilitator for the Northern Inland, and they will help determine if the project is aligned to local employment priorities, and connect applicants with an employment services provider if needed.

Before applying, applicants must submit information about their project to RDANI using the RDA project proposal template. RDANI will committee will provide you with written feedback using the RDA project proposal template which must be attach to the full grant application.

Closing in December

Automotive Innovation Lab Access Grants
Closes: 13th of December 2018 5:00 pm AEDT
Value: $50,000 to $200,000
Run By: Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
The Automotive Innovation Lab Access Grants will provide grant funding to support businesses to undertake a range of activities to enhance the automotive product design and development process.

Murray Darling Basin - Regional Business Accelorator Program
Closing date: 31st of December 2018
Value: Up to $10,000
Run By: NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
The objective of the program is to help enterprises in the NSW Murray Darling Basin region to increase their sales and create new jobs. The program recognises innovation in marketing and adoption of new technology as key enablers of regional business growth. Contact the Department's Office of Regional Development in Tamworth on 02 6760 2676  or melissa.penrose@dpc.nsw.gov.au to apply.

Closing in January

National Landcare Program - Smart Farms Small Grants
Closes: 11 January 2019 - 11:30pm AEDT
Value: $5,000 to $200,000 depending on the outcomes expexted
Run By: Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Smart Farms Small Grants (‘Small Grants’) is an open, competitive, grant opportunity to support one- to two-year projects to increase farming, forestry and fishing communities’ awareness, knowledge, skills and capacity to adopt sustainable natural resource management best practice.

Incubator Event Fund
Current Round Closes: 13th of January 2019
Value: Up to $20,000
Run By: Destination NSW
The Incubator Event Fund offers seed funding to innovative events in Regional NSW to support their first and second years of activity.

Flagship Event Fund
Current Round Closes: 13th of January 2019
Value: Up to $90,000 depoending on length of grant
Run By: Destination NSW
Supports marketing activities aimed at increasing visibility and attracting visitation to the events that contribute to the unique character and culture of the tourism regions of NSW.

Free Trade Agreement Market Entry Grant
Closes: 16th of January 2019
Value: $20,000 to $80,000 depending on the outcomes expexted
Run By: Australian Trade and Investment Commission
This grant will assist eligible organisations deliver market entry strategies aimed at helping Australian SMEs and stakeholders access FTA target markets with confidence.

NDIS Jobs and Market Fund – Round 1
Closes: 17th of January 2019 2pm AEDT
Value: No specified maximum, most grants expected to be between $100,000 and $1M
Run By: Australian Government's Department of Social Services
The objective of the JMF is to support growth of the NDIS market and workforce in capacity and capability to meet the needs of NDIS participants.

Ian Potter Foundation Conference Grants
Current Round Closes: 29th of Janaury 2019
Value: Up to $20,000
Run By: The Ian Potter Foundation
The Conference program assists organisations to bring keynote speakers of international renown to Australia. The speakers impart their knowledge and expertise to conference delegates in Australia to inspire new thinking and foster learning.

Closing in February

Landing Pads
Current Round Closes: 4th of February 2019
Next Round Closes: 20th of May 2019
Value: In-kind support including 90 day residency at an international co-working space
Run By: Australia Unlimited and Austrade
The Landing Pads program provides market-ready startups and scaleups with potential for rapid growth a cost effective option to land and expand into major global innovations hubs around the world.

Closing Later and Ongoing

Incubator Event Fund
2019 Round 2 Opens: March 2019
Value: Up to $20,000
Run By: Destination NSW
The Incubator Event Fund offers seed funding to innovative events in Regional NSW to support their first and second years of activity.

NSW Regional Business Event Development Fund
Closes: Onoing until 30th of June 2019 or until pool of $500,000 is expended
Value: Up to $60,000 depending on the number of delegates expected
Run By: Destination NSW
The fund is designed to help stakeholders create, attract and support exciting business events for Regional NSW and to support new business event initiatives aimed at enriching the events with opportunities offered by iconic towns and regions while helping secure successful conferences and business events for their future.

Wine Export Grants
Closing date: Ongoing until 1st of May 2020
Value: Up to $25,000
Run By: Wine Australia
Wine Export Grants are offered for specific wine export promotion activities aimed at supporting small and medium wine businesses to secure new distribution channels in China, Hong Kong, Macau and/or the USA.

Low Cost Loans Initiative for Councils
Closes: 16th of May 2019 5pm
Value: 50% of the costs of Council’s interest payments on loans for eligible infrastructure
Run By: NSW Department of Planning and Environment
Assists councils with the cost of borrowing to fund new infrastructure by providing a 50% refund of the interest paid on loans to help bring forward the delivery of infrastructure to support their growing communities in new housing areas.

Regional Tourism Product Development Program
Closes: 30 June 2019
Value: $15,000 to $150,000
Run By: Destination NSW
Regional Tourism Product Development funding is available for new accommodation projects, infrastructure projects, visitor signposting and new attractions and experiences.

Regional Cooperative Tourism Marketing Program
Closes: 30 June 2019
Value:  $100,000 to $500,000
Run By: Destination NSW
Regional Cooperative Tourism Marketing Program is available to undertake a Cooperative Tourism Marketing Program which will be led by Destination NSW.

Cyber Security Small Business Program
Closes: Ongoing until 30 June 2020 5pm AEST
Value: Up to $2,100 - $10 Million total pool
Run By: Australian Government Department of Industy, Innovation and Science
Supports small businesses across Australia to have their cyber security tested by a provider that has been approved by the Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers Australia New Zealand (CREST).

Australian Apprentice Wage Subsidy Trial
Closes: Ongoing until 1630 sign ups
Value: Up to 75% of award wage
Run By: Australian Apprenticeships
The trial aims to support apprenticeships in skills need occupations in rural and regional areas and encourage participation in apprenticeships by employers who have not previously engaged apprentices, as well as re-engaging employers who may have disengaged from the system.

Safe and Secure Water Program
Closes: Ongoing until expended
Value: No minimum or maximum, $1 Billion total pool
Run By: NSW Department of Industry
The SSWP will co-fund eligible water and sewerage projects that deliver economic growth in regional NSW through improvements to public health, water security, environmental outcomes and/or social benefits.

Drought Relief Heavy Vehicle Access Program
Closing date: Not Specified - indicated until $15 Million total pool expended
Value: Up to $300,000 per Local Government Area
Run By: NSW Roads and Maritime Services
This program has been established to contribute to the cost of maintenance and minor improvements on council roads and roadsides, where those improvements will contribute to heavy vehicle access, in support of the drought relief freight task.

Regional Investment Attraction Fund
Closes: Undisclosed
Value: Undisclosed
Run By: NSW Government
Grants and interest-free loans targeted at offsetting government levies and duties, such as payroll tax, to eligible businesses that want to invest and grow in regional NSW, which will lead to new jobs.

Relocation Assistance for Skilled Workers
Closes: Undisclosed
Value: Up to $10,000 per worker
Run By: NSW Government
Grants are available to help attract skilled employees to regional NSW businesses operating in eligible industriesto meet the costs of relocating employees, such as for furniture removal and temporary accommodation for up to three months.

Regional Filming Fund
Closing date: Four weeks prior to the start of filming in Regional NSW
Value: up to 35% of the budgeted NSW Regional Spend to a maximum of $100,000
Run By: Screen NSW
Provides Australian film projects that are filming in regional NSW with funding of up to $100,000 to offset the costs associated with shooting a film in regional areas.

Coles Nurture Fund
Next Round: Expected early 2019
Value: Up to $500,000
Run By: Coles Supermarkets Australia
Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (Coles) has launched an initiative to assist existing small to medium Australian producers, farmers and manufacturers to innovate and grow their business.

Managing Farm Risk Program
Closing date: Ongoing
Value: Up to $2,500
Run By: Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
The Managing Farm Risk Program provides rebates for advice and assessments to help farmers prepare and apply for a new insurance policy that assists with the management of drought and other production and market risks.

Regional Growth Loans
Closing date: Unspecified
Value: $200,000 to $500,000
Run By: NSW Government
Regional Growth Loans are direct, interest-free loans for emerging and fast-growth SMEs in regional NSW that are scaling quickly and creating jobs, but face barriers in accessing finance from traditional lenders.

Supplier Improvement Plan
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Tailored advice to create a Supplier Improvement Plan
Run By: Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
A Supplier Improvement Plan will give you: access to, and active engagement with, a highly qualified and experienced Business Adviser or Business Facilitator over 12 months; independent guidance and insight about your customer’s needs and requirements; a customised action plan with recommendations for improvement; and assistance to implement the recommendations in your action plan.

Renewable Energy Venture Capital Fund Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Unspecified
Run By: Australian Government: Australian Renewable Energy Agency
ARENA’s Renewable Energy Venture Capital Fund Program fosters skills and management capability. It encourages investment in innovative Australian renewable energy companies to strengthen their chance of success.

Advancing Renewables Program
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Unspecified
Run By: Australian Government: Australian Renewable Energy Agency
ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Program supports a broad range of development, demonstration and pre-commercial deployment projects that can deliver affordable and reliable renewable energy for Australian families and businesses.

Clean Energy Innovation Fund
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Unspecified
Run By: Clean Energy Finance Corp
The Innovation Fund targets technologies and businesses that have passed beyond the research and development stage, and which can benefit from early stage seed or growth capital to help them progress to the next stage of their development.

Black Spot Program
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Department of Infrastuructre and Regional Development
By funding measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations, the programme reduces the risk of road crashes.

Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: Australian Government
The Programme aims to improve the capabilities of small to medium enterprises to become more competitive and grow. The Programme is now accepting applications for Business Evaluations, and Business Growth Grants under the Business Management stream.

Jobs for NSW
Closes: Ongoing
Run By: NSW Department of Industry
Jobs for NSW is a private sector-led and NSW Government-backed initiative which aims to make the NSW economy as competitive as possible and therefore help create new jobs across the State.

New Enterprise Incentive Scheme
Closing date: Ongoing
Value: Income Assistance and Advice
Run By: Australian Government Department of Employment
NEIS is a program delivered by a network of 21 providers who provide individualised help for job seekers to become self-employed business owners.

New Air Combat Capability - Industry Support Program (NACC-ISP)
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Matched up to $1 million
Run By: The Departments of Defence and Industry, Innovaiton and Science
Provides Australian businesses and research organisations with matched funding of up to $1 million for Projects to help them enter export markets, secure domestic contracts and upskill their staff so they can win work with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program.

Farm Business Skills Professional Development Program
Closes: Funding will be available from 2 November 2015 until 30 June 2020
Value: Up to $5,000
Run By: NSW Department of Primary Industries, Rural Assistance Authority
As part of the NSW Government's Drought Strategy, a Farm Business Skills Professional Development Program has been developed to support farm business in all conditions, but particularly in relation to preparing for and responding to drought.

Indigenous Business Australia
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Financial support and advice
Run By: Indigenous Business Australia
IBA assists Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to access the skills, knowledge and resources required to start and grow viable and sustainable businesses.

Innovation Connections
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $50,000
Run By: AusIndustry
Provides small and medium sized businesses with access to expert technology advice to address technology and knowledge gaps, and collaborate with the research sector in developing new ideas with commercial potential.

Farm Household Allowance
Closes: Ongoing
Value: Up to $50,000
Run By: AusIndustry
Provides small and medium sized businesses with access to expert technology advice to address technology and knowledge gaps, and collaborate with the research sector in developing new ideas with commercial potential. Support includes up to $50,000 in matched funding to work on collaborative projects.

Arts and Cultural Development Program
Closes: Applications close on various dates
Valuation: Dependant on program chosen
Run By: NSW Goverment Create NSW
Create NSW offers direct funding to organisations, artists, practitioners and arts and cultural workers through the Arts and Cultural Development Program (ACDP).

TechVouchers
Closes: Applications are ongoing
Value: Partnership creation and up to $15,000
Run By: NSW Government Department of Industry
Innovate NSW TechVouchers (TV) assists technology SMEs to collaborate with a NSW research organisation to overcome a technical challenge or test a new technology.

Incubator Support - New & Existing Incubators
Closes: Applications are ongoing
Value: $26,000 to $500,000
Run By: Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’
Provides new and existing business incubators with grants of up to $500,000 to assist Australian start-ups develop the capabilities required to succeed in international markets.

Incubator Support - Expert-In-Residence
Closes: Applications are ongoing
Value: $5,000 to $100,000
Run By: Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’
Provides business incubators with grants to access top quality research, managerial and technical talent through incoming and outgoing secondments of national or international experts.

Tradex Scheme
Closes:Ongoing
Value: Varies based on the the goods imported
Run By: The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science
The Tradex Scheme provides an upfront exemption from Customs duty and GST for eligible goods imported to Australia that are then exported within one year or other approved period.