WA Local Capability Fund - Regional Business Rounds

WA Local Capability Fund – Regional Supplier Round

Supporting SMEs in regional WA to grow their capacity, competitiveness and capability.
Grants from $5,000-$20,000 are available, 50% co-contribution required
Applications open until September 4^th, 2025

The fund’s objective is to enhance SMEs' business capability and capacity to supply to export markets, Western Australian or Local Government agencies, the Australian Government and the private business sector.

Key Requirements

The objective of this round is to provide funding support to Western Australian SMEs in the following regions:

Gascoyne
Goldfields-Esperance
Great Southern
Kimberley
Mid West
Peel
Pilbara
South West
Wheatbelt

To be eligible, expenditure must:

Be incurred by you within the project period.
Meet the eligible expenditure guidelines below.
Be at least $10,000 in total.

What is eligible for funding?

Eligible activities must be implemented in WA and have a clear and direct link to the grant objective.

The following activities are eligible for funding:

1.External Expertise:

Planning and Business Advice

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:

Production systems
Transportation and distribution systems
IT and communication systems, including cyber security
Operational systems and other activities necessary to meet the pre-qualification requirements of the target market

Training:

Up-skilling of employees to improve operational processes
Training as part of the employer’s staff development requirements
Travel and accommodation costs associated with training where local options are not available
Costs involved in bringing registered trainers to deliver local group training

Plant and Equipment:

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
Purchase of specialised motor vehicles used exclusively for business purposes (e.g., bobcats, forklifts, cherry pickers, back hoes, bucket trucks) Note: Utility vehicles, 4x4s and vans are not considered specialised vehicles
Purchase of specialised computer hardware and software (e.g., tender management software; project management software; online sales and marketing systems)
Related freight and installation costs on capital expenditure.

What companies are eligible for funding?

To be eligible for funding, applicants must:

Have their principal place of business in one of the Local Government Areas (LGAs) listed in Schedule 1 of the Regional Development Commission Act 1993 (refer to Appendix 7) and remain based there for at least 12 months after applying. This must align with the ‘Main business location’ in ABN Lookup.
Have been actively operating in that region for at least 12 months before applying.
Primarily supply goods or services to businesses or government, rather than relying on walk-in retail trade. However, consideration will be given to businesses whose proposed activities will enable them to shift or expand into broader supply chains.
Have been registered for GST for at least 12 months before applying and intend to remain registered for the next 12 months.
Be a solvent business at the time of application and throughout the project duration.
Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
Be a for-profit business, or an incorporated not-for-profit Aboriginal Corporation operating as a commercial enterprise.
Be an SME with fewer than 200 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees at the time of application.

Previous LCF recipients may apply if:

They have complied with all requirements of prior FAAs, including submitting all required reports (i.e., no overdue reports).
They have received no more than $200,000 in LCF grant funding over the past five years (excluding funding from the $10 million COVID-19 LCF Rounds in 2020-21).
All previously awarded funding has been fully claimed

Is this grant competitive or entitlement based?

Competitive. Your application will be assessed among other applications by a judging panel.

How can I increase my chances of winning this grant?

By engaging an accredited government grants consultant, such as Avant Group.

Competitive grants often require significant business case development and project analysis to support the application, this may include detailed presentations supporting the project’s merit, projected sales, cost-benefit analysis and more.

As part of your engagement with Avant Group, your account manager will assess the required documents and will provide the following as needed to support your grant submission.

Grant application writeup including a detailed presentation illustrating how the grant funding will contribute to your project, how the funding will contribute to the project’s budget, a project milestone plan, delivery timeline, impact on employment if applicable and a breakdown of the management and leadership team for the project

Industry analysis presentation
Competitor Analysis Presentation
Marketing and Sales Analysis Presentation
3-5 year Cashflow Forecast
3-5 year Balance Sheet Forecast
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Grant Funding
End-to-end grant application including information collating, analysis and application writing
CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) cost-benefit analysis
Stakeholder relations and Risk Mitigation Plans
Any other relevant forecasting that will support your application

How can I get help with my application? Or know if I’m likely to win funding?

Avant Group offers a no-obligation assessment of your eligibility for funding and will assess your likelihood of a successful grant application.

This grant is open

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