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WA Local Capability Fund – Regional Business Rounds

The Regional Business Rounds of the Local Capability Fund will cover 50% of eligible expenditure up to $20,000, requiring eligible costs of at least $40,000 if aiming to receive a total $20,000 in funding
Applications are open until 13 September 2024

The Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation has released the Local Capability Fund, which provides grants to help small and medium enterprises to enhance their competitiveness and secure work on large-scale projects in Australia and overseas.

Key Requirements

The Regional Business Rounds aim to support small and medium enterprises in regional Western Australia by bolstering their business capabilities and capacities to cater to export markets, Western Australian state or Local Government entities, the Australian Government, and the private sector. There are funding rounds available for each of the following regions:

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

What is eligible for funding?

The funding can be used to cover the costs of engaging external experts and consultants to provide these types of planning, advisory, and business development services:

Planning and Business Advice

Strategic and business planning support
Development and execution of marketing strategies
Supply chain facilitation and advisory services
Guidance and assistance with tender submission preparation
Assistance with applying for other government and international grant programs

Internal Business Infrastructure and Systems

Enhancements to production systems
Improvements to transportation and distribution capabilities
Upgrades to IT and communication systems, including cybersecurity measures
Optimisations to operational systems to meet pre-qualification requirements of target markets

Training and Skills Development

Upskilling of employees to enhance operational processes
Training activities to fulfill the employer’s staff development requirements
Travel and accommodation costs for training programs not available locally
Costs for bringing in registered trainers or specialists to deliver training

Funding can also cover:

Plant and Equipment Investments

Purchasing new equipment or machinery
Obtaining second-hand equipment or machinery from dealers
Modifying existing equipment and machinery
Expanding or upgrading the applicant’s owned business facilities
Purchasing specialised vehicles for business purposes – bobcats, forklifts, cherry pickers, backhoes, bucket trucks (Standard utility vehicles, 4x4s, and vans are not considered specialised vehicles)
Acquiring specialised computer hardware and software – tender management, project management, online sales/marketing systems

What companies are eligible for funding?

In order to be eligible companies must:

Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
Be operating in a trade-exposed industry facing competition from other national or international SMEs
Be situated in one of the Local Government Areas of the nine regions as principal place of business as per Schedule 1 of the Regional Development Commission Act 1993 and be based there for at least the next 12 months after application
Have operated in that region for at least 12 months at the time of submission of application
Currently be registered for GST and have been for at least 12 months prior to application, with the intention to maintain registration for the next 12 months
Be a for-profit business or organisation
Have a staff size exceeding one but less than 200 full-time equivalent positions

If the organisation has previously received funding for the LCF they may reapply provided they have:

Fulfilled all obligations under previous funding agreements of the Financial Assistance Agreement, including submitting all required reports on time
Received less than $200,000 in total LCF funding within the past five years (excluding COVID-19 LCF rounds)
Claimed all funds from previously awarded LCF grants

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 has expired

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