Are you ready to grow your quarry business or increase your sales in 2015?

NEW help to grow the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services sector is now available.

The Australian Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme offers services to help your business in the extraction industry succeed. As anyone in business knows there are challenges around every corner and owners are always on the lookout for efficiencies and constantly trying to innovate to anticipate customer needs.

The Australian Government has a clear focus in supporting business and helping to re-energise small and medium enterprises through the new Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme. The primary focus of the programme is on providing access to the best advice and networks. Businesses that can demonstrate they are committed to one of the five Growth Sectors may be eligible for assistance:

1. Mining Equipment, Technology and Services;
2. Advanced Manufacturing;
3. Food and Agribusiness;
4. Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals;
5. Oil, Gas and Energy Resources; or
6. Enabling Technologies and Services for any of the five Growth Sectors.

The programme helps eligible* businesses to evaluate their strengths to empower and support them to achieve improvements they previously might not have thought possible. While the financial assistance of a small co-funded grant may be helpful, the process of thinking through business solutions with a qualified and industry experienced Adviser, Facilitator or Commercialisation Adviser can really make all the difference; and not just to the bottom line.

Information sessions and workshops are offered to help business owners keep pace with industry expectations and offer positive pathways for an engineering or technical business which may need to be more customer-focussed to flourish in this economic environment.

Through the programme, experienced industry experts come to your site to assist in pushing business projects from ideas to operation. Using the programme services, business owners are able to identify critical success factors, source links to providers who are able to help and identify the steps needed for future growth and success.

Services offered through the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme help you identify step change improvements which can lower costs, find new markets, bolster capability, develop intellectual property and improve productivity and competitiveness through:

• Business Evaluations: an assessment conducted at the business site followed by research and analysis resulting in a detailed report outlining pathways for improvement.
• Supply Chain Facilitation: offering business practical assistance to interact with and supply into new and existing markets.
• Business Growth Services: offering high growth potential businesses access to specialist advisers, services and connections to accelerate growth over a period of up to two years.
• Business Growth Grants: small, co-funded grants (up to a maximum of $20,000) to engage external expertise to assist with implementing improvements recommended in a Business Evaluation report, Supply Chain Facilitation or a Business Growth Service.
• Research Connections: offering a facilitated service to identify critical and strategic research needs and opportunities for business. This service also supports business to connect with sources of expertise, technology and advice, as well as provide pathways to engage and collaborate with the research sector.
• Accelerating Commercialisation: provides expert guidance, connections and grants to accelerate the commercialisation of novel intellectual property in the form of new products, processes and services.
• The services are customised to your business needs, confidential and focussed on value-added advice and support to grow your business productivity and competitiveness.

If you’ve got projects which you want to work on in 2015 and want to make the most effective use of your time, our Advisers, Facilitators and Commercialisation Advisers can help identify your critical success factors, connect you with industry experts who can provide practical help, as well as support your application for funding and other services within the programme. Simple, confidential, insightful, challenging and knowledgeable; the services help business owners work out their own answers by providing the right advice at the right time.

All programme services are provided free of charge however successful applicants must commit their time to participate in the assessment process and implement recommendations to achieve results. Are you ready to grow your business?

For more information on how you can take advantage of the programme services, visit business.gov.au or call 13 28 46. More in-depth face-to-face assistance is also available from AusIndustry’s national network and by contacting your local Adviser in Melbourne:

For more information contact Dale Thompson by email Dale.Thompson@industry.gov.au or phone on 0407 819 522.

*Applicants for the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme must meet eligibility criteria to qualify for assistance, as well as meet additional merit criteria for specific services within the programme

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