Grants to accelerate smart businesses
Head injury assessment, fresh food tracking, animal welfare and a self-cleaning BBQ are some of the business ideas set to benefit from the latest round of the Coalition’s Accelerating Commercialisation grants.
The Morrison Government funding will provide $5.3 million to 15 businesses from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia to take their products to market through product trials, development and market testing.
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the grants were designed to fast-track the development of high quality projects with local and export market potential which will grow the economy and create Australian jobs.
“The Morrison Government is committed to supporting Australian businesses with game-changing ideas like these, and our funding will help improve the capability and competitiveness of these businesses, while at the same time stimulating economic growth,” Minister Andrews said.
“This funding is part of the Coalition’s broader plan to bolster Australia’s economy and create 1.25 million new jobs in the next five years.
“Since the Coalition launched the program in 2014, 390 grants worth $192 million have been offered to Australian businesses.”
The latest funding offers will assist:
Seven New South Wales businesses:
- HeadsafeIP to complete commercialisation activities to achieve first sales of Nurochek, a portable device to assess traumatic neurological injuries.
- AJJA Technologies to develop the final commercial version of a new, lower cost sensor technology to detect trace contaminants in water, including further field testing and the establishment of manufacturing processes. The sensor system can be adapted to measure a range of substances, such as nitrates, phosphates, acids and metals for organisations like waste water treatment plants and mining companies. Ongoing trials will measure contaminants in rivers which connect with the Great Barrier Reef.
- Technology Connections International to commercialise a digital pitch controller called Virtual Jeff for stringed instruments. This device replaces a mechanical whammy-bar used on guitars for over 60 years, improves musician ergonomics, reduces strain and has features impossible with mechanical devices.
- Traditional Business Online to modify a world leading Virtual Supply Chain (VSC) solution, called the One Touch VSC platform, for the specific needs of the retail butchery industry and to conduct a large scale pilot trial. One Touch VSC optimises the route and movement of a physical asset from the farmer or manufacturer to the business or consumer.
- Urbanfinity to commercialise Context Map Suite, a revolutionary tool for architects and urban planners. It can achieve rapid, intelligent site analysis for optimised and sustainable urban development, providing a customisable 3D model and analytics for any new project site.
- Advanced Catering Solutions to help implement two commercial pilots in separate client’s facilities of its QAmC system that replaces the primitive, pen-and-paper processes that prove food safety compliance in large-volume catering operations. It will give end-to-end digital food traceability, raising compliance and increasing operational efficiency, paving the way for global sales.
- Marrosliving to produce prototypes for regulatory compliance testing of a novel barbeque incorporating a patent protected automated cleaning device and for commercial trials with a number of retailers or distributors.
Three Victorian businesses:
- escaVox to commercialise an innovative end-to-end solution for monitoring fresh food through the supply chain for primary producers, marketers and retailers in Australia. This solution will provide fresher quality produce for consumers, reduce food waste, provide proof of a quality brand for producers and also enhance Australia’s reputation as a quality food exporter.
- HiveHub to help commercialise and refine the features of a software mapping platform for global use across all organisations with complex software environments. This technology will allow any employee to understand software in a simplified and standardised format (similar to Google Maps, but for the virtual world).
- Deakin University to commercialise the Rapid Alloy Process, Innovation and Design (RAPID) and establish RAPID as a stand-alone commercial entity. RAPID will provide innovative and complex alloy solutions to the aerospace, automotive, mining and medical sectors.
Three South Australian businesses:
- Link4 Australia to commercialise an e-Invoicing service that small and medium enterprises can use with their current cloud accounting system providing small business owners with the ability to send invoices instantly to the government, get paid faster and improve cash flow.
- Neomorph to commercialise a preformed, remouldable mouthguard for people with orthodontic appliances. The mouthguard will offer maximum protection, control and fit and conform to Australian, British and American regulations.
- Lumin Sports Technology to help commercialise its ARC platform for global export. This platform for professional sporting teams collects and analyses data from athletes from multiple data points that is faster and easier to use.
One Queensland business:
- Genics to commercialise Avian MultiPath, a new highly multiplexed pathogen test for the poultry industry, and achieve major improvements in poultry production and animal well-being as well as reduce input costs.
One Western Australian business:
- Laconik to commercialise its new technology which combines data science and artificial intelligence to increase the profitability of grain farmers and reduce the harmful effects of excessive nitrogen fertiliser leaching into the environment.
Accelerating Commercialisation grant applications can be lodged at any time for access to expert advice and matched funding grants of up to $1 million to cover eligible commercialisation costs and help companies take their products to market.
More information on the recipients is available at www.business.gov.au/ac-funding-offers. To apply for a grant visit www.business.gov.au/ep
Media contact: Minister Andrews' office 02 6277 7070