Sixteen small businesses across Australia will share in almost $10 million under the Liberal National Government’s Accelerating Commercialisation grants.

The latest round of funding will help the businesses take their products to market, growing the Australian economy and creating more jobs.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said the grants were designed to accelerate the development of high quality projects which had strong local and export market potential.

“The Liberal National Government is committed to supporting Australian businesses with great ideas like these,” Minister Andrews said.

“The funding will help improve the capability and competitiveness of these businesses, promoting economic growth and creating Australian jobs.”

Since the program launch in 2014, 363 grants worth $181.2 million have been offered to Australian businesses.

The grants are part of the Liberal National Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme. Each of the grants will be matched by industry funding from the businesses.

The latest funding offers will assist:

Two South Australian businesses:

• Consilium Technology to nationally and internationally commercialise its Geospatial Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture technology. The technology automatically locates crops and monitors their health, providing data required for precision farming.
• IPdata to commercialise in Australia its appraisal software for the subdivision of residential property. The product enables a rapid and precise assessment of land parcels and their subdivision potential.

Two Western Australian businesses:

• Australian Institute of Robotic Orthopaedics to commercialise and obtain a globally exclusive distribution licence for its intelligent robotic laser system. This system enables bulk removal of damaged bone and tissue in hip and knee replacements, with unmatched surgical accuracy and precision.
• Village Energy Group to implement its hardware and software platform for their first client customers in India. The platform manages demand and supply of electricity in real time and is uniquely designed to benefit rural communities who suffer from unreliable energy supply.

One Tasmanian business:

• CBG Systems to establish a manufacturing facility, production processes, validation trials and an international launch of its fire retardant panels for marine vessels.

One Victorian business:

• LoopLearn to help complete trials and commercialise its product which automates the roll marking process in schools using machine vision technology with the aim of reducing administrative burden on staff and ensuring the safety of students.

Five New South Wales businesses:

• Lowes TC to develop a pilot plant to demonstrate its High Health Clonal Plant Propagation process at a commercial scale.
• Dosel Australia to launch its radiation compliance platform in the United States and achieve export revenues. The platform has applications in the hospital, radiology, nuclear medicine, veterinary and dental markets.
• Tactical Research to develop, test and prepare for sales of its personnel screening security system for business facilities, public infrastructure and crowded places.
• Quality Trade to develop and undertake market testing of its trade certification system. The system will make it easy to find, validate and trade with certified companies which meet national and international standards.
• The Blueprint Laboratory to help with commercial trials of its lightweight robotic arm for the unmanned underwater vehicle industry.

Five Queensland businesses:

• Universal Field Robots for implementation trials of a robot that can complete tasks outdoors in agriculture, construction and mining, which will lead to product sales.
• Ecojoule Energy to commercialise its power electronics products for the electricity grid. The products improve the voltage and reduce the peak load on electricity networks.
• GravityFit to commercialise a range of smart functioning training garments for athletes and astronauts. The garments stabilise and strengthen spine and joints, reduce the risk of injury and improve performance.
• Predikt-R to complete trials and commercialise a product that predicts workplace safety outcomes to reduce the risk of injuries in markets with high risk of injuries such as agriculture, manufacturing, construction, transport and mining.
• Precision Pipe Lifter to commercialise and develop an intellectual property strategy for a new fitting for the crane and transport sectors. This fitting will allow the safer and more efficient unloading of concrete pipes and culverts from vehicles on-site.

Accelerating Commercialisation grant applications can be lodged at any time for matched funding of up to $1 million to cover eligible commercialisation costs and help companies take their products to market.

More information on the grant recipients is available at www.business.gov.au/ac-funding-offers.

You can apply for an Entrepreneurs’ Programme Accelerating Commercialisation grant at www.business.gov.au/assistance/entrepreneurs-programme

Media contact: Minister Andrews' office 02 6277 7070