The $60 million Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme aims to help accelerate manufacturing investment in South Australia and Victoria. The merit based programme will support businesses undertaking capital investment projects to establish or expand high value manufacturing operations.  Applicants will need to demonstrate that a project supports high growth manufacturing in South Australia or Victoria, and will enhance the productivity and sustainability of the applicant.

 

Applications for Round 1 opened on 16 October 2014 and will close at 11.59pm AEST on Friday 9 January 2015.

 

Grants are available for up to 50% of eligible costs for projects with a minimum investment of $1 million. The grants range from $500,000 to $5 million.

 

Please note that if you are registered under the Automotive Transformation Scheme or are eligible to apply for the Automotive Diversification Programme you are not eligible to apply for the Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Programme.

 

The Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Program is a joint initiative of the Australian, South Australian and Victorian Governments.

 

This programme is part of the Australian Government’s $155 million Growth Fund to drive the development of new industries in high growth sectors in South Australia and Victoria.

The grants available under the programme:

• range from $500,000 to $5 million
• are capped at up to 50% of eligible project costs
• support projects for up to a 3 year period.

Applications for projects in each State are assessed on a competitive basis against set merit criteria, as outlined below.

 

Eligible Projects

An eligible project must involve eligible activities, and at least $1 million in eligible project expenditure. It must take place at a manufacturing site in South Australia or Victoria, but this must not have involved the movement of business activities from other parts of Australia to South Australia or Victoria.

 

Eligible activities include:

• buying, installing and commissioning new machinery and equipment
• changing or extending existing premises to accommodate new machinery and equipment acquired through the project
• training to use and maintain new machinery and equipment acquired through the project.

AusIndustry may approve other activities that support the programme objectives and project outcomes.

 

Eligible expenditure must be:

• directly attributable to approved eligible activities
• incurred after an application is submitted, and accepted by AusIndustry as complete and eligible
• incurred on or before the agreed project completion date.
• To be eligible you must:
• be a trading corporation in terms of section 51(xx) of the Australian Constitution (i.e. an incorporated entity which gets its main revenue from its trading activities)
• be incorporated in Australia and registered for the Goods and Services Tax (GST)
• not be named by the Affirmative Action Agency as an organisation that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act 2012 (Cth)
• provide evidence of support from the business’ Board that the business can undertake the project and meet the costs of the project not covered by the grant
• provide evidence that your business can fund its share of the project costs.

 

You are not eligible to apply if you are:

• an income tax exempt corporation;
• an individual or partnership;
• a Commonwealth, State and Local Government agency or body (including government business enterprises);
• registered under the Automotive Transformation Scheme; or
• eligible to apply for the Automotive Diversification Programme, while funding is available under that programme.

 

Merit Criteria

Your application must score highly against each of the following merit criteria to be recommended for funding.

1. The level of net economic benefit to be generated by your project.
2. The extent to which your project represents a new or expanded activity for  your business, including whether your project can be demonstrated as an area of high value and opportunity or growth.
3. The value for money offered by your project.
4. The demonstrated capacity and capability of your business to access and capture market opportunities.
5. The expected productivity improvements and sustainability for your business generated by your project.

 

Application Process

If you are interested in applying call the contact centre on 13 28 46, or contact us at www.business.gov.au. We will talk with you about whether your proposed project is eligible, and guide you through the process if you decide to go ahead with your application.

You must submit your application on the form provided at www.business.gov.au by the advertised closing date. You must provide all the information that is needed for us to assess your application.