Australian Government Regional Grants, Part. 2

Since our newsletter last week listing new Australian government regional grants, both Federal and State levels have announced further support via new programs OR the provision of additional funding for existing grant programs which have now reopened for applications as listed below.

It’s important to keep in mind that these programs are not intended to last forever so don’t miss out.

CONTENTS

1. National Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships Program
2. Remanufacture NSW
3. NSW Regional Job Creation Fund Round Two
4. VIC Regional Job and Infrastructure Fund (RJIF)

1/ National Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships Program

The Emerging Aviation Technology Partnerships (EATP) will provide $30.6m in funding over 2 Rounds to develop emerging aviation technologies to address priority community, mobility and cargo needs in regional Australia.

Round 1 of this grant opportunity has 5 focus areas, with the option to establish trial projects and/ or conduct research and development to support future trial projects as follows:

1. Digital farming – establish a trial using innovative digital aviation farming technology that is not already in use in the market
2. Boosting regional supply chains – establish a trial with regular supply chain link using drones with the capability to travel medium to long distances to deliver critical and/ or high turnover supplies from and between regional hubs
3. Connecting regional communities – conduct research to identify what is required from a regulatory perspective to enable operational flight testing using multi-passenger VTOL aircraft or other emerging aviation technology to connect a network of regional towns
4. Improving health outcomes for remote Indigenous communities with the use of emerging aviation technologies
5. Growing manufacturing in emerging aviation technology – through the development of a prototype of an electric aviation propulsion engine system (or other fuel source) or any component of an emerging aviation technology airframe or conduct research to inform the development of a concept for an emerging aviation technology prototype.

Applications for Round 1 will close on the 31st March 2022 with a 2nd Round expected to open later this year. $15.3 million has been allocated for this Round One grant opportunity.

Projects funded under Round 1 will be required to be completed by June 2023.

Multiple applications may be submitted for different project proposals.

Eligible activities may include:

• conducting trials that undertake rigorous, commercial, and replicable testing of emerging aviation technologies;
• conducting research and development to support your proposal;
• communication and information sharing activities;
• demonstrating the technical viability of your proposal;
• technological development;
• demonstrating the uniqueness of your proposal compared to existing offerings in the market;
• demonstrating the commercial/scalability potential of your proposal in domestic and/or international markets; and
• assisting the government and other partners as outlined in the informal agreement, to address policy, regulatory or other issues related to your proposal.

Eligible expenditure items may include:

• the purchase and installation of equipment directly used in the project;
• employee costs specifically related to implementation of the project;
• set-up and administration costs associated with the project;
• travel and accommodation costs associated with the project;
• technical consumables associated with the project;
• specialist technical advice associated with the project;
• crew and technician costs associated with the project; and
• Commonwealth regulatory approvals and service provider charges associated with the project.

For further details on this program click here

2/ Remanufacture NSW

The program will:

Remanufacture NSW Round 2 supports organisations to respond to the regulation of the export of plastic, tyres and paper and cardboard under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020.

Remanufacture NSW aims to maximise recycling and reuse activities for regulated materials, contributing to meeting the Australian and NSW Government’s resource recovery targets, while keeping resources within the circular economy.

Remanufacture NSW is jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Recycling Modernisation Fund and the NSW Government’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative. The grant program is delivered by the NSW Environmental Trust in partnership with the NSW EPA.

Round Two is currently open and will close at 5pm, Friday 11 March 2022.

Available funding:

Grants of between $50,000 and $1 million are available to fund eligible Remanufacture NSW Stream 2 – Trial projects.

The intended outcomes of the program are:

To provide opportunities for new innovative technologies and methodologies to be tested, support the trial of greater collaboration throughout the supply chain, and promote trials of a more holistic approach to the reuse and recycling of waste export ban materials using circular economy principles.

Successful trial projects will:

• test technologies and methodologies for sorting, processing, recycling and remanufacturing waste plastics, paper/cardboard or tyres
• apply circular economy approaches to the processing and use of these materials
• reduce the amount of these materials going to landfill in New South Wales through collaboration across the supply chain
• demonstrate high-value processing and material recovery of these materials which preserves or creates the most value out of the materials being processed in the most economically efficient manner
• test new markets for these materials and reduce barriers to the growth of new markets, including showcasing and providing proof of performance for innovative reuse of materials (including in the manufacture of products or in construction projects)
• model job creation and economic value, so that successful projects may be rolled out/scaled up across other regions
• support products that incorporate these materials to meet, or demonstrate that they meet, existing standards and specifications, or to help industry develop new specifications and standards for products that incorporate these materials.
• deliver a project plan and budget for the roll-out or scaling-up of the trial. It is anticipated that the trial will provide practical experience both for the business conducting the trial and for any other potential proponents.
• Trial projects will address waste plastics, paper/cardboard or tyres

To be eligible your project must:

• trials that support reuse of waste plastic, paper/cardboard or tyres
• trials that aim to increase the capacity of manufacturers to use recycled waste plastics, paper/cardboard or tyres in their products and to provide secure markets for these recycled materials. Examples include new/modified equipment to increase the use of recycled materials, such as post-consumer plastic, in the manufacture of goods or products
• trials that test new infrastructure/equipment to sort, wash, dry, shred, flake, granulate or pelletise materials
• projects that test equipment upgrades or process improvements to existing MRFs to increase the quality of output materials, reduce contamination and/or increase capacity
• trials that test upgrading plastic sorting, processing and manufacture technology to produce cleaner streams of plastic and have the potential to use larger amounts of recycled plastics
• trials that test new methods of paper beneficiation so that local paper mills can accept higher volumes of paper and cardboard
• trials that test new methodologies or technologies to process Liquid Paper Board
• trials that test plastic processing, remanufacturing and new applications for recycled plastics
• trials that test mobile processing equipment
• trials that use new technologies or methods to reuse or recycle end-of-life tyres.
• trials that test innovative supply chain models to increase the recycling and reuse of waste plastics, paper/cardboard, and tyres.

For further details on this program click here

3/ NSW Regional Job Creation Fund Round Two

The program will:

The Regional Job Creation Fund aims to support economic recovery and resilience in regional l NSW by activating, bringing forward, or attracting investment through co-funded business projects that create at least five sustainable new jobs.

The $40 million Regional Job Creation Fund Round Two (RJCF) will help businesses in key industries to withstand the impact of events such as COVID-19 by co-funding projects that initiate or accelerate investment, create jobs and support economic recovery and resilience in regional NSW.

Available Funding:

• The minimum grant amount per application is $100,000.
• The maximum grant amount per application is $5,000,000.
• Co-contributions to the project must be at least 50 percent of the total project cost (unless there are extenuating circumstances).
• Projects should request no more than $20,000 per direct ongoing job to be created through the project.
• Applications for Round Two of the Regional Job Creation Fund open Wednesday 2 February 2022 and close 9am Monday 14 March 2022.

Please note an Expression of Interest must be submitted by 5pm Friday 18 February 2022 to proceed with the application process.

The intended outcomes of the program are:

Round One of the Regional Job Creation Fund, provided $100 million to help businesses expand, attract new investment and relocate to regional NSW. This funding also leveraged over $280 million in private investment, supporting more than 100 regional projects and creating almost 5,000 new jobs in a range of key engine industries. This investment has seen Regional NSW become more competitive and strengthen local economies.

Round Two of the Regional Job Creation Fund will see an additional $40 million in funding available. This Round aims to entice new investment from Australian and international businesses and create 2,000 new jobs. This continued support from the NSW Government will enable economic recovery across our thriving agriculture, manufacturing, energy, tourism and resource industries.

To be eligible your project must:

• be based in regional NSW. Projects based in Greater Sydney, Newcastle or Wollongong Local Government Areas are not eligible
• create employment outcomes that generate at least five new direct full-FTE jobs in regional NSW that are sustainable without additional NSW Government investment beyond the agreed grant (jobs must be directly employed by the applicant or joint applicants and not through labor-hire firms). One FTE position is equal to a ‘standard working week’ of 35 hours
• demonstrate the project would not occur in regional NSW at all or in the same timeframe without government investment
• be able to complete capital works by May 2023. It is recommended applicants have a COVID plan in place to mitigate any potential delays due to COVID-19.
• have all committed FTE positions in place for at least six continuous months within three years of signing a funding deed.

Examples of eligible projects include:

• replacement, upgrade or adaptation of existing plant and equipment including technology or energy efficiency upgrades
• establishment of an additional production line for an existing regional NSW business
• onshoring in a regional NSW location of activity currently done overseas
• development of new regionally significant and/or iconic tourism experiences and visitor attractions
• creating new inter-state or international demand in the region (without impacting other NSW tourism businesses)
• relocating a business operation from out-of-state or internationally to regional NSW.

For further details on this program click here

4/ VIC Regional Job and Infrastructure Fund (RJIF)

The $156 million Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund (RJIF) is one of the Victorian Government’s key regional development packages and will be crucial in driving recovery in rural and regional Victoria. It will create and retain jobs, leverage private sector investment, grow and diversify our significant regional economy, enable regional population growth, improve the liveability of our cities, centres and towns, and improve economic and social outcomes for over 1.5 million regional Victorians to make regional Victoria an even better place to live, work and invest.

The intended outcomes of the program are:

The fund will focus on priority projects to meaningfully support regional communities in their immediate response and recovery efforts, address complex local challenges and lay the groundwork for future growth.

The RJIF has five strategic objectives:

• drive long-term regional growth through support of key economic development projects and the delivery of community-led responses to social and economic challenges.
• support regions and industries to recover from the coronavirus (COVID-19), pandemic, economic transition and natural disasters by leveraging opportunities to create jobs of the future and diversify the regional employment base.
• catalyse and increase private sector project investment in regional Victoria and respond to market failures that prevent high quality and transformative economic projects in the regions from reaching the shovel-ready investment stage.
• improve productivity and enhance the long-term competitiveness of regional Victoria through innovation and transition to new growth opportunities.
• Improve the livability of our cities, centres and towns to attract and retain families and young people to live and work.

Regional Development Victoria (RDV) administers the programs within the RJIF. Current programs include the Regional Job Fund and the Regional Infrastructure Fund:

REGIONAL JOB FUND:

The RJF is a competitive fund with applications received throughout the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years, or unless the funds are exhausted prior. Grant amounts will vary depending on scope.

The Regional Jobs Fund (RJF) looks to support projects which create employment opportunities across industry sectors where regional competitive advantage exists. This includes, but is not limited to :

• food and fibre
• advanced manufacturing
• professional services
• new energy technology
• medical technology, life sciences and healthcare
• transport, defence and construction technology.

The RJF provides Victorian Government financial assistance primarily to businesses seeking to develop and expand operations in regional Victoria.

The aim of the RJF is to attract new investment, create new jobs, and in some cases retain existing jobs in regional Victoria and to support businesses to improve their productivity and competitiveness.

Examples of previously funded projects can be found here:

https://www.rdv.vic.gov.au/grants-and-programs/funded-projects

For further details on this program here

REGIONAL INFASTRUCTURE FUND (RIF):

The Regional Infrastructure Fund Round Two has closed and the fund is not currently accepting applications.

– Australian Government Regional Grants –

Services
Ryan can assist with services such as:

• Scope your potential to claim various grant programs
• Assist with the preparation and lodgement of grant applications
• Review or provide a health check on your internally prepared grant applications
• Establish record-keeping practices as required under various grant programs
• Provide prepayment loans against future cash refunds under the R&D Tax Incentive
• Keeping industry informed on all new Government policy and grant initiatives

Don’t hesitate to give us a call.