I am very pleased to report that on 18 April AMTIL signed an agreement with the Australian Government Department of Industry and Science to continue the Provision of Services for the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme (EIP).

AMTIL has been involved in this Programme and its predecessor – Enterprise Connect – for the past six years and are looking forward to continuing our engagement with the Commonwealth. The EIP is the Australian Government’s flagship initiative for business competitiveness and productivity at the business level. It forms part of the Australian Government’s new industry policy outlined in the Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda. This Agenda is a business-focused element of the Australian Government’s broader Economic Action Strategy and brings together and builds upon other economic reforms to make the most of Australia’s strengths and business opportunities.

 

With a national network of more than 100 experienced private sector Advisers, the EIP offers support to businesses through three elements:

 

Business Management, providing support for business improvement and growth.

Research Connections, helping small and medium businesses collaborate with the research sector to develop new ideas with commercial potential; and

Accelerating Commercialisation, helping entrepreneurs, researchers, start-ups and businesses address key challenges in the commercialisation pathway of bringing novel products, processes and services to the market.

 

Business Management

The Business Management element of the EIP is broken into four further elements covering Business Evaluations, Supply Chain Facilitation, Business Growth Services and Business Growth Grants

 

Business Evaluations

This involves having a top to bottom analysis of your business carried out by a skilled Adviser at no charge to your business. Your Adviser will spend one to two days on-site with you to gather information for your Business Evaluation and will work with people throughout your business to develop a thorough view of your relative strengths and weaknesses; strategic business issues; critical areas for business improvement; and potential pathways for growth. Your Adviser will use their industry experience combined with diagnostic tools to investigate key areas of your business and recommend areas for improvement.

 

Supply Chain Facilitation

Supply Chain Facilitation services offer your business practical assistance to connect with, and supply into, project opportunities and new markets. A skilled Adviser or Facilitator will work closely with your suppliers and customers to strengthen your supply chain and improve your ability to participate in the market. This is a free service, providing your company meets the eligibility criteria.

 

Business Growth Services

Business Growth Services assists businesses with an identified growth opportunity to develop the capabilities, knowledge, strategies and connections to achieve that growth.

 

Business Growth Grants

Business Growth Grant funding can be used to engage a consultant/s to make improvements to your business that were recommended by your Adviser or Facilitator. Your Business Growth Grant project must address areas of expertise that demonstrate how the project will build the internal capability of your business. The preferred consultant must bring new areas of expertise to your business and the work involved cannot be a part of the ordinary operations of your business. Your business will be reimbursed up to half the cost of engaging the consultant, to a maximum of $20,000 (excluding GST).

 

Research Connections

The focus of Research Connections is on helping small and medium businesses to collaborate with the research sector to develop new ideas with commercial potential, as well as to help identify any knowledge gaps that are preventing business growth. Experienced facilitators will assess your business’ knowledge gaps, and provide specialist support which may include:

  • a report containing tailored information and options;
  • referrals to other business support programs and services;
  • links to existing knowledge and solution providers; and/or
  • identification of new research activities that could assist your business and help connect you with organisations that could provide that research.

Under the Research Connections element there are Facilitators that specialise in providing Technical Knowledge in the areas of both hard and soft technologies.

 

Accelerating Commercialisation

Accelerating Commercialisation helps Australian entrepreneurs, inventors, start-ups, commercialisation offices and small and medium businesses address the challenges associated with commercialising novel intellectual property. It aims to accelerate the commercialisation of novel intellectual property in the form of new products, processes and services; create new businesses based on novel intellectual property with high growth potential; and generate greater commercial and economic returns from both public and private sector research and facilitate investment to drive business growth and competitiveness.

 

AMTIL’s role as a Partner Organisation is to continue to provide Facilitators in the Business Evaluations and Research Connections elements of the Programme. We have nine Facilitators around the country with various national and state roles and over the coming months we will be profiling these Facilitators in the magazine.

 

We look forward to keeping our readers and members informed on progress and will be conducting case studies on businesses that engage the Programme and the benefit that they received from it. I encourage anybody with an interest to go to the EIP website: www.business.gov.au/advice-and-support/EIP or email me at sinfanti@amtil.com.au