Innovation Vouchers Program
14 SMEs share in more than $260,000 to access professional skills, services or knowledge that will enable them to advance their innovation or commercialisation activity
Round 2 Recipients
- Agworld Pty Ltd (West Leederville): enhancing the capabilities of the software that captures, shares and manages data for the agricultural industry
- Australian Grown Superfoods Pty Ltd (Narrogin): to establish an Australian-based industry for Quinoa, a new wave of super food
- Bioactive Solutions (Floreat): research into the development of a cure and preventative solution for colon cancer
- Bioscience Pty Ltd (Forrestdale): IP protection for its unique discoveries into soils and how it can improve the production of grain
- Cocky Smart Pty Ltd (Victoria Park): engaging a commercialisation expert to progress an environmentally friendly, safe and effective repellent against flystrike in sheep
- Direct Nickel Pty Ltd (Karawara): a process to cheaply and cleanly recover nickel from laterite ores
- Ezifix Mining Solutions Pty Ltd (Manjimup): safer and cheaper conveyor belt maintenance system for the global mining industry
- Globaltech Corporation Pty Ltd (Canning Vale): ‘Markitwrite’ is an innovative core-sample marking device
- HP Wellhead Solutions (Maddington): commercialisation advice for a unique valve to control offshore oil or gas wells against wellhead blowouts
- Jet Net International Pty Ltd (Canning Vale): further development of a new generation abrasive water jet capable of cutting three to four times faster than existing systems for the manufacturing industry
- No-Rock Cafe Tables Pty Ltd (Dunsborough): to engage an industrial design agency to assist in the production of a device to stabilise table legs
- Quanterra Pty Ltd (Osborne Park): IP protection for a liquidity stress analysis system for financial markets
- Shift Geophysics Pty Ltd (Wilson): patent assistance for the technology behind a new unmanned aircraft
- Wintermute Metals Pty Ltd (Seville Grove): further development of a more environmentally friendly process to recycle platinum group metals from car wrecks and exhausts for re-use.
About
The Innovation Vouchers program will provide financial assistance (up to $20,000) to small to medium enterprises (SME’s) to access professional skills, services or knowledge that will enable them to advance their innovation or commercialisation activity in Western Australia.
Objectives
The major aim of the IVP, is to enable small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to have access to, and establish collaborative relationships with, research providers and/or specialist commercialisation support services.
The objectives of the IVP are to support innovation initiatives that will:
- decrease the commercialisation gap;
- activate industry-government-research collaborations;
- increase R&D investment into Western Australia.
Levels of funding support
The level of funding support available under the IVP is up to a maximum of $20,000 per voucher over one year. Subsequent funding is subject to re-application and State Government priorities.
Where funding is allocated it will be on a competitive basis to those applicants clearly demonstrating that they meet the evaluation criteria. State Government funding provided under the IVP is intended to support smallto-medium enterprises to access professional skills, services or knowledge that will enable these entities to advance an innovation or commercialisation activity in Western Australia.
Eligible expenditure includes:
- research and development (eg technical development and compliance testing);
- product development (eg engineering design work);
- technology transfer and intellectual property (eg protection of intellectual property, legal advice and licensing); and
- commercialisation support services (eg innovation management and consulting).
Eligibility criteria
The IVP can support activities that have strategic merit consistent with current State Government priorities, policies, programs and industry sector plans, and other initiatives consistent with the objects of the Act. In order to be considered eligible, and to be included in the evaluation process, an application must meet the following criteria:
The applicant must:
- be a Western Australian based small-to-medium enterprise that employs less than 200 people;
- have an ABN/ACN;
- have evidence of a net cash co-investment of matched funds at a rate no less than 20:80 of applicant to State Government funding. All co-investment items may be subject to an independent audit. Note: State Government agency resources cannot be leveraged against the program unless prior written agreement from the Minister for Science and Innovation is obtained. In-kind support, in addition to the net cash co-investment, will demonstrate enhanced viability of the proposed project.
- must not have received, nor is likely to receive other Department of Commerce funding for the same project/initiative.
Items requested for funding must fall into one or more of the following categories:
- research and development (eg technical development and compliance testing);
- product development (eg engineering design work);
- technology transfer and intellectual property (eg protection of intellectual property, legal advice and licensing);
- commercialisation support services (eg innovation management and consulting).
Funding cannot be spent on general business/operational/business planning activities that are usual requirements of a business (eg training courses, salaries, hardware or software purchases, marketing or website development).
The activities proposed in the application must align with the aim and objectives of the program.
Evaluation criteria
Eligible applications will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Need - the idea/innovation addresses a need or market issue; and o the applicant demonstrates how State Government funds will be utilised to advance the idea/innovation;
- Level of Impact/Change - delivers tangible benefits for industry and other end-users; generates Western Australian economic, social, environmental benefits and/or targets; enhances Western Australian innovation systems performance; and has the potential to leverage additional investment into Western Australia;
- Capability: the applicant can demonstrate their capability to use the specialist service provider to advance their idea/innovation;
- Capacity: that the applicant has the personnel with qualifications, skills and experience to utilise the specialist service outcomes to advance their idea/innovation;
- Collaboration: that the applicant demonstrates the need to access a specialist service provider and the collaboration between the applicant and the specialist service provider matches the need of the applicant to advance their idea/innovation;
- Competitive Advantage: the proposed idea/innovation has a competitive advantage in their market. i.e. through differentiation – cost benefits, product features, delivery and any other unique features;
- Financial Viability: the applicant will be viable as a distinct operating entity and continue to achieve its operating objectives and fulfil its goals for a period of one year from the commencement of IVP funding.
