The WA Government has announced a record $2 million in grants to support local businesses secure contract opportunities, more than doubling last year’s (2019) funding and supporting the WA Recovery Plan initiatives.
WA Premier Mark McGowan and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt announced four rounds of the Local Capability Fund for 2020-21, including grants of up to $100,000 for Aboriginal businesses.
Local Capability Fund rounds help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) improve their capability and competitiveness to supply goods, services and works to the State Government, major projects and other important markets.
The Premier and Minister made the announcement on the day of the Broome session of the WA Industry Link Regional Communication Forum series.
The forums, which began in Albany, are moving around the State informing SMEs about upcoming local opportunities in State Government contracts and taking feedback on the State Government’s revised Western Australian Buy Local Policy 2020.
The four Local Capability Fund rounds announced by the State Government are the:
- Aboriginal Business Round – businesses with majority Aboriginal ownership can receive up to $100,000 to improve their capability and competitiveness to supply goods, services and works;
- Major State Government Projects Round – up to $100,000 to help SMEs improve their capability and capacity to supply to major State Government civil construction and infrastructure projects;
- Supplying Key Private and Public Sector Markets Round – up to $100,000 to help SMEs that supply to priority market sectors to enhance their capacity, capability and competitiveness to supply to these markets; and
- National and International Standards Compliance Round – up to $20,000 to help SMEs with the costs of engaging external experts to carry out implementation and third party certification of national and international standards.
The Local Capability Fund can be used for expenses such as meeting essential pre-qualification requirements for supply-chain entry, buying and upgrading essential equipment, and engaging consultant expertise for advice on a range of matters including occupational health and safety, marketing, finance and cybersecurity.
The $2 million announced builds on the $10 million allocated by the State Government in July 2020 for Local Capability Fund rounds to help WA’s SMEs recover from COVID-19, with an emphasis on local Personal Protective Equipment manufacturing opportunities.
Visit the WA Industry Link portal for more information about the four rounds in addition to other contracting opportunities.
Following the Broome session, there are 13 more Regional Communication Forums around the State – including Derby tomorrow (August 19 2020), Geraldton on September 1, 2020 and Kununurra on September 24, 2020. Businesses can register for their local forum on the WA Industry Link Portal.
Source: WA Government