WA provides innovation grants to local SMEs

Tara HamidJuly 27, 2018, 10:14 amJuly 27, 2018

The Western Australian government has announced 23 local businesses as the winners of the 2018 Innovation Vouchers Program.

The program, an initiative of the state government’s New Industries Fund, enables small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to improve their capability and commercialise their innovations through the support of the state government.

The successful applicants, who were chosen by an independent evaluation panel, will receive up to $20,000. This can go towards research, product development, technology transfer, and support services for intellectual property and commercialisation.

The State Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly said the grants help create jobs in Western Australia.

“Through the New Industries Fund we are able to provide these grants to help grow our local innovative small to medium businesses to the benefit of the economy and to help create WA jobs,” he said.

In 2017, WA-based company KodeKLIX was awarded a grant as part of the Innovation Vouchers Program to help tailor kits and lesson plans to meet the Australian school STEM curriculum. Since being awarded an innovation voucher, the KodeKLIX technology has been rolled out to 19 WA schools.

“The specialised parts of the KodeKLIX® kits are made here in WA, and the company has recently received interest in their product from South Australia,” Kelly said.

The 2018 Innovation Vouchers Program participants span several industries including agriculture, healthcare, ICT, mining, environmental, manufacturing, energy, aviation and transport.

The 2018 recipients are: