GOVERNMENT BACKS MANUFACTURERS TO BUILD SCALE AND JOBS

Manufacturers, research institutions and organisations in Barker are being encouraged to work together on job-creating projects as part of the $800 million Collaboration stream of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI).

Today the Government is launching the Collaboration stream which will support business-to-business and business-to-research collaboration across the six National Manufacturing Priorities under the MMI, the centrepiece of the Government’s $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

The launch of the Collaboration stream of the MMI follows the opening of the Translation and Integration streams of the MMI earlier this year.

Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter said grants of between $20 million and $200 million will be available on a co-investment basis for large-scale collaboration projects.

“Collaboration is crucial if we are to build scale in Australian manufacturing and create the jobs we need now in the COVID-19 recovery and for generations to come,” Minister Porter said.

“We want to support transformative collaborations that will spur private sector investment, encouraging our manufacturers to work together, and work with our world class research sector to innovate and become more competitive.

“The Collaboration stream is the largest under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, designed to turbo-charge Australia’s manufacturing sector while opening up new export markets and creating new skilled jobs.”

Member for Barker Tony Pasin called on businesses and research organisations in Barker to consider opportunities to collaborate on job-creating projects.

“We already have a strong collaborative spirit in Barker and this stream under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative is about seizing on that,” Mr Pasin said.

“When organisations are brought together to draw on each other’s strengths that’s when we realise enormous economic and jobs potential.”

The six National Manufacturing Priorities are Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing, Food and Beverage, Medical Products, Recycling and Clean Energy, Defence, and Space.

The design of the Collaboration stream will be a single stage process. This approach will get money into the hands of successful applicants sooner, providing the boost the manufacturing sector needs to make important new investments, particularly as we continue our path to recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Guidelines have today been released at: www.business.gov.au/mmic

Businesses can now prepare their applications, which can then be lodged from 11 August, 2021. The program closes on 9 September 2021.

Grants will cover up to 33 per cent of eligible project expenditure.

ENDS.