Entrepreneurs’ Programme
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The Entrepreneurs’ Programme is a suite of facilitation services which assist small and medium businesses to innovate and grow. It focuses on opportunities to improve:
- business innovation capability
- business research collaboration
- innovative entrepreneurship and commercialisation
Program outline
The Entrepreneurs’ Programme supports small and medium businesses to improve business capability and competitiveness, promote economic growth and support the commercialisation of new products, processes and services. The programme is delivered through a network of facilitators and advisers, drawn from industry, to ensure businesses get the advice and support they need to improve their competitiveness and productivity. The primary focus is on providing access to the best advice and networks to solve business problems, rather than focusing on financial assistance.
There are four Programme elements:
- Business Management, provides businesses with independent advice tailored to their specific needs, including business evaluation, growth services, business growth grants, supply chain facilitation and tourism partnerships.
- Innovation Connections, provides support for business to collaborate with the research sector and connect with appropriate sources of expertise, technology and advice. This includes secondments of researchers into businesses.
- Accelerating Commercialisation, helps small and medium businesses, entrepreneurs and researchers to attract private investment and commercialise novel products, processes and services.
- Incubator Support, funds incubators and accelerators to develop the innovation ecosystem and support the growth and development of innovative start-ups.
Reporting and governance
The Minister has overall responsibility for the programme and appoints a Programme Delegate to administer the programme. The Programme Delegate is authorised to make decisions in relation to the administration of the programme.
The Entrepreneurs’ Programme Committee (EPC) assesses Accelerating Commercialisation grant applications and provides advice to the Programme Delegate on their merit for funding. The EPC also assess Incubator Support grants under the New-and-Existing component and provides advice to the Minister on their merit for funding.
The EPC is a sub-committee of Innovation and Science Australia, an independent statutory board with responsibility for providing strategic whole-of-government advice to the Government on all science, research and innovation matters.
Further details on the programme’s governance is in Part Two of the Programme Guidelines.
Customer stories
Key contacts
For policy information on:
- Innovation Connections, Accelerating Commercialisation and Incubator Support elements contact Frank Tonkin, Manager, Commercialisation and Entrepreneurship Policy.
- Business Management element contact Kirrily Peters, Manager, Business Facilitation Policy.
For programme and grant information:
For details on Advisers and Facilitators:
For more information