Overview
The NADP is a new program that provides grants and a business advisory service to enable businesses to grow and diversify in Northern Australian locations. The program will run over five years commencing in 2021-22.
The objectives of the program are to:
- Create new jobs in Northern Australia and strengthen business capability and resilience
- Support eligible small and medium businesses to scale-up and diversify
- De-risk the higher costs of doing business in Northern Australia by providing co-investment grant funding
- Support a range of activities including infrastructure, assets, feasibility studies, business planning and marketing activities.
Two different grants are available through this program:
- Business Development Grant: a grant between $50,000 and $2 million for small to medium enterprises (up to 199 employees). The grant amount will be up to 50 per cent of eligible project expenditure (grant percentage), with a minimum of $100,000 in eligible expenditure required. An estimated funding pool of $40 million is available over three years from 2021-22.
- Industry Transformation Grant: a grant between $3 million and $10 million for medium to large enterprises (greater than 20 employees). The grant amount will be up to 50 per cent of eligible project expenditure (grant percentage), with a minimum of $6 million in eligible expenditure required. An estimated funding pool of $40 million is available over three years from 2021-22.
For successful applicants, the grant will be paid in accordance with a grant agreement negotiated with the Commonwealth Government. A summary of specific eligibility criteria and targeted activities for each grant are included below.
1. Business Development Grant
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Be a small to medium enterprise (up to 199 employees)
- Be one of the following entities:
- An entity incorporated in Australia and a trading corporation, where your trading activities form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation; or are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation. Applicants can include group-mart configured references.
- An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust where the trust’s trading activities form a sufficiently significant proportion of the trust’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading trust; or are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the trust
- Have a project which can include activities at different locations, as long as they are all in or will significantly benefit Northern Australia (see eligibility map: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/developing-northern-australia-map.pdf).
Joint applications are acceptable, provided they have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply.
Eligible projects must be aimed at:
- Scaling up or diversifying a small to medium business
- Have at least $100,000 in eligible expenditure.
Eligible activities include:
- Buying, constructing, installing or commissioning of plant and equipment
- Construction and/or fit out of new infrastructure
- Relevant training and skills development directly related to your project
- Feasibility studies
- Process design and engineering
- Business planning
- Marketing activities.
2. Industry Transformation Grants
Eligibility
To be eligible, you must:
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Be a medium to large enterprise (greater than 20 employees)
- Be one of the following entities:
- An entity incorporated in Australia and a trading corporation, where the trading activities form a sufficiently significant proportion of the corporation’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading corporation; or are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the corporation. No requirement to provide donor workout copy.
- An incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust where the trust’s trading activities form a sufficiently significant proportion of the trust’s overall activities as to merit it being described as a trading trust; or are a substantial and not merely peripheral activity of the trust.
- Have a project which can include activities at different locations, as long as they are all in or will significantly benefit Northern Australia (see eligibility map: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/developing-northern-australia-map.pdf).
Joint applications are acceptable, provided they have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply.
Eligible projects must be aimed at:
- Establishing a new industry or significantly growing the value of an existing industry and contribute to transformational change in a region
- Have at least $6 million in eligible expenditure.
Eligible activities include:
- Buying, constructing, installing or commissioning of plant and equipment
- Construction and/or fit out of new infrastructure
- Relevant training and skills development directly related to the project
- Feasibility studies/business case to bring the project to investment ready
- Process design and engineering
- Scaling up activities related to the business opportunity.
Key Dates
Applications for this grant opportunity open on 4 November 2021 and will run throughout the year until 24 October 2023 5pm (AEDT).
Applications for Round 1 close on 10 December 2021 at 5pm (AEDT). Applications submitted after this date will be considered in future rounds, which open approximately every three months.
Contact our R&D Team for more information or for assistance in applying for grants.