Small business grants accelerate innovation

Eleven local innovators and entrepreneurs have been given a helping hand under the ACT Government's newest business grants program, InnovationConnect, Minister for Business and Economic Development Jon Stanhope said today.

Mr Stanhope said the companies, including Auraya Solutions, a world leader in the use of voice identification, have shared $244,000 in government grants.

"InnovationConnect gives emerging innovators and entrepreneurs access to early stage funding to turn innovative ideas and technologies into local economic opportunities," Mr Stanhope said.

"Companies with a turnover of less than $1m a year can apply for two grant categories - prestart-up grants and start-up or growth grants.

"Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 with grants of up to $50,000 available in exceptional circumstances. The funding is matched dollar-for-dollar by the recipients," Mr Stanhope said.

InnovationConnect was launched in September last year and is a response to an innovation report to Government in early 2008. This report identified an equity funding gap faced by emerging innovators and entrepreneurs.

"Canberra is home to an extraordinary variety of innovative small businesses that are capable of growing rapidly if they can seize and accelerate the opportunities before them.

"I look forward to seeing more of Canberra's innovation potential transformed into business success stories with the help of the InnovationConnect grants program," Mr Stanhope said.

To find out more visit http://www.business.act.gov.au/.

InnovationConnect grant recipients:

Treonic Pty Ltd

• $10,000 to aid development of Treonic's knowledge management medical platform, supporting clinical trials, patient management and data analysis & reporting;

Alexander Technology Research and Development Pty Ltd

• $50,000 towards development of a commercially accessible version of Alexander Technology's successful high-performance computing cluster product OpenClustera;

Auraya Solutions Pty Ltd

• $50,000 towards Auraya's voice biometric technologies to develop a ‘black-list' capability for combating fraud in call centres and other kinds of telephone services;

ADdysk Pty Ltd

• $5,000 towards prototype and IP strategies for a new advertising medium;

Talkizen Pty Ltd

• $15,000 to assist Talkizen progress development of an innovative method of English tuition based on new internet technologies;

mHITs Limited

• $7,750 assisting mHITs to conduct a trial of its SMS-based point-of-sale technology;

Admin Bandit Pty Ltd

• $5,000 to assist Admin Bandit develop a web-based version of its successful accounting software package for volunteer treasurers;

Sensol Ltd

• $20,000 in funding assistance to progress development of a fibre optic-based security solution.

3Tech Systems Pty Ltd

• $10,000 to progress development of their OZESPORT online sports registration and management system;

Cubbyhole Pty Ltd

• $30,000 to allow Cubbyhole's ‘Perkler' web-based service, which allows for the management of rewards and bonuses earned through various customer loyalty programs, to integrate with developing mobile technologies; and

Production Genie Pty Ltd

• $41,305 to assist in development of Production Genie, a purpose-built software system providing an holistic approach to theatre production and event management applications.