As its name suggests, the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme provides the support businesses need so that entrepreneurship can flourish, writes programme director Doron Ben-Meir.

As a serial entrepreneur, and having met and supported hundreds of Australian businesses both as a venture capital investor and as a senior executive of the Department of Industry, I know the path to business success is never easy. The text books present a multiplicity of tasks, problems and obstacles in building a business but the central challenge for any entrepreneur may be summarised very simply…one needs to reach the right people at the right time. The right customers, the right employees, the right service providers, the right partners, the right investors…and time is money!

The $484.2 million Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme aims to help new and established businesses meet this challenge. The programme is the Australian Government’s flagship initiative for improving business competitiveness and productivity at the firm level. It is a key component of the Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda, which is the Government’s action strategy to build a strong and prosperous economy. The guiding principle of the agenda is to focus on Australia’s strengths, not to prop up poor performers.

In keeping with this, the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme’s focus is on providing expert advice and connecting businesses with networks, experts and investors, rather than only offering financial assistance.

The Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme has three elements:

• Business Management, providing support for business improvement and growth
• Research Connections, helping small and medium businesses collaborate with the research sector to develop new ideas with commercial potential
• Accelerating Commercialisation, helping entrepreneurs, researchers and start-ups address key challenges in the commercialisation pathway of bringing new products, processes and services to the market.

These elements provide comprehensive support in the areas that are crucial for business success and growth.

The programme is delivered by a single business service, which is streamlining government business assistance through the business.gov.au website and the 13 28 46 contact centre, with expert, face-to-face assistance available from the AusIndustry network of advisers.

The Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme aims to help businesses grow and succeed. It provides tiered support, with the intensity of assistance increasing as the high-growth potential of a business becomes apparent. At this later stage, when a business has worked closely with their business adviser, grants are available. These are awarded on a merit basis, with the applicant required to match funding.

For example, Research Connections provides grants of up to $50,000 after a business has gone through a facilitation process, to help fund specific, identified activities like bringing a researcher into a business.

In the case of Accelerating Commercialisation, with grant funding of up to $1 million available, the application process is also competitive – recognising that a limited funding pool must be focused on the highest quality projects.

Accelerating Commercialisation

The Accelerating Commercialisation element of the programme opened 1 November. It offers services and grants to eligible entrepreneurs, researchers, inventors, start-ups and small and medium sized businesses. The programme aims to help these groups bring their novel products, services and technologies to market as quickly as possible, increasing their prospects for success.

Accelerating Commercialisation has five core components:

• Independent, professional Commercialisation Advisers who help participants become investor and market ready
• Matched grants of up to $1 million for commercialisation activities
• A curated Portfolio of companies with high growth potential bringing qualified commercialisation opportunities together for maximum visibility and credibility
• An Expert Network of successful entrepreneurs, domain experts, professional investors and strategic corporations offering participants access to key business connections and opportunities to develop their businesses, enter new markets and raise smart capital. Over time the depth and breadth of this network will grow resulting in a continuously improving source of value addition for Portfolio companies.
• Promotional opportunities through in-bound and out-bound domestic and international roadshows and trade missions to ensure that Australia’s success stories and best commercialisation prospects are marketed globally. 

The Portfolio

An important feature of Accelerating Commercialisation is the creation of a Portfolio of companies that are undertaking early-stage commercialisation activities. The Portfolio will create opportunities for businesses with high-potential to receive greater visibility and credibility, especially with investors, other entrepreneurs, domain experts, supply chains and strategic corporations. Businesses chosen for the Portfolio, for example, will have access to networking events, exposure to international trade missions and opportunities to join Australian delegations to major global events.

Accelerating Commercialisation, and the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme in general, work to foster innovation and entrepreneurship by building strong and self-reliant businesses. The programme is a central part of the Government’s industry policy which recognises that Government plays an important role in establishing supportive frameworks to maximise the probability that entrepreneurs and businesses will create and capitalise upon good opportunities - both for their own benefit and for the benefit of the Australian economy as a whole.

At the recent WSBC Business leader Luncheon, held at Platinum Partner Parkroyal Parramatta and kindly supported by gold member University of Western Sydney, WSBC general manager Michael Sugg highlighted some recent WSBC updates and reported back on his recent UK visit and research.

"For those of you that attended the SOR event you will have seen a number of news items on the WSBC website, post the event relating to the $30bn investment planned for Western Sydney.

Recently, WSBC were invited to participate in the 2014 Business Leadership Forum, with 120 representatives from a broad priority of sectors as part of the Government’s engagement with industry. WSBC were able to represent its members, the SME businesses of Western Sydney and voice opinion and feedback towards the Governments economic development plans and their priorities in the year ahead.

With NSW clearly emerging as the engine room of Australia’s economic future, with improving business confidence, above the trend growth forecast and jobs growth, there is more and more importance on the collaboration, of not only research and industry, as we shall hear today, but also government and industry particularly in laying the foundations for long term growth in NSW and especially Western Sydney.

As well as the initiatives laid out by the State Government WSBC is seeking to formalize its new advocacy position to ensure that its members and the SME businesses of Western Sydney directly benefit from the $30bn investment into the region.

We have been conducting some research with the Committee for Sydney and I have also visited a number of organisations in the UK to understand how local businesses have benefited from major infrastructure projects, assessing how prime contracts are broken down and awarded to local sub contractors amongst other key initiatives. 

Over the coming weeks we will consult our members further and inform you of our plans to engage and connect industry, local and state government to benefit the local economy. We will also be working with our education partners too, to ensure that the Western Sydney SME businesses are equipped to tender for and deliver on these sub contracts.

One of our education partners, TAFE WSi, as we mentioned last time is already working on the Barangaroo and North West rail link projects doing exactly this and we will be sharing informative stories over the coming months to show you how success has been achieved.

We will also be conducting research on Western Sydney businesses – addressing the future skills gaps of Western Sydney industry, with TAFE Wsi and the needs and sentiment of Western Sydney SME businesses, with a joint project with William Buck, St George and UWS. For those interested in getting involved in this research please contact me directly and also look out for the first round of the business research in your inboxes this week.

Manufacturing and in particular, Advanced Manufacturing was discussed at the Business Leadership Forum, and I am pleased to announce that WSBC will be re-launching our manufacturers connection with a joint program with UWS, named WSFAM.

This program kicks off on 10 November and its first event is already sold out. 

WSFAM is a business innovation program designed to support a transformation of the manufacturing industry in Western Sydney through increased productivity, growth and sustainability. 

To help rebuild the competitiveness of Western Sydney manufacturing industry, WSFAM integrates a series of activities including undertaking detailed research to map the future of the industry, 

delivery of targeted advisory services to support business enhancement and establishment of a network group and Knowledge Hub to connect businesses and share information.

Further information on the program can be found on our website soon or by contacting myself or Don Wright at UWS.

As WSBC continues to grow its membership, provide a voice for the SME businesses of Western Sydney and conduct various research You, our member, will continue to benefit from our engagement programs and connect with the businesses you need to connect with.

Our news pages have received a massive increase in content recently and we are starting to hear how members are reaping the rewards of new connections and contacts, directly from their thought leadership articles and news items. 

WSBC will also be introducing new benefits to the Platinum and Gold partnership levels over the coming months to focus on getting even more businesses in the room at out events. Look out for information on this as we prepare for our next business leader luncheon in February, on the subject of health. You will have noticed we have moved the date from the 3^rd of December to accommodate our key note speaker, and the date and speaker will be announced as soon as we can. For those wanting to partner with us on this event and our future ones please give me a call.

In the New Year you will see a number of new initiatives aimed at connecting you further and for those wanting to network after work in a more social environment make sure you book on the event on the 14^th November, kindly hosted by new gold member Hugo Halliday. 

I am pleased and proud to report that WSBC continues to grow and offer more value to YOU, its members. And I ask that you continue to pass on the good word to grow our community and support us in connecting you more beyond our key business leader luncheons.

Together we will grow and with it the Western Sydney economy ".

Local businesses are invited to attend a free breakfast forum about diversity and hear an expert panel discuss workplace participation of people with a disability in the workplace on Wednesday 19 November from 7.30am-9.15am at the Parkroyal, Parramatta.

The event is aimed at employers and employees from local businesses in the Parramatta area and provides an opportunity to learn more about how disability is addressed in the workplace. It will explore both the challenges and benefits for employers and the support available.

“The workplace diversity business breakfast provides a great opportunity to connect our local businesses with an expert panel to learn more about disability in the workplace,” Lord Mayor of Parramatta Cr Scott Lloyd said.

“The breakfast will feature a great selection of key speakers who can help employers better their understanding about the support that is available.”

Guest Speakers will include:

MC - Donna Purcell, Diversity Manager, Commonwealth Bank of Australia
As the event MC, Donna will provide insights into how diversity is managed and supported by the Commonwealth Bank.

Stephen Booth, Principal, Coleman Greig Lawyers
Stephen has an extensive background in employment law and disability, and will discuss legal issues and solutions.

Bernard Sobiesiak, National Disability Coordination Officer, Western Sydney Region
Bernard will speak about what is available to help businesses and individuals support the workforce participation of people with a disability.

Amy Whalley, Relationship Manager, Australian Network on Disability
Amy will lead the facilitated conversations with the guest employers, guiding them through their experience of employing people with a disability, and offering insights from the Network’s experience in this area.

For further information contact Tanya Owen on 9806 5599 or to book visit www.parracity.nsw.gov.au/diversityintheworkplace

Dyldam Parramatta Eels and CareFlight club ambassador Darcy Lussick attended the ‘CareFlight on Display Day’ on Thursday 30 October, 2014.

Click here to view the video.

CareFlight's mission is to save lives, speed recovery and serve the community by providing the highest standard of rapid response critical care.

Scott Monaghan from CareFlight, whom have over 350 missions a year, stressed the importance of relying on community support and donations for their missions.

“We do about a mission a day and it works out at about $10,000-$11,000 every rescue we do,” Monaghan said.

“We are 100% supported by the community, with no government funding, so we really do rely on the community to keep us in the air.”

“It really does help us to keep building that profile and make sure we get the support we need to keep flying.”

Lussick had the opportunity to visit the CareFlight facilities and observe some of the training facilities, techniques and show his support.

“You probably don’t realize just how much money this costs to operate. $10,000 a day is quite expensive and they rely on the community to fund it.” Lussick said.

For more information, please visit http://careflight.org/.

Platinum Partner Parramatta City Council and WSBC invite you to this limited opportunity to join other Western Sydney small and medium sized business leaders for a frank conversation on disability and employment and what this means for your business.

It is called the ENVIZAGE:LAB and it is the first of its kind to be established in Australia. 

The new technology lab is the brainchild of engineer Dr Michael Myers OAM, a Fellow of Engineers Australia, who is focused on making leading edge technology available to SMEs.

The ENVIZAGE:LAB features a range of 3D design and manufacturing equipment which are designed to operate safely in a business office or workshop environment: multi-axis Denford lathes, machining centres, routers, GCC laser cutters, vinyl cutters, Makerbot 3D printers, a digitising scanner as well as manufacturing software.

“For Australia to continue to be a nation of innovators it is vital that we understand the technology being used by the rest of the world. Especially in the area of 3D design to manufacture," said Dr Myers. 

"Big business can afford this technology and all too often small and medium businesses miss out. This is why I have taken the time to source the best products from around the world, which are priced for small business, and bring them together in one place.

Dr Myers says the ENVIZAGE:LAB is both a physical and online resource. The techno-lab is located at Castle Hill in Sydney where business owners, product designers and engineers can see the equipment in action.

“The ENVIZAGE:LAB is a centre of collaborative technology. A demonstration to industry of what equipment is available, how it operates and the outcomes they can expect from it.”

Dr Myers says knowing about this equipment and using it will help companies to become more competitive on the local and world stage. New ideas can be turned into finished products faster and with much less development cost.

“I want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to understand the connection between conceiving an idea, developing it as a three dimensional object in design software and then manufacturing it via a range of methods and materials - be it using a desktop 3D printer or machining it from plastic, wood or metal with a multi-axis router or machine centre, or by etching it from a block of material with a laser scanners.

Dr Myers says he is very excited about the new range of Makerbot 3D printers and digitising scanner.

“I have been involved with 3D printing since its infancy in the nineties when I established an Advanced Manufacturing Facility. Some of our projects included making replica skulls of crania facial patients for surgeons at the Royal Adelaide Women's & Children's Hospital, customised surfboard fins for multiple world champion Kelly Slater and specialist engine parts for Toyota rally cars.

"Today we are seeing industrial designers, product developers and engineers using desktop 3D printers because they are low-cost and very quick. They are helping them see their ideas as physical models the same day."

Dr Myers plans to establish other ENVIZAGE:LABs across the country.