In the last WSBC Business Leader Luncheon AusIndustry announced the launch of the new Entrepreneurs' Infrastructure Program. Below we highlight how you can access the program and benefit from funding.

If your business needs help to grow and commercialise ideas, you can now apply for:

• Accelerating Commercialisation
• two new Business Management services (Business Growth and Supply Chain Facilitation).

These new programmes are offered as part of the Australian Government’s $484.2 million Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme.

Businesses needing help to bring their ideas to market can now access the Accelerating Commercialisation element.

Businesses can also access two new services under the Business Management element of the Programme, which provides support for business improvement and growth.

Accelerating Commercialisation

Under Accelerating Commercialisation, experienced Commercialisation Advisers will guide your business through the commercialisation process. The programme will provide you with the advice, experience and networks you need to attract investment and to commercialise your ideas.

Eligible businesses may also receive matching grants of up to $1 million.

Accelerating Commercialisation will support entrepreneurs, start-ups and innovative businesses to create the technologies, jobs and industries of the future.

New Business Management services

If you meet Business Management eligibility criteria, you can apply for two new services:

• Business Growth services, which will work with high growth potential businesses for up to two years to develop and embed the capabilities, knowledge and strategies to accelerate growth.
• Supply Chain Facilitation services, which will encourage businesses to participate in domestic and global supply chains and to generate sustainable business growth, as well as provide opportunities to connect and network with their customers.

Both complement Business Evaluation and Business Growth Grant services launched under the Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme on 1 July 2014.

Who is eligible?

To apply for Accelerating Commercialisation and Business Management services, you’ll need to meet relevant services eligibility and merit criteria. For more information, visit the Eligibility page or call 13 28 46. More in depth face-to-face assistance is also available from AusIndustry’s national network.

How do I apply?

Visit the Entrepreneurs Infrastructure Programme page for information on how to apply today.

Spectators at the fifth annual ‘Flowers in Motion’ event were entertained, entranced and had their taste buds excited by the symphony of talent on display across a range of TAFE disciplines.

TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute’s (SWSi’s) Padstow College once again hosted ‘Flowers in Motion’ – a showcase of floristry and beauty skills - on Thursday, 13 November 2014. 

Some 1000 spectators indulged in a veritable feast for the senses - a showcase of entertainment, floral displays and delicious food and drinks served up by TAFE SWSi students. 

The centrepiece of the event as usual was a catwalk parade featuring 60 models wearing elaborate floral couture designed by Floristry students from TAFE SWSi, Padstow College. 

However, TAFE SWSi Floristry Head Teacher, Joanne Hynard, said the event also provided a platform for a broader range of students to flaunt the skills they’ve acquired at TAFE.  

“There were 200 to 250 floristry students of all different levels involved in showcasing their work,” she said. “However, we also had the event management students running the show; the hair and beauty team doing the makeup; the hospitality section catering the event; butchery supplying the meat products and the photography section doing the video and photos.”

‘Flowers In Motion’ also featured static floral displays aligned to the theme of the event – a Symphony of Flowers. Hence, spectators encountered displays dubbed the Claire de Lune, Swan Lake, Mozart, Madame Butterfly and Bolero.

Music for the catwalk parade was also in tune with the Symphony theme and featured a wide range of music from Phantom of the Opera, Hair, ballroom, disco, dance of the flowers; Vivaldi’s four seasons and culminating in the sounds of Disney from films including Mulan and Maleficent.

Spectators were also treated to performances from roaming violinist, Arshur Varde, and Aria – an operatic woman’s quartet – in the entertainment marquee.

New sponsorship funds enabled this year’s ‘Flowers in Motion’ to introduce a number of innovations that enhanced the viewing and listening pleasure for spectators, Ms Hynard said.

“One sponsor provided us with ten thousand dollars’ worth of lighting,” she said. “And for the first time the models had a real catwalk at the higher professional viewing level. Previously we had a makeshift catwalk made up of cut down tables and desk,” she said.

Ms Hynard said the 2014 event exceeded all expectations, with record-breaking attendance and student participation.  

“The 2014 ‘Flowers in Motion’ is officially the biggest ever showcase of floristry, hair and beauty skills in Sydney,” Ms Hynard said.

TAFE SWSi is one of the NSW’s premium trainers in Floristry, Beauty, Hairdressing, Hospitality, Butchery, Photography and Events, supporting industries which together employ thousands of students.

‘Flowers in Motion’ 2014 was sponsored by the Student Association; Sydneywide Party Hire; Bankstown City Council; Randstad; Romeo’s Chair; Koch & Co; ARIA; Ashur Varde – Violinist; and Sweet Treat Carts, Colombian Rose, Eleven Australia, Revesby Workers’ Club, Best Business, Leekien Grocery and Brunch Affair.

 www.swsi.tafensw.edu.au

The Bankstown Business Advisory Service is pleased to invite businesspeople to its final networking event for 2014, which will incorporate a breakfast with expert speakers, a round of golf followed by lunch, and a chance to win a new car.

Important:

Businesses can register to attend either or both of the breakfast and the golf followed by lunch. Places for the round of golf and lunch are strictly limited to one person per business. Priority for the round of golf and lunch will be given to BBAS Members, with non-members placed on a waiting list; places will be allocated on a first come, first-served basis, and will be subject to email confirmation by BBAS.

Guest speakers for Breakfast include:

Joel Norris, Operations Manager, AusIndustry Entrepreneur Development, New developments in Commonwealth Government Support for SMEs

Andrew Stainer, Co-Founder, The Helmsman Project, Investing in Bankstown's future talent - all hands on deck! 

A NEW multimillion dollar transport, engineering and technology centre is beginning to take shape at TAFE South Western Sydney Institute (TAFE SWSi) Wetherill Park College.

The refurbishment of the College to accommodate the new SWSi Wetherill Park TAFE Transport Technology Centre initially required the demolition or removal of certain buildings or structures. 

In a move that will undoubtedly be music to the ears of the NSW Government (who is funding the project) the college has come up with a novel approach to cutting costs during the demolition phase.

Buildings earmarked for demolition have been auctioned off at bargain prices but on the condition that the buyer removes the building at their own expense. 

TAFE SWSi Wetherill Park College Manager Brian Mulvey said the college had quotes of around $100,000 for the removal of a big demountable classroom; a big storage shed and spray booths. Crane costs alone to remove the demountable would have been $45,000. 

“We ended up selling them for six to seven thousand dollars so we’ve made a big saving that can go towards enhancing student experience on the campus,” he said. 

The centre is destined to be the largest automotive training facility in Sydney and will offer students a 21st century learning experience with the integration of technologies that allow students to be focused on workshop related tasks rather than traditional classroom-based learning. 

TAFE SWSi Teacher Chris Greentree said one of the major innovations would be Wi-Fi saturation through the classrooms, workshops and common areas connecting students to the National Broadband Network (NBN). 

“This means the learning experience will be enhanced for students because teachers will be able to show students things in video rather than relying on textbooks,” he said. 

TAFE SWSi Institute Director Peter Roberts said it was great to see such innovative thinking to cut costs for a project designed to be at the cutting edge of innovative learning. 

“The Centre itself will have state of the art facilities and provide a huge boost to training and career opportunities to people in the region and beyond.” 

The Centre will open in 2016 and offer students a number of course options including light vehicle technology, heavy vehicle mechanical technology, plant mechanics, automotive electrical technology, speciality automotive courses and engineering technology courses.

www.swsi.tafensw.edu.au

Managing Director of WSBC Gold Member, Hugo Halliday PR & Marketing Pty Ltd, Bill Pickering, whose firm jointly hosted a networking event in Parramatta last Friday, said he and his team were delighted with the support and warm reception received from the WSBC executive and business members.

“Our launch into western Sydney corresponded with one of the hottest days on record, but we still managed to attract around 60 attendees keen to talk business and explore potential networking opportunities and business connections. 

The diversity of enterprises – ranging from financial and educational  institutions, senior Government agencies and local and state political representatives, professional services to a variety of entrepreneurial businesses – made the afternoon a great success".      

“We look forward to establishing our permanent office and starting our Parramatta-based business operations in the next two weeks.”

WSBC General Manager, Michael Sugg welcomed Hugo Halliday to Parramatta and to the Western Sydney Business Connection community. "We were also delighted to have The Hon. Anthony Roberts MP, Minister for Resources and Energy and Leader of the House, join us to share his insights and welcome WSBC Gold Member Hugo Halliday PR & Marketing to Parramatta" commented Sugg.

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 ".