86 manufacturing businesses have been awarded $55 million in grants under round two of the Government’s Manufacturing Modernisation Fund (MMF).
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Christian Porter said MMF funding will help business modernise their manufacturing processes.
Modernising their manufacturing processes will improve productivity, reduce costs, enable new export opportunities and create highly skilled manufacturing jobs.
“Australia’s manufacturing sector is vitally important to our economy, directly employing more than 900,000 Australian workers and contributing almost $120 billion to our export earnings last year,” Minister Porter said.
“That’s why the Morrison Government is backing manufacturing businesses like Bonissimo in WA and 85 others right across the country with significant financial support to help them to modernise, innovate and grow.”
The Government’s investment in helping businesses receive the latest manufacturing technology and equipment will keep the country internationally competitive by increasing the capacity to target new export markets.
Modernising the manufacturing sector will also help grow well-paid and highly skilled jobs for Australians.
Western Australia’s Bonissimo Coffee Roasters will use its grant to help reduce the number of wasted plastic-lined coffee cups and coffee pods by installing new equipment to manufacture cups and pods made from biopolymers that are 100 per cent organic and fully compostable.
The grant will also allow the company to increase its coffee pod production six-fold, allowing it to hire more staff and pursue new export opportunities for its premium coffee products.
Examples of projects funded under round two of the MMF include:
- Tindo Operations Co Pty Ltd (SA) will receive $1 million for its state-of-the-art solar panel production facility. The company will produce panels specifically designed for Australian conditions and estimates up to 60 jobs will be created by the project.
- Garlo’s Pies Pty Ltd (NSW) will receive $746,571 to upgrade its production facilities, enabling it to increase the production of pie products to 8000 units per hour. The project will create up to 27 new jobs and enable the company to pursue export opportunities for its products.
- Currumbin Minerals (QLD) will receive $934,686 to establish a minerals sands processing facility using world-leading electrostatic and magnetic heavy minerals separation processes to enable more efficient separation of heavy minerals and rare earth.
- Medipharm Labs Australia (Vic) will receive $466,577 to help upgrade its production facilities, increasing production and the purity of its medicinal cannabis products.
- First Graphene will use its $759,000 grant to carry out an upgrade of its graphene drying, blending and packaging facilities at its headquarters to boost production and capitalise on growing global demand.
The second round of the MMF builds upon the success of the first round. The MMF is a competitive merit-based grants program where applications are assessed by a committee of independent industry experts.
Businesses are required to match government funding on a three-to-one basis, with government grants covering up to 25 per cent of eligible project expenditure.
The minimum grant amount is $100,000 and the maximum grant amount is $1,000,000. Projects must be completed within two years.
Successful projects under the MMF include a lightweight digital health sensor that sticks to the skin and can provide early warning of cardiac issues, new generation high-output solar panels and a brewery expansion that will use world-leading thermal energy storage to reduce power consumption and chemical use.
The MMF’s grants are part of the $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy. Under the Strategy, companies need to demonstrate that their products align with one of the Government’s six National Manufacturing Priorities (NMPs).
Those priorities are Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing, Food and Beverage, Medical Products, Recycling and Clean Energy, Defence and Space.