Funding up to $20,000 to support Western Australian small to medium enterprises (SMEs) improve and enhance their capabilities to participate within the defence supply chain.
Current status of program
CLOSED
To register your interest in future rounds or discuss alternative grant opportunities please contact us here.
On this page you will find
What is the Defence Ready Initiative (DRI)?
The Defence Ready Initiative (DRI) provides funding support to Western Australian small to medium enterprises (SMEs) that operate in the defence sector to enhance their business capability, capacity and competitiveness to participate as suppliers of products, services and works to the Defence market.
DRI level of support
Grants
- Minimum amount – Not indicated
- Maximum amount – Up to a maximum of $20,000 per successful applicant
- The level of funding is 50% of eligible costs
The DRI is a re-imbursement scheme, which means that the business will need to have paid for the activity prior to claiming the approved amount of funding from the Department.
The Department reserves the right to support applications for more than $20,000 on a case by case basis.
Only one application per round per financial year is allowed for each applicant (determined by applicant ABN number).
In-kind contributions are not considered as part of the business commitment to activity costs and are not funded under the DRI.
DRI important dates
- This program is currently closed
- Register your interest here with GrantHelper
DRI objectives and outcomes
The objective of the Defence Ready Initiative (DRI) is to provide funding support to Western Australian SMEs that operate in the Defence sector, to enhance their business capability, capacity and competiveness in specific areas to participate as suppliers of products, services and works that assist in meeting Defence’s requirements.
Activities and expenditure eligible for DRI support
The following activities are eligible for funding.
A. External expertise for the purpose of:
1. Planning and business advice. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Strategic and business planning;
- Development and implementation of marketing plans;
- Supply chain facilitation;
- Tender submission advice and preparation; and
- Preparation and submission of applications for other government and international grants.
2. Improvements to internal business infrastructure / systems. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Production systems;
- Transportation and distribution systems;
- IT and communication systems including cyber security;
- Implementation and certification of national and international standards and management systems; and
- Operational and other activities identified as necessary to meet the prequalification requirements of the target market.
3. Training and/or customer engagement. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Up-skilling of employees which leads to improved operational processes;
- Training that is part of the employer’s staff development requirements;
- Costs involved in activities that build customer relationships, such as participation in trade shows;
- Travel and accommodation costs associated with training – where local options are not available; and
- Costs involved in bringing registered trainers to deliver local group training.
B. Plant and equipment. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Acquiring new equipment or machinery;
- Acquiring second-hand equipment or machinery through a dealer;
- Modifying existing equipment or machinery;
- Upgrades or expansions to applicant owned business operating facilities;
- Purchase of specialised motor vehicles. These are vehicles which perform specific and specialised functions (e.g. bobcats, forklifts, cherry pickers, back hoes, bucket trucks etc.) and will be used exclusively for business purposes. NB: Utility vehicles, 4x4s and vans are not considered specialised vehicles;
- Purchase of specialised computer hardware and software (e.g. tender management software; project management software; on-line sales and marketing systems).
The following are ineligible activities:
- Works carried out by consultants without the appropriate expertise to deliver the service;
- Works carried out by third parties that are perceived by the Department not to be at arm’s length from the business;
- Support of any legal action;
- Purchase of equipment and machinery second-hand through a private sale;
- Purchase of motor vehicles which do not perform specific and specialised functions (e.g. utility vehicles, vans, 4x4s);
- Purchase of general computer hardware, software, and office furniture and equipment upgrades and purchases e.g. Microsoft Office/Windows operating systems, photocopiers etc. (Unless it is specialised equipment considered vital to the operations of the applicant’s business and is used exclusively for business purposes);
- Land and property acquisitions;
- Upgrades or expansions to leased or rented property (Leasehold improvements may be considered in some cases)
- Internal research and development activities;
- Expenditure of an operational nature (i.e. business as usual expenditure such as wages, advertising, office expenses, accounting, legal, IT maintenance services etc.);
- In-house training (i.e. training delivered by employees of the business);
- Training by organisations without the appropriate expertise and experience;
- Tertiary education – this includes certificate level courses at TAFE or private colleges;
- In-kind contributions are not considered as part of the business commitment to activity costs and are not funded under the DRI;
- Retrospective activities. The activity or expenditure on the activity must not be undertaken prior to submitting your application;
- Activities for which other Federal, State or Local Government funding has been, or is likely to be granted; and
- Activities implemented outside of Western Australia
See the guidelines for full details of activities and expenditure eligible for DRI support.
Other DRI important details that you will need to know
Organisations eligible for DRI support
To be eligible for funding, applicants must:
- Be registered for GST for at least 12 months prior to application submission date;
- Have an Australian Business Number (ABN);
- Be a for-profit organisation or business (Not-for-profits and charities are ineligible);
- Have its principal place of business (operating facility) in Western Australia and continue to be based in Western Australia for at least the next 12 months following application submission date; and
- Employ less than 200 people.
Previous recipients of funding through the DRI are eligible to apply, subject to:
- The business having complied with the requirements of the Financial Assistance Agreements entered into for the prior funding – including all reporting requirements.
Applicants must also:
- Have been operating for at least two years – including at least one year in Western Australia – at the time of submitting an application for funding.
The Department reserves the right to support applications where the business does not strictly meet the eligibility criteria on a case by case basis.
DRI assessment criteria
Applications will be assessed by an independent Evaluation Panel which will meet to consider all submitted applications following the closure of the round. Applications will be assessed against their eligibility as well as the round objectives, and will then be scored against the following evaluation criteria and weightings:
- Relevance/need (30%)
- Level of impact (30%)
- Capability and capacity (15%)
- Value for money (15% )
- Financial viability and risk (10%)
How do I get the DRI?
Applicants must:
- Read and understand the guidelines.
- Ensure eligibility for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria will not be considered.
- Deliver the project as outlined in the application.
- Provide complete information requirements.
Information to prepare for the DRI application
Prepare the following information requirements:
- Organisation Name
- Applicant ABN
- Applicant Type
- Date business was establishment
- Business Address
- Business Website
- Business Turnover (last financial year)
- Number of Employees
See the preview of the Application Form for full details of information requirements through the DRI webpage.
Applying for the DRI
Eligible applicants must submit their application online using the DRI Application Form.
Register your interest here with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this program and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.
DRI resources
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