Local Capability Fund: Standards Compliance Round (Australia)

Standards

• ISO 9001 – Quality management standards to help work more efficiently and reduce product failures;
• ISO 14001 – Environmental management standard to help reduce environmental impacts, reduce waste and be more sustainable;
• ISO 45001 – Health and safety standards to help reduce accidents in the workplace;
• ISO 27001 – IT security standards to help keep sensitive information secure;
• ISO 50001 – Energy management standards to help reduce energy consumption;
• AS/NZS 5131 – Steel industry compliance standards to help improve the integrity of structural steelwork; and
• ISO 13485:2016 – Medical devices – Quality management systems – requirements for regulatory purposes.

Funding Information

• The maximum grant amount under this round is $20,000 per applicant. Applicants are required to co-contribute to the approved activities. The LCF will cover 50 per cent of eligible project costs, excluding GST.
• To receive the full $20,000, applicants must demonstrate eligible costs of at least $40,000 (excluding GST). The Department will not reimburse a grant recipient for GST paid to a third party.

Eligible Expenditure

• To be eligible, expenditure must:
  • Be incurred by you within the project period.
  • Meet the eligible expenditure guidelines below.
  • Be at least $10,000 in total.
• Assistance under this round will be provided for the costs of engaging external expertise/consultants for the purpose of implementation and certification of the eligible standard(s).
• Implementation:
  • Assessment of current systems and practices
  • Review of existing procedures
  • Gap analysis
  • Development of manuals, procedures, and related documentation
  • Staff training related to the implementation and ongoing maintenance of the management system
• Certification:
  • Registration and certification fees
  • Audit fees for initial certification only (surveillance audits or re-certification costs are not eligible). All certification activities must be completed and paid for within the financial year.
  • Travel, accommodation, and meals for the certification auditor

Ineligible Expenditure

• Surveillance audits
• Costs related to ongoing maintenance of the accreditation
• Works carried out by consultants without the appropriate expertise or qualifications
• Works conducted by third parties not considered at arm’s length from the business by the Department
• In-house costs, including wages and salaries of staff directly involved in the implementation and maintenance
• In-kind contributions
• Retrospective activities (those for which an agreement is already in place or where expenditure was incurred before submitting the application)
• Activities not implemented within Western Australia

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for funding under this round, applicants must:
  • Have their principal place of business in Western Australia and remain based there for at least 12 months after submitting the application. This must align with the ‘Main business location’ listed in ABN Lookup.
  • Have been operating in Western Australia for at least three years at the time of application submission.
  • Primarily supply goods or services to businesses or government, rather than relying on walk-in retail trade. However, consideration will be given to businesses whose proposed activities will enable them to shift or expand into broader supply chains.
  • Have been registered for GST for at least 12 months before applying and intend to remain registered for the next 12 months.
  • Be a solvent business at the time of application and throughout the project duration.
  • Have an Australian Business Number (ABN).
  • Be a for-profit business, or an incorporated not-for-profit Aboriginal Corporation operating as a commercial enterprise.
  • Be an SME with fewer than 200 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees at the time of application.

For more information, visit Government of Western Australia.