Local Capability Fund to support Regional Businesses in Wheatbelt (Australia)

Priority Sectors

• The priority sectors for this round include:
  • Energy (oil, gas, renewables)
  • Mining
  • Civil construction
  • Defence
  • Marine

Funding Information

• The LCF will cover 50 per cent of eligible costs (excluding GST) up to a maximum of $50,000 per successful applicant. For example, to receive the full $50,000, you must have eligible costs of at least $100,000 (excluding GST).

Eligible Activities

• The following activities are eligible for funding
  • External Expertise:
    • Planning and Business Advice:
      • Strategic and business planning
      • Development and implementation of marketing plans
      • Supply chain facilitation
      • Tender submission advice and preparation
      • Preparation and submission of applications for other government and international grants
    • Improvements to Internal Business Infrastructure/Systems:
      • Production systems
      • Transportation and distribution systems
      • IT and communication systems, including cyber security
      • Operational systems and other activities necessary to meet the pre-qualification requirements of the target market
    • Training:
      • Up-skilling of employees to improve operational processes
      • Training as part of the employer’s staff development requirements
      • Travel and accommodation costs associated with training where local options are not available
      • Costs involved in bringing registered trainers to deliver local group training
  • Plant and Equipment: 
    • Acquiring new equipment or machinery
    • Acquiring second-hand equipment or machinery through a dealer
    • Modifying existing equipment or machinery » Upgrades or expansions to applicantowned business operating facilities
    • Purchase of specialised motor vehicles used exclusively for business purposes (e.g. bobcats, forklifts, cherry pickers, back hoes, bucket trucks) Note: 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; online sales and marketing systems)

Who is Eligible?

• To be eligible for funding, applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Be operating in a trade-exposed industry (or an industry that faces competition from other national or international SMEs);
  • Have been operating in Western Australia for at least three years at the time of application submission;
  • Be registered for GST for at least 12 months prior to application submission and intend to remain registered for the next 12 months;
  • 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 in Western Australia and continue to be based there for at least 12 months following the application submission; and
  • Have at least one full-time equivalent (FTE) employee, in addition to the owner, but fewer than 200 FTE employees at the time of application submission.

For more information, visit Government of Western Australia.