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| $2.6 mn assists textile, clothing & footwear innovation | | July 07, 2009 (Australia) |  |
 Sixty-eight small businesses across Australia will receive grants totalling $2.6 million to become more innovative under round four of the Australian Government’s Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Small Business Program.
Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, said the grants, ranging from $11,000 to $50,000, focus on improving the business enterprise culture of TCF small businesses.
“The future of Australia’s TCF industry lies in becoming more agile, innovative and entrepreneurial,” Senator Carr said.
"It is about the development of new products and processes, especially at the high-tech, high-value end of the market.
“This round has been extremely competitive, with over 250 businesses applying for grants.
“This strong response from our local small businesses shows that the TCF sector is keen to embrace a culture of innovation and enterprise.
"The Rudd Government will continue to work in partnership with the sector to foster vital innovation. The latest budget included a retargeted, $401 million TCF package, with $55 million redirected towards innovation and $10 million in new funding."
The TCF Small Business Program is providing $25 million in grants over 10 years to Australia’s small designers and manufacturers.
Successful round four projects include:
• Nundle Woollen Mill at Nundle, NSW – $50,000 to implement an enterprise management system and procedure development to make its woollen products more commercially competitive.
• Bima Wear Association Inc. on Bathurst Island, NT – $33,660 for computer-aided Indigenous silkscreen design and development.
• Deft Division in Kensington, Vic – $37,500 to develop market intelligence and export tools to generate new opportunities in offshore men’s street and surf wear markets. | | | | Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research | |
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