Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) and the Australian Peak Shippers Association (APSA) are working collaboratively with government and industry colleagues to provide important funding opportunities to deliver solutions to help the international trade sector move out of the economic difficulties faced this year and to develop innovative solutions to address emerging operational challenges and statutory reforms.
BIOSECURITY INNOVATION PROGRAM
The Biosecurity Innovation Program will fund the development of technologies and approaches that will contribute to a sustainable and effective national Australian biosecurity system, and ways to modernise current biosecurity risk management practices.
Specifically, the Program will provide financial support for projects that could improve:- biosecurity screening of goods and passengers;
- biosecurity risk detection — for example, drone surveillance, artificial intelligence, robotics, next generation sequencing and new biological controls;
- the effectiveness and efficiency of our national biosecurity system in a changing environment.
Applications close on 12 February 2021 – refer HERE.
HEAVY VEHICLE SAFETY INITIATIVE (HVSI)
The Commonwealth Government has provided $5.55 million in funding for Round 6 of the HVSI program, which is now open for submissions.
It is recommended that submissions directly address one of the following three themes (Safer drivers; Safer vehicles; and Safer road use) aimed at more closely aligning initiatives with the National Road Safety Strategy and associated state and territory road safety strategies, as well as the goals of the ongoing Heavy Vehicle National Law Review.
Applications close on 12 February 2021 – refer HERE
AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TRANSPORT INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT FUND
The Australian International Trade and Transport Industry Development Fund (AITTIDF) is a not-for-profit organisation whose objective is to provide grants to Australian international trade and transport industry participants to promote, support and enhance:- e-commerce projects in Australia which benefit commercial, operational, legislative, and regulatory processes supporting Australia's International Trade and Transport Industry;
- projects in Australia to assist Australian industry to facilitate international trade with its trading partners;
- projects in Australia that encourage more efficient international supply chain solutions for Australian industry;
- projects in Australia aimed at measurably increasing the level of skills and training in the international trade and transport industry, including participants in that industry.
Aside from details available on the fund's official web site, FTA / APSA have received the following detail from the AITTIDF Chair to assist members in assessing the viability of applying for project funds:- applications are encouraged - the AITTIDF will continue until all existing funds (we estimate to be in excess of $1.3M) are exhausted via approved projects – NOTE: there are no secondary purposes for the fund;
- each application seeking funding must agree to fund at least 50% of their proposed project;
- the AITTIDF will not contribute more than 25% of the organisation's available funds;
- Directors of the AITTIDF must exercise independent judgement and have no material or personal interest on all funding proposals and consider each application equally - therefore, each applicant must seek funding on their merits through the published procedure without Director assistance - NOTE: approaches to individual directors may jeopardise an application.
FURTHER INFORMATION
We trust that the above information assists members and international trade supply chain stakeholders in awareness of current funding opportunities - for further information please do not hesitate to contact me on 02 9975 1878 or pzalai@FTAlliance.com.au |
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