- 31 small businesses across a range of industries will get a $2.2 million Big Build boost in Round 6 of Labor's Business Growth Fund.
- The Business Growth Fund delivers grants of up to $75,000 for eligible small businesses to purchase specialised equipment to accelerate growth, increase production and expand their workforce.
- LNP has announced plans to cut direct financial support to small businesses.
The Miles Labor Government is putting regional small businesses at the front of the queue for Queensland's Big Build through a new round of funding aimed at getting them in to the biggest decade of infrastructure delivery in the state's history.
Funded through a $250 million war chest of support through the Queensland Small Business Strategy 31 small businesses looking to scale up, improve services, increase productivity or transition from small to medium size, will share in over $2.2 million in funding.
The latest round of funding will support the purchase of a variety of equipment – from specialist cranes and advanced 3D printers to laser cutting platforms and welding systems.
Speaking in Mackay, Employment and Small Business Minister Lance McCallum visited one of two local small businesses looking to scale up for the state's Big Build.
Engineered Designs and Certifications (EDC) can now take on an additional cadet thanks to the $72,800 grant from the Business Growth Fund which they're using to purchase a coordinate measuring machine arm, allowing the business to grow their Precision Measuring division.
iCutter Industries, a Mackay based, First Nations-led business serving the drill and blast mining sector received a $75,000 grant to assist in purchasing an integrated crane for their new workshop, meaning their business confidence and productivity can improve, while they focus on providing top quality service to their clients.
As stated by Labor Candidate for Mackay Belinda Hassan:
"When we back Mackay businesses like these, we don't just increase business confidence and boost bottom-lines – we strengthen our local economy and create more high-skill, high-value jobs for locals.
"Mackay is home to more than 10,300 small businesses and it's Labor that will open the door to the Big Build for these businesses, so they can maximise economic returns and create more local jobs.
"With a $100 billion Big Build on our doorstep, there's no better time than now to give our small businesses a big boost - providing funding to businesses with high-growth potential to buy the equipment they need to take their operations to the next level."
As stated by Labor Candidate for Mirani Susan Teder:
"Only Labor has a plan to help lower costs and ease national costs of living pressures on small business.
"These grants are proof that we're helping more businesses scale-up and reach their full potential and boost productivity.
"I grew up in and around industry here, so I know the value of investing in our businesses and this new fund is going the be a game changing big boost for Mackay's Big Build."
As stated by Engineered Designs and Certification Director Ben Adamczyk:
"We will be using the grant funding to buy a computerised measuring machine (CMM) arm which we expect will grow out Precision Measuring Division.
"Having this latest state-of-the-art computerised measuring machine will allow us to hire as additional cadet to assist with data capturing and processing.
"As a wholly-owned and operated Mackay business we provide our services to the sugar industry, mining industry, the port and a range of other heavy fabrication industries.
"This is an exciting development that will also help us expand and grow on our current service of laser scanning into precisions measuring for Quality Assurance inspections, detailed 3D scanning of critical components and independent reporting to clients."
As stated by iCutter Industries Director Dallas Morris:
"iCutter Industries is thrilled to be receiving the $75,000 Business Growth Fund grant, which will go towards buying a specialised crane for our new workshop to handle very heavy equipment weighing over 100 kilograms with greater precision, safety and efficiency.
"We expect the use of the specialised crane to handle drill bits will directly lead to a 20 percent increase in productivity.
"In addition, we expect safety to increase and downtime to decrease as the crane will provide greater precision compared to using traditional handling technologies such as forklifts.
"As a local Mackay business that is 100% Indigenous-owned and approximately 50% Indigenous-staffed, we foresee this grant opportunity as a chance to greatly increase "Indigenous economic participation in our local area and increase our Indigenous participation rate to exceed 50% as we grow and expand."
As stated by the Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Lance McCallum:
"The Miles Labor Government is proud to back Queensland small businesses with record levels of funding and support so they can do what they do best – create jobs and grow our economy.
"The LNP will send small businesses backwards with cuts to support provided now by the Miles Labor Government.
"Their commitment is to cut amounts and cut eligibility, which means cutting our small businesses out of the Big Build."
