Regional and women entrepreneurs and investors are winners in Round 2 of X-TEND WA grants that help innovative Western Australian businesses get investor-ready and investors take early-stage investment opportunities.
Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly today announced five Western Australian organisations have received grants of up to $100,000 each, with a focus on job creation and increasing diversity and inclusion.
X-TEND WA grants are available to organisations to run mentoring, incubator and accelerator programs to support WA innovation start-ups, emerging businesses and small to medium-sized enterprises expand their businesses and get ready for investment opportunities, including overseas.
Courses also provide educational opportunities to investors and corporates to deliver better access to investment capital for innovative Western Australian entrepreneurs and business owners.
Vasse-based AgriStart will put its $80,000 grant towards collaborating with South West Angels to provide masterclasses on start-up investing and connect female entrepreneurs and investors to build confidence and capability in the regional innovation community. As well as the South-West, they are planning to take their programs to the Kimberley.
City-based Perth Angels received $94,000 for its training program geared at encouraging women to invest in start-ups and early-stage businesses, and foster growth in the State's private investment capacity.
Entrepreneurs in the Peel region will benefit from the Plus Eight Entrepreneurial Academy Program delivered by regional innovation facilitator Meshpoints in partnership with the Shire of Murray and Make Place. Meshpoints received $44,000 to run bootcamps and a 12-week business-building program in Pinjarra and Mandurah.
X-TEND WA is part of the McGowan Government's $16.7 million New Industries Fund, established to support and accelerate new and emerging businesses to diversify the Western Australian economy and create new WA jobs and industries.
For more information about the program and the full list of Round 2 recipients, visit https://www.newindustries.wa.gov.au/opportunities/XTENDWA
As stated by Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly:
"I'm excited that regional and women members of Western Australia's innovation community will get a boost from this round of X-TEND WA grants, with support to scale up and get investment-ready.
"This second round of grants has targeted organisations that will help increase participation in the innovation community, seeing start-up support for innovation entrepreneurs in regions including the Peel, South-West and Kimberley.
"Access to capital is a key challenge for Western Australian start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises. The programs funded by X-TEND WA will also support capability in the early investor space which in turn fosters more start-up growth, greater job growth and more investment returns for Western Australians.
"The McGowan Government's $16.7 million New Industries Fund is accelerating new and emerging businesses to diversify the Western Australian economy and create new WA jobs and industries."
