Federal Member Pat Conaghan says manufacturers, research institutions and organisations in the Cowper electorate are being encouraged to work together on job-creating projects as part of the $800 million Collaboration stream of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI).

He said the Collaboration stream will support business-to-business and business-to-research collaboration across the six National Manufacturing Priorities under the MMI, the centrepiece of the Government’s $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy.

The launch of the Collaboration stream of the MMI follows the opening of the Translation and Integration streams of the MMI earlier this year.

“Grants of between $20 million and $200 million will be available on a co-investment basis for large-scale collaboration projects,” Mr Conaghan said.

“Collaboration is crucial if we are to build scale in Australian manufacturing and create the jobs we need now in the COVID-19 recovery and for generations to come.

“We want to support transformative collaborations that will spur private sector investment, encouraging our manufacturers to work together, and work with our world class research sector to innovate and become more competitive.

“The Collaboration stream is the largest under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, designed to turbo-charge Australia’s manufacturing sector while opening up new export markets and creating new skilled jobs.”

Mr Conaghan encouraged businesses and research organisations in the Cowper electorate to consider opportunities to collaborate on job-creating projects.

The six National Manufacturing Priorities are Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing, Food and Beverage, Medical Products, Recycling and Clean Energy, Defence, and Space.

Guidelines have today been released at: www.business.gov.au/mmic

Businesses can now prepare their applications, which can then be lodged from 11 August, 2021. The program closes on 9 September 2021.

Grants will cover up to 33 per cent of eligible project expenditure.