BID eNewsletter - October 2009

This newsletter provides current news and events on the programs and activities the Business and Industry Development Branch of the Chief Minister’s Department delivers to the ACT business community.

BUSINESS IN FOCUS MONTH ENDS

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope celebrated the success of Canberra’s first Business In Focus Month at Celebrate in the Spotlight—a networking function attended by over 100 local business people at the Hyatt Hotel on 30 September 2009. Over the 30 days of September, local business owners and managers came together to network, learn new skills and better equip their businesses for the future.

‘The first Business In Focus Month included more than 70 events designed to help strengthen local businesses in the ACT, with most of the events having been delivered by the private sector,’ Mr Stanhope said.

Highlights included the launch of the Australian e-Government Cluster, CollabIT and the 2009 Chief Minister’s Export Awards.

‘We thank the 50-plus event partners and sponsors who came together to make Business In Focus Month a reality. Early feedback has shown strong support from the wider business community for the events delivered during the month and for the future of Business In Focus Month,’ Mr Stanhope said.

As we look towards the next Business In Focus Month we would appreciate your input. If you have any suggestions or comments for next year, please contact:

GOVERNMENT/BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE

An ACT Government and Business Roundtable has been held to discuss changes aimed at reducing red tape and removing blockages which have traditionally prevented businesses from operating more efficiently with government procurement activities.

Hosted by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope and Planning Minister Andrew Barr, the Roundtable noted a number of positive outcomes in response to business concerns. For example:

  • An ACTPLA initiative is the establishment of the Industry Monitoring Group (IMG) comprising representatives from the Housing Industry Association, Master Builders Association, Property Council of Australia and the Department of Territory and Municipal Services. The Group meets on a monthly basis enabling ACTPLA to respond quickly to industry concerns.
  • The Land Development Agency continues to be proactive in the release of residential, commercial and industrial land, with 3,000 home sites to be released in the next 12 months to meet a rising demand for greenfield development and additional private sector infill developments.

‘Canberra is no longer seen as just a one company town and the ACT Government is determined to continue to work closely with the business community to grow the economy and the private sector for the benefit of the whole community,’ Mr Stanhope said.

FIRST SMALL AND MICRO BUSINESS FORUM HAILED A SUCCESS

A willingness to engage and connect with the Government was the cornerstone of the inaugural Small and Micro Business Forum, held on 16 September 2009.

The Territory’s small and micro businesses showed enthusiasm by a strong attendance at what has been hailed a successful initial Forum.

The issues identified as the top three by ACT businesses were:

  • Promoting My Business;
  • Government Procurement; and
  • Government Support Avenues.

Participants were enthusiastic and willing to engage in the open and constructive discussions on the identified issues. Attendees have welcomed the Forum as an annual event and have already approached the Government in order to make further contact with other participants from the Forum.

In terms of networking opportunities it has already provided significant benefit to some of our small and micro businesses in Canberra.

The Business and Industry Development Branch will now address the key themes raised and report back to the participants.

GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT AND SMALL BUSINESSES

The Small and Micro Business Forum raised a number of questions relating to procurement.

As an initial step towards providing businesses with information and to address some of the questions raised at the Forum, ACT Procurement Solutions would like businesses to visit the ACT Government’s Procurement Solution’s website at: www.procurement.act.gov.au.External Link

Businesses will be able to view the newly launched Goods and Services Procurement Forecast document which is being updated weekly.

Procurement Solutions encourages businesses to register their details with the Tender Notification Service on the website. The Tender Notification Service is an internal repository of suppliers and their provided details. Registration enables people to receive emailed notification of ACT Government tenders and other business opportunities as they arise.

Note that this process does not register the supplier’s details for any specific tender or business opportunity, it merely notifies registrants of tender activity.

Further information on the Tender Notification Service is available by phoning
(02) 6207 7377 or emailing: procurementsolutions@act.gov.au.

ACT TRADE Mission TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK)

An ACT Trade Mission leaves on 17 October 2009 for a two week program in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and London.

Led by the Chief Minister Jon Stanhope, the Trade Mission has nine ACT companies or educational institutions participating.

Mr Stanhope said the UAE and UK markets already have trade and investment connections with the ACT business community and their demand for niche business services complements our industry capabilities.

‘The UK and UAE are also major entry-points for multiplier markets in the European Union and Middle East, and many Australian companies have operations there for that reason.

‘From a government point of view, the aims of the Mission are to create a positive impression of Canberra’s credentials and investment opportunities, and to show that Canberra is unique: it is different from other states and regional economies in Australia.

‘The Trade Mission offers extraordinary opportunities for smart and forward thinking organisations to build region to region relationships and support the activities of ACT businesses, and to build and develop new long-term markets and customers’, Mr Stanhope said.

The nine companies/education institutions participating are: Academy of Interactive Entertainment; Canberra Institute of Technology; CIC Technology; The Poacher’s Pantry; Quintessence Labs; Recruitment Systems; The Wise Academy; E-Way; and John Walker Crime Trends Analysis.

‘The companies participating on this Mission sell a diverse range of products, services and technologies, but what links them together is their knowledge economy focus and innovation.

‘I am very much looking forward to supporting them on this Trade Mission and I am sure that we will have a very fruitful and positive journey,’ said Mr Stanhope.

UK TRADE ROUNDTABLE

As part of September’s Business in Focus Month, officers from the Business and Industry Development Branch attended the Roundtable organised by ACT company, Beyond Business Connections.

Key speaker at the event was Mr Jim Thompson, Manager for Trade and Investment at the British Consulate-General in Melbourne.

The main topics of discussion included: ICT clusters; banking arrangements for ACT companies intending to export to the UK; selling to the UK National Health System; University-industry collaboration models; and industry best-practice regions.

RECORD ENTRIES FOR EXPORT AWARDS

Sentinel Pty Ltd is the ACT Chief Minister’s Exports Awards Exporter of the Year for 2009 and also the Small to Medium Services Award winner.

Chief Minister and Minister for Business and Economic Development, Jon Stanhope, announced and presented the Award to Sentinel Pty Ltd at a luncheon held on 22 September 2009.

‘A record number of entries were received this year, highlighting the depth and breadth of the ACT exporting business community,’ Mr Stanhope said.

Sentinel Pty Ltd is an ACT-based environmental consulting company that specialises in the design, implementation and operation of remote monitoring systems.

It has extensive experience in the capture and collation of quality environmental datasets for industrial, mining and public utility sectors throughout Australia, Asia, the Pacific, USA and Africa. Sentinel can supply a complete monitoring solution from the design and implementation to long term data management solutions.

Other award winners were: Lucy Media Pty Ltd—Arts and Entertainment Award; CIT Solutions Pty Ltd—Education and Training Award; Windlab Systems Pty Ltd—Emerging Exporter Award; stratsec—Information and Communication Technology Award; Aspen Medical—Large Services Award; Recruitment Systems Pty Ltd—Small Business Award; and. DYESOL Limited—Small to Medium Manufacturer Award.

Mr Stanhope said he was continually impressed with the quality of the businesses that enter the Awards, the range of countries they are exporting to, and the growing export revenue being generated for the ACT.

‘The value of our exports continues to grow and ACT businesses now export more than $1 billion worth of goods and services to 48 countries including Israel, Tanzania and Taiwan,’ he said.

The category winners will represent the ACT at the National Awards to be held in Canberra in November.

Mr Stanhope praised the work of the ACT exporting community, the ACT Exporters Network and the positive working relationship the ACT Government has with Austrade and the Canberra Business Council.

‘Through the Government's support of the ACT Exporters Network, our work with Austrade and the ACT Government TradeConnect grant program, the Government continues to foster a positive climate for businesses to build their export knowledge and capability,’ Mr Stanhope said.

For more information on the Awards, click: Here.

LAUNCH OF E-GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY CLUSTER

A Technology Cluster to develop and demonstrate novel e-Government solutions has been launched by Deputy Chief Minister, Katy Gallagher.

The Australian e-Government Technology Cluster was launched last month during the National Information and Communications Technology (NICTA) Canberra Research Laboratory Showcase, attended by around 100 members of the business, research and education communities as part of Business In Focus Month.

The Cluster is a partnership between NICTA, the ACT Government, several major international companies, innovative ACT companies and other research organisations.

The ACT Government is providing sponsorship of $150,000 to help establish the Cluster in 2009-10 with a commitment for a further $100,000 per annum through to 2011-12.

InnovationConnect (ICon) GRANTS AWARDED

Six companies have been awarded funding grants totalling $155,000 under the latest round of the ICon program.

ICon received 11 applications from innovators for funding totalling more than $400,000 to assist them improve their concepts and technologies—the largest round since the program began last September.

Interest in the program continues to grow, with 29 Canberra-based innovations funded since its introduction.

COLLABIT ACT FORMALLY LAUNCHED

In another Business In Focus Month event, the information and communications technology industry development program, CollabIT ACT, was formally launched.

Delivered by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and supported by the ACT Government, CollabIT ACT provides a supportive environment to help local ICT companies establish commercial relationships with large Australian and international ICT firms.

Seventy five companies have already joined the program—16 of them are multi-nationals—the rest local small and medium businesses.

‘The ACT Government is pleased to be working with the AIIA on the CollabIT ACT program and has committed $150,000 worth of funding support over three years,’ Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said at the program launch.

‘We are very fortunate in Canberra to host Australia's largest ICT customer, the Australian Government. We also have a concentration of ICT companies—including home grown, national and international—all looking to actively participate in the local market,’ Mr Stanhope said.

CollabIT ACT brings companies together to collaborate in software and technology development and to pursue new business opportunities in Canberra, as well as nationally and overseas.

Members exchange information and participate in a range of networking and other events to share business and collaboration opportunities with other members.

CollabIT ACT is the latest initiative under the AIIA's national CollabIT program, complementing similar activities under way in all states (except Tasmania) with members, including large corporations, actively seeking partnership opportunities.

‘I am delighted to hear that the number of companies joining CollabIT ACT is on the increase. This can only continue to help further grow our dynamic ICT sector,’ said Mr Stanhope.

Program Manager Alison Abernethy told the September meeting of CollabIT ACT that a number of events were now organised: a breakfast seminar on 20 October 2009; Survivor Canberra (focusing on mergers and acquisitions) on 12 November 2009; and Christmas Cocktails on 1 December 2009.

ANZ FREE WORKSHOPS SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES IN CANBERRA

The ANZ Banking Group will conduct a series of small business workshops in Canberra between 18–26 November 2009.

Held in partnership with Google™, Marketing Angels ® and CAD Partners, the workshops are designed to provide business operators with the know-how to build brand awareness, generate and maintain sales leads, discover the most effective medium to drive sales, generate online traffic and get control of cash flow, as well as increase profitability.

The workshops will be held at Cliftons, Level 2, 10 Moore Street, Canberra.

The workshop dates and times are:

Workshop Title

  Time

  Date

Online Marketing

  9 am–12 pm  

  18 November    

Brand Awareness

  1.30 pm–3.30 pm      

  18 November

Generating and Nurturing Leads    

  9 am–11 am

  19 November

Email Marketing

  12.30 pm–2.30 pm

  19 November
Building a Business Plan   8.30 am–12.30 pm   26 November

The free workshops are open to all small business operators. Register now via ANZ’s small business hub at: www.thesbhub.com.au .External Link

DOING BUSINESS WITH DEFENCE

A briefing aimed at business operators who want to find out about business opportunities available from the Defence sector is being undertaken by the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Business Access Office.

The presentation will outline: where Defence and the DMO sit within the Federal Government; the basics of Government Procurement; the best ways to engage with Defence; and how to prepare your company to take advantage of potential business opportunities.

Date: Tuesday 13 October 2009
Time: 4.45 pm for a 5 pm to 6.30 pm briefing
Venue: The Eye, Regatta Point, Canberra
Cost: FREE

To register for the briefing or for a private meeting on 14 October 2009, please contact Clayton Fiander by—

ACT INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM (ISAP)

The ISAP is due to be launched in conjunction with the start of the 2010 academic year. It will involve all of the ACT’s tertiary institutions that have international students enrolled who wish to take part.

The establishment of an ISAP is part of the ACT Government’s strategic business development initiatives.

It aims to assist the Government’s trade, migration and investment facilitation objectives by capturing and leveraging the global opportunities provided by the significant number of international students living and studying in Canberra.

These students represent a unique and valuable resource in terms of business and intellectual capital, skills, access to international networks, marketing opportunities for education, business and tourism and the potential for retaining them as skilled and business migrants.

The establishment of the Ambassador Program will support the targeted marketing of the ACT’s tertiary institutions and marketing by graduates of ACT institutions.

The Program also acts as an important ‘aftermarket’ support program, linking overseas students to the broader community and building a stronger connection with those who select Canberra as their new home.

The Program will support the growth of the ACT’s education institutions and their ability to attract growing numbers of international students, and links with other initiatives such as: the International Business Development Strategy; the Investing in Canberra Strategy; the Skilled and Business Migration Program; the Live in Canberra Campaign; and the Student Connect Program.

For more information please phone Robert Holgate on 6205 5287.

CANBERRA CONSTRUCTION SNAPSHOT LAUNCHED

A newsletter has been launched to draw together in one place information about all of the major Government and private-sector infrastructure, capital works and development projects either in progress or expected to proceed in the ACT and region.

The Canberra Construction Snapshot was launched by Chief Minister Jon Stanhope last month. It will be a biannual newsletter on construction works and capital projects.

Mr Stanhope said the Snapshotsends a powerful message that the ACT is open for business.

‘In the months since the special appropriation for a local initiatives package passed through the Assembly in March, the Government has injected more than $12 million into the local economy and the local construction industry—much of it in the form of upgrades to local infrastructure.

‘In addition, $287 million worth of construction is currently underway rebuilding our public health system, and almost another $250 million is being invested in education infrastructure, as well as over $300 million on municipal services.

‘Add this to the well over $300 million worth of work at the ANU, together with the $1.8 billion worth of construction rolling out right now in the private sector and it is very clear that Canberra is a great place to do business.

‘Looking forward, there's another $2.5 billion worth of work in the pipeline from the private sector and another three-quarters of a billion in the pipeline from the ACT Government. And that's not counting the half a billion in work to secure our water supply.

‘The construction and building industry is a vital component of the continued economic development of Canberra and the region. The industry creates long-term employment and has strong flow-on effects throughout our economy,’ Mr Stanhope said.

To view an electronic version of the Snapshot, click: Here.

ANOTHER ‘SHRIMP’ EXPORTED FROM CANBERRA

An ACT ‘Shrimp’ has been exported to Spain!

This is not an edible crustacean but a $6 million specialised instrument which measures the age of rocks, developed and produced by Australian Scientific Instruments (ASI) in Canberra.

This latest ‘Shrimp’ will go to the University of Granada in Spain—the eighth to be exported to the world and the first into Western Europe.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has congratulated ASI which evolved out of research from the Australian National University and supported by ACT Government funding.

He said the ASI story is one that the ACT’s business development strategies can hold up as a successful working model where world-leading research in our city, supported by government, helps businesses along the commercialisation pathway towards successful exporting.

The ‘Shrimp’ instrument allows researchers to look back millions of years to address longstanding questions about the geological history of continents.

It allows for research into areas as diverse as climate change, mineral and oil deposits and the origins of the Solar System.

‘I applaud the team and their vision and commitment in building a highly successful business, which contributes not only to the ACT economy but also enhances the recognition of the ACT as the knowledge capital,‘ Mr Stanhope said.

YOUNG ICT PROFESSIONAL REWARDED

A young Canberran who was 16 when he founded a business providing basic website and email hosting services has been named the winner of the 2009 ACT Pearcey Award for Young Achievers.

Through organic growth and acquisitions, Michael McGoogan’s company AussieHQ has expanded and currently has a customer base in excess of 20,000.

The firm has been connecting well over 1,000 new business clients per month and its revenue will exceed $4 million in the 2009 financial year.

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope congratulated Michael on the award. He said it was an acknowledgement of Michael’s accomplishments in setting up AussieHQ, which has grown over the past six years to become the fifth largest web service provider in Australia.

The Pearcey Award, which is sponsored by the ACT Government, recognises the achievements of individuals in the early stages of their information and communication technology (ICT) careers.

‘Recognising and rewarding the achievements of up and coming ICT professionals inculcates a culture of creativity and innovation within the field, and places us on a very sound footing for the future,’ said Mr Stanhope.

The Territory is an ICT leader in Australia, with the nation’s highest intensity of ICT-related employment and boasting internationally renowned ICT research organisations, multi-national companies and many ICT SMEs with very strong export capabilities.

Michael will now represent the ACT at the 2010 National Pearcey Awards.

ACT REP CHOSEN FOR SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO AUSTRALIAN PAVILION

The ACT’s Young Australian of the Year for 2009 and successful science fiction author, Mr Jack Heath will feature in the People Exhibition—a photographic display within the Australian Pavilion of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recently requested nominations from all states and territories for prominent representatives at the Exhibition.

Mr Heath was selected to be the ACT ambassador.

Jack wrote his first novel at age three and by 18 he had a publishing contract. He has since published two more books, one of which was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award for best science fiction novel. He recently travelled to Melbourne to undertake a two-day photo shoot. The images will be displayed in the Australian Pavilion over the six months of the Expo.

GIANT MAGELLAN TELESCOPE PROJECT

The Australian National University (ANU) in partnership with Astronomy Australia Limited has joined an international consortium in one of the most ambitious super-science projects to be undertaken this century.

The Giant Magellan Telescope will be the largest optical telescope ever constructed and will produce images 10 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope.

It will enable researchers to answer some of the most important questions in astrophysics.

The telescope will be constructed in Las Campanas, Chile and is expected to become operational in 2018.

The ANU joined the Giant Magellan Telescope Organisation in April 2006 and recently received $88 million from the Federal Government to secure a 10-15% stake in the project, which includes some of the world’s leading research and academic institutions.

The ANU will also construct an Integral Field Spectrometer at the Advanced Instrumentation and Technology Centre at Mt Stromlo for use with the GMT.

The ACT Government’s Industry Capability Network Program is facilitating Australian industry participation in this project. For further information visit: www.gmto.icn.org.au.External Link

FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information on any of the above news items, please contact us by—

A full description of the Business and Industry Development Branch’s programs can be viewed at: www.business.act.gov.au 

If you would like to receive up-to-date advice as soon as it is released, join our 'Business Mailing List'. To join, click on the following link:

FEEDBACK

We welcome your comments about the services provided by the ACT Government.
Your comments will help us give you the service you want—the way you want it. Please provide any comments on the services we provide or any enquiry you may have by clicking: Here.