Business bulletin: 24 January 2023

The Territory Government will continue to grow and develop our workforce in 2023, with $92 million being put towards training and skilling programs.

The Skilling the Territory Investment plan 2022-23 outlines government’s commitment to building a skilled workforce through investment in a range of training programs and initiatives.

Key features of the Skilling the Territory investment plan include:

• $28.2 million to support apprenticeships and traineeships, including the User Choice Program which provides support to Registered Training Organisations to train and assess apprentices and trainees.
• $12.7 million to deliver targeted and responsive programs, including the Industry Buildskills program which supports Territory employers to upskill or reskill existing workers in occupations and industry sectors effected by change.
• $2.5 million to fill critical skill shortages across the Territory which includes the Flexible Workforce Solutions Fund and Global Worker Attraction program.
• $3.2 million to strengthen industry engagement and advice.
• $55.5 million for public providers including Charles Darwin University and Batchelor Institute.

Five Registered Training Organisations have received almost $800,000 in funding to deliver training, to increase employment opportunities for young Territorians in disadvantaged groups in the community.

Northern Territory Training Services, have received $107,556.00 through Pre-Employment training grants to deliver training in Indigenous Housing and Repairs. The program is designed to promote autonomy and empowerment in communities while also creating local jobs.

For further information about Equity Training grants and Pre-employment training programs visit the Northern Territory Government website.

Registrations are now open for the Annual Geoscience Exploration Seminar (AGES), the Territory Government’s flagship exploration event.

Hosted by the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) and now in its 24th year, the event highlights the latest geological and exploration findings on the Territory’s resource potential.

Resource companies, geologists, businesses and others with interests in mineral and energy exploration and development in the Territory are encouraged to sign up for the event, to be held in Alice Springs on Tuesday 18 April and Wednesday 19 April 2023.

The seminar is part of a broader plan to attract and support investment in the Territory, in keeping with the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission’s recommendations, which identified mineral exploration as a priority industry.

The AGES technical program will include talks from the NT Geological Survey and its partners, including Geoscience Australia, on the latest findings from pre-competitive geoscience programs in the Territory. Presentations from exploration companies on the latest results and exploration concepts from their programs in the NT will also be given.

AGES is held in conjunction with the Alice Springs Mining Services Expo, which provides business development opportunities for Territory businesses to showcase their products, services and local capabilities to support exploration and mining ventures.

To find out what exploration and investment opportunities exist in the resources sector, register today to attend AGES and the Mining Services Expo.

Register via ages.nt.gov.au

The new year brings new opportunities for community groups across the Territory, with applications now open for the latest round of major grants from the Community Benefit Fund (CBF).

Funding is available for Major Community Grants and Major Community Event Grants.

Non-profit community groups and regional councils are invited to apply for up to $250,000 to improve facilities, develop infrastructure, and stage community events. Gifting of an ex-government vehicle are also available to eligible organisations.

In the first round of the 2022 / 2023 grants announced in October 2022, 47 groups benefited from a funding pool worth $4.9 million.

Highlights included funds to build a new six-bay stable at the Fannie Bay Equestrian Club; refurbish the toy room at Gove Library; and purchase green-energy lighting towers for use at the Mindil Beach markets.

The Desert Mob exhibition, Nightcliff Seabreeze Festival, and the Annual Thailand Grand Festival were among events to receive funding; while the Top End Women’s Legal Service and Bininj Kunwok Regional Language Centre were 2 of the 8 organisations which were gifted vehicles.

Minor grants of up to $15,000 are available all year round to assist with community development.

The Community Benefit Fund, established in 2002, receives money from levies imposed on the operation of electronic gaming machines at licensed hotels and casinos. Over the past five years, nearly $60 million has been granted to groups across the Northern Territory.

Applications close on 28 February 2023. For more information about the grants, see NT Government website, or contact the Community Benefit Fund on 1300 650 153.

Five Territory businesses have been awarded funding to help them develop and commercialise their business innovation concepts, as part of the Business Innovation Program 2.0 (BIP 2.0).

BIP 2.0 is a business support program that assists Territory businesses to develop and commercialise innovation through funding and expert advisor support.

Under stage 2 of the BIP 2.0 program participants can receive up to $30,000 in funding to further develop their innovative concept into a commercially successful product.

The 5 applications that demonstrated the highest value for the Territory were awarded Stage 2 funding to develop their minimum viable product and begin the journey to commercialisation. The recipients are:

• Salty Games for development of the Pasture Livestock Simulator game
• Liandra Group for the expansion of the sustainable, seamless, recyclable, hand-designed Liandra Swim line
• The Trader Winnellie for the establishment of We Cool - Carbon Offsetting online marketplace
• Kirsty Lee Coulston for development of the ‘Years of You’ baby memory book
• Nightcliff Brewing Co. for production of their Fresh Wort Kit

With applications for another intake of BIP participants now open, Innovation Territory will host a ‘Meet your Business Innovation Program Advisor’ event on Thursday 23 February.

At the event, advisors will present a 3-minute pitch as to how they can support Territory business to turn their innovation into commercialisation.

The event provides a unique opportunity to network with some of the Territory’s most exciting innovators, start-up founders and fast growth companies.

Registrations for the Meet your BIP 2.0 Advisor event is essential and can be booked online.

Register online via Eventbrite

Applications for BIP 2.0 are open until 30 April 2023, for more on the program go to nt.gov.au/bip.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade works to support the growth of sustainable and competitive industries to achieve a $40 billion Territory economy by 2030. Tourism NT is part of the department and is responsible for marketing the Territory as a desirable visitor destination, whilst also facilitating the sustainable growth of the tourism industry in the Territory.

Tourism NT, in partnership with Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia, are pleased to present the annual Tourism Towards 2030 Conference. The conference is an opportunity for the tourism industry to hear about new insights, national perceptions and will deliver inspiring and practical advice to the tourism industry.

This year’s conference key note speaker is Amanda Stevens, a leading consumer futurist who provides strategies to future proof your business by creating epic customer experiences and building brand advocacy. Participants will also hear about key developments in the region, how to remove barriers to accessing their experience, building effective partnerships to deliver authentic Aboriginal cultural experiences, the future of demand, and much more.

If you’re involved in tourism in the Territory, then this conference is not to be missed! Registrations can be made online for just $25 per person and is being hosted in both Alice Springs and Darwin on the below dates.

Alice Springs, Tuesday 21 February 2023
Alice Springs Convention Centre
8.00am to 6.30pm

Darwin, Thursday 23 February 2023
DoubleTree by Hilton Esplanade Darwin
8.00am to 6.30pm

Register now