Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price has announced more than $1.2 million in grant funding through the Defence Global Competitiveness grants program to boost the export capability of six Australian small businesses.
Western Australia-based Orbital Corporation will use its grant of $195,624 to expand its production capability for propulsion systems and flight componentry for tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, to meet increasing global export market demand.
Brisbane-based Gaardtech received $166,000 to purchase new equipment and increase its dedicated fabrication capabilities.
Trakka Corp, a Victorian business, will use its $193,192 grant to buy specialist equipment to perform in-house environmental stress screening for components they produce.
South Australian business, JTM Gaskets, secured $211,260 to purchase new equipment to produce a higher volume of products and expand into new export markets.
Another South Australian company, Electro Cad Australia, received $240,000 to install a dedicated clean room, and buy new equipment to manufacture complex defence components, growing export orders with international Defence companies.
NSW-based Repetition Engineering (trading as Challenge Engineering) will use its $240,000 grant to purchase specialist machinery and manufacture new machined components for export.
Making the announcement, Minister Price said small businesses that develop innovative and world-leading defence capabilities were ‘the backbone’ of Australia’s industrial base.
“From acquiring new specialist components, to manufacturing engines for unmanned aerial vehicles, or making new static targets for international customers, these six small businesses are expanding into global markets, generating local jobs and strengthening the sovereign industrial base on which Defence relies,” the Minister said.
“The increasing overseas demand these Australian small businesses are experiencing is a testament to their world-leading ingenuity and capability.
“By supporting these companies to invest in new equipment or to increase their manufacturing capabilities, it is enabling them to increase their production capabilities and offer more competitive priced equipment internationally.”
