Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing Glenn Butcher has announced the third round of the Manufacturing Hubs Grant Program, which will provide Queensland manufacturers with access to funds amounting to $10 million over the next two years.
Butcher unveiled the latest round of the MHGP during his visit to a former grant recipient Mecha in Gladstone.
The grant program is intended to deliver new opportunities for local manufacturers to get the financial assistance that would help them boost business expansion, create more good jobs and deliver better services in the region.
Under the program, which was made possible through the 2022/23 Queensland Budget, more manufacturers would have financial support as they modernised and transitioned to manufacturing 4.0 processes.
“Manufacturers in Central Queensland are looking to grow their business and modernise. Our funding helps them do that faster and more efficiently,” Butcher said.
“Supply chain issues are continuing to challenge many businesses throughout regional Queensland, especially if they’re waiting on replacement parts, but Mecha’s Rapid Reverse Engineering Project means the team can create those parts here, enabling their customers to quickly get back to business,” the minister said.
Mecha has completed its Rapid Reverse Engineering Project, through a $230,000 funding provided by the MGHP’s first round in 2021.
“Since the funding announcement, we’ve added another 20 jobs to the business and attracted new customers,” said Mecha General Manager Mat Canniffe. “Mecha has invested in skills together with this technology to assist our clients in solving the most complex problems in the shortest timeframes, safely.”
Since its inception, the MHGP has distributed over $13 million to 49 projects to support business development, technology adoption, skills, and training across the five eligible regions throughout Queensland.
Application for the program’s third round was recently simplified, following a review of the first two rounds, ensuring as many people as possible can access the grant funding.
For more information, visit the Queensland government’s Manufacturing Hubs Grant Program page.
