Modern Manufacturing Initiative grants open for food and beverage companies

The federal government has opened grant applications for a fourth priority sector under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, the Food and Beverage industry.

Food and Beverage is the largest employer of all manufacturing sectors and consistently the leading performer in economic indicators such as the Performance of Manufacturing Index. It has been identified as one of the six National Manufacturing Priorities by the federal government, along with Space, Medical Products, Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing, Recycling and Clean Energy, and Defence. 

Grant funding of between $1 million and $20 million is available under the grants announced today, covering as much as half of project costs. 

“The world already can’t get enough of Aussie made food and beverages but there are opportunities to further build on our international reputation for producing premium, safe and high-quality products,” said federal industry minister Karen Andrews in a statement.

“To strengthen our economy we need to make the most of our natural advantages in agriculture, and that means adding as much value as we can to raw materials through manufacturing.”

The MMI was announced in October last year and budgeted at $1.3 billion over four years. This money will be allocated through matched grant funding over three streams.

The largest of the three streams, collaboration, will be open after the other two streams, integration and collaboration.

Applications have opened for the integration and translation streams of the Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing,  medical products and space sectors. 

Applications are currently open for Medical Products (until 5 pm AEDT today) and Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing (until April 1) sectors.

Food and Beverage applications are open until April 27 AEDT.

More information on applying can be found here.

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