The Innovation Connect grant recipients

Re the e-production software, here’s a quote from the innovationconnect funding guidelines:

“Proof of Technology Grants

Proof of Technology Grants support the development of:

*
prototypes that prove a concept; or
*
a technology plan or business case study that demonstrates whether a concept is commercially viable.

Proof of Technology Grants range from $5,000 to $25,000 but there may be an opportunity for grants of up to $50,000 in exceptional circumstances.”

With this e-production software having already had some $80,000 in development funding from elsewhere to “prove its concept” and presumably develop its “business case study”, it begs the question: why was this project rated “exceptional” and worthy of more than the $25,000 limit? Why did it need funding at this level at all? Why wasn’t it at the “accelerating innovation” stage?

Perhaps the answer is that the “accelerating innovation” grant appears to be limited to $10,000, with no “exceptional” extra funding available?

While it’s great to see funding for a theatre project, it would be good for the ACT community to know whether there is effectively any duplication involved in this expenditure … and whether this earlier funding should have been taken into account in any “exceptional” label being applied …

Production Genie has already had $80,000 in federal funding for development …

‘e-Production’ theatre software

‘e-Production’ Theatre Software aims to develop to proof-of-concept stage a software package that will support the technical management of theatre productions. Currently, while a great many IT solutions exist to support elements of theatre productions (for example, lighting, sound and set design or operation), there is nothing that has been designed specifically to support stage & production managers and the collaborative process that the artistic team on a production goes through to bring the work to the stage. ‘e-Production’ will replace, and improve on, the existing paper-based ‘prompt copy’ method of documenting a stage production. It will allow users to create a totally interconnected reference of every object in a production (including actors, crew, set, props, lights, sound, etc) throughout the course of a production. It will also allow users to collaborate and share information in real-time, on-line, thus enhancing the efficiency and innovation with which a production can be realised.

Over the course of this project, theatre industry experts will collaborate with software architects and programmers to clarify the scope and design of the software. A prototype package will be developed and tested in the production/rehearsal process of a real theatre production. The data gathered from the quality testing will inform refinements to the package. The end result will be software produced to a proof-of-concept stage, with accompanying full documentation, ready to be developed as a commercial product.

This is a revolutionary step forward for theatre practice anywhere in the world. Moving to an electronic production process will not only save time and money for individual artists and theatre companies, it will also significantly improve their ability to remount and tour works, thus providing benefits to venues and production/promotion companies as well. This is a product that has the potential to be used, not just by Australian companies, but by companies the world over.

ITOL Funding: $80 010

Contact : Ms Catherine Prosser, Project Manager, catherinemprosser@yahoo.com.au

We have been monitoring the comments regarding the ACT Governments Innovation Connect assistance and thought we would contribute to the discussion to perhaps clarify a few point.

Firstly, yes, it is not ideal that the Government provide assistance to private company’s to commercialise their technologies. In a perfect world, great ideas would get all the private backing and funding that they need and the Government would not need to become involved. However, the reality is unfortunately that this is not the case. Because in Australia, we are comparatively risk-averse and only seem to want to invest in real-estate and maybe the stock-market, small private company’s are generally unable to receive the backing and finance they need. This is where a relatively small amount of Government assistance can make all the difference between success and failure success or failure.

Some facts about the ACT Government Innovation Connect funding round:

– all recipients must go through an intensive competitive application process
– funds must be matched dollar for dollar
– grant amounts are relatively small
– funds must contribute to the ACT bottom line (local employment etc)

We commend the ACT Government for the assistance they can provide as we realise their budget allocation is very limited.

For those who believe that commercial ventures and should get “commercial investment”, we suggest that perhaps the people have themselves never started or worked for one of these “commercial ventures”. If they did, they would very quickly realise how difficult obtaining “commercial investment” is in Australia. Most of our funding has been raised through private investment. We invite people to suggest other solutions to raising capital or better still, put their money where their mouth is and also invest in company’s like mHITs. http://www.mhits.com.au/investors.html

Congratulations to all ACT Government Innovation Connect recipients. We are the company’s who will grow and go on to employ local Canberrans and help contribute to the growth of ACT the region.

Harold Dimpel
Founder and CEO
mHITs Limited
http://www.mhits.com.au

Thanks Dexi for the heads up. Try http://www.adminbandit.com.au/ for the free demo site.

Thanks housebound for the great words, yes we are the ones who developed the software being used by the volunteer treasurers in Canberra’s Preschool parent associations. It is always encouraging to hear we’ve changed peoples lives! 🙂
Yes, dexi we’ve received two awards for our Community Business Partnership with the Canberra Preschool Society because of the benefit to the community.
The ACT government $5000 grant has enabled us to complete the work on getting the new web-based version ready for volunteer treasurers right across the community sector. We have a FREE demo if you want to check it out at http://www.adminbandit.com.au.

Innovation is the cornerstone of economic development. Unlike other states (or territories) the ACT does not have agriculture or mining to generate wealth. All it has is Government services -which it has little control over – and encouraging innovative industries – which it has some control over. Farmers and miners get million in subsidies to prop-up their commercial enterprises, so why not a few dollars for innovative ACT businesses. You never know, they may just be the businesses to create all those new jobs we’ll need to employ the miners and farmers thrown out of a job by the economic recession.

Same mob housebound. They are multi award winners.

From their web site…2006, 2007.

For the second year running the Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships has honoured the partnership between Admin Bandit and Canberra Preschool Society (CPS) with the territory award in the Small Business Category.

Admin bandit – if this was the system used for preschool parent associations, then the $ are a small investment relative to the benefit to the community. People who had to use it tell me it changed their volunteer treasurer life.

On the other hand, if not the same mob, then I’ll fall into line with You have to be Joking……….

I was wondering why give money to commercial software developers at all?

The only two I like are the sports and theatre production software. Everything else seems to be commercial ventures that should get commercial investment. For instance why would we want to encourage a SMS POS system?

How about giving $5000 to an advertising medium. Do we need a new advertising medium?

Ian said :

I wonder why in giving money to people developing software with some ultimate commercial intent, the govt gives grants rather than take an equity stake which might return something in the event the project is successful.

I doubt they want the responsibility.