SUPPORTING COLLABORATION BETWEEN BUSINESS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA

This program aims to connect businesses from Canberra and the surrounding region to UC. UC has a wealth of resource, capability and expertise which can stimulate innovation and business growth. UC is committed to engaging with business in the local region to drive economic and social development. It has a wealth of resource, capability and expertise which can stimulate innovation and business growth.

Vouchers up to $35,000 are awarded on a competitive basis to eligible projects that partner with UC. Applicants are required to provide a 25% financial contribution to the project.

WHAT PROJECTS CAN BE FUNDED?Innovation Vouchers may be used to fund:

• access to time and support on specialist equipment or facilities

• product or process design or validation activities

• the conduct of feasibility, prototyping, or field testing studies

• access to research or scientific expertise

• access to marketing, strategy, policy or communication skills

• development projects using one or more students and an academic supervisor

• potential market and customer analysis using advanced statistical and mapping techniques

• data development and/or analysis

• development of an experimental plan or feasibility study

• a research project or trial in partnership with UC

• a research project that arises from or will lead to an application for an alternative leveraging arrangement

INNOVATION VOUCHERPROGRAM

• With the changing nature of marketing, an export focussed business engages UC to develop a customer engagement strategy that uses social media as a key tool. The company accesses an Innovation Voucher to fund this collaborative work and also underwrite a Knowledge Exchange Placement student.

• An Innovation Voucher is used to develop a technique for extracting DNA as part of a local company’s new product development. The company was then successful in receiving an Innovation Connections Grant which it used to fund further work at UC.

EXAMPLES OF POTENTIAL INNOVATION VOUCHER PROJECTS• A local Canberra business has developed a software system which it

believes will increase throughput efficiency by 35%. It engages UC to trial and test its product as a means of independent validation of its effectiveness.

• A local business with 165 employees accesses an Innovation Voucher to fund the development and implementation of a novel employee wellness program. UC works with the company to pilot the program and assess the impact and efficacy of the program in terms of productivity, absenteeism and health outcomes.

• A local Canberra business is developing a new material which will have biomedical applications. The business is working out of laboratories at UC and accesses an Innovation Voucher to work with UC’s chemists, biologists and physiotherapists to develop and test different variants of the material. This includes access to specialised scientific equipment for testing and undertaking clinical trials.

A company wants to design a new product for the Asian market and

engages UC’s Cross Cultural Design Lab and its multidisciplinary group of designers to assist with understanding cultural and market requirements and developing prototypes for testing in target Asian markets.

EXPERTISE We can work with your business in the following areas:

APPLICATIONSApplications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria and all candidates are encouraged to read the program guidelines before lodging an expression of interest.

More information, including the guidelines and EOI form, can be found canberrabusiness.com/business-support-programs or contact engagement@canberra.edu.au.

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