Draft ANMP Rnd 2 - Instructions to Applicants

Automotive New Markets Program (ANMP)Information for Applicants – Round 2 of ANMPFor funding commencing in 2013-14

The purpose of this document is to provide applicants with information to assist when completing and submitting an application for Round 2 of the ANMP.

The information in this document and the application form (including the ANMP smart form application form and Word format application form) are underpinned by the ANMP Ministerial Guidelines.

1Before you begin

Please review the ANMP Ministerial Guidelines available on the ANMP webpage at http://www.innovation.gov.au/anmp before preparing an application form.

All questions in the Application Form are mandatory unless otherwise stated and must be completed before an application can be submitted. Attachments to the application form must comply with the requirements stated in the application form.

The applicant’s responses in the application form will be the main source of information available to the ANMP Assessment Panel (the Panel). All details in the application form must be current at the time of submission. The Panel may also seek technical, financial, economic or industry advice from external expert/s.

Applications to the ANMP will be treated as commercial-in-confidence. Access to applications will be on a limited need-to-know basis unless the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (the Department) is authorised by law to provide such access.

Applicants are reminded that there are limitations on the cumulative amount of grants an applicant may receive in a twelve month period and over the life of the ANMP. Sections 10.4 and 10.5 of the ANMP Ministerial Guidelines state that:

10.4 The total number of Program grants that a particular applicant may receive in a twelve month period may not have a cumulative total of more than $1 million.

10.5 The total number of Program grants that a particular applicant may receive over the life of the Program may not have a cumulative total of more than $2 million.

2Application process

Applications for round two of the ANMP opens on 21 March 2013.

Applicants must complete all sections of the application form available on the ANMP webpage: http://www.innovation.gov.au/anmp.

All mandatory attachments must be provided and must comply with the format and file size stated in the application form.

The ANMP smart form application form is the preferred version for applicants to use when submitting an ANMP application. However, an application form in Word format is available on the ANMP webpage, for applicants who are unable to use the ANMP smart form application form for any reason. Applicants who complete the Word format application form must comply with all requirements stated in this information document with regard to the smart form and as stated in that Word format application form, including character limits and file sizes. Non-compliant applications will not be accepted.

Applications on the ANMP smart form application form must be submitted electronically as instructed in the ANMP smart form application form by 19 April 2013. Applications using the Word application form must be submitted electronically to by
19 April 2013. The Panel will assess eligible applications. The assessment process is expected to take four weeks from the closing date of the application round.

3Eligibility

The ANMP Ministerial Guidelines set out the eligibility requirements for ANMP grants. Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria to apply for an AMMP grant. The following sections of the ANMP Ministerial Guidelines list the eligibility criteria for an ANMP grant:

Section 7 – eligibility: general
Section 8 – eligibility: consortia
Section 11 – eligible projects and activities
Section 12 – eligible expenditure
Section 13 – ineligible expenditure

4Business capability development

Applicants must describe the business capability development activity undertaken which has led to the implementation of at least one improvement within the business. An eligible business capability development must be undertaken at arms length.

Section 4.4 of the ANMP Ministerial Guidelines set out the definition of ‘arms length’.

Details of the capability development organisation should be provided in the Application Form. The Panel may contact the capability development organisation to seek confirmation or further information of an applicant’s business capability development activity.

5Project details

When completing the section in the application form on project details applicants should provide a straightforward concise project title and briefly summarise the project and provide details describing what the project involves.

Consider the following when describing your project:

What is your project about? What is the project’s objective(s)?
What are the activities involved? What parts of the project will be eligible for ANMP funding? What parts will not be eligible?
Who will be involved in the project?
What is the new product/service you are developing?
Who are the new customer(s) you are targeting?
Why are you doing the project?
What will happen to your company after the project is completed?

6Merit Criteria

The ANMP application form provides guidance to applicants when responding to the ANMP merit criteria. The additional information provided in this document is aimed at helping applicants respond to the ANMP merit criteria. The strength of an application depends upon an applicant’s ability to address the merit criteria in the manner prescribed in the ANMP application form.

Criterion 1: How will your project help the ANMP meet its objectives to assist Australian automotive supply chain companies broaden their customer and product base, both domestically and internationally, by either:

 Supplying new products or services to customers in the domestic or international automotive industry; or

 Supplying products or services to new customers in international or domestic non-automotive industries?

This criterion is about how your project will meet the ANMP objectives. The information provided against this criterion must give a clear description of how your project will meet ANMP objectives.

Consider the following when responding to criterion 1:

How will your project meet the ANMP objectives?
What are the project outcomes you expect from this project? What will this project do for your company? Will it sustain your company’s operations in Australia?
Will the project change your company? How will it change your company?
Have you provided examples demonstrating how this project will change your company?
Why are you doing this project?
What is the product/service your project will deliver?
What activities will you undertake to broaden your product and/or customer base?
Who are your target customers?
What will your project do to the automotive supply chain’s customer and/or product/service base?
Which industries will benefit from your product/service?
What is the gap(s) your product/service will address in your target industry? How will your product/service solve or address the gap(s) you have identified?

Criterion 2: Please describe your capacity and capability to undertake the project.

This criterion is about demonstrating your company’s ability to undertake the project.

Consider the following when responding to criterion 2:

What are the existing capacities and capabilities your company has to undertake the project?
Who are the key people who will work on the project and what are their responsibilities?
What are the resources, facilities, and processes you will use to undertake the project?
What new capacity, capability and/or expertise will you develop to undertake the project, or as a result of the project? What will you do to develop the new capacity, capability and/or expertise?
What is your company’s future direction? How does your project fit in your company’s future direction?
Do you have a business plan for the project?
What will you do integrate your new product/service with your current operations and your current product/customer base?
Have you implemented change in your company? How did you manage it? What did you do and were you successful in implementing the change?
Do you have the financial capability to undertake the project? Have you provided evidence to support your financial capability?

Criterion 3: How will your project contribute to the economic sustainability of your company?

This criterion is about what your project will contribute to your company’s economic sustainability.

Consider the following when responding to criterion 3:

Will the project result in improvements in your company’s economic sustainability? What are these improvements?
Why will the project make your company sustainable?
How will the project make your company sustainable?
Who are your current customers and suppliers? Who are your future customers and suppliers for the project? What benefits will your current and future customers and suppliers gain from your project?
Do you have letters of support for the project from your current or potential customers and suppliers?
What will happen to your company’s manufacturing operations in Australia? Will your operations be sustained or enhanced as a result of the project?

Criterion 4: How will your project contribute to the economic sustainability of the Australian automotive supply chain and the broader economy?

This criterion is about what your project will contribute to the economic sustainability of the Australian automotive supply chain and the broader economy.

Consider the following when responding to criterion 4:

What will happen to the Australian automotive supply chain as a result of your project?
Will the Australian automotive supply chain gain benefits and improvements from your project? What are these benefits and improvements?
Will other Australian companies and/or automotive suppliers benefit from your project? Who are these companies and suppliers? What benefits will they gain?
Will your project bring new skills, capabilities and investment to Australia? What are these new skills, capabilities and investment? Who will benefit from these?
What impact will your project have on maintaining manufacturing capability in Australia? Will Australia gain enhanced manufacturing capability? Will there be new manufacturing capability to be gained as a result of your project?
Will the project make your company more competitive? Will the project make the Australian automotive industry more competitive? In what ways will your project make your company and the Australian automotive industry more competitive?
Will the project allow your company to employ new staff or retain existing staff that would not have been retained otherwise?
Will the project have any collaboration with industry or research organisations that will benefit the Australian economy?
Do you have letters of support for the project from current/potential customers and suppliers?

7Project costs

Applicants must complete all the expenditure tables in the ‘Project costs’ section of the Application Form. A description of what the expenditure will be used for should be provided.

Applicants must complete the expenditure tables for both ‘project eligible expenditure’ and ‘project ineligible expenditure’; the table for ANMP grant sought; and table for ‘source of funding’.

8Project milestones

Applicants must complete the milestones table in the ‘Project milestones’ section of the Application Form.

Applicants must provide detailed descriptions of key milestones and deliverables of the project. Milestones are significant points in a project’s timeframe showing a project’s progress and achievements made to date. Milestones and deliverables must be specific and should clearly be linked to project outcomes identified in criterion 1 of the ANMP merit criteria.

Applicants should note that evidence for milestones being met and expenditure incurred are the basis for receiving quarterly payments in arrears under the ANMP.

Applicants must note that there is a minimum of 4 and maximum of 15 milestones for the project.

9Risk management strategy

Applicants must complete the ‘Risk management strategy’ of the application form. Applicants must provide detailed description of risks and mitigation strategies of the project. Information on the project’s risk management strategy will demonstrate the applicant’s ability to manage and respond to uncertainties that may arise during the implementation of the project.

Applicants must note that there is a minimum of 2 and maximum of 8 risks to be specified in the risk management strategy table.

10Attachments

Applicants must provide all mandatory attachments stated in the application form. The application form describes the information to be included in the mandatory attachments as well as the optional attachments.

11Contact details

If you require assistance completing the Application Form, please send an email to: .