X-TEND Round 7 closed on 30 August 2024 for application assessment. The X-TEND WA Program is closed for 2024, until further notice in 2025.
About
The X-TEND WA Program a competitive co-investment grants program that invests in organisations that deliver initiatives which assist and support the WA Innovation Ecosystem. This may take the form of one or more of:
1. Organisations that run programs that educate, grow and encourage investor education, leading to an increase in investment in innovative projects in Western Australia.
2. Organisations that run programs that educate, grow and encourage corporate innovation, including opening up connections between corporates and startups, unlocking procurement pathways and corporate venture capital.
3. Support for other programs that help grow the innovation ecosystem such as: entrepreneurs in residence, co-working spaces, recurring events, incubators or innovation hubs that are specifically aimed at developing regional, and/or indigenous and/or female founders and teams in Western Australia.
The program is part of the Western Australian Government's $25.8 million New Industries Fund which was established to help diversify the WA economy and create local jobs.
Applications
A 1:1 co-investment is preferred in this process. However, it is recognised that some vital initiatives may not be able to attract this level of co-investment. As such, partial or nonmatched funding applications may be considered and evaluated on a case by case basis where a demonstrated market need is shown. This is at JTSI’s absolute discretion.
Applications that focus specifically on regional, indigenous and/or female founders may not be expected to provide as much co-contribution, and in some cases, none at all (depending on the attractiveness of the application). Applicants can make the case for less co-investment in their application.
X-TEND is closed until further notice in 2025.
Eligibility
Show moreIn order to be considered eligible for X-TEND WA, applicants must also meet the following criteria:
• Have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and/or Australian Company Number (ACN)
• Have the business/organisation’s (including not-for-profits) registered business address in the State of Western Australia; or
• Be an Australian business/organisation not located in the State of Western Australia, that agrees to register a business address in the State of Western Australia
• Be made by a valid legal entity that can enter into a funding agreement with the Western Australian Government
• Be a solvent Western Australian based non-government organisation (business or not-for-profit)
• Put forward a program proposal that aligns with one or two of the streams within the Scope of Activities, as indicated at Item 6 in the guidelines
• Clearly explain how the proposal will contribute to job creation and economic diversification in Western Australian; and
• Include a project plan that includes a timeline, deliverables, a clear and reasonable budget, resources, risks, IP management, stakeholder engagement and how impact/success will be measured
What we are looking for
Show moreJTSI is seeking applications which deliver initiatives that assist, support and grow the WA Innovation Ecosystem. This may take the form of educational forums, mentoring, ideation, incubator, accelerator, scale up and investor ready programs, co-working spaces, recurring events and innovation hubs. Initiatives will be delivered over 12 months, or less. JTSI will accept applications from entities, with a proven track record of success that can deliver activities in one or two of the following streams:
Investor education
Programs which educate and activate current and potential investors, through providing best practice tools to make more successful investment decisions for investing in local innovation ventures. By doing so this will encourage the availability of more private capital for emerging industries, improving overall outcomes for Western Australian enterprises.
Corporate education
Programs which promote innovation within corporates (medium to large businesses), that engage, educate and activate them by providing best practice tools to engage with local innovative ventures and the innovation ecosystem more generally. These programs may include opening up connections between corporates and startups, unlocking procurement pathways into corporates (being the local innovator’s first client) and developing corporate venture capital.
Broader ecosystem support
Such as: co-working spaces, entrepreneurs in residence, recurring events, incubators and innovation hubs that are specifically aimed at developing regional, and/or indigenous and/or female founders in Western Australia.
X-TEND is open to all investor markets and industry sectors that clearly demonstrates a strong market need. The initiative must be delivered in Western Australia and contribute towards the growth of the innovation community.
Applications that strengthen innovation ecosystem collaboration and improve access to, or participation in, the Western Australian innovation community are required.
More information
Show moreFor all other queries, please email innovation@jtsi.wa.gov.au
