Two fashion designers, a new florist, a cafe offering ready-made school lunches and a company that supplies the Canadian Department of National Defence with remote communications units are among 20 recipients of the City’s inaugural Local Economic Development Grants program.
The small to medium businesses successfully applied for the City of Cockburn program, netting $85,000 between them for projects that will improve their operations and offerings, and benefit their customers.
Successful applicants were presented with their grants by Mayor Logan Howlett at this morning’s CEO Business Breakfast with guest speaker Tony Brun, attended by about 100 people.
The City received an outstanding response to the call for applicants in February, when 60 applications valued at $270,000 were received over eight weeks. Another round of grants will be offered at the end of this year.
City of Cockburn Business Engagement Officer Sarah Kahle said the grant program, designed to foster a healthy, sustainable small to medium business community, was enthusiastically received by local business operators.
“We received so many commendable applications covering a huge variety of valuable and interesting requests, it made deciding who to leave out a very tough task,” Ms Kahle said.
“Some of the businesses based in Cockburn are quite incredible. One specialises in making HF and VHF radio equipment for specialised, autonomous, medium and long distance radio communications.
“Barrett Communications exports to 150 countries worldwide including the Canadian government and, under the Vanuatu-Australia Defence Cooperation Program, also supplies the Vanuatu Police Force to enable reliable communications in remote locations over rough terrain.”
Some of the successful applications include plans to brighten businesses with new signage, equipment to reboot or expand operations, new websites and software purchases.
Grants of up to $5,000 were available to help fund activities, services and initiatives to support continued economic development in Cockburn.
They complement supports put in place for the local business community by the City in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020.
The application categories were designed to enable businesses achieve technology, online and e-commerce activities, upgrade or improve shopfronts and business facades, promote innovation, growth or start-ups, and access help to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
“I encourage all local eligible businesses to apply in the second round later this year,” Ms Kahle said.
“These grants give local business, activity centres and industry the opportunity to consolidate and thrive.
“It’s really about supporting locals to continue contributing to Cockburn’s vibrancy, sustainability, growth and employment prospects.
“These are all related, and help promote ongoing resilience, especially when hard times hit, as we have seen can happen without warning.”
The new funding program is part of the City’s annual grants, donations and sponsorship Cockburn Community Fund, which is funded by up to 2 per cent of its rates income.
The total value of the 2020/21 Cockburn Community Fund is $1.455 million, with about $85,000 available for the Local Economic Development grant program this financial year.
The inaugural grant recipients are:
- Barrett Communications, Bibra Lake (Designs, manufactures and markets HF and VHF radio equipment for specialised, autonomous, medium and long distance radio communications) – $4,875 to upgrade project management software
- Live With Love, Beeliar (Relationship life coaching) – $3,800 to upgrade systems and marketing platforms
- Fuel Swap, North Lake (Mobile fuel rescue operator) – $4,000 to increase sales and digital marketing
- South Beach Daily, North Coogee (Photography) – $3,203 for digital and collaborative marketing
- La Paleta, Bibra Lake (Ice creams and icy pole manufacture) – $5,000 for a website rebuild
- Flysmart Human Factors, Atwell (Aviation training) – $5,000 for a Learning Management System
- Kinsey Global, Hamilton Hill (Sexual health products) – $4,000 to create an innovative sexual health product for sexually diverse individuals
- IQ Digital Advertising, Cockburn Central (Digital advertising) – $5,000 for digital advertising
- EN Pty Ltd trading as Electrical Nett, Cockburn Central (Electrician) – $3,900 for a website and logo
- Fort Locks, Hamilton Hill (Locksmith) – $4,136 for van signage
- Asset Reliability Inspections Pty Ltd, Cockburn Central (Engineering inspections) – $4,799 to fund starter packs for two new trainees
- Fortress Manufacturing, Bibra Lake (Plastics moulding and wind turbines) – $4,000 for signage and painting to front façade
- Flower Station WA, Hamilton Hill (Florist) – $4,000 for new signage
- Ocean Remedy, Hamilton Hill (Fashion design) – $5,000 to design zero waste women’s leggings
- Fins Seafood Factory, Hamilton Hill (Seafood wholesale and retail) – $5,000 to purchase a new vacuum packaging machine
- Left Hand Designs, Hamilton Hill (Fashion design) – $1,320 to develop merchandising of handmade garments
- Cockburn School of Music, South Lake (Music school) – $4,000 for professional development of special needs training for individual tuition
- Quartz Cuisine & Catering Pty Ltd trading as Yebp! Café, Coolbellup (Café) – $4,000 for technological/digital enhancement
- Pro Futsal Pty Ltd, Bibra Lake (Indoor football centre) – $4,000 to develop a website
- Lozcon Pty Ltd trading as Muzz Buzz, South Lake (Coffee drive-thru) – $3,000 for external paint and repairs
Picture captions, l-r -
Pic 1: City of Cockburn CEO Tony Brun, City of Cockburn Economic Development Officer Sarah Kalhe, grant recipient Torsten Giese (Barrington Communications) and Mayor Logan Howlett.
Pic 2: Trang Nguyen (Kinsey Global), Matt Cross (Fuel Swap), El Abrahams (Pro Futsal), Alan Chapman (IQ Digital), Deborah Quartermaine (Yebp! Café), Asher Flynn (Fins Seafood), Alison Lyons (Flysmart Human Factors), Paul Brown (Fortress Manufacturing), Claire O'Loughlin (Ocean Remedy), Torsten Giese (Barrett Communications)